Lecture Phase... Complete!

"Perseverance, secret of all triumphs."

-Victor Hugo

The past few days...

*Sunday our Thaibodia team  went to REI, Target, and The Arc to grab the last few items that we needed for outreach! We had a great time bonding as we also went out for pizza in the afternoon.

*This is a picture of my bed... where I have lived for 

last 2 1/2 months! Before I took everything down I took a picture just to remember how I had everything set up! Seeing my cards and letters that people had sent really kept me smiling! Yes I do have a sweet teddy bear that is so precious to me so don't judge me ;) 

*We had worship at Hillside Church on Monday for the last time until graduation! Wow, that seems weird to say. We joined with the YP DTS for the last time as well! We also had a speaker who came from the base in Kona, Hawaii! Did you know that YWAM / University of the Nations is in the process of producing a movie? Yeah neither did I! David Cunningham, (Loren Cunningham's (the founder of YWAM's) son) is one of the film makers! I encourage you to check out this 7 min. trailer that talks about the movie! Surprisingly I was seeing many parallels between Sight and Sound and this movie! :) Anyways, it looks like it is going to be an amazing movie about King David! Check it out!!! The link is below!

Day of War Trailer

*Last evening the entire MDTS went to a restaurant for a last hoorah! We went to a place called Cinzzettis! It is an Italian Market type of restaurant! It was so delicious! A buffet style place that had windows of everything being made fresh right before your eyes! We had Crepes, Pasta, Pizza, Gelato, Canoli's, and special Italian dishes! It was such a nice treat!

*Monday we had classes on Missions and Evangelism! I really enjoyed the classes, and I was reminded of some very important things before we arrive in Thailand, such as: 

-Constantly serve

-Be mindful of the attitude you may be giving off. (Like you are better than these people, customs, or culture.)

-Because we are going into a different culture we must remember that due to their language and other factors, that they may process things differently than how we are meaning to come across. Be sensitive.

-Ask questions and be a learner. Take the time to be genuinely interested in their lives and country. Most people love that and it really shows that you care!

-We are not bringing Jesus to them. He's already there and has been working!

Those were a few tips that I really appreciated! We also talked about some cultural f aux paus that we should be aware of. For example, unless you are at a funeral you should never stick your chopsticks straight up in a bowl of food. It's disrespectful. :) 

::THAIBODIA::

Well, I can't believe it's here! Lecture phase of Musicians DTS 2012 is almost over! (After today) We have to present some projects today and clean the base but that's pretty much all there is! We have learned so much about ourselves, God, and are equipped with tools and teaching! We will never stop learning about any of these things, but during this time of my life I have been catapulted into a deeper understanding of all of these. I'm so excited to be a student for the rest of my life!

Tomorrow after lunch our team will be taking off from Denver, CO to Las Vegas, NV then to Seoul, South Korea, and finally to Bangkok, Thailand. Please keep myself as well as our team in your prayers! Please Please Please!! :) 

I am planning to keep everyone as updated as I possibly can. My phone will not be able to receive texts or phone calls after tomorrow night. The best way to stay in contact with me is via Skype, possibly Voxer, email, and Facebook. Please keep in touch! I will try to respond and update my blog whenever possible!

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support!!!

Here we go Thailand and Cambodia... We are coming!!! 

This picture to the right displays what our team T-Shirts look like! It was designed by my small group leader & outreach leader Molly Hardwick!

Talk to you soon everyone!! From halfway across the world!!

From My Heart, 

Brielle Renee

P.S. I want to say a big thank you to Dad, Mom, Taylor, Nan, Pap, Sarah & Dave Boyer, & Anna for sending me the last and sweetest package ever! When I opened it and saw little wrapped presents I beamed with such a smile! Thank you for everything! I'm so grateful for each one of you and appreciate how you all took the time and thought of me. <3

P.S.S. To anyone who has seen my closet and knows how much I love cute clothes I feel as though you should be very proud of me for being able to fit EVERYTHING I need into a hiking backpack and live out of it for 2 months in 2 foreign countries... dad... (cough cough) Yes it can be done! Love you :)

Preparing for outreach!!!

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

-Helen Keller

This past week at a glance...

* Sunday I attended Faith Bible Chapel where I heard a great sermon on the Holy Spirit and Spiritual gifts. While I have been in classes that went into this subject in depth it was still really good to hear some things again, and ask God to give me a new perspective on some of what I'd already heard. What I really appreciated was after the service the entire church filled the aisles and we put our hands on the person in front of us and we prayed for them. We heard some specific things that were going on in their lives and we started praying for the people that surrounded us, even though we had never met some of them before. I really appreciated that we took the time to apply what we were learning about that morning as opposed to just getting a pat on the back and hearing, "We'll see you next week." It's about relationships. :)

* This weekend was my last weekend on kitchen duty at the base! It was so fun to experience this, and it really helped me appreciate how much time and work goes into making large quantities of food! We had a blast working and singing at the top of our lungs. 

