Our God is Bigger. . .

Drunk in the spirit. A phrase that I used to skim over quickly when reading the Bible. Or think to myself, really? It was something I thought may be possible today . . . but I would never see it.

Not anymore. I have seen it. The last night at camp it spread like a wild fire. It lasted over 4 hours. It started with Nemo, one of the guys from the youth group, and his prayer and cry for others to see the Holy Spirit in him and to be changed by it.  It ended with over 25 students, all at varies stages in their walks with the Lord, praising God with everything in them, through song and words, and moving around the room praying for one person after another.

It reminded me of the day of pentecost mentioned in the book of Acts. The start of the christian church and revival. I wouldn't be surprised if a revival starts here on the island of Saaremaa. Currently less than 1% of Estonians are Christians. This number will grow.

Drunk in the spirit.  I now have a better idea of what heaven will look like. Praising God without another thought or care in the world. Our whole bodies shouting out and praising God for His: power, love, holiness and much more.

A body of believers praising and worshiping God together. It is a beautiful thing.

Our God is bigger
Our God is stronger
Our God is higher than any other
Our God is healer
Awesome in power
Our God, Our God

Rakvere, English Camp

Joyful, Fruitful, Body of Christ, and Affirming. All words used by my team to describe this past English Camp with the Rakvere church.

This was the third year the American church from Atlanta, Georgia worked with the youth group. Most of the Americans had been to the camp in the past. This allowed for students to jump right into camp and open to sharing during small groups in the morning and evenings.

When asking students what their favorite part of camp is the most common answer is small groups and the labyrinth night we created. The two most spiritual parts of camp! God is the one who is speaking, working in, and touching the hearts of the students at camp. The reason they come back year after year is because of the love they feel and the openness they experience.

This camp was one of the more challenging ones for me. I had a hard time finding my place and connecting in a deeper way with the students. For some reason I had a hard time relating and talking with the students, something that usually comes easily to me. I felt lost without structure during the day; free time in the afternoon and evenings were the hardest times for me in camp. I longed for small group time, afternoon activities and sports. I learned that God's perfect plan may involve taking me out of my usual comfort zone and growing me in other areas (and to use my limited time with students or people wisely)

Throughout the week I was able to see one girl in my small group be challenged by God. She came to camp because one of her non–christian friends told her about it. She expected to come, make some new friends, and meet Americans. But she left excited to read more stories from the Bible, attend youth group each week to see her new friends, with new ideas, thoughts, and questions about life, and really feeling loved by people other than her family. She told me she is not ready to be a christian. She is not ready to change her life. But I know that she was touched by the Holy Spirit at camp. She broke down one of the nights at camp and felt for the first time the emptiness in her that only God can fill . . . and she knows it. I received a letter from her after camp and she ended it with, 'you were the first person who has ever prayed from me, and I don't know why, but I don't think I will ever forget it.' . . .I am still praying for her.

God's Hand

When we pray, God answers: yes, no, and wait. This summer my team and I have spend many moments in prayer praising, thanking, and asking things of God. This past week we were able to reflect and see how God has answered our prayers and guided us towards His perfect will.

About a month ago a false prophet came to Estonia and began spreading false teaching in the name of the Lord. The two biggest lies he was spreading was that you have to be baptized in the name of Jesus and not in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you weren't baptized that way you are not saved and need to be re baptized. The second lie was that if you do not have the gift of tongues you are not saved and the Holy Spirit is not in you.

Unfortunetly the youth leader at the Kohela church, a very close friend to all the guys on the Ko-ma team, fell into the teacher's trap. The youth paster, when approached in love, realized the lie and repented. However, after much prayer and counsel the Ko-ma team decided to cancel Kohela's English Camp. This youth group's number one priority should be to work on getting back to a healthy spot. Once they are there, they can work on outreach again.

So what does this have to do with God's hand and answered prayer?

This past term my team and I were able to work together at Rakvere's English Camp. When looking back we realized that Rakvere and Pärnu were the only cities in which the entire team meet with the church before camp. For the other cities, only those of us who were doing camp went to visit. My team and I were able to start camp on the same page. It also united us as we were able to serve together. Each person played a specific role at camp. God had specific students he wanted us to encourage, bless, and challenge.

A couple months before the summer began the American team that has worked with the Kohela church had to back out. Ko-ma worked hard on finding individuals who would be willing to help out but in the end we only had one American and a few people they knew from their church at Risttee. We were shorthanded leaders. It could have been done, but it would have been tough.

This was also the first year that Ko-ma put on a soccer camp. It was scheduled to take place this last term. All summer we have been praying for guys to register and for an American to help out. A week before camp there was still only one guy registered and no American to help. They decided to cancel the camp and instead  travel to different cities around Estonia and meet guys on the field to play soccer and share God with them afterwards. The one American who was suppose to help at the Kohela camp was the perfect fit to help out with the soccer ministry. The guys were able to travel around Estonia spreading God's love to a number of different people, including one of Estonia's deadly gangs!

