Abandonment

So, I am reading this book about how messed up and broken the teens in the USA are and how it stems from this giant issue of abandonment that has swept the nation over the past decade.  The book is called "Hurt" and the author is Chap Clark.  This guy has some great insight into the sub-culture that exists in high schools around the USA, but don't take my word for it.... HURT.

Anyhow, I am about half way through the book and it has been incredibly helpful for me in understanding more about the students I have the honor of working with, as well as how some of my friends have been affected by this cultural abandonment that has impacted the current youth and my peers so fiercely.  Certainly check it out and give it a whirl.  Peace.

-Andres

Life: it happens, but just for a bit.

Hey guys,

I attended a funeral the other day. It was quite likely the most beautiful funeral service I have ever been to. Which might sound strange, but, already at my young age of 23, I have been to more funerals than the average kid. Anyhow, what made the funeral so beautiful was the joy that was so evident in the midst of pain and mourning. A father had passed away unexpectedly and left here a wonderful family that will miss him and obvioulsy love him very deeply. His entire family spoke about the different characteristics of who this man was and what made him so precious. I never knew this man, but after hearing such beautiful words about him, I would have liked to sit down and have a nice rich cup of coffee with him, just to soak in what this guy embodied. I am not going to try to capture with words what was so special about this celebration of His passing into an eternal paradise. There was something there though. There was so much laughter throughout the service. It was a thing of beauty. This man was not perfect, but he shared the belief in his heart and allowed that to shape the conduct of his life. This did not leave any doubt, in those who knew him well, that when he passed into eternity he was brought into eternal salvation. What a beautiful thing. So much raw emotion... expressing joy and sorrow while confronting the mystery of death. It was a bit of a wake up for me. Something I will think about for, I'm sure, years... I wish you could have been there.

-Jreux

Not Dead = Me

Well friends,

It has been far too long since my last update and I am sure that there have been assumptions of what I have been doing, so let me put to rest some of the more common rumors out there.....

1) I took over a South american travelling circus and managed it in such a way that I absorbed all competing circuses, leaving the entire South American circus community in a chaotic state... with hundreds of payasos jobless. (FALSE)

2) I went crazy in Colombia and ate all my dredlocks one night while howling at the moon, because of extreme heat stroke and a heroin overdose from receivng a tattoo in an alley from a shady character using an old syringe in hopes of sharing the love of God. It was a tattoo of Goldie Hawn riding a unicorn. (False) - although I did cut my dreds off in Colombia.

3) I went to the Twin Cities as a missionary sent out from Costa Rica after travelling all over Latin America and learning to knit from a Finnish girl while crossing the Andes, as well as dropping off a foot long parasite in Argentina that I likely picked up three months prior in Kenya, along with 8 months more of stories that eventually lead me to my current placement in life as a youth minister at a megachurch. (True)

4) I died. (False)

So almost three months ago I saw Gods provision for my missionary work in the Twin Cities. It came to me in the form of a full-time paid position working with 7th-12th graders and college students at a church in the (su)burbs of Saint Paul. God has a sense of humor alright. The bottom line is that I felt peace about this position that I was offered and have been learning a great deal as well as being stretched in some different ways. It is humbling and a blessing. The church I am working at has about 600 youth in 7th-12th grade and I get to work with an amaazing youth staff as we try to guide thses students and challenge them to follow Christ. There is a director for 7th - 9th and also one for 10th - 12th, and I am the Associate Director for 7th - 12th, So I am spread out between the two and have also been workign with the college age ministry. So.. what do I really do? Good question. I am involved in helping to develop lessons and talks as well as themes for retreats. I am the primary minister for male youth in 7th - 9th grade. I teach a topical lesson every Sunday to a group of about 40 7th - 9th graders. I have been a speaker at different retreats and large group teachings that we have had for students in 7th - 9th and 10th - 12th. I am the inner city missions coordinator for students in 7th-12th and their families, working with already existing inner city ministries. I will be helping to lead a mission trip to Colombia, Isla Bocachica this summer as well as be leading up a week long inner-city missions experience in Minneapolis or Saint Paul. So those are just a few things that I am doing.. Like I said, I am being stretched and growing in some new ways. For those of you who know me well, you know what I mean. I know I am where I am supposed to be and have peace with this season of my life as it is. So that is the update for now, and I will plan on producing more frequent updates from now on. Thank you for your prayers. Peace.

