Thankful Tears
The divine appointments and special moments have been continuing.
This has been one of my favourite parts of the tail-end of this trip “round the world” to PNG and back to Ireland. The unexpected changes landed upon us in PNG and my wife and I sensed as a couple that I needed to stay on for what has been nothing short of a daily adventure with Jesus in these past two months with many stories and testimonies I am trying to get written out here in this trip diary..
All during my time here in YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Brisbane—quite apart from having the first uninterrupted supply of strong Internet access in several months to finally get some work done online. Hallelujah!—I have had opportunity to share with young people, as well as some not-so-young ones, and conversations have often been about subjects relating to provoking deeper intimacy with the LORD.
In my travels round PNG and Queensland there has been a quite a recurring theme recently of ministry, rescue and restoration for girls caught up in slavery and trafficking. One night this week some young students here in the YWAM base invited me to watch “Sound of Freedom” and there it was again: rescuing the trafficked (although not exactly the type of rescue I had in mind). In February, of course, our church is sending a team to work in Cambodia in support of those who rescue and minister to girls caught up by this ugly ‘trade’.
Hand in hand with this theme has been the way that STS (Simply the Story) style Bible storytelling ministry has such a transformative effect upon those recovering from sexual traumas. I find myself among those directly or indirectly involved in the rescue process and helping them see how the living, active and transforming Word of God can be brought to those on the road to recovery.
Yesterday as I shared at lunch with a couple of people, a young man, staff here on the base, began crying. After he composed himself he told how he has longed and prayed for “a tool” to help him better and more effectively share Jesus with the lost and hurting, and he sees how STS can be just that tool. I hope and pray that he will receive that training and others with him right here in Brisbane.
It is my prayer that more and more YWAM bases will follow the example of DTS (Discipleship Training School) courses, like the ones of YWAM Brazil, to include an STS week in their training to equip students with a tool for their ‘ministry belt’ to go and make disciples of the nations, including the healing of the traumatised and scarred from many of life’s abuses. May the LORD lead and bring this about!