Graduation of the Counceling School

Hey guys! For them who didn't know yet... I did it! I graduated from the YWAM 2nd level School of Biblical Counseling. 

To be honest I'm proud of this achievement! I mean, I never had problems with primary school, high school etc... But to be honest the YWAM schools really takes your to another level when it's all about your character, your integrity, your willingness to renounce and change. In these schools we live together 24/7 so there's no space for faking or living a double life.

So honestly this school was way more difficult I imagined. All of my school mates felt at least once that they just want to leave the school and go back home. Well, I didn't because I knew this was my place. But I'm just so thankfull for the staff and leadership that they had grace over me and didn't send me home even when I might deserve it.

God totally guided me through all these 6 months and I'm just amazed by what He did. For the first time for many many years I'm actually doing good with myself. I just love the man God made me! I have way much clearer idea who I am as a son, as beloved, as man, as warrior. I understand I was created for intimacy with my Daddy God and I don't need to do anything to get there. Just allow Him to enter to my reality and brokeness. This all just make me wonder if I even was a believer before this school? Yes, I believed, but so many lies about myself and God. 

In the same time there's so many processes that just started during the school and now it's time to keep on walking in this new truth I received. Many times we want the chances quickly and it's easy to get frustrated when you don't see that much chance. It's scary to see that even after receiving so much healing your inner enemies are still real and it's still easy to deceive yourself. 

But I decide to live above the fear of going back to the old. The fear will not control me, but I grab it as a weapon I point against every enemy rising up their head. Beware, I'm not fighting in my own strength any more!

I wanted to become better during the school. I didn't. What I did, I discovered the good God had already set in me. And well, with all the bad that's still there... I became more dependent - more dependent on God and the help of my family around. 

Ok, let's not get that emotional. Let's show the photos of the graduation! 

Diploma! 

The MC's of the night: Javier & Juli

Beulah sharing the word 

My friends from the Ituzaingó´s base really
surprised me and came to visit me.
Thank u so much guys!

I'm gonna miss this guy. Even though Lisandro was not part of our school, we became really good friends.

The last night all together!

But yeah, I just want to thank you all for sharing this journey with me. I can't find words to thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. I love you people!

Let's give thanks for:

• God really healed me and shaped me during the school
• The good health and support during the school
• The amazing outreach

Let's pray for:

• All of the school mates that they'd allow God to finish His work in their life
• Refreshment for all the staff members and leadership
• My new time in YWAM Ituzaingó here in the province of Buenos Aires

P.S. So basicly I'm back in the YWAM base here in Ituzaingó, Buenos Aires. It's good to be back here and I feel really loved and welcomed once again. I'm working in the art ministry where I used to be before as well. Hope to write some updates soon!

Outreach in Santa Fe, Argentina

Hi!

I'm back here after a while! The outreach is over and I'm back in Buenos Aires. Tomorrow we'll have the graduation of our Counseling School. Time have gone so fast and I'm just so thankful for God for everything He's done. 

But now, let's see a little bit what happened during the first three weeks of our outreach. 

As I wrote before, our plans to go to Cuba were cancelled. But in the same time God opened another door to go to the Province of Santa Fe in Argentina. So that's where we started our outreach on the 15th of January.

Our team leaders were Oswaldo (El Salvador) and Mayra (Colombia). The school mates with me were Alanna (New Zealand), Raiza (Colombia) and Cecy (Argentina) who joined us one day later. 

The bus to Santa Fe took like five ours. When we got to the terminal the people from the church were already waiting for us. They took us to the place we stayed the three weeks: a big camping outside the city. 

The population of the province of Santa Fe is 3 200 000 and 400 000 of them live in the capital city which is also called Santa Fe. The church we were working in was a big church and had many annexes, smaller Christian communities under it.

The first week we're preparing the camping to receive the huge youth camp. So we did what we know by hard: work duties. We cleaned the bathrooms from the bugs and spiders, built tens of bunk beds, cleaned the kitchen, washed the floors as well as possible. 

During this youth camp of 200 young people we didn't have so much planned schedule but we helped with ministration when possible. Also they asked to lead some games and so we did in two afternoons. God also used us to personal discipleship and ministration and also the youth leaders sent people to us when the noticed that they didn't have tools to help the people with heavy problems. 

After the first week we got really sick, as I wrote before. The water from the well + all the food we ate + hundreds of flies around... made us end up to a hospital. Alanna and Mayra were really week, but I wasn't much stronger either. So for the first time in my life they put me the intravenous drip (three times) and I ended up sleeping in the hospital. 

