Next Wave - Kiato, Greece Update 2 - Lil' Stories

(Pics: Barbara with Next Wave friends; Barbara, Grace, Me, and Randi (R-L); Italian friends fish dinner; Me eating lil' silver fishies; my plate of fish food!)

Barbara…This is a bit of a crazy, God story.
So one day I meet a girl from a closed communistry country, Barbara, who has come on our boat. I’m wondering, “Well, I haven’t seen her before. How did she get here?” It seems once she walked on, Captain Lehman and Grace were like, “You must stay here.” So Barbara bunked two nights in Randi and my room. Okay, so here’s the back story. Randi and I learned as we chatted with her that night. Barbara was visiting a friend in France who she had met and stayed with during the Olympics. After visiting her friend in France, Barbara didn’t have plans but got on a train south to Italy. Barbara said that she kept being drawn to the water and to boats. When she arrived in Catania, Sicily, she even insisted on finding a place to stay near the sea…the only place (inexpensive also) was a camping/motor park. Once she’s at the park, she sees a motor home with a fish symbol on it, goes to the camper and says that she saw the fish and wonders if they are Christians! They are, and they are my Swedish friends from church. My Swedish friends bring her to the Next Wave, being that it is a boat filled with Christian young people, and a better, cheaper place for her to stay.

Barbara is a Christian in a persecuted, closed communist country (sorry I can't say where)! She went to an international school in this country growing up where her teachers were Christians, unbeknownst to the government, and attended an international church there, where these teachers worshiped. She met Jesus through these “international workers,” who are committed to take the gospel to all the world! Barbara then attended university in the U.S.A. where she was a witness for Christ to other students and her teachers alike. Missionary to the U.S.! Fun, huh…God’s pretty cool at the extraordinary! Barbara felt that God may have led her to the Next Wave, and she’s praying about coming back to the ship either to become short-term crew or attend a DTS (Discipleship Training School). Please keep her in your prayers…she told her parents of her plans, and they seemed okay with it, even though they aren’t Christians.

Another interesting thing about this meeting with Barbara is that my roommate Randi did her DTS outreach in this same closed country for 2 months, so knows some of her language and was able to easily connect with Barbara. And I brought a book about a man from this country who became a Christian and then was persecuted there (in the last 2 decades), and was in the middle of reading it when Barbara came. I felt I should leave this book on the boat for Barbara to read when she comes back (and also Randi) because Barbara doesn’t know all the heritage of what God has done and is doing in her country through the blood and suffering of missionaries and native Christians there. Since I am writing about this, I highly recommend this book (e-mail me for the name if you want to read it). This is the most transformational book I may have ever read, other than the Bible! If you ever think you have it all together as a Christian, this book will destroy you, but also open you up to God’s grace that you can never earn your way into the Father’s embrace. It’s wrecking…I feel like I have less understanding of Christ’s walk for me now, but I also know what God says to me that I do not have to walk in this man's shoes because He created my feet to fill my-sized shoes. God will help us through every situation, scenario possible…through His strength! Amen-cuz I don’t have enough of anything to handle this world, but He does. That’s reassuring.

“When you’re faced with such trials, the key is not to run from them or fight them, but to embrace them as friends. When you dot his you’ll not fail to experience God’s presence and help” (p. 312).

Fish Dinner…
With Francesco, Francesco, Bernardo, Simona…
Two guys that Dustin, Randi, and I met at church wanted to visit the boat. As we were “trying” to speak with them (Francesco knew very little English and Bernardo didn’t know any), we talked about how some of the guy crew loved eating the horse burgers (seriously, horse is like a delicacy here), but these guys were emphatic that we not eat horse because you will be served bad meat, from horses that were injected with a lot of steroids, some are race horses, which would make you really sick and/or “crazy in the head.” Yeah, well, I already knew I don’t eat horse…I had my own horses growing up. But I did try just a bite once, on the street cuz the horse butcher gave it to our group. Yuck. So not into eating my pets! Then I said to the guys, “I haven’t had fish yet, and we live on a boat in the sea, and I love fish.” And they started telling us we have to try fish here because it is so good, “the best,” Sicilians would say! Everything is “the best” in Italy! So they invite us to dinner at their home (I was not trying to coerce a free fish dinner out of them, I promise).

