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One of the ministry I worked with in Cambodia was SALT. The documentary film "Offside Cambodia" shows the story of two girls who managed to escape slavery and find a new life. Take a look!!

#cambodia #2014 #missions #outreach #ywam

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From Wollongong to Battambang (Australia → Cambodia)

After 3 months doing “Lecture Phase” in Australia our leadership told us that the country we gonna do our Outreach for the last 3 months of our DTS would be Cambodia (Southeast Asia), between Thailand and Vietnam. We went from the city Wollongong (Australia) to the city Battambang (Cambodia).

The 3 months we spent there, we worked with children and women at risk, evangelism, taught English, preached, worked with some different ministries… We learned about the Buddhist culture, we met and built friendships with the Khmer people (people who are from Cambodia are call Khmer). We even learned some easy sentences in Khmer (also his language is call like that) and that helped us to communicate in case we didn’t have an interpreter.

Everything we learned at Lecture Phase in Australia, we practiced in Cambodia. The time there wasn’t easy; we had a lot of difficulties. The spiritual oppression (Buddhism) was so strong, the heat (at 95°F we had to wear special clothes to respect their culture, baggy shirts and pants that at least, cover our knees), the food (usually rice, to breakfast, lunch and dinner), poverty, the smell of the streets… A lot of things, that us as European or Americans had a cultural shock. The Khmer population is young, with a 70% (under 25 years). It was so hard living in a country with a lot of kids without the possibilities to have a worth life.

As a curiosity I have a story (I apologize if you love animals, specifically dogs), we wanted to try some of the “delicacies” from Cambodia; dog, snake, frog, rat, cricket, tarantula, larva, waterbugs and duck egg with the embryo inside (I just tried dog, cricket and a tarantula leg, I was not able to eat a whole one)… I’m sorry if that was gross, even though I thought was such a funny experience hahah. But actually I think this is part of my personal testimony, because in my school, I was one of the most who had a really bad attitude in Cambodia, just because since the beginning my love for that country was non-existent, non until God changed my heart. I was complaining all the time about the food, clothes, place… Then I tried those “delicacies” cause I wanted, fact that surprised all my school because of my attitude at the beginning. However I asked God for His heart and I opened mine. Now I can say you all, those 3 months I spent in Cambodia, were one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I would love to go back to visit.

The last week of June 2014, we got back to Australia, for our graduation and the whole week, they prepared us to our re-entry in our own country. During all that week, the encouraged us to keep going, to not forget anything we learned and also practice it. They prepared us to know that when we are going back to our respective homes, we are getting back to our “normal life”, we are gonna be out of the bubble we had been the last 6 months. Be back into your life, after that kind of school is not easy, it’s so hard. They warned and gave us some advices to use when we would need them. They told us we will have temptations where the enemy will remind us about our past, but is in those moments we have to remind everything they taught us.

Being in a DTS, with a bunch of people who are like your family, walk in a 6 months journey with a lot of changes into your life, through a lot of difficulties, be out of that spiritual camp 24/7 and go back to home, you won’t believe it, but is hard. However, thank God, everyday is getting better now. That school changed my life, the friends I made are like my family and have a really big place in my heart, I recommend doing that school, is something you would never forget. I will never forget those 6 months that changed my life forever. My call into missions has been always so strong, but after this school, even more. I know God wants me to do that and I’m so thankful to Him for giving me this desire. My next step will keep being into missions and if is God’s will, next year, 2015 I’ll be starting a new adventure. You wanna know what is it about? Read my next post.

#australia #cambodia #wollongong #battambang #2014 #ywamwollongong #ywamaustralia #god #god is love #love #missions

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Passionate for Him

My school started on January 12th, 2014, we were 17 students with an average of 20 years old, and 12 staff (2 of them leaders, 2 co leaders and 8 staff).

We connected so quick, I can’t even describe with words, at the first week. We passed from being strangers to be a family. People from the USA, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, United Kingdom and Spain in a Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Australia. Each one of us, not only students also staff, shared our testimonies. Testimonies about addictions (drugs, alcohol, pornography…), suicide attempts, some of them saw the death face to face, homeless people, orphans, rape or bullying victims… Only few of them had had a “perfect” life. Each one of us was in that school, because God wanted us to be there. To learn more about Him, for spiritual healing and give testimony of it.   The first 3 months in Australia, each week we had different teachers talking about the next topics: 1. DISCIPLESHIP 2. HEARING GOD’S VOICE 3. CHARACTER & NATURE OF GOD 4. AUTHORITY & SUBMISSION 5. FATHER HEART 6. SPIRITUAL WARFARE 7. BIBLE 8. MISSIONS 9. KINGDOM LIFESTYLE 10. BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW 11. RELATIONSHIPS 12. LORDSHIP

Through those topics the Lord worked into our lives in amazing way. Each one of us broke with pain, chains, sadness, hatred, resentment… It wasn’t easy, I promise, but I learned that without pain there is not healing and without healing we cannot be like Jesus. This is discipleship about, be like Jesus, try it every day. We had not only classes; also we had worship and intercessions for unreached countries. Because we were living in community, we also did the basic things (cleaning, cooking, evangelism, etc). We did some activities as school; one of them was on April, days before leaving for Outreach. We had to write in a paper one word to describe the other person… One of the words that a lot of them wrote it on mine was “passionate”, the funny thing about it was before start DTS our leadership were praying for words to us and the first word I had on my welcoming card was, PASSIONATE.