What just happened?

Dear Loved Ones,

It has been a bit more than a month since my last update, and the reason for that I am now going to explain. After arriving in Minnesota, I was a bit unsure about what exactly was going to happen. I knew I was supposed to be in Minnesota and that there was some call to ministry for me there, but the details were still being pieced together. I was taken by surprise when I was offered "something to think about".. That something was a job working at North Heights Lutheran Church as the Associate Director of their youth dept. After reading through the job description and taking some time to pray about the whole situation and listen to God, it was made increasingly clear that this was the next step. We basically shotgunned through the whole hiring thing, and I am now finishing up my first week with the team. So a lot has happened in a short amount of time. I will fill you in on what I will actually be doing at some other point. I am excited about what God is going to do with this ministry and am stoked about the great youth staff that I get to work with at North Heights. I am also hoping that the relationship between YWAM and North Heights will continue to grow through this little surprise. Please be keeping me in prayer as I get into the swing of things.

The Oasis State...

Dear Loved Ones,

I arrived safely in Minnesota last week. All travel went wonderfully and I am currently trying to get settled in to my new mission ground. It is interesting, because although I am actually from Minnesota, I do not really feel as though I am "returning". Rather, there is more of an awareness that this is the next mission location. Something new. Along that same wave, I was actually sent out from Costa Rica to be a missionary to the Twin Cities, funny how that works. Although I have only been back a few days, I am looking forward to seeing how things come together and stepping forward in faith and obedience in what I have been called to. Faith doesn't only exist overseas, and although the needs are different in The U.S., there is much work to be done. I am planning to meet with the director of YWAM, MN and talk with him more in depth on what the inner-city ministry is going to look like. There are many people I would love to catch up with, and it has been wonderful seeing friends and family after such a long amount of time away. I am expecting to be somewhat busy and hoping to meet up with many people I still have yet to see. Also, please feel free to be proactive in contacting me if you would like to get together. Also.. nto to be missed... if you have not looked at the sidebar to the right with the different links, I encourage you to check those out. They will be updated with prayer requests, photos, and financial needs. Worth checking out. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support, because they matter more than I think we understand. peace.

On my way....

Dear Loved Ones,

I just returned to Panama after spending the past two weeks doing work at the mission on an island off the coast of Cartagena, Columbia. It was an incredible experience and opportunity for me to experience firsthand a ministry that is empowering and changing a community the way that Proyecto Libertad is doing on Isla Bocachica. Although I have been to many countries and seen many things during these past 8 months, being a part of the ministry at Isla Bocachica has been the highpoint of this journey that God has brought me through. It was tough to leave that ministry, but there is a time and place for everything. I am now in what seems to be the final stretch of this journey abroad. This will also very likely be my last entry before arriving in Minnesota on the 1st of August. Once again, I want to thank you all for your support during this amazing journey God has brought me through. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I make my way back up to Costa Rica, and then August 1st, my land... Minnesota. Peace.

-=Andres=-

Some of the Beauty of Isla Bocachica... enjoy.

The Final Stretch....

Dear Loved Ones,



This update has some pretty important information that might be worth looking over... To start with.... The parasite issue. I arrived in Panama last night and was able to get some medicine today which should get rid of anything else that is living inside of me.. I bought some extra just to be safe. So hopefully my travel buddies and I will be going our separate ways some time soon. Thank you for all of your cute comments and prayers about all that, a visual that I am sure has been burnt into my mind. Another big piece of news.... I am leaving for Cartagena, Columbia tomorrow afternoon and will be working with them until the 20th. I will be helping with ministry on an island near the coast, and it sounds like I will NOT have internet during my time there, so consider no news to be good news until I get back to Panama. It sounds like there are going to be many opportunities to serve there, I have heard that it is a place with a lot of needs. It has actually been called a "little Africa" by some people I have talked to who have helped there. I am expecting good things to happen during that time. One more big thing..... I am coming home to Minnesota on August 1st. So my time away is coming to an end, but my time in missions is still going on. I have already been in touch with David Clark, the Director of YWAM Minnesota, and the plan is that I will continue in mission work, but to the Twin Cities. We are going to be talking in more detail about the specifics of it all once I get back, but I have received much confirmation about this next step and am excited to see what happens through it all. The idea is basically to start a YWAM ministry in the Twin Cities which will create opportunity to allow others to live out their faith while at the same time making an impact in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. This also means that I need financial support in order to serve with YWAM, and unfortunately the cost of living is quite higher in Minnesota than it is in 2nd or 3rd world countries. The truth is... I will need monthly support in order to do this work. So I would appreciate it if you could please add that to your prayers as you continue to support me in this work. Although I have grown, and learned a lot during this time.. I am looking forward to when my travels here come to an end. Even more so, I am looking forward to getting back home and being with so many people who I love and miss. thank you again for all of your love and support, please keep me in your prayers as I continue in my travels. Peace.



