For the LORD is good

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his,

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

I have been trying to reflect on what I have learned over the past 10 weeks. We have had so many topics and speakers, each good in their own right. We have studied Character and Nature/Father Heart, Hearing God's Voice, The Living Word, Lordship, Kingdom, Prayer, Evangelism/Apologetics and Worldview, Identity, and Relationships. Each challenged me in a different way. Each had an impact on my heart. And so it's hard to say whether a topic or speaker hit me harder than another.

As part of our "homework" for lecture phase, we are required to complete a workbook. Part of the weekly workbook is to write out a devotion based on a characteristic of God. Over the past 10 or so weeks, I have studied God as Love, Sovereign, Servant, Holy, Jealous, Faithful, Patient, Good, and Trustworthy.

Through all of the lectures, interactions, and devotions, I have just been able to rest in His goodness towards me. That in itself may be me trying to define Christ, but I have seen it through everything that I have been hearing and learning.

The dictionary definition of good is:

Adjective

• To be desired or approved of
• Having the required qualities; of a high standard

Noun

• That which is morally right: righteous
• Benefit or advantage to someone or something

I have continually seen His desire for me. He has shown me that in knowing Him I can know love. That by knowing Him I can see His plan for my life; I can know how to live; I can live with Him despite my imperfections; I can be glorified with Him; that I am never forgotten; that I am given grace and mercy.

I always thought that after I do school, then I can lead and work. Or after I get this training or experience, then I can do x, y, z. I even thought that after I do YWAM, I will then hear Him speak; I will then feel equipped for ministry; I will then be a disciple. But it's not a now and then situation, it's an always. He has always spoken to me; He has always equipped me; I have always been working towards being a disciple. He has never forgotten me. He has never been circumstantial with His relationship with me. It has always been. He has always been good.

During Prayer Week, I remember pacing back and forth for hours, praying and crying out to God. Asking for a punch in the chest. A slap in the face. A deep revelation. Something. Anything to prove to me that He is truly real. That He is truly after me and wanting to use me.

I was seeking the miracle instead of the God who provides the miracle. I was after the creature instead of the creator. After the immediate instead of the eternal. I realized that regardless of those things taking place, that God is still good. He is still to be desired. He is still worthy of praise. He is still righteous. Those things are still worthy to pursue, but I will first and foremost seek Christ. To see Him face to face. To know Him in the quiet place. To have relationship with Him. To know that He is always good.

And then we come to Easter weekend to celebrate. To celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ lived a perfect life and died on the cross. He died thinking of you, of me, and all of mankind. In doing so, He overcame and defeated sin.

Do you see the power in that? We are not living life hoping and straining for victory. We can live because we have already won. Death has been defeated. Sin has lost its grip on me. We no longer need to struggle to live, but we can claim the victory and power of Christ. The victory that took place on the cross now lives inside of us.

God is so good!!! Will you claim it? Will you claim the victory that has taken place? Will you live differently because of what has taken place?

As Psalm 100 says, Will you make a joyful noise? Will you serve with gladness? Will you enter His presence? Will you know the LORD and know who you are? Will you come with thanksgiving and praise? Will you bless His Name? Will you know that the LORD is good because of His unending love and His faithfulness?

If we truly know the victory that has taken place, if we truly know that God is good and He shines His goodness on us, our lives should reflect that.

Know the victory that has taken place. Know that God is good.

Today we celebrate.

One Week

One week from today, we will be packing the vans and heading on our two month adventure. Details are coming together. Packing lists are being made. Dramas are being perfected. Unity is being built.

We are going with expectation and humbleness. Expectation to see God move in mighty ways, bringing glory to His name. Humbly knowing that it is Christ and only Christ that will change lives.

In recognizing that, we covet your prayers. Pray for:

• God to be glorified
• Unity of our team
• Health and attitudes
• Softening of the hearts of the Nepalese and Indian people
• Strength and Boldness
• Ministry opportunities to be provided
• Supernatural equipping for preaching, sharing, and loving
• Reliance on the Holy Spirit
• That we would go wanting to see and know more of Christ

God has been so gracious to our team. In how He has knit us together; all uniquely gifted and talented; all hungry to see more of Him; all desiring to see people know Him.

