Ukraine News - June 2010 from Ternopil

JUNE 2010 - News from Ukraine!!!!

Teaching English in Ternopil – training missionaries and many more in English

WOW – can you believe it! We have already been here in Ukraine for two full weeks! This also means that we have only 2 weeks remaining. The outreach has been amazing thus far...we have been able to serve over 80 locals through teaching English each evening! Some classes have been crazy, challenging and certainly a learning experience – having 44 students that can speak little to no English when we were expecting 25 was a little shocking! We have spent a lot of time in prep work, writing lessons, cleaning up, setting up! The staff here have been such a blessing - cooking, serving and helping us in every way. We have received a few lessons in Ukrainian....still are pretty limited! Ha ha ha - funny going to the grocery store and coming home with what we think is butter...and it is lard...or cream...or who knows what!

The teaching has been a 24/7 thing, as we are living with 7 of our students here at the YWAM base!! This has opened the door to many wonderful opportunities to laugh, learn and grow together. I am in awe at God’s strategy for us to be training and teaching missionaries in English. This base here does their outreaches to India, which is why having English is so important for them. So...in an indirect way we are a part of equipping outreach to India through teaching English! Praise God!

Over the next two weeks we have plan to join in the outreaches to local orphanages – there are over 125,000 orphans in the nation of Ukraine. We are all looking forward to this opportunity to serve and love in Jesus’ name!

We have been also blessed to enjoy nice walks in many of the beautiful parks and the neighbourhood surrounding us here. The work has been intense, and the joy and blessing has been abundant :)!

Opportunities in Community

The Lord has opened (and continues to) other doors while we have been serving and ministering here. We accepted an invitation to share at a Youth Home-group last week. There were about 15 young people from the ages of 12- 25 at the meeting. It was such a powerful time of sharing and prayer and ministry! They received us with open arms and hearts and each one of us teachers shared for a time, mostly encouraging them to shine Jesus’ light right where they are and to DREAM BIG in God’s plans!

We have an opporunity to teach/visit a TESOL class at the pedagogical University....it is still in the works....so we will see about that...time is moving quickly! Would be an amazing opportunity indeed!

Worship/ Prayer / Intercession

Another area that the Lord has prepared for us to serve in has been in worship and prayer/intercession here on the base. In typical last minute style, I have lead worship for the weekly staff worship and intercession for the past two weeks. Last week Holy Spirit was moving in such a powerful way....and the time simply went away, but we were all ministered to in a great way!

We also felt strongly to open up an English Worship and Intercession time during the week in case our students wanted to participate in that time. This past week again, there was a great move of God in our midst....such a joy and delight in the mercy and goodness of God’s love in Christ Jesus!

Our team, Megan Murray from Washington State, Joanne Degruyl from New Brunswick, Doug Sadler from Winnipeg and myself have been seeking God for the good of this base, these people, this city and nation. One area that we really have sensed God prompt us in is prayer work....so long before our teaching prep and follow through takes place we have been seeking God together and releasing His praise, worship and word! We have already seen some very amazing and speedy answers to prayers that God laid on our hearts! He is good and He answers our prayers!

PRAYER SUPPORT

To all you prayers out there  - THANKS SO MUCH.....we would have drowned in the first few days..had it not been for the prayers of each of you and God's faithfulness! And even now - His grace is so clearly and continuously flowing to us...and your prayer and covering of love and faith has such a huge part in that!  

All I can say is...keep it coming! God is truly doing something special in our midst...it is such an honour to be partnering together in His Kingdom! As a team - the Lord has bonded us together...it will be tough to part after living and breathing so closely together for 3 months! (Requesting prayer for the transition back!!)

I return to Guelph on June 22....so am requesting prayer for what is to come for the summer....and all the rest of the details...my car is still waiting and ready to sell...you know - all the rest!
Guatemala Update

Many of you have likely been aware of the disasters that have been taking place in Guatemala...I wanted to pass this information on to you, if you are not aware. As you all know we work closely with Fe Viva Guatemala (Casa Esperanza Children’s Home, etc.) and I have been getting updates from them regarding the volcanic eruption, tropical storms, floods and mudslides, etc. There are over 200,000 people displaced from these natural disasters and many bridges have been washed out....our Bible College Students were in El Salvador on their yearly outreach and the bridge was washed out. I have not heard if they have been able to return to Guatemala yet.

If you can please keep these ones in prayer – Fe Viva, all the staff and children, and the people of Guatemala...let us see God’s goodness revealed through His people in this time of need.

For more info, or to get more involved please go to http://www.feviva.org/ .


Photos from TESOL Training....and New York Stop over  - more to come soon!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=442036&id=741610340&l=3504ac4148
 
 
 
For now....that is all I can say! Again - a HUGE thanks to all of you that are praying and that gave financially and are still giving financially towards this outreach and our missions work through Word of Life....We are walking in what He has for this season :) It is exciting!
 
Love you all so much and am praying for you and yours - Ephesians 1:17-23!
 
