Wednesday, 29 August 2012
My Staff Video!!
To help our future students get to know our staff a little bit before they arrive.. we all did a short video! So I though't I'd share mine with you guys!! Here it is:
Thursday, 16 August 2012
This is my life.
One of the most common thoughts that I’ve had since I’ve been back in Kona is “I can’t believe this is my life!”. Jesus is so faithful! It has definitely been stretching and challenging for sure, and will continue to become more so, but I love that this is what the Lord has called me to. I literally get to love and pursue Jesus, go after His heart, live in community, and learning how to lead and disciple and love the lost as my full time job!
Leadership track has been incredible! I’ve been able to dive deep in the place of prayer and intercession, both corporately and individually. As part of the leadership track we have 4 hours a week that are called “watchman hours”, where we have complete ownership over that hour in the prayer room to be the one partnering with the Lord’s heart and being with him to worship and pray, to be the “watchman on the wall”. It has definitely been challenging, and sometimes it goes by super fast and other times a hour seems forever, but it has been an amazing and challenging time of learning how to pray! The Lord has been establishing steadfastness in my heart during this season and making my roots deep in Him. He has spoken Psalm 1:1-3 over me during this season: “Blessed is the [woman] who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but [her] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law [she] meditates day and night. [She] is like a tree planted by steams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that [she] does, [she] prospers.”
I’ve been given the incredible opportunity to lead worship for one of our corporate prayer and intercession sets from 1-3pm in our prayer room every Friday. Our crew - Community Transformations - was given the Friday sets and I was asked to lead the worship part of it with others in our crew making up the band. It has been so amazing! There’s such a joy that comes from doing what the Lord has created you to do! It has been a journey of learning how to lead worship in the prayer room for an intercession set. It’s very different than leading a devotional or for a church service, but my heart has really come alive and into a new level of anointing and passion for the Lord and for corporate worship and intercession! I’m still learning a ton, but loving every minute! I’ve also been able to jump in and sing on many other teams, being able to cultivate giftings of prophetic singing and choruses. And have been having a ton of fun being able to worship and sing with my friends and amazing musicians here on the base, and I’m learning so much from them!
Another huge part of the track is serving the campus every morning. The awesome part about this is that I was placed in the DTS office processing student applications. We are processing apps for every DTS in the upcoming quarter, (there’s 8 DTS total running this fall) including the DTS I’m staffing - Community Transformations. So because our staff is working in the office, we get to be very involved with our students right from when they start applying! It has been incredible getting to know our students and being able to start the discipleship process now before they even get here. Every time I get to talk to one of our future students, I get so excited for what the Lord is going to do in us this fall!! So far for our school we have 88 students accepted!! We’re completely amazed at how many incredible, hungry for Jesus, students that he’s sending to our school and community for this fall! A major prayer request for us is that we have a majority of girl students, which while that is normal, we are praying and asking the Lord to even out the ratio a little bit more! We felt like he told us to pray for the releasing of 30 more guys, and so far we’ve had 3 of those 30, so 27 more! Please pray with us for the releasing of these guys!! If you want to know more about Comm Trans, visit our website: www.commtransdts.com
Our staff is almost all together now and the remaining ones will be coming within the week! Its been so fun to get to know each other better and come together as a community and staff team. They are some of the most fun, weird, crazy, hungry and passionate for Jesus people I’ve had the privilege of running with, and I can’t imagine staffing a DTS with anyone else! We will be praying into outreach locations and pairs for leading the teams within the next few weeks, so please also be keeping us in your prayers for direction and clarity from the Lord! I’m slightly nervous but really excited to see who I’ll be leading with and where the Lord is leading us to go!
We have another 6 weeks left of this quarter before our arrival day, so as I am completely looking forward to the fall quarter and the starting of our school and fully diving into staffing and discipleship, I am giving the Lord everything that I have for the rest of this season to get everything that He has for me!!
Please continue to pray for the Lord to prepare me and our staff team as we prepare for the fall! Also some of our staff (including my sister!) are heading to New York City in early September to minister at fashion week and work with Models for Christ, so keep them in your prayers as well! Also continue to pray for full provision from the Lord for me, our staff and our students!
Love you all! Praying for the Lord to bless you and keep you, for his face to shine upon you!
Monday, 28 May 2012
25 days till the start of my next adventure!
Just under a month and I'll be headed back to Kona! So many mixed feelings in that statement! I'm so excited to be back in kona and with the incredible community at ywam, and have anticipation for what the Lord has in store for me, but there are people I have to leave behind and sometimes that's hard! Although all my friends and family are supporting me and excited for me as well, I'm definitely going to miss them! Praise God for Skype and texting apps! :)
One of the biggest things I've been learning since being home is about partnership. The Lord always seems to want to take me deeper in learning how to trust him more and continue in step by step affection based obedience. Support raising has definitely worked those spiritual muscles! Its been a challenging but good process in learning how to partner with the Lord and trust him in this area of my life. Its a daily obedience process of asking him what is the next step, who is the next person to contact, and what is the best way to clearly communicate my vision and his direction in my life. Some days the overall goal does seem a bit overwhelming though! But I remind myself that He is faithful and He is provider and I'm confident in Him!
With that being said, I am currently at a committed $460 a month, just over half way to my monthly goal! I am still in need of more monthly support partners or one-time gift contributions. Everyone on YWAM staff is a volunteer and we raise our own support! It is such a privilege and blessing to be able to join with friends and family and partner in what the Lord is calling me to do. Not everyone has the calling or the opportunity to go, but we can all sow into the kingdom by loving and support those who do, both in prayer and financially. I would love if you would please pray and consider the idea of partnering with me! As part of my family or one of my incredible friends, or someone the Lord led to read this, I would love to share and invest in each other lives and have you be a part of this adventure with me! I cannot do any of this without Jesus and all the people behind me supporting and praying for me! By supporting me to go, any and all of the victories the Lord wins through my team and I will also be your victories. Any amount is incredible, it's more the willingness to give and the desire to be a part of this with me that is the biggest blessing!
All of my support will be going through YWAM Canada and is tax-deductible. If the Lord has led you to give there are multiple ways to do that. YWAM Project Funding accepts cheques, money orders, credit cards, online transfers, and automatic bank withdrawals. Any cheques can be made out to YWAM with a note with my name (Carlynn Petersen) and sent to:
YWAM Project Funding
PO Box 57100 RPO East Hastings
Vancouver, BC
V5K 5G6
If you are interested in donating through credit card, online transfers or automatic withdrawal click HERE. This will take you to the ywam canada donation website that has more detailed information and forms you can download and fill out.
Also do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or prayers!
Email: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
Cell: 604.724.4054 - Canadian
253.227.0054 - American
Please pray and ask the Lord if he is leading you to partner with me! Thanks so much!
One of the biggest things I've been learning since being home is about partnership. The Lord always seems to want to take me deeper in learning how to trust him more and continue in step by step affection based obedience. Support raising has definitely worked those spiritual muscles! Its been a challenging but good process in learning how to partner with the Lord and trust him in this area of my life. Its a daily obedience process of asking him what is the next step, who is the next person to contact, and what is the best way to clearly communicate my vision and his direction in my life. Some days the overall goal does seem a bit overwhelming though! But I remind myself that He is faithful and He is provider and I'm confident in Him!
With that being said, I am currently at a committed $460 a month, just over half way to my monthly goal! I am still in need of more monthly support partners or one-time gift contributions. Everyone on YWAM staff is a volunteer and we raise our own support! It is such a privilege and blessing to be able to join with friends and family and partner in what the Lord is calling me to do. Not everyone has the calling or the opportunity to go, but we can all sow into the kingdom by loving and support those who do, both in prayer and financially. I would love if you would please pray and consider the idea of partnering with me! As part of my family or one of my incredible friends, or someone the Lord led to read this, I would love to share and invest in each other lives and have you be a part of this adventure with me! I cannot do any of this without Jesus and all the people behind me supporting and praying for me! By supporting me to go, any and all of the victories the Lord wins through my team and I will also be your victories. Any amount is incredible, it's more the willingness to give and the desire to be a part of this with me that is the biggest blessing!
All of my support will be going through YWAM Canada and is tax-deductible. If the Lord has led you to give there are multiple ways to do that. YWAM Project Funding accepts cheques, money orders, credit cards, online transfers, and automatic bank withdrawals. Any cheques can be made out to YWAM with a note with my name (Carlynn Petersen) and sent to:
YWAM Project Funding
PO Box 57100 RPO East Hastings
Vancouver, BC
V5K 5G6
If you are interested in donating through credit card, online transfers or automatic withdrawal click HERE. This will take you to the ywam canada donation website that has more detailed information and forms you can download and fill out.
Also do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or prayers!
