Adventures of J & K

As August comes to an end...

2010-08-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

To our most faithful supporters, friends (new and old), and families. As August comes to a close I am reminded of our dependence on all of you. Up until now many of you have continued supporting us which we are forever grateful for. After living in Colorado for five months I can finally say that we are settled in. We would love to keep in contact with as many of you as possible during this season of University in the States, and want to remind all of you that we are still on the radar! God is doing so much in our hearts while we are here refining our vision and bringing clarity to it. While we pursue our degrees our hearts are still out THERE, with THEM.

This is the last month that we will be receiving financial support through YWAM Tyler from all of you. We could not have made this messy but beautiful transition back to America without any of it. I almost cant remember when the last time was that i was not on support. You all have been our extended family over the last few years. PLEASE keep us posted as we will [hopefully] do the same.

Were back in action!

2010-06-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow friends and bloggers! Its been a while (maybe too long?), but all thats about to change...thats right, were bringing the blog back to life! As you can see there is a bit of a different feel going on...lots has changed and we figured, so shall the blog. We want to keep in touch and thought the best way to do so would be to continue sharing what is going on in our lives through this arena. Denver has been full of newness and we (okay, I) cant wait to tell you all about it! School, work, our living situation (always interesting), and of course, God.

Those of you who have supported us through this transition THANK YOU! You can think about it over and over in your head but when it comes down to it, its just plain HARD to start over. Moving to a new city and virtually stripping everything we once knew out from under us has proven to be a bear of a journey. But, we are alive and thriving and i believe on the brink of something truly amazing. So please stay tuned and in contact as this J&K journey in America takes off.

Penny always needs a little recognition :)

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my sister (smile) in San Francisco

Tierneys at Disney World (smile again)

...beautiful

2010-03-15T17:22:00.001-07:00

Happy Holi ! (?)

2010-02-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

You dont experience days like today where I come from. "Holi" is a Hindu/Buddhist festival that is celebrated once a year in a very unique way...I would describe it like this: A Nation-wide WATER FIGHT!!! Men, Women, and Children of all ages are out on their rooftops launching water balloons at each other. I woke up to Justin yelling "We need to get some amo!!" and then I heard the door slam, and 10 minutes later my soaking wet husband came back in with hands full of water balloons and plastic bags (a cheaper and easier alternative to filling up those pesky balloons). Still a bit sleepy-eyed I do as I'm told and fill up as many balloons as i can and then it's up to the rooftop where we climb our way up the stairs (secretly) and then launch water balloons (and plastic bags of course) towards the others who had been out since who knows when, soaked with dye and water. I have never seen so much color and chaos at one time. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colour also permits people to throw handfuls and bags full of coloured dye at one another ruining any clothes and dyeing your skin for days. You can imagine upon running out of balloons we were faced with the reality of the rest of the day. Either stay stuck in the house or venture out into the chaos that is Katmandu and be targets for all the rooftop launchers. We chose to stay in. After soaking the kids (and adults) with our American water fighting skills (ok, i handed Justin the balloons and he threw them...) we decided to catch up on some much needed movie watching and reading. Enjoy the pictures (not taken by me). If you are interested in Holi, i suggest you Google it...i don't think many of the people celebrating here really even know why...just an excuse to soak your neighbor and all the Badeshi's(foreigners)...

Have a great (dry) day..Happy Holi!

To our faithful FINANCIAL buddies...

2010-02-23T02:57:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years the Lord has overwhelmed us with generous people who have caught vision for what we are doing and have been involved with it every step of the way. I wish there was more we could do or say that could express how thankful we are for you.Perhaps out of abundance or perhaps sacrificially you have given to us. Either way you have been an integral part of what the Lord is doing in many people’s lives all over the world. As we move home and start a new chapter there are a few realities that we need to address.

The first is that we will not be considered “full time missionaries” through Youth With A Mission. The work we are doing with our business and the schooling we are pursuing is to further ourselves so that we may be more effective “on the field” but we understand that if we have the opportunity to work and aren’t involved in direct ministry as our vocation then we can no longer receive support through YWAM. I know that many of you support us not because of YWAM but because you have caught onto the vision that we feel the Lord has given us. We are so blessed by that. Unfortunately (and fortunately) we can no longer receive your money, BUT there are many many organizations that are doing AMAZING things for the Kingdom that you can give your money to…(more to come on that!).

The second reality is that WE STILL NEED YOU. There are a few ways that you can still help financially and prayerfully over the next few months. If you have ever moved to a new city or better yet, internationally you understand that there are many costs to incur. We are essentially starting from scratch. We have already been blessed with a car (Praise the Lord!) but are still very much so in a bind. Our support has been wonderful and we have been able to go to many countries and live a healthy life in Australia…however we were unable to put much aside for occasions like this. With our one time cost shooting through the roof in the next few months there are few ways you can help if you choose to do so.

(1). You may continue to give your monthly support through May/June. Our goal is to be on our feet with jobs and an apartment and settled in from visiting family and starting classes by May/June. YWAM Tyler will still be accepting support for us through September but then we will be cut off from receiving tax-deductible donations. If you are currently donating to us through direct debit through YWAM Tyler-- please contact their office [accounting@ywamtyler.org] and notify them of when you want to stop your donation. If you do not notify them, your donations will be processed through September 13, 2010, which is when we are officially considered out of YWAM.

(2). We would be more than appreciative for a one-time donation. As stated above you may still do this through YWAM Tyler until September. If you are interested in our costs as we transition home we have made up a budget and would be more than willing to share that with you personally through email.

Please communicate with us if you have any questions about this next step. We will be trying as much as possible to meet with many of you when we arrive home to not only touch base with you, but to also act as a time of debriefing for ourselves. If you would also communicate with us what you are planning to do financially over the next few months... That would be very helpful! Understand as well that if you choose to pull your support and give your money elsewhere…PLEASE DO. There are so many organizations and people out there who are doing amazing AMAZING things for the Lords Kingdom. We can get you in contact with many of them (and I, of course will be blogging about some organizations you can give to).

Thank you. And just remember that we are all missionaries. If you are a Christian then no matter whether you live at home or abroad, you are called to be a missionary. Thank you for your support and please contact us with any questions!!

Quick Info/Update

2010-02-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you who have be so graciously supporting us while in YWAM are wondering how and when to begin pulling out your financial support. We are currently in communication with YWAM Tyler about how to begin this process...we will have the info to you by the end of the week and a more complete explanation of our needs ahead as we make the transition from YWAM life to home life so please bare with us while we gather information.

Until then we thank you for your continued prayers and support while we meet with local missionaries, network with other Fair Trade businesses, and get some much needed R&R over the next week before coming home!

Read me!!

2010-02-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

**I know this is a bit long but please please read me!! A lot of information about the next stage in our life**

As many of you know, over the last few months we have been looking towards a new season; one brought on by a vision of seeing God’s Kingdom come to places like Dinajpur, Bangladesh where men and women are enslaved in brick kilns forced to labor 18 hours a day, or in Kathmandu, Nepal where young girls are forced to sell their bodies in order to pay off phony debts, or in the foothills of Uttar Pradesh, India where whole families are entrapped by debt bondage to wealthy and oppressive land owners. We have seen with our eyes, but it’s our hearts that break for them, that yearn for a day when they will be truly free.

The realities and complexities of an issue like human trafficking and slavery run wide and deep. There is no one solution, no five-point plan to put an end to slavery, and every victim, every family has specific needs and underlying problems that need very specific attention. But we can’t stop the bleeding by putting band-aid after band-aid on. Poverty, slavery, hunger, lack of clean water and healthcare, these issues don’t come about within a vacuum. There is an oppressive, unjust system (that we ourselves participate in) fed by ideologies of materialism and security, entitlement and even religion that provide the framework for such injustices to take root. This is where we feel God leading us, straight into the heart of it, where major reconstructive surgery needs to take place before the bleeding can finally stop.