We are pumped! We are excited! Stoked to see what is in store!

I don't know how much contact I will have with all of you over the next two months. Nepal will be pretty remote, but India should provide some connection opportunities. We will also be updating a blog the best we can. Check out www.indianepal14.blogspot.com to get to know our team and to see updates.

Love and miss you all.

Cheers,

Zach

Updates on Updates

So I just spent an hour writing this super long post updating you on the last 3 weeks that I have missed. And I lost it. All of it.

I feel like a blogging noob.

Also, I apologize for being so behind. My computer was on the fritz for a week. I ended up having to get a new cd drive.

We also have been quite busy the last couple weekends, and I haven't been able to get to the blog.

So here I go again.

Prayer Week
Prayer Week was a huge blessing. Spent the week with Ben Gleason who happens to be from Devils Lake, ND and attended Minnesota State University-Moorhead. He staffs the SBS program on the Sunshine Coast and I was super blessed by his passion and wisdom.

We spent the entire week in prayer, rotating through 3 hour time slots for 24 hours for the full week. I was initially anxious about this, as I didn't know how I was going to pray for three hours, much less pray at 1am-4am. But it was amazing how God showed up in that place. God gave many visions, dreams, and words. Many were healed. Some ran around the room in hysteria. Others cried. And others were shown an extravagant love.

And then there was me. I paced and prayed for hours. Crying out to God to reveal Himself to me. Crying out for a tangible encounter with God the Father. Hoping for healing. A vivid picture. Tears. A revelation of extravagant joy. Or the weight of His imminent presence. Something to prove that I met Him. Something concrete. Something I could touch.

But it was in that moment that I realized I had already met Him. Yes I should seek the fruits and gifts of the Spirit for they are good. But even if nothing "happens" to me, God is still good. He is still worthy to be praised. He is still Savior and Lord.

There is a chance that I will never have a "tangible" encounter. Will I be ok with that? No, because I know Jesus has so much more for us. So I will continue to pursue those things. But no matter what, I will still recognize Him as Good and Worthy to be Praised.

And yet, I think He did meet me in that place. Towards the end of the week, we got the opportunity to be individually prayed over by some of the leaders. God spoke through Ben and touched my heart. He spoke things that only God could know. Plans, visions, and dreams for my future. Things like leadership, business, influencing men, creating, focus on the Word and Truth, informal teaching. Things that I thought to be pursuing for fleshly gain.

God sees my heart. He knows my desires. Don't deny yourself in order to glorify God. Glorify God with what you desire. He doesn't distinguish between secular and sacred work, but desires to see His Kingdom come in all areas of life. I am super stoked to be a part of that and look forward to what is in store.

Evangelism in Byron Bay
The next week we traveled down to Byron Bay, a city 3 hours south of the Sunshine Coast. Byron is a city of 10,000, but an estimated 1.7 million people come through the city in a year. Most come searching to find themselves in a city that promotes the hippie, carefree, soul searching, New Age culture.

In the midst of that, we were given the opportunity to meet and love people right where they were at. During the week, we held events in the park where we gave out chai tea, pancakes, and hamburgers. It created a natural environment to meet and care for people.

Through this I was able to meet Mark, Peter, Timmo, and Terry. All men who are at various stages of life, dealing with their own problems, and searching for something more. It was a great opportunity to just love on them. To listen. To care. To ask questions. And to point them to Jesus.

I think we so often forget that people are people. That they have lives, hobbies, jobs, families, problems, joys, etc., etc. And in forgetting that we tend to approach them as a project. A project that can be fixed by an evangelism program As something that can be fixed by a process. As something that can be approached with certain steps and brought to a point of conversion.

These things can be ok in the right context. I believe scripture and theological insight to be beautiful things. But how are you using it? Are you loving them in it?

