O my gosh. So much has happened since I got here. And HERE is Catania, Sicily on the sailing boat the Next Wave! Crazy.
I have been blessed so much. Thanks to all of you who helped me get to Redding and to the Mediterranean! As of yet, I still need to check my e-mail and bank account to check to see how my finances are and if money is coming in. I think that I am doing better financially, but have some unforeseen/forgotten expenses (my overnight at a hotel during my flights). So I will let you know when I know something more!
Roadtrip to Cali…
Umm, what can I say? For those of you worried. I had a second driver with me (God story: his flight was canceled from Kalispell to Redding so needed a ride) so David helped out a lot, driving on quite a bit of bad roads. For those of you with a bit more stomach for the adventure…snow and ice most of the way, but we didn’t have any close calls. Never put chains on. Drove through snow bumps and ruts galore in Spokane, where it was quite interesting watching people carry shovels around. I believe people paid them to get their cars unstuck. We were finally rewarded with Starbucks we found in Spokane! Arrived 20 hours later in Redding, so ready to collapse and be done with the snowy, wrong roads, detours, etc.
Redding…
Was amazing! I think God knew I needed time and encouragement with friends there—and I felt exactly that! Ah, I was so blessed by my friends, to crash at the Kluttz’s, eating their yummy food and dragged into playing Ultimate Guitar Hero (video game). I admit the NEED to get better at the guitar or drums drove me at times, even though I don’t like video games. I spent Christmas in Paradise with the Bedsaul’s, who opened their home to me, even sharing in their traditions of seafood and more games. I didn’t contribute much but my alfredo sauce. It was a fun, relaxing time with my old roommate Julie and the family. The rest of my time in Redding was spent running around seeing many of you I love and visiting my church Risen King. I am so sorry for those of you I was not able to see, but I ran out of time with only four days there.
Fly, fly away…
I flew out of San Francisco Dec. 29 and arrived at Heathrow, London, England on the 30th. After the 10½ hour flight, my body was on the wrong time so I slept for four hours in an airport chair, draped over my bags (yes, I did wake up every ½ to hour). I wonder what the people next to me thought? Next I boarded a flight to Rome, Italy, arriving late that night. I had a hotel room reserved and my travel agent had checked that there was a free shuttle. However, much to my surprise, it was too late for the shuttles, so I got swindled on a taxi. That was an experience. Let’s just say I have a potential date with my cab driver if I ever travel to Rome again—he would love that. Ha. Not me. The best part of the hotel was the hot shower and breakfast. No, sadly I did not have time to see anything in Rome. The landscape looked arid, but with quite a bit of vegetation, including palm trees—but it’s winter, meaning VERY COLD, even here (like I need warm clothes, thick jacket, scarf, gloves—I did not bring enough sweaters). In the morning (31st) I flew to the island of Sicily, and two of my ship crew, Randi (who I knew some from YWAM MT last year) and Eric, picked me up. That day I got a tour of my new home-a 42 meter sailing yacht! It used to be an icebreaker in the 1950’s, and was refurbished in the 80’s. It sleeps about 50 people; currently there are 40 on board (14 crew and 26 DTS outreach students and staff from Harpendem, England). It feels roomier than I thought it would be, except for my bedroom…but I like the cozy atmosphere (it’s not that warm, heat-wise). There are larger ships in the port, but we are the largest sailing boat.
New Year’s:
The rest of the day I was able to take it easy, and that night all of us went to a large church for a New Years’ Eve service, to bring in 2009 with worship, prayer, and celebration. Several DTS students shared. Most of the service we couldn’t understand, but what I was amazed and blessed to see young and old Sicilians worshiping and praying in Spirit and in power! It blew me away when I learned that they are many evangelical churches in Catania! Most of these churches are pastored by men, who were saved and discipled by one British missionary, Philip Wiles, (now in his 80’s) many years ago. What a legacy! This man recently gave a devotion to us on the boat which was really great, and he is coming back to share more. He met Loren Cunningham (YWAM founder) in 1961, before YWAM began, and spoke in DTS’s many years ago.
First Days in Catania:
Because I arrived on a holiday, I was able to take it easy the next two days and walk around the city streets. One day several of us went out. They showed me around to the open market, the opera house (so beautiful, with huge statues and crazy amounts of Christmas lights illuminate it at night), the elephant square (another statue in the center), and an old castle (we toured with statues, artifacts, paintings, and even a moat…yes, a moat-no water though). Most streets are narrow, some stone, and look up and see amazing architecture-so old and so beautiful, gothic-like. All the buildings, apartments, etc, look ancient, wore down, but so full of character and history-untold, forgotten stories permeate every stone. At the castle, we met 3 Americans from Duluth, MN, one stationed at the U.S. navy base here. We chatted with them and invited them to tour the boat-hopefully, we were able to be a light as we shared and got to be real with them about what we are doing for God.
