Project Affwan

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.