Finding God In Amsterdam

Training Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:44:00 +0000

God's plan for the ethnos or nations of the world and his love of cultural diversity is one of the things I am learning about this week. Our own Jim Mellis is teaching us biblical foundations in intercultural studies--it’s fascinating, revealing and wow is my worldview being shaken! I have to say that he is an excellent scholar, anthropologist, and just all-around genius!

Incase you didn't already know, I am currently a student in the Leadership Training School (LTS) in Amsterdam. It is a 3-month course designed to equip and train missionaries in the area of transformational leadership. We are supposed to develop and plan a project that we will implement during the next years. My desire for this time is that God would release vision to me about what long-term contribution I can make to the Kingdom—or as Armando (my base leader) likes to put it, "that I would find my voice."

The week before this one, Mark Anderson who is the president of the Global Pastors Network and founder of Call2All spoke to us. It was so inspiring to hear all about what God is doing throughout the earth from one of the most informed Christian leaders. It caused lots of renewed excitement among all of us about being involved in the global missions movement!

While I have laid down some responsibilities for this time, I am still involved in most of my regular activities as YWAM staff, and so this is quite a busy time for me! I am learning vast amounts of information and have little time to process it, yet I know I am still benefiting greatly. I am learning skills that I'm certain will be useful for the ministry to which God has called me.

Today I discovered that I am more atmosphere/relationship oriented than time-oriented, more group oriented than individualistic, and slightly more of a dichotomist than holist. Very interesting...

Please continue to pray for me, especially that I would hear God's voice strongly, and that I would become a more effective and Christ-like leader through this course.

A Short Break

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:39:00 +0000

It's been nice to have this week off; it's been super relaxing. I have a whole apartment to myself, with a kitchen, and even a bath (baths are very rare here)! I could certainly get used to this. Downstairs is the Tabernacle of the Nations, where I've been spending lots of time in prayer. Monday I am back in my closet...

I've also spent lots of time in preparation for my trip to London in 2 weeks. I will be speaking for 4 days in a retreat specifically for young people who have Korean parents but have grown up in Europe. I would very much appreciate your prayers for this, that I would be able to impart things that will be useful and edifying for them!

Please also continue to pray for a new guitar for me! I still need quite a bit of money.

SPF

Guitar Eulogy

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:15:00 +0000

*between sobs*

I received terrible news the other day. I went to the local music store to get the intonation on my 12-string guitar adjusted. The Tabernacle of the Nations had agreed to pay for it, because I use the guitar primary for my worship ministry there. But when the guitar guy and myself examined it, we realized that it was in CRITICAL condition. The tension of the strings, and the heavy use has caused the wood to begin to warp, and also cause the bridge to start pulling away from the body. It could GO at any moment, and it's actually quite dangerous to play! I'm thankful that it hasn't exploded in my face yet!

So basically it is not repairable, and I need a new guitar.

What a great guitar it was, though. My dad bought it for me after my DTS; after I gave my life to Jesus. I was planning to go to the School of Worship in Australia, and I wanted a good instrument to bring with me. It has really served me well since then. I've grown so much over these last years in both playing, and in leading worship with this guitar. The natural 12 string chorus effect and its light body created a sound that, I think, brought refreshment to lots of ears.

I remember several years ago, giving the guitar up to God, telling him that it was his, and he could do what he wanted with it. Well, it didn't ignite into a burnt offering or anything, instead he gave it back to me and told me it was a tool for the advancement of his Kingdom.

I've only ever used it for worship, or composing music that would glorify him. I remember about a year ago, someone anointed my guitar with oil. Haha, I was a bit upset about the oil on the finish (they didn't ask me first)! Since then, in the last year the worship times I've led have been really exciting and powerful. Of course it's God who makes worship times exciting, not my magic guitar, but I really feel like he gave me a good tool to help lead others into his presence. And I've tried to do my best with it.

But now it's played its last note. *sob*

So, I'm praying that God would provide me with a new one. Worship has become the main thing I am involved with in Amsterdam. I play every singly day. And with the level of playing I've achieved, and the amount I play, I think it best if I get something on the higher end. I would like another 12-string, and I would like one that will last more than a few years. I think I'm probably looking at a $1000 range.

I visited my grandma a couple days ago, and told her about it. She said she believed God would provide another guitar soon, and not to worry about it. That was encouraging!

So, if you would pray with me that God would provide a new tool soon, so I can continue bringing him high praise with stringed instruments, and so we can keep raising the roof over here in Amsterdam, I would appreciate it!

Sean

Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:27:00 +0000

I just had a wonderful 3 days in Paris with some friends. I decided spare of the moment to go with them, since I am technically still on vacation, and I would rather not hang around Amsterdam while I'm off.

One of the highlights was attending the Easter service in Notre Dame. It was so interesting, I really enjoyed it! The mass was in several different languages, including some English. What I understood, I found beautiful. I've always been fascinated by Catholicism...

A very smooth Parisian guy tried to pickpocket me, but I caught him! It was very well attempted, but he didn't quite pull it off, so he got yelled at by an angry American (me)!

We visited the Eiffel Tower, but didn't go up because the lines were enormous.

Sean

Pictures!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:23:00 +0000

I've added some pictures from my recent trip to Jak.art.a. I just selected a handful from the hundreds that Martijn & Marijke shot to give a bit of a visual on what it was like there. Click here to see them! Enjoy!

Sean

Finished The Race

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 09:02:00 +0000

With only 3 days left in Jak.art.a, I look back in amazement at all we have been able to see and do. This has definitely been the best outreach I've been a part of! I feel like we really had something valuable to bring to the Christian community here, and we really gave everything we had.

In our 8 weeks here, we were able to run 6 full seminars about the inductive approach to studying the bible. In most cases it was all new to them. Most were shocked even at the simple idea that the bible wasn't written directly to them, but to people thousands of years ago! The thought simply hadn't occurred to them before.

We taught theology students, discipleship groups, regular church goers, and even groups of pastors each with their own congregations. We even fully trained an x-Mus.lim who had just given his life the Lord how to study the bible well! We continually stressed the importance of putting the teaching into practice, and passing the knowledge on, so that it would continue to be a blessing long after we were gone.

