Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Lion's Rohr


Have you ever written an email or letter, looked at it, and then completely erased the whole thing? Well, that's what I just did. It's hard for me to put into words what my life has been and what it will be very soon. Shortly after coming to Maui, I felt like I was not going to be in the Hospitality department for very long. I had a "feeling" about the upcoming Summer DTS (Discipleship Training School). My "feeling" was soon confirmed when the Summer School Leader, Tik (she's an amazing Godly woman from Thailand), asked me to pray about staffing the summer school. I didn't have to pray long. I'm excited to say that this summer my co-leader, Sam Stephens, and I will be training and leading a team of students (ages anywhere from 18-28) through 3 months of intense lecture followed my 3 months of outreach to southeast Asia. Wow!! Lord, help me! =) God has given me such peace about this. Looking back over the last few months, I can see God's evident hand preparing me for the adventure/challenge that I am about to take. I feel so honored to be entrusted with such a great task. Staff training starts next week (May 4) and our school begins June 6. Please pray for strength, wisdom, peace, and faith for the leadership team and I. We have much to do. Also, please pray about supporting financially as well. I am still required to pay my staff fees (approx. $300/month) plus my plane ticket to Asia (approx. $1500). Right now, I have $50 support a month. I'm so thankful to be serving a God who provides where He guides. He is Jehovah-Jirah, our Provider. I hope you are doing well and seeing God's beauty in the little things. God bless! Aloha
-Chelsea

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Aloha family and friends! I trust you are doing well and recognizing God's provision in your every day lives. The past couple months have flown by! I apologize for not updating you sooner. Due to some changes here on the base, I have been made the Head of the Hospitality/Housing Department. This requires that I do the budgeting, Hospitality shopping, cleaning, delegating house cleaning, and delegating students' cleaning duties. One extra detail- not only am I the Head of the Hospitality Department, but I AM the Department. With the occasional help from friends, I have been running it by myself. In a nutshell, my life has been extremely busy and crazy. I see now, though, that God knew exactly what He was doing because having this much responsibility and work has definitely stretched me and prepared me for future staff positions and life in general. It's only by God's grace that I've been able to do all that this job requires. I love it! I work with a smile on my face (most of the time...) and a thankful heart because that's what He requires of me.
Allow me to briefly update you on the past couple months. In February, myself and another staff member moved down to Paia (a town about 7 miles from the base in Haiku) for a couple weeks to cook for the Fall DTS teams who had just returned from outreach in southeast Asia. We cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about 35 staff and students. It was a busy but great week getting to hear all the things God did through the students and seeing how He transformed them from the inside out. Outreach really gives new perspective and appreciation for our great nation. We are a blessed people.
I'm still leading worship on a regular basis and am loving it! Revival Maui is also taking off here and things are definitely shifting in the spiritual world. We are hearing testimony after testimony of God radically changing people's lives. God is giving us the vision and the tools to see revival come to Maui. Please go to www.revivalmaui.com to see the new website and get more information.
The Winter DTS students are already in their second week of Outreach. The 3 teams (Bangladesh, China, Borneo) left for southeast Asia last week after completing 3 months of intense Lecture Phase. They are so hungry for the Lord and so excited to share the Hope, Love, and Truth they have found. It's awesome to be apart of the training and sending out of these students. Not only do I see their personal transformation, but I also am able to see them go transform the world. Wow! What a humbling thought.
This next quarter is a short 2 months. We don't have DTS students up at the Haiku base, but we are starting the SBFM (School of Biblical Foundation in Missions) in Paia. It is a school whose heart is to equip people with the knowledge to shape and change their spheres of influence wherever their calling may be. Our focus is to help with SBFM wherever we can and to develop a deeper unity among ourselves as a base. This is a quarter of refocus and relationship development. I'm thankful for this time to recharge.
Thank you for your constant support and prayers. You are such a blessing. I wouldn't be here without your faithfulness and support. God bless!
In His Care, Chelsea =)