-=Drew=-

God Is Faithful....

Dear Loved Ones,

So much has happened since the last update that I sent out. It will be hard to keep it to just one entry with all the details, but I will do my best. I had been praying that God would have some more hands-on work to do in Argentina and it has been amazing to see him working during this time here. The third member of our¨"team", Gabriel, arrived safely on Friday... and we have been especially busy since that time. God is doing a lot in our lives as well as using us to touch the lives of many people in Mendoza. We also had the great opportunity to visit the YWAM base in Mendoza and worship and serve with them for the day, we plan on visiting them again this Wednesday to share more with them about what we have been up to in the City. We have a number of celebration stories about what God has been doing through us here but they are all connected to us being faithful and really living out what we believe and ready to serve God at any time. Now for some of the details.. We have been living in a hostel and doing ministry both inside and outside of where we are staying. One of the hostel workers is even considering doing a Discipleship Training School through YWAM and will be visiting the base in Mendoza with us this wednesday, he also came out with us as we did ministry one day and I think he is really starting to think more about what he believes. it is quite exciting, to say the least. We have made many good relationships with all sorts of people in Mendoza, really too many stories to share right now, but we have been doing ministry with th ehomeless, with shop owners, with youth, hippies, and even been able to share in fellowship with some people. Honestly, it is surprising how many people recognize us and how many deep conversations have occured as well as opportunities to share the hope of Christ and to demonstrate his love through our actions. One of these stories started like this..... As we were walking home one night, I really felt like God wanted me to give a specific amount of money to a lady who we had just walked past. So I stopped and said to Brian that I had to do something, so we went back and I gave her some money and told her that I really felt like God wanted to give that to her. She was very appreciative and shared that she too is a believer. So we chatted briefly and we said farewell to her for the night. I later realized that I was supposed to give her a bit more than I actually had, so I made it a point to track her down the again, which was pretty simple... you see, she makes her living selling things on the street corner, and does so nearly every day until 11:30 at night! So we eventually found her again and I gave her what more I was supposed to along with some food... Since then we have been visiting her frequently and sharing in conversation as often as we pass by. She is an incredible woman, her name is Emma and she is 58 yrs old and sugary sweet with an incredible faith in God. She later shared with us that after our first encounter she wasn´t quite sure if we were angels or men.. God is at work. She certainly has a special place in my heart... we are hopign to drink some tea with her tomorrow. There are just so many celebration stories that have come from this time... we have been handing out food the past couple days to people who are hungry and can´t afford it, also we took a former boxer now car cleaner living on the street out to eat at a pizza joint.. man he enjoyed that.. we have been running into him occasionally the past few days since then, his name is Juan Carlos and it is tough top understand a word he says, but we love him. He likes to greet us with hugs and a big smile. We also bought some food for Alberto, a brother living on the street. We made him a huge sandwich from some stuff at the grocery store, sat next to him and explained to him why we were doing these things. That is the case with all of our stories, because the truth of the matter is.. in my flesh, I am a greedy, sinful person and it is only in dying to myself and living for Christ that His love can shine through. We tell everyone we minster to that we do it not because we are good people but because we love God and because God loves them... Alberto was brought to tears because of us sharing the love of Our Father with him. There are so many more stories! Seriously, I can hardly believe all that God has done here in such a short amount of time. every day God seems to set up a bunch of things for us to do for his glory in order to share His message. God has been busy. There are probably about a dozen other stories of the work God has been doing here, it has been amazing to be His servant. Please be keeping us in prayer, although our team is small, God has united us for a noble purpose much bigger than ourselves. Thank you for all of your prayer and support, I will try to get some fotos up when I have a chance. Peace.