We also visited and spoke in about 25 churches throughout the city, teaching and preaching about things like missions and our call to influence society, and cultural equality & God's heart for the nations. We were able to share countless testimonies and short words about our experience in missions, and about our journey of studying the bible. And we were able to give one one one training to different people.

Both Martijn and I have grown so much in our teaching skills, in our ability to communicate and especially in our love for Indonesians. They are such a kind and humble people, and they've blessed us so much! I feel very proud to have made a number of Indonesian friends!

All in all, it has been an amazing time, and I feel confident that God used us to impart useful tools to Christians here, along with a greater desire to study and understand the bible. Praise Jesus!

On Monday I return to Amsterdam. I plan on taking some time off before going back to work at the Cleft. Please keep me in prayer while I adjust back to the cold climate and cold culture!

Thanks so much for the prayers, the support, and the encouragements!

Sean

Lions, Tigers & Natural Disasters

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:07:00 +0000

Well, three weeks have gone by here in Indonesia. This is by far the best outreach I’ve had. We’ve been able to do so many amazing things! We’ve spoken at about 20 different locations already. (I’m beginning to really love preaching and teaching!). We’ve prayed for dozens of people, and we’ve even seen a salvation!

One of my favorite things to preach on is a message God gave me about cultural equality. I am trying to encourage the people here to worship God and do church in the context of their own culture, and discover their unique gifts and treasures. Every church we’ve been to is very western in every way. They dress western; they play western music (which there’s nothing wrong with that, but I want to see some Indonesian-ness in the church!). I’m using Colossians 3:11. The Colossians were in a situation where they thought they had to accept certain traditions (from the Jews) in order to be real Christians, but Paul wrote them to say, “STOP! You have all you need! You have come to a fullness in Christ! You can be Colossians! No culture is better than any other because Christ is all and is in all!” Well, that’s my paraphrase…

We’ve also been able to give our first seminar of about 6 hours on the inductive study method to a group of theology students. It went extremely well. Martijn and I split the teaching, and they were very hungry for it. They asked us to come back. We did lots of reviews, and it showed that they really learned a lot!

We have moved out of Pamulang, and into the city proper now, to join forces with Megacities. I’ve seen quite a few old friends from Perth, which is exciting. The ministry here is at a much different pace, and we are still in the process of making contacts and setting things up. Please pray for us to get plenty of opportunities!

One crazy story: We visited this insane zoo where none of the animals are in cages! You stay in your car the whole time and drive by all these dangerous animals. These lions and tigers are huge, and there’s nothing in between you and them but your car window. We even saw one lion attack a car! It was nuts. I got some videos that I’ll post some time! I also pet a baby black leopard! =D

There is a lot more to tell... Crazy experiences. Amazing and exotic foods! Wonderful people. Oh, there was a terrible flood in the city, we drove through 2 feet of water, and thousands of poor people were displaced from their homes, please pray for that too!

Thanks so much for the support and prayer!

Blessings,

SPF

Jellyfish & Flying Hamsters

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Greetings from Pamulang, Indonesia!

This first week in Indonesia has been quite the adventure, full of new experiences and new acquaintances. We are staying in a village just south of Jakarta, in a family's home. I honestly have to say that Indonesians are the most generous and hospitable people I have met in all of my travels (I've been all around the world). Every time we go anywhere we are treated like kings. It's almost embarrassing because I feel we don't deserve it! And it’s not only because we are foreigners and teachers, but simply because we are guests, and it is how they treat guests here.

Summary:

We've already been able to speak in 5 Churches! We've given sermons and testimonies; we've led worship multiple times, and done lots of teaching--all in the first few days of being here. The lady we are staying with, Ayun, is extremely well connected and knows all the pastors and leaders of the churches in the area, which is a huge blessing and advantage for us. She's also a very fast-paced person, and feels we should be too, so she has given us a very full schedule of speaking and teaching and visiting. Our teaching has been new for quite a few people, and has been well received so far.

A Couple Stories:

Yesterday, after speaking in a Chinese church in central Jakarta, the pastor took us out to one of the nicest Chinese restaurants in the city. It must have been very expensive! We couldn't refuse because it would be extremely rude. We ate some amazing food, including many things I've never tried, like JELLYFISH TENTACLES and ROTTEN DUCK EGG. It was actually really, really good... as long as I didn't think about what I was really eating! All of the new tropical fruits they have here are great too.

I'm sure you are curious about the flying hamster in the title, so I'll tell you that story. The first day, our host took us to a super market. There was a section with some small pets, including a glass cage with a white hamster. I think the hamster had some issues already because he kept standing up on his hind legs to sniff the air, and then kept falling backwards. It was hilarious.

Well, I reached into the cage (it had an open top) to try to pet the hamster. As soon as my finger was in range, the thing BIT me! I reacted instinctively and yanked my hand back. But unfortunately for the hamster, it didn't let go of my finger in time, and so the hamster FLEW up into the air about 6 feet, in a beautiful triple-axel-like move, and then landed perfectly with a loud PLOP into a nearby fish tank! We all stared at each other in shock, and then all rushed to the tank, where we found him swimming around in a not-too-bad breaststroke! I scooped him up and put him back in his cage. Then we all looked at eachother and started laughing hysterically! I mean it was so funny, I have never seen anything like it. The thing just flew!

Amazing:

We also have had one (M&M) girl give her life to Jesus in what was probably the most beautiful moment I can remember since being involved in missions. I don't want to give the whole story here (maybe later on I will) because it was too precious, and emotional, and writing it down would kill it. But her name is Renie, and please pray for her protection and growth. We will try to see her again soon.

Us:

The three of us are having a good time together. We are safe, healthy, well fed, and working hard. The heat is difficult, and makes us feel really tired all the time, so please pray for that as well.

Upcoming:

On Wednesday we begin the first session of a seminar we are giving to a group of theology students about the inductive study method. Pray for Martijn and myself, as we will do all of the teaching.

Thank you so much for praying for us!

SPF

It's Over

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:12:00 +0000

Today was a sad day.

My Bible Core Course is finally over. It was long and extremely difficult, but so fun and rewarding at the same time. Yesterday we had our graduation ceremony which was fabulous (I got an A on the course!). But today I had to say goodbye to everyone.

So now I'm sitting in Amsterdam missing all my classmates. It's unnatural, I think, to spend 3 months building such good friendships, and then just part ways so suddenly. YWAM Schools are so hard to finish in that way.