People need to have an encounter with the Living God. To meet Him face to face.

So that's what we need to point people to. And that is how we are to live. To love people. To care for people. To have compassion. To listen. To ask questions. To be people who live what they believe. In that, people have an opportunity to see Jesus.

We cannot meet Him and not be changed.

Identity Week
After a busy few weeks, it was great to rest and simply be. To run back to our roots and find who we truly are.

Many of our problems today lie in us not knowing who we are. We lack our own identity. If you don't know who you are, you will be susceptible to conform to whatever comes your way.

So we need something concrete. Something we can run back to. A foundation.

The question of identity is by no means an arrival point or graduation. But a process. A searching and finding. A breaking and renewal. A finding and revealing.

It's weird to think that after 24 years of life that I would be struggling to know who I am. But I have found that I have so often placed my identity in false things. Trying to be the good kid. The smart kid. The morally right kid. The church kid. And not that these things are bad things to pursue in their own right, but they aren't solid. They are fleeting. They have the potential to crumble. To change.

Christ has never changed and never will. That is where my foundation must lie. He frees us to be who He has called us to be. He frees us to be Sons and Daughters of the Most High King. To be Citizens of Heaven.

That is something solid. Something I can run to. Something I can build on. My foundation.

Woof
That was a nutshell version of the last three weeks. And it may or may not be different than my first draft. It was a whirlwind, but a good whirlwind. In the midst of all that it is almost hard to believe that we leave for India/Nepal in 15 days....WHAT!!!!!

Its crunch time. We have been in full on prep mode. Trying to put dramas together, get stuff together for packing, and a lot of other miscellaneous trip details.

We just found out more details for Nepal. Our contact leads the the School of Frontier Missions in Nepal. His primary focus is on reaching people who have never heard the Gospel. So during our time in Nepal, we will fly to a remote part of the Himalayas and hike to the various villages, preaching the Gospel. I AM SO STOKED!!!

In the midst of that excitement, it's easy to forget how real it is getting. There will be days of hiking for hours. Days of dealing with poor weather (Highs of 50F and lows of 30F....and always a chance of rain). Days of being tired, sore, and maybe even hungry. Days of dealing with spiritual warfare and persecution. Days of sleeping on dirt floors and no showers.

And we haven't even gotten to India yet.

So we earnestly seek your prayers. Pray for:

• Wisdom and discernment for preparations
• A supernatural equipping for sharing, preaching, teaching, loving, and ministry
• A softening of our hearts for the people we are to encounter
• For/against/protection in spiritual warfare and persecution
• Health and attitudes
• Travel plans/schedules and overall safety
• Softening and awakening of the people we will encounter
• God to be supremely glorified

We will have a blog up soon to update you as well. Our contact in Nepal will be limited as we are very remote, but we will be sure to keep you updated once we arrive in India.

I have been  blessed to share this journey with so many of you. Thank you for your continued prayer and support. I am hoping to have one or two more updates before we depart.

Stay tuned....

Cheers,

Zach

This is our India/Nepal team photo. I had the photo for one day and already wrinkled it.

Back L/R: Phil, Riley, Frederick, Zach, Kyle

Front L/R: Katheryn, Naomi, Moira, Line, Catie

Some of the guys visiting the lighthouse in Byron Bay

L/R: John, Tim, Zach, Philipp, Frederick, Caleb, Dusty

More Than Anything Else

What do you want more than anything else?

We all have things we want in life. For some it might be family, a relationship, an education, a career, a house, a car, etc.. The list could go on. None of these things are innately wrong to desire. We in fact need many of these to survive and live daily life.

The craziest thing is how much work we put into the things we pursue and desire.

Imagine how much time we put into pursuing a relationship with someone. We spend so much time trying to really know them; we text, call, skype, face time, write letters, creep on Facebook, email. Then we spend actual time with them watching movies, going out to eat, going on long walks on the beach, coffee dates, and awkward family meals.

