Hello Seattle!

Hello from Seattle!

The entire Winter DTS and staff are here for the week to share God's love with the people in this city.  We are being hosted by an amazing church, Westminster Chapel, that is the home church of some good friends of ours who are on staff in Montana.  We are partnering with them for some outreach opportunities, as well as just showing up in parks and places where people congregate and asking God for opportunities!  So far, our group has been able to talk to a lot of people and pray for them and bring encouragement.  Seattle has a very diverse culture, and our students are so excited to understand and share God's heart with people who are often ignored or marginalized.

This week is such a great opportunity for us to put into practice all that we have been learning these past 6 weeks.  I think one of the most important things is that ministry MUST flow out of our own place of rest in God's love.  If we aren't filled by him, we don't have much to give.  The little that we do have is then given out of our own strength, and then, we burn out quickly.  If we learn how to stand at our full height as daughters and sons of Father God, we can see people the way He sees them, and have something to share whether or not we have anything in common with the people we meet.  Jason and I personally have been so challenged and refreshed by the reminder that we must be continually going to the Lord to fill us before we try to give anything away.  I hope it is an encouraging reminder for all of you as well - don't go it alone!  The Father has so much rest, love, and peace that he wants to lavish on you today.

Please be praying for divine appointments, health, and safety for us this week!

Love, Erika and Jason

So thankful for a place of rest!

So.....in absence of a typical update this week, I finally did something I know I told you some of you I would do over a year ago!  I uploaded some photos of our little home!  We have only lived here like a year and half now.  :)  I will try to do photos more often on the blog, but I guess because my laptop is so old, it literally takes 20 minutes to upload 10 photos!  I am just praying the trusty old thing holds up a little longer.  Our home is kind of like an efficiency apartment.  It was renovated from an old hotel building.  The story behind it is so cool!  This hotel was located on the lake about a mile from where we live.  The hotel was old and not in fantastic shape, and a couple in the community wanted to donate the lakefront property for a city park.  Instead of demolishing the buildings, they donated them to YWAM, AND paid to have them moved onto our property!  It was an incredible answer to prayers here over many years, asking for more staff housing.  Some amazing staff here renovated them into little apartments that have been lived in since Fall 2010.  Our cousins, Josh and Emily Brooks, made a fantastic short video about this gift.  Here is the link if you are curious!  

We feel incredibly blessed to have such a cozy and peaceful home to come home to after very long days of ministry.  Thank you all for being a part of providing a place that is a haven of rest for us, and also one where we can invite people in and show hospitality.  Hope you enjoy your little tour!

Love, Jason and Erika

Our front door

Right inside the door

The living room

Kitchen area

The kitchen itself!

Main part of the "house" - living/dining/desk :)

Bedroom...sort of a room, I guess.  :)

Bathroom

I love this little fire pit area that a church team made for us this summer.  

The outside of the building - obviously it doesn't look like this in February.  :)

                                                And that's it!  Come visit us sometime!