-=Andrew=-

Through The Andes....

Dear Loved Ones,


This is my last day in Pichilemu, Chile. Tomorrow I head by bus through the Andes and into the border town of Mendoza, Argentina. I will be traveling with a small group of about 4 others. We are hoping to meet up with another guy, Gabriel, who just finished his DTS in Panama and recently returned from an outreach in China. From Mendoza, Myself, Gabriel, and Brian will be continuing on and eventually arriving in Buenos Aires. Some of the details still need to be worked out but we have contacted the YWAM bases in Mendoza and Buenos Aires and will hopefully be able to connect with them to join in already existing ministries. We are open to serving God in whatever way He asks us, we just need to seek Him and act in obedience. I am looking forward to the time in Argentina and hopefully will be able to give some interesting upates as time there passes along. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I am unsure of what my interent connection will be like in Argentina, but will update the site as often as is possible. peace.

-=Drew=-

The Skinny....

Dear Loved Ones,

I just uploaded the latest video project online. You can check it out on this sight. It is just a little diddy I was asked to put together explaining more about the Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Pichilemu, Chile. Pretty soon here it will be bilingual spanish/english.. but for now you'll have to deal with the English only version. My next project here is to make a similar video for their Surf Camp. Things have been going well here in Pichilemu. I have enjoyed the luxury of Avocados that cost a mere 10 cents, I think I ate around 25 of them last week. It is getting a bit colder everyday, although it is still about the same as good ol' Minnesota Autumn. me and and some guys from North America had a dog roast over a campfire last night, which was basically perfect. The DTS just returned from a two week long mission trip to northern Chile, it seems like things went well with them. In other news.... Chris and Vanessa from the new ministry in Panama recently found out that they are pregnant! So I am going to be an uncle! They said I could. I also found out that my travel group going to Argentina now consists of around 4 of us, so that should be a jolly good time. We are still planning on taking the bus over the border early next month. Other than that, this is a small town with small town life and things have been pretty tranquil lately. I hope you enjoy the video, and I always appreciate e-mails from you guys! Peace.

Grandpa.

Dear Loved Ones,

Thank you all so much for your prayers and thoughts during this time. I have received many very kind words and much support from many people. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. This is the letter I sent back to Minnesota that was read at Grandpa's ceremony.



Grandpa's Remembrance Letter

I am just going to be honest here; it is hard to, with just a few words pay tribute to or in some way fully expresses all that is going through my mind. No doubt I am going to miss grandpa like crazy, I'm just thinking now about being wrapped up in one of his big warm hugs. I have never grown too big for those, and every time I saw him I was always greeted with that loving embrace. Just that memory alone brings tears to my eyes. I know that there is something very special that is in that relationship between a grandson and a grandpa. I know that because it is something that Grandpa showed me. It was in the way he lived. I have a lot of great memories about Grandpa, but I want to share a bit about the last conversation I shared with him. I called Grandpa up on my birthday, said "hey Grandpa" and was greeted with a joyful, even surprising.. "Andreeeeeeeeeew!". It was just filled with love. After his traditional "Hey ma, get on the phone… it's Andrew" We talked for a good while. We talked for a bit about where I am at, which was Panama at the time, and what the plans were from there. I got the latest on how he was doing and how everything has been. It was such a energetic, refreshing and happy conversation. I remember Grandpa saying how proud he was of me for being in the mission field and serving God this way and how important this work is. His words were so genuine and just touched my heart deeply. To hear him say how proud he was of me gave me this sensation that is hard to express. It was like I began to understand how deeply important what I am doing was to him, and I was honored to be able to be his grandson and serve our God in this way. I was thinking how proud I am to be a "Reuss". Grandpa knew how important that salvation in Christ is, and he knew what it meant to live as a child of God. Now he is in the complete presence of the most holy God and rejoicing with all the company of Heaven. Like it says in 2 Timothy 4:7... "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." That is what Grandpa has done. He was created for something far better than this world, and he is now united with the Heavenly Father of Creation. He fought the fight on earth that tries to pull us away from our loving God; he finished the race that has lasted for so many wonderful years, and through all of it He has kept his Faith and by doing that found life in Christ. In Proverbs 16:31 it says " Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life".. Grandpa had a lot of Gray hair. A lot. Just ask my sister Adrienne, she always seemed to point it out. Anyway... Wisdom does come with age. Grandpa lived a good long life and was very wise because of it. A big part of that wisdom was his faith in Christ as Savior. Grandpa knew that he was going to see The King. He knew that life did not end in this world but it was just the beginning of a new life with Christ. So let us join in that knowledge. Let us celebrate the life that Grandpa had, but even more so celebrate the new life that he has in Heaven with our amazing Lord. Through Christ, Grandpa has conquered the grave. He is in a place free from pain, free from sadness, experiencing the glory of God firsthand. Let us rejoice in this victory together and celebrate the life that Grandpa has in Christ. I Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O death is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?". God has the victory, because he has brought another child home, and into His loving embrace.

