Changing Seasons

 Somehow, fall has come and gone already!  I took these pictures this past weekend:

Today, I woke up to this:

I can't believe that overnight, it turned into winter!!

This year, I am choosing to appreciate the seasons that God brings rather than complaining about them. This applies to both the actual seasons and the seasons of my life.  I've realized that it is way too easy for me to be frustrated about winter rather than being grateful for the beauty of it.  It lasts 8 months, it is so cold and dark, and rarely sunny.  But, I want to make the most of this winter.  I want to use the time to reach out in relationship to the people in my life.  I want to create a warm and hospitable environment that brings encouragement and life to people.  Winter also reminds me that it's important to choose gratefulness even when times in our lives are hard.  Things can look dark and never-ending, but God's grace is sufficient for us in the midst of that place.  And somehow, choosing to focus on the things that we are thankful for helps to lift us out of the darkness a bit.  

So.....what are you thankful for today?  

Fall Quarter and Friendship

Summer is definitely coming to a close in Montana.  As I write, I am wearing my scarf, sweater, and boots.  It is difficult to let the beautiful summer go, but the Fall quarter here always brings excitement.  It is our biggest quarter of the year; this fall, we have over 125 students from all over the world here to be discipled and trained.  

A few weeks ago, we got to welcome students and staff back from outreaches in Taiwan, Uganda, Ukraine, and the London Olympics.  It was so encouraging to hear their stories, and really reminded us of why we do what we do.  Especially when we are not involved in the day-to-day of staffing a school, it is easy to forget about the lives that are changing.  As Jason and I both served in practical ways here on campus this summer, we were more aware of the importance of serving behind the scenes to make things function smoothly.  God also reminded us of how much we need to depend on him, even when worship and prayer times are not part of our daily schedule.  

I have found that it can be very easy, in a place where things are normally so God-centered and focused, to lose sight of personal intimacy and friendship with him.  I know that I am so blessed to be part of a community where my work day includes prayer and worship gatherings, but yet, friendship with Jesus does not just "happen."  Even the best, most carefully constructed program cannot provide closeness, with God or others.  Just like any relationship, we must pursue getting to know him better.  I have been convicted/thinking about this a lot lately.  So, as the transition of fall takes place, I am going to pursue the Lord more intentionally and personally.  Not only does this benefit me, but it also fills me up so that I have more to offer to people.  All of this requires vulnerability, so I thought a good way to start would be me being more vulnerable and personal here.  

We would love to hear any of your thoughts/comments on this!  We love and miss you all, and we thank God for you often!

Hey Everyone! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to this summer, as promised. We hope you enjoy seeing a few of the things that have been refreshing, life giving, and also a final chapter to the Spring DTS that just finished up this week. 

We love you! 

Jason was a Capt. of a soccer team that played in a league in town this summer. 

Downtown Houston! A much needed and fun date night! 

One of Erika's good friends that she used to Nanny for. 

Free Chik-Fil-A day!

some of our friends from Montana that moved to Dallas. They have a new baby boy.

We got to go to a Houston Dynamo game! It was awesome!

Our last dessert together as a school after their graduation! What a fun school! 

The staff of the Spring School all done up! 

Nate is on Jason's right. He was a part of the school and Jason met with him throughout the school. He'll be missed.  

Erika's small group from the Spring DTS.

Our summer lately

It has been awhile since we updated the blog....but I imagine that many of you have been having a busy summer, too.  We have been enjoying the amazing Montana summer, when we haven't been cleaning or cooking for the many students and visitors who have been coming through.  Our campus has many 1-2 month summer programs which are sort of a mini version of the 5 month DTS that we staff.  These summer programs are open to high school age students as well, and have a focus on using the arts in missions.  Most of the students who come are musicians or dancers.  We also run an intensive program that certifies people to teach English in foreign countries.  

Another huge blessing that comes to our campus every summer is large groups of church teams that come to serve and do building projects here.  We call it "Vacation with a Purpose."  There have been so many long-overdue renovations that have happened!  Buildings will be warmer and cozier for us all this winter, thanks to their service. 

Jason and I are enjoying the break from all the emotional energy of DTS, while getting to serve people in a practical manner this summer.  We are also excited to welcome back our Spring DTS outreach teams from Uganda and Taiwan this week!  They will be here for the week to process and debrief what they have learned and experienced throughout their DTS journey.  Please be praying that they are refreshed and prepared for the next phase in their lives, and that we love them well this week!

We will be posting some summer photos in our next blog update, so be looking for it!

Outreach teams are gone!