So what does that actually look like? For us it means developing and refining our God-given knowledge and skills in areas that will prepare us to make lasting changes for those who are on the margins, those enslaved by an unjust system (or empire). We believe going back to university is an essential next step and will open up many opportunities to participate in the anti-slavery movement happening right now within the States. I (Justin) hope to finish my B.A. in International Studies/Development while Kelly is planning to get her RN in hopes that she can work with victims of slavery, specifically in the areas of aftercare and social development. And on top of all this, Made By People (MBP), our Fair Trade organic apparel company is starting to take shape. Basically, MBP seeks to (1) create sustainable livelihoods for struggling men and women across the world by connecting them with the global marketplace (we sell the things they make here in the States), (2) to use the business as a vehicle for spreading awareness about human trafficking and slavery, specifically in the context of personal consumption: how we are intricately connected to those who produce our everyday products from clothing to chocolate and how our choice to become 'ethical consumers' greatly affects those who make the things we buy.

For the next few weeks we will remain in Nepal meeting with fellow missionaries and businessmen who have made it their lifes work to see these very issues that are on our hearts, come to an end. We will be learning from their experiences and listening to their stories (with a little mix of fun and relaxation too!). We are so excited for this next step and feel as if the Lord has been revealing to us new ways that He is working in the world and creative opportunities to get involved. THANK YOU for reading out updates and blogs. In the next few weeks we will be posting more about how we still need YOU and how this is just the beginning of an exciting and a bit scary journey the Lord has us on.

STAY TUNED….

it is crowded

2010-02-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

As I think back on our time in Bangladesh I am reminded of some of my first thoughts. The first thing that crossed my mind when stepping foot into the most densely populated country in the world was, “it is crowded”. You think this would be an obvious assumption but it really takes you off guard. This isn’t like driving down I-5 during rush hour traffic crowded, I mean you cant even walk let alone move while trying to get anywhere at anytime crowded. I remember on a specific occasion when Justin and I were going to buy train tickets 12 km away. It took us 1 ½-2 hours in a CNG (a motorcycle with a cage on the back…maybe one of the sketchiest, scariest experiences of my life). In a country so small with a population so big many problems occur. Trash, congestion, air pollution, noise, you name it and it’s a problem. The strong feed off the weak in a truly appalling way. I remember a story the Pastor we were working with in the village told Justin. A rich man approached a villager a few years ago with stories of work in America. This is in very high demand in Bangladesh, leaving for the West to work and send back money is the biggest craze. The rich man told the villager that if he could pay upwards $5-7,000 US dollars then he could get him a working visa and a plane ticket. The villager spent not only his entire life savings but he was also loaned life savings from his entire family and ½ the village. Everything this man and everyone he knew had went into getting this money for the one shot to move to America and work. Getting a job at Taco Bell would pay well over any job in Bangladesh by at least 5X.

The villager finally got all of the money together and the rich man came back to pick it up. With promises to be back in the next few months the rich man left with the money. The villager waited. And waited. And waited. 5 years later he is still waiting with no sign of the rich man or his money. When trying to reach this man all phone numbers and office buildings he could once be reached at have been cut off. Out of sight with an entire villages life savings. This is real life in Bangladesh.

Her name is Laina

2010-02-09T06:58:00.001-08:00

The little girl on the left is Laina. She is 9 years old and she too comes from a very strong Hindu family. In fact, during the 15 day Christian “boot” camp we were running her father decided that he was not thrilled his daughter was attending. He decided to get the village involved and they held a 48 hour Hindu festival right in the middle of the camp. Not like we could hear the music from a distance and it was a little creepy, I mean smack dab in the middle of the campground where we ate and played…literally music blaring all through the night so this village could worship the goddess of wisdom. All put together by Laina’s father. Not only was he upset that she was attending, he also is a raging alcoholic (along with her grandmother), and chose to come down to the camp at night completely trashed where the children slept and would walk around screaming and yelling out for her. We would sometimes have a time of sharing where the kids could talk about prayer requests and things that are going on in the camp, and on more than a few occasions Laina would get up in front of the 100 other youth and share that her father and grandmother were drunks and asked if we could please pray for them. I know she loved the camp but what I think she loved even more was being away from home for 2 weeks. Not having to deal with drunken family members. Not having to be yelled at. She could be a kid. She could laugh and sing and learn dances. Laina raised her hand on one of the last nights saying that she had made a first time commitment to follow Jesus that week. I know as I sit and listen to the rain thinking about this precious girl that I get to go home to a safe place where I am loved and appreciated. Where no matter what religion I choose or don’t choose to practice, I am respected. I can’t say that Laina has that same freedom. This little girl stole my heart.

I will never forget...

2010-02-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is Chetan. He’s the kind of guy who you meet and he just clings right to you. He doesn’t have many friends. At first glance he seems like a normal kid. You watch him worship the Lord and you would think that his parents must be very spiritual people. When he worships he sings [yells] at the top of his lungs and he prays with a passion that many people (including myself), could learn from. But there is a story behind that smile that was unfolded to me over the past few weeks that is hard to forget. Chetan comes from a very conservative Hindu family. He is the youngest of 3 boys and about 2 years ago he came home from school to find his mom had packed up and left. His parents had been divorced for a few years and his father was living on the other side of town with not much contact. Chetan was forced out onto the streets until a friend of his from a strong Christian family took him in. He lived with them until he was able to find his father and stepmother. In the process of living with this family Chetan went to church and experienced great movements by the Holy Spirit. In this time he became a Christian… the story goes that he finally found his father and stepmother and moved in with them. He was eager to tell them about Jesus and the new things he had been learning while attending church. His family was not happy and upon hearing these things demanded that he stop attending church with his friend and her family. Chetan refused. That’s when his step-mom started beating and torturing him. At this point a usually talkative and thorough young boy starts to try and change the subject only saying “please pray for my family to know Jesus”. No bitterness. No anger. Only a broken heart for his lost family who for years beat and tortured their 14 yr old son for the faith that he refuses to give up on. He moved out last year to live with that Christian friend and her family. If you watch him worship you would never know his brutal past, or what he went through to get to where he is today, but if you look in his eyes you can see the hurt and the scars from what it has cost him to love and follow Christ. I think he experiences a deep and very real intimacy with Jesus. I will never forget Chetan.

What we're reading

2010-01-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

People are always asking us what we are reading so, I thought i would do a blog on a few of the books we have either read, or are reading right now...hope you enjoy!

"Everyday Justice" By Julie Clawson.

"The Justice Project" by Brian McLaren
"Creating a World without Poverty" by Muhammed Yunus
"The Poor will be Glad" by Peter Greer and Phil Smith

As you can see many of the books we read are focused on Poverty, Justice, and our brothers and sisters overseas. Reading books like these expand our minds and open us up for the possibility of a new world. A better life for everyone. Being in developing Nations while reading these books is very challenging but dreaming with each other and a very creative determined God is exciting. I encourage you to pick up any or all of these books!!

2009-12-17T23:10:00.000-08:00

I wake up to the call to prayer. ½ the population of the United States crammed into a country the size of Wisconsin. People are everywhere. Beautiful faces but broken hearts. Hopelessness is the overwhelming feeling you get when you gaze into their eyes. I want to look at them; stare, gasp even when the man with crippled hands reaches out to me. Maybe he will make 40 Taka, 20cents. How do you reveal a God of hope, love, and joy to the millions of Bangladeshi’s who everyday are just trying to survive? I want to ask about the slavery that happens here…am I too scared? Maybe I’m scared of the truth. “This is the real deal”, Justin whispers to me as we walk down the crowded streets. I want to grab his hand but have to resist. Even as a married couple we are not allowed to display any type of affection in public. Instead I walk a step behind him avoiding eye contact with any male older than me. I want to understand. The western context in which I was brought up in holds me back from engaging at a deeper level. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to hold the old woman and laugh with the children. Instead I walk silently with my head facing the ground, careful of where I’m stepping. Garbage everywhere. Babies lying on the sidewalk, I don’t know if they are dead or alive. A single tear rolls down my cheek…I can still hear the call to prayer. This is the real deal...