Email: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
Cell: 604.724.4054 - Canadian
253.227.0054 - American
Please pray and ask the Lord if he is leading you to partner with me! Thanks so much!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Home Sweet Home
I know its been so long since I last posted! Here's an update!
The end of our trip to Nepal was amazing! Our last week spent in Pokhara was one of my favourite weeks out of our entire trip! The first few nights we went to dance bars to chat with the dancers and waitresses and share with them the love of Jesus. My group went to the same club three times to visit and talk with the same three waitresses. These girls were all under the age of 18 and were working there to provide for their families and couldn't get another job because of their lack of education. We were able to encourage them and share the gospel with them, one of the girls had never even heard the name of Jesus before! We were also able to meet with them outside of the club for lunch to talk and just spend some more time with them! For our other 3 nights in Pokhara, we showed The Passion of the Christ in three different areas. We saw many people get healed, including an older grandpa who walked in with a cane and after praying for him, he was marching around behind one of our translators saying "left, right, left, right, hallelujah!" in Nepali! The Lord truly blew our expectation of our last week of ministry in Pokhara!
I've been home now for just over a month and its been super busy! In the past month two of my best friends have gotten married! Its been a super fun month of celebrating with them and getting to love and serve them in this special season of life! I've spent lots of time helping them get things ready for the day, planning showers and parties and just offering moral support! :) I love weddings! And its one of my favourite things to love on my friends and help make their day the best it can be! Other than weddings, it has been so good to be back home with my family and friends. I been having many opportunities to share what the Lord did in our team, in Nepal and in my heart, encouraging friends and getting excited together about what the Lord's doing all over the earth! I'm getting to lead worship at my church this sunday night and I'm really looking forward to it, especially after how much I've learned from the Lord during DTS!
Since being back at home, I've decided and felt the call and direction of the Lord to return to Kona and go on staff with YWAM, continuing with the Community Transformations family! I am so excited about returning to Kona to continue to run with this incredible group of people who are wholeheartedly abandoned and following Jesus! I am committing to the base and this community for a year. It will include living in intentional community, sharpening each other, intentional discipleship, prayer room hours, serving the campus, local ministry and developing leadership skills. The year will also consist of staffing the next Community Transformations DTS starting this coming September! The DTS will run from September through March, three months of lecture phase in Kona, then I will co-lead an outreach team for the following three months, starting in January '13. The Lord has given me a heart and vision for this next generation to be raised up, in love with Him, armed with truth, and trained and sent out to make Him known and give Him glory in the nations! I will of course be very involved in singing and worship on base, in corporate sets and in the prayer room! I'm so excited to see the doors the Lord is going to open for me during my time in Kona and to fall more in love with him and help disciple and train the ones He brings to our school!
I am looking for partnership for this next calling from the Lord! I will be raising financial support with the goal of $800 a month. Please pray and consider partnering with me and Community Transformations! For more information please let me know!
Email: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
Phone: 604-724-4054
I have a paypal account link to this blog if you would like to donate, I will also be setting up an account with YWAM Canada and information on how to set up monthly support will be coming soon! I'd love to share more of my heart and vision with you if you are interested in partnering with me so please let me know! Thanks!
The end of our trip to Nepal was amazing! Our last week spent in Pokhara was one of my favourite weeks out of our entire trip! The first few nights we went to dance bars to chat with the dancers and waitresses and share with them the love of Jesus. My group went to the same club three times to visit and talk with the same three waitresses. These girls were all under the age of 18 and were working there to provide for their families and couldn't get another job because of their lack of education. We were able to encourage them and share the gospel with them, one of the girls had never even heard the name of Jesus before! We were also able to meet with them outside of the club for lunch to talk and just spend some more time with them! For our other 3 nights in Pokhara, we showed The Passion of the Christ in three different areas. We saw many people get healed, including an older grandpa who walked in with a cane and after praying for him, he was marching around behind one of our translators saying "left, right, left, right, hallelujah!" in Nepali! The Lord truly blew our expectation of our last week of ministry in Pokhara!
I've been home now for just over a month and its been super busy! In the past month two of my best friends have gotten married! Its been a super fun month of celebrating with them and getting to love and serve them in this special season of life! I've spent lots of time helping them get things ready for the day, planning showers and parties and just offering moral support! :) I love weddings! And its one of my favourite things to love on my friends and help make their day the best it can be! Other than weddings, it has been so good to be back home with my family and friends. I been having many opportunities to share what the Lord did in our team, in Nepal and in my heart, encouraging friends and getting excited together about what the Lord's doing all over the earth! I'm getting to lead worship at my church this sunday night and I'm really looking forward to it, especially after how much I've learned from the Lord during DTS!
Since being back at home, I've decided and felt the call and direction of the Lord to return to Kona and go on staff with YWAM, continuing with the Community Transformations family! I am so excited about returning to Kona to continue to run with this incredible group of people who are wholeheartedly abandoned and following Jesus! I am committing to the base and this community for a year. It will include living in intentional community, sharpening each other, intentional discipleship, prayer room hours, serving the campus, local ministry and developing leadership skills. The year will also consist of staffing the next Community Transformations DTS starting this coming September! The DTS will run from September through March, three months of lecture phase in Kona, then I will co-lead an outreach team for the following three months, starting in January '13. The Lord has given me a heart and vision for this next generation to be raised up, in love with Him, armed with truth, and trained and sent out to make Him known and give Him glory in the nations! I will of course be very involved in singing and worship on base, in corporate sets and in the prayer room! I'm so excited to see the doors the Lord is going to open for me during my time in Kona and to fall more in love with him and help disciple and train the ones He brings to our school!
I am looking for partnership for this next calling from the Lord! I will be raising financial support with the goal of $800 a month. Please pray and consider partnering with me and Community Transformations! For more information please let me know!
Email: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
Phone: 604-724-4054
I have a paypal account link to this blog if you would like to donate, I will also be setting up an account with YWAM Canada and information on how to set up monthly support will be coming soon! I'd love to share more of my heart and vision with you if you are interested in partnering with me so please let me know! Thanks!
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Some Highlights!!
Sorry for the delayed next update! The last few weeks have been busy and flown by! There's so much to say but I'll just stick to a few highlights!
First our second trek up to the village Puma. Praise God we went again! Haha although I was slightly nervous to go back, especially for a whole week, because of how sick I got last time... It ended up being a great trip and totally redeemed the first one! We spent the week building relationships and helping wherever we could - mudding houses, chopping and carrying tons of wood and teaching english to the woman's club that hosts us! We also went to a nearby village to share the gospel and pray for them. We ended up having an epic dance party and people got healed and some kids got saved! It was a really fun time in the mountains! While we were there the Lord started challenging my view and expectation of ministry and evangelism and what it "should" look like. He's been teaching me how to share the gospel in word and deed! There's been a bunch of freedom and release of random false pressure I tend to put on myself because of this. Learning how to love and walk like Jesus is incredible! And often looks different than we think!
We returned from the trek and had our pastoral visit from one of our school leaders, Steve Schallert! It was so fun to have him here with us and experience nepal and be encouraged by him! We also had our second 24 hour burn with all our Comm Trans teams all around the world! This time we hosted it in the YWAM cafe here in Kathmandu, and were able to have our friends from Iris ministries and other ywamers come and worship with us! It was an amazing 24 hours of ministering to the Lords heart! All of our team took slots to worship in their own way, like drawing, painting, reading or singing scripture, sing hymns.. Things like that! It was really cool to see how creative the lord is in how unique he made us all! For me the burn also gave me time and space to dream with the lord and he's given me increased vision about the future! :) I love spending long hours with the lord!
The last couple weeks we've been continuing our ministries here in the city. Still helping out at higher grounds bakery and building relationships, hanging out with the Iris children's home kids, praying for people around the city and building up and encouraging other believers!
Last Thursday a few of us went with one of translators, Ganga, to a rehabilitation center for the disabled and people with leprosy. We met with a group of believers there, worshiped and prayed with them and each of us gave a word of encouragement, it was so amazing to see their love and dedication to the Lord. We also played with some of disabled kids... They we're so full of life!
On Saturday we went to a youth service that another one of our translators, Nelson's, band was playing at. We had a fun afternoon with the small group of youth that came and the band worshipping together! Singing in both Nepali and English! At the meeting I also got to speak and share briefly what the lord has been doing in my heart and a word of encouragement that the lord had given me to share! It was really cool to be able to speak and share!
We only have 14 more days here in Nepal! It's crazy how fast and yet how long it feels like we've been here! We're finishing off the week here in Kathmandu and on Saturday we leave with the Iris team for one last trip with them to Pokhara, the other main tourist city in Nepal. From what we hear it's beautiful with lots of ministry opportunities. We're exactly sure what it will look like yet, but probably lots of evangelism and we will be showing the Jesus film in a few parks and sharing our testimonies. We then will start our debrief week off there and will finish it up here in Kathmandu! Continue to pray for the rest of our time here, for us to walk out in the fullness of everything he has for us in the next 2 weeks! Love you and miss you all and I'll be seeing you soon!!
