celebrate good times.

Hi Everyone…

I write you from the floor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are on our way to India and the regrouped (including some new staff, husbands and children) team spent it’s first night cuddling here together.

On the 16th of January we departed from Tanzania. It was a heart-breaking week. It still hurts to think about the hospital-our friends, the women and the rough conditions due to lack of staff. We were not the hope, it was Je*sus that brought the hope and as the staff expressed their gratefulness for investing into the need for the season, we encouraged them that the hope is in Jes*us. Some of the staff even came to our home, quite a jaunt, to say their final words and thank those that hosted us.

We made it made it safely to Perth on the 18th and were able to connect with our “new staff”, that are now traveling with us, as well as our school leader. Within a couple days the 25th celebrations of Perth and 50th for our organization were in full gear. We had the chance to be a part of serving the base in the kitchen, which was cooking for 750 people and the quality of the food only increased. We also were able to hear Loren and Darlene, our founders, speak to us as a base. In 1960, our organization was founded. Loren (who has been to every country in the world and works as a volunteer as well) was originally given the vision of waves covering the shores of every continent and as he watched the waves, he saw they were turning into young people. Since then, there have been many visions and words that have shaped and led our organization to continue taking cities, multiplying in numbers, expanding in the spheres of society and sharing the go*spel. How rich it was to see the foundation that our base had been built on. He left me thinking, “Am I really trusting and working towards millions being sa*ved?”

One story he shared was about some of our friends in Nigeria, out of a time of inter*cession they had a word of the L*ord to go and share with guerillas that were responsible for mass killings. The entry-level students in the course, were trusting that G*od would give them an in. They traveled and came upon their camp and asked if they could camp out with them. They were suspicious of course but when the students began to serve them and live in harmony, they became friends. One by one, they started giving up their weapons entranced by this “Jesus” that the students were talking about. One night, a man held his gun to the outreach leader’s head and told him he was going to kill to him, the leader remained calm and repeated multiple times with the tension rising each time “No, you are not.” He commanded him in the name of Je*sus to put the gun down and the man fell on his face in tears, free from this demonic possession. In the end all 3000 of the guerillas gave themselves to the L*ord and handed their weapons over to the students. The government then entrusted our organization for rehabilitation of the men. One of the leaders of the guerillas stated: “What we couldn’t do with guns and bullets, was done with the love of Je*sus.”

And so we have been sent out, having celebrated all G*od has done in the last 50 years and filled with the love of J*esus again. Committed to seeing the flame go forward, ready to serve for no greater reason than our love for G*od.
Bless you guys. Soon we will be in India. I will write on my blog and update you as soon as I can!

Happy 25th Perth!

Bekah