This last month has been a truly incredible one. For starters, the massive online course project, “Going” has finally launched. It is the product of roughly a month and a half of solid work for the 3 of us working on the project. Since my last update, the word has gotten out among the YWAM world about the Going course and 75 bases have contacted us about running it at their locations. We also are working with translators around the world to get the course in Portuguese, Spanish, and Korean. The whole project has grown way past our expectations in the best way possible. The course covers a lot of the foundational aspects of faith and missions. While it is targeted towards students who are coming to do a Discipleship Training School, the content is top-notch. It covers great topics like discipleship, missions, spiritual practices, and even a bible overview. We have made the full course freely available on the website: goingcourse.com
For the first week of July, our base put on and hosted a large outreach in the city of Lausanne. This outreach was called “J’aime ma Ville” or I love my city in French. The outreach was assembled in co-operation with 2 other YWAM bases in the western part of Switzerland and 5 local churches. We had activities aimed at all ages and the 3 afternoons in the city proved to be a spectacular success. I was asked to lead a group doing photo ministry in the same fashion as I had done before COVID shut it down. The outreach coincided with the slightly frantic last week of the online course project when we were working overtime to complete and launch it. This meant I was only able to personally be there for the first day. However, I was able to hand off the other 2 days to Saul and Yae Lin. Saul worked with me on the first day, and Yae Lin was a part of my ministry circle. Both of them are very skilled photographers and carried the figurative torch brilliantly in my absence. I am so excited that the vision for this kind of ministry is extending to others and is having the opportunity to multiply.
On the day I was there, 2 ladies from a local church, Chantel and Kirsten, joined me. Neither one of them was a photographer, but they both really enjoy street evangelism and so we formed an unlikely and effective team. Throughout the afternoon, the three of us working together did photos and had conversations with more than 30 people and even had 3 people come to Christ. This is incredible, especially in Switzerland, where most people are quite closed to the Gospel or religion in general. The story of one of the people who met the Lord that day stuck with me and I thought it would be best to share it in a video, enjoy!
Last month it looked as if things were finally beginning to open up travel-wise. I found this very encouraging as I had planned to come back to the states for a visit in September. However, in the last 2 weeks, all of this has changed. Switzerland has mandated a strict 10-day quarantine on any travelers entering from a “high-risk” list of nations, the US being one of them. In addition, both of my flights both to and from the states were canceled within 2 days of each other with no immediate options for rebooking. This has been a bit disheartening as it looks like I won’t be able to make a trip back until the new year unless things change. However, I was recently reminded of how incredibly perfectly my arrival over here coincided with COVID. God lined everything up so perfectly for “For such a time as this.” Thus, while I am disappointed by the change/delay, I am waiting expectantly to see what God is putting in motion for me through this change of plans. I am slowly learning to let Him take the lead on planning and hold things with a very open hand. This has been a particular challenge for me as I tend to be a very diligent planner, always trying to make things fit together and work. The Lord has been very patient with me in this regard but continues to remind me to let Him call the shots. I have found these verses in Proverbs 3 to ring especially true in this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” As well as Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Whatever lies ahead I trust the Lord is moving, and am waiting expectantly for what is to come.
As always, thank you for coming along with me in this adventure of faith,
Ben