First our second trek up to the village Puma. Praise God we went again! Haha although I was slightly nervous to go back, especially for a whole week, because of how sick I got last time... It ended up being a great trip and totally redeemed the first one! We spent the week building relationships and helping wherever we could - mudding houses, chopping and carrying tons of wood and teaching english to the woman's club that hosts us! We also went to a nearby village to share the gospel and pray for them. We ended up having an epic dance party and people got healed and some kids got saved! It was a really fun time in the mountains! While we were there the Lord started challenging my view and expectation of ministry and evangelism and what it "should" look like. He's been teaching me how to share the gospel in word and deed! There's been a bunch of freedom and release of random false pressure I tend to put on myself because of this. Learning how to love and walk like Jesus is incredible! And often looks different than we think!
We returned from the trek and had our pastoral visit from one of our school leaders, Steve Schallert! It was so fun to have him here with us and experience nepal and be encouraged by him! We also had our second 24 hour burn with all our Comm Trans teams all around the world! This time we hosted it in the YWAM cafe here in Kathmandu, and were able to have our friends from Iris ministries and other ywamers come and worship with us! It was an amazing 24 hours of ministering to the Lords heart! All of our team took slots to worship in their own way, like drawing, painting, reading or singing scripture, sing hymns.. Things like that! It was really cool to see how creative the lord is in how unique he made us all! For me the burn also gave me time and space to dream with the lord and he's given me increased vision about the future! :) I love spending long hours with the lord!
The last couple weeks we've been continuing our ministries here in the city. Still helping out at higher grounds bakery and building relationships, hanging out with the Iris children's home kids, praying for people around the city and building up and encouraging other believers!
Last Thursday a few of us went with one of translators, Ganga, to a rehabilitation center for the disabled and people with leprosy. We met with a group of believers there, worshiped and prayed with them and each of us gave a word of encouragement, it was so amazing to see their love and dedication to the Lord. We also played with some of disabled kids... They we're so full of life!
On Saturday we went to a youth service that another one of our translators, Nelson's, band was playing at. We had a fun afternoon with the small group of youth that came and the band worshipping together! Singing in both Nepali and English! At the meeting I also got to speak and share briefly what the lord has been doing in my heart and a word of encouragement that the lord had given me to share! It was really cool to be able to speak and share!
We only have 14 more days here in Nepal! It's crazy how fast and yet how long it feels like we've been here! We're finishing off the week here in Kathmandu and on Saturday we leave with the Iris team for one last trip with them to Pokhara, the other main tourist city in Nepal. From what we hear it's beautiful with lots of ministry opportunities. We're exactly sure what it will look like yet, but probably lots of evangelism and we will be showing the Jesus film in a few parks and sharing our testimonies. We then will start our debrief week off there and will finish it up here in Kathmandu! Continue to pray for the rest of our time here, for us to walk out in the fullness of everything he has for us in the next 2 weeks! Love you and miss you all and I'll be seeing you soon!!
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Half way through outreach!
By the end of this week we will be half way done outreach! Looking back it feels like we've been here forever, but looking forward to what we have planned it feels like it's going to fly by. The past two weeks we've all been doing some different ministry things around the Kathmandu valley. A couple of us girls have gotten involved with a local business ministry called Higher Grounds, a cafe, bakery, crafts and jewelry making for women out of the sex trafficking trade or high risk women. It's been really fun helping out in the crafts and jewelry making, getting to know the girls working there, tons of open doors for friendship ministry and discipleship. I help out there twice a week usually. They took us to their church on Saturday and we spent the day with them just hanging out and getting to know each other better. The other days as a team we've visited other temples to pray and worship, and spent a morning learning about the sex trade and trafficking industry here and how we can be involved as a short term team. We're hoping to go into some dance bars to minister to some of the girls working and potentially share the love of Christ and offer them another way than dancing. I'm excited to see how the lord will lead us in that and who he'll lead us too!!
I'm definitely feeling more settled here and into the outreach swing. Every day I feel the lord teaching me and opening my heart more and planting new dreams into my heart. I have been leading most of the worship times for our team and have learned so much about worship leading and grown in confidence so much. The Holy Spirit has truly been my teacher in all of it and because of that I have fallen in love with him more! The intimacy and closeness i've felt with the Lord had been so sweet and refreshing. I've even had the chance and encouragement to start writing a few songs as well. :) This weekend I'm helping lead worship with a team from the international church for their service.
That's really all to report for now! We're super expectant to see what the second half of outreach is going to be like and what the Lord is going to do. We're pressing in for the fullness of our time here, everything he has for us. Please continue to pray for us! We head out on another trek to the same village and then to a few surrounding ones on the 31st for a week. Definitely pray for us then! Especially for health, I really don't want to get sick again! Also of course for the Lord to lead us and move through us as we preach the gospel and serve the people!
Fun facts about Nepal - to help paint a bit of a picture of what it's like here for you all!
1. There is always room on the bus for one more! Even when there seems no humanly possible way, there always is! They are not afraid for people to hang off the side either!
2. Socks with sandals is culturally appropriate
3. The honking of horns are continual and are the cars communication to each other, meaning many different things! Including: "hello" "hi" "hows it going?" "I'm here!" "I'm happy" "I'm sad" "I'm angry!" "I'm turning" "I'm passing you" "I'm not passing you" "you're in my way" "go faster" "go slower" "it's my birthday!" "I'm leaving" "bye" "see ya later" ... You get the idea! :)
4. Grocery bags are used for groceries and lawn ornaments
5. The bus boys sound like auctioneers yelling the names of the towns out the side of the bus. As well as whistling and hitting the side of the bus!
6. Food is ridiculously cheap! I can get a good full meal for around $3. And a decent latte for just over a $1
7. Snickers has become my favorite treat here! :)
That's all for now! As I think of more I'll add them!
Blessings!
I'm definitely feeling more settled here and into the outreach swing. Every day I feel the lord teaching me and opening my heart more and planting new dreams into my heart. I have been leading most of the worship times for our team and have learned so much about worship leading and grown in confidence so much. The Holy Spirit has truly been my teacher in all of it and because of that I have fallen in love with him more! The intimacy and closeness i've felt with the Lord had been so sweet and refreshing. I've even had the chance and encouragement to start writing a few songs as well. :) This weekend I'm helping lead worship with a team from the international church for their service.
That's really all to report for now! We're super expectant to see what the second half of outreach is going to be like and what the Lord is going to do. We're pressing in for the fullness of our time here, everything he has for us. Please continue to pray for us! We head out on another trek to the same village and then to a few surrounding ones on the 31st for a week. Definitely pray for us then! Especially for health, I really don't want to get sick again! Also of course for the Lord to lead us and move through us as we preach the gospel and serve the people!
Fun facts about Nepal - to help paint a bit of a picture of what it's like here for you all!
1. There is always room on the bus for one more! Even when there seems no humanly possible way, there always is! They are not afraid for people to hang off the side either!
2. Socks with sandals is culturally appropriate
3. The honking of horns are continual and are the cars communication to each other, meaning many different things! Including: "hello" "hi" "hows it going?" "I'm here!" "I'm happy" "I'm sad" "I'm angry!" "I'm turning" "I'm passing you" "I'm not passing you" "you're in my way" "go faster" "go slower" "it's my birthday!" "I'm leaving" "bye" "see ya later" ... You get the idea! :)
4. Grocery bags are used for groceries and lawn ornaments
5. The bus boys sound like auctioneers yelling the names of the towns out the side of the bus. As well as whistling and hitting the side of the bus!
6. Food is ridiculously cheap! I can get a good full meal for around $3. And a decent latte for just over a $1
7. Snickers has become my favorite treat here! :)
That's all for now! As I think of more I'll add them!
Blessings!
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Three Weeks In!