Think about how much time we put into pursuing an education. Most spend at least 12 years in school. Many then go onto 4 years at a post secondary school, spending hours learning things we both need and don't need to know. Some then think about graduate programs and doctorate degrees where they continue to take years and thousands of dollars off your life.

You spend all that time pursuing an education so you can set yourself up for a good career. You spend nearly 22 years of your life prepping for the first day at a new job that you will invest 40 hours a week for the next 20 - 30 years. During that time you are building relationships, learning skills, building into a business or organization, and maybe even taking time away from family.

Then you maybe want a different car. So you save money from that awesome job you have. You set aside money that could maybe be used for other things, such as groceries, bills, or family. And then you tie yourself to that vehicle by trying to pay for it over the next 5 - 10 years and maintaining it.

Again, none of these things are bad things to pursue or desire. I just want to bring to light how much we pour our lives into these things.

This week we learned about the Kingdom, seeing God's rule and reign come. Jesus spoke about the Kingdom on over a 100 separate occasions. Why do you think that is? If the Kingdom was so important to Jesus, why don't we talk more about it? If it interests God, should it not fascinate us?

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being like a treasure in a field. This man saw infinite value in this treasure and sold everything he had. Everything. Like everything. Imagine this man sitting in the field with his box full of treasure (or however you imagine treasure to be). He no longer has a roof over his head, a donkey for transportation, or food to eat. All he possesses is this treasure. He knew it was important and wanted it more than anything else.

Do you want to see God's Kingdom more than anything else? Do you want to see God's rule and reign come more than anything else?

This challenged me so much. I have spent much of my life in pursuit of so many other things. Things that are not necessarily bad, but I poured myself into them. I ran hard after them. Invested time, money, and resources to attain them.

How much more so should I desire to see God's Kingdom come?  How much more so should I pour myself into seeing God's Kingdom come? How much more so should I run hard after the things of the Kingdom? How much more should I invest time, money, and resources to see the Kingdom come?

Do I want to see God's Kingdom come more than anything else?

I don't want to condemn you for your pursuit of other things. We need many of these things to survive and get through daily life. I get that.

What I do want to do is challenge you. How much have you invested into the Kingdom? How important is it for you to see God's rule and reign come? And if you believe it to be of utmost importance, are you participating in the pursuit?

I believe it to be of utmost importance, and I pray that my life reflects that.

As you have lived, so have you believed.

Things are otherwise going well on the coast. Lectures have gone swimmingly and have been challenging. Unity amongst the group is continuing to grow. And fun is being had in between.

Outreach preparations for India/Nepal are speeding up. This week we continued building unity in the team and started working on one of the many dramas we will be doing.

We also established a contact for Nepal which is pretty exciting. Our contact is a leader at the YWAM Frontier Missions base in Nepal. They focus primarily on reaching unreached people groups. So we found out that we will be spending weeks (maybe even the entire month) at a time hiking the mountains to villages, spending time with them and sharing the gospel.

This is both very exciting and challenging. Exciting because God has chosen us to play a part in reaching these people. Challenging because it also means we will be encountering a lot of spiritual worship and spending lots of time hiking and living in the elements.

So I ask that you would pray into those challenges. I know that sounds kind of vague, but I will have more details for you soon.

Prayer Requests:

• Nepal - People we will meet in Nepal, spiritual warfare, hiking (health), unity for our team
• That I would live as I believe
• Boldness and strength
• Obedience and guidance for the next step after DTS

Cheers,

Zach

So I learned to do a backflip

Freak!!!!

This week has been amazing and confusing all in the same boat. I don't even know that I can properly convey how I feel or how God has truly changed my heart and invaded my Spirit.

But here is one thing....

We are called to be Human! Called to become a child of God. A child who lives and loves more and more like Jesus, the way God intended. To make visible the invisible mystery of a triune God.

But more often then not, there are things that are in the way. Things that get in the way of truly coming into an intimate relationship with Christ. These things could look like idols, pride, unforgiveness, fear of man, etc. They get in the way of truly recognizing Him as Lord over our lives.

