The breeze blows through my hair as the truck chugs down the familiar highway. I could get use to this I think as I enjoy the luxury of riding in the back of a pick-up-something that’s illegal back in my home of Lancaster PA. The road follows the glistening coastline as I chat casually with Andrew and Sarah, two fellow YWAMers. Today we are going to a Children’s beach to try out some snorkeling. The sparkling waters of the Pacific offer a more inviting prospect of swimming than the dirty waters of NJ’s Beach’s at home. This is living, I smile quietly to myself.
It’s 3:00 am, I tiredly pace the floor that has become so familiar in the last nine hours. This is for you God, this is my sacrifice. I declare for what feels like the hundredth time, sometimes I think more to remind myself than to tell God. I’ve been in the prayer room for nine hours, and it’s been intense. Following a week of incredible, yet exhausting teachings on the Holy Spirit, the YWAM base is holding a twelve hour burn. Twelve hours of worship and prayer, from 6pm until 6am, and after nine hours I’m completely exhausted. My quite declaration is about all I can muster as I pace the floor once more trying to stay awake. This is why I am here, to radically pursue the heart of God. So I keep pacing, as I look around the room I am met with tired faces as some struggle to keep their eyes open as they read and others lie exhausted on the floor.
As I walk out of the room to use the bathroom I suddenly realize that my mouth has the horrible taste of stale coffee. yuck I think, almost too tired to care, but suddenly unable to think of anything else. Suddenly my eyes catches a vending machine with Skittles. dude, Skittles would be awesome right now. I think, but I soon realize that the only money I have is money I need to pay back a roommate I borrowed from earlier in the day. As I walk back to the prayer a thought strikes me, buy the Skittles. I quickly try to remind myself that I don’t in fact have the money. I’m giving them too you. Suddenly I realize it’s not me who is saying this, really God? you want to give me Skittles at three in the morning? I ask back. Yes, this is my gift to you for pursuing me tonight. He replies. But God, I don’t have the money. I respond. I’m giving them to you. He says simply. Alright, I think, I wonder how this is gonna work, I can’t imagine God would want me to use the money that I need to give someone else. I reach in my pocket and pull out the money, to my amazement not only do I have the money for the friend I owe, but I also find four quarters. I had only gotten change back once this week, and that had been only a few cents. I have no idea where the four quarters came from. In fact, I had been looking for quarters a few days earlier and hadn’t been able to find any. It was such a simple thing, a pack of Skittles to cover up a bad taste in my mouth, but I was once again reminded of God being like a loving Father. A father who doesn’t just give us the things we need, but loves to dote on us and even gives us the things we want at times. As I sat there and ate my bag of Skittles, I got to watch one of the most beautiful moons rest over the ocean and simply enjoy the presence of God.
It’s moments like that that have made my DTS so amazing so far. It’s been amazing to be in such an incredible place like Hawaii, but what God has done in me and through me has been even more incredible. Since being here I’ve seen healings (not the, I have a cold and it feels better now, the kind where people’s feet grow out and pain that has haunted them for years is suddenly gone), I’ve seen hunger for God like nothing I’ve ever seen before, I’ve watched as a room full of people get the same word from God for someone, and people step out be who God created them to be--something that is rare in my generation. God Is here, He’s moving, and I get to be apart of it. You as my supporters and friends are also part of the amazing things that God is doing and the blessings He has given me. So thank you once again! I know God is going to bless you for your generosity, and the fruits of it are coming out now! God has grown me more in the last four weeks than in the last four years. Calling me into the man He created me to be. It’s been the most life changing experience I have ever had. It’s been tough, some days I feel like I haven’t changed at all, but then I look at what I have done, the things I’ve said, and the new found confidence I have found, and I know I have. God has worked during this time in ways I never thought possible, and the best part is, this is only week four! I still have two more months until outreach!
Outreach is going to be crazy exciting as well! My team of 7 (six students and one staff), will be heading to Cairo Egypt to start off. At this point not much is known about what all we will be doing but I know God has amazing plans and He has blessed me with an incredible outreach team.
