Brief: Mobile DTS

I'm trying to figure out the next move on a giant chess set in Lausanne, Switzerland. I won. (Twice.)

This is me and a couple of friends and a big platform swing. No, we didn't fall off.


The Mobile DTS in Herrnhut has begun, and we are now two days into the school. My time is filled with staff meetings, lectures from speakers, evenings together with the staff and students, and scavenger hunts. More on scavenger hunts soon....

I'm also working on the October Newsletter to send out. If you want to receive it but did not receive the August/September letter, please email me that you would like to be on the list. Thanks!

It's late here, but I am training myself to use this as a space for short updates, maybe eventually everyday. I am doing very well, excited, and always wanting to hear and connect with you. Hope to soon.

Grace and peace,
Chris

Thoughts On Healing and More

If you didn't already know, God has been healing warts on my hands. It's still amazing to me that this is happening. But I've come to realize it should be normal. Jesus called me to be naturally supernatural. "Proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons" (Matthew 10:7–8).

I have to be honest – the last time I raised a dead person was, um, never. That's ridiculous, to raise the dead, isn't it? I don't know if I've even met a leper (although I think the warts I had count as a skin disease). And although I've prayed for healing and have met people with demonic influences over their lives, I don't know if anyone has been healed and I don't think I cast out any demons. But Jesus instructed the Twelve to do all this – including raising the dead! – before He was crucified and resurrected. Jesus gave them authority before they were trained up. They saw Him teach, heal, raise the dead, cast out demons, so they some idea of what Jesus did to copy; but they didn't have a class like Cleansing Lepers 101 before Jesus sent them on outreach.

This gives me great hope, for myself, and for anyone other Christian. I am receiving phenomenal teaching and training in Herrnhut and with YWAM. I know people with other organizations, for example InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, who are getting excellent training and equipping in God's Word and ministry. I think there is a need and a place for YWAM or IVCF or whatever. But this type of life is for everyone.

From what I've learned, here is what I've gathered that everything comes down to: 1) Because of Christ, I am God's son. 2) Because of Christ, I have the Holy Spirit living in me. 3) I obey the Lord in whatever I do. Knowing my true spiritual identity, and that I am God's tabernacle, and doing as God says are, I believe, the keys to making the most of the authority Jesus has given those whom He has called.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking recently.

Ephesians 3:20 – "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,"

Grace and peace,
Chris

Pictures

I haven't shared many pictures. So, to begin with, here are some photos of my hands after most of the warts have dried up:


The arrows show where groups of warts were on my hands. If you zoom in some, you can see tiny pink bumps. The warts shrank over a matter of weeks, and now the skin is almost completely smooth. (You can zoom in here.)

And this is my left hand. There were two warts below my index finger, where the arrows are. You can see that you is whitish, and the other is gone, now a pink dot. All the warts on my hands have turned white or black, then shrunk to nothing and become a pink spot. Healing is craziness, but so good!

I really, sincerely, literally believe that God wants to heal like this much more than anyone has seen or heard about. Now, I don't believe that God will always heal every disease right away. I know people have have had miraculous instant healing of broken bones or blindness, cancer, whatever. I know people who have been healed over time, like the warts on my hands. And I knew people who have been prayed for again and again, everyday, and nothing happens. I don't know why. But I know that Jesus told his disciples, which means he tells you and me, to heal the sick. No one will be healed if no one prays. I've experienced that God heals when I listen to him saying, "I want to heal this... pray this way..." and I obey him. How cool would it be to see healing become normal in the church again?
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Here are some pictures of me and my class! I love all these people a lot. If you have facebook, you can find more photos tagged with me. Here are a very of my favorites.

In Wittenberg, in front of the Castle-Church where Martin Luther taught. =D
More on my trip to Wittenberg later. It was a great trip to see the site where the Reformation started.

The SOIP Men. We look even better in person.

The SOIP.

ME! In black and white. Beautiful.

More to come. Thanks for staying and praying with me.

Much love in Christ, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us [Eph. 3:20],

Christopher

Warts

God asked me to write something, and I asked Him what to write about, and He told me this. Enjoy.