Well, the Spring 2012 DTS is off!  Both teams left today and are en route to Taiwan and Uganda.  Please pray for safe travels with no immigration hassles.  They are all very excited about this time, but transition is always hard.  Please pray with us, that they would get over culture shock quickly and jump right into what God has for them these next two months.  They will return in mid-August, and Jason and I will be a part of a week-long debrief for them.  We have had such a great time with this group of students- we are sad to see them go, but we know this time will be life-changing and fruitful for them.  We feel really privileged to have been a part of the transformation and hope that the Lord brought to them these past three months.  They are so prepared to share the love that they've received and come to understand with the people they will meet overseas.  Thanks for supporting all of us through this hard, but incredibly "worth it" journey.

Jason and I will be working around the YWAM campus most of this summer, helping out in some logistical areas.  I will be on Hospitality staff, which means cleaning and preparing rooms for the many guests that travel through here, and setting up and cooking for special events.  I have to admit I am pretty happy about this....this job is right up my alley!  Jason will be on Kitchen staff, which means working in the cafeteria and preparing both lunch and dinner for 150 + people every day.  There are a whole new group of students arriving in the next two weeks for our summer programs, which include a new DTS, a DTS leadership training course, TeachingEnglishtoSpeakersofOtherLanguages, and Musicians/Dancers Summer of Service.  We look forward to what God will do in and through this new group of students, and we are glad that we can serve them in practical ways this summer.  We will be keeping you all updated with outreach news from the teams in Uganda and Taiwan.

Also...as Jason and I will be here in Montana most of the summer, we welcome any visits from you all! :)  Montana is an incredibly gorgeous place during this season.

Here is a photo of our Spring DTS students who are off on outreach:

Here is a photo of our staff from this Spring.  

Spring DTS photos

Today seems like a good picture day....so, here are a few photos from this DTS and the last couple of months.  

This is our school theme, so we decorated the doors in the student dorm like this.  

Helping a new church in Spokane get started on mini-outreach

Mini-outreach in Spokane, getting ready to go pray for people that we met in the park

Jason out with adventure track students, mountain biking

A student got baptized in the lake, which was so exciting, but it was freezing!

Jason's small group....they look pretty manly with their temporary tats of BIRDS!

Here is all of us on mini-outreach, staff and students!

Welcome to Montana Night

Welcome to Montana night...Jason and I are always looking our best on this day.  

Mini-outreach and such

      The past couple of weeks have been so good!  It has been a whirlwind, but God is doing great things both in our students lives, and ours.  Mini-outreach in Spokane was both tiring and refreshing.  The topic for the week was "Team Dynamics and Personal Design," which was great preparation for their 2-month outreach.  There was a lot of healing in many lives as we discovered more about how God made us, as far as personality, communication styles, and similar stuff.  God never fails to amaze me, as even topics that seem lighter can bring up things that we need to deal with.  He is so faithful to speak worth and value into us, and to remind his kids that he is proud of us and that we were made a certain way for a specific purpose.  This was HUGE in the lives of quite of few of us that week.

     The ministries we worked with were pretty sweet, as well.  The main places we went minister to homeless people and youth who live on the streets.  We got to do some basic service projects, as well as leading worship and sharing testimonies at a couple of services.  I was really proud of the way the students just went for it with boldness.  Though they hadn't really shared very personal stories with a group before, they were open about their lives, which touched a lot of hearts at the homeless ministry.  Afterwards, we all went out and listened to stories and prayed with people who were having a hard time.  It was empowering for the students to realize how much they have to offer, even to those with whom they have very little in common.  Some of our other ministry times were just going to a large riverside park and asking God who we should talk to and pray for.  They had so many great stories of "divine appointments" with people who desperately needed to know that God still sees them, loves them, and cares for them.

      One cool story from my time there was talking with a guy named Jesse.  His parents were Christians, and he had grown up in church, but he was running.  As I spoke with him, he was a little high, but we had a great conversation about how God hasn't given up on him, and just the truth of who God made him to be and that he is never too far gone to receive God's grace.  I got to pray for him too, and I could see that he connected with a lot of what was being said.  Sadly, he didn't choose to come back to God that day, but I believe Jesus will keep sending people his way to remind him that he loves him.

      I think one of the most exciting things about doing stuff like this is that it reminds me that no matter where we are and what we are doing, God wants to use us!  We don't have to be doing "ministry time."  We can ask him for people to pray for as we go about our day and our normal life.  All it takes is for us to be willing to be a little bold, and to be available.  I was challenged by this again, and the students were so encouraged to see that this isn't so hard, after all.  Sharing God's love doesn't just happen during a set aside time like DTS, but it is a way of life.  So, ask God today to show you someone that needs encouragement.  I think he will surprise you, and that you will also be encouraged as you bless others.

