THE AMAZING TREK

Well yesterday, to say the least, was a day of unique team bonding. Based off of the TV show amazing race, TREK created a one day race that teams compete against one another in various challenges. We were told that we would start between 4-6am with no wake up call, so we had to be ready to go. The teams were told to have a towel, a Bible, flashlights and water bottles...and of course dress for the weather.

So after a good 3 hour sleep, I was ready to go in the great room at 3:30am, my early attitude landed me a nice comfortable couch to rest on for the next 2.5hrs. Then we were off at 6:00, we did gps tracking under the power lines in Downes Bowl, then back to the Mark Centre for breakfast. This breakfast filled my stomach with 3.5 balut eggs(a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell), spam, corned beef, seaweed and chili pepper just to name a few...a good hearty breakfast. Then we ran around as a team all over Abbotsford having to complete memorizing challenges, running challenges, "team knowledge" tests, Biblical knowledge quizes, build a fire with striker and flint. It was a day that tested each teams unity and stress levels.

Our team won the actual race but that did not matter much to us, the biggest thing is that we finished it TOGETHER. We represent a variety of strengths that worked surprisingly great together and we all contributed at an equal level in the areas that we succeeded in personally. It tested my stress level and my ability to be a good and strong teammate that kept the spirits of our team up with encouragement and determination. It showed me just how God saw all of our gifts and put us together to work with one another in harmony. Out on assignment there are going to be many challenges and this race is to show us a little glimpse of somethings to expect when we are in the Ukraine.

PRAYER: team unity, for the people in Ukraine and missionaries John and Ev Wiens, finances for me going out on assignment, for me to have an ear listening to God
Blessings,
Mitch

Team Verse: Isaiah 58:8-9a
⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
   the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
   you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

Well...Ukraine it is

Well this morning, after quite a mysterious revealing, I found out that God is calling me to go to the Ukraine for the assignment phase of TREK. I am going with a team of one other brother in Christ and two sisters in faith. We will be going to work along side with John and Ev Wiens in Zaparozhye. I feel very happy to know that this is exactly where GOD wants me to be at this stage of my life.
 
Now we will begin to start praying into this country and for the missionaries while we keep training for another month and a half. I am going to do my best with trying to learn to speak Russian before I get to the location because I want to be able to communicate as much as possible. We still do not know much because it is still the early stages but I am pumped for being able to use my training for God's glory. We are making prayer cards very soon and I will be sending those out for you to have a picture of the Ukraine team.

Prayer Requests: Team unity, prayer to prepare the people who we will meet, financial support, for a mind like a sponge that I will remember and hold onto everything I am learning in training, a growing passion for the people in the Ukraine and their culture
Blessings,
Mitch

Entering into Silence

I find myself quite a motormouth at times, actually most of the time. It is not that I cannot listen, it is just the fact that I love to communicate with people and letting them know what is happening in my life. God loves it when we talk with him, but also he has much that he wishes to communicate to us as well. This week at TREK, we have been focused on "Hearing God's Voice". We have had many sessions about how we can get in tune with the Spirit and how the Holy Spirit knows all things and even the depths of God. We have been given ears that WILL hear from God, we just need to cast our burdens aside and listen intently to HIM.

All of these sessions have been in preparation for a 48 hour silent retreat we are taking part in starting Thursday afternoon. It is going to be a time where we will be in silence with each other and also before the Almighty God. We are only allowed to use and carry around is the Bible and our journals, no internet, no phones, no technology, just open ears ready to listen. It is going to be a challenge but I am very excited to come before the LORD of LORDS and humble myself quietly before Him. It seems like a long time to not speak to others, but I am looking forward to spend my time talking to the big man upstairs.

⁴ The Lord GOD has given me
   the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
   him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
   he awakens my ear
   to hear as those who are taught.
⁵ The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
   and I was not rebellious;
   I turned not backward.-Isaiah 50:4-5
Prayer Requests:
 2nd Assignment Location, 48hr silent retreat, finances, team unity, intimacy with God, ears to hear
Blessings,
Mitch

An Intimate God

Love is something that everyone is seeking for, everyone is waiting for that certain person that is going to fill this void in their heart. Well to all of those who are reading this, you should be pretty excited with the news I have for you...your true first love is waiting for you too. Jesus CHRIST is and HAS to be our first love and our deepest desire as we live here on earth. He is waiting for us with arms open wide, a love that has always existed, "In this love, not that we loved God but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"- 1 John 4:10. Often I feel that we neglect to remember this PROMISE that he has made with us, He loved us first. He wants us to be so close to him and we can trust and know that our love with him will never fail.