Bangladesh at a glance

2009-12-15T05:38:00.000-08:00

Just a little taste of what we are experiencing in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This place is unlike anything i have ever seen. More to come.

To India and Bangladesh we go!!

2009-12-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

So we are officially leaving TODAY for outreach. We will be in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Sunday Dec. 13 and spending a little over 3 weeks there before heading up to Darjeeling, India where we will spend the rest of our time doing ministry. I won't spoil all the details just yet because we just sent out an old school paper newsletter that ya'll will get by mail in the next week or so.

Our team is healthy and ready to go. They have been through three months of lecturing and now have the opportunity to flesh out everything they have learned. Please pray for the health and protection of our team as water-borne disease and malaria can be easily picked up in areas we are going to...we are asking God to give us a supernatural tolerance for this stuff!

Also be praying that God will use our team in incredible ways and that we will be a blessing, not a burden to our contacts.

We will try and update ya'll as much as possible but as you can imagine internet connectivity is about as reliable and available as clean water up in the villages we will be staying in.
So with that said, God bless, we love you all.

Take a look at these good lookin' kids!

2009-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Say hello to our outreach team! From left to right;

Kyle (USA), Spencer (CAN), Bekah (USA), Kale (USA), Justin, Sa Rah (Korea), Oana (GER), Dylan (CAN), Hanna (NOR), Kelly, and Mario (USA).

90 degree thanksgiving

2009-11-29T04:12:00.000-08:00

If you've never experienced it before, thanksgiving and christmas in the heat is something every single one of you should do. Perhaps so you can understand how truly awful it is. I know, i know, i shouldnt complain...i can walk 5 minutes to the beach from my front porch, but there is a certain something missed when you are just sweating as you eat thanksgiving dinner.

A group of about 15 Americans from the base got together for a wonderful thanksgiving meal. There were games, laughter, stories, and a group of people who have really become like the family we miss and love back in the states. Every one of us in some way have given up our time, energy, degrees, money, but most of all family to come out to this beautiful [but hot] country. We are all serving in different ways, using our gifts and abilities to help further the Kingdom. It was so cool to just stop and 'smell the roses' if you will. We all work so hard for something we love so much. But it comes with a price. I want all of you to know that although there was lots of laughter as we celebrated Thanksgiving down under, it wasn't without some tears as well.

You are so loved and so missed. Thank you for your continual prayers and support. We are truly thankful for you.

marathons...the prayer and running kind

2009-11-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

(at 4:30 AM getting ready to run)

A few months back i was able to run a half marathon. Not only was this a HUGE accomplishment that i had been wanting to do for years, but in the midst of staffing a DTS it seemed like a huge feat. I had such a good time (even though i had to wake up at 4am just to run!). Justin came out and cheered me on...how fun! I want to run another..hmmm, perhaps in India? haha

I encourage you guys to set a goal.... something you have always wanted to do and then GO AND DO IT!!! Even if it is something that is just for you. So you know that YOU did it. There are very few things that are as rewarding as setting a personal goal and then going for it.

Last week we had our notorious prayer week.

This is a time where we put all schedules and plans aside and we....PRAY. We have a few hours of lectures in the eveningswhich usually consists of ministry and worship, but we open up the church for a 24 hour around the clock prayer time. Students and staff are separated into groups and put into 2 hour slots to pray. During our "fire in the night" sessions we have 15 out of 23 students coming and staying up all night to worship the Lord. We had some amazing breakthroughs. People were getting healed emotionally and spiritually as well as a few physical healings! I love it when God moves in "old and new testament ways" but in our day to day life.

so its been awhile...

2009-11-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

I know what your thinking...It's been a while since we blogged last(!) A lot is going on so try and keep up!

The school is going great. I wish you all could meet our wonderful students.

They are going for it with all that they have and it is so exciting to see. We are currently cruising at week 7 of the DTS. We have seen so many breakthroughs and I just know that the Lord has so much more in store. Willingness is a huge factor on the DTS. If you are willing, God will blow you away with what He has in store. These students just want it! Outreach is quickly approaching and my heart just grows bigger and bigger for the people of South Asia. It's funny, a year ago when we arrived i would have never thought i would be dying to leave the beautiful sunny coast to live and work in India....now, i cant even stand it. I love how God

works sometimes!

We had the opportunity to go to Hawaii

this past week to partake in one of the most beautiful events...a wedding! Justins best friend growing up Bart got married in beautiful Kona, Hawaii. It was tough to say goodbye to the school but we packed our bags and enjoyed ourselves tremendously for the week. It was so nice to sleep and eat (american food like; Taco Del Mar, Wendys, Macaroni Grill, etc.) it may sound crazy to you...but these are the little things that you miss when living overseas! It was also great to hang out with friends and family and talk God and life and dream crazy dreams.

God has been teaching me [us] so much through leading this school. How to let go and fully surrender everything to Him. It isnt our school, its Gods school. A friend of ours Dan makes this point to us almost on a daily basis. We are so blessed to have humble challenging people around us to help us grow in our leadership. I personally have been challenged in working in the office. As many of you know, i love to be around people and interacting with the students, but because of this new role i have really stepped back and am focusing on building up the new staff and getting all of the logistics sorted. It is challenging and a bit frustrating but i am learning and growing so much. I am starting to see things in such a new light.

I am going to put up a few more blogs with pictures and some more fun things that are going on...so stay tuned!!

Why three:twelve?

2009-10-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of hundred years ago a few young men sat around a table and decided to expose the buying and selling of people for was it was: a horrific crime against humanity driven by a narrative of superiority, security, and greed...the "we versus them" mentality that still plagues our world today. I once heard it said that the equivalent would be a few people today discussing over coffee how to dismantle the modern automotive industry. Slavery was not only tolerated, but accepted and driven by every major political, social, and religious power of their day. A true David and Goliath story. William Wilberforce and others would, through much persecution and perseverance, see slavery “legally” abolished only 20 years later.

Just because something is illegal does not make it cease to exist. Human trafficking is the third most profitable and prevalent global crime network next the arms trade and drugs. Human beings have been reduced to commodities, bought and sold to service the demands of global consumers (us)…from the sugar we drink in our coffee to the shirt on our back to the steel in our cars (steel comes from coal which is harvested by slaves in Brazil which comes from burning trees furthering the horrific degradation of our environment).

The root causes behind slavery are vast and complicated, but most of them can be traced back to poverty; meaning the lack of resources to provide for a sustainable and purposeful life including education, health care, employment, access to credit, infrastructure, etc. But poverty does not make someone a slave, violence does. And it’s not like people just enslave other people because they like to be mean, they do it because it’s profitable.

For too long economic growth and prosperity has been an end to which we in the West have pursued blindly and stupidly; rarely did we challenge or even consider the means by which we continue to obtain such an end. Environmental sustainability and social equity have been afterthoughts at best; a small price to pay for a life of affluence and security. We at three:twelve believe a different way is possible. We believe sustainability and social equity can bring new life to our beautiful planet and hope to our fellow humans who have suffered in the wake of our apathy.

In the heart of Margaret Mead who said "a small group of committed people can change the world, in fact, it is the only thing that has," let us continue the courageous fight against slavery our abolitionist fathers started, let our generation be the first in human history to be truly free...we have 27 million of our fellow humans counting on us.

2009-10-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

DTS Update!