I've been watching something amazing happen. I would call it incredible even, except that there are dozens of people who are witnesses. I love sharing this testimony because it seems incredible even to me sometimes, and I'm living it.

I've had a number of warts on both my hands for some years. Last year I started trying to remove them with medication, but it didn't work, and after some time the warts became worse and bigger. A few weeks ago Scott, my friend from the School of Intercessory Prayer, came up to me and told me God had spoken to him that he should pray for my hands, that the warts would die and my hands be healed.

You need to understand that I have been ashamed of my hands and the warts for years. I have been very self-conscience and did not like shaking hands with people. I often tried to hide them. I've used a medication, put duct tape on them, prayed that they would be healed, and nothing has happened or worked.

Until now. Scott asked me if he could pray for me, and the shame I had felt started to brake. He told me he got James 5:16. Which says, "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." Scott prayed for me, and said he felt this was a process that would take some time and encouraged me to pray and speak healing to my hands as well. I took a few days to meditate on the verse and asked God how to respond, and He told me to go back to Scott and confess a couple things that I hadn't spoken into the light. Scott and I prayed again. A day or two later, a few of my warts started shrinking.

I didn't know what to think, but as the days went by they shrunk more. Scott came back to me, we went through this process again, and the warts keep shrinking and dying. The warts that are dying are specific, one wart or group of warts at a time, on different hands... it's always random which one dies next.

I don't get it. I really don't. I've never truly believed that God still heals people physically. I always believed God wants much more to heal people inside, spiritually and emotionally and mentally. Not the body. I've been thinking about this a lot the last few weeks. One girl in our class broke her leg, and we started praying for her healing right away. Her bone wasn't miraculously mended. There are other injuries in my class that haven't been healed, and I don't know why not.

I didn't see anything that gave me new faith that God could heal my hands. But I took another passage to heart out of James that Scott also gave me: "Ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways" (James 1:6-8.) I set myself not to doubt but to receive... and now I am seeing past areas of shame become areas of glory and praise to God as He redeems my hands.

That sounds incredible still to me, and every morning when God's mercies are new, I see a wart has died a little more, and I praise Him that He is turning my confession and faith into healing. Cool.

I'll try to share pictures soon, and then again when the warts are gone.

In other news, I am going to Berlin on Thursday to the Nigerian Embassy for an interview to get a Visa for outreach. If you think of it and God tells you to pray for me, you could pray for the interviews. But even more pray for me in whatever way, for anything, that God brings to your mind. [And if you have a word or direction or image that He gives you to pray (e.g. Grace, or 'Let go' or a red balloon...), that would be encouraging.]

Thanks, and may you know even more God who heals both the spirit and the body,

Chris

Thoughts On Intercession: Standing In The Gap

These are some thoughts/reflections/revelations about intercession that I have been pondering lately. These have been influenced by many areas of the School of Intercessory Prayer I am part of – by teachers, by school staff, by the book we are reading, through things my friends are sharing, through prayer and listening to God and reading his Word and revelation of the Word. Thanks to all of you. And thanks be to God.
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If you know me – and if you are reading this you probably know me – than you know that I am a mind person; I process logically, I have been called a Vulcan and Spock, and I LOVE Germany in part because they are highly rational. I am continuing to learn Greek, German, and English and I love etymology. Thus the way I introduce this entry, with a definition.

intercede – from French intercéder and Latin intercedere, inter– "between" + cedere "go"
The verb to intercede means literally to go between, which is done on behalf of another.

After the prophet Isaiah has a revelation of the Lord in the temple and God extends great mercy and grace to Isaiah, the Lord asks "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responded "Ooh, ooh, pick me!" (Is. 6:8, paraphrase mine). God is seeking an intercessor, someone to go between God and God's people. And he wants someone with a heart that screams "I'll stand in front of them for you!"

Practical example: A lawyer is one example of an intercessor. He goes between a client and the Judge and intervenes on behalf of the client. He advises, he counsels his client. Hmmmm...

