The Wrap-up.

The Experience team left directly from Deep Camp to begin "Wander Week" which took us all over the country, with a lot of God encounters on the way.  The week was specifically designed to be a mystery, so though we can't share many details here, the students were engaged in a number of unique experiences that allowed them to witness God's creativity in people and in creation.  

After a full week of traveling and camping, everyone was pretty excited to get back to Denver.  The last week of the Experience was spent exploring some of the unique ways that God created each of the students, and dreaming and casting vision for what the future years may hold. Toward the end of the week, the students spent some time re-visiting the objectives they had listed at the beginning of the program, for what they hoped to see happen during the summer - and the night ended in a spontaneous time of intense praise and worship as we all got to marvel at the work that God did, meeting everyone in what He had placed on their hearts from the beginning.  A repeating comment throughout that evening was - "the Lord knows us so well!"

The summer experience ended in a joyful graduation ceremony on Saturday, July 16th.  People from all over the country came in to celebrate and join in launching the Experience graduates.  

Praise God for a summer that was so full of brokenness, healing, vision, and movement!  

Praise God for the 19 lives that are now being sent out all over the country!

Praise God that this is only the beginning.....

Deep Camp - 2

Here are a few more moments captured during Deep Camp...

 Deep Camp ended with much celebration as the students were sent out to Love God and Love People as Laborers for Christ!

Deep Camp has been so full of God moving in the hearts of the students and staff! God has been answering our prayers for more of Him, more of His will, more of His glory...multiplied! All glory is due His name! 

Here are a couple of pictures from this week's sessions...

Deep Camp

After 2 and a half weeks overseas, our team was happy to hit the ground back in Denver, and be re-united with the rest of the KBM staff.  We returned around the same time that 16 days, another one of KBM's training opportunities for high school students, was finishing up, so we were blessed to get to know some of those students as well.  We also got to share with them the celebration in their graduation ceremony, and be a part of launching them as they prepared to return home.  

Praise God for more laborers being sent out! 

In a very quick turnaround, the team prepared for the next adventure and headed up into the mountains to run a 5-day camp for high school students, called Deep Camp.  This is KBM's third year running this camp which is specifically designed to push students outside of their comfort zones and into places of deeper intimacy with God.  This year, the camp is being held in the Rocky Mountains, so we are blessed to be in a location that naturally ushers everyone into a place of worship, as each time you step outside you are greeted by stunning views and panoramas of the mountains that are surrounding us.  The Experience students are taking the reins this week, emceeing the morning and evening sessions, leading small group discussions, and orchestrating team activities.  There are times set aside throughout the week for them to be in classrooms with speakers, as well as to engage in a team building exercise separate from the rest of the camp, so they are continually being poured into as they are also pouring out.  

Last night the camp kicked off with Adrian Despres hitting hard a message on sin and repentance.   He challenged everyone to take a good look at their sin, and understand the weight of even the small stuff, which Christ fully took on as He hung from the cross.  There was an invitation to deal with sin and leave it at the cross that very night - to confess and repent and be prepared to enter into the rest of the week with a clean slate.  The response was incredible - many found themselves on their knees, or on their face, confessing sin before God and before each other and claiming freedom.

From there, the speakers will be calling the students to greater levels of intimacy with God, and challenging them to go out and participate in the Great Commission.  Please pray with us for the movement of the Holy Spirit - in the lives of campers, students, speakers and staff alike.  Pray that hearts would be open, and that deep work would be done that wouldn't easily be shaken upon returning home.  Pray for this week to be not just a camp high, but a launching point.

To Him be all glory, praise and honor!

pictures!

Tomorrow morning we leave for our return flight to Denver. The time has continued to be filled with evidence of God's hand. For now, we wanted to share some images of what these past days have held.

Father's Day in Haiti

Sunday's in Haiti are beautiful and a reminder of what it is to Sabbath. This morning the team traveled to participate in a Haitian service at a local church. We had the opportunity to sing a couple of songs and it seems that the team's presence was a blessing and encouragement to the community there.

This afternoon has been restful. Before lunch, we spent time praying together - for the Haitians, for team unity, for our fathers (we love you dads!) and seeking God for more of Him, more of His glory, more of His will. After lunch we had another round of sharing life stories, hearing and believing that God has been intentional with our journeys and will use them for His glory. As this post is being written, the team is sitting around a large table, guitars pulled out, the Irvine family gathered with us, worshiping together. This house that sits on a hill overlooking the city of Port au Prince is resounding with worship and adoration of the Creator of our universe.

Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Revelation 4:8-11

 

Arrival in Haiti

Wednesday was spent traveling from 6am until 8pm - a long day. But a good day. The AC on the bus was wonderful as we traveled across the DR into Haiti. The border crossing went extremely smooth and we were only two hours behind our scheduled arrival time!

Dan and Joy Irvine welcomed us in Port au Prince and took us to our home for the next 7 days, the Lakay Eli House. It's a beautiful place, full of peace. Today has been a slow day, full of rest. Originally, a project was planned for right after lunch, but because of the weather and other unforeseen things that came up, it was delayed. The extra time gave the team time to rest and spend some time with God.

As we transition, we are excited to see what God has in store in these next few days!

Transition to Haiti

This post was written Tuesday evening, but didn't post for some reason...

Battle was done in the village of Majaguita this weekend, and our God is a God who overcomes. 
Amen?

Sunday morning the team was put in charge of leading a worship service for the people of Majaguita.  God was moving, and bringing in members of the community who haven't been to church in years, but were blessed by encounters with members of our team as they walked through the community just days before to talk with and pray for people. One member of our team was laid on our hearts as the one who should be asked to preach; before he was even approached about it, he mentioned that God had specifically laid a message on his heart for the Sunday morning service.  Another member was called severely out of her comfort zone, as God asked her to step out and lead a specific song for worship that morning.  God laid it on the heart of another member to specifically pray for the breaking of strongholds over the community, and for a revival in Majaguita.  Others were directed to perform a powerful skit displaying the heart of the gospel message.
Everything about the day seemed to have God's hand in it - and it seemed as though after fighting the battle in the morning, we may have kicked the bees' nest a bit.  Our team was feeling a deep heaviness throughout the rest of the day - abnormal weariness, and at times even oppression.  We rested that afternoon, and were able to find remnants of life, but as nighttime came we became more aware of the spiritual warfare that was in the air.  And that night we did battle - Some of our team were called out to pray over doorways, and pray over the buildings and even the roads of the village.  Some were led to read Scripture out loud late into the night.  Others were directed to sing songs of praise and victory and FREEDOM over the community. Bold prayers and powerful truths were proclaimed in that village that night.
For many, it was their first taste of coming face to face with that level of intensity in spiritual warfare.  And the next morning, on our last day in Majaguita, there was a new taste of life.  That afternoon was spent in joy, with water balloon fights, jumping off of rocks and bridges into the river, hikes to the top of the mountain for chocolates and Cokes, and so much laughter and love. 

We left Majaguita and returned to Jarabacoa and Escuela Caribe with lifted spirits.  Today was a day to rest, reunite with some of the students we connected with earlier in the week during our stay at the school, and prepare for the next stage of our trip. 

Tonight was met with overwhelming joy during the time scheduled for youth group with the Escuela Caribe students.  We were on the schedule to lead the night with worship and a message, and the whole deal - but after inviting the students into our temporary home last week, sharing openly and vulnerably with them, and loving them and fighting with them through their own struggles that they brought to the service, they wanted to return the blessing.  The students at the school asked to be allowed to host US - and they stepped out to share their hearts and their stories with us.  It was a beautiful collision of hearts giving glory to God - even as I write this there are echoes coming down the mountain as a group of close to 50 is packed in one living room singing, even shouting their praises to God.

Glory a Dios...
Glory to God.

Tomorrow morning at 6am we begin the trek across Hispaniola to spend the next 8 days in Haiti. 
As the team is waking up to new spiritual realities, pray for increased discernment and boldness for us all.  Pray for unity within our team as we learn to do battle together.  Pray that God would continue to call us to new depths with Him, and also to new heights.


[And if our God is for us, who could be against us?]

Majaguita

We have a short window of time for internet access, so we wanted to update everyone following!

 

The past couple of days the team has been in a small Dominican village called Majaguita. As we opened the door to ‘The Coaster’ we were greeted with hugs from Julito, the village mayor (for lack of a better description). After hiking ten minutes down into the valley, the team was overwhelmed with the beauty of the mountains and the small space of land the village is situated on, just above a beautiful river.

