Oh, Beloved

“Know, oh beloved, that you were not created in jest or at 

random, but marvelously made and for some great end.”

-A Ghazzali

Give Thanks

Our Thanksgiving Tree

     Yesterday I had the privilege of preparing a Thanksgiving feast for my YWAM family here in Norway. It was so fun making all the traditional food for everyone at the base! All five of the Americans were hard at work in the kitchen---we even had three full generations represented, so it really felt like being back home cooking with a family. When it came time to feast, we shared with our 150-ish guests the history of Thanksgiving and asked that everyone write on a piece of paper what they were thankful for  to hang on our "thankfulness tree." It was so sweet to go up and read what was written throughout the meal. This was an especially difficult week for some of the families who were facing serious health problems and even separation, but yesterday was a day of truly miraculous breakthrough and there was much to put on the tree. A grateful spirit was thick in the air as we devoured our turkey and dressing, and I'm happy to report that in the end I was so full that it hurt (and as any good American can testify, that's how you know you did it right). 

     Here's some things that made it to the top of my thankfulness list this year: 1) Skype: the bridge of communication between me and those I miss and love the most 2) community: that even when I'm away from home, I still feel surrounded by a family 3) snail mail: I have a steady stream of letters coming into my mailbox from dear friends each week 4) creation: from the majesty of the Alps to the farmlands of Norway, it fills me with wonder and awe of the Creator 5) the journey: God's goodness as He patiently leads me forward into the unknown. Hallelujah! 


And just for good measure, I'll end with a song:

"Thank You" by JJ Heller

For painted purple skies 
For never telling lies
For giving all you had away
For crying when I cry
Ooh thank you... 

For changing autumn leaves 
The salty ocean breeze 
For coming down from heaven to save a wretch like me 
Ooh thank you... 

I can't understand why you left your throne
But I know that you came and you saved my soul... 

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Ooh, thank you 

Starring Yours Truly

About six months ago, YWAM Germany filmed a promotional video for our various ministries and Discipleship Training Schools. They interviewed me about my ministry, Pick A Pocket, and then I totally forgot about it! Low and behold, I'm all over this thing. If you want to know more about what I'm doing in Germany, watch the video below. (Try not to judge us too harshly for the audio time-lapse! And the subtitles are pretty small so you may want to go full-screen unless you have an affinity for Deutsch. )

YWAM Germany on Vimeo.

Possibility

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but

for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and

ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what

wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!”

-Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or: A Fragment of Life

Nations to Nations: Benny Prasad

With Benny Prasad at Nations to Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Last week, my school traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to study the spiritual climate of present-day Europe with Tom Bloomer, the international provost of University of The Nations. It was an amazing time of gaining understanding about post-modern Europe through studying the history of Geneva and the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century which began there. We were able to visit the church where John Calvin preached as well as the home of Jean-Jaques Rousseau, the 18th century philosopher who greatly influence the French Revolution. 

While we were in Geneva, we also had the opportunity to take part in two Nations to Nations events. Nations to Nations is a ministry of YWAM that is seeking to restore the identity, dignity, and destiny of all peoples and nations through intercultural worship. These events are essentially huge worship gatherings where the different nations being represented are invited to lead segments according to their cultural tradition. For example, we had French rappers and hip-hop dancers performing, followed by a traditional African praise song being sung in Zulu. Among these diverse worshipers was Benny Prasad, an Indian musical prodigy and an amazing man of God. In 2002, God told Benny that he would travel to all nations of the world to share his testimony, preach the gospel, and perform his music. As an Indian, this is a virtual impossibility, but this year God's word to Benny was fulfilled when he performed in Pakistan, the 245th and final country, making him the world record holder. He has performed in countries as closed as North Korea and as remote as Antarctica. His story is truly incredible. Take a look at the video below to hear more about Benny:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=bennyprasad

Geneva, Switzerland

   

"These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, 

long to thunder praise, but stand reverent, silent so that 

man's weak praise should be given God's attention."

 -Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts

Auschwitz: A Warning To Humanity

Hundreds of thousands of tiny shoes belonging to the child victims of Auschwitz. (photos by Kyrre Hovde)

This week I traveled to Kraków, Poland with my School of Pioneering Leadership to study the history of the European church with Jeff Fountain from the Schuman Center For European Studies. As part of our teaching, we spent a day touring the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, a true hell on earth. The night before, I sat down with some of my fellow students to watch "180," an extremely well-articulated documentary comparing the silent holocaust of abortion to the horrors Hitler inflicted on millions of Jews during World War II (I've mentioned this documentary before, and I want to urge you again to please watch it if you haven't already). With that information fresh in my mind, I just lost it when we entered the memorial for the hundreds of thousands of child victims of Auschwitz. My heart broke as I saw the never-ending piles of tiny shoes belonging to precious babies just learning to take their first steps as their lives were snatched away by the gas chamber, starvation, and disease. 

