We have a date...

Dear Loved Ones,

This is rather xciting news....January 23rd, we leave for Kenya, Africa. We will be in Africa until Feb 21st. Some of the details are still being worked out and as I wrote in my last update, we still are lacking funds to allow for everyone to go. We now have a date, and we have until January 4th to pay for the tickets. We are still short around $6,500.00 - 7,000. Everyone on the team has been making this need known to supporters back home and we are hoping and praying that God will provide for us in this time of need. Please pray about this rather urgent opportunity, and if you feel lead to donate, you can do so by following the instructions on the donate page. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to trust in God as our provider. Blessings and peace.

-=Andrew=-

Costa Rica Outreach

Dear Loved Ones,

We will continue with our Costa Rica portion of outreach this Saturday in a place called Limon. This is a rough neighborhood in southern Costa Rica near the Panama border. We will be staying t a church there and working with the pastor in various ministries. We are not sure exactly how long we will be there for. part of that is dependant on tickets for Africa. Right now we are preparing for that time and also planning head for the Africa portion of outreach. Unfortunately there is not enough money to pay for all of the students and staff during the Africa portion but we are praying for Gods provision in that area. If you would like to donate for that cause you can do so by following the instructions on the Donate page. I also want to remind those who have already donated that there was a change in the donation process, and if you donated before that change occurred, your donation did not go through. The current process is explained on the donation page. Once again, thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support. You have made it possible for me to be in the mission field and serving God where He has called me. Blessings.

-=Drew=-

Christmas In Costa Rica

Dear Loved Ones,

I am back from our time in Bocas Del Toro, and it was a great time of preparation and ministry. We worked with the new YWAM base on Isla Bastimentos and were actually their first team to come through. In a way we were the guinea pigs. The base has a great location and is surrounded by many different areas with needs to match. We connected with some other missionaries while we were there, it is crazy to see how God is starting to move in that place. Things are honestly just beginning there. Much of our time was spent creating and learning different programs for minstry presentations, drama, dance, etc. We also had a time of growing as a team and praying about Africa. We worked with the Ngobe Tribe and were able to have a childrens ministry where we shared the gospel with the kids through songs, dancing, dramas, and sharing. we also just had a ton of fun with them. It is a foreign thing to have adults invest this kind of time and attention to the Ngobe kids and it was just one way we were able to share Gods love with them. We also were able to give a church service for the Ngobe people and Sunday school for their children. This whole area is very intriguing as it brings in many backpackers, soul-searchers,surfers, and rastafaris. I am praying about the possibility of future ministry there. There is a lot of work that could be done in a place like that, much pioneering. Right now I know my ministry and commitment is to the DTS students and completing this outreach. God will direct me from there. Being out here like this and away from the typical "Christmas" has allowed me to have a new focus on why we celebrate. This is the celebration of our King entering the world and preparing to give us the gift of salvation. This is the celebration of the beginning of a revolution that brought us from darkness to the light of God. This is why we celebrate. So... Merry Christmas. May this be a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Blessings to all of you, and thank you for your love and support.

-=Andrew=-

Time to go....

Dear Loved Ones,

First things first, I talked to my parents today and they told me that there have been some problems with the donations going through YWAM, Tyler TX. It seems they can't accept checks for me even if my name is only on a note that has been sent along with it. To make a long explanation short... tax purposes. I talked to my base director tonight and we figured out a solution to that, you can see it on the recently updated "Donate" page. Sorry about that mix up, but this should solve the problem.

Now onto outreach....

We will be leaving by bus for Isla Bastimentos at 4:15 am, Wednesday, Dec 13th. That is five hours from now. We have a complete team of 13, various ages, backgrounds, and nationalities.. but all working together and serving God. The bus trip will last about five hours. We will then take a boat down a canal that was once used for the shipment of bananas. Eventually we will reach the port town that will allow us to take another boat to the island Isla Bastimentos. The details of this trip will be made more clear as we make official contact with the base. This will be a good time for our team to unify, as their have been some difficult issues the students have had to work through. I think this time might even be needed in order to bring our group together for the rest of the outreach. Please be praying for unity, healing, and growth in our team. I will update the site once I return from Isla Bastimentos, this should be in about ten days. Thank you for all of your love and support, please intercede for us as this mission begins. Blessings and peace.

-=Andrew=-

Safe in Costa Rica...

Dear Loved Ones,

I arrived safely in Costa Rica last night, Sunday Dec. 10th at around 11:30 pm. I was warmly welcomed by one of my co-leaders, Ryan Bedenkop, and spent the night at his families home right across from the YWAM base. We spent a good amount of time celebrating all of the amazing things that have happened to allow for me to be here with them now. Honestly, I still don't think I realize this is actually happening. I was also filled in on some more information about the outreach, or at least what we know at this point.

There will be 8 students traveling with Ryan, his wife Sarah Dawn, their two kids... Joshua (4), Caleb (2), and myself. We will be traveling down to Panama this wednesday. There is a new YWAM base on an island in the Bocas Del Toro province. The name of this island is Isla Bastimentos, and it is home to the Ngobe people and a Rastafari community. The base there is brand new, and we will be the first group to work with them. It will be an adventure for sure. I will update this blog again as soon as I return which should be on Dec 23rd. I also found out that the outreach will be for 3 months, not 2 months as I had thought before. I know this is where I am supposed to be, and I certainly have peace about being here. God has been so faithful already, it will be exciting to see what happens from here. I will update this again once I get back from Isla Bastimentos. Thank you all for your support during this time. I am here for a purpose, and am excited to see what God will do during my time here. Blessings

-=Andrew=-

Almost Time...

Once again, God has been so graceful in the way He has allowed for so much to come together in such a small amount of time. Honestly, it has been numbing to just sit in the middle of all that He has orchestrated to allow for me to head into the mission field again. The airfare costs have already been provided for through various donations! This is a miracle in itself. There was such short notice of this happening and God has already proven himself faithful in the preparations. I have referenced in earlier entries some of the many other things that have conveniently fallen into place as well. It makes me curious about what else He has in store during these next five months. I am excited to see what he is going to do with me and how I am going to be able to serve Him in these different locations. It seems that He has a purpose for me to be going out again, and this makes my blood flow. It is in serving God that I feel alive, and in following the calling He has placed in my life I feel as though I am truly living. I have been given a heart for the nations. God will remain faithful as I remain in Him. So as days speed by, and final preparations are made, although what is happening seems crazy to many I am at peace serving The Lord. He is good, always, no exceptions. Thank you to all who read this and offer your love and support. You are a part of this mission. Pray for me as you feel lead and know that your prayers make a difference. Blessings.

-=Andrew=-

6 days.....

Much has happened since this decision was made. These are the latest updates.... I now have the plane ticket and will be leaving at 1:15 pm this Sunday, Dec. 10th. Donations are coming in for the Africa portion of the trip which should begin in early to mid-January. It sounds like we will be working in both Kenya and Uganda during that time. I am waiting on the "go ahead" to start planning out the Kenya portion of this outreach but as soon as I get it there will be some more details on this site. It sounds like I will be helping out rather intensely with creating and teaching some dramas to be used by the students during this outreach. Drama ministry, as it turns out, is a great way to reach people in Central America. So I will be planning ahead for that. This week I will be doing my final preparations and saying my goodbyes. Last week just flew by and I am sure that this one will be even faster. Once again, thank you for all of your prayer and support. It has been amazing to see God at work in all of this.

-=Andrew=-