We have just finished our third full week here in Kathmandu. In most ways it feels like we've been here so much longer yet it's crazy to think we're heading in to our forth week. After our first week of really praying into what the Lord has for us here and getting to know the city, our town, the contacts and settling in we started to go after some of the words the Lord gave us. Week two we went to a few different temples to pray for people and pray and worship in and around the temple. Giving the one true God the honor and praise due his name! On our way to the first temple we stopped for this older couple sitting on the side of the path, half in a puddle of water with just a thin blanket. They talked through our translators and found out she had been blind for the last 10 months. We all gathered around them and prayed over her that the Lord would come meet them and heal her. Almost immediately she sat up and started saying "hallelujah" and "I believe" in Nepali. We continued to pray for a while and the Lord continued to minister to them and began healing in her eyes, she was able to see some light and shadows!! Some of our team then took them to get some food and help provide for their physical needs. We continued to the temple and prayed and worshiped overlooking the entire city, declaring the Lords goodness and lordship over this land! It was so amazing to be able to play the guitar and lead my team in worship in the middle of the Hindu temple. The next day we went to a lake that one of the girls on my team had heard of in prayer, and met a Nepali believer who had a business there and was able to pray and encourage her. She also was blind in one eye and as the lord ministered to her heart, he also started to heal her eye as well. She was able to see more light by the time we left! Praise! But more incredibly the Lord specifically lead us to her to be the body of Christ and encourage our sister and she said her hope had been restored! I've been learning tons about how the lord cares about everything, but He mostly cares and desires our hearts to come and be restored and find our rest in him. Our spiritual health he loves to meet us in and bring full healing every time! That were we also visited a mother Teresa home and helped out with practical duties - washing clothed and dishes. We also broke into two groups and together walked the road that encircles the main part of the city and prayed for it the entire time. It has been a journey of listening to the lord and seeing what he wants us to do daily. Which, honestly, can be exciting and somewhat frustrating as well! The lord is working and challenging me in so many ways, but He is so good. We finished that week with a 24 hour burn with everyone around the world from our DTS! Its 24 straight hours of prayer and worship. It was amazing!! Too much to tell!! :) but to some up my heart was drawn closer to the lord and my passion set more on fire for the place of intimacy and ministering to His heart! Week three we trekked up to a village called Puma. We went with the purpose of helping rebuild a house and disciple recent believers. We had a 6 hour bus ride and three hour hike to this little village built up on the side of the mountain with the most beautiful view of the Himalayans! It was beautiful and the people were super welcoming. Unfortunately I got really sick and was taken out for most of the trip! :( which made it more difficult and not fun! So not the best trekking experience.. But our team as a whole worked hard and helped with the house and we ended up more disciplining by example and the village was definitely impacted.
Please continue to pray for me and us as we head into our fourth week. Pray for health as a bunch of us have been and still are sick. Miss you all! I'll try and update again soon!! Blessings!
Please continue to pray for me and us as we head into our fourth week. Pray for health as a bunch of us have been and still are sick. Miss you all! I'll try and update again soon!! Blessings!
Friday, 30 December 2011
Welcome to The Himalayas!
We have arrived in Nepal!!
I have internet for a few moments so I just wanted to give everyone a brief update! We had about a full 4 days of traveling from kona to kathmandu. We spent two days in Bangkok thailand, where we had an awesome Christmas with one of our other teams headed to Cambodia. We then arrived in Nepal on the afternoon of the 26th and have spent the last few days adjusting, getting to know our town and the city, and praying into what the Lord has for our time here. We are working with Iris ministries Nepal which consists of a family from the US, a couple from Canada and a few Nepalese men and women. We spent our first full day with them worshiping and receiving the Lords heart for our time here, and a few specific words. The next few days have been spent exploring, prayer walking, meeting the people, and getting our necessary warm clothes!! The weather is cold! Especially compared to Kona! Please continue to pray for us as we pray into what the Lord has planned and as we continue to minister to the people here in Nepal!!! I'll update more with some stories when I get Internet next!
Happy new year all!! Blessings on 2012!
I have internet for a few moments so I just wanted to give everyone a brief update! We had about a full 4 days of traveling from kona to kathmandu. We spent two days in Bangkok thailand, where we had an awesome Christmas with one of our other teams headed to Cambodia. We then arrived in Nepal on the afternoon of the 26th and have spent the last few days adjusting, getting to know our town and the city, and praying into what the Lord has for our time here. We are working with Iris ministries Nepal which consists of a family from the US, a couple from Canada and a few Nepalese men and women. We spent our first full day with them worshiping and receiving the Lords heart for our time here, and a few specific words. The next few days have been spent exploring, prayer walking, meeting the people, and getting our necessary warm clothes!! The weather is cold! Especially compared to Kona! Please continue to pray for us as we pray into what the Lord has planned and as we continue to minister to the people here in Nepal!!! I'll update more with some stories when I get Internet next!
Happy new year all!! Blessings on 2012!
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Off to Nepal!!!
Well the time has come and my team and I depart for Nepal in less than 9 hours!! I can't believe lecture phase is over and its on to outreach! I'm so excited to head off and to see all the Lord is going to do in and through us. I don't know how often I'll be able to update on here, but our team is doing a team blog and the link is: thecalltonepal.tumblr.com . A girl on my team will be updating it with stories and prayer requests as they come! The last weeks of lecture phase were amazing and the Lord totally prepared our hearts to go. We fly out early Thursday (the 22nd) morning and fly to Bangkok, Thailand where we'll have two days over Christmas, and will arrive in Nepal on the 26th. I am so excited, nervous, and expectant for everything that will happen during our time living in Nepal. Keep us in your prayers!!
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
God is Provider!
He is so faithful! I have been raising support, as most of you know, to finish paying for my outreach phase to Nepal! In the last two weeks the Lord has been so good to bring it all in! The last $2400 will be paid off by tomorrow!!! Praise Jesus! He is our great provider and such a good daddy! Faithful to do what seem impossible or hard in our eyes when we do what is possible!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who gave and financially supported me and my team to send us off to Nepal to share the love and life of Jesus with the people there. How the Lord moves and works, the lives that are changed and transformed and saved while we are there, are in direct partnership and is possible because of your support! I wouldn't be able to go without you so THANK YOU! Blessings to you! I can't wait to share all of the stories and people that I meet in Nepal with you when I get back! We are at 22 days until we depart for Nepal!! I can't believe that it's coming so fast!!!
Lecture phase continues to be amazing! Week 7... (sorry I haven't updated you all in so long!) we had incredible teaching on the Bible, specifically the gospel of John, by our school leader's dad, John Gillespie Sr. he's a pastor in England. The excitement and realness about the word of God and the history of the bible really came alive to me through his teaching and impartations to us. He challenged us to celebrate in the miracles in the bible as if we were there and a part of them. It is part of our history. We should be just as excited and praising Jesus now that He raised Lazarus from the dead as if we were there, because it is REAL! Jesus really did raise him from the dead! It happened!! What an incredible God we serve! AND He's still moving and working in power NOW! Week 8 was a short week (it was Thanksgiving on Thursday here so we had a long weekend, which was awesome!) and we had our co-school leader Steve Schallert teach on worldview, and what having a Christocentric worldview looks like. It was a very challenging and amazing week, shattering some of our views and thoughts that were not Christ-centered or how He would think. Allow us to enter into a dialogue about what life would look like if Jesus really meant what He preached on in the Sermon on the Mount.
This week is another corporate week, with all the DTS' coming together for corporate worship and teaching. This weeks focus is on "making God known", on evangelism and the gospel. Getting teaching and practical tools and equipping us on proclaiming the gospel.
Another fun thing is my parents are here this week which has been so fun and such a blessing! Its been great being able to see them and share with them what life has been like here and what the Lord is doing face to face!
Thank you all for your support and prayers! The Lord is so good to me and continues to show me His faithfulness. I love His presence, I love worshipping my King! I love that this is my job for the rest of my life, to be loved by Him and to love Him! Praise! :)
THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who gave and financially supported me and my team to send us off to Nepal to share the love and life of Jesus with the people there. How the Lord moves and works, the lives that are changed and transformed and saved while we are there, are in direct partnership and is possible because of your support! I wouldn't be able to go without you so THANK YOU! Blessings to you! I can't wait to share all of the stories and people that I meet in Nepal with you when I get back! We are at 22 days until we depart for Nepal!! I can't believe that it's coming so fast!!!
Lecture phase continues to be amazing! Week 7... (sorry I haven't updated you all in so long!) we had incredible teaching on the Bible, specifically the gospel of John, by our school leader's dad, John Gillespie Sr. he's a pastor in England. The excitement and realness about the word of God and the history of the bible really came alive to me through his teaching and impartations to us. He challenged us to celebrate in the miracles in the bible as if we were there and a part of them. It is part of our history. We should be just as excited and praising Jesus now that He raised Lazarus from the dead as if we were there, because it is REAL! Jesus really did raise him from the dead! It happened!! What an incredible God we serve! AND He's still moving and working in power NOW! Week 8 was a short week (it was Thanksgiving on Thursday here so we had a long weekend, which was awesome!) and we had our co-school leader Steve Schallert teach on worldview, and what having a Christocentric worldview looks like. It was a very challenging and amazing week, shattering some of our views and thoughts that were not Christ-centered or how He would think. Allow us to enter into a dialogue about what life would look like if Jesus really meant what He preached on in the Sermon on the Mount.
This week is another corporate week, with all the DTS' coming together for corporate worship and teaching. This weeks focus is on "making God known", on evangelism and the gospel. Getting teaching and practical tools and equipping us on proclaiming the gospel.