The day after tomorrow I fly, with my Grandma, to the states for 3 weeks!

SPF

Mission to J-City

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 07:22:00 +0000

Only 3 weeks to go and the Bible Core Course is finished. I’ve honestly never worked so hard in my life… But I’ve also never learned so much during such a short time!

The bible really is like a whole new book to me. Sad to say, as I’ve gained a much greater understanding of the bible, some of the sense of divine mystery has gone out of it. But I’ve learned to read the bible for what it is: a collection of writings by many authors at different periods, all intended for specific audiences in specific situations, and written for specific reasons.

I can no longer read it as if it was written directly to me, about my situation, during my time, or I will be in serious danger of misinterpreting it, and then applying things in a way God never intended me to, and even living life in a way God never intended me to live!

Each day, as we go deeper into the bible, I can practically hear everyone’s belief systems (including my own) crumbling around me, as we discover what the bible really says, and how it compares to what we have grown up believing… It’s great! Anything that can be shaken should be! Let the chaff crumble away, and let the gold remain! I honestly can’t say that I feel this study has brought me closer to God so far. But it is rooting me and grounding me in truth, and giving me the keys to understand the bible for the rest of my life—and that is valuable.

This week we’ve been studying Revelations. Yesterday, we went through the history of 2,000 years of false predictions and misinterpretations that came out of the book; things that led to the most absurd movements, and even contributed to horrible atrocities such as the Crusades. It seems ridiculous to me now, as the cycle continues, and teachers today continue to claim divine insight into the book as they compare the events in Revelations with current events in the world, just as hundreds have done before them!

Anyway, it’s enough to say this school is fantastic! And before I start rambling for too long about what I’ve learned, let me declare the main reason why I am blogging this evening: It is to announce my upcoming trip to Indonesia!

In January, three of us from the BCC School will go for 8 weeks to J-City. Originally there was no outreach planned, but we three each feel the urgent call to pass on what we’ve been learning—specifically in a place where this kind of teaching is not so easily available. Our mission is to teach and instruct Christians (especially pastors and church leaders) in the inductive approach to studying the bible.

If you’re not familiar with the inductive approach, it is basically all about letting the bible speak for itself, rather that coming to the text with preconceived ideas of what it should say, and bending the meaning of the text accordingly. It has to do with discovering who the original audience was, what their situation was, and then figuring out what the text would have meant to them. Then, after discovering a good deal of background information (which almost always makes a huge difference in the interpretations), we can discover the timeless principles, and try to apply them to our lives.

The annoying thing about this is that it takes work… lots of it. It’s so much easier to just interpret the bible as if it were directly written to us, out of our own understanding, out of our own world-view, and within our own circumstances… and then to come up with a meaning completely different than what the author intended. Or easier even to subjectively use scriptures out of context to confirm what we already believe.

And so we want to help people learn how to study the bible correctly, just as we have been learning in the last months; to come to the text with an open mind, and to let it speak for itself; to allow the text to form us, rather than us trying to form the text into what we want it to say.

I will certainly keep you updated on our trip. I’m still in the process of raising finances, so keep me in mind in the next months as we finish the school and get ready to go. I get to spend Christmas this year with my family in snowy Colorado (which I’m really, really looking forward to), and immediately afterwards I head for the intense heat of South East Asia.

Please pray for us too, for God’s favor, for opportunities, for effectiveness, etc.

Thank you for staying in touch!

Be blessed,

SPF

Revelation

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:18:00 +0000

Check out this artistic rendition I made of the throne room scene in Revelation chapter 4 and 5. The Lamb receiving the scroll from the right hand of God.

SPF

Blind But Now I See

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:42:00 +0000

Greetings,

So my birthday was the other day. It started the day before with a Dutch birthday party that me and another girl threw together. Dutch birthday parties are quite different that American ones. Here, the one having the birthday slaves away all day, buying everything, and spending the day serving everyone he invites. Usually he leaves the party exhausted and irritable...

Then the fire happened. Somehow a garbage dumpster burst into flames, and things inside began exploding violently. I happened to be the one who found it. Nobody else was around, and it was about to catch a huge pine tree on fire. Finally I burst into somebody's house while they were having coffee, and scared them to death by yelling at them that there was a fire. It's was a quite entertaining scene now that I look back. We managed to save the day.

The next morning, on my actual birthday, the fire alarm went off at 6am. My first thought was that the arsons who set the dumpster on fire came back to finish us off. But it turned out to be a drill, and I had my first birthday congratulations while standing in the cold dark, half awake, surrounded by shivering people in their Pj's.

After the early morning antics, I came to class and had to take an hour-and-a-half test on what I'd learned so far in the course. I finished much earlier than everyone else, and left to take a break. After about 20 minutes when no one else came out, I realized I forgot to look at the back side of the paper!

What a birthday. I've been so busy, I only just realized last night that I'm now actually 25 years old. Somehow the birthday party pushed the actual meaning of the event out of my mind.

I got eye glasses. I've been realizing over the last couple years that it's becoming harder to see things far away. And what's far away seems to be getting closer and closer, if you know what I mean. So I just got my eyes tested, and bought glasses. I don't need them all the time, but they really help to read the board in class!

That day I was praying that God would show me what it means that he's the light of the world. I read in John that right after Jesus said this, he healed a blind man. An hour after this prayer, I received a call from the eye specialists telling me that my glasses were ready a whole week early, and that I could come pick them up.

When I walked out of the store I was astounded at how much detail there is in the world!! I had been missing so much! Each leaf! Each blade of grass! I could see facial expressions from afar away, and read street signs before it was too late to turn! A whole new dimention of hidden beauty was revealed to me.

I was blind but now I could see.

Pretty great birthday present, eh?

SPF

First Week

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:15:00 +0000

YWAM Heidebeek is SO different than Amsterdam! I am used to being surrounded by 30 or so different nationalities, whereas here it's almost ALL Dutch people. Of course I love Dutch people, but it's a bit strange after living in the most international city in the entire world.

It's been a great first week here, getting to know new people; my classmates and the DTS that is just starting. At first they just spoiled us with feasts, movies, games etc. Now, however, we hardly remember those first days. The amount of work we have to do is staggering! We have our own study room in the dormitory building: the whole attic.