So last week we had a good friend of ours, Jason Solari, come up from the YWAM Brisbane base to speak on Hearing God’s Voice. The students connected with him so well straight away and as it was the first “lecture” week of our school they also began to connect with each other. As Jason told testimonies of his experience and went through examples in the Word many of the students began to recognize the still small voice of the Lord for the first time. Jason really emphasized RELATIONSHIP above everything else. Its not about us coming to God in order to get something from him or just hear him speak to us for the sake of speaking, but God longs to communicate with us intimately on a daily basis…and we all know that relationships, whether it be with friends, a spouse, or a co-worker, come down to communication.

This week our Base Manager, Dan Pennington, is speaking on the kingdom of God…something very close to our hearts. We’re not all the way through but the students and staff are being equally challenged on what Jesus’ essential message was and how we can live it out today.

Thanks so much for your prayers and for reading our blog…we really feel this is an amazing connection point for us and you who support us and believe in us.

Much love until next time.

three:twelve

2009-10-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

about two years ago a friend from LA and I were sitting around contemplating life in our apartment...as 20 somethings in university do. We asked ourselves a few questions along the lines of "what am I good at/what gives me joy?" and "how could God use that to make a difference in the world?" After weeks of talking and dreaming and talking and dreaming we finally came up with a fairly simple idea: let's start an apparel company and give the profits to people in need.

needless to say "real life" got the best of us and the dream died...somewhat. It wasn't until a few months ago we began to rececitate it. Over the past year God really began to lay the issues of slavery and trafficking on kelly and I's hearts. We really weren't sure what to do with it, but after a while we realized we couldn't shake it and this could possibly (probably) be an area God is leading us to work in more long-term. We began reading anything and everything about modern-day slavery, including finding out what the Bible had to say about it (to our surprise there was a lot). After many a nights of talking and dreaming and praying and talking and dreaming (you get the idea, a lot of thinking went into this) kelly finally said "let's stop dreaming about this and just do it."And with a few international phone calls home to my friend Eric three:twelve began to breathe again. Since then, we have started the journey of forming a 501c3 nonprofit, which is more confusing than it sounds.

three:twelve exists to create sustainable livelihoods for victims of slavery and injustice throughout world. It is our hope that throught the sale of Fair Trade organic apperal we can raise awareness on issues of justice and equity, empower ex-slaves through creative ventures and sustainable employment opportunities as well as invest in community initiatives - from education and clean water to skills training and aftercare support.

yes, its a big dream, far beyond our abilities and resources; but faith is creating with our lives what only our hearts can conceive...and three:twelve is the impossible we would like to make possible. To be a part of creating a world where the kingdom of God meets the needs of those on the outside, the forgotten and marginalized. We realize its only a small part, but a bunch of small parts, like yeast in a batch of dough or a mustard seed in a garden, eventually spread throughout the whole. more later.

you don't see this everyday!

2009-10-10T00:37:00.001-07:00

Justin running to the beach

The crowd...

all smiles because....

That's right...it's whale season folks!!!

chat it up at Starbucks

2009-09-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I was so stoked to share this with you i couldnt wait to write! Every week as a school we go out to do local evangelism. Because it was the very first day of the school we didnt make anyone go out. A few of our staff and students really wanted to go out anyways. They headed out to the local startbucks before praying and ended up chatting with some people in line (when you have an accent, its not hard to get attention). Anyways, after praying and acting in obedience 4 people asked the Lord to come into their lives for the first time!!..on the first day of DTS....4 people! I was so blown away by this! We knew God was going to do some really cool things and it is already happening. I have been a part of local evangelism for a while and been ok with just "planting seeds" but this takes things to a whole new level. The harvest is ripe. I challenge you in the ordinary mundane things (like grabbing a coffee) to share with someone the love of Christ...it might just make all the difference in their lives.

Until next tim....

how He loves us

2009-09-29T04:20:00.003-07:00

He is Jealous for me

loves like a hurricane I am a tree

bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of the sudden I am unaware of these

afflictions eclipsed by Glory

And I realize just how beautiful you are

and how great your affections are for me

Oh, how He loves us so

Oh, how He loves us

how He loves us so

We are His portion and He is our prize

drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

If grace is an ocean were all sinking

So Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss

and my heart turns violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when i think about

the way...

He loves us

oh, how He loves us

Ya, He loves us.

I recommend if you don't know this song to download it. Kim Walker "How He loves us". It brings you into a place of Worship. Listen to the words. Let them sink into your soul. Lets worship the Lord!

Beautiful faces

2009-09-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

I was just getting excited about going to India and thought i would look up some images. God is already breaking my heart for these beautiful people. Thank you for praying for us.

Curry anyone?

2009-09-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

So this week has been really good as we continue plugging away at staff training. We've been covering everything from how to do proper one-on-one's and small groups to what it means to lead out of influence not authority to whose going to make sure the speaker has their coffee. As many of you know, Kelly and I have just finished an entire lecture phase (3 months) and are beginning a new one. If we were playing by the rules we'd been in some foreign country eating rice and curry before heading out to run an evening youth program for street kids...yes I admit outreach is my favorite part of the DTS program so we are extremely excited to be heading out to India and Bangladesh for 2+ months in December!!

We have had the advantage of being around and planning outreach before the DTS even began and are stoked to say that all of our contacts are already in place. Now its just a matter of waiting on God to put together a sweet team; then begin training and praying like crazy before we step onto that machine that flies us across the ocean to spread the Good News to our fellow humans in South Asia.

For Kelly and I this is more than just another DTS outreach. It's the first step into a vision God has been speaking to us for a few years now. To put it simply we just feel God is calling us to go and stand in solidarity with the oppressed and enslaved of South Asia for a season; to see how we can be a part of creating a world Jesus describes as the "kingdom of heaven." The Word calls us to "walk as Jesus did," and I can't help but find as I read through the Gospels Jesus continually walking with, spending time with, and advocating for the outcasts, the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. Our hope is to discover how we can be a part of bringing the good news of the kingdom to the peoples of South Asia.....SO with that said, we will actually be staying in South Asia for approximately 6-8 weeks AFTER the DTS outreach is officially over. More details to come on what "the dream" actually looks like (or at least what I hope for it to look like), but most of our time will be spent scouting out and visiting dozens of ministries within the India/Nepal region, specifically those focusing on human trafficking and slavery as well as holistic and sustainable community development and lots of Fair Trade stuff. So yeah...thats it for now. peace.

*see Is. 1:17, Micah 6:8, and Jeremiah 22:11-17, Amos 5:21-24 if you feel like being challenged by God's heart for justice.

REPENT!

2009-09-16T23:00:00.001-07:00

So the September DTS is finally and officially in the works. All 8 of our staff are here safe and sound...Roz and Dan from the UK; Bri from Australia; Cj, Amanda, and Paul from Canada; and Megan and Callie from the States.

It's been sweet as we have seen God already unify our staff team through the first few days of staff training. Kelly and I really have a vision to break the norm with this school. We hope to see the students and staff living and learning together as we seek out what it really looks like to live the kingdom; it looks a lot different than we might think. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" was the cry of a revolutionary who came not to start a new religion but to transform the social, political, economic, environmental, relational, and spiritual landscapes of our society. To "repent" literally means to re-think your life. To re-think the way we spend and earn money, the way we relate to people of other cultures and religions, the way we define success and greatness, even the way we view war and international diplomacy. What does Jesus have to say about these things? Does he say anything? We have all heard more than our share of the message about Jesus, but what about the message of Jesus? You know, blessed are the poor, love those who hate you, do not judge lest you be judged, if you want to become great you must become slave of all, it is better to give than to receive...did he really mean all that?! Do I actually believe all that (i mean who really considers the homeless guy down the street blessed)? At least I say I do, but I'm not sure it would be very apparent by the way I live my life.

Our hope for this DTS is simple: to look at the message of Jesus afresh, with new eyes, that we might begin to understand what it looks like to live out this message in a way that brings real change and real hope to our fellow humans. Our pray is that the students on this DTS will catch a vision to create with their lives what only their hearts can conceive; that is faith. To risk that Jesus' way of life really is the best way, and it has something real to offer a hurting and broken world. That if we begin to dream and live those dreams, the invisible will become visible and the impossible will become possible.

