Matthew, how long does one need to knock?

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

First of all, I will be writing my August/Summer update/newsletter soon and if you are interested in receiving my updates and have not been in the list, please let me know and I will gladly add you to my newsletter list. Just write me an email with your email inside: gintares11@msn.com

Moving on... 

For several months I have been sharing about the upcoming school - Cross Cultural Discipleship Training School. We - YWAM Cornerstone were looking forward to the school, anticipating and dreaming together with God... 

Unfortunately, we are not able to continue with the school - it had to be cancelled (primarily because of lack in number of students and staff). It is a challenge to pioneer a multi-ethnic school - but we will continue to pursue God's dream for this base - for it to be a place where many nations come to learn, serve and be equipped to bring the Good News to every nation and tongue. We hope for the things unseen and focus our eyes on the One who spoke the multi-ethnic dream over YWAM Cornerstone. 

Would you please lift us up in prayer as we continue to ask, seek and knock- as we continue to dream His dream for our base and the city of New York. We are in the process of making a decision to have the school in the Spring time. 

We ask, seek and knock knowing that God is very good. always. 

again, please let me know if you want to receive my newsletters. 

thank you for your prayers and support - you are blessing the nations

shalom

gintare

a house. a home

It's been several weeks now since I last wrote in this blog. Why? The last month up until now I keep finding myself standing in the middle of: on one side people leaving and on the other side - people coming, on one side, missing those who left and the other side-  trying to 'deal' with new faces, names and stories. Now and then the place I call home feels like a bus station - the only difference is that I don't have to sleep on the bench - but have my own personal place to stretch out.

Lately everything has been very down to earth. The house shrunk from 15 people to 2 people. It stayed like this for a while and all of a sudden I found myself preparing beds and welcome baskets for a number of people (who will also be leaving relatively soonish). Just trying to keep the house in order, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning, filling up the water bottle every time it starts beeping, I even tried to destroy the weeds in the garden in our backyard - the heat defeated me and I am not even halfway done... 1 - 0 and I am not on the winning side. Asking God to be present in all the cleaning and failed weeding project. And He is. And I am grateful. 

So I said that the house often feels very much like a bus station. People come go come and go and come and go - you get the pattern. There's another staff house. Smaller and I do have the choice to move there - but I don't want to. So I was wondering why. Because honestly - it is not easy to live in a house where people constantly come and go. But despite that - I still don't want to move to a less trafficIE house. Why? I sat down on the stairs outside my home and found the answer. 

Every time I sit down on those stairs to just sit and rest I remember a very specific person and conversation I had  at that very spot. I go inside, look at the walls - yes, I painted those. Jet lagged, tired and superbly confused I spent a week with a bunch of other people painting these walls. I go inside the lecture room and remember how it looked 6 months ago - all the desks and computes and how I switched from one desk to another and then Seung Hyun was my desk neighbor and then all of a sudden decided to leave me =P, and how the staff would sit every morning in a circle for a 10 am meeting.I go into the kitchen and remember the many conversations I had, the korean dramas I watched with YongUn, the meals I cooked for the DTS team. 

To make a very long list short - every curve, corner and crack is filled with people's names, conversations, prayers, worship, simply sitting, crying, laughing and other memories. It's not just a place to store my humble luggage contents for a couple of years. No. It's home. Even in the midst of all this coming and going I find home in the memories I made - the people I met here. 

Discipleship Training School in a Frame

I have already mentioned several times about the upcoming Cross Cultural Discipleship Training School in New York http://www.ywam-nyc.org/q/home/work.php?mid=47

Read. Consider. Join!!!

Here are some pictures from the last DTS (Korean Arts and Design). Picture credit goes to Kim YongUn!

Enjoy!

Outreach into the City. Battery Park - South Ferry

Worship and Intercession at South Ferry 

Preparation for Prayer Station in Manhattan

Prayer Station at Tompkin's Square Park

Richard and Yuho 

blessed =)

Lecture time: Holy Spirit

more lecture time! We have amazing speakers. Introducing Bill Payne: Truth Box

worship

togetherness =) 

come and join us in New York!!! 

✟ cross – Cultural Discipleship Training School

Why New York City?   

New York has a gift to the world - the Gateway of Hope to every nation and tongue!

New York was and still is a doorway to liberty for millions of people. Engraved on the monument of the Statue of Liberty is the invitation “Give me your poor and your tired.” Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The immigrants were given a gift of hope and freedom of religion – to seek True Life! God’s heart for New York is to be a gateway of hope for the salvation of millions from around the world! The mission field has come to New York City.