Andrew David Reuss

South America... I dig it.

Dear Loved Ones, (You think that's just a title... well I mean it every time)

I am safe and sound in Pichilemu, Chile. I am excited to be able to help out around the YWAM base here. I already feel right at home! I flew out from Panama Tuesday and arrived in Santiago yesterday at around 3am.. I then had to bus to the main terminal at 7am and take a 4 hour bus ride to Pichilemu at 8am and finlly arrived around noon... So once the dust settled yesterday, I took a nap. I also met a lot of the wonderful people at this base, and I am really looking forward to the time I will be spending here. I will be working a good deal with their communications dept. and maybe putting together a video for their Discipleship Training School. The weather here is refreshingly crisp.. like a nice refreshing Minnesota autumn.. I may need to be dragged out of this place... So, although I have only been here a short time I am very much encouraged, and looking forward to the many days I have left in Chile. On another note... because of the great internet connection here, I have been able to put some more videos online for the Panama ministry in Casco Viejo. The first features and introduction from Derek Webb. What's more, they are conveniently placed on this site! How sweet is that? So check out the videos while you're here and if you are interested in doing more with that ministry than just watching videos about it.. here is their webpage link.. THEIR WEBPAGE LINK or e-mail me and I can connect you with the right people. So, without further hesitation, I present to you the feature presentation/s. Peace.

Dustin' off the passport.

Dear Loved Ones.

It has been a bit of time since the last update, a few things have happened since that time. For one, on April 17th I added one more number to my age and am now 23. Never done that before. I have continued to work with the inner-city minstry in Casco Viejo. I finished putting together another video for them and have continued building connections with different people around that area. A group of us are actually going there today to hand out our lunch to people who can't afford food on their own. I also have a update about travel plans. Due to various reasons, the journey through South America has taken on a different look from the original concept. I will be spending more time in fewer places and doing less travel than originally thought. I plan on arriving in Chile next week and spending about a month at the base in Pichilemu, about 3 hours southwest of Santiago. from there I will bus over to Argentina, very likely stopping in the border town Mendoza, Argentina, before continuing on to Buenos Aires. Right now it is seeming like the 4th of July is when I will return to Panama from Argentina. My return ticket back to "The Oasis State" (Minnesota) is still August 1st. There is a lot of time until then, and with the journey starting up again I hope that I might be put fresh in your thoughts and prayers. I could also use financial help as travelling around costs more than staying in one location. The travelling will cost around $1,000.00. I am able to pay this now, but my account will be severely lowered. If you would like to help out in that way, you can follow the link on the side of this site. Well, I am off to the City now. Please also feel free to e-mail me, as I always love hearing from you. Peace.

-=Drew=-

Responsible....

Dear Loved Ones,

Below is a short video that I put together that shows a bit about the new ministry that is being started in Panama. It is a much needed ministry in the inner-city. About ten minutes away from what is now considered Panama City is the old, run-down, forgotten, and hurting area known as Casco Viejo. Ten minutes away. This new ministry needs a lot of help, and if you are interested in helping let me know and I can connect you with the right people. If nothing else, I hope this video urges you to consider what is ten minutes away from you, and what you are responsible for based on what you believe. Happy Easter. May we live out faith as Christ has called us to.

