Fourth

I've been back in Kona from Brazil for about one week now. We were the last team to get back and man, was it an amazing to see everybody back. It was evident even in the way they smiled, spoke and looked that they had all been radically transformed by God during the past three months. It was definitely overwhelming but I was just pumped for the first time when we would just get to worship together. After a day of hanging out, and eating good old American food we finally got together as a class. It was so good. Just felt a joy to be back with friends that have been a part of life change. We turned to the Lord in worship and gratitude and it went off. Holy Spirit dropped and the whole class got radically met. Monday night was ministry night and that was just another crazy night. It was crazy to join with the Fire and Fragrance crew and just go for it. So nuts. Just a room full of crazy people absolutely going for it. It was one of the craziest sets I've been in. EVER. 

So as a class, we're debriefing. The school leader Jeff, I love this dude, is debriefing us and preparing us to go home. I love it. Instead of actually preparing us to go home, or give us a strategy to find a way to settle in, we just shared testimonies and just fell more in love with the Lord. We realised going home was just a continuation of what we did on outreach and not the beginning and end of something. Brian Brennt, a man of God that spoke during lecture phase absolutely blew it up again and empowered the whole class to go nuts back at home or wherever we go. Even the man Jim Orred came in. Hearing stories from all around the world of authentic and intentional community centered around the presence of Jesus actually lived out was truly faith building. Hearing stories of radical transformation in the hearts of angry alcoholics, demon possessed people and just the normal average guy told by the very friends that you laid your life down for was... AH 'SO GOOD' for lack of a better phrase. 

The students graduated today. It was incredibly moving. To see the guys that I was able to pour into finally finish a DTS. Finally. They can change the world now, because they've done a DTS. Only true YWAMers can change the world and know Jesus. 

I'm totally kidding. But nevertheless, it was emotional. What an amazing blessing it was. I look back on the six months, and I basically was just a student with these guys. So many things went down, so many memories were made, so many friendships were deepened. It was so legit. I loved every single second of it, even though it was incredibly hard at some times. Many, many desires are on my heart in terms of the next step, but I really have no idea where the Lord is taking me. If you have any desire to live out community with me and just love Jesus and have fun, let me know. In Jesus name.

Third

So debrief has begun. My time in Rio de Janeiro has been amazing. I don't even know where to begin. I've like... backspaced and deleted things I already wrote so many times. Hm... The Lord radically blessed us with friendships and encounters. With the carnivale starting, we all were pumped to get into the city and just do work! It was amazing. I love doing ministry in these types of environments. At the same time, my heart broke. As I just saw brokenness taking on the mask of drunkenness, and partying. We even had a guy ask, "how could this be wrong? People are having fun and living. If this is wrong then I'm just going to live." Oh, if you ONLY knew! I was surprised to find that the carnivale was similar to New Year's celebrations in Sydney. Massive parades and people dancing. One day, I got to see the team, Brandon especially, step out and again break fear of man as he began to share the Lord's heart for the people of Rio de Janeiro on the main strip of Copacabana beach. It was amazing to see and be a part of that.

As we have begun debriefing, the Lord has specifically put my on heart to not only process what has happened in the past three months, but to prepare them on a more personal level to go home. Having been a DTS student myself, I found the change of settling back into home difficult. People will find the things I say offensive and would discourage the things that were laid on my heart. Being a people pleaser, I didn't want to offend anyone so I basically stopped thinking and expressing thoughts like this. I have no idea how I'm going to do that, but we'll see.

Today, we had a team meeting and started to speak out and write down the things the Lord did in us personally. It was amazing just to hear the work of the Lord in the past three months. It just pumped me up!  As I was sharing, I realised the GREATEST things I learned and the GREATEST thing I was taught was the love of God. As cliche and typical as that sounds that is literally the craziest thing I learnt. I definitely learnt many things like patience, selflessness, faith etc. But all of these things fall SO short in comparison to His love. And it's many times where I've heard that, "it's all about love." But NEVER has it actually sunk in that it really is all about that. For the first time I got to see how with the basis of love, everything else comes out of that. A relationship from love and not for love. For the first time in my life, the bible began to come alive and I just couldn't get enough of it. Every time I got to worship was a time where I could just meet and talk to Him and go deeper with Him. More and more and more hunger began to increase and increase as I apprehended His incomparable and endless love for me. No more is it about trying to make Him love me of trying to get up and have one hour of quiet time but I just want Him! It's crazy how people tend to think and be content with christianity. I love it how wrong I was. How the Lord completely blew away my mind and expounded the possibilities of His love into eternity! Everyday I'm in awe of JUST how vast He really is.

Anyway, I'll stop. I feel like you guys know where I'm at. Nothing matters anymore. I don't care. I just want to worship, and I just want Him. More and more. Everyday. FOREVER! Wow! He is worthy!