A pretty cool story....

So, I am going to try to catch up little by little on the last few weeks....I don't want anyone to fall asleep reading 18 paragraphs.  :)  So, that story I said I would share about our community outreach...here it is!  We gathered all the people here on our YWAM base and dispersed around the Flathead Valley (a few towns around where we live.)  Between all our staff and students, we had over 200 people go out to pray and share our faith with people on the National Day of Prayer!  There were a lot of great stories about "divine appointments" and things God did that day, but here is a personal one.

Jason and I were in a small group of five.  We drove into Kalispell, not really knowing where we should go.  One guy got a picture of an elevator, and felt we needed to go somewhere that had one.  As Kalispell is a very small town, we couldn't even think of a building big enough to have an elevator!  We drove by the county courthouse, and Jason thought we should stop and pray for the government in a few city buildings.  As we wandered around, we found a courthouse building with an elevator, so of course we went up!  On the top floor, we spent some time praying for a list of people who were about to be sentenced.  Then, as we were about to leave, Ben, a student in our group, felt like he was supposed to stand up and ask if anyone in the room wanted prayer.  However, this was a large, open room with 40+ people, full of lawyers, judges, and people waiting for their court hearings.  Ben felt intimidated, but went for it anyway as a few people were cursing at us under their breath.  Only one woman was brave enough to raise her hand, but it turned out to be such an awesome opportunity from God!  She took us around the corner to her weeping daughter, whom we assumed was waiting to be sentenced.  We got to pray for her, bless her, and share God's love and truth with "Mandy."  God's peace really came on the whole group, and Mandy seemed comforted.  We left amazed at the way God directed us to pray for her, and thankful that we hadn't been too scared or embarrassed- we would have missed a great opportunity if we had!  This was one of many stories that stirred our faith, and we realized that sharing God's love is not a difficult as we make it out to be.  Really, we all just need to make ourselves available, and God will direct us.  There are hurting people everywhere who need encouragement, and all of us have opportunities each day to bless them with God's love.  

For those of you who follow our blog, you may have noticed that the format has changed a little bit.  The new background was chosen to convey the season in which we are working right now.  Before, there were books....because we studied all the time!  And now, we are actively spending each day building people up, and helping them to grow in their identity in Christ.  Hence, the ladder and "construction" look!  We also feel that we are personally in a new season of God building us up as leaders.  We will be leading the Winter 2013 DTS, which is both exciting and scary for us!  We are already beginning to plan for the school, and to select and invite guest speakers for it.  Sometimes, we feel too young to do something like this, but then, as we reflect on all God has taught us and poured into us, we know that he has given us what we need for that to which he has called us.  We are also really thankful to have such wise and seasoned leaders here to give us advice and mentorship.

If you haven't ever explored our blog, please do!  The tabs at the top have more info about YWAM, as well as our needs, and even a little about who we are.

More stories will follow.......

So.....this weekend was too short, and I did not finish the longer update I was working on.  But, I wanted to quickly let you all know that we will be in Spokane this week with the DTS, doing a mini-outreach.  Most of what we will be doing is homeless ministry, and leading worship and sharing testimonies with people off the streets.  Please be praying for us as we reach out this week!  Pray for lives to be changed by God's spirit as we share his love with people we don't know.  Also, please pray that this time will really excite the students and empower them to share the gospel.  We had a small taste of that last week as we went out into the community around us, and it reminded us all that it isn't so difficult - we just need to be available to God, and he will show us how to love and encourage the people that we meet.

We love you all....thanks for standing with us in prayer and support!

Pictures from Thailand!

One of the contacts we were able to work with in the North! 

A man who just received eyeglasses we gave out as a team at a New Year's Party for a variety of locals. 

 European women being blessed by a monk in a temple. 

One of the biggest Buddha's in South Thailand.

Our team with all the awesome people we met and worked with in Chiang Rai! 

This is inside a temple in Bangkok

Hello from smiley Thailand! 

Some of the team doing a worship set in a very remote village around Christmas time :)

Erika sharing her Testimony with Jaime, one of our contacts in Phang Nga, South Thailand. 

More of the temple gods we came across 

Cute kids are everywhere! 

A mother holding her beautiful baby 

Us on the beach :) 

Our team on the beach! 

Gold tape patch up job.. kind of funny. 

Christmas in Thailand! 

We have so many pictures to share, but we hope you enjoy some of the glimpses into things we did in North and South Thailand as well as what the culture is like. We love you guys! Have a good weekend!