Another fun thing is my parents are here this week which has been so fun and such a blessing! Its been great being able to see them and share with them what life has been like here and what the Lord is doing face to face!
Thank you all for your support and prayers! The Lord is so good to me and continues to show me His faithfulness. I love His presence, I love worshipping my King! I love that this is my job for the rest of my life, to be loved by Him and to love Him! Praise! :)
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Almost Half Way Through Lecture Phase!
So onto week six here in Kona! In some ways it feels like its been so much longer than almost 6 weeks, and in others it feels like I've been here for so much longer! Our lectures have continued to be amazing, the Lord is being so faithful to pour out revelation and deeper understanding of who He is and what he has called us to be and do with Him. Last week we had one of the main leaders here on base, Andy Byrd, talk on the heart of the revolutionary and revivalist. It was amazing and super practical, calling us to a higher standard, living our lives fully for Jesus because its all about Him and He is worthy!
For a great summary of our week, my friend Steven Conant created a music mix of the three days Andy spoke that sums it up so well! click on the link that'll take you to the site to listen to it! Its really good so you should! :)
messagemix-glory
This week we're doing topics on the Holy Spirit, different aspects of his character and ways. We have a new speaker everyday so we're hearing from lots of amazing people. I'm continuing to just let the Lord reveal things to me and love on me while I rest in him and chase after and gaze on Jesus!!
We leave for Nepal in about a month and a half!! Craziness! We still don't have a ton of information on what we will exactly be doing there but are aware of a few things. We leave on December 21st and start our long trek to Nepal! We have a few layovers, including one in Seoul, Korea and 2 days in Bangkok, Thailand (where we will spend Christmas Day) and then get into Katmandu, Nepal on the 26th. We know that we will be working and staying with Iris Ministries, but not completely sure exactly what we will be doing. If you're curious about Iris Ministries click here to go to their website! They're an amazing ministry whose vision is to bring God's healing, hope, and salvation to Nepal's orphans, homeless, lost and poor by being the loving hands and feet of Jesus We're super excited to be working with them and serving them! As we find out and plan more of what our outreach will look like, I'll keep you all updated!
Our total outreach cost is going to be approximately $5000. I have already had $2500 paid in and provided for by the Lord! I am still in need of another $2500 that is due in 2 weeks. I know the Lord has called me to Nepal so I know he will provide. Please pray about financially supporting me and my team as we head off to minister God's love to the people in Nepal! If He's leading you to give, click on the donate button on the right side of the page. Here's the information you'll need:
Petersen
Carlynn
carlypetersen89@gmail.com
November 14th, 1989
DTS - Community Transformation
Sept 2011
Then choose "outreach fees" and enter an amount!
Prayer in also needed as we continue to get ready. Pray for unity within our team as we are still getting to know each other and pray about each of our roles in the team. Thank you all so much! I know that the Lord has and will continue to respond to your prayers! Love you all!!
If you want any other information or want to contact me you can email me at: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
or call me 253-227-0054
Blessings!
For a great summary of our week, my friend Steven Conant created a music mix of the three days Andy spoke that sums it up so well! click on the link that'll take you to the site to listen to it! Its really good so you should! :)
messagemix-glory
This week we're doing topics on the Holy Spirit, different aspects of his character and ways. We have a new speaker everyday so we're hearing from lots of amazing people. I'm continuing to just let the Lord reveal things to me and love on me while I rest in him and chase after and gaze on Jesus!!
We leave for Nepal in about a month and a half!! Craziness! We still don't have a ton of information on what we will exactly be doing there but are aware of a few things. We leave on December 21st and start our long trek to Nepal! We have a few layovers, including one in Seoul, Korea and 2 days in Bangkok, Thailand (where we will spend Christmas Day) and then get into Katmandu, Nepal on the 26th. We know that we will be working and staying with Iris Ministries, but not completely sure exactly what we will be doing. If you're curious about Iris Ministries click here to go to their website! They're an amazing ministry whose vision is to bring God's healing, hope, and salvation to Nepal's orphans, homeless, lost and poor by being the loving hands and feet of Jesus We're super excited to be working with them and serving them! As we find out and plan more of what our outreach will look like, I'll keep you all updated!
Our total outreach cost is going to be approximately $5000. I have already had $2500 paid in and provided for by the Lord! I am still in need of another $2500 that is due in 2 weeks. I know the Lord has called me to Nepal so I know he will provide. Please pray about financially supporting me and my team as we head off to minister God's love to the people in Nepal! If He's leading you to give, click on the donate button on the right side of the page. Here's the information you'll need:
Petersen
Carlynn
carlypetersen89@gmail.com
November 14th, 1989
DTS - Community Transformation
Sept 2011
Then choose "outreach fees" and enter an amount!
Prayer in also needed as we continue to get ready. Pray for unity within our team as we are still getting to know each other and pray about each of our roles in the team. Thank you all so much! I know that the Lord has and will continue to respond to your prayers! Love you all!!
If you want any other information or want to contact me you can email me at: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
or call me 253-227-0054
Blessings!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
He is Worthy!
A heart poured out, a life poured out for you, my God!
I think one of the things the Lord has been highlighting throughout the past 5 weeks is the worthiness of the man Jesus. It's all about Him. Everything points to Him. Everything is for Him. And He is worthy of everything. All our praise, all our adoration, all our doubts and fears, our dreams and passions, our longings and desires - our whole entire lives. He is worthy of my life poured out at His feet. He gave everything for me so it only makes sense that He is worthy of me giving Him my entire life. When we set our minds and gaze on Jesus, everything else fades away, nothing else matters. Look at what He did and who He is. He is the most beautiful and attractive thing in the entire world. And He loves me with radical love every minute of every day, no matter what. It never changes, never increases or decreases in what I do or don't do. He is relentless in His pursuit of my heart every day. It's just an intense and overwhelming thought, that I am radically, wholeheartedly loved and pursued by the God of the universe. He likes, loves and is ravished by me. When we truly stop and think about that, it changes everything. What else really matters is I am completely loved by the most perfect love every moment exactly the way I am?! This is so crazy! We can truly never be the same after we encounter this love. I pray that every day he will release more revelation that I can go deeper into this revelation of His love. That I will be able to grasp a little bit more how deep and wide and long and high is the Love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He gave up everything for me, just so I could come back into full intimacy and fellowship with Him. So I could be with Him where He is! Why would I not give everything back? And lay it all down at His feet?! My whole heart and life poured out at His feet! He is so completely worthy. No one else is. Only Jesus is worthy of it. It never matters what else is going on or how I am feeling because He is always worthy of me praising and worshipping Him and giving it all to Him. Its such a joy to pour my life out for Him. I long to do it! It's the only right response to this kind of love and pursuit!
Just some thoughts from my time with the Lord tonight! :)
I think one of the things the Lord has been highlighting throughout the past 5 weeks is the worthiness of the man Jesus. It's all about Him. Everything points to Him. Everything is for Him. And He is worthy of everything. All our praise, all our adoration, all our doubts and fears, our dreams and passions, our longings and desires - our whole entire lives. He is worthy of my life poured out at His feet. He gave everything for me so it only makes sense that He is worthy of me giving Him my entire life. When we set our minds and gaze on Jesus, everything else fades away, nothing else matters. Look at what He did and who He is. He is the most beautiful and attractive thing in the entire world. And He loves me with radical love every minute of every day, no matter what. It never changes, never increases or decreases in what I do or don't do. He is relentless in His pursuit of my heart every day. It's just an intense and overwhelming thought, that I am radically, wholeheartedly loved and pursued by the God of the universe. He likes, loves and is ravished by me. When we truly stop and think about that, it changes everything. What else really matters is I am completely loved by the most perfect love every moment exactly the way I am?! This is so crazy! We can truly never be the same after we encounter this love. I pray that every day he will release more revelation that I can go deeper into this revelation of His love. That I will be able to grasp a little bit more how deep and wide and long and high is the Love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. He gave up everything for me, just so I could come back into full intimacy and fellowship with Him. So I could be with Him where He is! Why would I not give everything back? And lay it all down at His feet?! My whole heart and life poured out at His feet! He is so completely worthy. No one else is. Only Jesus is worthy of it. It never matters what else is going on or how I am feeling because He is always worthy of me praising and worshipping Him and giving it all to Him. Its such a joy to pour my life out for Him. I long to do it! It's the only right response to this kind of love and pursuit!
Just some thoughts from my time with the Lord tonight! :)
Saturday, 22 October 2011
It's All About Jesus!
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing...By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:4-5, 8-10
This week has been absolutely incredible... and I won't be able to fully describe it all to you! The Lord was moving so powerfully throughout our whole group, releasing love and revelation and freedom! Way to much to write about it all but I'll give you some highlights!