The health care is free in Argentina and this hospital was actually really nice. But I can't say I liked the experience. After this event we took more care with our water and dishes and stayed well the rest of the time. 

The following weeks we were preaching and teaching in different annexes, the small churches under the mother church. The people were mostly open to our teachings, but sometimes the spiritual atmosphere was REALLY heavy and there was something that made it hard for the people to receive.

I can't remember that I'd preached before in any church... But this time I preached twice in SPANISH..! I also translated Alanna from English to Spanish twice! These were big steps of faith but God was faithful and helped me. I spoke about the intimacy with God and forgiveness. The following time was in a prison and it was something I won't forget easily.

Inside this prison there is many pavilions of about hundred people. Today one of the pavilions is almost totally Christian. That means that most of the prisoners in this pavilion have converted to Christ during their time in the prison! Every day they have a meeting and most of the prisons take part. So I was totally surprised when I entered into this place and saw happy and internally FREE men! It was an honor to preach to this audience and they listened every word I said. They were also really open to receive prayer and discipleship after the preach. That's amazing right?

There was also another camp during our time in Santa Fe. This camp was for the adolescents. We were asked once again to lead some games and also to have two drama workshops. It ended up well.

During the three weeks we also had opportunities to visit different families, to eat well and also encourage and disciple the broken people. Even though we didn't have lots of plans beforehand we were able to see how God used us. 

Reasons to give thanks:

- For our health

- For the revival in Santa Fe and the prisons

- How God used us

Pray for Santa Fe:

- More committed people to work in the churches

- against the sexual abuse - we found out is a strong problem in this area

- For the families to stay together and raise up their children in good environment

Thank you for your support and prayers!

I wish I'll be able to post more soon so you can hear about the rest of the outreach!

slight changes vol 2

Quickly writing some interesting news.

Three weeks in the province of Santa Fe passed quickly. As the plan was we continued to Sanclemente del Tuyú, to the coast of the province of Buenos Aires. Such a beautiful place!

We'll suddenly, after one week of teaching there, I was asked to join the team that's going to the south of Argentina. So yesterday morning I came back to Buenos Aires, bought tickets to USHUAIA, Argentina, in the province of Tierra del Fuego. And in 5 hours we'll leaving to the airport.

We'll stay two weeks in Ushuaia teaching and ministering inner healing and biblical counseling. Please be praying for strenght and wisdom. And once again thank you all my supporters! Without the financial support this fast change couldn't have been able to do.

They call it The End of the World.
That's where Jesus sent us!

slight changes

Things change - God stays the same. One door closes - God opens another one!

Unfortunately we were not able to made it till Cuba as the whole team. We would like to go later, but it's not possible for the people receiving us in Cuba. However God opened another door from the province of Santa Fe here in Argentina!

Tomorrow morning we'll take a bus and after seven hours we'll find ourselves from Santa Fe! We'll be teaching in a big youth camp. In Santa Fe the people have just a great need of the words of affirmation and love. Together with the local leaders we wana meet this need with biblical counseling, teaching and the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Sounds awesome, right!? Haha, and I didn't even mention yet the swimming pool they have at the camp...

After three weeks we'll head to the city of San Clemente at the coast of Argentina as we planned before. The outreach will finish in the beginning of March.

---

God has really surprised with His favor and faitfulness! I'm just so thankful for every single person who has supported me financially or promised to pray for me. I just feel so loved by people and by God!

I don't know if I'll be able to update anything during the outreach. But surely I will upload lots ot photos later, ok?

Good bye YWAM Bs As Capital! See you soon!

Reasons to worship:

• The financial miracle I have received
• Every single person who's praying for me
• God opened the door to Santa Fe!

Reasons to pray:

• Wisdom and fluent Spanish for the teachings we'll give & creativity for the dramas I must prepare
• Strength and patience for every moment of the outreach
• For my personal life. God's confronting me with really fundamental things. Please pray for this heavy process!

Coming soon... OUTREACH!

Happy New Year!

The world didn't end on the 12th of December nor 22nd so it seems we still have time to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, wake the death and disciple every nation. We don't know how much time we have left (only Father does) but let's use all the time wisely, right? There's still so many people living in darkness, entire people groups totally unreached by Gospel and people disappointing with a god of the religion. As church and individual we are to rise and believe that the Almighty Himself has sent us to fulfill the Great Commission. 