I think my Dutch learning will come along rather quickly here. I'm surrounded constantly by people speaking Dutch, and I'm using what I know at every chance I get. Maybe by the time the 3 months are over, I'll not only have a comprehensive knowledge of the bible, but a competent use of a second language!

I've been getting plenty of exercise riding my bike 10km every day from the base to the dorms. Also, I've been promoting hacky-sack as much as I can, and have gotten quite a few Dutchies into it (abandoning their inferior sport, soccer)! It's a great way to unwind after hours of study.

I'll keep you updated.

SPF

Leaving

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 11:53:00 +0000

So this is my last weekend in Amsterdam for the next 4 months! I'm busy packing my room up. I plan on storing lots of things here at the base, so I don't have to continue paying rent while I'm gone.

I think later tonight I will take some friends out for a spin on the boat one more time before I leave. Boating through the canals has become one of my favorite things to do. It's so relaxing, and such a nice way to see the city.

I'm a bit sad. I'm going to miss my friends here, my life here. My Grandma will have to take care of the cats on her own for a while. It's going to be such a nice change of pace though. On my DISC personality test, my 'steadiness' score is almost as low as it can go... I tire of routine so easily, and I'm very ready for something new!

SPF

BCC

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:17:00 +0000

In three weeks time I will be leaving Amsterdam for Heidebeek (another part of the Netherlands) to attend the three-month Bible Core Course (BCC). It's exciting that the time is finally approaching; my plans were always to come to the Netherlands to take this UofN course, and to spend time in Amsterdam for the year until it started. I didn't know then how amazing and impacting this year here at the Cleft was going to be! I've learned and accomplished so much here, and though I will only be gone three months, I know I will miss everything and everybody.

The course uses the inductive approach to the bible, and aims at giving students the tools study what the bible actually says, and how to apply it to their lives. It's going to be a really intense learning experience, with massive amounts of work. I actually had to sign a paper that basically said 'I understand I will have no social life for the next three months'. Crazy. I'm excited but nervous. It's something I think I need, though, and I'm sure God has led me into this, so I expect he'll give me the grace to complete it! You can still pray for me =)

In other news, I am now a qualified boat captain, and my new hobby is taking people for rides through the canals of Amsterdam! It's a shame that our summer has been so awful here, but there have been a few nice days... and there's no better way to spend them that sitting on a boat (in my opinion).

Well, thanks for reading and staying in touch. I appreciate all your emails and encouragements!

SPF

Life In Amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:46:00 +0000

I know it's been eons since my last update, but with the amount of emails in the average inbox nowadays, I'm sure you don't mind plenty of time in between! It's a bit of a long update, but I tried to make it readable and exciting!

Life and ministry in Amsterdam is still going great. I really am in love with this city, I'm passionate about seeing God's kingdom here, and I'm becoming more and more connected and involved with the people. So the big news is that I've decided to stay here indefinitely (I had originally planned 1 year)!

Two months ago I moved out from my Grandma's place, and I'm now living on the YWAM base. It's called De Poort, which means 'The Gateway', and I have a pretty good sized room with almost everything I need. It's about a 5 minute bike ride from the Cleft, and another couple minutes to the center of the city. God is good!

Worship & Evangelism:

Since I've been here, there are two main areas of ministry God has been using me in and growing me in, and which now take up most of my time: worship & evangelism. I lead worship 3 or 4 times a week now for various ministries, and my mind is always busy with learning new songs, practicing with people and preparing. It's really something I love doing. And I love bringing it out onto the streets too! Worshipping in the red light district is so powerful and important. As we usher in the manifest presence of God, it dispells the darkness and it 'tills' peoples' hearts. When this is combined with evangelism, it makes for a powerful mix. We see lots of lives touched when we go out.

I've found that evangelism, just like worship, really needs to be a lifestyle. As I live my life here in this city, I always try to be open to talk to and display the character of Christ to those I come in contact with. From the guy siting next to me on the train, to the bank teller, or the guy selling me food. God has taught me a lot about how to talk to people, how to listen, how to discern their needs and the things holding them back. It's a foundational element to being a Christian, and I want to be living it!

So worship & evangelism is where I've found my niche so far here in YWAM Amsterdam, they are the main facets of the ministry God has led me into. Here is my new mission statement by the way: Revealing the heart of the Father through prophetic worship & evangelism in Amsterdam.

Frontier Missions Conference:

A couple months ago I had the privilege of going the the annual YWAM conference on Frontier Missions, which was held this year in Istanbul. I had quite an adventure trying to get there, as I missed 2 flights and then ended up at the wrong airport about 100 miles away from where I needed to be... at 3 in the morning. I made my way across the city through a series of divine appointments, and finally made it to the location, which was a beautiful hotel on the coast of the Sea of Marmara.

Anyway, the conference was very inspiring. It was moving to meet all these missionaries who are serving on the front lines, in some of the most dangerous places, getting persecuted and sometimes even tortured! Hearing their stories and getting to know them was very good. The seminars and corporate times were very refreshing and informative. I learned a lot during the week I was there.

Festival of the Nations:

Two weeks ago I went to the European Staff gathering, which happens approximately every four years. It was called the Festival of the Nations, and took place in a small, but very significant town in eastern Germany called Hernnhut. The town was founded by the ancient Moravians, who 275 years ago, experienced an outpouring of the Spirit which led them into the first ever 24/7 prayer movement lasting over 100 years! Out of this movement, vision was birthed for today's modern missions, and organizations like YWAM! We had the festival there to coincide with the 275th anniversary of the Moravian visitation.

The theme of the gathering was about rising to the challenges facing Europe today; things like secularism, Islam, and the new age movement. The conference challenged and provoked me in multiple areas. I was really inspired to take my calling more seriously, and to spend more time thinking critically regarding the difficulties we're facing in Amsterdam and developing new strategies/initiatives to combat them. I was especially impacted by a seminar about human trafficking, and I feel God is calling me to get more involved somehow. I don't know yet what exactly I can do, but I do know that Amsterdam is one of the biggest destinations for women sold into the international sex industry.

Prayer Requests & Needs:

-Pray for the Cleft. God is bringing us through a season of change, and change doesn't come so easily with a 28 year old ministry. Pray for wisdom, guidance, and clear direction.

-Pray for the district. This place keeps running and drawing thousands of tourists because of one main lie: that it's all a wonderful expression of humanity and personal freedom. Pray that people will see the bondage that is the reality of the district.