Saturday is the big day, and Dustin along with his wife Kari, Randi, and I are picked up by Francesco, another Francesco, and Simona (our Italian missionary friend to Argentina who speaks perfect English and helps us out even while she is on vacation). It was an amazing dinner of amazing fish and calamari and filled with fellowship by lovers of Jesus! Another reason why I love Italian families and hospitality! You feel like you have entered in and always been a part of their family!

I have become quite comfortable here, making this home, to some degree. One of the leaders remarked that she appreciated how I really take ownership of the boat and ministry, that I act like I am going to be here for 2 years, even when I am leaving in a few days. I sincerely appreciate her encouragement. I hope this is a strength of mine—adapting to new situations, learning from it, and hopefully, contributing to it.

Next Wave - Kiato, Greece Update 1 - Feb. 9, 2009

(Pics: Me at Sunset; Me and Oli tying down the flying jib sail; Me and roommates Randi and Tasha)

Time has sailed by, quite quickly! I can hardly believe I have only 5 days left on the boat! The past few weeks were so busy…is it really the 16th of February?!

New Crew Has Arrived…
The Next Wave is always in a state of constant transition. This includes different countries, cultures, ministry opportunities, maintenance needed, who is on board… Recently, there have been several new crew. January 16 a new 6-month crew member from Germany arrived, Marcus. He has previously served as a counselor on a Swiss boat for troubled youth. Then January 30 my new roommate Tasha arrived (19, from Vancouver Island, Canada). She was a student in their last DTS on board, and is going to staff their upcoming September DTS. Tasha is such a joy and has made friends here so easily! I believe I am here to help her transition more easily, and we’ve become close friends. After we arrived in Greece, we were blessed with 2 ladies, Chris Quilling and Theresa Hafen, arriving to serve us for 40 days by cooking our meals for us. The awesome thing is that they are from my hometown Eureka, MT! They had connections to the boat through my roommate Randi, who knows Theresa’s son Daniel from the YWAM MT base. It’s such a small world! It’s a lil’ Montana takeover…awesome food-seriously-and blessed fellowship with these wonderful women of God.

Let me tell you about other roommate Randi.
Funny thing is Randi is also from Vancouver Island (quite a few here). She’s the person I knew when coming on the boat. I believe I first met her when she visited the MT base during my DTS; then she did her DTS and School of Biblical Studies at MT. We didn’t know each other well when I came, but we’ve become such close friends now. We encourage and de-stress to each other. God knew I needed Randi on this boat, but He knew she also needed me during this time—what a blessing in His perfect timing! She’s an amazing artist and loves the Word of God and loves to teach it. I can’t wait to hear the amazing ways God is going to use her! I will be sad to leave her, but excited to see her in the future, if God wills.

Ministry…
I was able to visit and share at our main contact Mario’s church 2 times. One of those times I shared on hearing God’s voice. It was awesome to see how each person’s message after me fit in with what I shared. I love connecting with people in this way and seeing people touched with what God desires for them. After church one day Captain Lehman and I went to eat at a Swedish older couple’s motor home (my first European mobile home park-unlike the U.S.-very compact). They came down from Sweden several years ago and just decided to stay in Sicily. Literally, their mobile home looks out on the sea! Beautiful. This lady Tes from England also ate with us. The couple has befriended here, and that day was her first time to church in many years. She is not a Christian and seems very superficial in most of her thinking, but she heard the Word of God. Please remember Tes in your prayers as that dear couple invests in her, and that the wall around her heart would crumble and receive true healing.

The DTS did a lot of prayer walking and spiritual warfare around the city of Catania while here. One of the areas they focused on was a street where the prostitutes lived, which they called Hope Street. Time there included talking to the prostitutes on the street, but my DTS friend Kate said that one prostitute even looked forward to seeing her again and wanted to know where a church was. Sometimes their pimps were unhappy with what was going on, but they were careful. A group from one of the churches also went with them one time and some of the Sicilians were surprised and never knew this area existed in Catania. Hopefully, this leads the church to seeing the need and doing more ministry in this area. The DTS wanted to end their time at Hope Street impactfully, giving victory to Christ, so at the end of our time in Catanai, DTS and some crew went to Hope Street one last time (I was at a Sicilian dinner so missed out). Some people prayed, others worshiped, and others cleaned the street as they walked.