Jesus puts it this way: "Very truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these...(emphasis mine)"

the "unjust" manager...

2009-09-13T04:25:00.000-07:00

Robert was one of many other cocoa plantation managers in the area. High temperatures and unbearable humidity have made the Cote d'Ivoire a favorite place for cocoa trees to grow and thrive. Robert had been contracted by Nestle and was entrusted with the resources needed to plant, grow, and harvest the little beans that end up in our houses as bars of chocolaty goodness. Unlike the other managers in the area, Robert hired able working men to work his plantation and paid them a fair wage (enough to feed their families and send their children to school). Eventually Nestle starting noticing that of the many contracted plantations Robert's was running the least cost efficient. The bottom line's of the other managers were significantly reduced through exploitation of children...they could be hired for a pittance or even paid nothing at all. Nestle told Robert that he had two months to cut cost or they would cancel his contract. Robert knew the consequences of laying off the men that worked in his cocoa fields, for he himself knew the struggle of providing for a family. He had a decision to make: play by the rules of Nestle which would force him to hire and exploit children or continue on paying fair wages to able working men and lose his plantation. Robert, being the shrewd man he was, actually chose a third way. He decided not only to continue paying fair wages, but he would use his last payment from Nestle to help out his community. He had heard of a boy who had been wounded by a machete working in the fields and offered to pay for the medical bills the family could not afford. He voluntarily cleaned up a mess of cocoa husks another manager had discarded inappropriately on the land of a community down the road. He even began cutting some of the debts of employees (I mean he had nothing to lose at this point right?). During this time a reporter from the UK had been investigating the labor practices of cocoa plantations in Cote d'Ivoire and discovered the work Robert had been doing to improve and help out his community. Word quickly spread and Nestle was actually praised for the social and environmental standards that were being implemented in its cocoa plantations (funny how that works right?). The story goes Robert was later contacted by the executives of Nestle and rewarded for the way he had managed his plantation.

The parable of the "unjust" or "dishonest" manager never made much sense to me...maybe its because he wasn't unjust at all. Maybe its because he had actually acted justly or "shrewdly" as the Word says. Check it our yourself in Luke 16 and read it afresh. Maybe the message of Jesus was a bit more subversive than we thought.

2009-09-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics of some of the friends i made while we were on the Gold Coast. This beautiful Muslim family was from Kuwait...Their lives didnt seem much different than ours. They got a Wii for Christmas and loved to go out to coffee with friends and talk about boys :). PLease keep them in your prayers that the Lord would encounter them in powerful ways! Until next time!

Let them come...

2009-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

So over the past few weeks kelly and I have been making the messy transition from fully staffing the July school lecture phase to fully preparing and leading the entire September school. Its hard to be spending less time with the current school since we've built so many amazing relationships, though we continue to disciple them through 1-on-1's and small groups we have had to take a step back in order to devote our attention to the 6 new staff and 24 new students coming in the next few weeks!! Its exciting to see God continue to move in the lives of the students, especially as they prepare for outreach phase (my favorite part!)...pray that God will enlarge their hearts for the nations of India, Thailand, and Indonesia as well as create opportunities for His love to be shared to these people.

Please pray for staff training to run smoothly as seek we God's vision for the September school and work out the many logistics of making a DTS happen!

(a side note me and kelly)
We have been married for 14 months now (i think) and its been the best and fastest ride of my life...and yes a bit challenging (try getting married, moving to australia, being in charge of running schools for a bunch of 18-20 somethings, not mention the constant traveling and 60 hour weeks...you get my drift). But I wouldn't trade it for anything. And I want to say "thank you" to all of you who have be faithfully praying for me and kelly as we continue to step into a vision we believe God is giving us. Yes, I'll be the first to admit its still a bit blurry, the only way I (and God) would have it...seeing clearly doesn't require much faith. (more on that next week, the vision i mean). So that's it for now. peace.

Project Affwan

2009-08-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

This last week we had an amazing opportunity. Our entire DTS went down to the Gold Coast to attend Project Affwan. Each winter, thousands of Gulf Arabs come to the Gold Coast for vacation, many of them coming from countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Many of us (including myself) have never had the chance to talk with a Muslim personally about their faith, let alone develop a relationship. Everyday morning we had speakers teaching everything from Arab culture to understanding the Quran to effective evangelism techniques, many of the speakers were former Muslims from Egypt who are now believers. Let me just say that it is no easy task trying to understand the Muslim faith and why they believe what they do...it doesn't make it any easier that they are trying to convert you to Islam just as much as your trying to tell them about Jesus.

The very first night we went out we had a surprisingly good time. Our group of guys were a bit nervous about connecting with some random Arabs in downtown Gold Coast...so we started at a place of common ground, a place that has successfully diminished all cultural barriers in almost every region of the planet: Starbucks (you can laugh). We sat down and a couple of Arab guys sat down near us. With a bit of Arabic "Assalam Aleikum" (peace be upon you) we quickly managed to engage them in a conversation that would end up lasting for 2 hours. Hamad was from the UEA and Amir from Saudi Arabia. They were here studying at a university and they were eager to learn about where we were from and what America was like. Its quite sad when all they know about our culture is what is shown on MTV. Its hard for them to separate Christianity and America, to them it is one in the same. We talked about many things and had a great time. God really gave us an amazing opportunity to connect all week with same group of guys as well as meet many other Arabs. Our DTS as whole really went for it...giving out Arabic/English bibles, tracks, and simply telling their testimonies.

God really challenged me in something and I would encourage everyone who reads this blog to this as well. Try and get to know someone who is NOT like you; i mean culturally. like not born in the states even. someone who eats different, thinks different, talks different...maybe even believes something completely different (in fact its better if they do). Maybe it means connecting with someone in your class, or even in your church...or maybe the crazy homeless guy down the road. Just a thought.

july.school.rules

2009-07-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

The July school has officially kick-started and is underway! God has really moved in the lives of a lot of the students already. We are so blessed to be a part of this school! Although things are extremely busy the Lord blessed us with such a season of rest while we were home. This week we are learning about 'Hearing Gods Voice' and it is truly amazing to watch these students HUNGER after the Lord. Whenever I pray for them or we have a time of Worship, they are just so hungry and I can just feel the Lord wanting to come and break through! It is really cool to be a part of!

An update for prayer for Justin and I: We are at the point where we have to apply for another visa. We were planning on just getting a 1yr working visa but because we would have to leave the country to apply and BOTH of us would have to do so, it became quit expensive. SO, we decided we are going to

apply for our 428 which is a Religious Workers visa (good for 2 years). We can leave and come back whenever we want on it, however it is costing us approx $1,000. We have to do full background checks and it is very in depth so if you could PLEASE PRAY for favor from the immigration officials. We also were so blessed by YOU when we were home that we can actually afford to apply for this visa but it is definetly stretching our budget! We believe that this is what the Lord has put in front of us and we are ready to face the challenge with open arms!

Other then that things are going extremely well over here! It is winter so things are cold (no central heat

ing) in the mornings, but the afternoons are in the high 70's low 80's (tough winter huh). Just

in and I feel a renewed vision after being home for the DTS and as well for ourselves and we work out what

the Lord has for us next. Like we told most of you at home, our hearts are longing for the N

atio

ns and to be out there in the midst of it all. We are seeking God for wisdom as to where to go from here. Thank you for all of your prayers and support and I will WORK ON updating you more regularly!!

In Him!!

the tierneys :)

home sweet home

2009-07-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

After a what seems like a whirlwind trip we find ourselves back to a little bit colder Australia. We had an amazing time visiting our friends and family and found so much favor as the Lord was blessing us with new supporters. I have never felt so loved and welcomed back to the church as i have this last trip home. I realized that people really DO read these blogs lol, and that we have such a cloud of protection around our marriage and our ministry. I wish we could have taken more time to tell those of you THANK YOU.