God's hand is over Estonia and we can rest in the knowledge that His truth, hope and love will be spread on in His way and on His timing. We just need to pray and act in obedience. . .

Because of your prayers and support . . .

This is a video created by Maaris, one of the girls in my small group. God is working in her heart. Right now she doesn't think she needs God, but she shared with us that she feel different when she is around christians and at church functions. Her brother-in-law is a christian and I pray that him, along with the Parnu youth group, can continue to water the little seed that was planted in her heart this past week at camp.
-The background song is this year's theme song. (There is a fun dance that goes along with it.)

Pärnu, English Camp

My story, your story, God's story. 

We all have stories to share. Every one's story is different. 


By sharing our story we reveal a little bit of ourselves to those who listen and it draws us closer together. This past week at camp many different types of stories were heard and told. Each morning and evening we shared stories from the Bible about different key people in Jesus' family line: Rahab, Judah, Ruth, David, as well as a few others. Later in small groups we dug deeper into the stories and were able to share similar stories from our lives as well. 

My small group praying with one another on the last night 

Throughout camp, as as one story after another was told my small group and I began to draw closer and closer to each other. My favorite memories from this camp were the times spent talking, laughing, and shedding tears with each other. Two girls, Maaris and Laura, were both very quiet and didn't like to talk during the first few meeting sessions. As the week progressed and they began to open up it was fun to learn that they are the two biggest practical jokesters I have ever met! They continued to keep me entertained with pranks they've pulled at home and school.

Laura and Maarice. 

Maaris and Laura both do not believe in God, but He really touch them this past week at camp. One of the nights we talked about being re-born spiritually. Maaris told us that she thought that was impossible and no one can be born again or given a second chance on life. Later that evening she shared about a time she went to a church and while everyone was singing worship songs she felt something and that it was probably the holy spirit. . . I don't mind that she is unable to grasp the concept of spiritual re-birth, so long as she can grasp the idea of the holy spirit being real and alive in people.
Cool Fact: Most of the students who signed up for camp because Maaris told them about it.

Maris (yes, different from Maaris) another girl in my small group was really convicted this week to live out her life for God. She had been to, two English Camps in the past and believed in God but wasn't living a life that reflected it. She didn't make going to church, reading the Bible or praying a priority in her life. . . or even existent. This past week at camp her eyes were opened to what it means to live for God and how important it is to grow in Him daily.

Her first step of faith was inviting her best friend to the 'After Party' (gathering after camp in the city with all the students). Her best friend had no idea that Maaris was a Christian or that the English Camp was connected with a church. During the After Party one of the girls, Sarah, from the American team started talking with Maarice's friend and by the end of the night she accepted Christ. Now together, Maarice and her friend can keep each other accountable and encourage one another in their new faith.

Youth Leaders (minus Lev)

The Pärnu youth group was excited for this year's English Camp. They have had a desire to grow their youth group for years but never really did anything about it. This year they came to camp with a mission, backed by months of prayer. There were three girls and one guy who accepted Christ at camp and many more who called themselves Christians but realized their lives, words, and actions didn't reflect it. They youth group is ready to help, encourage, grow and disciple all of them.

Lev, one of the youth leader told me that he finally realized the church was not a building and a place for people to come to be saved or grow, but instead it is the people in the church who do this. He realized, along with others in the group, that he doesn't have to wait for the students to come to the church to share  the gospel but that he can do it while playing soccer, at work, in school, and any other place that conversations can start or be held. I am so excited for this youth group and all that God is going to continue to teach them and how He will be growing them in the next year.

The MCs of camp 

Camp Dance

Sports time 

Show Down: The locals verses the English Camp, we lost 3 to 2

These guys have steel stomaches 

Ice Breaker Games

Explaining the superhero we created during English class

The superhero showdown

Making out music video during English class

One night we took a trip to the sea and sauna

Trying to figure out what they all have in common. . .

Sin makes our hands dirty and only God can clean them

Girls cheering for the boy's during the soccer game

This is where 3 people made decisions to follow Christ 

More games 

Hanging out at the sea

Dear Rachel . . .

Dear Rachel,

We made it through the first camp this summer. I am so pleased that you were finally able to see that I can use you to help enlarge my kingdom and want you to be living a life centered around a ministry of your choosing. Your skills and talents are specific to you and remember to never judge yourself by those around you.

Thank you for being so open and honest in your prayers to me, and when praying with others. Remember to show your heart to others because I will shine through your cracks.

I am proud of you for letting go of trying to control the schedule and activities at camp. You allowed me to take full reigns and. It is ok that you can't control and please everyone. Remember to daily and continually give yourself to me and I will speak to you, give you wisdom, and a peace that you can never reach on your own.

I hope that this camp was an encouragement for you in the way you saw me alive and working in the student's hearts. I am here always. Thanks for being obedient in coming to Estonia and letting go of Czech, at least for these next few months,

Love always,

God

Explaining one of the evening ice breaker games 

Me and all my "dead cows"

My sport team, The Crazy Guys 

Show down between Maarice and Laura, who will finish their Coke through a dirty sock first?

Explaining one of my favorite games, Viking