Jeff Reid was our speaker this week. Him and his wife, Bethany, started Comm Trans (the DTS I'm doing, Community Transformations) a few years ago and are now living in a Comm Trans community in a township outside of Cape Town, South Africa. It was really cool to hear how the vision and values of the DTS started and what we're all about. It can be summed up in a few things:
1. Intimacy unto Fruitfulness
2. Authentic Community centered around Jesus
3. Transformational Community
Or in other words - Love God - Love Others - Change the World!
SO GOOD! We basically went through different passages in scripture, including John 15, which is our school's theme passage, that highlighted all of these values - which really just are the values that believers should have. It was presented so simply and real and the Lord just brought crazy revelation to us all!
A huge thing for me is that I tend to struggle with striving and perfection, feeling like sometimes I have to work harder or achieve a certain level to really earn love or favor from the Lord or people. What just rocked me was the simplicity and truth of John 15 - Abiding in Jesus continually and He produces fruit. Not me. My job is to just remain in him, abide in his love, worship Him, gaze on his beauty and focus on his character, fruit from my life will happen. And he is the one to produce it. And the way I continually abide in him is by obey his commands out of affection based obedience. Doing things out of love instead of for love, because he is COMPLETELY WORTHY! He radically loves me, and all of us, right now, whatever we're doing and wherever we're at, at so out of that love I want to obey his commands and love him in that way! And its about simple everyday obedience. This is something the Lord has been growing deeply in my heart to hear his voice in everyday happenings, partnering with him and obeying him in the littlest things, because I love him and want to walk with him closely everyday. I love that its this simple and the best way I do that is by loving him and gazing on who he is and his incomprehensible beauty and his love for me. Jesus is so good. This broke off my striving! Praise HIM! By doing nothing and remaining in his love for me and loving him back - striving and perfection is broken. I don't need to work for love. This is something I've understood for so long and have even had tools to break off these things in my life, but by simply choosing to just be loved by Jesus, remain in his love, and love him back by doing what he asks me out of my affection for him and his worthiness, I'm truly walking out in freedom from this now!
Okay so wednesday the Lord was doing crazy things in our classroom. He was just moving with revelation of our identities in Him and what he has called us to do and how with Him it is completely possible! I am a radical, worshipping warrior who is going to waste my life at the feet of Jesus! He released so much joy in our classroom and just revelation of his worthiness that we worshiped him like crazy for a while. Then Jeff and Johnny felt that there should be a call to baptism. At first I thought... I've already been baptized so I'll just go and watch and support. But then Jeff explained that baptism was way before christianity, it was a part of Jewish culture. And in their culture they would get baptized anytime there was a significant shift in their identity (getting married for example) or started a new signifiant phase of life, and how it isn't just about salvation (it is part of it and super important) but it is more than that and we can do it and declare a new significant season in our life and give it all to the Lord or when we come into crazy new revelation of who we really are. Plus Jesus was baptized and he didn't need to get saved. All that to say... as we were walking down to the pier where we were doing the baptisms, I felt like I was supposed to do it as well. This is a significant, life changing season that I have started that will be shaping the rest of my life. As well as a complete new beginning for me, and I wanted to praise him in this way for breaking striving and calling me to just abide in him! It was so amazing! I think about 85% of our class including some of our leaders got baptized right in downtown Kona at the pier! We were all so full of joy and loving Jesus, giving everything in our lives to Him joyfully because he is so worth it! A group ended up forming around us watching, a cruise ship had just come in as well so we had quite a few people watching us. And at the end, Johnny explained to the people watching what we were doing and why and asked if anyone wanted to receive Jesus and get baptized, and we had one man come forward!!
Thursday and Friday were full of revelation as well. Jeff taught on authentic community centered around Jesus - loving each other and serving one another, and how easy it is when we look at each other through the way Jesus sees us. Jeff actually got me to come up to the front of the class to demonstrate this and asked 10 people to stand up and affirm me. About 25 people did... it was so overwhelming and amazing, people I haven't even really talked to stood up to affirm me. But the whole point was to look at each other through the Lord's eyes and when we do that it makes us want to serve each other and take care of each other needs and love each other! We then talked about transformational community and looked at how the Lord brought revival to Ephesus in Acts and Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Studying the Lord's ways and how he does things. Its all about Jesus and talking about Jesus brings him glory and people lives get transformed by the simple gospel! Pointing to Jesus always draws people to him.
So many amazing things this week! These are just highlights! We're just ready for what the Lord's going to bring us next week! We have an another incredible speaker next week and I'm so excited to see how the Lord's going to move! Thanks for all your prayers and support!!
This week has been absolutely incredible... and I won't be able to fully describe it all to you! The Lord was moving so powerfully throughout our whole group, releasing love and revelation and freedom! Way to much to write about it all but I'll give you some highlights!
Jeff Reid was our speaker this week. Him and his wife, Bethany, started Comm Trans (the DTS I'm doing, Community Transformations) a few years ago and are now living in a Comm Trans community in a township outside of Cape Town, South Africa. It was really cool to hear how the vision and values of the DTS started and what we're all about. It can be summed up in a few things:
1. Intimacy unto Fruitfulness
2. Authentic Community centered around Jesus
3. Transformational Community
Or in other words - Love God - Love Others - Change the World!
SO GOOD! We basically went through different passages in scripture, including John 15, which is our school's theme passage, that highlighted all of these values - which really just are the values that believers should have. It was presented so simply and real and the Lord just brought crazy revelation to us all!
A huge thing for me is that I tend to struggle with striving and perfection, feeling like sometimes I have to work harder or achieve a certain level to really earn love or favor from the Lord or people. What just rocked me was the simplicity and truth of John 15 - Abiding in Jesus continually and He produces fruit. Not me. My job is to just remain in him, abide in his love, worship Him, gaze on his beauty and focus on his character, fruit from my life will happen. And he is the one to produce it. And the way I continually abide in him is by obey his commands out of affection based obedience. Doing things out of love instead of for love, because he is COMPLETELY WORTHY! He radically loves me, and all of us, right now, whatever we're doing and wherever we're at, at so out of that love I want to obey his commands and love him in that way! And its about simple everyday obedience. This is something the Lord has been growing deeply in my heart to hear his voice in everyday happenings, partnering with him and obeying him in the littlest things, because I love him and want to walk with him closely everyday. I love that its this simple and the best way I do that is by loving him and gazing on who he is and his incomprehensible beauty and his love for me. Jesus is so good. This broke off my striving! Praise HIM! By doing nothing and remaining in his love for me and loving him back - striving and perfection is broken. I don't need to work for love. This is something I've understood for so long and have even had tools to break off these things in my life, but by simply choosing to just be loved by Jesus, remain in his love, and love him back by doing what he asks me out of my affection for him and his worthiness, I'm truly walking out in freedom from this now!
Okay so wednesday the Lord was doing crazy things in our classroom. He was just moving with revelation of our identities in Him and what he has called us to do and how with Him it is completely possible! I am a radical, worshipping warrior who is going to waste my life at the feet of Jesus! He released so much joy in our classroom and just revelation of his worthiness that we worshiped him like crazy for a while. Then Jeff and Johnny felt that there should be a call to baptism. At first I thought... I've already been baptized so I'll just go and watch and support. But then Jeff explained that baptism was way before christianity, it was a part of Jewish culture. And in their culture they would get baptized anytime there was a significant shift in their identity (getting married for example) or started a new signifiant phase of life, and how it isn't just about salvation (it is part of it and super important) but it is more than that and we can do it and declare a new significant season in our life and give it all to the Lord or when we come into crazy new revelation of who we really are. Plus Jesus was baptized and he didn't need to get saved. All that to say... as we were walking down to the pier where we were doing the baptisms, I felt like I was supposed to do it as well. This is a significant, life changing season that I have started that will be shaping the rest of my life. As well as a complete new beginning for me, and I wanted to praise him in this way for breaking striving and calling me to just abide in him! It was so amazing! I think about 85% of our class including some of our leaders got baptized right in downtown Kona at the pier! We were all so full of joy and loving Jesus, giving everything in our lives to Him joyfully because he is so worth it! A group ended up forming around us watching, a cruise ship had just come in as well so we had quite a few people watching us. And at the end, Johnny explained to the people watching what we were doing and why and asked if anyone wanted to receive Jesus and get baptized, and we had one man come forward!!
Thursday and Friday were full of revelation as well. Jeff taught on authentic community centered around Jesus - loving each other and serving one another, and how easy it is when we look at each other through the way Jesus sees us. Jeff actually got me to come up to the front of the class to demonstrate this and asked 10 people to stand up and affirm me. About 25 people did... it was so overwhelming and amazing, people I haven't even really talked to stood up to affirm me. But the whole point was to look at each other through the Lord's eyes and when we do that it makes us want to serve each other and take care of each other needs and love each other! We then talked about transformational community and looked at how the Lord brought revival to Ephesus in Acts and Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Studying the Lord's ways and how he does things. Its all about Jesus and talking about Jesus brings him glory and people lives get transformed by the simple gospel! Pointing to Jesus always draws people to him.