To our new supporters WELCOME. Justin and I are on this crazy journey with the Lord and we love to share as much of it as we can with you!

Since being back in Australia it seems like we haven't stopped which come to find out we actually really like! We have been full on leading (with our good friend Matt) the July school staff training. During these times we are training on things like; WHY we use discipleship, HOW AND WHY we do one on ones and small groups, the logistics of the school are un-covered and we really pray for a unity and vision for the school. I have to say that i have never been more excited to staff a school than i am for this july school.

The Lord has been just teaching and showing me so many things since being back "home". I am reading this book right now by Gary Haugen called "Just Courage" (i would definetly recommend picking it up). It is a very challenging and inspiring book about our role as Christians and the World. "...this is the critical transition, when we who have been rescued by Christ come to understand that our rescue has not been simply for ourselves, but for an even more exalted purpose. In deed our own rescue is Gods plan for rescuing the world that He loves..."

Our heart for the Nations seems to be burning since we've come back. It is almost this ache inside of us that we just cant get rid of. I guess you could almost call it a burden. To go to bed at night thinking of these children, these women who have no rights, no freedom, no hope in this world. To look at ourselves and ask the tough questions like "what do you want us to do about this Lord?". I am scared to ask these questions because i know the answer will be challenging. I am ready though. I am ready and I am willing to go. I feel so empowered, so loved, so backed up by the church and His body of believers (thats you guys) to do this thing. Our future is unknown, our lives to some seem crazy, but we are on this crazy adventure called LIFE and i couldnt ask for anything more.

Family, Friends and a whole lot of FUN!

2009-05-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Since coming home we have had so much FUN! When we arrived in Los Angeles we got to hang out with a lot of Justin's friends who were graduating from Azusa Pacific University. We got to play on the beach (like we never get to do that in Australia!), hang out in Hollywood, and have some really cool conversations with those who are now being let out into the world. It was so cool to hear all of their dreams and aspirations. One group of girls is going to start an intentional community in Pasadena, a few guys we met are becoming college pastors, one who has a heart to take younger kids to Africa and places around the globe to get them in touch with poverty and injustice. I was so encouraged being there hearing Gods heartbeat with all of these college grads.

We have been so blessed since we have been in Portland. I have had a wonderful time seeing my sister and parents as well as friends that i haven't seen since...the wedding! We have been encouraged by our Missions Pastor, had time to just sit and wait at the feet of our King, and gone back to our church where we are continually challenged and can sing at the top of our lungs in adoration and worship of Him!

----------UP NEXT: Indiana!! -----------

We are looking VERY forward to getting to Indiana and seeing Justin's family and friends out there. We are SO blessed by these people (well, by YOU) and are just trying to take it all in before we go back to Australia.

NOW...FOR THE UPDATE

As many of you know we are home trying to find people who would like to partner with us in our 20/20 campaign. Out of those 20 we are excited to say that we are only looking for 19 more!! Thats right, we have 1 person who has jumped on board with us! This may discourage some people but we are so excited! Our heart behind the 20/20 is yes, to raise $400/month more in support but more so it is to give more people the opportunity to get involved in what God is doing in the Nations THROUGH us and what we are doing with YWAM Sunshine Coast. We will continue to keep you updated on how we are progressing in our support raising!

NOTE: If you are living in Indiana we are coming your way! Please email us ktierney02@gmail.com or call us 574-612-2568 if you are around. We would love to meet with you and catch up!

Sunsets and silhouette dreams

2009-03-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Since we have been back from outreach i would love to say that our lives have slowed down and we are rested and ready for the next step...but i would be lying! I think since we have returned fromd Vanuatu our lives have just got busier!! Some cool things are happening though. Its been fun and crazy and Gods been in the middle of it all!

After the school we flew down to Newcastle to do our Cert IV in Training and Assesment. In Australia YWAM is a government accredited organization...(i could go into A LOT of detail but to spare you from a lot of reading i will just say, email me if you want to know about that!) So for 2 weeks we were learning about assesment and training development. It is a 2 part course which we are completing these next few weeks in Melbourne. It has been fun going to different bases and meeting other staff. We have been learning about Gods heart for YWAM and for the DTS program specifically. I think the best part about the training has just been seeking Gods heart for the students who are coming through our base and how we can best equip them to be sent out into the Nations.

We had some time when we were home to dream a little bit with some friends of ours. We like to get together and talk about how we can make the DTS better and more of a long term life choice of missions instead of a 6 month God "stint". We have started brainstorming about something we could start that we are calling "Boomerang". This would be a internship that students and staff could be a part of either after their DTS or while they are staffing. Something we see happen all the time is people coming through who have a heart for the Nations and for missions but dont know how or where they want or can go. They are scared to go by themselves into a country for life (fair enough right?!). Our dream is to have long term people set up in outreach locations (hopefully 4 or 5) where we have long term people set up. Ultimately these people will be sent for a 6-12 month "internship". These would be places where either we have extremly reliable contacts OR we would have one of our own placed there. This is where Justin and i come in. As many of you know, our heart is for the nations and discipling them. God has really done a lot in teaching us where and how this is going to be played out (more on that in the next blog!). Our hope is, if this is where God is placing us, to use this as our opportunity to get out there. The first phase would be to establish contacts by going to a country or two for some time ourselves and sort out some details and then host and take teams back to those locations. Ultimately it would be for us to be stationed there long term and teams, churches, individuals would be sent to us. Now, this is all very up in the air, but if you multiply Justin and I by 4 or 5 people in different locations. Hopefully eventually having teams of people there and DTS outreaches sent 3 times a year....we will be effectivly raising up a harvest of workers where they now have an outlet for the Nations!!

I know there is a lot to read and thank you for all of what you do for us. I cant wait to write more about what the Lord has been breaking our hearts for. I might shed a few teams while writing it! We love you guys and thanks for reading!!

For the Sake of Remembering

2009-02-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

You can go on an outreach and be affected and changed by the people you come in contact with...then you can go home and go back to your normal life and every once in a while look at the pictures of that time you went overseas. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES. Every face has a name. Every face has a story... I read once that if we have any resources, any power, any voice, any influence, any energy, we MUST convert them into blessing for those who have no power, no voice, and no influence...We must be careful not to look at OUR world as THE world. The stories are all so different depending on where you go...the one in Vanuatu paints a picture of happiness, faith, and hope.

Ni-Vanuatu people are incredible...I wish i had more words to describe them. One of the most incredible things is the way they Worship. They put us to shame really...no holding back, no fear, just pure and FREE worship. It brings you to a place that you never want to leave. A place where you know that you know that this is what worshipping the Lord is really about. And the children. They have a way a sneaking into your heart and taking hold of it. You dont notice it at first...but every time you see them and they run into your arms, your heart jumps a little bit. They love you. They dont care about what you look like, what you weigh, what your wearing...they love you for you. I couldnt help but wonder if that was the way it was supposed to be...no prejudices, not a care in the world for what you smell like or anything else...just love. They love that you love them.

