Merry Christmas to you!

I hope you have an incredible Christmas and a wonderful year 2010!

This week I took some time to remember all the things God has done this year... You were part of this! Have a look:

January: Still in Berlin, waiting for the green card! This month was busy preparing for the European Leadership Forum that was being held at YWAM Berlin.

February: I got news that my green card HAD to move and had to move FAST. But I also had to help with the European Leadership Forum. So for the last 2 weeks of February I got everything to do with the green card done and got the official word that I was allowed to return to the States 1 week before I was flying out of Berlin.

March: I am back in the States and am getting used to the new YWAM building that I am supposed to manage. Many, many meetings to get the community resource center part even more up and running.

April: The Pier (the community resource center) is different from anything else I have ever done. it's hard to realise that many people don't want our help or just want free hand outs. But even though it's not going to be easy, it's time to thank our volunteers that have faithfully led and worked the grocery assistance ministry and the clothes donations. We have a big thank you dinner with more than 20 of our volunteers showing up!

May: Summer is starting soon. The non-Pier part of YWAM Las Vegas is getting ready for a major Mission Adventures summer with hundreds of students coming to learn about God and missions during the summer. Very exciting!

June: To get better equipped about working in the community resource center (which works a bit more like a church and less like a missions organizations) I asked if I could volunteer in my church. I scored and was able to meet regularly with a youth pastor from my church who very patiently answered many of my questions and helped me come up with some basic structures, including information about how to recognise child abuse and the likes... My least favorite, but most needed topic.

July: With the ministry of the Pier finally getting busier, it's time to start on some structure. Keys for volunteers, name tags, room usage plans and the likes all have to be created from scratch while the building is full of High School students during the Mission Adventures summer.

August: 3 weeks of Fun in the Summer; a program for kids from the neighborhood. One the first day we were able to tell 7 kids about God... on the last more than 30 had heard the good news.

September: The STARS youth leadership development program has started to meet in our building and I love hanging out with the students. The new season for junior High at church is starting and I am very happy to co-lead a small group of 8th grade girls again.

October: This year I got to help out with the Go Conference again and flew out to Colorado to help more than 200 YWAMers get excited about world mission again. In the process I got very excited too... like every year!

November: Our official grand opening is happening and more than 150 people come out to help us celebrate. It's a good time with the neighbors! :)

December: Looking forward to new beginning in 2010. I really want to see the youth programs grow with the help of college student interns. That means cold calling colleges nation wide, making new relationships in the city and meeting some principals and teachers in schools in our neighborhood.


Check this out to read about hopes, dreams and necessities for 2010