-Pray for me. I'm struggling a lot with finances at the moment. I just received my very first health insurance bill, and even though I just signed up, it covers all the months since I registered in the city because it's a social system that required insurance for all residents from the day they sign in. It's about 500 US dollars, and I'm not yet sure how I will pay it.

-I also could use serous prayer for my arms. It's been a continual struggle since I've been here, pain in my arms, and it makes it difficult to do two of my main jobs here: playing guitar, and fixing computers on the base! I really need healing!

Thanks for reading!

Be blessed,

SPF

Festival of the Nations

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 12:29:00 +0000

I just returned a couple days ago from YWAM's Festival of the Nations in Herrnhut, eastern Germany. It was a gathering of about 900 staff from all over Europe come together to celebrate God's goodness, network and fellowship, and to learn more about the challenges facing Europe today... Things like secularism, the new age movement, Islam, human trafficking, etc.

The town itself is very significant. It was founded by the ancient Moravians, and it's where, in 1727, they experienced an outpouring of the Spirit which led to the first ever 24/7 prayer movement. This movement lasted over 100 years, and through it the vision was birthed for today's modern missions! It's a very interesting story, and the Festival of the Nations coincided with the 275th anniversary of the Moravian's visitation.

The conference challenged and provoked me in multiple areas. I was really inspired to take my calling more seriously, and to spend more time thinking critically regarding the challenges we're facing in Amsterdam and developing new strategies/initiatives to combat them. I was especially impacted by a seminar about human trafficking, and I feel God is calling me to get move involved somehow. I don't know yet what exactly I can do, but I do know that Amsterdam is one of the biggest destinations for women sold into the international sex industry.

After the conference, several of us took one of the YWAM Amsterdam cars, and drove to Prague! We're only able to stay for a day and a half, but it was so much fun! Prague is gorgeous. On the drive back, we suddenly had a tire explode on us while driving on the autobahn! It was one of the more frightening things I've experienced, but we survived. Still, it was nice to drive again, especially through Germany.

I hope you like my new website design by the way.

Blessings,

SPF

March 16, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:59:00 +0000

Hi Friends,

My friend Kevin from Kansas City has been visiting me this week. We've been having a great time together. It's his first time in Europe, so everything is so new to him. It's great showing him around, and doing so many 'Dutch' things.

Caleb Overstreet also visited me for a day with his wife, her sister, and their baby girl. It was good to see them and to catch up, it had been years.

I will be moving out of my Grandmothers house very soon, and into a room at the YWAM base. The main reason for this is that I am endangering her government subsidy by living with her. But I also want to be closer to the inner city (I travel almost an hour every day), and more a part of the community. This means my expenses will be going up of course, as I will be paying much more for rent and food (but saving a little on transport). I'm confident that God's got my back in this though!

Here is the cool news:

I will be traveling to Turkey on Tuesday to attend the International Conference On Frontier Missions! I felt God encouraging me to go, and then he provided the funds, so I'm there!

It will be a time to gather together to seek God, strengthen our relational links, make new friends, gain fresh insight, renew our vision, and receive refreshment and encouragement to better reach the nations.

As a person working full-time in a well-established urban ministry, I'm really interested to hear news and receive vision for what is happening with my brothers and sisters on the frontiers! I'm also looking forward to meeting old friends, and building new strategic relationships for the future. And of course I'm excited about seeing Turkey, which is one place I've never been!

So keep us in prayer if you can, especially for security.

That's it for now!

SPF

February 12, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:39:00 +0000

Friends & Family,

Greetings from Europe! Here is some more brief news about my time here serving in Amsterdam. Things continue at the Cleft much as they have been. Each week we go out onto the streets to spread the love of Jesus.

Recently I've started to bring the guitar with me as we go out on the streets. We gather on the canal bridges and worship God right there in the red-light district. Many drug-dealers, prostitutes, business-owners, tourists all become curious and all stop to listen. It's amazing what difference this makes while we are out; it changes the atmosphere so much and opens the way for many more conversations. Not only does it break the ice and give people a reason to start talking to each-other, but I also believe worshipping God amidst all the idolatry helps to cleanse the spiritual atmosphere and open the way for God to work in a mightier way.

Just last week a very angry Muslim man stopped to argue with me for 20 minutes about why Jesus was not the son of God. He believed that the fact Jesus was crucified proves that he was weak, and therefore couldn't have been God. He didn't understand God as a loving father who would sacrifice his very son for us. During a short break in the conversation, I felt the Spirit lead me to play a particular worship song called "Your Beloved", a moving song about how God views his children. The song deeply touched the man, and his whole countenance changed. He nearly began to cry, and then opened up to me about the pain in his life, his relationship with his daughter, and how he knows he is a sinner, but longs to honor God. I told him that Jesus died for his sins so that he could have a real relationship with his Creator. He wasn't ready to receive that yet, but I believe God softened his heart towards the gospel.

Quite often people get hostile towards us, threatening and cursing at us. Christians in the district talking and singing about Jesus, often brings unwelcome conviction to peoples' hearts, making them angry. I recently had a man curse me to death because I was a Christian. He yelled and screamed profanity at me for merely telling him Jesus loved him. He didn't want to leave either, he decided to stay where we were working to mock and yell at us as long as he could (which of course makes it uncomfortable for everyone). After a few minutes one of the girls recommended I play some songs. So I called a few singers over and we started to worship. After the first verse, the man immediately left.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that bringing worship to the streets is vital to what God wants to do here. There is so much darkness in this district, so much deception, and so many lies that the enemy has woven to keep people blind to the reality of what's happening in the neighborhood. I think there is no better way to get rid of darkness, than to simply turn on the light by inviting God's presence through worship! In the light of God's truth, people begin to see things the way God does. Where once they saw nothing but fun and a neighborhood full of pleasures, they begin to see the pain and the heartbreak, the immorality and destructiveness in everything around them. God lifts the veils from their eyes. Often people very much resent seeing things for what they are, but sometimes hearts are changed...