If you don't recognize Jesus as Lord, you will never mature and grow as a Christian.

This hit my to the core and it brought up a lot of the mess in my life, mainly my unbelief and my fear of man.

I have always feared being the weak link in a given situation. I have often been shy in stepping out and learning things in front of people. I am all for people trying things, teaching them, or helping them try things; but I never do it myself. In my mind, having to learn something means you are either dumb, untalented, or incapable (There is always that possibility that you won't get it or won't learn it fast enough). And learning in front of people only adds to that fear of judgement. So it creates an inferiority complex and selfishness in not stepping out and taking risk. It creates reservations in me that doesn't allow me to truly express who I am.

And so we prayed, for me and many others. We prayed and sought God for a picture. For some this meant singing in front of people, raising hands in worship, screaming out "I love Jesus" in public, and running around the room screaming wildly. For me this meant learning to do a back flip...in front of people.

I thought this to be a completely absurd idea. Why would God ask me to do that? It was semi-dangerous. He wouldn't ask me to do something dangerous would He? But I didn't know, so I just threw it out there any way. As I was saying it, Dusty, a student and friend from Texas, said he felt he was supposed to teach someone to do a back flip. CRAP!!! Haha....God speaks in amazing ways.

So I learned to do a backflip, in front of 50 people, with the help of some spotters. Were they perfect...no. Was I scared (kept seeing Tom's face after he raked his face on the ground after attempting a backflip)....yes. But I did it. I overcame my thinking that I wasn't capable. That that wasn't me. That I am weak. That I can't do things. That I can't try semi-outlandish things and succeed. It was so freeing.

It freed me to express who I am. It freed me to step out of my little box. It freed me to become a child. It freed me to recklessly love and pursue Jesus. It freed me to recognize Him as Lord. It freed me to make visible the invisible mystery of a triune God.

It freed me to absolutely surrender.

So what is in the way of you truly recognizing God for who He is? What is holding you back from freedom?

Here is also another nugget from this week...."The human journey is largely shaped by our longings". God has really been speaking this to me as I think and ponder on what is next.

A lot of my feelings can be expressed from a section of "The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We've Only Dreamed Of" by John Eldredge, a book I have been reading on the side. It goes like this....

"Ann knows the right thing to do. But she was stumped. There was no 'right' course to take...."

"The problem was simply this: Ann had lived her entire life based on what was right and never once made a decision based on her desire. The oldest daughter in the family with some very high needs. Ann had been required to grow up much sooner than others. She was highly responsible, and found her security in meeting expectations and demands placed on her. When the moment came for her to live out her desire, she was out of practice. There was no one to tell her what to do."

"The hope is to stay in the background away from the fire, and wait for someone or something to come along and grant us immunity from these difficulties and sacrifices, someone to offer reassurance, saying perhaps, 'Take the safe way, not the way of passion and creativity, as the path to your destiny, the life you desire. Follow it and you will never be touched....[But] we cannot neglect our inner fire without damaging ourselves in the process." (The Heart Aroused by poet David Whyte)

"The damage, of course, is a life lost unto itself. Millions of souls drifting through life, without an inner compass to give them direction. They take their cues from others and live out scripts from someone else's life. It's a high price to pay. Too high."

That really spoke to me. I realized that I don't know my true desires because I don't know if I have actually walked in them. It's not as if I have been force fed everything I have done in my life. I have honestly chosen everything I have done. But I have put too much emphasis on someone else (the opinions of man) writing my script.

I need to allow myself the opportunity to hold the pen and turn the page. To walk in desire. To not fear being burned. To write my own story according to God's plan.

So, sorry for the long post. I wanted to help you step into my mind and heart as God is teaching and challenging me.

It has been a crazy good week and I know more is coming. We are only half way through lecture phase.

God is so good.

Prayer Requests:

• To know God as Lord
• Pray against my unbelief and fear of man
• That I'd walk in obedience and desire
• India/Nepal - ministry opportunities, people we will meet, travel plans, contacts in Nepal (don't have any quite yet)

Cheers,

Zach

Super blessed by my roommates

P.S.

