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!

Finishing the Finnish Summer

Few words and heaps of pictures from this summer in Finland.

I came back to Finland in the end of May. The most important reason for coming back just at that time was my brother's wedding in the beginning of June. I am so happy for my brother! It has also been a joy to get to know his wife better during the summer.

The wedding also brought all the siblings together.
From the youngest to the oldest.

The wedding wasn't the only party - of course not!
Some friends graduated. 

---

I was asked to help with a youth camp of my church in June. So I prayed and said yes. The camp took us almost around the Finland! We went to the East, then to the North, West and finally back to the South. Most of the places I had never visited before and I was more than excited to know my country better!

I changed shirts with my new friend. I like my new one.

Finland is tiny, but anyway we got to sit hours on the bus... 
Me drinking mate.

This is not me. I haven't become a fish yet.

Lapland - the northern part of Finland.

Delicious food in the middle of nowhere.

Welcome to Finland! What would u like to do?

I know the Beautiful Maker of all this!

BTW, it is true that in the north the sun never goes down in summer! 
It shines through all the night. 

Ok, this time it was not Table Mountain in Cape Town, 
but we made it! 546m :D haha, it felt like 5k

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However most of my summer I worked... hard. Haha, not that hard, but a lot though. We have a summerhouse 20 minutes away from our house. We had heaps of things to fix there. About an half of the time I worked there with my father - rest of the time alone. 

The work was physical and I liked it. The best thing was I didn't have a strict schedule and I was able to live in the summer house if needed. Whenever I wanted to sunbathe or swim in the lake I just took a break and continued after a while. Cool, right?

Here's something we did:

Renovation of the SAUNA..! We made a new floor, renovated some walls, put a new ceiling... Many things!

I made the steps and the path next to the house.

The path to the shore

A platform for the table & chairs

---

As most of the ywamers know the time after (or between) the mission field is not always easy. Even though I had a perfect summer the time was also hard for me. I have already got used to live in a Chirstian community surrounded by people. Being at home only with my parents easily made me feel myself alone. 

We are always living in the middle of a spiritual war - no matter if we realise it or not - no matter if we decide fight or not. I didn't see this reality all the time. During this summer I needed to humble myself with certain things. In the midst of my weakness I had to seek the Lord. However most of the time I felt I was failing because I just couldn't do what God had asked me to do.

In the midst of this pain God showed His perfect faitfulness again. He never asks us to do anything without also giving us the courage and humbleness we may need. God showed me again that it's all about Him. So this period of time became a time of victory, real joy, a family restoration and intimacy. All the promises God gave me for this time have been fullfilled.

"On that day I will gather you together

and bring you home again.

I will give you a good name, a name of distinction,

among all the nations of the earth,

as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes.

I, the Lord, have spoken!"

Zeph 3:20 (NLT)

I have no words to describe all the joy and peace God suddenly gave me. His faithfulness just blows my mind!

I have become so blessed by my friends! 
Praise God I don't need to be (stupid) alone..:D

Maybe far away from each other, but in the same boat anyway.

---

Well, the summer is over and I'm leaving to the late winter of Argentina. However I have SO much good memories from this summer. God has been so good for me. I love my country, I love my language, my food and SAUNA. And that's why it's always so good to leave. You know you want to come back when it's the time.

Now I'm in the middle of the preparation for leaving. My flight is on Wednesday. No, I haven't packed :D But I'm not that stressed. God has showed His favor even in the small things: I have managed to sell many goods I haven't even used for years. There's so many details I could tell you where I can just see God's favor over my life.

---

I wana praise for:

• this opportunity to spend summer in my country
• my family and my friends
• the faithfulnes and favor The I Am has showed me

I'm praying for:

• these two days of preparation for Argentina
• for my flight

Be blessed!

"If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, 

for he cannot deny who he is." 

- 2 Tim 2:13 (NLT)