Goodbye Dinner…
To conclude the ship’s and DTS’s time in Catania, Sicily, and to say goodbye and thank you to the many contacts, pastors, and churches we worked with, we hosted a thank you celebration dinner January 30 on board the Next Wave. Our saloon (main living area) was filled with shipmates and 20-25 guests (approx. 50-55 people)! A DTS student Missy and I spent 2 days organizing various jobs that needed to get done and pitching in all that day to prepare. Several of our students and crew made appetizers and desserts, representing several countries around the world. 2 generous Sicilian ladies cooked the main course for us. I was one of eight servers to tables, busy running around all night (and grabbing a bite in the back hall when there was a moment). The dinner was a huge success, and ended with worship, thank you, recognizing our wonderful and funny main contact Mario, and praying for each other.

The Sail…
We had to sail north to Messina, Sicily for more fuel before heading to Greece, leaving Monday night, February 2nd. All crew was on deck leaving port, manning different stations. I was on fenders, moving large balloon-type buoys, so the boat wouldn’t hit the keyside (dock) when pulling away. I was also on the 5-8am and 5-8pm watches, with watch leader Randi, crew Fred and Tamara, and DTS students Pendo, Gareth, and Jordan. It was an awesome watch being able to see sunrise and sunset each day when clear weather (I usually miss sunrises because I am not a morning person). Our watch and the 8-11am watch brought the boat into the Messina port, and I was asleep by the time be pulled out. Everyone, including me, had interesting sleep patterns between watches. 2 days of our sail were quite rough, with big swells that rolled the boat from side to side so that I could reach out and touch the water from the deck. I watched someone slide off the bench outside because they weren’t careful—this proved to be quite a hilarious site! The boat also rocked front and back at times. This sail I took precautions, just in case, with an ear patch to prevent seasickness. Others took pills. And still others, got sick anyway. I am thankful and happy to say I was NOT sick, and most of the time Randi and I were the only ones feeling good on our watch. We took ½ hour rotations as lookout (for other ships, objects in the water), writing down our coordinates and plotting our position on a nautical map, and being at the helm (steering the boat). Helming scared me at first because I am steering a big sailboat and I didn’t understand how to). But once I caught on, I loved it! In the wheelhouse, I watched the radar screen, which had my position and course (in degrees, like 70), and I tried to stay as close to that as possible. I also watched the rudder angle on another dial because that is what the wheel controls. One is always correcting (turning the wheel right and left often) to stay on course (straight) because of the waves and wind pulling and influencing the boat. One evening when we were in the large Greek inlet, Randi had me helm from the outside wheel! Here I had to follow a large compass (with no rudder angle or radar screen) to stay on course. I had never done is outside before, and we were heading towards a large suspension bridge! They said I was doing fine. I kept asking if someone else should take over because we had to line the boat up with 2 lights to position the boat in the right spot to pass under the bridge and not hit other boats coming the opposite direction. Well, I guess they trusted me cuz I steered the Next Wave under that massive bridge without mishaps, I might add! What an awesome sight—because the sun had set and the sky was darkening with the bridge lights on, and all heads looked up as our 2 masts reached to the sky and then to the bridge as we wondered if they were short enough to make it under (knowing they were)…and oh, they were…as we glided below. What a rush! I believe I was all smiles and practically jumping up and down. Afterward, Daniel told me they would have taken me off helm had they not trusted me and thought I was doing a good enough job.
I have like four more topics I want to write about, but this is lengthy as it is…and it’s getting late…so more to come on the fish dinner in Sicily…my Shipmates…the DTS outreach team leaving…and Greece (Kiato, Corinth Church—that’s right, I saw a baptism in Corinth!...).

Thanks for listening, friends! Blessings! Shannon

Next Wave Ship Update 1 - Catania, Sicily Italy - Dec. 31, 2008-mid-Jan. 2009

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

Trying to get to Redding, CA for the Holidays (& to the Mediterranean Sea for Ministry)!!

So friends,

I want to drive to Redding, CA (my former home) this holiday season to visit my friends and my church...

And I have an awesome ministry opportunity to staff a sailing ship with YWAM in the Mediterranean Sea for January and February...I will be helping in whatever ways they need (basically, I don't know specifics). We will be evangelizing, discipling, and encouraging the local churches along the way!!! This is SO on my heart, and something I believe God has for me to learn there.

BUT...

THE DILEMMA...IS...

I don't have the money yet...

