Co-workers. I have the best job!

This is the team of people that I will be staffing the Classic DTS with in July! All three of them are amazing and completely dedicated to serving God and loving people. I am so blessed to call them friends and now coworkers! Here is a little blurb about each of them. Hope you enjoy! 

Hello. My name is Jeremy Barry Randall. My parents were going to call me Jeremiah but thought it to be too nerdy. Barry was my nanas middle name (Norah Barry Randall - one of the greatest women to ever walk the planet) and the Randalls came out to Australia from England as immigration officers. We have been farmers, painters, politicians, knights (my grandad was Sir Richard the secretary to the treasurer and a stunt pilot), pastors, lawyers. I come from a legacy of lovers, improvers, charity-fueled card players. I am child 3 of four. My brother a social worker, my sister a primary school teacher, my younger sister a student of law and asian studies. 

I love peoples stories. I love the reasons why. I love figuring out how to make something better. I love living with people, even when its annoying. I love driving old corollas and photographing faces. 

I grew up a pastors kid. I have now seen church (and played in worship bands) on every continent except south america. I have been apart of community as musician, athlete, director, photographer, dishwasher, salesman, printer, model, leader, follower, chef, mother, father (weird huh?) encourager. 

I love speaking out truth to people who don’t realise it. When you see good in someone who can’t see it in themselves. I love hugs. Awkwardly long hugs. I love renewing peoples minds when it comes to hugs. I love elaborate hand shakes and slapping five. I love playing the clown to make people comfortable and then sitting down and having conversations that surprise people that i actually have a brain. and i actually have the capacity to be intelligent in amongst laughing about poop.

I’m slowly (very slowly) learning, that if absolute truth exists (which i believe is does) then that makes me wrong. Because i am not perfect. I am not God. I haven’t always been ok with being wrong. In fact i’m still not. But it something i need to learn. I believe people are worth all my time in the world and sometimes with people relationship comes way before being right. (slowly learning)

I’m excited about adventure. I love travelling and doing new things. I love meeting new people.

Me, yesterday.... like 20 years ago.

Me and my best friend evan.

Me on top of a mountain in Jasper Canada.

My name is Candace Braaten

I was born and raised in a small suburb of Seattle, Washington USA. At a young age I had a strong sense of adventure and always dreamt of what the world around me looked like and knew I wanted to see and experience all of it. When I was 18 I packed my bags and moved to San Diego, California to begin my freshman year in college. I soon realized that science and arithmetic did not excite me so I moved to Los Angeles, California to study marketing at a private fashion school. I graduated with a degree in fashion marketing and again found myself packing my bags for something new. This time it was New York City. I lived in NYC for 3 years working in the fashion industry until I realized that Jesus was the ultimate adventurer and that the plan He had for me was beyond what I could dream. I then moved back to Seattle to be with my family and dream with Jesus. January 2010, to my surprise and excitement, I found myself packing my bags for Newcastle, Australia to do a discipleship training school. After my DTS I joined staff at YWAM Newcastle and had the amazing privilege of staffing the 2011 October DTS and co-leading an outreach team to Mexico City. That was it. I was sold out. I was ready and willing to go wherever Jesus told me. I was ready for the front lines. I was ready to be his hands and feet. So I boldly asked what He had next and" Go Home" was all He said. So home I went and within a few months I found myself applying to do the School of Social Justice at YWAM Denver. To Denver I went, and learnt about the injustices of the world. During this school, I saw and experienced the vulnerable heart of Jesus and the crazy way He loves. This is something I want every person to experience, the real Jesus. 

I love my family. I love my friends. I love making new friends. I love traveling. I love exploring new cities by way of public transportation. I love listening to people talk about what they are passionate about. I love watches. I have a new found love for tea. I love loud music. I love when the sun is shining. I love movies. I love cheese and crackers. I love seeing people operate in their God given giftings. I love lions. I love encouraging people. I love laughing, like really laughing. I love snickers ice cream bars. I love a good dance party. I love when people are vulnerable. I love Jesus and how a life lived with Him is simply the best.

Hello my name is Jeff I'm twenty and I'm from Hawaii. I was adopted from Japan when I was a week old and moved to Hawaii where I spent the majority of my childhood. My family has always been in ministry, pastoring a church for twenty years, and then moving into the mission field when I was ten. Because of this I've had the privilege of living in some of the most beautiful places in the world, and traveling to over 30 countries by the time I was 18.  

I have been playing music since I was four, starting on violin and the moving onto other things over the years. Because of this i had a huge heart for worship and my heart is to see people set free and be free through worship. 

 Finally. I love music, food, and coffee. I enjoy cooking for other people and eating good food. So. Let's hang out about it. 

Jeff in his and Jeremy's room.

At an all night prayer meeting on a cold mountain top.

Jeff and Candace, almost creepy christmas photo

July 2012 classic DTS

Tell your friends, this is going to be fun.

For more info check out - http://ywamnewcastle.com/blog/2012/04/05/july-classic-dts-bringing-heaven-to-earth-2/

Faithful to the Last

This afternoon I received some exciting news. 

After over two months of paperwork, lots of waiting and prayer and a little stress my application for a Religious Workers Visa has been granted! 

I have learned so much about God's faithfulness and stedfast love during this short season in my life. 

I have learned that my worth is not based in how much how work but in Jesus Christ. I have learned how to relax and enjoy people and simple things like coffee and books and twenty minute conversations. 