(the paper where my friends wrote on)

(Welcoming card, my leaders prayed for some words)

It was in that moment, when I realized that, this word was absolutely describing me. During the first 3 months I let God shape me, I let Him have His way with me, I wanted to go or do whatever He wanted me to, I was absolutely open, I was being passionate for Him. Outreach? The last 3 months I did with my DTS in Cambodia, between Thailand and Vietnam. You wanna know how was it? Read my next post.

#ywamaustralia #ywamwollongong #dts #januarydts #passionate #passion #australia #aussieland

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WOLLONGONG, a magic city ♥

So there I was, at Barcelona’s airport, saying goodbye to my family and getting ready to travel down under. A 7 months trip… A trip that I never thought would change my perspective to see God and the world. A journey that would touch my soul.

After 27 hours travelling, between layovers and flights, I was finally at Sydney’s airport. It was December, 4th 2013 and I was down under, feeling such an admiration since the first moment I landed in Australia.

December was my tourism month. With George, my leader’s friend in Spain, who was like my dad during all the first month I spent in Wollongong, Australia. I met his family, such an amazing family that I spent Christmas and New Year with. I would never be able to say with words how thankful I am for that month and a half I spent before start my DTS.

The city where I lived and my school was in, it was Wollongong, a magic city, altogether green and surrounded by beaches. The people were so amazing, the streets so clean…

It was at just 72Km from Sydney far away, so that allowed me to go to one of the most popular cities around the world. Literally, I fell in love. Darling Harbour and Opera House were just wonderful, I was living a dream.

Australia exceeded each one of my expectations. I was totally in love with that country.

But there was more coming, my school would start soon and with it, a bunch of friends that turned sisters and brothers.

If you wanna know about the first 3 months on my DTS (Discipleship School), don’t forget to read my next post.

#australia #darling harbour #opera house #daddyGeorge #aussieland #new year #christmas #2013 #family #wollongong #sydney

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Francis Chan

#god #bible #god is love #prayers

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"That's never going to happen to me…" It happened! The provision came from heaven

On April 19th in 2013, my pastor had a vision from God where He told her that all the money I needed to pay my DTS would come, and she draw what she saw, it was a promise. When, on September 26th I got my school acceptation, I was so excited. It was going to be a reality; my next stop it was going to be Australia! Lees than 3 months to be in Australia, and I hadn’t absolutely ANYTHING of my school finances and it was €6000… My family is not exactly a millionaire family, so I had no idea where the money was coming from. But I had the promise God gave me, the vision my pastor had… The money was going to come, even though I didn’t know where from. Since I started all the process to travel from Spain to Australia, God did a lot… I found cheap plane tickets and that was the only thing my parents paid for… Ah! Not only that, they also paid my Australian visa, health insurance and everything I needed for my own expenses during those 6 months. One of the crazy story I have it’s about my visa. A friend that I have, has been in Australia for her DTS and also biblical school, told me her visa cost were €400 each one at least. My parents and I were so worried, we couldn’t allow more expenses, however God was bigger than all the circumstances we were through. We have not idea why, but how… My visa was just €90. Just He could do that miracle. Same visa as my friend’s one, but €310 cheaper. Another story? Two days before leaving, between my church, friends and family I raised an amount bigger than €1000. Again, it was God. When I was at the school, i had one of the biggest quantities of money needed, but He again did it... Donations from friends, also an anonymous person (I have no idea who it was, but gave me $1000), also donations from church, etc. To make a long story short, God provided for me all the €6000 I needed for my DTS. I was able to not only pay my “Lecture Phase” also my Outreach in the first 3 months. I’m still thinking about how many times my mentors, leaders and pastors told me their own stories about how God provided for them in crazy ways… And every time I told them “That is never going to happen to me… This is different”, but God had called me into missions months ago and that was just training. He was preparing me and still doing. I learned when it is God's plan, the provision comes from heaven. You wanna know how my “Lecture Phase” was? Or where I did my Outreach? Come back later to read my next post on the rest of my dts. Don't forget!

#ywamaustralia #australia #aussieland #ywamwollongong #provision #cielo #heaven #god #money #miracle #story #testimony #visa #iglesia #friends #family

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"Like a mighty song stir within my soul, Lord have your way, Lord have Your way in me"- Hillsong Live

#hillsong #hillsong live #i surrender

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If you have read my last post and are more interested about the school I did in Australia... This is YWAM Wollongong, take a look to this video.

