Covered in Dust

August 6, 2012

Olympic Stories Week 1

This weekend the Forever Team welcomed a brand new group of volunteers to Harpenden, all ready for another action-packed week of outreach in and around London.

This gives us the opportunity to reflect on the past couple of weeks and to give thanks. So many great things have already taken place as believers - both young and old, from England and from around the world - have gathered together to communicate the message of Jesus in all sorts of creative ways, to local residents as well as to the thousands of Olympic visitors.

Here are some of the highlights of this exciting season of outreach. We would like as many people as possible to hear these stories, and to praise God for what He's doing -- please share these stories with your family, friends, and prayer networks. Find them on the YWAM Harpenden Facebook page and click to like or share with your friends!

YWAM Missionaries take part in Official Olympic Celebrations

A YWAM volunteer from Ecuador played drums as part of the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

In this video, Jose talks about how it felt to be part of the unfolding Olympic drama, and his experience of God with him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfoDQw6IKMY&feature=plcp

July 27, 2012

My Dream for Gold: An Olympic Tale!

To say that I'm excited about the Olympics is a bit of an understatement!! I couldn't sleep last night, laying awake thinking about my love for the Olympic games and woke up early this morning with excitement for the Opening Ceremonies! My dream for Olympic Gold has finally come true..Journey with me as I tell my tale....

Atlanta 1996 were the first games I can remember, It was when I began getting this deep desire to win a Gold medal! For the entire year following, I read every book, magazine, and article about the magnificent 7 USA women's gymnastic team. My walls were filled with pictures and posters dreaming of someday being the one on the team with a gold medal around my neck, limping like Kerry Strug after giving it everything I had to win, and the national anthem playing in the background. I would make my mom raise a perfect 10 sign I made out of computer paper when I would perform my impressive cartwheels. That dream of Gold through Gymnastics quickly died when I realized cartwheels and Front Layout Piked Double Arabian with a Triple Twist are 2 very different moves. That last one sounds like an nice ice cream, but don't be fooled ;)

I then moved onto swimming and diving during Sydney 2000 Olympic games, I became an incredible diver, pointed toes and no splash when entering the water! I was on my way to gold until I had to move from the side of the pool to a real high-diving board. They are alot taller than they appear and I was that kid taking the walk of shame back down the latter after failing to make the jump and ultimately abruptly ending my diving dreams.

Moving onto the 2004 Athens games, where I was into my teenage years, more realistic about my odds of olympic gold and more concerned with my love and massive crush on the Hamm Twins on the Men's Gymnastics team, maybe I couldn't win an olympic medal, but I could marry someone with one. That ended when they could only win a silver...and who wants a man that's second best? (jokes, jokes, jokes...silvers alright I guess :0))

That brings us to the most recent games in 2008 in Beijing, I was in my last year of college and attended daily Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt race parties! I was in awe of these guy's talent! I watched as Usain Bolt, ran a 9 second, 100-metre dash, WOW!! Then I realized and it hit me, he has spent his whole life dedicated to being the fastest man in the world, and he achieved it! He got a gold medal, COOL! But then as fast as it happened, it was over. The Olympic athletes spend their entire life chasing this coveted gold medal, but when they get it...then what? That gold medal won't comfort them, won't satisfy their desire for purpose and meaning, and ultimately that gold medal won't fill the gap of eternity. I'm not taking away from the honor of receiving a gold medal, because I think it really is incredible, but if winning a Gold medal is ultimate and everything, it doesn't last after death. That was the moment, I knew that I HAD to be at the 2012 Olympic games, not for the gold, fame or husband hunt, but because I was learning about a God that loves me so furiously and passionately, and just wanted to be where the action was so other people could see it too! During the Opening Ceremonies as the flags of every nation were parading around the track I felt that all those countries had to know about a God that loves them so deeply! I wanted to be apart of the Olympics where every tribe, tongue and nation were gathered in one place, the gospel be spread and then taken out to the world after the games were over!

Can you believe it, Here we are July 27, 2012, the day of the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I'm here! I'm in London! My lifelong dream of being at the Olympic Games is coming true, and how Ironic is it that I work for organizations called "More than Gold" and "Forever." I get to tell people about joy in life and satisfaction that goes beyond a Gold medal, about peace in life after death and sharing a story that changes people's lives literally Forever! I'm so excited to see what God is going to do! I can't believe I'm living my dreams....this has to be what it feels like to win gold!

USA USA USA USA USA!!!!!

July 24, 2012

The Olympics are HERE!

With only 3 days left until the Opening Ceremonies, it is so exciting to see everything around here come together and begin to take off! Tomorrow, everyone starts arriving on base to start the orientation of doing outreach in London and then Friday they are sent out through all the boroughs of London using sports, arts, youth and children, social justice, prayer and general mission to flood the streets with the Love of Jesus! This is what we have been working so many hours for the last few years organizing, preparing, praying and waiting patiently for July 25th, 2012 to finally get here!