1. I have the greatest mom in the world. She became another year older this week, so make sure you all bless her this week. I know that I am blessed by her generosity, loving heart, hospitality, and love of Jesus. Love you Mom. (I know she is already crying....goal achieved)
2. We started this day at 8 am and ended at 1 am. Long day but oh so good. Only felt like a couple hours.
3. Check out Luke Parker (Mark Parker's, our speaker, son). Particularly "Meet you in the Morning" on his Deeply, Human album and "Sweet Surrender" on his Home album

It's All About Jesus

This week we learned about the Living Word, the Bible, and how it all points directly to Jesus. So often, I know that I do, we forget that. We think they are just stories that are no longer relevant to our lives. But that is far from true.

The entire Bible can be summed up like this: Love God. Love People. That is God's command and what He is pointing us to. Everything He did, pointed us to that.

For example, the Law. To me the Law seemed like a bunch of randomly specific rules that God required of His people. I thought of it more as a way to govern than to love. The Law was actually meant to show the obedience of a nation to others. And the obedience was to reflect back to the greatness of God.

We were explained this using this story:
One of the base staff ladies in Montana had 11 kids (some of you maybe can relate). She would often have to go to the grocery store (understandably so). You would think corralling that many kids would be like herding cats, but she had a system. Every kid was to line up single file behind her from shortest to tallest. They were to hold onto the shirt in front of them and not say a single word. If they obeyed, they would be treated at home.

Can you imagine seeing that as you walked down the bread aisle?

The mother would often get praise and encouragement for the job she was doing (rightfully so). Sure the kids maybe got praise for their behavior. But even that was only because of the goodness of the mother.

That's what the Law was intended for. To display the obedience of a nation to the People. The obedience wasn't because the people were good but because God was good.

It all points to Jesus.

And you could use countless examples in the Old Testament that would follow that example, and the New Testament as well.

And that has been even more so on my mind this week as I have been thinking about the Kingdom a lot. More so in how it relates to me as I go back after DTS.

The Kingdom is everything. It isn't just specific churches or ministry, but everything. Its the mom at home with her 3 kids all day. Its the college student slogging away at his studies. Its the guy working 8-5. Its the teenager going to state basketball. All of these, and much more, fall under His Kingdom.

So how are we pointing people to Jesus in those moments? How are we pointing kids to Jesus when we discipline or love them? How are we pointing college students to Jesus by the way we study or live college life? How are we pointing people to Jesus in the mundane, stress, and challenges of the workplace? How are we pointing teammates and opponents to Jesus as we compete on the court?

Life becomes so much more exciting and important when you look at it that way. Everyday becomes a mission and adventure into His Kingdom.

The world truly comes alive.

I have continually been stretched and challenged by the lectures, community life, and life on the Coast. He has been so gracious to me by revealing more of Him and drawing me closer.

It all points to Jesus.

Other than that it has been a pretty average week.

We are in week two of outreach prep, so we are starting to see some of our roles defined and what ministry will look like. This week we are gathering funds for tickets and hoping to purchase them as well.

God showed up this week and revealed some of the disunity in the group. Awesome to see it revealed but pray that we can come together as a group and family.

Spent most of Saturday helping some of the staff move to a new house. Kept me busy but I was pretty wore out and exhausted. Hoping to be able to catch up on rest this weekend. (Also sorry because this is why the blog is a day late).

This week we are studying Lordship. Mark Parker is coming in to speak and I guess he is a 50-something year old spark plug. Really knows how to push buttons and get you asking questions. We will see what the week brings. Super stoked for it.

Prayer Requests:

• See more of Him in everything I do
• Growing desire for time with Him
• Unity among the 40 some students and staff
• India/Nepal Outreach preparations - currently gathering funds and searching for tickets
• Walk in obedience
• I would be able to love my housemates well

Cheers,

Zach

P.S. Found out that Aaron Rodgers's older brother Luke did his DTS here. He was here about the time Aaron was drafted and came into the league behind Favre.