I love you all and pray you are doing well! I apologize for not getting a letter out sooner but life has been insane here (in an awesome way)!
Blessings,
David Barnett
It’s 3:00 am, I tiredly pace the floor that has become so familiar in the last nine hours. This is for you God, this is my sacrifice. I declare for what feels like the hundredth time, sometimes I think more to remind myself than to tell God. I’ve been in the prayer room for nine hours, and it’s been intense. Following a week of incredible, yet exhausting teachings on the Holy Spirit, the YWAM base is holding a twelve hour burn. Twelve hours of worship and prayer, from 6pm until 6am, and after nine hours I’m completely exhausted. My quite declaration is about all I can muster as I pace the floor once more trying to stay awake. This is why I am here, to radically pursue the heart of God. So I keep pacing, as I look around the room I am met with tired faces as some struggle to keep their eyes open as they read and others lie exhausted on the floor.
As I walk out of the room to use the bathroom I suddenly realize that my mouth has the horrible taste of stale coffee. yuck I think, almost too tired to care, but suddenly unable to think of anything else. Suddenly my eyes catches a vending machine with Skittles. dude, Skittles would be awesome right now. I think, but I soon realize that the only money I have is money I need to pay back a roommate I borrowed from earlier in the day. As I walk back to the prayer a thought strikes me, buy the Skittles. I quickly try to remind myself that I don’t in fact have the money. I’m giving them too you. Suddenly I realize it’s not me who is saying this, really God? you want to give me Skittles at three in the morning? I ask back. Yes, this is my gift to you for pursuing me tonight. He replies. But God, I don’t have the money. I respond. I’m giving them to you. He says simply. Alright, I think, I wonder how this is gonna work, I can’t imagine God would want me to use the money that I need to give someone else. I reach in my pocket and pull out the money, to my amazement not only do I have the money for the friend I owe, but I also find four quarters. I had only gotten change back once this week, and that had been only a few cents. I have no idea where the four quarters came from. In fact, I had been looking for quarters a few days earlier and hadn’t been able to find any. It was such a simple thing, a pack of Skittles to cover up a bad taste in my mouth, but I was once again reminded of God being like a loving Father. A father who doesn’t just give us the things we need, but loves to dote on us and even gives us the things we want at times. As I sat there and ate my bag of Skittles, I got to watch one of the most beautiful moons rest over the ocean and simply enjoy the presence of God.
It’s moments like that that have made my DTS so amazing so far. It’s been amazing to be in such an incredible place like Hawaii, but what God has done in me and through me has been even more incredible. Since being here I’ve seen healings (not the, I have a cold and it feels better now, the kind where people’s feet grow out and pain that has haunted them for years is suddenly gone), I’ve seen hunger for God like nothing I’ve ever seen before, I’ve watched as a room full of people get the same word from God for someone, and people step out be who God created them to be--something that is rare in my generation. God Is here, He’s moving, and I get to be apart of it. You as my supporters and friends are also part of the amazing things that God is doing and the blessings He has given me. So thank you once again! I know God is going to bless you for your generosity, and the fruits of it are coming out now! God has grown me more in the last four weeks than in the last four years. Calling me into the man He created me to be. It’s been the most life changing experience I have ever had. It’s been tough, some days I feel like I haven’t changed at all, but then I look at what I have done, the things I’ve said, and the new found confidence I have found, and I know I have. God has worked during this time in ways I never thought possible, and the best part is, this is only week four! I still have two more months until outreach!
Outreach is going to be crazy exciting as well! My team of 7 (six students and one staff), will be heading to Cairo Egypt to start off. At this point not much is known about what all we will be doing but I know God has amazing plans and He has blessed me with an incredible outreach team.
I love you all and pray you are doing well! I apologize for not getting a letter out sooner but life has been insane here (in an awesome way)!
Blessings,
David Barnett
That's insane, having an all nighter like that. I was reading this when my mother asked how you were doing. Thanks for the update.
ReplyDelete-Emily