-=Andrew=-

Satanist Musicians...

Dear Loved Ones,

I have been doing well in Panama. Working a lot with Chris Collins in some of the pioneering stages of the new ministry in Casco Viejo. I have been trying to do a lot of filming as we have been heading forward in this ministry. At this point we have been trying to do relationship building with some of the locals. During one of these meetings, we were in the home of one of our new friends chatting. During my time in Casco Viejo I have seen several Rastas, I like Rastas, so I asked if there was a part of town where more Rastafaris live. One thing lead to another and before long we found ourselves walking over to another... home? cave? shelter.... anyhow. There were three musicians in this dwelling, who after a few seconds of observation of their home decor, appeared to be satanists. Not Rastas. It was an interesting meeting. Before leaving we said we would try to make it to one of their concerts, oddly enough they said Sunday would be a good day to check it out. However, when we were walking out they did warn us not to bring any of that "God stuff" with us. At which point I turned around smiled and couldn't help but laugh a little. I mean seriously, why else would we come back if we didn't bring the "God stuff"? So things have been going well in Panama. Cartagena, Columbia is looking a bit more questionable, as they recently made a video of their ministry that they are now touring with. So... they might have that under control. I will keep working out the details and as I know more, you will too. Peace.

-=Andrew=-

In the business of Building Bridges....

Dear Loved Ones,

I finally made it to a net cafe and can offer up a more proper update on my location and well-being. I arrived safely in Panama City, Panama ( Not Florida.. I just liked the post card... ) after an 18 hour bus ride from San Jose, Costa Rica. I was blessed to be randomly accompanied by a group of Christian students traveling together for a study abroad program, also in my company was a missionary family from Spain/Belgum that has been on the field for over 20 years now and were on their way to Columbia. So, what would have been a very long ride became a great blessing as I was able to share about what God had brought me through over the past few months and travel peacefully with some brothers and sisters in Christ. I completely surprised everyone at the YWAM base in Panama with my arrival. I was purposely keeping my visit out of their radar, and they were very surprised as I just walked right into a room filled with some good friends. What a great surprise! Now about building bridges. I plan on being able to connect different ministries with people who can support these minsitries. Making "bridges". To do this I will use video to try to capture the heart, vision, and history of ministries I come in contact with and then bring those needs back to the United States, in order to form connections. The first ministry I am working with is a new one in Panama City, through YWAM. I have been keeping busy with doing some filming of Panamas new inner-city ministry in Casco Viejo, the ministry has just begun and is in need of a lot of help. Besides the filming, I have also done some translating for a short-term team that came through from Texas. Along with those things I have been doing some work with the DTS staff and also been able to work with some of the indigenous students from the home. I hope to be able to get back to do more work in Casco Viejo later on in this week, I also plan on doing some prison ministry while I am down in Panama. Right now I think I will be at this base for a round a month. The plan from here is still to fly over to Cartegena, Columbia. I will keep this updated as I spend more time in Panama and as Columbia plans become more concrete. Thank you for all of your prayers and support, and if you have missed any of the past blogs, you can check them out in the blog history on this page. Peace and Blessings.

-=Drew=-

The Outreach Video....

This is a little video I put together that shows a bit of what we did the past few months in Panama, Costa Rica, and Kenya. I hope you enjoy it!





I'll keep you updated about the future plans as they become more concrete. Peace!

-=Andrew=-

Back In Costa Rica...... for now...

Dear friends and family,





I am back in Costa Rica, safe and sound. The outreach is complete and the students are now graduates. They will be heading out over the next days and weeks. All of them have different homess to return to and have been away from their family and friends for a long time. I also have some plans for what is to happen next. I will be taking a bit of time to rest and recover from the craziness of life that has been the past 3 months until I begin another big adventure that will last until early August. The details still need to be worked out, but this is the basic outline of what will be happening. I will begin a journey through South America that will eventually bring me to the YWAM base in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My method of travel will be bus. The route will be along the West side of South America, bringing me through Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile until I arrive in the final destination... Argentina. I will be connecting with the local YWAM bases in each country during this journey. This time of travel will be done with three purposes in mind...