So that's pretty neat.

Have a go ya mug

Have a go ya mug...

This is a saying Aussies often say and something the base has backed as well.

The Sunshine Coast base wants to be a base that sends. And not necessarily sending based off their own vision but the vision of the individual. If you feel called, they want you to have a go at it. They have sent many into surf ministry, coffee ministry, church ministry, business, home, etc. Hearing God is the easy part. Being obedient is the tricky part. So just go for it.

Have a go ya mug.

It was something that I continually learned this week as we dove into the topic of hearing God's voice. If it lines up with His Word and Character, just step out and do it. Step out in a moment of obedience.

If you have character and identity, it doesn't matter what you do. If you know who you are in Christ, if you know you are loved, if you know you are a Son or Daughter of the Most High King, it doesn't matter what you do. Just be obedient.

I have often struggled with the bigger picture of life, especially being a moldable 24 year old. I literally have the ability to do anything. Like absolutely anything. I could do full-time church stuff. I could work with mission stuff overseas. I could stay and work with YWAM. I could go out west and make money. I could stay in Fargo and work. I could open my own company.

There are literally so many options at my disposal. And in my mind, all pretty good options.

But I don't need to worry about what would be good, better, or best. Or what would be considered more radical, spiritual, or too secular. I just need to worry about being obedient, even if that is the hardest part.

It's not who I am that is important. Its whose I am.

Here are a few pics....

Every Tuesday night we do a BBQ in one of the local parks. Great time of fellowship and fun.

This is the guys house... 60 Yakola Parade. In front is a one of the vans that busses us around. We are a 5 minute van ride from the base and a 10-15 minute walk to the beach and Mcdonalds (They call them Maccas here. It is also where I do most of my internet stuff).

This is our lovely kitchen. Lunch and dinner during the week are provided at the base. Breakfast and weekend meals are prepared by us at the house. The base provides all the necessary groceries. Its up to us individually if we want more food or something different.

This is our sweet balcony. Lots of discussion, fellowship, and homework is done here (and the drying of laundry).

View off our balcony. The pool is great for a quick dip, but not cool to clean (which is one of my jobs on house maintenance).

Door down the hallway to my room. Share it with Riley (California), Tim (Australia),  and John (Lindstrom, MN)

This is John and I's bed (I am on bottom). Feels a lot like being back in the Beachhouse at Bluewater.

This is the bathroom that 12 guys share (Yes I said 12). The one toilet is separate from this room. There is a toilet and shower downstairs, but most of us use this. We have surprisingly done quite well with it.

This is the Blue Room at the base (LifePointe Church) where we have all of our lectures and worship. It does not have air conditioning so it gets quite sweaty. Here we are listening to Nato Sauer, who is part of the surf ministry, speak on Hearing God's Voice.

Also, I would love for you to check out my roommate and India/Nepal teammate's blog update about some of the things that have happened in and through Kyle, one of the students and a India/Nepal teammate. He words it so well. Stoked to serve and grow with these guys....http://rileymurphy.ca/post/76935889937/ywam-week-1

Prayer Requests:

• That I would find my identity in Christ. It isn't performance based. He simply loves me.
• Obedience and clarity. Starting to sort through and ponder what after DTS will look like. Pray that I will walk in obedience where ever He calls me and that I will know it's Him calling me.
• India/Nepal preparations. We are starting to prep ministries, travel, and plans. Pray that these would go well, that our team would be unified, and for the people we will meet in India/Nepal
• I would hunger for time with Him. That the Word would be vibrant and satisfying and that my time in prayer would be glorifying to Him

I would love to hear from you all. Updates. Pictures. Happenings. Prayer requests (I would love to pray for you). Drop me a personal message on Facebook or an email to zacharyj17@gmail.com. I check things once or twice during the week, and then make of point of being on Saturday from 730ish-10ish (Friday afternoon at 3ish your time. I am 16 hours ahead.).