* Monday we went to Hillside Church for worship with all the schools, because Faith was in need of using their auditorium. Hillside is where we will be holding our graduation in February. We had a wonderful time of worship and we also had a guest speaker! Peter Iliyn is the YWAM Director of North America. He came and shared with us about how our meetings with people are so important and not to take them lightly. He told us an amazing story that has taken place in his life in reference to his message, and he's really funny!! Such a great way to start the week. 

* Our last Community Ministries time was on Tuesday evening! I can't believe how quickly our lecture phase is coming to an end! For Community Ministries two other students, a couple leaders, and myself traveled to the Refugee House Church. My expectations of what this was were totally off! When we walked into the house where we were having bible study I noticed that everyone was our age except for the people that were leading the bible study. These people were all refugees from all over the world that were able to come to America. There were people from Rawanda, Burma, and Thailand. All over the world where they have been persecuted. We had worship with them and a bible study. At the end we had a fellowship time where we got to talk with them. I talked to a refugee from Burma, (a little history: Burma has been in the midst of the longest civil war in the world. Many of the Burmese people flee to the south and make it to Thailand where they are free.) and I seemed to hear the Lord prod me to ask him how to say, "Jesus loves you." He speaks Karen which is the native language of Burma. He told it to me and I believe that God is going to be able to use this on outreach somehow! We had a fantastic night! 

* Love Feast!!! Thursday evening we had Love Feast which is a banquet that YWAM held for all the students over at Faith Bible Chapel in the Atrium. I started getting ready at 1:30pm and was able to be the hairstylist for 6 girls including myself! :) It was a blast but by the time 5:30pm came I was exhausted! Everyone looked smashing, the atrium was beautifully decorated so that it looked like a Christmas party, the food was fantastic, the company was the best, and it was even complete with a talent show. Everyone had a spectacular night and it was nice to spend time with all these people who have become our family. So fun to get all glammed up for a night before we go on outreach and live out of a backpack! 

* For small group this week we went into Downtown Denver and went to the cafe called, Rooster Moon. While we were here we wrote letters to each other for either when we get back from outreach or for a year from now. Personally I wrote mine for a year from now and I'm excited to see how I will have changed in a year! I also had my first Egg Nog Chai Latte which was actually amazing! :)

* Friday evening The Art and Justice League had a silent art auction at the Church Downtown. A few of us that didn't have afternoon work duties were asked to go and help set up for them. When we arrived we got to help set up the photo booth area, (Mom, I felt like I was decorating for ECE a little bit ;)) and we also helped prepare food and cater the event. Everything turned out beautifully and I was blessed to be able and be apart of this night with such a great organization. 

*Real talk. This week has been difficult but through Jesus I am victorious. Not only myself, but there are others this week on the base that have been getting slammed with some pretty heavy spiritual warfare. Pressures of outreach are coming up, and personally, I have experienced some terrible nightmares this week. Relationships have been tested, and are being tested. I know that the enemy is trying to use stresses and conflicts to get not only myself, but others down as well. We have a lot of school work coming up and our final exam is quickly approaching as well. There is some sickness going around and some depression. This week we have been speaking and praying against these things. Interceding for each other and pressing into God. Prayer warriors, we could use your prayers!! Victory is already ours and we need to claim that!!!

::Classes::

- Due to the fact that we are about a week from our three teams going on outreach, we haven't had a speaker this week. Instead we have been learning a ton of dramas, dances, and puppetry! It has been so so so fun!! I think we have about 8 different dramas, 3 songs that we do with puppets, and a choreographed dance.

-The dramas cover an array of different subjects and are intended for specific age groups.

-The puppets are so fun! We learned how to take care of them and really bring them to life!

-The choreographed dance is SICK! We had a 4 hour dance class on Thursday and had a blast learning it. (We are fully prepared to flash mob this in airports hehe)

Meet my puppet: Lafawnda. Legitimately though, that's her name. :)

::THAIBODIA::

- I cannot believe that in 4 days I will be on a plane with 14 other people flying to Bangkok, Thailand! Wow! 

This week has been full of preparation for leaving! Packing, getting finances in order, learning dramas, writing sermons and testimonies. We have had meetings on what to bring, what to expect, and logistics. Thailand is 12 hours different than Eastern Time I believe and I've been checking the weather at times. At 6am it is pretty consistantly around 80 degrees! Whoaaaa! We have to wear clothing that covers our knees and at least has short sleeves so it's gonna be hot! 

We took our team photo this week and have been growing closer as a family! We leave the base after lunch on Wednesday and we have layovers in Las Vegas, Nevada and Seoul, South Korea. 