So many amazing things this week! These are just highlights! We're just ready for what the Lord's going to bring us next week! We have an another incredible speaker next week and I'm so excited to see how the Lord's going to move! Thanks for all your prayers and support!!
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Ain't No Mountain High...
So the secrets are all out and for the outreach portion of my school I will be traveling approximately 7300 miles away to....
NEPAL!!!
Monday night we had our outreach reveal night - which was ridiculous! Our school was so excited to find out what teams we would be on, who we were going with and who our leaders would be, and our wonderful school leaders and staff had a blast delaying as long as they possibly could and trying to trick us (they thought they were so funny and it was hilarious). Then they explained to us that each of us were to get a piece of a small map of the country we'd be going to, then we have to find everyone else in our team by putting our puzzle pieces together and figure out what country it was! Such a fun idea! The leaders all went to hide in a back room (we didn't know what leaders were leading what team), and one by one they called us up, made us do funny things, turned off the lights and then revealed our leaders to us! It was such a fun and exciting night so full of joy and laughter!
My team is 13 people total, 8 girls and 5 guys including our amazing staff leaders Hailey Bland and Matt Bryd. It's going to be an amazing team!! We've had a couple of our small group meetings and each week when we do community outreach we'll be in our outreach teams as well, so we'll get to know each other super well before we head off to Nepal! We haven't been told much about what exactly we'll be doing yet in Nepal but we'll find out more in the weeks to come.
Thanks for all your prayers and support! We'll be finding out the exact cost of our outreach soon so I'll keep everyone posted and then I'll know how in finances I'm doing as well.
More on week two to come!!
NEPAL!!!
Monday night we had our outreach reveal night - which was ridiculous! Our school was so excited to find out what teams we would be on, who we were going with and who our leaders would be, and our wonderful school leaders and staff had a blast delaying as long as they possibly could and trying to trick us (they thought they were so funny and it was hilarious). Then they explained to us that each of us were to get a piece of a small map of the country we'd be going to, then we have to find everyone else in our team by putting our puzzle pieces together and figure out what country it was! Such a fun idea! The leaders all went to hide in a back room (we didn't know what leaders were leading what team), and one by one they called us up, made us do funny things, turned off the lights and then revealed our leaders to us! It was such a fun and exciting night so full of joy and laughter!
My team is 13 people total, 8 girls and 5 guys including our amazing staff leaders Hailey Bland and Matt Bryd. It's going to be an amazing team!! We've had a couple of our small group meetings and each week when we do community outreach we'll be in our outreach teams as well, so we'll get to know each other super well before we head off to Nepal! We haven't been told much about what exactly we'll be doing yet in Nepal but we'll find out more in the weeks to come.
Thanks for all your prayers and support! We'll be finding out the exact cost of our outreach soon so I'll keep everyone posted and then I'll know how in finances I'm doing as well.
More on week two to come!!
Monday, 10 October 2011
Welcome to Kona-Week One
Well week one of DTS has finished and we're just about to start week two. I've only been here for about a week and a half now and honestly it feels like at least a month already! DTS is going amazing! The Lord has already started to bring revelation and breakthrough in our group! My DTS has 82 students from a bunch of different nations - America, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Korea, China... (maybe a few more), and 22 staff... so 104 of us Comm Trans-ers total! I still haven't gotten anywhere close to getting to know everyone! But its super fun to be part of such a large group all running after the same thing. I am living in a room with 8 amazing and beautiful girls from two different DTS'! I love them all. We're so blessed to have gotten along right away and are so excited to get super close and grow together in the Lord for the next three months!
For our lectures this week our school leader, Johnny Gillespie, spoke on salvation and the gospel, what Jesus did, what happened he did it, what that means for us and where we stand because of it, Jesus as lover of our souls and the father heart of God! Yes, lots of ground to covered but its been amazing! Johnny was such a great speaker and pulled so much from his own story which I love and helps to make these huge topics more graspable. We started on Monday with a beach day (yay for living in hawaii!) and then an amazing worship night!! I love worship and prayer times when you pack a ton of people into a smallish space and just worship our Creator corporately! It was an amazing night to kick off the start of our school.
I've been praying for increased revelation of Jesus as my lover and really just anything He wants to do in my heart and life! I had a lot of prophetic words and encouragement before I came as this being a season of refreshment and resting in the Lord. I can already tell that that is totally what the Lord is speaking to for this season...but already in the last week I've had to fight to make that really be true. Yes He's going to bring stuff up for me to process and work through and have breakthrough in, and I totally want him to, but the enemy would love to come and take my mind off of just resting and place it back on striving or on distractions. And even in this first week I've seen it happen. But going into this next week I'm feeling so great! So excited for what he has in store!! Its corporate week.. which means that all of the DTS' on campus (there's 6 DTS schools running this quarter) and two DTS' from Waikiki and Kauai, all come together for our worship and teaching times. We have United Pursuit Band here this week to lead us in worship!! And Loren and Darlene Cunningham (the founders of YWAM) are speaking. It's going to be awesome! Keep me in your prayers this week for the Lord to expand my capacity so I can receive everything he wants to teach me through these amazing leaders from their wisdom, revelation and impartation!
Oh! Another really fun thing... yesterday (Saturday, October 8th) was the World Ironman Championship held here in Kona. All students on campus get to go and volunteer for the event. My school had the 4am-10am shift, which was so fun.. seeing all the athletes get themselves ready and complete the swim and start the bike. For those of you that don't know.. Ironman is a triathlon race where the athletes swim 2.4 miles (3.9 km), bike 112 miles (180 km) and then run a full 26.2 mile (42.2 km) marathon! its insane!! I have mad respect for these people (including my aunt and uncle who do these races at home!) They are incredible athletes! It was really cool to get to be a part of it!
Well off to week two!! I'll try and give updates a little more frequently. We find out our outreach teams and locations tomorrow so i'll let you all know when I find out!!
Thanks again for all your prayers and support! I really appreciate it!
For our lectures this week our school leader, Johnny Gillespie, spoke on salvation and the gospel, what Jesus did, what happened he did it, what that means for us and where we stand because of it, Jesus as lover of our souls and the father heart of God! Yes, lots of ground to covered but its been amazing! Johnny was such a great speaker and pulled so much from his own story which I love and helps to make these huge topics more graspable. We started on Monday with a beach day (yay for living in hawaii!) and then an amazing worship night!! I love worship and prayer times when you pack a ton of people into a smallish space and just worship our Creator corporately! It was an amazing night to kick off the start of our school.
I've been praying for increased revelation of Jesus as my lover and really just anything He wants to do in my heart and life! I had a lot of prophetic words and encouragement before I came as this being a season of refreshment and resting in the Lord. I can already tell that that is totally what the Lord is speaking to for this season...but already in the last week I've had to fight to make that really be true. Yes He's going to bring stuff up for me to process and work through and have breakthrough in, and I totally want him to, but the enemy would love to come and take my mind off of just resting and place it back on striving or on distractions. And even in this first week I've seen it happen. But going into this next week I'm feeling so great! So excited for what he has in store!! Its corporate week.. which means that all of the DTS' on campus (there's 6 DTS schools running this quarter) and two DTS' from Waikiki and Kauai, all come together for our worship and teaching times. We have United Pursuit Band here this week to lead us in worship!! And Loren and Darlene Cunningham (the founders of YWAM) are speaking. It's going to be awesome! Keep me in your prayers this week for the Lord to expand my capacity so I can receive everything he wants to teach me through these amazing leaders from their wisdom, revelation and impartation!
Oh! Another really fun thing... yesterday (Saturday, October 8th) was the World Ironman Championship held here in Kona. All students on campus get to go and volunteer for the event. My school had the 4am-10am shift, which was so fun.. seeing all the athletes get themselves ready and complete the swim and start the bike. For those of you that don't know.. Ironman is a triathlon race where the athletes swim 2.4 miles (3.9 km), bike 112 miles (180 km) and then run a full 26.2 mile (42.2 km) marathon! its insane!! I have mad respect for these people (including my aunt and uncle who do these races at home!) They are incredible athletes! It was really cool to get to be a part of it!
Well off to week two!! I'll try and give updates a little more frequently. We find out our outreach teams and locations tomorrow so i'll let you all know when I find out!!
Thanks again for all your prayers and support! I really appreciate it!
Thursday, 22 September 2011
6 days till my life changes again!
So its 6 days till I will be leaving from Bellingham airport and will be on my way to Kona for the start of my DTS! I'm so excited! I've been crazy busy these last couple weeks leading up to leaving and can't believe that I'm down to 6 days!