 

The first day we spent the morning touring the mountainside and he various areas of their self-sustaining community. We learned about their crops, how they have developed a system to provide gas, a hydro electric system, saw their homes and animals. The afternoon was open for students to rest and spend some time alone with God. It was nice to meet with God in such a beautiful place. The evening was spent planning and preparing for the next days activities and seeking God’s heart for the community and the people there.

 

Today we split into two teams – one team doing children’s ministry while the other walks around the village, listening for God and seeing where He shows up. As one of the people helping to lead the team, I want to take a second to share how God has been moving. Today I was personally blown away at how God is moving deeply in and through this team. You can hear the sounds of joyous laughter coming from the meeting place where the kids are and you know that the kids are experiencing deep love. During a heavy rain shower, two students walked up to me soaking wet with huge smiles on their glowing faces – they had been playing basketball with some of the kids. Another time I walked by to see the students surrounding a staff member from EC, praying for him. And others come back from walking through the village with stories of how God had used them to usher in life and hope to the families living there. Even though the language barrier is something that we are learning to work through, God has covered us with His grace.

 

Yesterday during a team meeting, we were encouraged to know that “the greatest of these is love” and that “God is able to make all grace about to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor 9:8). With hearts seeking to glorify God, His grace is covering us and the Spirit is going before us.

 

We will be without internet access until Tuesday, but will provide an update when we return to the school, before heading out to Haiti on Wednesday morning.

 

Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray for the team. Pray for the village of Majaguita and the people that make of the community. Pray that we will have eyes to see the ways God is leading us to spread His love to them.

Our layover in Miami

The team made it to Miami and spent there time resting. We're minutes away from boarding our flight to the Dominican Republic and the excitement and anticipation is increasing! Thank you for your continued prayers!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

leaving on a jet plane...

Shortly after the bus rolled back into Denver after being "stranded" in Nebraska, the students were introduced to John Vermilya, one of KBM's itinerant speakers. Leading well off of the few days of intentional discomfort the students were coming back from, John taught an evening session on compassion for the poor, and what Jesus commands us regarding both the physically and spiritually poor and imprisoned. Since then, the students have spent a lot of time back in the classroom, continuing to deepen their understanding of Scripture and the Kingdom of God.


Tonight we were blessed to have friends and family from KBM and beyond gather around and fight for all of us in a concert of prayer. We spent 2 hours worshipping our God and asking for His will, guidance, and protection in the upcoming weeks as we travel. The rest of tonight will be spent packing, and getting as much sleep as possible before our departure at 5am.

We will be in the Dominican Republic from June 5th-15th, and then we will drive to Haiti, where we will be until June 23rd. Please pray with us.

Pray for our team, that we would be united, and continue to learn to live in trust and vulnerability with God and with each other.
Pray that we would be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads us through each day's activities and interactions.
Pray that our eyes would be opened to see the Dominicans and the Haitians with God's eyes, and love them with His love.
Pray for divine appointments - and pray for those who we will be coming in contact with, that God would begin preparing their hearts now.
Pray also for our health - there are a number on our team who aren't feeling well already, so pray for their restoration as well as protection for the rest of us.

Most importantly, please pray for more of God and less of us, and that HIS will and His alone would be done.

May our God be lifted high.

"...For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

[2 Chronicles 20:12]

Intentionally STRANDED! ...in NE

Cell coverage has been sketchy at best the past several days. The team engaged in some highly intentional team building challenges strategically designed to use extreme missionary training to ...well can't tell you everything!!

The team is definitely growing closer and more unified. I guess being stranded for several days together has its positives! Everyone is doing fairly well. Tired. Excited. Currently processing what God has been speaking into their hearts ...and catching some much-needed winks in the busses as we drive across Kansas.

Thanks for praying for the team. Keep it up! The past few days have been "key moments" for several students. God is SO good!

Intentionally STRANDED! ...in NE

Cell coverage has been sketchy at best the past several days. The team engaged in some highly intentional team building challenges strategically designed to use extreme missionary training to ...well can't tell you everything!!

The team is definitely growing closer and more unified. I guess being stranded for several days together has its positives! Everyone is doing fairly well. Tired. Excited. Currently processing what God has been speaking into their hearts ...and catching some much-needed winks in the busses as we drive across Kansas.

Thanks for praying for the team. Keep it up! The past few days have been "key moments" for several students. God is SO good!