Cheers,

Zach J.

P.S. It should be noted that I have a 15 min walk home in the rain. I must really love you people

In the Whispers...

It has been a crazy awesome week.

This week our topic was God's Character and Nature/Father Heart. We had Chris and Jill Twinn speak this week. They are YWAM lifers and have travelled all over the world speaking. Chris has been pastoring a church in Brisbane for the last 14 years.

I am not really sure how to tie it all in so I am just going to point out some of the highlights.

• The Earth is groaning for a Revealing of the Son of God. There are currently more people alive today than have died in history. We have been called and placed in this generation to be a part of that.
• Jesus was FULLY man. I have read this a hundred times but have never grabbed how amazing this is. Christ was every bit of a mortal man as me. He was flesh and blood. It wasn't until He was baptized in the Holy Spirit that Christ started doing miracles. He did nothing apart from the Father. He did nothing apart from the Spirit. That same Spirit that was on Christ now lives in us, and we have the ability and call to do greater things than He. HOW FREAKING CRAZY IS THAT???
• The Tree in the Garden was not an opportunity for Sin, but an opportunity for love and worship.
• The letters of the word LORD in Hebrew means Eye Nail Eye Hand (read right to left). It can also be said as behold the hand, behold the nail. The crucifixion was written in the name of God.
• The only reason to renew your mind is so your mind stops arguing with your spirit
• Jesus didn't just carry sin, He became sin. Again, I have read this a hundred times, but never realized what it meant.
• God is Love.
• The quickest way to step into the Spirit is to step into Love
• You cannot know Love without knowing God. 1 John 4:7
• The immediate action of Love is to give. Love never takes.

Those are just some points from the week, its not even all of it. It often felt like I was drinking through a fire house, but it was all so freaking good. You have no idea. Not sure if I will lay out talking points like this moving forward, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the stuff we are learning.

Revelation:

God speaks even in the stillness. Sometimes He does calm the storm or move mountains. But often He simply whispers. This week He whispered to my spirit - "My ability to be good is not greater than God's ability to love me."

After this week's lecture, we were given an opportunity to respond. I earnestly sought to see or hear something. Something more than an emotional appeal, but a movement of the Spirit.

I was given a vision of Psalm 36:4. I grabbed the nearest Bible and found that it wasn't so much the verse, but the context. David speaks about not properly fearing God. In doing so, he doesn't recognize sin for what it is. In fact, he minimizes it.

That really spoke to me. I spent most of my life trying to be "good". To be recognized as put together. And if I didn't appear "good", I would change something to compensate for it. It was almost as if my ability to be "good" covered up my dirtiness. 

I did not clearly recognize God as God. I did not recognize His ability to Love me beyond my ability to be "good".

God is so good and even speaks in the whispers.

So yeah, it has been a whirlwind of a week.

Its been in the 90s most days and humid. I actually miss the cold (no joke).

We also found out our outreach locations this week. There was a lot of anticipation in this, as it kind of directs the rest of your DTS. And my team and I are going to INDIA AND NEPAL!!!!

Sorry if it seems all over the place. I just don't know how to accurately share with you all that is happening. But I do appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you all have shown. I honestly would not be here without all of your support.

Please feel free to get in touch. Would love to hear about life back home.

YWAM DTS

c/o Zach Jaszczak

PO Box 5633

Maroochydore, BC, QLD

4558 Australia

zacharyj17@gmail.com

Or check me out on Facebook

Prayer Requests:

• That I would continue to find my identity in Christ
• That I would believe that God loves me more than my ability to be good
• That I would desire and seek time with Him
• That relationships would continue to grow
• India/Nepal

Cheers,

Zach

 My Outreach Location

 Sunrise first week. 10 min walk from our house.

 Obviously me trying to be cool

Alex Headlands beach. Our main location to catch some waves and sun.

P.S. I legitimately meant to take more pictures, but I forgot when I left the house this morning. And I forgot during the week.

I'll try harder next week.