A heroin addict who has been in the district for about 12 years recently gave his life to the Lord through his contact with us, and another ministry called Victory Outreach. His name is Tito, and it is absolutely incredible the amount of wisdom and revelation God has given him in such a short period of time! I think God's plan for this guy is to be a preacher. He is so full of passion for God. He is so eager to experience the fullness of what God has for him. He inspires and challenges us all when he speaks. We are working closely with him, visiting him often at his home, taking him out to dinner and just being friends with him. We enrolled him in an evening mini-DTS program as well. It's so encouraging to see. Please pray for him, as he is still working with doctors to come off of methadone. One of the most amazing things is the effect he now has on all the other people in the district who know him. They are constantly offering him drugs, but he testifies to them all that Jesus has changed his life! God is using him as an incredible testimony of redemption.

There are of course many other things to tell about which won't make the headlines. My grandma continues to be a huge blessing to me in providing a place for me to stay. She is doing well, and at 88 years old continues to lead bible studies for the church. I'm busy all the time with ministry, and with computers at the base. I have a new cat, named Aubrin, who thinks she's an attack-dog. I ride my bike all around town, eat fresh fish all the time, and hang out with my friends at countless little cafe's. Amsterdam is really a fun place to live.

My parents are visiting me this week. It's wonderful to see them after about six months. They've blessed me so much just being here and hanging out. We're in Berlin at the moment visiting my dad's parents and exploring his hometown. My sister is currently in Perth, Australia doing a DTS.

I always get to about the 10th paragraph and think, "there is so much I should share about still!" But attention spans are short these days, so I'll wrap it up.

Prayer requests:
-Pray against spiritual attack on the team, especially for the girls who have been experiencing lots of warfare lately.
-Pray for wisdom, courage, guidance and God's anointing as we continue to minister here in Amsterdam. I'm trusting God for a new level of breakthrough this year!
-Pray for the people of the district, the addicts, the homeless, the prostitutes, the tourists. Pray their hearts would be softened and that they would have encounters with the living God.
-Pray for me, that I would more and more come to experience the fullness of what God has for me here, that I would become more and more effective in ministry, and that I would see breakthrough in the area of finances!!

Thanks so much for being part of what God is doing here, for being part of my life, and for the continued prayer and support.

Blessings,

SPF

December 7, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:05:00 +0000

Hey everyone!

More than three months have gone by since I've been working in Amsterdam. Winter is really starting to kick in. The days are getting shorter, yet busier. The red lights are on longer, and the street-people I'm here to serve are getting more desperate. In this city it is so easy to be discouraged by the tremendous influence the enemy has. Many have called Amsterdam the Devil's City.

But God has not forsaken Amsterdam! For those who know how to look, they will see that God is working each day in people's lives to bring freedom and restoration. One thing I have really begun to fathom is that God's great love reaches even to the darkest of areas, to the most wretched of sinners. He is as faithful to pursue the prostitutes behind the windows, and the men who manage the brothels, as he is me. We are all sinners desperately in need of a savior.

Things are beginning to change here! Elections were held here in the Netherlands last month, and some changes in the government which Christians have been trusting for have finally taken place. After recent government investigations into the sex-industry in the red-light district, the government has begun to put its foot down. One hundred of the 350 windows in the main district must be shut down by the end of the year! And they say that this is only the beginning.

We believe this is the start of something major God is doing in response to years and years of prayer and work done by Christians here. Please pray for the situation, as the owners of many of the prostitution rings are doing everything they can to repeal the decision. Also pray that the women involved will not merely be relocated, or end up on the street as is very likely.

These months have been the most challenging time so far in my Christian walk, but I can honestly say that I love what I am doing. Being in such an international city, each week I meet people from so many different countries, backgrounds, beliefs, and stages of life. I get to share the hope and peace which I have found in Jesus with many of them. I see all sorts of responses, anywhere from screaming and cursing to being deeply touched and convicted. So many are crying out for help here, but so many only want help on their terms.

Sometimes its just the small acts of kindness that minister to people. Buying a sandwich for a homeless guy, and asking him about his life will often reveal more about the caring heart of God to him than a hundred sermons. As I work on building relationships with the regulars here, I have begun to realize that what touches them most is when we simply treat them as friends instead of 'subjects' that need to be fixed or converted. I have learned a great deal about how much I judge others, and put people in categories. I pray now every day that God will help me understand that I am no better than they.

Besides my regular weekly ministry at the Cleft, I've had more and more opportunity lately to lead worship for various functions, which is something I love to do. I also got to teach a group about intercession several days ago. God is doing so much in my life, including seeing me step out more in the gifting he has given me. I've had to face a tremendous amount of fears in doing so, but I am so grateful.

My biggest source of daily frustration actually comes from being in charge of computers at the base. So many things go wrong all the time, and so many people look to me to fix everything. I've had to learn to set boundaries! Please pray for wisdom and understanding as I am faced with an unending task of troubleshooting technical issues.

I finished my Addictive Behavior Counseling seminar, and now am a certified addictive behavior counselor! Though, I doubt anyone outside of YWAM would recognize it =). But I have gained so much more understanding on how addictions of all types work, and on the principles Jesus gave us as Christians to avoid falling into patterns of sin. It was a really illuminating seminar and I believe we need more of this type of teaching within the church worldwide.

I could go on writing. There is so much to say, about life here, learning dutch, living with my grandma, meeting my uncle, the friends I've made, the brick which came flying through the window yesterday, etc. I know that most people wont make it past the tenth paragraph however, so I'll try to stop now.

My finances are really tight. With the exchange rate, I lose about a third of everything that is sent to me in dollars. And Amsterdam is unfortunately a very expensive city to live in! I'm grateful, though, that God is faithfully providing what I need. Thank you to those of you who are giving!

I really appreciate all your prayers, and all your encouraging emails/myspace comments. If you would like to hear more about what I'm doing, or just want to say hi, please feel free to email any time! Also check my website.

SPF

October 1, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 19:18:00 +0000

I've been here in Amsterdam nearly a month now working with YWAM at the Cleft in the heart of the Red-Light District. I'm living with my Grandma, Lura Garrido, who is an amazing lady and a bit of a missionary 'hero' here in the city. Despite many challenges, it is wonderful to be back in the city in which I spent much of my childhood.

Amsterdam is as beautiful as I remember as a child, yet at the same time I am so much more aware now as an adult of how dark this place is! It's absolutely awful what takes place in the red-light district, and yet they try to pass it off as so normal. None of the enthusiastic tourists are aware of the heartbreaking stories of how many of the women have ended up behind those windows, and one has to wonder if it would make a difference if they did know.