Later in Isaiah, he writes, "The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him" (Is. 59:15,16). And in the end of a chapter in Ezekiel about all the ways Israel has despised and broken promises with the Lord, God says, "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach [gap] before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads" (Ez 22:30,31).

God is righteous and merciful, full of wrath and full of peace and forgiveness. He desired earnestly for an intercessor to go between him and Israel and say "Lord, forgive this people and give your mercy for them to turn back to you!" Maybe no one listened when his Spirit spoke to them. Maybe no one could hear the Lord. All that matters is not one person said "Ooh ooh, pick me! I'll go!"

There is much I could go into at this point, but I will not now. What I am beginning to see and receive is that God desires people who will share his heart and listen to his will; who will agree with him, no matter the cost. This is so brilliant to me. I have just realized this:

God does NOT want or need to be convinced or persuaded! It's his desire to release mercy and grace and peace and joy and life!... all the things I desire at my core. He is righteous and just and holy, and the Law brings judgment and wrath that he must uphold if no intercessor will stand in the gap.

The Levites, the priests for the Hebrew people were intercessors for the people to go between them and God to offer atonement for their sins everyday. The High Priest interceded once a year for the whole nation.

Which is where Jesus comes in. And there is again too much that can be said about many things, so I focus on this: Isaiah 53:12 testifies of Jesus that "he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." God sought for a man who should stand in the gap, he asked "Who will go for us?" and Jesus said "I'll go" and became the ultimate intercessor, the One in whom we have confidence in intercession.

"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:23–25.)

God searches for people to stand in the breach, and Jesus gladly became human to live and die and live again to be the perfect intercessor. The Spirit of Jesus Christ lives in those who trust him to be their intercession before the Lord for their sins.

So I have confidence in the place of intercession that when I stand in the gap before God, when I listen to what his will and desire are, how he wants me to pray, he will not be slow to answer or give in only after hours and days of pleading and fasting, but knowing he will move quickly to accomplish his will.
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That's all for now. I have a lot of stories and testimonies and thoughts, and I love sharing them, so please ask me. And I would be happy to pray if there is anything you want intercession for.

Grace and peace!

Chris

Springing into a New Season Pt. 1

I found out a week ago that I have been accepted as a student for a YWAM course called SOIP – School of Intercessory Prayer. I've spent the last week beginning to process that I'm transitioning from full-time staff to being both student and staff. I have class in the morning, then in the afternoon I will be working at least two hours each day in IT where I have been for the past two months. Some days I might work as many as six hours in the afternoon. The thing about working in IT here is sometimes it is very slow and there isn't too much to do... and sometimes it's complete chaos, e.g. if someone needs multiple prints done a specific way (I do all print jobs for anyone without printer access... which is most people).

I LUV the work I'm doing. The SOIP came up completely unexpectedly. Someone encouraged me to pray about doing it, and I wanted nothing to do with it. When I prayed, God simply asked me to apply and not worry about doing the school or not. So I applied, and as I was waiting I talked with a number of people who did the SOIP last year, and they encouraged me greatly. I had my questions and concerns answered and... this whole time God has opening me, softening my heart, and giving me an excitement for the unknown and what he wants to break down and rebuild in me.

I think part of the reason the Lord asked me to do a School of Intercessory Prayer is I have a huge capacity for studying his Word as literature or historical account, using my intellect... All this is necessary and important in the life that follows Jesus. And I think it is amazing that I am gifted in scholarly study. But there are disciplines at the opposite end of the spectrum which are equally important and help bring balance. Scholarship engages the mind in powerful ways... God wants us to know him and his Word. But the heart may not be engaged. This is where a discipline like intercession comes in. Prayer is an outpouring of learning about God.

I know that Paul writes frequently about prayer, and he tells the churches to "pray without ceasing," and " be constant in prayer," or "continue steadfastly in prayer" (1 Thes. 5:17, Rom. 12:12, Col. 4:2). I know that we're commanded to pray at all times, but there I have never prayed without ceasing. I believe God is calling me to a season of refinement to put his Words into practice. I'm very excited, and I'll share more details in the next couple days.

Here is a link with some information about the School of Intercessory Prayer at Herrnhut. And please feel welcome to ask me any questions you might have.