Opportunity:
The DTS students go on outreach into the city most of the week for prayer walks and evangelism. They visit many churches on Sundays and youth nights, sharing testimonies and teaching in the services. I am not sure what else they do, but we as crew will be able to go with them some days. There is so much opportunity here that we can take part in. Many days we have Sicilians visit the boat, touring it, talking with us, bringing food. Random people drive their cars by and stop to chat. Our contact Mario is amazing, setting up ministry with the churches. He shared our grocery list with the churches, and they have been blessing us with so much food, even coming to cook phenomenal Sicilian pasta meals for us on board! Seriously, the hospitality here blows me away! But I am going to have to watch what I eat because there is so much good bread and pasta!
One day three couples came to visit the boat and made lunch for us. I helped the women in the kitchen and then was able to talk to one. Cynzia and her husband began a ministry called Jesus Generation, which has a heart for young people and evangelism. She said that many youth know about Jesus or were brought up in Christian homes here but were pushed to behave, and they never believed in Jesus personally-thus rejecting Christ.
This couple’s heart is to reach people through true caring and friendship with more of a process of “Belong, Believe, Behave.” She told a story of how this happened with one of the couples sitting at the table with us. I got so excited hearing her heart and about their ministry! I was also able to ask her questions about her life and about the Sicilian people. Hopefully, I will be able to work with them while I am here.
Enna Youth Visit Boat:
Another day we had a large youth group from Enna visit (in the exact middle of Sicily, they call the belly button ☺ and the highest city). We split into groups to have them tour the boat, climb the ratlands (rope ladder) and bowsprit (wooden pole at the front of the boat), and be pulled up the main mast on the boatswain’s chair. We ate lunch together, talked, some DTS students shared, and we worshiped and prayed together. Everyone sang in their own languages all at the same time (there are also several countries represented by the DTS: U.S.A., Canada, England, Wales, Iceland, Germany, New Zealand, Ecuador, Tanzania, South Korea; & Crew: U.S., Can., Eng., Ghana). Talk about unity and fellowship of the body of Christ. It gives me shivers just thinking and remembering it! There will be more ministry with the Enna church while we are here.
As Crew,
Much of my day, when not ministry, is spent working on the boat, maintenance mostly. I am now getting a better picture of how much upkeep a boat needs: ropes replaced, engine rooms, floors… With my boat/sailing experience is lacking, I am putting my painting experience to great use: chipping rust away, painting on rust converter, primer, and the final coat-several times over. I have paint on my hands all the time, and thankfully I brought painting/work clothes, which have another lovely layer added to the previous YWAM MT dorm paint colors.
Purposes:
Other times during the day I get to interact with the DTS outreach team. Recently, I have been blessed with some significant conversations and prayer times with people. One morning I was able to talk to and pray with a student Ashley who was touched by what I shared during that morning’s devotion. In that moment I realized that, if for only that moment, my time on this boat is worthwhile. I am slowly building friendships and I am excited for more time to share and pray with people. I feel that I have, so far, easily adapted and fit in-some crew have said so as well. I hope to be an encouragement here and a person who brings peace. I am praying more into God’s purposes for me here during this time, thinking that God may use me in greater ways than I thought, which kinda scares me, but I hope to be ready for what God wants of me.
Sailing:
We went on a 3-4 hour sail one night to empty the black water tank, in other words, toilet or poop tank (has to be emptied so far from shore). This was my and the DTS’s first sail, and in the dark. As we got out of the harbor, then it began to rain and the sea got rougher-quite rough actually. So we were getting soaked, and the ship was rocking (several got seasick-not me!), but through all this, several DTS and I got to help sail, put up and down the sails! It was so much fun, and gets you so pumped, and the adrenalin is rushing! Ah, what an experience, and it’s so different than anything I’ve done, so different than land-locked Montana! I will get to learn more when we sail to Greece.
Upcoming Enna Ministry:
This weekend (Jan.10-12) I am going with a couple of the crew to do ministry with a church in Enna. I do not know what this weekend will hold or what I will be doing?-soccer, sharing in church, singing maybe, but I am excited for the opportunity to interact with Sicilians and be a blessing. Since I have been in Sicily (and before), I have been asking God for a message specifically for here, cataloging all previous things I have shared and other things on my heart lately. I think God began to give me something more this morning, and I am praying and studying into what this should be.