2012 was a year of many blessings and I guess we have all been able to see God's faithfulness. One year ago I had no idea I would do this counseling school which I'm already about to finish now. However God spoke to me about this school in February 2012 and even though I didn't have all the finances to do the school I obeyed. God is so faithful and as I wrote you in the previous post I have been able to pay the whole school! Thank you all supporters!

We organized an international night to rise funds for the outreach.
We sold different food representing our nationalities and performed
songs, dances etc. 

The cake I baked! It doesn't look like real "mokkapalat" but trust me,
the Colombian cafe made it the best one I have ever tasted!

OUTREACH

I have been blessed so much during these three months of the counseling school. Now the theory phase is almost done and it's time to act. The main idea of this school is "to receive in oder to give". I have been receiving so much wisdom, healing, love, grace and freedom. Now it's time to share it all! It's time for the outreach!

With my group I will head first to Cuba for one month. Unfortunately I can't really tell any details here publicly, but I will send my friends and supporters a newsletter or FaceBook message to order to inform a little bit more. If you don't receive this message soon, please contact me and I will send you the information.

However I want already share you this great challenge I have in the financial area. The tickets to Cuba are not cheap at all. Also the prices are really high in Cuba. Later we're planning to go to a city in the province of Buenos Aires Argentina for another month to teach and evangelize. 

We're planning to leave for the outreach on the 12th of January. That's pretty soon, right? The graduation of the school will be on the 9th of March. Everyone is warmly welcomed!

Reasons to give thanks:

• The blessing of 2012: good health, friends, family, new experiences, going deeper with God
• I was able to paid my school fees
• Even the troubles which shows me God's grace and power!

Reasons to persevere in prayer:

• The finances for the outreach
• The people we're going to meet on the outreach
• For the battles I face in my everyday life

merry merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

I'd have so much to write but the missionary life is busy. Today I have been cleaning the base and preparing the Christmas dinner. It's +34°C here and because of the humity it's really extreme. I really miss the white Christmas.

But anyway. I just want to...

THANK YOU

for your prayers and support. I want to share you guys two victories I have got lately:

I got my residence!
- I'm able to get out of the country and come back without problems. For 2 years (I guess) I don't need to get out of the country if I don't want. Thank you for your prayers through this long process!

I was able to pay my school fees!
- Last week I paid everything for these 3 months of theory phase of this counseling school. It was such a miracle! When I came to this school I had hardly the half of the money, but now I was able to pay it all! Thank you for your support and prayers!

Merry Christmas and blessed new year!

There is freedom

This week of the counseling school was just amazing! We finished the identity classes and moved into the ministration time. 

Basically all of us shared to the fellow school mates and leaders a bit (or a bit more) about our backgrounds and what God had been revealing during these first weeks. Then we received prayer. 

Holy Spirit was totally ministering all of us and we were just able to see His power! Even the appearance of each one of us changed during the ministration and the rest of the base was able to notice the change! :D

Of course the week was also heavy. Each of us was being ministered at least an hour and a half. Sometimes the spiritual atmosphere got really heavy when the enemy was exposed. But as the children of God we fight from the victory that we already have. So the darkness needed to step away from the real light.

God spoke me personally so much during this week. We as students were praying for each others and receiving words of encouragement, wisdom and prophecy or whatever Holy Spirit laid on our hearts. I was happy to notice that Holy Spirit wanted to use me a lot to bless others! It's just something I love to do!

But this week was such a week of freedom. As a group we are way much closer now and God released so much joy over us. 

Well, this is just the beginning. There's still so much more to learn, to receive, to mature. It needs time and work but more than anything a intimate relationship with the Father.

Arnulfo's birthday party

We do have homework!

Every Sunday to the church!

Few words about my residence. Basically I'm still waiting for one lacking document.  They first told me it should be ready in 15 days. But well, the day after tomorrow it will be one month since I've been waiting. I already lost one turn to the Immigrations but I'll have a new one on Tuesday the 23rd. Please pray with me that the last document would be ready soon and that I wouldn't need to make the other documents again because of this delay.


Praise God!

• for the miracles he did and the healing we received

• for my health. (something bit me or something and my face was partly swollen for few days! Now it's much better!)

Let's pray for:

• my residence

• the finances for the school and for the outreach

2nd week @ the Counselling School

Hi guys! Como va? (how're u doing?)

