Our Journey begins

We are delighted to announce that we have been accepted into the Spring PhotogenX DTS with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) which starts April 2, 2009. PhotogenX is a Ministry of YWAM that seeks to bring a Voice to the Voiceless through the power of media – specifically photography. Currently they have two publications out called a “Voice for the Voiceless: 30 days of Prayer for the Voiceless” and “Sex & Money: A Global Search for Human Worth”.

Photography can change history. A video can expose injustice. We live in an age of communication. As followers of Jesus, we can use photography to confront injustice and speak up for the voiceless. The PhotogenX DTS is passionate about seeing injustice confronted through photography, media and writing. It is designed to empower people to fight injustice through photography and the media. It enables students to get a grasp on the basics of photography, will give them all the core teachings of the DTS and introduce them on how to engage voicelessness.

The DTS, Discipleship Training School, itself is a 6 month program and is entry into any fulltime ministry within YWAM. The first 12 weeks we will be spending in Kona, HI at the University of Nations. The University of the Nations is located in the middle of the Pacific giving relatively easy access to Asia and the America’s. We feel really blessed to be able to be in such a beautiful location for our lecture & teaching phase.

During our time in Kona Caleb is required to have a nanny as this gives Gary & I the ability to participate as students who are fully engaged. God has totally orchestrated things and both of our mom’s will be sharing the responsibility in 6 week segments. We feel really blessed to be able to have stable care for Caleb during this season of change and very much look forward to having our mom’s along for the ride.

The 12-week lecture phase includes distinct sessions taught by world-renowned speakers as well as emerging YWAM leaders. It includes topics such as:

• The character and ways of God
• How to hear the voice of God
• The power of forgiveness and repentance
• YWAM Foundational Values
• Relationships
• Personal character development
• Spiritual warfare
• Evangelism and missions
• Cross-cultural ministry
  
  In addition to these core topics we will also be developing our photography skills through specially developed sessions and field trips on the island.
  
  Following our time in Kona we will set out into the world to put into use all that we have learned a 12-week field assignment called Outreach. The current locations being considered for outreach include Panama and surrounding nations such as Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There also might be another outreach going to South Africa although that has not been confirmed. We will not know where we will be travelling to until we arrive in Kona and have had an opportunity to pray about the location God is leading us to with our entire team.
  
  There is a small glitch in our time abroad in that I am expecting our second child….SURPRISE! We were just as surprised as you but know that God is in control and his timing is perfect even if it doesn’t feel like it. We currently are scheduled to return from Outreach September 18 however I am due on the 28th of September. We have already spoken with our team leader, Paul Childers, and they are arranging for us to have a two month outreach so that I can be stateside prior to 35 weeks. The airlines do not allow pregnant passengers over 35 weeks to fly. At this time we do not know if we will stay in Hawaii and have the baby there or if we will return home to Seattle. I am making arrangements for both options and we will see what fits best once we arrive in Hawaii and see what God has for us there.

We will keep you posted as we know more....