After two weeks of orientation and settling in, I jumped right into ministry at the Cleft. Our mission focuses on mercy ministry and sharing the gospel with tourists, homeless people, businessmen, prostitutes, drug addicts and lonely people.

We do lots of evangelism on the streets, we run meetings where we serve anyone who wants to come in with tea and coffee and food, seeking to get to know them. We try to build relationships with the regulars (mostly homeless people and addicts). The emphasis is to 'earn' the right to speak into peoples lives through developing friendship and trust in the relationship.

We provide counseling for those wanting to get off the streets or out of their addictions, and we have good relationships with many rehab centers in the area. The girls also bring tea and coffee to many of the prostitutes behind the windows and listen to their stories and offer prayer and counseling.

Its not an easy job. Each day brings new challenges. Of course many street folk are difficult and unappreciative of our efforts to serve them. It requires lots of grace to love some of these people. But its so worth it!! Hearing amazing stories of God changing lives from those who have been here longer is one motivator to keep me at it!

I'll be attending a once a week Addictive Behavior Counseling school beginning tomorrow to get further training in dealing with the people here. Its a 9-week certificate-earning seminar being run here at the Cleft free for ywamers.

Predictably, I've also been put in charge of the computers and network here at the base. The guy who was in charge is leaving soon, and there is no one else who knows enough to do it. So between that and working at the cleft I'm quite busy! I'm also starting Dutch lessons soon to relearn what I lost living in the States.

I've found a great English-speaking church here in the center of Amsterdam called the Zolder. Its a fun place and provides me a chance to make friends outside the ywam 'bubble'. They've been meeting in the attic of a Canal house, but are in the process of moving to a new location.

Something that is not going so well is my arm. On my last day in Egypt, I hyper-extended a tendon in my wrist and it's developed into tendonitis. After 5 weeks it STILL has not healed, and is swollen and painful. It makes it difficult to write and type, to do any sort of cleaning/washing etc., it makes it impossible to ride a bike. But worst of all it keeps me from playing my guitar! Please pray that I'll recover from this soon.

Please also pray for the work we're doing. Pray for God's power and annointing to bring about transformation in peoples lives here. Pray that I'll have wisdom in sharing the gospel with people, and that I would hear from God. Pray for the hearts of the people we are serving to be softened and receptive.

If you are interested in joining the Cleft Prayer Network, and praying regularly for the specific needs of the people we meet, please let me know!

Of course I can't forget to say Thank You for your continued prayer and financial support, it wouldn't be possible without your partnership!

Please stay in touch, I always appreciate hearing from you! Make sure to check my website for updates and prayer requests!

   The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to preach good news to the poor.
   He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
   to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
   to comfort all who mourn.

September 16, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 20:42:00 +0000

After the GLT I spent 3 great days in London as a tourist. I joined several 'walking tours' where you meet a guide at a particular location at a particular time to be taken around the city on foot. It was so fun! I saw all sorts of 'hidden treasures' that most tourists would normally not see.

There is so much to do in London, its quite overwhelming to try and plan for only 3 days. I think the coolest place I went was St. Paul's Cathedral. It was the most splendrous, awe-inspiring building I've ever been in! I liked it much more than Westminster Abbey, which actually gave me the creeps. There you can't walk anywhere without stepping on peoples graves! *cringe*

I've been in Amsterdam for 2 weeks now, but haven't really started with ministry yet. The first week was new staff orientation, and this last week was YWAM Amsterdam's 'at home week'. Its been a great time to get to know people, to get to know the base and learn about everything that is done here, and to get to know the city. I start with the Cleft on Monday.

Amsterdam is so different than I remember as a kid. Mostly the difference is in my new perception of it as an adult Christian. I'm much more aware of all the darkness and sin that goes on than I was as a kid. And yet it is still as beautiful as I remember. It really is nice being back.

Staying with my grandma, Lura, is nice as well. She is an amazing lady, full of wisdom. She is regarded as one of the heroes of the faith here in Amsterdam! I do, however, feel a bit isolated from the rest of the YWAM community because her house is 20 minutes away from the center.

My right arm has been giving me trouble ever since I left Egypt. I have been do a doctor here and it turns out I have tendonitis, or an inflammation of the tendons in my arm due to overuse or infection. Its quite painful and de-abilitating (is that a word?). Please pray I would recover soon!

SPF

September 1, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:24:00 +0000

The last month and a half in the amazing city of Cairo was been wonderful. I was able to do so much working with the YWAM Megacities ministry there, and I enjoyed every minute. God worked both in me and through me in a variety of ways, and I feel like I can say, "mission accomplished!" (although there's plenty more work to do there!). I am now in London after having attended the Global Leadership Team meetings in Harpenden last week as an observer. In a couple days I fly to Amsterdam! Here are some of the highlights of the last month and a half:

THE GYO:

The main reason I went to Cairo was to help with media for the Global Youth Outreach. I've explained a lot about what the GYO is in previous emails, so I wont repeat everything again. As it turned out, the local Egyptian who was in charge of all the video production for the event pulled out at the last minute, leaving us without anyone to handle it all! After months of planning, it was back to square one. So I volunteered and was thrown in to arranging a whole new video setup a couple days before the event! It was a huge challenge to pull everything together in those few days, and I was running around the city frantically looking for equipment, having meeting after meeting and delegating people to do various tasks, etc. It was actually quite a fun learning experience for me, and we managed to do it in the end, praise God! I have to mention that it would have been impossible without the help of my Egyptian friend, Hatam. When it all came together, we were able to provide live image magnification from 3 cameras so that everyone in the back rows could see the speakers/stage. We also were able to record the whole event to make promotional material afterwards.

The event itself was incredible. Hundred of Egyptian and Sudanese young people showed up to worship and to hear the word of the Lord for their lives and for their city. The messages were powerful and inspiring, and the spirit of God was there speaking identity and destiny into the lives of all the youth. Many of the young people who had attended many other conferences in Egypt said that they had never seen such a genuine response from so many of their peers to what God was doing amongst them.