My visa being granted allows me to be back in the office working on the upcoming July DTS. I am so excited to be working towards a common goal with my fellow staff again. I'll be back in the office tomorrow working on a promo video for the July DTS (which I will share soon), communicating with potential students and brainstorming ideas with other DTS staff. 

All the praise goes to God for this entire visa process. It is truly a miracle that I have gotten it so quickly, proving that God has had his hand all over this situation the whole time! 

When I first applied for my visa, in January, I felt like God told me to plan for it to be granted by the end of March (which seemed a little crazy at the time). Well here we are, with four days left in the month of March and my visa has been granted. God is faithful to the last! 

Our base comes together at the beginning of each week to worship God together. 

This morning we were led by one of our newly married couples, Jaso and Emily. 

Their contagious freedom and joy mixed with their incredible musical talents created one of the most fun and free times of worship I have had in a long time. 

Joy. It filled the room. As a base we basked in it's freedom and excitement and energy. 

A friend of mine shared this song with me today. It's not about God; it's about a boy-girl relationship but I love its sound and the joy it has. 

Give it a listen and go into each day expecting God's joy. 

http://youtu.be/zvCBSSwgtg4 

One of my favorite bands Branches posted a link to a video made my Invisible Children Inc. and simply stated that they believed in the cause and to check it out. 


This is a band I admire a lot, so naturally I clicked on the link and for the next 29:59 minutes this incredible video had my undivided attention. 


I had heard about Invisible Children Inc. when it first hit Facebook nine years ago. My older brother brought it to my attention and the passion the young founders had kept me interested. I had no idea how far they had come and how big their movement had become. 


I encourage you to watch the video and see what you think. I love that the founder, Jason Russell, incorporates his son into the film, he is so cute and speaks with such childlike truth and conviction. I also love the incredible numbers of young people who have risen up and began to care and fight for issues outside of their own lives.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Cousins

                                                          

Birthday lunch with the Keller's. Such a blessing

Delicious pumpkin soup 

Incredible Chocolate cake cheese cake combo!

My Allie Rae 

Living in the moment. 

Starbucks Church. 

Add caption

If only cameras could do this justice.

Tiny Christmas tree

Baking

Catching up with truly good friends 

Christmas 

Christmas Eve dinner. Amazing

Family 

New found love. Brussels sprouts 

love

Christmas Eve hike

Visiting my Jenna Burns and ice skating

Lovely Grandparents

We spent many of our evenings around this

I was in the States for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and have never been more refreshed. 

Here is a little glimpse into my time at home.

Enjoy.

I had read five chapters of Katie Davis' book Kisses From Katie when it hit me, this is why I do it. Why I have to take vacations to America and why the term "home" has become completely relevant to my current location. It's the reason why I sleep on a bunk bed and eat dinner with 100 people every night. The opportunity for teenagers to come to this beautiful country and have a "Katie experience" is worth it. Katie's book is a memoir of here life-changing missions trip to Uganda and everything that God has done through her in the past few years. While expresses her love for Uganda even through the difficulties she says

“I want to be challenged endlessly. I want to be taught by those I teach, and I want to share God's love with people who otherwise might not know it. I want to work so hard that I end every day filthy and too tired to move. I want to make some kind of difference, no matter how small, and I want to follow the calling God has placed on my heart. I want to give my life away, to serve the Lord with each breath. At the end of the day, no matter how hard, I want to be right here in Uganda.”

I cam back to Australia afraid that I wasn't doing enough to change the world; to reduce the number of orphans or hungry people. But by reading the stories of a twenty-something American girl in Uganda I've been reminded that for now, I have been called to this. I have been given the privilege of disciplining passionate teenagers to experience Jesus and go and love and feed and clothe his children. This July I have been given the opportunity to be a staff member for the Classic Discipleship Training School (DTS) which is running along side our Creative DTS. This is my heart for our potential students. As they begin to apply for the DTS, the cry of Katie's heart is what I pray over each of their hearts. This is my ministry. To see broken and passive vessels be refilled with the Spirit of God and long to be in His will for their life, no matter where that takes them. In that way, I am changing the world. I am equipping, disciplining and sending out the people who will adopt the orphans and feed the hungry. I will love them and they will love others.

While God has been moving greatly in my life and teaching me more then I thought I could handle I have also been learning a lot about the Australian government. About a week ago, through a series of misunderstandings and lack of communications, I was informed that my current visa had expired and had to rush to Sydney to explain myself to immigrations and apply for my next visa. Long story short, I was given a “Bridging Visa” that allows me to live legally within Australia until my pending application is put in the right hands and approved. However, while I'm on this visa I am not able to do any form of work. Sadly, preparing for the upcoming DTS, participating in Youth Street and many other of my daily task are not allowed. To be honest, I left the Immigration building feeling defeated and close to tears. It seemed so unfair. Why would God allow me regain my passion for DTS and become so excited to be back in the office only to have it taken away only a few days later. I haven't gotten an answer yet but I have come to understand that God is always ready to use hard circumstances for good. Rather then letting these next few weeks be filled with anxiety and frustration, I plan to fill them with prayer and reading and discipleship and an attitude ready to serve. These weeks will not be a waist but a time of preparing the soil for the seeds God desires to plant in my life and in my future students lives. Prayer for a quick grant of my visa and no need for medical checks would be greatly appreciated.

Much love,                                    

Hannah 

Made it

Four airplanes, 

forty two hours, 

three Cokes, 

one train,

two bags, 

one book, 

three babies crying,

three meals,

one missed flight,

two swollen ankles,

and I've made it safely back to this amazing country. 

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts.