This is a little slideshow that I put together of my YWAM experience during my Crossroads DTS.  What a great 5 months of my life!

Ochawan Update!

This is Ochawan, a woman who accepted Christ during my village visit to Can-eo over two months ago.  Going to Can-eo was one of the most impacting times during my outreach to the Philippines... the things God did that weekend were amazing!  I will never forget how our team's choice to go the "extra mile" allowed us to meet this beautiful woman and witness how God touched her heart and adopted her into His family!  

Some of our contacts in the Philippines recently posted an update about how Ochawan is doing.  I was excited to hear the news and wanted to share it with you all!  Thank you to Tom and Lisa Maxwell for sharing the following information: 

After lunch was over, Lisa and I went to visit Ochawan. Our newest staff member, Harry, accompanied us and served as translator and guide. She wept with joy as she told us how much she appreciated us coming. We were blessed to feel so welcomed. We gave her copies of the photos taken two months ago when she accepted Jesus as her Savior.  She smiled as she remembered how when she prayed she was filled with joy.  When she asked me to share something from the Bible, I read the passages from 1 John 4 about love that had been used as the text during the sermon.

As we talked, she shared that back pain has kept her from sleeping well.  She longs to be strong enough to join the other believers at church services.  After praying for her, she opened up to struggling with great fear.  So much that she insists her niece leave the light on at night.  I shared with her Psalm 139, reassuring her that God is always with her even amidst the darkest night. Lisa told her perfect love casts out fear and that the spirit of fear does not come from the Lord.  Ochawan happily replied, "I believe it.  I claim it.  Fear must go away!"

Please continue to pray for Ochawan and for the work God is doing in Can-eo.  I love this village and the amazing things God is doing there!

To read more about the village of Can-eo and many other wonderful places in the Philippines visit the Maxwell's blog at: http://garden-of-grace.blogspot.com/

Oh my goodness...
I can't believe that I will be driving down to Salem, Oregon in just a few weeks... woah... time is really flying by!  I look forward to this next chapter of my life as I step into the world of missions!  I don't know exactly what everything will look like yet, but I do know that God has great plans for me and important work to do... sharing the gospel, discipling new believers, teaching children, and much more!  

Here is a little more about what I will be doing and how you can help me in my mission adventure...

HELP ME BE A MISSIONARY!

Hello there, I hope you are doing well. I pray that 2012 will be a great year for you, full of blessings and hope!

The New Year is bringing some changes for me. I am planning on moving to Salem, Oregon in February to work with a mission organization called Youth With a Mission. You might remember that I attended a Discipleship Training School with them last year and ministered in the Philippines. It was during these 5 months that God gave me a passion to join full time mission work. So for the next two years I will be a missionary! I can’t even begin to tell you how exited I am for this! 

  

Before I can join YWAM, I need to finish my personal fundraising. Every member of YWAM is solely funded with a personal support base. That’s right, no one has a salary! As a child of God, I know that I am in His hands, and I am confident that He will provide for what He has called me to do. God holds my future, but I also realize... I need some help!

I am asking for assistance as I dedicate these next two years to the Lord. I need $1,500 a month to cover my living expenses and future outreach costs. I crunched some numbers and it would take only 30 people at $50 a month to be fully funded. Could you be one of 30 to give $50 a month? My hope is that you would prayerfully consider what amount you can give because large or small, anything would help!

YWAM is a great organization with a vision to see freedom and righteousness established in unreached nations. The Salem base focuses specifically on training and sending leaders around the world. As staff of YWAM Salem I will play a part in discipling hundreds of people through different programs here on the home-front. I will also go to other nations to share the gospel with people who have never heard the good news of Jesus. Through missions, I can reach out to people who are broken and lost in both a physical and spiritual way. What an epic challenge and opportunity! You can find out more about YWAM and what I will be doing on my blog: missmariechristine.blogspot.com.

I hope that you will consider joining my team with a monthly commitment of however much God leads you to give. I have no idea what you might be able to do, but it would be a tremendous honor to have you invest in this. Whatever the outcome, please know that I care about you and appreciate you. Thanks again for your friendship!

Blessings to you!

~Marie

PS:  If you have any questions or want to find out more please feel free to contact me at marieevensen@msn.com. I would love to share more with you!

Please make checks payable to:

“YWAM” 

Do not write my name on the check, put my name on a separate paper.

Send to:

YWAM Salem

Attn: Accounting

7085 Battlecreek Rd. SE

Salem, OR 97317

A Great Song!

This is a song that has been speaking to me a lot lately about becoming a missionary.  