#wollongong #aussieland #australia #ywamaustralia #ywamwollongong #dts

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Next stop...Australia!

As I said on my last post, God called me to Israel as a missionary, however, before I had to do a preparation process. Talking to my pastors Patricia and Curtis Clewett and my parents we decided that the best for my preparation would be a Discipleship Training School (DTS), with the organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM). So I started to search some DTS around the world… Let’s be honest, just around USA, cause travel to the States has been a dream. However, during the search process I couldn’t stop thinking about Australia. I had to recognize that I laughed about myself, because I never wanted to go down under. Australia didn’t catch my attention before. So I tried to stop that “silly” thought and keep focusing about USA. All the time, every second I had Australia on my mind so I understood God was telling me to stop looking for in the USA and start to look for in Australia. So under obedience but without enthusiasm I looked for different cities where I could do a DTS that also starts in January 2014 (just because I wanted to start the new year doing this school). Searching and searching I got to the official YWAM Wollongong website… And who think that Wollongong is a random but funny name for a city? I do. So I ended up into the website and the first thing I saw, was that the next DTS would start in January 2014. So I prayed about that school and God gave me peace. Without any doubt I sent the application for the Emerge DTS 2014, in Wollongong, Australia. Praying and asking God that if it wasn’t His will He would close doors. But, another confirmation that Australia was part of God’s plan, was on September 26th, 2013, I received an email from YWAM Wollongong, where they confirmed me I was accepted.

I cannot describe with words the mix of feelings I had in that moment. I cried, laughed, freaked out… Cause I was so happy. It was God’s plan. My next stop it was going to be… Australia! You may are wondering… Why Australia? I’ll give you a short and simple answer. The Aussies DTS are focus on missionaries and their training, the outreaches are usually on Asia, a continent where the mercy, need and God’s love are essential. Where Israel is? In Asia. Go to that school would be the best way to get involve to the Asian culture. Also, the school was absolutely in English, perfect to me because I’m Spanish but in Israel they only speak Hebrew, Arabic and English. That was the start of my adventure. In less than 4 months I was going to catch the plane to Australia. But not everything was going to be easy… If you wanna know more about the process, since I got accepted in the school until I left Spain I invite you to read my next post. 

#aussieland #australia #2014 #dts #ede #ywam #ywamaustralia #january #januarydts #jcum

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My trip to Isreal, 2013

#dead sea #jerusalem #neguev #desert #beersheva #israel #2013

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"He said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

Exactly with that verse, God confirmed my called into missions. My life has been through so many changes since 2013, when God called me as a missionary. In this first post, I’d like to let you know what, why, how… God is calling me to something bigger than I ever dreamed. On Eastern 2013, I travelled to Israel to spend holidays with my best friend, her family and church. Be in that country changed my life and his way. Be in Israel, where in every corner I felt God’s power, no matter what the situation is in right now, was such an amazing experience that I never gonna forget. Every step I made, every place, person or attitude was the perfect excuse to all my soul felt such a peace and my eyes started to cry just because. Be there made me think about the question I was wondering on my senior year… What will be my future after the end of school? In a camp we did at the desert there, I had the answer. God changed my heart and filled with passion and love, at the point I wished so badly to serve Him there, in Israel. I felt God called me to the Holy Land. During the camp I had every kind of prophetic word to my life. When I came back to Spain, the next days, I fasted for three days and I asked God if going to Israel to serve Him and my life as a secular student will continue or not was part of His will. He spoke me in so many ways, but the confirmation that Israel was on His will for my life, was when I opened the Bible and found the verses from Isaiah 49:1-7: “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” 4 But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” 5 And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength— 6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 7 This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” I met with my pastor Patricia Clewett, to share with her everything my life was through lately and what I wanted to do next, after finish school. So we had a prayer moment and she said to me that the best way to start my missionary ministry was having a preparation with the organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM). So I searched for more information about that organization. YWAM is a Christian movement dedicated to introduce Jesus in a personal way to this generation. My motivation was be a person not only spiritual, also physic, mental and socially equipped to share the Gospel with others. I knew God was giving me the opportunity to grow and be spiritual challenged. For that, I dedicated myself to look for a school inside YWAM, a Discipleship Training School (DTS), a 6 months program, when the first three months, called "Lecture Phase" our staff and teachers are going to teach us values such as Know God, Make God known, Hear God's voice, be visionary... The last three months we were going to an unreached country to do our "Outreach" focused to practice everything we have learned in the "Lecture Phase" and sharing the Gospel. If you wanna know more about this, where I did my DTS and how was the process I invite you to read my next post.

#israel #2013 #ywam #dts #god #jcum #isaiah #jerusalem #missions