Mourning that Waits Expectanly for Joy

It's been a while. Not much has happened since the last time I've sent out an update. This is part of how I'm processing, so I am sorry if the writing is rough and off.

I can only really think one thing. My maternal grandmother had a heart attack and went into a coma Wednesday and she was declared brain dead and taken off life support today.

I will not be able to fly home for her funeral, but I'm asking that God might somehow provide tickets. I've heard of crazier things happening. I am upset that I won't be able to come home for her funeral and be with my family. So I appreciate your prayer and encouragement for my family.

I guess this is part of the reality of being in ministry away from home. I'm confident that God is at work, that He is good, and He loves us. And I remember Easter, that death has been defeated. There is comfort, there is peace, there is hope.

"For if we have been united with [Jesus] in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." – Romans 6:5

Grace be with you.

He is not God of the dead, but of the Living

I'm amazed that it has already been a year since I left for Hawai'i to do my DTS. God has blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined during the past year, led me into new seasons and places I would never have thought He would take me. He has done extensive heart surgery and rehab and healed wounds I thought would not heal. He has trusted me with more of His heart for the nations and His love for people. And I have made friends all along the way, and I rejoice that the Spirit is working through all of us in union and someday we will all stand before Jesus together... God is good.

Nigeria
Everyone has been asking me about Nigeria and if I am going, and I want to thank you for asking. I've been praying into going to Nigeria, and weighing what trusted friends have spoken... As I've prayed about going to Nigeria, I've been excited, but I never felt peace about going. I have felt peace about staying in Herrnhut, strengthening connections here, learning German and gaining computer networking skills. A few people have had the same word for me that this is a season for me to stay where I am and they have encouraged me with that. Thank you all for praying, and for seeking updates, and for speaking with me.

I know I would like to work in Africa again. The important thing is waiting for the right time. God has been blessing me in Germany with a season where the Holy Spirit has been growing fruits in me like never before, especially patience and peace. I can tell cultivating these fruits is what he has for me, and Herrnhut is the soil I need to be in to grow. You can pray that the fruit of the Spirit would be growing in me more and more.

Easter
There are so many thoughts going through my head about the death of Jesus on Friday, and His resurrection on Sunday – how the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in Christ, how a new covenant is ushered in, how death is defeated in such irony... I guess since I have a hard time understanding when I try applying my understanding to the cross, this is the most fitting:

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God... For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 25.

Thank you, Father, that you have redeemed me from my "wisdom" and "strength", and that you have forgiven me for my sins and all the times I have missed the mark. Thank you, Jesus, that I can share in your sufferings and share in your joy.

He is risen!

Christopher

Questions

1. What were your favorite childhood games and activities?

Waterfall, a game I played with my cousins that involved a jump rope and falling down stairs. We seriously played this for hours on end. Swinging and pretending to fly like Peter Pan. And jumping out of swings. Going to museums and the zoo for fieldtrips.

2. What qualities of your best friends do you admire most about them?

• Loyalty

• Patience

• Courage

• Honesty

• Creativity

• LOVE

3. What do you believe are your greatest gifts and what qualities do you admire most about yourself?

I’ll be honest – this is hard because I tend not to think about my gifts or qualities or strengths. I think more about my weaknesses and flaws and failures. I would rather my friends and the people who know me best answer this…

When I put my mind to introspection, I think sympathy and empathy toward people around me are gifts I have that are very important in my life. Others might be desire and enjoyment for learning. I don’t think I can say I admire these things about myself, but I appreciate them.

4. What is the meaning of YOUR life? What makes your life meaningful?

It’s as simple and awesome as this: “I will bless you so that you will be a blessing.” [God to Abram, Genesis 12:2, the Bible.] I think this is a way to summarize everything that matters and is beautiful. It’s a summary of the Bible and what Christian faith and life is to be. It’s the definition of grace, the ultimate gift.

I do not take or receive and not give back; that’s selfishness. I body of water like a pond or lake that does not have an outlet becomes stagnant and festers. That is being blessed simply to be blessed. There is no greater meaning in it.

In the verse before, 12:1, God tells Abram to leave is country and his people and everything he knows. It’s a call to sacrifice, to lay down rights, to trust there is something better. And being blesses to be a blessing to others means to continually surrender those things we know and love, believing that bettering them will better the world. And it’s faith that God has more and better blessings to give. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Summary: I am blessed, therefore I bless.

5. Related to question #4, what makes your life YOUR life? (In other words, what defines your life, and makes your life distinct from other people's lives?)

I share so much in common with different people wherever I am – at college, I’m a Knox student; or in South Africa/Germany I’m an American, or specifically a Coloradoan; or I’m a YWAMer; or I’m a home school/charter school/P.S.1 student; or I’m a [want-to-be] Greek scholar. And wherever I go I carry all the things I am, all the people I love, and I bring unique qualities and interests and perspectives to every group. In some way the things that make my life my own are the things I have in common with people who are somewhere else.

6. Related to questions 4 and 5, but on a deeper level, list three things that are true of you, but of NO ONE else in the entire world (to your knowledge).

1. The set of amazing friends and family that only I have. Like Erin and Mark and Kevin and Rachel and Sarah and Janet and Gabe and too many to name. I carry you with me everywhere I am.

2. The set of songs I love and have shaped my life.

3. My sense of humor and my personality and quirks.

I’m not sure I went any deeper… Sorry.

7. List three or more thing that are true of you AND everyone else in the entire world (to your knowledge).

1. I have known heartache and break and healing; wounds and healing and scars that remain and remind.

2. I have a longer for something which nothing seems to satisfy.

3. I experience love.

8. What observations do you have about your responses to questions 4 and 5?

I am myself and I am special, yet I am connected to people by similarities between my life and other people’s lives.

9. Are there any books, songs, movies, events, or other things that have changed/influenced your life and/or your perspective on life?

Heck yes there are.

Books: A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken, and I Kissed Dating Goodbye – I read these books at a time where things in my life somewhat paralleled the books, and it helped me get through. The Bible, especially Leviticus and Philippians. C.S. Lewis…

Songs: Songs by Brooke Fraser, especially Love Is Waiting, Deciphering Me, and The Thief, and Hosanna; Whatever You’re Doing by Sanctus Real… anything by Jimmy Eat World… there are so many others.

Movies/TV: Stranger Than Fiction; Monty Python and the Holy Grail; Doctor Who; Bleach; I could go on and on…

Events: 1. Being home schooled with my sister for nine years helped make us closer than we would have been had we gone to public schools. My sister is one of the most important people in my life. 2. Going to a non-traditional high school, where I had to give many long presentations, where I learned math inductively, where I spent three weeks in Honduras… set my life on a course of being an empowered, compassionate and contributing individual who is informed and aware, happy and healthy, and gave me a passion for life-long learning. 3. Making the biggest mistake of my life, which God redeemed to become the greatest blessing of my life. I thought I was acting in love but in truth I acted in selfishness, and I lost a friendship that meant the world to me and fought more than a year of heartbreak. But the suffering produced greater endurance, and stronger character, and deeper hope. 4. DTS/3 months in South Africa/working in Germany.

10. What are some of your favorite memories?

Ones of my friends. =]

We had an eight-year-old boy on the South Africa team. Him holding my had while we walked around or carrying him, playing in the ocean, like I had a little brother, was wonderful.

Reading books out loud with friends.

Sharing my heart… listening to friends pour out their hearts… praying together… crying together…

11. List three or more things you want to do before you die.

• Sky dive.

• Be an embodiment of Jesus’ love to everyone I meet.

• Read War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, & Sense and Sensibility. And Ulysses. And Plato’s Republic. In Greek.

• Share love and life with one special woman.

• Write and publish a book.

12. Did you find these questions...

a) enjoyable

b) reason to smack Erin upside the head for sending me so many e-mails and/or making me think so much

c) both of the above

d) All of the above and deeper appreciation and love for Erin. =]

What are your answers to these questions?