One thing is clear to me: We have not heeded the warning; We still have not learned the value of human life. While "180" only accounts for those abortions taking place in the United States, Nurturing The Nations by Darrow Miller reports the even more alarming global total of 46 million abortions annually (about 126,000 per day...roughly the population of my hometown of Abilene, Texas). Miller notes that "God designed a woman's womb to be the safest place in the world. Sadly, this place of compassion has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for human life." 

As I stood weeping before this warning engraved on the Jewish memorial, I couldn't help but wonder if there will come a day when a similar memorial will stand to honor the millions of lives that never had the chance to begin, the stories that will never be told, the children--like those of Auschwitz--who have been robbed of their childhood. But unlike the world-wide ignorance of this holocaust as it took place during the war, we are all too aware of this multi-generational mass-murder of innocent children, and yet we do little more than put "Pro-Life" stickers on the bumpers of our cars. It's time we find our voices. You can begin by sharing "180" with everyone you know. You can also join me in searching for new creative ways to reach out to women facing this decision between life and death. I worry that the modern Church has become so focused on what we're against that we've forgotten what we're for in the process: hope, life, healing, restoring dignity, and introducing the world to a perfect Love which drives out all fear. Isn't that really what it all comes down to, fear and a lack of real understanding? Let's begin living as a people of hope, speaking the truth in love, saving the lives of innocent children as we cast out fear in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The Reform

Last weekend, YWAM Norway sent out 50 teams to all 46 nations of Europe to intercede for the continent simultaneously. Can you grasp that? Young people standing in the gap, crying out in one voice to the God who desperately longs to be with the people of these nations. How beautiful is that? 

You might recognize this song, "The Reform" by Ascend The Hill, from our Koshe Project video. It's my heart's cry to see this song become the prayer, the reality, of Europe. Join with us in hoping for that. 

(Download this album by Ascend The Hill and many

 other great artists for free at ComeAndLive.com)

I open my eyes to the breath-taking splendor of brand new sky

I come with all I am

Heart pounding, and voice resounding

This is the sound of my rebounding

Coming back again

Coming back again

To you, God

The Creator's brand I bear

And forfeit the scars of love to share

This is the sound of foundations shaking

History in the making

This is reformation

This is love overtaking 

This is the sound of redemption

This is now, this is here

This is love overtaking me

This is love overtaking me

Overtake us God!

Holy Matrimony

Simon & Eline with all the YWAMers!

Last weekend I  made a trip down to Holland for the wedding of my two very good friends, Simon and Eline! *Side note---it's still amazing to me that a two-hour flight will take you all the way across the continent (such a shocker after growing up in the vast expanse we call "Texas"). Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again: YWAM weddings are special. To have friends coming together from every corner of the globe to bless this union and celebrate it together was such a gift for everyone involved. Not to mention the Dutch know how to throw one heck of a party! I dont think I've ever eaten so much good food in my entire life, and that's saying something coming from an avid celebrator of American Thanksgiving. 

The travel to and from was a bit sketchy, as we were flying through massive rain storms both ways. I experienced for the first (and hopefully last) time the thrill of hydroplaning into a tailspin on the runway amid the screams of frightened children. No thank you! But all in all, it was an incredible weekend packed full of quality time with friends from distant lands. I was so encouraged to hear about what God's doing in each of their lives, and I look forward to when we'll meet again! 

Simple Expressions of Love

Proudly waving the Norwegian flag in my new sweater.

     Because my practical needs feel more tangible in the mission field, I tend to only ask God for the necessities and skip the rest, but last week I really felt that God was challenging me to ask Him for my heart's desires. While my "heart's desires" cannot be summed up in a nordic sweater, this was the one token of my time here that I really wanted, so I asked for it specifically: white, pull-over style, loose and comfy with the traditional silver buttons. To my surprise (and it's sad that it was a surprise) God didn't respond with "Seriously, Laken? I'm kind of trying to deal with the whole mass-famine-across-Africa thing right now. " Instead, I simply heard, "Faithfully look in the boutique every day until I provide your sweater." So every afternoon I've gone down to look for my sweater in the boutique (a room in the YWAM base where people can leave behind clothes to bless others with). Today I went down, and sure enough, there was my sweater neatly folded on top of a pile of t-shirts. It's exactly what I requested! I was told later that a sweater like this would normally cost around $175, and mine looks like it might never have been worn. It was such a good reminder for me that, like my earthly father (and I have a great one), my Heavenly Father wants to provide more for me than just food in my stomach and a roof over my head, that sometimes He wants to give me something just because He can. 

