Classes & Address & Money/Equipment...

[These are thoughts on Monday and Tuesday. I'm still processing Wednesday. Suffice for now to say it was good. ^_^ I know this is long, and thank you for taking time to read and express your care for me. It means a lot.]

Aside: I've really taken to the Hawaiian way of spelling Hawai'i. So much more character... Anyway.

Yesterday was the first day of the PhotoGenX class. We started the whole deal by sharing some things that we are leaving in the past, our stories of how we came to Kona and PhotoGenX, and what we are the goals and prizes we are pressing on toward in this 24 weeks together. The stories almost literally took all day, and they were amazing. I am so thankful that almost everyone shared very personal, very difficult pieces of themselves. I hope and pray God will use the honesty and vulnerability of the group to bring us close, into true community as brothers and sisters. There is so much potential for us over the next 23 weeks.

A lot of people have joked about "suffering for God in Hawai'i." I feel that's kind of what I've been telling people I am doing. The training portion isn't so much suffering (at least I don't think it will be...), although I do expect it will not be all flowers and happiness. When you are in close community with a lot of people (or even a few) things will get tense and unhappy over some things. It stinks, but all you can do is work through stuff. I think the foundation we are building on from sharing yesterday will get us through any tight spots.

Today was the first day of class that felt like class. The morning session was all about hearing and obeying God, what that looks like, the different ways it comes up... so much to process. I wrote a couple pages of notes, and I still have yet to reflect on them. All this week will be focused on hearing God speak and obeying when/what we hear. This is the beginning of the true the core and purpose of thePhotoGenX DTS, or any DTS at any YWAM base, to learn about who God is and be discipled in following Jesus and living for Him. I'm really excited for this week and talking, thinking, reflecting, sharing about hearing and listening and obeying God.

Deuteronomy 6:4-6 is the verse that comes most strongly to my mind: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart." In Hebrew, shama is the word translated as "hear," and it can also be translated as "obey." So shama has implications of both meanings simultaneously. When the ancient Israelites heard this call about how they were to relate to God, they would have heard both hear and obey, essentially as though the two concepts cannot exist without the other. Loving God means hearing Him and then doing what He says. He wants to bring His people into the land He promised them because He loves them, so there is no reason not to listen and obey. Loving God back is the most natural expression, because love should respond with love. This sums it up well: "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

Tonight we had the first photography lesson. It was all review for me, but it was fun and I'm very glad to do even review. There are so many fantastic people in this school, and I am excited to be with all of them. I'm really excited to help teach the people who don't know much about photography. ^_^

I want to give you all my address in case you want to mail me anything.

Chris Wolf
University of the Nations – photogenX DTS
75-5851 Kuakini Highway #430
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740-2199

I'm still in the process of getting my support letters sent and out. I still need almost $500 by Friday, and almost $6000 by April 30. I trust completely that God will provide everything I need in time (probably not my time...), but I also know part of that provision is asking for help. I want to thank everyone who has already helped me financially: y'all are basically my heroes, and I love you all more than I can say. If you would like to help me financially, in any way, please email me.

I am also kind of hoping that I will find digital photography equipment I can borrow for my time in Kona and during the outreach phase. I have a Nikon D100 right now, which will work fine, but I'd love something with a little more oomph (Nikon D80 is my dream... just wanted to share that). More than a body though, I am praying for another lens, somewhere in the 30-70mm range. I only have a 70-200mm lens right now, which will not help me as much as I need. Anyway, if you know anyone who might be willing to let me borrow any photo equipment - even camera bags or CF memory cards or whatever - I would be very appreciative.

I am excited to share more soon of what god has been doing. I will leave you with a thought from a letter that has become very important to me. "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

So in the spirit of forgetting pasts filled with regret, shame, guilt, brokenness, junk, may you press on toward the goal and prize and make it your own.

Grace and Peace!

Christopher

(P.S. If you want to look up any verses, biblegateway.com is a great tool and resource.)