Be blessed and be a blessing. Grace and peace [grapes and peas],

Chris

More Stuff to Read & See

So I have this other blog... I might move all my updates and news and posts there and stop using Blogger... I don't know yet. Check it out anyway, I'm putting smaller, random posts there (photos, links, stuff).

http://chriswolf.tumblr.com/

<3

Some Prayer Needs

Prayer Points:

• I just found out that my Uncle had a stroke. My dad's family is already dealing with the loss of my grandmother recently. Please pray for a complete and miraculously fast recovery. I hate that I can't be there. Please remember and lift up my family, and thank you.

• The students who returned from outreach last week are getting ready to go home or onto the next start this Friday. They are going to talk about what this looks like this week. Lift them up that, among other things, they would be prepared to go home, to share with family and friends about the last six months, and to ask people at home about their last six months also. But most of all that these students would desire and act to continue the good work that God has been working in them when they get home.

• The students still in lecture phase are leaving for a week on Friday for what they call "mini outreach". Lift them up that they would have a fruitful week away, that God will prepare them for the two month outreach through this, that the teams would have unity and bond together well.

• For lots of good work to do while everyone is gone, or lots of time to pray and praise the Lord and get to know the other staff better.

That's it for now, check back for more posts.
Danke!
Chris

Prints of Photos

I was thinking today that I would like to offer prints of my photos. The cost for prints would go toward my expenses. There is a lot I have to decide and work out. Part of that work is pricing, and I'm not sure how I want to work that out. I could do a set price per size of print... I think rather what I will do is give the price for the print and any other costs like mailing, and donations beyond the costs would be accepted. The service I choose to makes prints will determine the price. I will find a way to show a catalog of photos online so you can look through them and see if there is anything you like. I may use Flickr but I will check out my options.

I have also been looking into the cost to print photobooks. The base cost just to print books would be a little high. I am willing to create and print photobooks of my pictures from South Africa or from Hawaii for anyone interested. And for the books, I would again accept donations on top of the cost to print and mail the book.

Are you interested in getting prints or a book? I will need to hear feedback if anyone is interested in prints of my photos. Please let me know via comments on this blog or by email. I love to hear from you, whatever it is! =]

Thoughts?

Working to be a blessing,
Chris

Oh, How He Loves Us

"He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane, and I am a tree,
bending beneath the WEIGHT
of His wind and MERCY."
Lyrics from How He Loves, by John Mark McMillan.

It's amazing to think... that God of the universe is so jealous for us... that He would die for us...

That His love is devastating (in a good way)... as powerful as storms that have destroyed the southern US and Caribbean islands... He wants that love to blow us away...

What I Do & Where

This more or less explains my job description and what I do. Also, I like flow charts, so I couldn't resist. Enjoy.

Click the picture to see it bigger.

Source: http://xkcd.com/627/

And some pictures I found from Flickr of the Castle the base is housed in and where I work.


Picture one source and picture two source.

Sabbath

I want to confess I haven't been faithful in keeping one of the Ten Commandments, specifically. I have not honored the Sabbath by keeping it set apart. The past six months or so, every day of the week has looked the same: busy, full of work, not refreshing or life giving, not focused on God... And He wanted to address that.

• • •

The reason for taking a Sabbath, for stopping and resting, seems strange. In Exodus, the reason God gives seems to be that His people are supposed to set apart a day for rest because He rested after creating everything. (Why God rested is another blog all together.) "Six days the LORD made... and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy [set apart]" (20:11). Since we are created in God's likeness, it makes sense that we should imitate Him.

But when the Commandments are repeated in Deuteronomy the reason changes. Moses told the Israelites to rest and remember they were slaves in Egypt and God brought them out of slavery. They must rest because they can't go on living under slavery any longer. (Deut. 5:15.)

I think this second reason is key. People are naturally creative and it's easy for me to get caught up creating, doing, working. Sometimes I don't stop going, going, going, doing doing doing. It's like I'm a slave to work. I forget to rest. Eventually I end up hiding from God instead of walking and talking with Him (see Genesis 3:8...). I neglect to set aside a day to stop and rest and hang out.