The second week of the counselling school is over and to be honest I'm so thankful for God about everything He's done this week!

I'm not any more the only male student in this course as my school mate came from Colombia last Sunday. I'm so happy he came and we are already really good friends.

Almost all of us!

On the classes we continued with the same theme we started last week. The core idea of the teaching is that even though we should have built our lives according to God's love and truth we haven't done that well. The lack of experiencing God's unconditional love, the pain and the lies we heard have made us build our lives on the foundations of rejection and rebellion. Maybe it all sounds crazy but the clases really opened my mind to see how far away I have lived from God's love and truth. This all forms our personality and steals us our heritance: sonship in Christ.

Haha, this was REALLY compact way to share about this topic. But to be honest it has been amazing time. God has opened my eyes to know myself more. I have got to see some stuff I don't like but also the richness of gifts and beauty that He has set on me when He created me. And yeah, these revelations have come through many tears. Tears of pain and tears of being loved. 

The financial challenge

Some people have asked me how I'm doing with my finances, if I have food to eat etc. Praise God we eat really well (haha) at this school and I don't need to buy my own food. I have paid almost the half of the theory part of the school (3 months). So I'm still lacking the half of the theory part and the whole outreach (3 months). We are talking about $1700 - $3000 USD depending where the outreach will be. 

Most possible we will be divided in 3 groups during the outreach. One of the groups will go to Cuba, another to different parts of Argentina and one group to Great Britain, Germany & Spain. So obviosly different destinations have different costs. This becoming week I will be praying where God wants me to send me this time! 

I know and feel everyday that I'm in the right place. God is doing amazing things and He still have greater things for me. So I'm very sure that I'm here because of His will and He will also provide my financial needs on a way or another.

As I wrote in the last post my major reason to do this school is to receive help and restoration. Of course I also know that God's blessing will overflow to others from my life. During my school we evangelize our neighborhood and the outreach is all about helping others. But this time your financial help will be more than anything to bless me instead of supporting the missions directly. So please don't you hesitate to write me here or on Facebook or email me if you want to bless me during this precious time.

El "puru", Jessica (a staff member) & my school mate Arnulfo.

Ok the reason of these nice clothes and dancing is the opening
of a new DTS at this base.
The DTS has its focus on the world of fashion.
 It seems to be the first DTS in YWAM having this focus.

I worship Him:

• for the encounters with God during this week
• for my school mates
• for He will provide everything I need.

I pray:

• for my residence. I have my turn to the Migrations on Tuesday but it seems that one document I lack isn't ready yet. 
• for the finances of the school
• for God's guidance with the outreach destinations

Now it's true: the counselling school!

I big change happened in my life. Since the beginning of the year God started to speak me about doing another school here in YWAM Argentina. So week ago I packed my stuff and moved to a YWAM base we have in the downtown of Buenos Aires.

The school started last Monday and will go on till March 2013. Here's some basic information from the web page:

The school is for the people who look for personal restoration and counselling but and for them who has a calling to counsel others. I do have a calling to help and councel artists and other people but the main reason I came to do the school is to look for help for some personal issues God wants to heal and restore.

At this moment are nine students who come from Argentina, Colombia, England, New Zealand and Finland. During the first week I was the only guy taking the course but praise God there's another guy arriving tonight!

Cut & Paste! The cover of my journal I made.

the back part. Saying something like "The strongest men: God my Father (always offering the best protection) and I, warrior - hand in hand. I'm 100% (saint) superman. Start living like one."

The classes we're taken the first week were very deep as I expect the whole school to be. We were taught about the fear of the Lord and about our lives being built up far away from God's love and truth. Yeah, we even cried the last class when God's revelation and love were ministering us.

So the first week has been such a good start for the school. I'm SO excited what God's gonna do during this school.

In the following post I'll be explaining a bit more about the financial challenge I have with paying the school.

no matter which base, which school...
In YWAM you'll have work duties! :)

We visited the Congreso! First time I actually got inside!

Every week we have a verse to memorize.
I decided to put them all as the screen saver of my
cell phone to practise them during every week.

Praise God for:

• the possibility to do this counselling school
• the things He already spoke me during this first week
• the new friendships 

I'm asking God:

• self-discipleship with all my home work!
• for the lacking finances of the school
• I wouldn't miss ANYTHING He wants to do in my life during this school

Thanks for reading! It's an honor to share these important things of my life with you guys! be blessed!