I think one of the best things that happened to me was a conversation that i had with one of the "mamas". I was telling them that Justin and i had gotten married since the last time we were there. They LOVED the fact that before when we came we were friends, and now we were married. They started talking about white babies and black babies and at the end of our talk i heard them whispering to one another some ideas. They told me that they wanted me; US to have one of their children. Now in America this seems like a form of abandonment or something but i Vanuatu it is one of the highest forms of honor. They wanted to give one of the children to Justin and I so we could take them back with us and raise them and always remember our friends we have in Vanuatu. Its a little weird to get your head around...but it was so classic. I was flattered...until they started telling me that when we have a child maybe we could bring them back to Vanuatu and give them to one of the mamas there...this took things a little too far! I just loved meeting and talking with these women though. I learned so much about culture and their faith and just how strong they really are...

this is why I'm here

2008-12-15T15:24:00.000-08:00

I thought I would tell a little story about the way I personally have seen God move since coming here. Her name is Marie, a beautiful 18 year old girl from Finland who came to do her DTS because her whole life she has grown up a MK (Missionary Kid) but never really thought she knew God on her own. Coming here with skeletons in her closet and secrets she tries so hard to forget. She wanted to start over; forget her past and start a new life. New friends, new experiences, another chance. My first meeting with her I was blown away. Not just because of her beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, but just her nature. So kind, so loving, with a smile so big if you werent looking you would think she had everything. But behind her smile and eyes i saw a hurt that was so deep, so real...it almost brought me to tears. Our one on ones were good. Pretty surface level until the Lord led me to ask her about forgiveness and trust. Instantly i saw her walls go up and pre-meditated answers come out. I prayed and prayed and prayed, asking the Lord to help me get in...for her to trust me enough to go deeper than the rough but gentle surface she put up. As time went on Maria and I became good friends. We laughed and talked about life and God and i began to see her open up to the Lord...I began to think maybe i wasnt as discerning as i thought. Maybe she DOES have everything together...
One Saturday i ran into maria at the house. We started talking and she asked if maybe we could go for a walk because there was something she wanted to talk to me about. Assuming it was just some crush on one of the other students or something i thought nothing of it. Once we started walking though i knew something was not right. She started to open up to me...about her past. Her life filled with abuse and rape. Hurts and pains that should leave someone hopeless and angry with God. Not Maria. Through the tears she told me she wanted to see where God was during these times. Repeatedly being misused and abused by men...instead of blaming God, she was seeking out His heart. How did He feel when these things were happening to her? I had to step back for a moment and process what what going on. This girl, only 18 years old had experienced things in her life that i could have never dreamed of. Strength is the first word that came to my mind. Over the course of the school Maria and i met on a regular basis, to pray through this. To ask God for healing, forgiveness, trust, and love...God is bigger and better then we could ever imagine and He shows up sometimes in the most bizarre ways.
As Maria was arriving in Australia she ran into him.I hope you know what i mean by him. THE GUY. The one who hurt her, abused her, treated her like no person should ever be treated...over and over and over again. She ran into him. He asked to see her. said they needed to talk. He had become a Christian and was living in Australia. He wanted reconciliation.
Fast forward 3 months. We are sitting at the beach and she tells me she wants to see Him. She tells me that God has taught her so much she wants to tell him that she forgives him. The she wishes only the best for him. At first i was hesitant. How could i send this girl to go see this guy who had treated this way so many years ago? Despite my fears i let her go. She was going to meet him at another base, with leaders and his mentors around. she was in a safe, controlled environment. I felt like a mother, wondering, staying up at night thinking about how it was going, was she ok? Praying for God to help me let her go...to trust Him with her..
She came back illuminate. You know like in the Bible when Moses comes back from being with God on the mountain and they have to make him a vail to cover his face...because he is glowing that much? Thats how i felt when i saw her. Glowing. I wont go into to much detail but the Lord saved him. He saved her. Re-living the past and giving everything of it to God transformed her. She talked with him about his journey, the abuse that he had faced when he was a kid and from that the out-pouring he put on her. He talked about the road God brought Him on. Of frogiveness and trust and love he himself had been struggling with. Thoughts of suicide. hate towards himself. He had found transformation only in God. I think often times when we pray for people we think "oh, they are too far gone" or "they had their chance"...do we really believe that God can heal and restore people? rapists? theives? murderes? I wish I could go into more detail about the restoration that took place during that meeting. Everyone told her not to go. Dont go see him. But she went. Said she HAD to. She NEEDED to. Do we listen to the word of the Lord and then follow it? Or do we let our reservations hold us back. That guy is now engaged to be married to a wonderful Godly woman who knows all about his skeletons but has first hand seen God change his life. He is living the life of forgiveness. of redemption.
And Maria? Well, she still glows. She still looks like she has just seen Jesus face to face. Who knows, maybe she has. She is off next week to Thailand to work with women who have been sold into the sex-trade. she is going to tell them that there is such thing as hope. such thing as forgiveness. That there is a light at the end of the darkness. Using her skeletons, her thorns to transform lives of thai girls. This is why i'm here, to be a part of this journey with Maria. We are the ones who are blessed to be staffing DTS's. I am forever a part of her story, simply because the Lord allowed me to come and pray and be an ear to hear her. This is why i'm here.

countin' down the days

2008-12-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'ts been a pretty full on week. A good friend of mine Bryan flew in from the States to speak on Inductive Bible Study...you know those people, who can get you excited about reading Leviticus (or any other book that is a bit tedious to get through), because they tell you so much of the heart and history behind it? Well, thats how this week has been. Finding a passion within myself to learn and study and know, but to encourage and see God reveal Himself through the Word has been...incredible to say the least.

We also had a time for Baptisms which was really cool to be a part of. Justin got to baptize 3 guys and pray over them as they made a public statement to proclaim their faith as a public act of Worship. We are seeing so much growth and maturity come out of these 30 students. Just a desire to know God, to dig deeper and experience Him in a personal, intimate way...this is why we are here.

CHALLENGED
We had a meeting a few weeks back to discuss our heart for this upcoming year...if you know Justin and I at all, you would know that this is very unlike us to make plans a year in advance. Over the past few weeks though, God had been teaching us about commitment..not just commiting to a place for 6 months or something but really committing...being RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. We have been challenged to give ourselves wholeheartedly to this base and the vision being cast here. We talked and prayed and felt a peace that truely does transcend all understanding...We have a lot of things still to pray about and God is continuing to challenge us with things to step up and do. If you would like to pray for us or know more about these plans feel free to email us at: ktierney02@gmail.com.

We are so blessed to have your support and love. God is doing so much and i wish i had the time to write down all that He is blowing us away with. You. Me. Us. We are all a part of something so much bigger going on. Gods Kingdom is moving and expanding. THANK YOU!

Evangelism/Covenants

2008-12-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

so just wanted to give you all an update on the lectures....last week we had our DTS director Ryan Kirk speaking on evangelism which was sweet cause instead of simply talking about fishing all week we actually went out and fished for ourselves each evening. Schoolies is sort of like spring break meets massive graduation beach party all week long. So every night we took the entire DTS down to the beach to serve and evangelize to the kids. It was such a sweet opportunity as many of the students (as well as staff) had a chance to share Jesus at least a few times, and me and Brent (a DTS student) even got to full on pray for a guy in front of all his friends!! So yeah pretty sweet stuff going on here. This week we have Neville, a pastor and church planter from Byron Bay speaking on Covenants which has been really challenging. Well thats all for now...only a few more weeks and were off to Vanuatu!

"...but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

2008-11-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

remember that parable Jesus told about the widow who gave everything even when she had nothing? this morning at base worship we had a time of giving. the needs were presented. slowly, but steadily people started shouting out their need whether it be $500 or $5000. then we waited. we waited to see God move in an impossible way among fifty or so rag-tag ywamers with next to no money. a wave people began to move...and minute after minute the needs written on the white board were wiped away. in less than fifteen minutes over $31,000 exchanged hands. i guess miracles still happen. praise jehovah jira.

"test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." - Mal 3:10

i once heard story about a man who made a few bad investments and before he knew it over $20,ooo of debt had piled up. this man later went to his pastor for some biblically sound financial advice and this what the pastor said, " you have dug yourself into quite a hole thats for sure, i guess your just gonna have to give your way out of it." funny thought.

24/5 prayer week!!!