While overseas I will have access to wifi periodically. So please leave me Facebook messages and emails! Unfortunately I wont be able to text or make phone calls because of the international fees. I will also be trying to update my blog as frequently as I can!

There will be times that our leaders will be sending out emails as to how things are going. One of those contacts will be through my mom so feel free to give her a call and see if she knows anything more! 

This is our last weekend living on base. Our last couple days staying in our dorm with all these friends that we've made. I will miss them terribly, however, I'm so excited for all the things they will be doing for the Kingdom of God as they travel to Kenya, Africa, Southern California, and Cancun, Mexico. As much as I know you support and intercede for me, I would urge you to keep these other teams in your prayers. Things change on outreach and sometimes contacts fall through so there will be times when we really need to wait on the Lord and listen to what His plan is instead of our own! Thank you so much. 

Thank you for making this all possible! Each one, Thank you!

From My Heart,

Brielle Renee

P.S. Here is our video cast from this week! It explores our teams gearing up for outreach!! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6GCdGhFTaQ

P.S.S. Here is the sneak peek of our dance, "Ramalama (Bang, Bang)" Keep in mind we were just learning it that day! :) It demonstrates what it's like to feel controlled by sin. Almost like you're a puppet. In this drama there are puppets (people) and puppeteers (demons). They each struggle with something different. There is drugs, gluttony, alcohol, and even religion. The end is up to each person. God is the victory to overcome these things and after the drama will be a sermon on it, so even though it may seem dark, there is a second half that isn't seen on the video. Our goal is to bring glory to God and this is a tool that we will be able to use! 

Ramalama (Bang, Bang) Thaibodia team

P.S.S.S. I'll try to do one more tiny update before I leave!

+ Jesus

"Jesus did not come to Earth so that we can have a relationship with the Father, instead He came so that we can share in His relationship with the Father." 

This past week at a glance...

*Every Wednesday we break up into groups and have a time of intercession for a country that our group has picked out! For some reason I haven't mentioned it thus far, and I feel the need to now! The group that I am in has chosen China to be our country of focus. Each week we have a different focus that we pray into. Some examples have been praying for the media, home, church, family, government, business, sports, and entertainment. I enjoy this time because it raises our awareness on things that are going on outside of our country and gets our eyes off of ourselves. China needs our prayers and I love being able to intercede in prayer for this country. 

*On base there is a fellow student from the Phase 2 school who plays flute! I was humbled when Mats came to me and asked if I would be willing to give him lessons! I've been able to recommend some practicing material, and it feels so wonderful being able to teach again! I'm excited to see how God is going to use this love of mine in the future!

*Friday was Kingdom Night! Students from Musicians DTS, Phase II, and YP DTS all traveled to the Church in the City to start off Kingdom Night. We had a fantastic time of worship! We meet in the basement of this church where we blast worship music and just prepare our hearts while interceding for the city of Denver before we go out into the city.
While we were worshiping I heard the Lord urging me to dance with Him. I've had people come up to me throughout DTS and just say that Jesus longs to dance with me. Let's be serious... me? dance in a room with other people? I started making excuses in my mind and then I heard the Lord say to me that He's provided everything I need to dance with Him. The basement of this church has smooth wooden floors perfect for dancing, beautiful music was playing, and I was wearing clothes that I could dance in. Finally I gave in, because the truth is, I really did want to dance with Him. So I started dancing with Jesus... and I knew He was dancing with me. Nothing has felt so right than to forget the world around me and dance with my Father.
The energy in the room was explosive and actually everyone started dancing! We even created a dancing line because the joy was just flooding our souls! We followed this time up by agreeing in prayer with one another.
When we arrived at the 16th Street Mall a group of musicians felt called to worship at the beginning of 16th Street. That's where I stayed the whole night. We had four guitarists, a mandolin, a trumpet, D'jembe, 2 flautists, and vocalists. We played worship music in the street! People would come by and listen, then someone would spot them and just start praying for them. One man's arm was even healed! It was amazing to feel how the atmosphere of the place changed as soon as we got there and started playing! Such a wonderful and encouraging night!

Here is a picture of two of my classmates. Micah with the Djembe and Mats with the flute. 

::Chris Failla : Jesus::

This week was one of my favorite weeks as far as teaching goes! Chris Failla was our teacher and a former YWAM student. He taught us on Jesus. I'll admit, at first I thought I had a pretty good handle on what all of this would be about. Well... I was wrong, and I'm glad I was! I have had a new passion ignited in me for the bible and studying scripture! It is so much more than what I've grown up hearing, reading, and knowing! 

Here are some of the notes I took! 

We started off by realizing that because of interpretations it can misconstrue things that have been taught from the bible being represented as truth. Chris used an example from his life that went like this. There was a time when his wife was talking to a mother from a different country. Chris's wife was being encouraging and trying to help the woman with different things, but the woman came to her later and said that she was deeply hurt. Chris's wife was shocked and bewildered wondering why. The mother said that she felt as though Chris's wife was saying that she was an unfit mother and needed help. Nothing about their conversation suggested that, but because of this mother's insecurities she misconstrued the conversation and took it personally. Man, how many times do we do that? I know I've been known to. 