Jason and Erika

There is no place like home

We are sorry that it has been awhile since the last post.  I know there are many of you that are waiting to hear how we are since we have been home. Our time has just been a bit filled with recovering from outreach and catching up on the things that go on hold for two months.

It has really felt like a whirlwind. There always is a lot of change that comes with this job whether it is relationships, countries, friends, things we're doing and what not.  What has been really amazing about coming home is the support we have received for our time in Thailand with 14 students.  Thank you so much for all of your cards, gifts, and words of encouragement.  We were SO blessed to arrive home to reminders of how much we are loved.  It has been high and low to process everything that happened overseas, but definitely needed.  Our group functioned pretty well as a whole, but as leaders it is easy to think about how we could have done things better.  Well-roundedness has kind of been a buzz word/idea since we have been back.  One thing that we know for sure is that our weaknesses and inability to see what may come of some decisions does not limit what God can and will do with anyone who is just open to trying out life with Him. He certainly has been teaching us along the way through people and situations alike.  I'm writing about this because these are some of the things that we have been processing and trying to grasp of the lessons that God had for our team members, the people of Thailand that we came in contact with, and ourselves.  Hindsight is 20/20 and it has definitely been good to return to what we just embarked on with some proper perspective.  We learned so many things on outreach, and we are very thankful that God let us be a part of what he is doing in Thailand.  There are so many open hearts there, and we ask you to join us in continued prayer that the seeds that were planted would be watered.

Lately, we've just been thinking about what it means to be faithful to God and his call.  Sometimes, it is easy to put all these expectations on ourselves that God doesn't place on us.  He simply asks us to be obedient and faithful to him.  Take some time to think about this today.  Jesus is the one who bears our burdens - he didn't come to place burdens on us.  (Matthew 11:28-30)  If you are carrying something that is difficult, give it to him.  He wants to help you.  He simply asks for you to give him your heart and your attention.

We are in a place of transition, which is a difficult place to be, but it has really been very good.  We are staffing the Spring DTS, but we will not be going on outreach for this term.  Our new DTS students arrive this weekend, which is unbelievable!  We are excited for another opportunity to invest in people, and we are so grateful that God is right here with us.  He is the one who changes hearts and lives; we simply have to be available and willing to be used by him.

In all of this, Erika and I have been doing well as a couple. We continue to grow and learn about each other, and our dating life hasn't suffered even going on outreach; it was nice to be able to get away together even for a couple hours to continue to solidify the gift that marriage is.  Thank you so much for all of you who give up your time to pray for us and your hard earned work hours to send us overseas. We promise, as we sit in our house and say, "there is no place like home," it comes out of thankfulness for people that are right beside us.

P.S. I realized our USB connector that we have for my camera to upload pictures to our computer is broken, so I'll get one soon and upload some pictures of outreach and us! :)

We love you all dearly!
Jason and Erika

Last week in Thailand!

I can't believe it, but our time in Thailand has almost come to an end!

Our time in Chiang Rai seems like it has flown by.  We have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful  university students.  We have been able to share many fun memories and laugh at our cultural misunderstandings.  Our team has also had many opportunities to share what God has done in our lives, and to encourage our new friends.

A highlight of our time here was the exchange camp we helped host.  It was like a weekend retreat, and involved lots of games and English-learning activities.  Our DTS students helped lead worship for the weekend and did a great job!  A couple of our students got to share their testimonies with the group, and another was able to share a short gospel message.  The response from the university students was great; many of them said they wished we were having another camp the following weekend!  A few students are exploring the possibility of life with Jesus after time spent with everyone at this ministry!  One of them shared her story at the camp.  She had spent the first years of her university studies feeling very overwhelmed and praying to all the gods she could think of for help.  For awhile, she felt that because of this, God might not accept her, even though she became a Christian about a month ago.  Last week, she went to a Bible study that Jason led and heard the story of Jonah.  She shared that she realized that if God loved the people of Nineveh, who didn't worship or respect him, then he must love and forgive her, even though she had not respected him.

God has been so good to our team while we've been here.  We have had very little sickness, so thanks for praying!  He definitely has answered all of our prayers about that.  Our team has made so many good friends in unexpected places while in Thailand.  Many days, we wondered how we would have an opportunity to tell people about Jesus' love for them.  Sometimes, we were discouraged by the language barrier and the difficulty in communicating how much Jesus has done in our own lives.  But so often, we had barely finished asking for help when God brought someone across our paths and provided a way to have a meaningful conversation.  The Lord has also stretched and grown us as a team in huge ways.  This is not always a fun process, but it is one that is necessary and worth it.  Our hearts have been revealed in times of testing, and God has uncovered the nasty things still there so that we can let go of them and move forward in our respective walks with him.  He's also encouraged our team, showing us that we are his beloved children no matter what.