2008-11-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

" Devote yourselves to prayer and thanksgiving..." Every DTS we have an entire week of nothing but prayer and worship. Its amazing. Each of us is given a two-hour time slot, whether it be at four in the afternoon or four in the morning groups of us are praying for anything and everything that God lays on our hearts...so far this week God has really been breaking our hearts for the lost, especially those suffering in impovershed nations. I know God is stirring up many dreams and visions within the students, be praying that they would be moved to action and sent out into the fields...for they are ripe for harvest!!

You are beloved

2008-10-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken after one of our night lectures. Students and staff all sat in worship of our God. It was a time to surrender those things that we had been holding onto...those things that had been hindering us from hearing God and really being in communion with Him. Each of us took a piece of paper, wrote down whatever it was that the Lord had placed on our hearts, and then we left them at the cross. Literally nailing them (ok push pin'ng) them. It was just such a good illustration of what posture our hearts were taking...

Every friday we have intercession. Intercession is a time where we stand in the gap for others. Whether that be other countries, un-saved friends and family memebers, or for the Sunshine Coast where we are based. This past week we hiked up to Mount Coolum to worship God and pray for the youth along the coast. My eyes were opened to the need for God in such a beautiful place. There is a real problem with suicide here in Australia. It is actually the #1 killer for teens. We took some time just pray on behalf of the churches here and for the lost people. It was cold and windy up there, but what was cool was that about 5 or 6 of us received the same vision....God taking our words, our prayers with the wind and placing them over every household along the coast. What an encouragment.

This next week is the Fatherheart of God. I am really excited about what God is going to do. A lot of people come through here without a real foundation of who God is and who He says we are in Him...His Beloved. This week is based on His heart. His character. His loving nature, and beginning to break down barriers that we put between ourselves and Him. 30 students sit in that lecture room every day pursuing the Lord. Crying out to Him. Asking for more than this world has to offer. Just imagine what it will be like for every single one of them to walk away with a new understanding of not only who He is...but who they are... And then going into the Nations proclaiming that. To offer hope to the hopeless. Love to the brokenhearted. To set people free from the slavary we put ourselves in. Amen.

If you find yourself wondering

2008-10-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been antsy to see our new beautiful car....here she is!! We are so blessed to have this car. It is a 1987 Holden with less than 100,000 miles on it. It runs like a champ and makes our lives SOOO much easier to get around, and we can actually feel like normal people! Our house is finally getting more furniture in it with a coffee table and we have been given a TV. God loves us so much!

Justin and i will be taking a team back to Vanuatu!! We will be leaving probably the week of Christmas and i couldnt be more excited about it! We will be presenting the outreach locations to the school this week. Justin and I are very excited about this opportunity! Our base is trying to set up a long term relationship with the Vanuatu base, meaning that we would hopefully have contacts long term there and also be sending teams there about twice a year. Vanuatu is such a beautiful place and the people are so willing to hear the gospel. If anyone knows me they will know how excited i am about this!

So thats what has been going on lately. We are having so much fun just being married and getting to know all the students. This week is Hearing Gods voice which is pretty full on. God has been so good to us and we are just so thankful for the opportunity to be here and be doing what we love to do! Thank you so much for everything and we look forward to what God is going to do over the next few weeks of this DTS and on into outreach. Please keep us in your prayers!!

Whats up down under!

2008-09-29T21:23:00.001-07:00

We are alive and safe! After traveling for over 24 hours we arrived in Brisbane just to be greeted by humid weather, and framiliar faces! As soon as we got here i felt as if i could let out a huge sigh of relief. After months of prayer and waiting and support raising we are finally here doing what we have been thinking and talking about for over half a year!

We started out last week with staff training. A long time YWAM'er Rob Westwood flew in from Melbourne to teach us about leadership. I have been staffing many schools but have never really formally been trained so it was really nice to be able to listen on topics like: time management, servant leadership, governmental vs. spiritual leadership, etc. We the spent the rest of our time talking over outreach locations, work duties...all of the small things that students think just happen with no time or preparation, but actually take FOREVER to discuss.

**Something i am really excited about is the markets. A fellow staff memeber and I are going to set up a booth in the markets on saturday and sunday mornings and sell jewelry. This jewelry is made by prostitutes in Cambodia and Thailand who have been taken off the streets and out of brothels and are making crafts to earn some money to either go to school, or just live. Many of these girls were sold at an early age and have never had anything else but the sex industry driving their life. We have decided to set up this booth not only to raise awarness of the matter but also to evangelise to the other women. I am so excited about this opportunity!

The students all come this week which means CHAOS is about to happen for the next few weeks. Getting settled in and getting everyone in the "know". Outreach locations, where everything is, what the heck a DTS really is, and so much more will all be uncovered in this next week! I am so excited to be here. To really take the time to get to know and dive into the heart of 3 girls over the next 6 months. To share fears, goals, hard-ships, and to un-veil the love of Jesus none of them ever knew exhisted....It brings tears to my eyes!!

More to come once we dived in a little bit!!

Our new place!

2008-09-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our new (but very small) house! Enjoy!

all things set...lets go

2008-09-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

We can finally say that we are leaving for Australia! As of early this morning we were granted our visas...PRAISE GOD!

I cant even begin to tell you how glad i am that this process is all over! I guess life would a little bit on the boring side if things like this didnt keep us on our toes a little bit! Alas, we have our visa and are set to leave on tuesday out of LA at 11pm. All of our bags are packed...lets just say we are ready to go!

Heres a little update on our finances:
Our goal is 1500/mo and we are currently at 1160. We have been extremly blessed by one-time support so that the gap between what we have and what we need is fairly small! We would love to share our heart with you and our need if you are thinking or praying about supporting a missionary, consider supporting us!

Getting connected with us

2008-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

If you would like to connect with us, here's the info...

We send out an update once a month. If you would like to

receive that, please email us at ktierney02@gmail.com

OUR ADDRESS IN AUSTRALIA

If you would like to send us any goodies here's where to mail it:

Justin and Kelly Tierney

c/o Youth With A Mission

PO Box 5633

Maroochydore, BC

QLD 4558 Australia

If you would like to come alongside what we are doing here by

donating either on a monthly basis, or by one time support

you can join us in these ways:

IN THE STATES FOR A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT

Send checks to:

YWAM Tyler Accounting Department

PO Box 3000

Garden Valley, Texas

75771-3000

(please make checks payable to YWAM and attach a sticky

note with "justin and kelly tierney" on it.

OR by direct deposit

email Matt at mhark@ywamtyler.org

or call him directly at (903) 882 5591 Ex 5307

and ask for the forms needed for the 'Automatic Withdrawl Option'

LIFE WED...

2008-07-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Life after the big day...Many of our friends and family came out for this truly special occasion. We are honestly blessed by the people who surround us and are overwhelmed by what the Lord is teaching us through our union. He has been refining and defining who we are individually and the vision that He has given us with a strong word behind it to "go". So thats what we are doing...we are in the oh so sweet in-between time where we are praying, fasting, and listening with open ears and hearts for His perfect plan to start out our lives together. We know it begins with us returning to Australia to work with YWAM. This is a very unique time and place...not only is it where we met and fell in love, but also the place where we both did our DTS's and where the Lord took absolute hold over our lives. Where God ruined us for anything else. It is where we both knew that a radical life of Missions was the only thing that we wanted to do...

So here we are in the meantime...We thought,(well, i thought) it would be good to start up a blogspot for those of you out there who are itchin' for a little bit more than just our month to month update. Here we will have pictures, updates, videos, and stories...oh how i cant wait for those stories!...We are very excited about this next step and want to thank you all for praying along with us and for many of you who are financially supporting us. Please feel free to write, call, email, and let us know what the Lord has been doing in your lives and for any words of encouragment or scriptures that have been pressing on your hearts. Thank you again for beginning this journey with us. We are all truly blessed. In Him.

Snorkeling in the Dominican Republic...Beautiful DR sunset

Camping at Indian Beach...

So until next time..Thanks for reading!!