We are inviting people from every corner of the earth to come and join our Cross Cultural Discipleship Training School in the City of Nations!

The DTS is going to be based in Flushing - the most diverse neighborhood in New York City. The numerous ethnic groups that reside here include people of Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, European, and African American Ancestry. Flushing is claimed to be the birthplace of religious freedom in the ‘new world’ – it has become the symbol of religious pluralism in America.

The mission field has come to the city and we are inviting you to be part of proclaiming the Good News to the nations here in New York and overseas! 

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”’ (Romans 10:14-15)

DTS is designed to help you understand God in a deeper way and live more like Jesus. It is based on communal living, which starts with a 12-week classroom phase, followed by an 8-week outreach time. The school emphasizes cross-cultural exposure and global awareness, preparing the students to go out into the nations to proclaim the Good News! 

When: Lecture Phase: 2012 September 10 – December 30

            Outreach Phase: 2013 December 31 – January 25

Where: YWAM Cornerstone Training Facility

Cost: Lecture Phase $3900 US Dollars

         Outreach Phase $2000 US Dollars

                 (plus airfare and ground transportation)

For more information: crossculturaldts@gmail.com

                                     www. ywam-nyc.org

                                     Phone number: 718 279 1052

Youth With a Mission is an international volunteer movement of Christians from many backgrounds, cultures and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Our purpose is simply to know God and to make Him known. We are currently operating in more than 1000 locations in over 180 countries, with staff of over 18,000.

Come to New York and be part of our YWAM family! 

2 prayer requests

Number 1:

The last two months I had the privilege to serve in the Korean Arts and Design Discipleship Training School.

These are the students  -  I love them all very much and am immensely proud of them! The house was full - but now it is empty. 4 of the DTS staff and the students are currently on their way to India outreach. Half of them are already in India and another half is in Korea sorting out some visa 'issues'.

It has been a privilege to see how God has been shaping these beautiful hearts into the men and women He has called them to be. There's still a lot to learn - but they are all ready to bring the Gospel to those who are lost and are hungry for Truth. Please pray for them as they bring the Good News to the people of India and Nepal.

Also, I want to remind you of the Fall Cross Cultural DTS I am going to lead, starting September 10th. It is a great importunity to dive into God's heart for you! Don't miss the chance and contact me if you have any questions (gintares11@msn.com)

Number 2:

As I have mentioned in my previous posts - my most favorite place in New York is Tompkin's Square Park (you can read some of my earlier posts about the park). Today I visited my friend at the park. I love talking to them-listening to them (even if half of what they say does not make sense because of alcohol and drugs).

This is James King. A 37 year old man - who is asking for you to pray for him. I asked him if it's okay to post his picture and he gave me a thumbs up =) so, this is my friend - James. From an early age (14), he was involved with gangs and drugs and spent a big chunk of time in jail - released 2007.

When I told him that I want to know his story, he told me "look up New York State Department of Justice criminal records..." there is more to James' story than what the records state, and I want to ask you to invest into this man's life by praying for him. please...

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17 


Shalom! =)

Rejoicing for ONE!!!

First, I want to ask you to read one of my earlier blog entries 'Bible Study' (December 3, 2011). H'okay? =) 

Now - If you have completed mission number one, we will hop to 'Bible Study' to be continued and what happened this week... 

Thursday Outreach into the city started with a time of worship at Tompkin's Square park. The entire day I felt God tugs that He is going to show something amazing. My heart was expectant. 

We has donuts and tea-coffee to share with people in the park and passersby 

 Many stopped. Enjoyed coffee and donuts. God's love and conversations =) 

This is Victor and I

(the same person as in my story) 

 

60 days sober. Home. Life. Jesus. Mercy. Joy. Gratitude. Grace. 

He testified. 

Please continue to pray for my friend, for my brother Victor... 

Manhattan Prayer Station pictures

One of the ministries that we do as YWAM Cornerstone is going out into the city with a prayer station. Here are some pictures from a couple weeks ago. Enjoy and maybe even come and join us here at YWAM Cornerstone ;)

This was a Discipleship Training School Thursday activity/outreach into the city

We were in the Lower Manhattan - East side

Many were encouraged to see a Prayer Station in the city (our two Arts and Design students: Selgee and Richard)

Dahye getting contact information- so that we could continue praying for those we met on the street 

DTS students and staff praying for a woman 

It was an exciting time to share God's heart with the people on the street in Manhattan! 

JOY! 

=)