One of the things the Lord ask me to do before I left for YWAM was to finish an online/correspondence course on Event and Wedding Planning that I was working on. I still had almost five complete units to finish in about 2 months when I decided to go to Kona. With tons of grace from the Lord and hard work I was able to finish it all and have completed my entire course! Praise God. I know that this couldn't have even been possible without the grace of God, so all glory goes to Him!
Looking forward to this next season of my life, there's so much excitement and anticipation. I'm expectant of the Lord, no clue what he's going to do, but just know he's going to do amazing things. The biggest thing that hit me the other day was how in now 6 days, my entire life changes all over again. I will not be the same after this next 6 months. I've done a couple things like this now, and knowing where my heart is, in saying yes to the Lord, I know approaching this next adventure I will never be the same. My thoughts, ideas, paradigms, ways I see God, myself, my friends and family... everything will be different because of the divine revelation that will be released. It's so exciting but strange at the same time to look ahead and think of that fact. Preparing myself for dramatic life change... again! Because I feel like its happened so many times already! I guess this is how life with the Lord... growing and maturing in him is like. Going from glory to glory when we listen and obey and say yes with our whole hearts to him!
I am still in need of financial support. My school tuition fees are all taken care of and I have some for my outreach phase but know that I don't have it all. I have no idea how much I am short yet because we don't find out our outreach locations and therefore fees until the first couple weeks of dts. If the Lord is leading you to support me financially (which is incredible) click on the donate button on the right side of the post and it will take you to the YWAM Kona online donation page. Here's the info that you'll need:
Petersen
Carlynn
carlypetersen89@gmail.com
November 14, 1989
DTS - Community Transformations
September 2011
Choose "Student Outreach" and type in an amount!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! Email or phone (604-124-4054)! So excited to share once I'm in Kona! Thanks for all your prayers and support!
One of the things the Lord ask me to do before I left for YWAM was to finish an online/correspondence course on Event and Wedding Planning that I was working on. I still had almost five complete units to finish in about 2 months when I decided to go to Kona. With tons of grace from the Lord and hard work I was able to finish it all and have completed my entire course! Praise God. I know that this couldn't have even been possible without the grace of God, so all glory goes to Him!
Looking forward to this next season of my life, there's so much excitement and anticipation. I'm expectant of the Lord, no clue what he's going to do, but just know he's going to do amazing things. The biggest thing that hit me the other day was how in now 6 days, my entire life changes all over again. I will not be the same after this next 6 months. I've done a couple things like this now, and knowing where my heart is, in saying yes to the Lord, I know approaching this next adventure I will never be the same. My thoughts, ideas, paradigms, ways I see God, myself, my friends and family... everything will be different because of the divine revelation that will be released. It's so exciting but strange at the same time to look ahead and think of that fact. Preparing myself for dramatic life change... again! Because I feel like its happened so many times already! I guess this is how life with the Lord... growing and maturing in him is like. Going from glory to glory when we listen and obey and say yes with our whole hearts to him!
I am still in need of financial support. My school tuition fees are all taken care of and I have some for my outreach phase but know that I don't have it all. I have no idea how much I am short yet because we don't find out our outreach locations and therefore fees until the first couple weeks of dts. If the Lord is leading you to support me financially (which is incredible) click on the donate button on the right side of the post and it will take you to the YWAM Kona online donation page. Here's the info that you'll need:
Petersen
Carlynn
carlypetersen89@gmail.com
November 14, 1989
DTS - Community Transformations
September 2011
Choose "Student Outreach" and type in an amount!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! Email or phone (604-124-4054)! So excited to share once I'm in Kona! Thanks for all your prayers and support!
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Aloha!
Hey all!
The reason I've started this blog is exactly what my "about me" section says. Its going to be all about the adventures I get to take with my beloved Creator and all the amazing things I know he's going to do! And, of course, because I want to share them all with you!
The support, partnership and prayers of my family and friends in my life are so important to me, and this way I can update you all from all over the world - wherever He takes me! :)
So for the first amazing adventure (to be shared from this blog) is almost upon me. On September 28th, 2011 I will board a plane to fly to the tropical Big Island of Hawaii to train for 6 months with YWAM (Youth With A Mission)! I know hard done by... hawaii... :) haha
I'm doing their Community Transformations DTS (Discipleship Training School). Its a six month school where we will be in Kona, HI for the first 3 months in classes, prayer times, local outreach and practical training. We will be diving deeper in the Word of God and into His heart to grow deeper in love and passion for Him. To know Him more! We will discover more of who He is and how He see us and His heart for us, the people around us and the nations of the world! Here's a section from the Community Transformations DTS website to give you guys more of an idea of the heart behind this school:
The reason I've started this blog is exactly what my "about me" section says. Its going to be all about the adventures I get to take with my beloved Creator and all the amazing things I know he's going to do! And, of course, because I want to share them all with you!
The support, partnership and prayers of my family and friends in my life are so important to me, and this way I can update you all from all over the world - wherever He takes me! :)
So for the first amazing adventure (to be shared from this blog) is almost upon me. On September 28th, 2011 I will board a plane to fly to the tropical Big Island of Hawaii to train for 6 months with YWAM (Youth With A Mission)! I know hard done by... hawaii... :) haha
I'm doing their Community Transformations DTS (Discipleship Training School). Its a six month school where we will be in Kona, HI for the first 3 months in classes, prayer times, local outreach and practical training. We will be diving deeper in the Word of God and into His heart to grow deeper in love and passion for Him. To know Him more! We will discover more of who He is and how He see us and His heart for us, the people around us and the nations of the world! Here's a section from the Community Transformations DTS website to give you guys more of an idea of the heart behind this school:
The 6 month Community Transformations DTS (Discipleship Training School) is designed to equip and unleash a generation upon the world who are fueled by radical prayer and deep love, willing to change the world and disciple nations! As a DTS community we come before the Lord daily to learn from him, apply the word of God radically to our lives, and take the message of Jesus to the streets. Outreach locations are chosen early on in the 3 month lecture phase, so you can begin to engage with the Lords heart for your outreach nation, then you travel to that location for three months. The goal of outreach is to live out an example of what the rest of your life will be, regardless of where the Lord takes you. The Community Transformations DTS is a place where you can begin to live a transformed life for His Glory.
As the Community Transformations family, we have a deep value for seeking to know Jesus and have the presence of God manifest in every part of our lives. In abiding in the vine (John 15) and being with Jesus (Acts 4:13), we see ourselves transformed and partner with Jesus to see the nations transformed.
We are all about being transformed to be like Jesus, to walk like Jesus walked, and even suffer with him for the sake his glory in all the earth. We want to know Jesus, look like him, and follow him into the rest of our lives.
By being a transformed community, loving God, and being loved by Him, we display the transformative power of the gospel to the world. As we walk like Jesus in the nations, bringing his love to every part of society, to the rich and poor, to the lost and the broken, the simplicity of encountering God and his gospel transforms the world. All disciples have the power to change the world, bringing people to Jesus, and teaching them to do all that he commanded (Matt 28:18). It’s an invitation for the world to know God and be transformed as they follow him. This is Revival - the turning of our hearts to God, with a desire to glorify him with all of our lives.
The DTS is just the start - Community Transformations is also all about launching transformative families of disciples around the globe!
Centered around the presence of God, these communities will seek to bring his Kingdom wherever they are, even in some of the hardest and darkest places on earth. It is our desire to raise up and launch many of these families in the next several years, and you can be a part! Students in the DTS are invited to live the radical life of Jesus, responding from His love with a desire to bring him the glory he deserves. Community Transformations is all about radical intimacy, radical community, radical generosity, radical obedience, and radical faith. Come join us with your gifts, passions, and abilities, living out intimacy with Jesus, unto fruitfulness in the nations.
Amazing! Hence why my heart was stirred to come and be a part of this school and the communities they send off! Right now there are about 70 students and 20 staff involved in this school, and I can't wait to meet them all and be running after the Lord and His heart together! After 3 months in Kona, we will be sent off in teams to many locations around the world! In the first couple weeks we'll find out where our outreach phase locations are and be able to start preparing as a team to go and serve! I am so stoked about the outreach phase!! I've done shorter missions trips but this will be my first one of this length and I can't wait! Even with all the challenges that come out of outreach! It's going to be good! :)
Please pray for me while I'm gone!! And check back here for regular updates! I am raising support for a portion of my outreach phase. I've worked at home this past year and have saved up a bit of money (and had told the Lord over a year ago he could drain my bank account!) but I still am in need of financial support. I love being able to partner with people in this way! Its all because of your guys' support that I am able to do these things and bring the gospel to the people the Lord takes me too! If the Lord puts financial partnership on your heart you can donate online or contact me!
Email: carlypetersen89@gmail.com
Phone: 604-724-4054 or 253-227-0054
Thanks for checking out my blog! I'm excited to share all the amazing things the Lord is going to do during my DTS with you!
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