Update on Enna Trip:
Three crew, Ben, Fred, and I, had the opportunity to go to Enna to do ministry with the evangelical church there. This was amazing. Their pastor is Sicilian and his wife is Swedish; she did a lot of the translating for us. Saturday evening, they had an evening planned to reach out to non-Christians. They played music-they have an amazing worship band, each of us shared our testimonies, and all ate awesome pizza. After I shared Saturday, this lady Bianca, had me write a note in her Bible, and then she found someone to write a note to me in English. Her message so spoke to me and made me cry (Sunday she was crying when we left). On Sunday we all shared again at the service, and Fred gave a great message. God did give me something to share, like I had been asking Him. When I shared, I was so overcome by what God had placed on my heart that I was on stage crying (being emotional in normal for me, but they didn’t know this). I basically shared a call to missions, that their sphere of influence, the people in their church, would be even greater than their city, but to other nations. One teenage girl Noemi came up to me afterward and hugged me crying (she didn’t let go for a while). I believe God touched her and called her to missions! Please remember her in your prayers. The church there truly walks out the family of Christ to each other and reaching out to their community and to us, during our short stay there. They filled us to bursting at a Sicilian lunch with the Radenda family (elders in the church)-I felt adopted in! For the two days I stayed the night at Engelica’s house. She showed me amazing hospitality, driving me around, showing Enna to me, and became a friend, so close to my heart. There are so many others from Enna I was blessed by and count as friends now. Hopefully, I can share more with you someday.
Interesting Things:
-I felt like I was the minority who spoke English on each of my flights (including BritishAir), especially on my Italian flights, and I stuck out like a sore thumb! My ¼ Italian heritage sure doesn’t show here (though I have seen a couple blond hair, blue eyed Italians, lighter than me)!
-And there are huge, snow-capped mountains in the middle of Italy (I saw them from the airplane). Snow-capped, volcanic Mt. Etna rises above Catania!
-Everyone in Europe and Italy wears boots. I should have brought mine.
-Again let me emphasize, it is SO COLD here. The unusual day here is clear and sunny, but it is winter here…and Italians have little or no heat in their homes, churches, so unlike America. I am NOT sunning myself on some Mediterranean vacation—haha.
-The boat rocks all the time, but usually it is small, and I don’t notice. I actually like the feeling and haven’t felt sick. The past few days, however, there was a large storm at sea. We are safely in the harbor, but the waves hitting the breakwater (wall that protects us) were several stories high, higher than many buildings. After the storm, the swells were really bad, rocking and jolting our boat for about 2 days. We broke a line and hit a boat behind us, so we were always checking and tightening the creaking lines, tying us to land. All crew and some students were jumping up to help, even when a visiting youth group was on board.
-I love Italian food-even marinara!
Dates:
-Half of the Harpendem DTS outreach, the Spain team, left for Spain Jan. 12th. It was sad to see those 13 leave; they were awesome, and I’m excited about their upcoming ministries. The boat seems a bit emptier now, but the Italy team (13 others) will still be with us until mid-Feb. I am excited to get to know them more. I love the feeling that I am still a part of YWAM, discipleship and outreach, with the DTS and the ship’s crew, even though I am not with the Fall Montana DTS I staffed.
-Jan. 13th Greg, one of the ship’s short-term crew left (he is crew on Swedish ministry ship now in Spain, which the Spain team will be working with).
-We will be sailing to Greece Feb. 1 or 2. This is a 3 day sail, and I am so excited. I believe that I will be there the rest of my time here.
-About Feb. 22, I hope to be flying to London for a couple days with Emily Goulding!
-Feb. 25 I will be flying back to San Francisco, California.
-Feb. 27-28 I will be driving back to the YWAM Montana base. Pray for clear, safe roads this trip!
Internet:
Sorry, guys, I have written this e-mail over a couple weeks on my computer. Our internet on board isn’t working right now, so it’s hard to find time to go to town and get online. Please e-mail me; I would love to hear from y’all though. I miss my friends and family. Keep me in your continued prayers, my time here, and my finances. Oh, and please pray for my throat-it started getting sore the other day…and many people have gotten pretty bad colds lately. Also, pray for our washing machine, which stopped working the other day. This creates a problem with 30 people on board now; it’s hard enough to a time to wash with so many people-and I need to wash my clothes right now! Ha. But we have been so blessed lately, with churches giving us food and even monetary donations. They are so supportive of us, the boat, missions-I only pray that God can use us to bless them!
Love you all. Thinking and praying for you! Shannon Mintz
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