• • •

Even today, when I know I will go back to work tomorrow morning, I freely offer people that I can fix their problems while I've promised to sit back and be still. Some people got back to the Castle and found they couldn't log in to the network. I said I could fix it ASAP, and immediately thought, "Oh dear, I'm actually not working today... oops."

• • •

My remembered last night I needed to take days of rest again, and set today aside. And early this morning, my mind was on Sabbath and I decided I would write something about taking Sabbaths for my next update.

I went to church this morning were a number of folks from YWAM Herrnhut are part of, and while I was worshiping, God reminded me of Psalm 46:10 – "Be still, and know that I AM God." I rolled this around in my head, contemplating that I can be set at rest in His presence, and know the I AM WHO I AM. That I find peace and stillness. And then the sermon was on Sabbath.

I laughed. All I could do was laugh when I realized God had set me up, that the Holy Spirit set my mind on taking a Sabbath knowing that I would go to the service about the Sabbath. I felt a peace rush over me that made me know God has me on His heart when He says "Be still."

The whole verse is

Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

When I stop to rest, when I am still before God, when I remember the Sabbath day to set it aside, I am also glorifying God, exalting Him for the world to see His love. By focusing on Him for a day each week.

• • •

I have more thoughts on this, but I've written plenty already. I am refreshed after a good day of rest, and I pray a day of exalting God. I am ready for this coming week. I will have plenty of network and computer problems to take care of the next few days. The teams that returned from outreach yesterday and today are doing well and happy to be back.

Please pray that the will have a joyous and productive time debriefing and processing the last three months they have been on outreach; for the DTS students presently doing their lecture phase and staff (like me!) to welcome them back and listen well to their stories; help for me fixing IT issues; and most of all for God to be Lord of everything we do.

Soli Deo gloria.

In His love,

Chris

Address and Work

So, in case anyone has mail for me, my address in Germany is

Chris Wolf
Untere Dorfstr. 56
02747 Herrnhut
GERMANY

I'm trying to write letters home to a bunch of people... If you think of it, even a note saying "Hallo!" would be appreciated.

• • •

I've been working a little with some maintenance guys fixing up rooms in a building next to the Castle, getting it ready for ~40 students coming back from outreach this weekend. Mostly I've been painting. When I haven't been working on that, I've been working with the IT guys in the Castle. One of the guys left for an outreach today and will be gone for one and a half months, so I'm stepping in to help with the work while he's gone. But I think I will be trained to run IT stuff for the long-term. The second primary IT guy is moving back to CO in April. So to answer the long unanswered question of what I'll be doing until staffing DTS, I'll be doing IT stuff. I think God has put me in a position I'll work well in and really enjoy.

• • •

Things have been good so far. There is either worship, staff meeting, or Bible study that the staff meet for every morning, and that time before working for the day has been invaluable. It will take some time for me to get back into the hang of participating in community worshiping/study/prayer, but I am ready for it. Tomorrow will make a week that I've been in Herrnhut. Not much else to say, so if there is soon I'll let y'all know.


Prayer Requests

• My best friend is in Basic training with the Army. Please pray for him; he's in the Army.

• There are a lot of people coming back from outreach this weekend, the students who are here now are being displaced and going to stay in town. The accommodations for the new students are still in the works. And the Castle is going to be hectic during lunch and some other times of the day. Please pray for the students coming back that they would feel welcomed back, have time to talk and share stories, encourage and pray for us who have been here, and that everything might go smoothly.

• I am applying for a two year visa next week. There shouldn't be any problems getting it, but it is a tad bit important for me to stay and work in Germany.

That's all I can think of now. More to come later.

χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη,

Chris

Training to become SysAdmin

Hey,

I promised to let you know what I'll be doing immediately here in Germany. It looks like I will most likely help the two IT guys maintain the network and servers at the Castle (the base is in a castle and is referred to as "the Castle" which is awesome), and help with computer related problems students or staff have. I'm excited to help out with tech stuff. I may also be doing some maintenance work or helping in the kitchen, but probably I will mostly be in IT. I have a lot to learn, and it's a big learning curve, but I find system administration fascinating and I am looking forward to working with these guys.