Elskede Jesus

I love Norway. I love that every morning when I step out my door, the crisp fresh air hits my face and the prayers of faithful servants float down from the Upper Room. I love seeing the sun glittering on the surface of the lake in the distance and the clouds settling low on the hills. I love the thick, green, weed-less grass and the colorful Norwegian cottages. I love that 54 degrees farenheit is picnic weather. I love the rich heritage of this nation. I love this culture and these people. 

Most of all, I love their beautiful language. This song, Elskede Jesus, is so on my heart. I had a dream the day before I came to Norway that many people were standing around me singing this song. At the time, I thought it must have been the language of angels because I'd never heard it before. To my great surprise, this song actually exists and was written by girl named Marie Hognestad (who does have the voice of an angel, even if the language was only Norwegian) who's serving with the prayer team here at Grimerud. How beautiful is that? Oh, Lord, how you woo me!

Here are the lyrics in English:

Beloved Jesus

No one can compare with you

Beloved Jesus

You are the only one for me

You are the glorious Morning Star

Chief among ten thousand men

You live in a light no one can approach

You are the First and the Last

Ruler of the kings of the earth

Your beauty surpasses all I can think of

So come and take your place on the throne of my heart

I crown you as king of my love

Come and take your place on the throne of my heart

I crown you as king of my love

Beloved Jesus

You are all my heart aspires to

Beloved Jesus

There is only you who satisfies

An Argument For Life

Take thirty minutes out of your day to watch "180," a documentary which makes an extremely compelling case against abortion. I was moved by the content and impressed with the solidarity of the arguments made by New Zealand-born Christian minister, Ray Comfort, who within minutes transforms the view points of many pro-choice men and women.

 

Vikings And Brown Cheese And Fjords, Oh My!

Last week I made the journey from Germany up to Ottestad, Norway (near the capitol, Oslo) to begin a School of Pioneering Leadership. The school consists of a three-month lecture phase where, together with 20 other students from 13 different nations, I'll learn about the principles of pioneering new ministries within European culture. The curriculum is incredible so far, even in this introductory phase! We'll be hearing from seasoned missionaries who have pioneered entire regions of the world, academic scholars in the fields of politics and history within Europe and language acquisition, and others who are simply passionate about seeing the Kingdom of God reign over this continent. I'm so excited for what's to come! 

Koshe Project Goes To Camp

The 13 girls of the Koshe Project with their signed permission slips for Camp.

Exciting news from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! A few weeks ago we posted on our Pick A Pocket facebook group about an opportunity for the 15 girls we work with through the Koshe Project to go away for summer camp in the countryside for a week. Literally over night we were able to receive full funding from supporters, activists, like you! So for a mere $40 per girl, they were able to leave Addis Ababa for the first time in their lives, breathe fresh air far away from the garbage city where they used to work, and spend time learning about God with other Ethiopian kids. Many of them remarked that it was the first time they felt like normal kids and not "from the trash." By the end of the week, ten of them even gave their lives to Christ. WOW. It's so incredible to see the changes that are happening in the lives of these girls, and it's such a privilege that we get to be a apart of it! If you want to know more about the Koshe Project, watch this beautiful video made by Pick A Pocket artist, Stephanie Eatherly:

Love, Sweet Love.

Scenes from the long ride to Basel!

Last weekend I had the privilege of witnessing the wedding of two of my friends and ministry leaders, Josh and Ruth Elke! YWAM weddings are always extra special because beloved friends gather from every corner of the globe, reunited to celebrate the joining of two lives, by means of impressively budgeted travel and extremely creative housing. In our case, it meant packing into a rental car at 5am and pounding the pavement until mid-afternoon. We reached our destination, Ruth's family farm in Maulburg (near Basel on the border with Switzerland), just in time to participate in the "stag" and "hen" parties, help with last-minute cleaning, and transform their barn into a reception hall.