If any of you have ever been to a Texas Tech football game, it feels like that moment when the band starts the beginning drum roll, the fans start the "2 bits, 4 bits" chant, the tunnel is full of fog, and the gun is about to sound for the team to run out on the field. I always get those nervous butterflies in my stomach, waiting for team to arrive, for the kick off to happen, and ultimately the finish of the game (with a victory of course...I mean we are talking about the red raiders here haha;))

That's how I feel right now on a much bigger, eternally significant scale! The teams are about to arrive, butterflies in my stomach are out of control because of the anticipation and expectancy to see how God is going to show up and show off during these games!! I am excited to see all the spectacular plays and incredible moves God is going to do! Already this summer with only 4 days of outreach and just 200 people, we have heard of 129 people accepting Christ for the first time and over 50 people healed! This is cool news because people talk about England as being a reserved country and shut off to the gospel...but what we have seen is that God is on the move and revival is here!!

During the next few weeks of the Olympics, my main job is going into London visiting the thousands of people on outreach and writing their story and ultimately God's story and what he is doing. Everyday there will be articles, photos, and video of what's happening, so I will post stuff here as well as you can look at www.forever2012.com and see what we are writing and producing!

Prayer request:

Safety - We will be using every source of transportation during the Olympics from buses, trains and the underground tube station. Pray that there will be safety as we travel and peace among those threatening to attack. Pray for wisdom for the thousands and thousands of security guards, police force, and military personnel to guard and protect.

Energy - 2 years of working on this project has been full of ups and down and just energy for me to finish strong and finish with my eyes and focus on Jesus.

The outreach - that we will see revival in the people of London and the millions of visitors coming from around the world!! People will experience not the religion of christianity but the Love of Jesus. People will find hope, purpose, and identity outside of science, different gods, and themselves that have been unable to fulfill or answer those questions within them. That Jesus furious love for his creation will be known among all nations!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

June 11, 2012

Mind Body Spirit Fair!

How did you know that?

“How did you do that?” seemed to be the common response from participants after receiving “creation prayer” at the prominent London New Age festival known as Mind, Body, Spirit. For the third year in a row, we offered “creation and healing prayer” inside an exhibition booth among other booths that offered psychic readings, past life readings, and meeting with fairies. After inviting festival goers into our stall, we listened to the Holy Spirit for specific words about God’s original design for a them as they sat in the chair next to them, then we basically just told them that God loves them and has a plan for their life. If I could describe Mind Body Spirit this year in two words it would be 'open heavens'. There was such a rich mixture of Gods blessing being poured out, numerous healings, several salvations and many have a real encounter with the living God.

Story after story came each day of hope, redemption, and a God that is furiously in love with His creation. Word of this hope got around the festival, and news traveled that the “Forever” Stand was offering something free, something real. There were parts of the day we were so busy, we had a queue of people lining up waiting to be prayed for and people from all over the festival coming on recommendation from their friends. One of the ladies receiving prayer said “I love your stall, it seems that I could stay here forever. It is almost a shelter and refuge place from all the chaos around this fair. Its full of light, full of peace, and full of dignity!” We had people lining up and waiting to come and sit down and basically hear the gospel!

Reiki Healers, Hara Krishna (Hindu sect), and other stand owners began to show up and see what the commotion was about. We had a group of Hara Krishner’s come one by one through word of mouth. The first man, after receiving words of Grace and Beauty, cried tears of brokenness and joy, saying ‘I have never met any Christians like you and I have never felt loved like this before.’ The second woman was completely healed from a back and hip injury, and the last Hara Krishna to visit committed his life to Jesus. The last Hara Krishna man to visit, God gave us pictures that Jesus was anointing him with oil. In their Religion, they anoint oil on the heads of diety statues as a sign of devotion or on themselves for purification, so this was really significant for him because it was meaning that Jesus (diety) was reaching down and purifying him for free. Which is amazing that in one word the gospel was presented in a way that met him where he was!

I have just learned when hearing the voice of God, you just go for it 100% and trust that what God lays on your heart was the truth and exactly what He wanted to say. This year I was able to speak boldly and with confidence even if it seemed harsh or blunt because I knew it was truth that brings freedom.

One man who was particularly interested in the booth, came by a few times throughout the day perplexed by the idea of how we work, why we work without selling our services or a product, and where we get our power. He came testing us and ready with an argument full of skeptism, and left claiming he had searched all day for something he could believe in. What he experienced at the booth was peace and a God he could trust. In the end himself along with others describe their experience as the best encounter all day because it wasn’t about the people at the stand and their service, ability, or spirituality but rather about a God who loves them, a God who is pursuing them, and a God who uses ordinary people to proclaim he has a plan and purpose for his creation. How did we do it? We didn’t, God chose to pour out his love and we just got to come along for the journey.

Our Prayer booth

pay 50 pounds to put coat hangers on your head :)

One booth that played a gong the whole time...good times!

May 24, 2012

The story

Come Join the story that God is telling in London! Check out this video I wrote and narrated! I have always wanted to do voice overs or radio work, maybe this is my chance for my breakout career :) If you are interested in learning more come, contact me on dondi@forever2012.com

April 30, 2012

Latest Newsletter

April 26, 2012

Hope

Our team went out onto the streets of coventry and asked people "what is hope" or "what are you hoping for" Here is a video of some of their answers. Amazing enough, one man realized he didn't have any hope and after a few hours of conversation, he decided to put his hope in Jesus for the first time! Great outreach