I need money for gas and food for Redding, CA,

and

I need money for my plane ticket and and living expenses while staffing the 42 meter sailing ship! I am trying to buy my plane ticket by Friday, December 19, 2008.

And I am hoping to leave for Redding, CA by Monday, December 22, 2008.

If you would like to find out more, or feel led to help out, please e-mail me ASAP at speppermintz@gmail.com!

Thank you for being part of my life!!!! I could not fulfill the Lord's call on me without you in my life!!!

Shannon

imagine december 2008

Above Pic: Enjoying the view off Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

Discover... New Adventures...

sights... mtns, lakes, mtn goats, sounds... laughter, silence, friends, smells... nature, bbq

I love summer. Although I was sad to see my Winter DTS students go, summers in Montana are an awesome and beautiful time. After working the month of June as base receptionist and performing in a play, I took the 4th of July weekend to visit my dear friend Paula in Calgary, Alberta Canada. It was a splendid visit with her and mini-break to a new city. After my return I transitioned to serve as grounds crew for the base. I loved working hard outside all day, watering lawns, planting flower beds and trees, and pulling nap weed. My friend Kate and I dedicated ourselves to trimming all the trees on the base!

My summer continued as I traveled by train to visit my parents. We embarked on an old family past time, camping, at Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River. I then spent a week with my sister Marte before her wedding. On August 24th family and friends gathered to celebrate Marte and Devon’s marriage. What a beautiful, blessed day!

Back at the base, my days were mostly filled with brush strokes-climbing roofs and scaffolding to paint siding! They were renovating the DTS dorm all summer, and by August we were in the mad rush to finish before the fall schools began. We squeezed in prep time for the fall school around these painting sessions!

Fall 2008 Discipleship Training School was ON before I knew it! I loved these students. They were a quieter classroom group but so desiring to go deep with God. From the beginning of this school, I felt that many have leadership potential! It’s exciting to see that is true and to be part of their discipleship and discovery process! I can’t believe I am so blessed to do this--to pour into young people’s lives, future leaders, missionaries, who are learning who God is, who they are in Christ, and how to impact today and tomorrow for Christ! They left on outreach Dec. 3-6 to Brazil, Cambodia, India, and Thailand, Malaysia. Please continue to pray for them, that they would be released into witnessing about the Savior of the world!

Summer Playin' Pics

During my free time, I became friends with the DTS Equip students and hiked the breathtaking surrounding mountains: Mt. Aeneas at Jewel Basin, Hidden Lake Trail at Glacier National Park, and Big Mountain near Whitefish (black and white photo above).

New Possibilities...Setting Sail...

Above Pic: My Fall DTS Small Group (L-R): Me, Jenn (BC, Canada), Christy (OR), Emily (England), and Jentry (MT).

I am not going on outreach with this school but have the amazing opportunity to serve on a 42 meter sailing ship called the Next Wave with YWAM’s Marine Reach Ministries for January and February. This came about through praying about what I would do between staffing the fall and spring schools at YWAM Montana (I am staffing Spring ’09 DTS), a desire to go back on outreach, to go on a boat, and back to the Mediterranean. When I searched the internet, I found YWAM had ship ministry, and a ship would be in the Mediterranean! The purpose of the Next Wave is “to demonstrate Christ’s heart of hope and compassion to those in need around the world” through humanitarian and reconciliation efforts (mercy ministries such as medical teams, community development), and evangelistic outreaches while training its staff and crew in character and leadership development, “[raising] up leaders of tomorrow” (http://www.marine reach.info ; /?page_id=61 ; /?page_id=33).

While I am there, a School of Biblical Studies and DTS outreach will be on board, and we will be in the Mediterranean area, the port in Sicily, and sailing to the DTS’s outreach locations (possibly to some of Paul’s missionary locations). As of yet, I do not know my specific jobs, but I will be crew, supporting the needs of the ship, staff, and students. I also hope to grow in new ways and learn more about community, discipleship, and leadership through this new aspect of YWAM community and ministry. I am excited to be on outreach, to minister to staff and students, and to reach out to the locals. Also, we may be docking in Izmir, Turkey, my outreach location this spring. If this happens, I would be so blessed to reconnect with the friends I made there--I pray the Lord would work and reveal Himself through ongoing friendships with them!

Thank you for being a part of my adventures. May Christ bless you this Christmas season. Shannon