Allison

May 2010

Dear family and friends,



We are over half way done our TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) training here at YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Discovery Bay. Wow – it has already been crazily intense, to say the least! We are learning an entire 4 month semester in 5 weeks...so we have been in the books and producing lesson plans and assignments intensely!


Highlights

Here are some highlights that are apart from the studying, note-taking, homework and presentations I have been up to! Some of them may seem trivial, but are all so special to me and know God has caused them to come to pass simply because He is good and He loves me!

- Clam digging/Goe Duck Hunting – one of the Camp Directors gave us a lesson in clam digging down at the beach front of the camp before he left for China. I was able to be a part of making homemade clam chowder....from the shell, as well as the adventure of digging for Goe ducks – we caught quite a few and a family on base had fresh sushi – mmmmmm!!

- Olympic National Park – our class took a Saturday morning and all chipped in for gas, etc. and went to the mountains, which are about 45 minutes away. There was so much snow – it was a shocker....our Mongolian friend gave each of us a face-wash like I have never experienced. What passion for snow!

- Provision – in the last number of weeks there have been two more families that shared with me that God has impressed on them to commit to support me (Word of Life Missions Director) and our work on a monthly basis – Praise be to Jesus! We are not far from the 12 committed monthly partners!! Luke 8:3...!!
(Also...the complete amount for tuition for our 5 week training also came in for the glory of the Lord! Woohoo!!! )

What is to come:

We have two and a half more weeks remaining of training and then we have the opportunity to go to Ukraine and volunteer teach for one month. This will allow us to complete our required hours of practicum teaching, which we need to receive our diploma’s as TESOL instructors.

This is not only a great way for us to get our practicum hours done in a short time, but mostly it is a means to go and serve the people of Ukraine (Turnopil) and see them advance in the skill of English, which for many of them is what they are working on to advance in work and school.

We will be working with the Youth with a Mission base in Turnopil and will be offering our classes for free out of their base. Each one of us going is required to have full support for all of our travel, work, and stay so that it is no cost to the Ukrainian people, and rather that it be a blessing to them.

We are definitely starting to get very excited about serving, loving and blessing Ukraine. Because of some of the common national issues : poverty, human-trafficking, many orphaned children, etc. we are also hoping to help and serve in various outreaches that are taking place there in our spare time.

If you are passionate and prompted to help with the Ukraine project, please contact me. We are hoping to buy more English curriculum to leave in Ukraine for resources.



Praise report/prayer

- My new guitar – God spoke to a dear friend to give me their Seagull guitar that has been an instrument of worship in many nations already. This happened about a month ago, but I am still in awe at Jesus’ gift in this!

- God’s faithfulness – again to give God the praise for providing the resources to take this training – that the entire amount for tuition and my flight to Seattle all came in good time!

That’s ALL!

So...for now...that is it.

Your prayer is always more than welcome...as we keep moving forward with all God has for this year...to be a witness of Jesus and His love in 12 nations of the world! Nothing is impossible for those that believe!

Love you all and am so thankful for each of you and am praying for you all regularly :)
Allison

Goe Duck Stomp and Assortments

Wow - how good is GOD!! So good I could go on for eternity (and will) describing His awesomeness!

I have been in Washington State for over 2 weeks now...and it has been quite the time already.

There is a constant sense growing for such a need for a greater Fear of the Lord. This was overtaking me as I was home in Canada for a few weeks and has not stopped. IT is the beginning of wisdom. It is clean and pure. It is to keep our way pure. The fear of the Lord and humility lead to riches, honour and life.

Here in this place, known in the past as a haven for hippies and new age, God is speaking so strongly of my greater need for the Fear of the Lord. A greater surrender to who He is and His place in my life and heart and actions. Oh for a greater encounter with the Holiness of God!

In this place of desiring and learning to fear Him more, by His grace, I find that Jesus is pressing me to enjoy people more. To encounter His holiness and walk in His fear (or reverence) is so connected to loving Him and loving people. To walk with Him. To be where He is and do what He does. To speak what He speaks. To rest in Him. To love in Him. To live in Him. And the by-product of remaining in Him is His holiness. Is a reverence for Him and all He is.

God is not common. Nothing He does is common. He is Holy. There is no one like Him. Yet - in His awesome holiness He desires that it be tangible and relatible to all those that desire to touch Him and know and live in His holiness. His holiness is not untouchable - it is actually the most touchable. It is real. It is Jesus Christ - living and changing lives of the highest or lowest of society!

Holiness is not segregation from the world, but it is seperation from sin and all that brings death and an empowerment to touch the world with the love and grandness of the One true God! Holiness is James 1:27 and Isaiah 58! And so much more....just starting to somewhat receive from Holy Spirit a little better understanding of what He desires!

Ha ha - simply - less of me, less of "kosmos" (or the common sense of the world) and MORE of Him, more of Heave invading earth through my mind, will, emotions and actions!

Let it be! Start in me!

In the midst....I am here taking a TESOL course....encountering God's holiness in English grammar and preparation to reconsile nations to Christ through something as simple as the language I speak!