Most of all, we are celebrating the fact that there are more people who have chosen to follow Jesus in Thailand than there were two months ago.  I am so thankful that our team could be even a small part of people finding new life in Jesus.  Thank you, each one of you, for participating in this also; it is not something that any of us can do alone and your prayers and support really do make a difference!  I hopefully look forward to someday being able to see the fruit of God's work during these two short months.

On to Chiang Rai....

Well, dear ones,

We have arrived in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after a 22 + hour bus ride.  I have never had a travel day quite like that, but I am thankful that we all arrived safe and sound.  Some interesting "highlights" were:  stopping for dinner at 11:30 pm, and then being awakened at 5:30 am with loud Thai music so we could stop for a breakfast of rice and some odd animal fat.  :)  At least our seats reclined so that we could attempt to sleep as we bumped along the road.

One of the biggest lessons to learn on outreach is how to be patient and flexible.  This is such a great thing to be reminded of, no matter what culture or setting in which one finds himself.  Jason and I are thankful to learn this lesson as leaders, and I know it is serving our students well, too.

We left Phuket with somewhat heavy hearts, as we were sad to leave that ministry and all our new friends behind.  We made a lot of connections with the girls who work in the bars, as well as a few bar owners.  We were able to pray with a number of people, and to share words of prophecy and encouragement with the women who work in the bars.  They gave positive feedback about God touching them, reacting with tears and thanks to what was shared with them.  Though most didn't fully understand what was happening, they told us that something in their hearts felt good and happy for the first time in awhile!  Thank you, Lord, for answering prayers and for giving us favor with many, and for protecting us.  Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted to be watered.  We hope that through interaction with the other teams who come to Phuket many women will choose a better job and life, and choose to follow Christ.  

Chiang Rai actually feels a bit like winter, or at least winter in the southern US.  It is such a refreshing change after constantly sweating in the south of Thailand.  We are so excited for what God is already doing in this city.  One university student accepted Jesus the night before our team arrived, partly as a result of time spent with the Wilke's outreach team!  We are spending the week eating lunch with University students, playing sports with them, teaching English, dance, and singing, as well as just hanging out with them in the cafe that this ministry runs.  The Thai students here are so open and friendly and have fantastic English, so communication is easy.  Please continue to pray for God to speak to their hearts and draw them to himself.  We hope our time with these university students will bless them and that we can show them what God's love is like.

We love and miss you all!

On to Phuket!

Hello dear friends and family!

We have moved on to Phuket this week and it is going great so far!  Our time in Phang Nga was such a blessing to us, and we pray that it blessed many Thai people as well.  I think we ended up sharing the Christmas story/ gospel with well over 1500 people during our time there!!  As most of this was in schools, we did not ask for a response most of the time, in accordance with our translators' direction.  However, it seems that some MAJOR seeds were planted during this time in the hearts of children.  Jaime, one of our Thai contacts, told us that it worked that way for her, growing up as a Buddhist.  She heard the gospel as a girl, and then through more thought, God's Spirit, and follow-up, she eventually came to embrace Jesus for herself.  We have been praying a lot that God would continue to speak to the hearts of these kids and cause them to keep thinking about what they heard.  Please join us in praying for this!!

One awesome thing that happened in Phang Nga was that on our last night of ministry, at a Christmas/New Year's party, about 10 people gave their lives to the Lord!!!  Our team was so encouraged by this!  The party was hosted by a local church, who asked for a response to the gospel message, and will be able to follow up with the new believers.  

We have been doing bar ministry in Phuket for about 4 days now.  We are volunteering at a ministry that offers jobs and training to women who are trapped working in the bars/prostitution.  It is incredibly dark and spiritually heavy here, but God has protected us and has been our strength.  There are so many hurting people in such great bondage in this place.  Please pray for God to prepare the hearts of those we meet, and also for their favor.  Not every bar is welcoming to those who don't come to party and spend lots of money there.  We also need prayer for protection over our team.  This ministry is very draining, and it is easy to believe the lies that are so prevalent here.  There is one girl in particular, "Anna," who is very unhappy and dissatisfied with her job as a bar girl.  Please be praying that she will have the courage to leave and try the new job opportunity and discipleship that this ministry is able to offer her!!  God is already helping us to establish great relationships with some women who work in the bars within a short amount of time; we are so thankful for that!  

Jason and I are also very grateful for your prayers, love, and support.  Thanks for standing with us and sharing this ministry to which God has called all of us.  We love you!!