1. To build connections with the different ministries along the way, in hopes of having contacts for future work.
2. To document the work being done by these different ministries, what their vision is, what their history is, and what their needs are... so that they can be connected with others who can support their ministry.
3. To allow God to expand my world vision and to see how much bigger He is than I already know. This will be a time of big growth in my life as I see how God is at work in the lives of others.

A close friend of mine has donated a video camera to help this become a reality. As soon as that camera arrives I will leave from Costa Rica and start the journey to Argentina. I would have loved to return home to Minnesota earlier, but God has really put this on my heart and I cannot be disobedient. I will need support in prayer and finances as this is quite an undertaking. I will also be away from home for 4 months longer than originally planned and that means I don't have funding for those four months. I just know this is right though. I am excited to see how God will be at work during this time. I don't know all the details yet, but as I do I will keep this updated. Please pray. Prayer is essential. Peace.

-=Leshan=-

or

-=Andrew=-

Last update from Kenya....

Dear love Ones,

Our ministry portion of the outreach phase has been completed. We had the amazing opportunity to live among and minister to the Masai people. We walked long distances to peoples homes built of earth, stick, and cow dung and shred the gospel with many different people. We also had several teachings and messages at different church services. During this time over 50 people made the decision to accept Christ as their Savior, and many other seeds were planted during this time. the Masai are such a beautiful people with a very rich and vibrant culture. I hope that god continues to redeem them and that they can continue to worship God as Masai. And they do worship God.. It is amazing. A true celebration of God in their lives, a time filled with dancing, singing, and jumping for the Lord. I was honored to spend time with these people. I was even given a Masai name "Leshan" pronounced like "Ga-LATIAN". It means... "like the rain". Maybe this will be my ministry name just as Saul was changed to Paul. I hope I can live up to that name and continue to be "Leshan", bringing life to dry and dying areas. The rest of our time in Kenya will be used as a time of debriefing for the DTS students as they prepare to return back to be with their friends and family. Once again thank you for all of your prayers and support as this time of ministry comes to a rest. God has been able to do an amazing work here. As for me.. God has a plan for what I will do next.. but i am going to save that for the next update. I will be returning to Costa Rica on the 21st and from there inform you on future plans. Peace.


-= Leshan =-

Hey! New Update!

Dear Loved Ones,

So far we have had a somewhat eventful time in Kenya. We thought we might have some malaria in oiur group. praise God, that was not the case. However one of the possible vicitims was the 2 yr old son of my co-leaders. we had a little scare, but things are settling down now. Our time has been filled with many different opportunities to serve the YWAM bas in Athi River. We have also had the opportunity to minister at different schools and even a hospital. We will be working with a church tomorrow where a sermon will be presented in spanish, then translated into english, and then again into swahili. It has been amazing to experience all the different cultures and see how God is at work in so many ways. Many different groups have come through The Athi River base; Americans (North and Central), Europeans, Africans, even some Canadians. It has been great to have the opportunity to hear from all these different people. to find out what they have been learning and what their future plans are. God is much bigger than we know, and this has really helped me to see that all the more. We still have much more ministry to help with. We will possibly be ministering with different churches, schools, hospitals, and orphanages this week. We also plan on being in a Masai village rom the 10th through the 15th. The Maisa are a nomadic indigenous group, and that time would be very different than anything we have experienced so far. Please continue to pray for us as we continue serving our Lord in Kenya. Peace.

-=Andrew=-

In Kenya... I am.

Jambo!

I didn't think I would be able to update this site until returning from Kenya, but through a rather strange series of events, I have been given the blessing of haviing this opportunity to do a little something. I am safe and in good health, very optimistic about this time of ministry, and extremely impressed by how friendly so many of the Kenyans are. We have had the opportunity to spend some time with students from the Kenya, Athi River Discipleship Training School. Very great people. They will be heading over to Uganda this Sunday as part of their outreach. It will be sad to see them go, as many of us have already established strong connections with them over this short amount of time. God is moving in the youth of Kenya, and I am excited to see what will come from this generation. Our schedule will become more solid within the next few days, and there are many different opportunities here. Thank you all for your love and support. I am excited to see how God will move during this time. Amani na upendo. (peace and love - swahili )

-=Andreu=- (swahili-ish)

Next entry will be from Kenya...