The day of the wedding was a toasty 85 degrees fahrenheit (my apologies to the Texans who, I'm sure, are scowling at my use of the word "toasty" in reference to anything below 100), and not a cloud in sight---perfect for such a happy occasion! I wish I had a copy of the vows to share with you because they were absolutely beautiful. It was so fun listening to the fathers bestow their wisdom on Josh and Ruth in their different languages (Josh is American and Ruth is German), and to see their families come around them in prayer. I'm confident that many will be blessed by this union!

The Anthropologist

I dont know how many of you are as in love with the stylings of Anthropologie (the store, not the study) as I am, but if you're an artist of any kind, you'll want to take a look at this video. Featured in The Anthropologist---the newsletter of inspiring individuals distributed by the clothing store each month---photographer David Eustace uses a unique (and absolutely stunning) meathod of motion photography to capture the graceful movements of Scottish Ballet's principle dancer, Tomomi Sato. (...I apologize in advance for the creepy background music they chose to use)

Skateistan

We serve a creative God. Take a look at the transforming power skate boarding is having over the youth of Kabul, Afghanistan. This video is 9 minutes well-spent. 

Pick A Pocket Retreat 2011

The whole group after a day of team building (hence the war paint).

Last weekend we had our annual Pick A Pocket  retreat! Because we're all constantly traveling and involved in different projects and training schools, this is the one time of the year when we're able to come together for fellowship and refreshing. Uli's parents were nice enough to let us camp on their land in Bavaria (southern Germany), so we rented huge 12-man teepees from the boyscouts and set up a little Pick A Pocket village of sorts, complete with camp kitchen and fire pit! 

We spent time in prayer and worship together, but we also took time to be silly and play games. We even had a Survivor-esque team building day where we put on our "war paint" and ran around in the forest completing challenges (my team won, of course ;-]).  Through all four days it was raining and 55 degrees (12 degrees Celsius), so when we weren't playing ultimate frisbee or red rover, we were all huddled by the fire talking and laughing. It was so good. The retreat was a great way to welcome in our seven new members, look back on what God has done, and look forward to the vision we have for the year to come!

Visitors Galore

This has been an amazing season, a lot of credit for which is due to the many visitors I've been able to receive in the last months. As a missionary, it's so encouraging to have friends from back home "come and see." Sometimes it can feel like I have two separate worlds: where I came from, and where I'm ministering; And I think it was God's intention in sending me out that those "two separate worlds" would get to know each other a bit. So to have visitors from one world show up in the other has really helped me, personally, to bridge that distance. Here's a tremendously tiny overview of the sojourns I've had the privilege of hosting:

Kaitlyn & Stacy's Easter Visit

My friends, Kaitlyn and Stacy, visited for Easter weekend to round off their time studying abroad in Europe. It was a fun adventure that began in Berlin with some sight-seeing and thrift-shopping at the incredible Mauer Park Flea Market. Then we took the train to Prague for a quick 24-hour blitz through the city! The Easter Market was in full speed when we arrived and we ate yummy kebabs in baguettes and drank gluwein to the soundtrack of Czech polka music in Old Town Square.

Krisi's Post-Grad Adventure & Treg's Pop-In

When I arrived back in Germany after my trip to Texas, Krisi was there waiting for me! After graduating a couple of weeks before, she decided to take a month-long sabbatical to Europe and I was lucky enough to be one of her stops along the way. We read in a hammock in the woods, took picnics around town, and watched a lot of movies in the evenings. Then our friend Treg, who was studying in Prague post-graduation, came for the last few days Krisi's time in Herrnhut! It was so fun to have them both here at the same time.

Kori's Furlow From Romania & Treg Strikes Again

The perfect conclusion to this marathon of visitors was Kori & Treg's mid-July stay. Kori has been working as a missionary intern for a ministry in Romania, and Treg has just finished up his certification to teach English in Prague. It was a much-needed break for all three of us! First they came to Herrnhut for a few day's rest, then I headed back with them to Prague where we dropped Treg off to catch his bus to the Ukraine for his next adventure. From there, Kori and I enjoyed a leisurely three days of exploring the city, resting at Sir Toby's Hostel, and other funtivities, such as the Harry Potter premier and karaoke night with some other missionaries we met in a bookstore! Tons of fun. Then she went back to ministry in Romania and I returned to ministry in Herrnhut. Lovely. 

WOAH! That was a marathon of a report back. Bottom line: Come for a visit! You wont be disappointed. :)

Apathy

This is just a really beautiful video I stumbled upon the other day. I love the cinematography and the message. Take a peek!