This week has been one of so many new experiences, new people, a new home and a renewing of my faith with Christ Jesus our Lord. We have had so many sessions throughout this week and everyone makes me leave with more to praise for God. We learned about the basis of what MB Mission really is, risk taking obedience, God in finances, communication, the Gospel of Mark just to name a few. The two sessions we had today were with Pastor David Manuel and we learned all about God's love for us and how we NEED to love him back and all of this was backed up with numerous scriptural support...lets just say I could have listened to God speak through David so much longer.

I feel two major things that GOD wants me to focus on in faith right now and that is getting up and following Him and deepening my love/intimacy with him. I have never prayed and been so focused on God it seems ever in my life. With my team we are learning about listening to God and I am finding myself just stretching my arms out and desiring for God to speak to me and He does. Through prayer, worship, reading and silence I have been able to feel the presence of our LORD and striving for a more intimate relationship with Him. A new way I have started to focus on God is through starting to memorize the book of James. It forces me to depend on Him and His words that have been written to fulfill my spirit. I can feel Him moving and my words or posts will never be able to explain to relaxation that I find with God my Saviour and the knowledge that our love will never be broken.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
Prayer Requests: Intimacy with God, finances (there is a link at the bottom if you would like to donate), team bonding, spiritual awakening, assignment location

Thank you so much for all your support, Blessings!
Mitch

Can These Bones Live?

I woke up after my first sleep and I felt quite refreshed. Today was my first full day with my new team and in my new home. Besides me eating oatmeal (which I once again realized I am not a huge fan of) we started the day off with what seems to be the best thing possible...that is worship. It was a time that we were able to sing, pray and be silent together really for the first time as a core group of teammates and friends. It was an intimate time with GOD and was so cool to feel His presence in this new place.

We had Sam Dick speaking about how everything to do in faith is our ministry, it doesn't matter if we are physically connected or not but we are one family and body. And we read and studied Ezekiel 37 with the Valley of the Dry Bones...all of our struggles in life is engraved on each of the bones lying dead in the valley whether it is pride, lust, temptation, lack of faith etc. But God asks Ezekiel "Son of man, can these bones live?" 37:3...is it possible for these dead bones to live again in flesh and in faith? God then tell Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and they are given the flesh but still no breath, no life...but Gods breath filled them through the prophet Ezekiel and they created an "exceedingly great army" 37:10. I say lets do it, I want to live with the breath of life from God the creator of all! ~GOD chooses intimacy over efficiency~ He could have just raised those dry bones but he decided to use his prophet, to test faith and to show his power and he wants to use us. CAN THESE BONES LIVE?

Later on God was present at a group reading we did aloud of the Gospel of Mark and that just had so many other encouraging and fulfilling things that added to such a good first day!
Prayer Requests:
a ear willing to listen, assignment location, continued passion to learn and study, a book/passage that God will call me to memorize, team unity

Blessings

Name tags and board games...

I am now all settled in (for the most part) in my new home, or room I should say at the Mark Centre. I am living in a room that is shared with two other guys, Jonas and Bryan. I have only been here for a few hours but I am already loving it so much. We have a group of 10 people with an even split of guys and girls. We spent the evening eating pizza, playing settlers and trying to draw each others faces and see if we can guess who it is. In doing all of this you see confused faces looking around at name tags trying hard to memorize who is who and where they are from. I also have found out the that two potential locations for outreach are China/Mongolia or the Ukraine. Prayer would be very appreciated for guidance for the leaders as they decide where I will be sent. I am very excited to see what GOD has in store and the people that HE will place into my life during the 6 month adventure. Tomorrow we are starting right into our studies, back to school for me :) Blessings

My TREK in faith

Well my suitcase is still not packed and I start tomorrow, I guess somethings never change. I am gearing up to start my 6 month missions experience in the Winter TREK Program and I am stoked! TREK is a missions school that prepares it's participants to go out into the world and spread the good news of our Heavenly Father . I am living at the Mark Center in Abbotsford for two months and then I will be sent off somewhere in the world to do a 3.5 month outreach. As of now to put it quite honestly, I know nothing, I don't know what my housing looks like, the people I will be with, the work load or my outreach location....but God does and He is so good. I am one of ten participants in this schooling and I am the youngest person this year. But I know in Gods word it says that we should not ever be looked down upon because of our age so I have no fear. Thinking about all of these things reminds me that God is a tower of refuge and strength, a God that will lead us down the path to righteousness. It has only really hit me in the last few days that I am actually doing this program, and I hope I can sleep tonight :)  I look forward to get into this new routine and see what God has in store for me. This is going to be a TREK of faith and I am ready to take the first step tomorrow. Blessings- Mitch