DAY OF COMPASSION:

On the fourth day of the GYO, the Day of Compassion, all of the youth from the conference teamed up with the YWAMers, and went out to perform acts of love and compassion throughout the entire city. I was in charge of a large region called Muquattem, which is famous for the massive cave church, and also the huge garbage city. It was incredible to see how the Egyptians and Sudanese really caught the vision for reaching out to their city as I watched them participate wholeheartedly in ministering to the needy. Many of them realized for the first time how easy it is to do, and expressed that they would continue, even after YWAM was gone. As a whole, we reached out to over 4,000 people in the city that day.

SCHOOL OF WORSHIP:

After the GYO, I decided to stay in Cairo for approximately another month to join one of the Megacities outreach teams. The megacities coordinators prayed, and without any suggestions from me, decided to place me with the school of worship outreach! (Those of you who have followed my news know that I had been planning on staffing the school of worship this year, but it didn't happen because of my parents' accident). Well, I ended up joining them for the outreach phase of their school anyways! God is so funny sometimes.

We worked primarily in one of the poorest areas of Cairo, the Garbage City is it's nickname. Its a huge area where all the city's trash collectors live. Every day they bring back the whole city's garbage to their homes where they sift through it for a living. If you can imagine the worst smell you've ever experienced, and then add some, you will get the feel of it. In some alleyways, heaps of trash reach the 3rd story windows, and going past many buildings you can see people (even children) working waist deep in the garbage. Goats, cats, pigs, rats and of course millions of flies share the neighborhood with the people living there. Most people in that area are actually Coptic Christians, and attend the famous cave-church which in the hills just above Garbage City. We spent lots of time working with the church and organizing house-visits throughout the neighborhood. We were able to provide some health-care as we had a doctor on our team, and of course prayed for people every day. We taught in youth-groups, did skits and songs for handicapped children, did daily worship and intercession, and many other things besides.

THE GLT:

I was having such a good time in Cairo that I decided to push back my flight to London & Amsterdam. So I asked God for a specific date for when I should leave, and I felt like he said the 22nd of August. Well, the day after I changed my flight, I received an email asking if I could come to the Global Leadership Team meetings in Harpenden (just outside of London), starting on the 23rd! I love it when God arranges my itinerary!

So I had the most amazing privilege of observing the annual YWAM GLT and hanging out with all these famous ywam leaders like Loren Cunningham and so many other heroes!! I was there to help Bryan Bishop from the international communications network with collecting information from all of the regional directors for the YWAM survey and Go-manual directory. What a difficult task it is to gather information about YWAM! Because of our decentralization, there are so many locations out there that we aren't even sure really exist or not. We got it all finished in the end though and now have the most up-to-date and accurate information on YWAM Staff, operating locations, and contact information possible. YWAM is now in 166 countries with over 16,000 staff!!

AMSTERDAM:

I finally arrive in Amsterdam on the 3rd, and the twice-a-year orientation for new staff starts on the 4th! Believe it or not, I didn't know about that when I booked the flight, so it really is another itinerary miracle that I will make it just in time!

I'm really excited about this next season. I will be with the Cleft for the next year reaching out to the people of Amsterdam. I do hope my Dutch returns to me swiftly and easily! Please pray for me for this time of transition!

THANK YOU for all your prayers and support!!

SPF

August 24, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:30:00 +0000

I'm now over at YWAM Harpenden, just outside of London. I arrived from Cairo the day before yesterday, and it is such a blessing to be in this green, wet, refreshing place. I can sit around without sweating profusely, I can breathe without coughing, its so nice! I'm here for the YWAM Global Leadership Team meetings to help YWAM international do research for the Go-Manual survey. The GLT lasts 7 days, and afterwards I spend 2 days as a tourist in London before heading to my final destination, Amsterdam. It's a blast being at these meetings, I'm getting to connect with all these famous people like Loren Cunningham and others. Also, I'm getting exposed to the bigger picture of what YWAM is doing worldwide. Thank you Jesus!

Cairo was great, my team and I were able to do so much. It was difficult to say good bye to everyone, and I'm really excited for the rest of their outreach. Out of the many ministry opportunities I could be a part of in the city, I think one of the most important was the impartation we could bring to the Christian youth in many of the churches. We were able to teach and befriend many, many young people and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. I know that when YWAM leaves, its them that God is going to use for continued work in their city. They are future of Cairo.

There are so many stories I could share about my time there. Here is a brief testimony I wrote about a day when our mission was to go into Islamic Cairo and pray over as many mosques as we could for the revelation of Jesus to come:

"In the morning as we prepared for ministry and praying over mosques in Islamic Cairo, our leader gave us a word about being in great expectancy for what God would do. "Be expectant guys," she said, "who knows, maybe we can make it up to some minarets to pray over the city today." We hadn't had any luck with minarets in the past, in fact it was often difficult to get in the mosques at all, but we tried to muster up some additional expectancy nonetheless. As our group began walking the small streets surrounding the Citadel, almost immediately an Egyptian man walking in the same direction began speaking to me. I was starting to wonder what he wanted, when suddenly he said, "would you like to visit the oldest mosque in Islamic Cairo? I can take you up into the minaret from where you can see the whole city." It took me several seconds to process what I had heard. "Um, yes please," was all I could manage to say. He took us quite a way through back alleys until we came to an ancient looking mosque. They were more than happy to let us in and show us around. Out guide took us up to the top of the minaret, and we spend about 20 minutes up there interceding for the people of Cairo as we looked out over the entire city. While the other two prayed, I was able to share with our guide and teach him about God's character, the joys of knowing and serving Jesus, and about holy living. Praise God for the opportunities he provides when we are in expectancy!"

Thank you for your continued prayer and support!

SPF

July 30, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sean) — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 16:08:00 +0000

The last couple weeks since the GYO have been great. I've joined the School of Worship outreach here in Cairo, and we're having lots of fun. Its funny to me how I was planning to staff this school in April but wasn't able to when my parents had their accident, and now I have joined them for outreach after all! These guys are all great and I feel totally part of their family.

We have been working in 2 of the most intense regions of the city (I can't mention specifically where). Its hard to believe some of the things I've seen... the conditions in which some people live. Its brought me to tears more than once. Prayerwalks, worship, evangelism, english teaching and health care are among some of the of the things we have been doing. Its quite busy. God is moving though every time we step outside!

I extended my ticket so I'm here in Cairo for another month before heading on to Amsterdam. Its just been so good here I felt like I had to stay longer!

Check out some of my latest pictures!

SPF