-"A filter of insecurity can misconstrue a conversation." 

-"Shame causes us to interpret behavior statements as value and identity statements." -Paul Young "The Shack"

OK get this! What is the very first thing that we know about God in the bible? Well Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth." Is that all there is to that verse? Does it seem pretty straight forward? Well this totally blew my mind... 

God (in Hebrew) is Elohim. In Hebrew the 'im' ending signifies PLURALITY! The word created, in Hebrew, is SINGULAR. So essentially what Genesis 1:1 says is, In the beginning they (the trinity) creates (unitary). Why is this important? God is all about relationships and He is a relationship. The enemy wants us to focus on God as singular, however, God is unity. He is 3 in 1. I would've never given this verse a second look. Crazy huh?

Did you know that Jesus was always God's plan? He wasn't a backup plan because Adam and Eve messed up. How do we know this? 

Ephesians 1:4-5 " For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will-" We were always meant to be adopted through Jesus. 

"The gospel is not an invitation to accept Jesus into our lives, but really the gospel is simply coming to terms with the reality that Jesus has already accepted us into His." 

Oh my goodness I have so many examples of passages that I never truly understood in their entirety. I would encourage you to talk to me about some of this stuff when I come home so I can explain it better! With that being said... everything that I have written in my blogs I encourage you to scrutinize on your own. Check things with the bible and have a conversation with God about it. I'm no scholar, just a student that's trying to soak up as much as I can. I do the best that I can to try and represent what I'm learning through this blog. So please if you disagree with something, don't write me or YWAM off. Just seek the Lord and what He says. That's what is most important anyways. :)

Even though I have so many more wonderful notes I'll include this last one because if had such a profound effect on me. Chris had an example of 1 chair (which was higher, like a stool) and then separately he set up three chairs facing each other. He explained about how sometimes we view God as being up in heaven sitting on a throne and looking down at us. In reality though, He isn't sitting up "high", He is the other example of the three chairs all sitting with each other. God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus. The thing is... sometimes people have explained them as being 3 dudes sitting around and talking about the world and creating and such. Then Chris said, "Well that poses a problem for you ladies, doesn't it." As he started explaining this it resonated with my heart so much that I started to tear up. In Greek the word for spirit is "numa." This word is gender neutral. In Hebrew the word for spirit is "ryach." This is a feminine noun. Ummm what? See when God created man in the garden of Eden He said that both man and woman were made in His image. (Genesis 1:27) How could he create woman if we aren't part of His image? So you see... the Holy Spirit encompasses everything that is masculine and feminine. This may seem like elementary when you think about it. I mean it makes sense, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. Wow... :) 

^^^ Those are just some little tid bits! 

::THAIBODIA::

We are less than two weeks away from going to Bangkok, Thailand! Time is flying and I can't believe how fast lecture phase of DTS is rapidly coming to an end! I must say thank you again to everyone that helped to make this possible! Whether you helped through supporting me with encouragement, prayers, finances, the picnic, and/or the concert that I held... Thank you. :)

This week we got our work duties for while we are on outreach. Everyone has a different assigned job. I get to work with another girl in my outreach on preparing meals for everyone! Honestly it makes sense that I have the privilege to have this duty because while we have been living here at the base that has been my work duty here. Every other weekend I help to prepare/set up/ and tear down breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday and Sundays. I could really use your prayers though because I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'm a super organized person and going to a new country having to brainstorm/prepare meals for 15 people 3 times a day gets me a little anxious sometimes. I know that God will provide and guide us, but prayers are always appreciated! 

Check out these little guys! This past week I realized that I had this extra yarn that I had no idea what I was going to do with while on outreach. When you live out of a backpack for 2 months you really can't spare any room for balls of yarn. As I began thinking about possible solutions to this predicament God answered my question. I believe that God has called me to crochet these little hearts, and while over in Thailand and Cambodia give them to children. It may be seemingly small, however, I know if I was one of those children it might mean the world to me. It doesn't matter that there is a language barrier, everyone knows that a heart is the symbol of love... and God's love for those little sweethearts is simply unfathomable. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and stay involved in my life. 

Love you all.

From My Heart,

Brielle Renee

P.S. Here is our video cast from this week!

YWAM Video Cast

P.S.S. In a recent blog I talked about Nefarious, the Christian documentary that investigates sex trafficking and prostitution. Below I have included the link to the trailer. It is just that profound. 

Just as a disclaimer, be advised that it will shock you. I've seen the trailer multiple times and the movie, and every time... I still get tears in my eyes. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esHuKsVozI4