Dear Loved Ones,

I know I just updated the site, but I wanted to be able to write one last time before I left. So here I am, writing. As I explained in my last blog, we have a number of possibilities for a variety of different ministries that we may be able to help. The base we are staying at will be quite rugged and challenging for most of the team. The first few days we will be sleeping in tents outside the base because it will be full do to the conference they are having. After those few days we will be able to stay inside the base, which will be a nice change... although I really like camping. The base has no running water, so we will be using the outdoor latrine to do our business and we will be taking bucket showers to clean off. The base has no electricity, so it has to run a generator for three hours every night. Internet? Don't expect updates as often as I have been giving them, this has been an amazing blessing to have internet access the way I have. Updates might require a 45 min. bus ride into town, I'll do what I can though. We were prayed over by the base today, and I was given a word: to "always have my sword ready". So, I will be ready and try to be prepared for some spiritual warfare in Kenya. I am still praying as well about post-Africa plans. It is very likely that my return to Minnesota will be postponed. As soon as I know details, I will update the site. Please be praying for guidance in that area. Thank you all for your support, please keep praying for us as we head into some difficult areas. This is not a game. Peace and love.

-=Andrew=-

Kenya... almost time.

Dear Loved Ones,

Since returning from Limon, we have been helping out a local ministry known as La Roca or "The Rock". We taught a Vacation Bible School and also helped out with some construction projects around the community. We will leave Costa Rica at 8:30am January 23rd, fly to Miami, then London and finally... arrive in Nairobi Kenya at 9:20pm on the 24th. For the first few days, we will be serving at an East African conference that the YWAM base is hosting. We are going to have the opportunity to serve over 80 pastors and missionaries from all over East Africa. Then, our days will be filled with ministering in local hospitals, AIDS homes, orphanages, schools, rural villages, on the streets, and whatever else God has for us. We will return to Costa Rica on February 22nd. After Africa is still somewhat unclear, and I am hesitant to write out plans until I know for sure what I will be doing. Please continue to be praying for guidance in that area. Once again, thank you all for your prayers and support and please continue to intercede on our behalf. Peace and Love.

-=Andrew=-

We were greeted with muddy cheeks...

When our big white JuCUM bus rolled into town and one of the local boys on the soccer field, covered from head to toe in mud, greeted us with a muddy moon, I knew this was going to be an interesting time of ministry. Our group made it back safely from Limon2000, a very rough area in Costa Rica. We spent the majority of our time working with a new church in the area and helping out with several church services for youth and adults, and spending time with the children of the community... all of the children... so many children. Although it was a more dangerous area, we were kept safe during our entire time there. Praise God. In talking with some of the guys in the area, I found out about the rise in violence of the area, and the high crime rate. I was told stories of how rival gangs have been killing one another recently, and the hopelessness that is felt in this place. Another problem in the area is the division between churches. there are about 6 within the area, all a couple blocks away from each other, but the churches are afraid to go out into the streets and it appears they are reluctant to unite in order to make a difference. This was a broken community, and a very tough area. We spent almost our entire time there with the kids, not always by our choice. they were always around, from when we woke up to when we went back to sleep. many of them had problems with discipline and authority. They were all very needy for attention and would do what they could to get it, positively or negatively, they just wanted attention. The community does not have a place where the kids can go and better themselves. There is not discipleship, or a youth program where the kids can spend their time. For this reason they search for things to do, many times those things are the things they should not be doing. The fotos are from a game of mud-ball that we played, it started out as just soccer until someone... got the idea to pick up the ball and slide headfirst through the mud and into the goal, then the game just turned crazy, mud everywhere and on everyone. it was amazing. We were able to impact the lives of these kids, if only for a short time, and keep them out of trouble and off the streets. We spent a lot of time with the kids and had several children ministry services allowing us to teach them different biblical truths through dramas and lessons. That was a very difficult area to be in, but we are now back in Heredia and continuing in ministry until we leave for Africa on the 23rd. I will keep updating this site as the ministry continues. Thank you all for your prayer and support. Blessings and Peace.

-=Andrew=-