Walking Down Faith Street

Everyone seems to be doing well! We had an incredible day of learning what it means to walk a faith-filled journey toward Christ. Sometimes He calls us to follow when we don't know where it's going to lead ...that's Faith!

Fun time at lunch growing together as a team over some really good taco salad! Thanks Lorene! Then spent the evening hosted by Dwight & Dawn at there home for dinner, great fellowship, worship of our King and prayer. Thanks, God!

Talking With Dad

This morning a couple students felt God's Spirit challenging them to gather the team and spend some time in prayer. As the team gathered around, prayers began to flow. Prayers of thanksgiving, praise, unity, surrender, hope, love & a deeper desire and hunger for more of God, more of His will, more of His glory to be evident in their lives.

Thank You, God for the faithful work of transformation you are doing in our hearts!

"Seeing" People Downtown Denver

The team is on FIRE! ...after an incredible time of seeing people through God's eyes & loving them with His love on the streets of downtown Denver. Wow! Every team member has a story of God using them to show His love to people who may never have seen it before in there lives.

There's really nothing more powerful to fuel your faith than being used by God to speak His love and grace into the life of a person He loves SO much.

Now the team is in a Q & A session with Adrian Despres...

Perspective



The team arrived in Boulder, CO this morning and spent the first part of the morning downtown on Pearl Street, becoming re-introduced to God. Perhaps a strange encounter to consider, but have you every really asked yourself what your view of God is and whether or not is in line with who He says He is?

We hiked to a point that overlooked the city - that allowed us to see a new perspective - and continued to dive into the truths of who the Scriptures say God is. We serve a loving, righteous, intimate and sovereign God! And we have been created to bring glory to God, loving Him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul, ALL of our strength and ALL of our mind!



"Let the Glory of the All-Glorious God be EVERYTHING TO YOU"

~ Andrew Murray

First Adventure

Yesterday the rest of the team arrived to bring us to a total of 19 students! After the weeks and months we have spent praying for them and building long distance relationships, it was a wonderful time of receiving our family!

Throughout the day we spent time giving thanks and praise to God, sharing how we have seen and encountered His glory!

This morning the buses swung by the hotel at 6am, picked up the team and now we are off on our first adventure. Excited to see how God meets us this morning! Stay tuned for updates!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

First Experience Student in Denver!

Excited to welcome Jerod Hevel, the first to arrive of a 19-member young adult Experience team assembling at KBM's Base Camp / Headquarters in Denver for program kick-off Saturday noon!

Pray for the rest of the team coming from various states across the US, including Hawaii, as well as, the countries of Mexico and Canada! We are so excited to welcome this team and watch His work in their hearts this summer to challenge, equip, and mobilize them toward Kingdom Laborership! Yeah!

The Experience 2011!!!

After many months of prayer and preparation, we finally made it to the week leading up to the launch of the 2011 Experience training program!  In just a few short days, we will be thrilled to welcome a team of 20 students with whom we will be sharing life in deep and intense ways over the next 55 days.  Although we will be meeting many of them for the first time when they hit the ground in Colorado, God has already moved in mighty ways to stitch a sense of family deeply into this team, and it feels more like we are looking forward to a long-awaited family reunion.  As we have talked and prayed with each student, we have seen God moving in incredible ways and we are confident that He has a specific and beautiful plan in mind for us as a team and for each individual.  God has clearly been moving in hearts already, and it is exciting to watch His hand move and see that it is not just about a summer program - but about the work the God has been doing and will continue to do, which this "Experience" is simply threaded into.

Please pray with us as we enter into this summer.  Pray for us as a staff, as we continue learning to fix our eyes on Jesus, and to simply point to Him.  Pray for the students, as they are boldly preparing to leave friends and family and familiarity for 55 days to enter into God's plan for them this summer.  Pray for all of us, for a deeper awareness of the Kingdom of God as we explore it in the coming months.

When God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses asked the question that many of us have asked as well -
"Who am I?"
Who are we to be called and used by God?  Who are we to dive into the mysteries of God and think we can come out alive?  Who are we to join the effort to advance the Kingdom?
The beauty of the question is in God's response.  He does not comfort Moses, and describe all of the really awesome and unique things that he was designed with, and He does not spell out the specific attributes of Moses that somehow makes him the best choice for this mission. 
He simply says:  "I WILL BE WITH YOU."

And that is all we need.

May we rest in that truth more every day.