I heard the Lord calling me to go and have chosen to follow where He leads me.  

I'm trusting God's plan because I know that His plan is better than my own!  

Click on this link to listen and view the lyrics:


I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin

And...

I forgot to mention the Festival of Lights!

Warm smiles and frozen feet!

Many people from my church showed up to enjoy a fun parade, impromptu caroling, bus tour of the neighborhood lights, and an awesome party complete with tasty treats and wonderful fellowship!

Christmas Fun!

I love the Christmas season!

Being near family and friends during this festive time is very special, but what I love most is the celebration of the birth of my Savior!

Thank you Jesus for coming to Earth!

Enjoying the annual Victorian Tea with my mom and sister!  My church, River of Life Fellowship sure knows how to throw a party! 

The beautiful table we decorated together this year.  I love seeing the tables every year to see the new and creative ideas!

Bentley begging to go for a walk, I think he missed me being gone!

Hanging out with my pup... he likes to HOG the couch!

Picking out a Christmas tree to cut down and haul home.  

It was freezing this year, but at least it wasn't raining!

Making gingerbread houses has become a tradition for our family... 

the kids love it... and the adults do too!

Intense concentration!

Our cute little gingerbread village!  The kids were pretty independent this year and had some creative designs!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Amazing Ministries!

There were a wide variety of ministries that I was involved in during my time in Bontoc.  It was fun to have such a variety because I got to experience a lot of new things and grow in some amazing ways!

Sharing at the Moral Recovery Program

It was amazing that we were able to speak with the military and police about moral values!   There is no separation of church and state in the Philippines se we were able to share Biblical truths openly.  

We were also able to speak in the public high school about godly values which was an amazing experience to be sharing God's Word with students.

Making balloon animals for kids in the villages

A place where people make sacrifices

During some of our free hours we would go on prayer walks around the city.  We would talk with and pray for people we would meet along the way and were often invited into homes for some wonderful Filipino hospitality.  We also prayed over areas where pagan rituals happen regularly.

Planting Rice

Muddy work, but Fun!

I got pretty good at planting rice... getting the correct spacing and getting the plants deep enough, but not too deep.  I felt so slow though... the native ladies were so fast - like machines!  It took a while to plant the field, but we got 'er done!

Planting Coffee Trees

Live chickens tied in with the trees for lunch :0)

Planting coffee trees was crazy... we drove 1 1/2 hours to the planting site, planted trees for 1 hour, ate freshly butchered chicken and rice for 2 hours, and then drove another 1 1/2 hours home.  I was surprised that it took 5 hours to do 1 hour of work, but it was fun anyway!

Ministering at the Can-eo Station Church

Praying for Ochawin

 I took a village trip to Can-eo and taught Sunday school to some crazy, but sweet kids!  On that trip we also spent time praying for a woman named Ochawin who had tuberculosis and diabetes.  We witnessed God do a miracle in her heart as she accepted Jesus as her Savior!  It was cool to be there and see how the joy of the Lord came upon her and to hear her testify that she felt "lighter and free!"  Praise the Lord!

Teaching a DTS Class

The Bontoc YWAM base has a program called Student Sponsorship Ministry (SSM) where they house and disciple college students that come from remote villages.  Our team met with these students 2 or 3 times a week to teach, encourage, and pray with them.  It was a real honor to meet with these students, to pour into them and have them also pour into us in return.

Cleaning up trash at the high school

Hanging with April at the SPED center

 Our team spent the morning at a special education school and it was so cool to sing songs with them and make bracelets that tell the gospel story!  The students were so excited to have visitors and to have some fun activities, and I was so blessed by how the kids were receptive and fun to be with!

Playing volleyball  

Heading home one evening we found some girls playing volleyball so naturally we played a while with them and built up a friendship.  Each evening we would stop by and see if the girls were playing.  We caught up with them one other time and were able to pray for them after the game. 

Praying with people after church

 It was cool to minister to people in the Philippines, they are so gracious and humble.  I was so blessed by their tender hearts and willingness to respond to the Spirit!

Taking blood pressure at the health clinic

 On Fridays we would help at the health clinic where we would take blood pressure, do glucose checks, and visit with people.  I really enjoyed meeting people and learning how to do the blood pressure and glucose tests!

Praying for kids at the hospital

 Praying for kids at the hospital wasn't something I was really excited about.  I love kids, but I pretty much hate hospitals... they make me really uncomfortable.  At the hospital I met Camille, a little girl who was so sad.  Over some time I was able to cheer her up and get her to do some high fives!  Because of this positive experience I went again at another time to pray for more kids :0)