Holiness

Fear of the Lord

Caminando!

Somewhat less 'revelatory'....yet still in Spirit and truth....this blog post is coming in the midst of a torrent of activity and exciting things!

If there has been one thing the Lord has spoken to me so clearly this first week is simple:

The BLOOD of JESUS is one of the most powerful weapons that we could ever possibly possess and we must be aware if His blood, the power of His blood and we must apply it in our lives. No enemy of God can come against the blood of Jesus...and in His blood we have victory over sin, the grace (power) to obey His word, and protection from death!!

That is the only tidbit I can give for now...and it is worthy of our contemplation and wonder of the greatness of God - "the precious blood of Jesus Christ, redeems, forever I am alive, restored, set free" (From "To Know Your Name" - Hillsong)

On a more informational level:

I have completed one full week of my assignment here already and it has been totally BLESSED of the Lord and fruitful! From quality time with the kids (that is priceless for us all), to reaquainting with old friends and family in Christ, to sharing Jesus' love with women of the street/cantinas, celebrating the Lord with others, having intense prayer times and preparation for teaching Bible College, sharing and getting to know the Bible College students.....wow...and on and on and on.

For a place where the heat makes one somewhat sleepy at given points of the day, when I reflect at what we can accomplish by the Lord's strength and grace, I am in AWE!

One definite perk is being able to write this Bible College course while I sit/lay in a hammock!! Praise God for the person who received that idea :)

So, currently we are into the second week of our work and it is almost time that it is kicked up to another level. Bible College classes start next week....so my time will be very focused in prepartions, teaching, prayer, study, etc. This has been a good challenge for me....having to sit still for a longer period of time even to study and prepare so I can be ready!! I reached a point the other day that I just wanted to start to summarize the lessons, rather than write them out point by point for the students' notes!! Ha ha ha - I am recieving more patience and the grace to sit still for longer periods of time from the Spirit of God :)

We have just received a team from Centralia, Ontario....and so we have 23 more Canadians on base for a few more days. They are delightful and so full of God's love. They have been serving various part of the work at Fe Viva and have already been an encouragement to many. Please pray for them as many of them are out of Canada for the first time....

Here on base, the Spirit of God is moving amongst the full time missionaries and bringing a real love for one another through times of fellowship and getting to know each other. It has been a treat to get to be a part of this (and lots of joy in the Spirit of God!) There has also been an intense time of spiritual attack...but Jesus has conquered - and we are victorious in Him :) Keep covering us all in prayer....we need the love and unity of each one :)

I'm out for now.....more to come later :)

Back to Guatemala

Hey all...a quick word in a place where internet is not as permanent!!

I am here...Guatemala - blessed nation of the Lord.

The Spirit of God is mighty in this place, mighty in my heart...lots is coming, lots is shifting....and time is moving. I have to run back to the missions base...as I only had a short time to connect with the outside world, but wanted to say that He is faithful to complete all He has begun here in Guate and in every one of our lives.....He is GOOD!

Peace, love and hope!

Real Love

Check out this link to see a video taken of me sharing about real love and a caption of my experience coming into the real love of Jesus :)

http://www.findingthehope.com/life_stories.php?s=v1

(If it does not take you directly to my video...go to the home page of http://www.findingthehope.com/ and scroll down until you see my face and click to see video.)

Personally, I think I look pretty funny, but that is what happens when you don't usually see yourself talking!

Enjoy!

Northern Lights

A fairly recent prose the Lord gave me....enjoy!

Northern Lights
Allison Kach (Sept.3/09)

I’ve seen the Northern Lights,

A twinkle in Your eye for me.

I’ve seen showers of (shards) of light,

Dancing to the rhythms of Your grace.

Colours imposed from heaven,

Echoing life onto a dark-night canvas.

Mixing, moving, turning,

Across the horizon in leaps.

Expanding whirlwind disturbing the stars,

While shrinking back from the bottomless black.

Alive and vividly appearing,

Perhaps a mirror of my own heart’s longing.

To be in the centre of the Master Painter,

Shimmering beauty as I follow His finger.

Pointing, brushing, dreaming, seeing,

All that He has planned for the future.

And I, His light, fill in between His strokes,

Blending and bleeding the colour of His love.

Into this masterpiece for seeing eyes to see,

With such care and gentleness flowing.

Yet in a moment, as if in a blink,

I fade into the black without a trace.

The reflection of heaven returned to its place.

The audience below not missing,

What it had not seen or heard,

Or expected to continue,

Any longer than it should.

And I stand as one steady in wonder.

In the still black night,

Giving ovation for such a production.

To the ONE

Behind the curtain, under the colour

The hand that holds it all together.

With expectation bursting forth,

I say

Come out from behind heaven’s cloud

And receive praise and accolade.

You who time cannot change,

You with the eyes of fire

That works such beauty for Your pleasure.

Show us Your face and save this display,

For Your light is brightest and fullest,

And perhaps today is that day.

When I will see You face to face.