Fall DTS Graduation

This past Thursday the fall DTS graduated 23 students who returned from outreach the same week.  Our building was packed with about 150 people! the kids love coming to these graduations and hearing all the cool stories of what God did on outreach through the students.  These young people have just returned from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Thailand.  It is always a privileged to be present at these graduations.  Especially since I get to know the students pretty well as I speak for a week in their schools on evangelism....which I will be doing this week again for our winter DTS! Prayers appreciated!

Word on the Streets

The above picture is of our weekly round up for the Gospel Guy.  We simply write some questions that people asked us on the street in those black bubbles, for people to read, and then contemplate how they would respond.  More than anything, it is a simple way to keep the Gospel Guy and evangelism at the forefront of our staff and students as they stand in line and wait for meals!

A Place of Darkness to a Place of Light

The above picture is taken at our youth pastors monthly coffee hour last week.  All these people are youth pastors in our city, passionately serving God.  Why I took this picture is because it is taken in the new "Shine" cafe which is run by the Salem House of Prayer.  It is a brand new coffee house in our city that has been in the making for the past 3 years.  Here is the amazing thing....this cafe used to be the darkest night club in our city where sex trafficking was going on.  We actually give all our Mission Adventures groups tours of place which takes them into basements where there where "sex rooms", trap doors, and all sorts of horrible things.  Today...it is a Christian coffee house!  What an amazing God we serve!!

Tons Going on at YWAM Salem

The above picture is of the announcement board in our main eating area on campus.  I decided to take a picture of it because it is so encouraging to see all the awesome things going on here at YWAM Salem.  From DTS students going all over the world, to the present Foundations in Counseling School, to the Ropes course, to Mission Adventures, and the Gospel Guy....things are busy here!  Often I will look at this board for encouragement.

A Pan-Sexual Wiccan

Today I spoke to a "Pan-sexual" couple.  That's rite...pan-sexual.  When they told me that I had no idea what they meant.  Apparently it means a person who intentionally seeks a relationship with a person who is cross-gender.  Confusing to say the least.  Anyway, the Lord opened up a tremendous discussion with these two people, who aside from being pan-sexual, they were also heavily involved in Wicca.  One of them even told me that they were reincarnated.  When I asked what she was in her "past life" she stated she was a nurse in the Civil War.  No joke.  She shared about how they do magic, spells they cast, etc... Our discussion got heated when they directly asked me if i thought their lifestyle was a sin.  They were looking for a fight.  I was not taking the bait.  They have been hurt obviously in the past from judgmental Christians.  My response I believed challenged them.  They asked if I thought they were going to hell because of their lifestyle.  I asked them if i could be direct.  They said yes.  I responded that they would not be going to hell because of their lifestyle, they would go to hell because they have rejected Jesus Christ as God in the flesh, Savior of man.  This shocked them.  They told me the only thing Christians ever told them was they would go to hell because they were pan-sexual.  How sad that is the message they have heard.  It is unbelief in Jesus Christ that condemns man.We continued our discussion.  After an hour of speaking, I made a statement that they recognized made sense, but themselves were not willing to accept.  I said, "You know, the only difference between you and I is that I have made the choice to let God define what is right and wrong for my life, and you have decided that you decide what is right or wrong for your life.  As long as man can define right and wrong then we are in trouble."  Please pray for these people.  My heart was saddened after this long talk.  It was a great talk, but a very heavy one.

God is touching lives through the gospel Guy

My friend Tim works for the city.  He came up to us Friday with some exciting news. "Guys, I have to let you know what is going on.  the Gospel Guy is touching lives like crazy!" he said.  What do you mean i asked him.  He then went on to tell us that at work, he is hearing talk after talk from people who work with him about the "guy on the corner with the questions".  People have been coming up to Tim (they know he is a Christian) and asking him questions about Jesus.  Many of those questions were spawned by conversations we have been having with people, and the question we write on our white board that everyone sees.  One guy in particular named Eric we ask your prayers for.  I connected with Eric a bout a month ago, and he is one who is searching for truth.  I had no idea that he works with my friend Tim.  Long story short, Tim told us that Eric has been asking him more and more about Jesus, and ever since "The Gospel Guy" asked him what he thought about heaven and hell he has not been able to shake it.  Please pray for Eric! Keep it up guys, Tim said, your ministry is changing lives.

A Metaphysical New Age "Christian"

This was one of the most interesting conversations I have ever had.  I spoke with a man named Richard.  Richard was easy to see in a crowd as his entire face is covered in Maori warrior tattoos, not to mention all the other tattoos he has of different gods and deities that he worships.  Richard goes to a Universalist church where everyone is welcome to worship whatever or whoever they want.  Richard believes that love is defines by the individual.  Richard is also a homosexual. He daily practices Wicca, and says he is in reality a god, because god is found within everyone.  I had a great talk with him but it was very dark.  Richard denies absolute truth, but says he is a "Metaphysical New Age Christian".  We talked about a lot, but the main conversation dealt around Jesus.  I told him up front that he could not in any way say he follows Christ if he denies that he is God in the flesh, and the only way to God.  He respectfully disagreed and said truth is relative.  Pray for Richard.  I will be seeing him again for sure.  One thing that did seem to make a solid point to him was when I mentioned that true love is impossible without justice...and how can you have justice if it is defined by man.