Everyone I've met, all the staff and students have been warm and friendly. I think I will have some good friendship developed very quickly. Yesterday a guy I live with took me around town and shared dinner with me, and tonight a staff couple invited me to dinner with them. This atmosphere of community is exactly where I think I will thrive.

I still need to get my mailing address... I'm meeting with someone for staff intake tomorrow, so I should know then and I will pass it on in my next update.

I would love to Skype with folks, so feel free to find me: topherwolf. I'll be on late morning/early afternoon (your time) when I'm not engaged or sleeping, and same with weekends.

Hope this finds you well. May you be blessed and be a blessing!

Chris

God is Good // Q & A

Dear friends, family, loved ones, peoples,

So, I got the support money I had been expecting for a while and on the 18th bought my ticket. Two days ago on Thursday I flew from Denver to Frankfurt, and on Friday after landing took a train six hours west to Löbau, which is a few minutes from Herrnhut. Thus far (I think) only a handful of people have mistaken me as German. I asked a German girl if I look German, and confirmed my fears that people will talk to me in German and expect I will understand. It’s going to be fun. =]

I’m doing really well besides being sore. I’m living in a house with about a dozen other guys, and I think we are going to get along quite well. On Monday I will find out what work I will be doing here until September.

I believe I am set for the time being. I will need regular partnership support throughout the two years I am working in Germany, and I would ask that you contact me about financial, travel, or equipment partnership support, especially after prayerful consideration. One need I am praying to have met is for a digital SLR so I can share pictures easily and regularly with all of you. Email me for a detailed support letter.

And a big THANK YOU to all my support partners, obviously the many generous folks who gave a gift that helped me get to Germany (which was many of you), but also the folks behind the scenes who have been praying, fervently and may I say effectively (thank you, Cassie). In this news post I want to give a shout out to Centennial Covenant, but especially Dave and Lynne Morrow. Thank you for all the ministry God has done through you.

I’ll tell you after Monday exactly what it is I’ll be doing (sound effects: “dum-dum-dum!”).

I love you all, and may the glory of the Lord bring you to praise.

Christoph

p.s.1senior@gmail.com or chriswolfphotography@gmail.com

P.S. GO USA Men's Hockey!

• • •

Q & A

Big thanks to Keith Rubenstein for inspiring me to do this.

Q. What are you doing?
A. I am staffing for YWAM in Herrnhut, Germany. I did a Discipleship Training School with YWAM in April and ministered in South Africa for three months, and after prayer and much thought decided to work full time for a YWAM location in Germany.

Q. What does staffing entail? What will you be doing?
A. Immediately, I do not know what my days will look like exactly. I will be helping with day to day operations on base, anything I might be need for. In September, I will be a staff member helping lead a photography focused DTS. Staffing DTS will go from September through March next year.

Q. Why are you staffing? Why at Herrnhut?
A. I want to focus on teaching photography and using photos as a tool to minister globally. Photography is a passion God has placed on my heart, and He has invited my to use it to touch people's lives in ways I do not yet know. The director at Herrnhut is a professional photographer, and I believe this is the location God in leading me to to develop me.

Q. Why is photography an important tool for ministry and evangelism?
A. Photography, which is ultimate a mode of communication like writing, is useful and effective for ministry work in at least three primary ways. (1) As a form of visual communication, photography is a powerful way to inform and make people aware worldwide of injustices and harm happening which may not otherwise be documented. Writing about human trafficking, natural disasters, refugees, or HIV/AIDS (to name a few) is powerful and important for sharing stories, but images help make these stories real. (2) For many people who have been hurt, abandoned, disowned, or have a taboo disease, self-esteem and any sense of worth can quickly disappear. When people who have been hurt in these ways have a chance to be photographed, to share their stories, when they are told they are beautiful and have great value simply as human beings, that God love them and the photographer wants to share His love, many people are able to begin regaining their sense of self-worth. (3) Many people open up more when someone asks to take their photograph. In general photographers are genuinly interested in where people come from, what they do, their dreams, all aspects of the subject's story. This is the beginning of relationship, and speaking personally about God's redemptive comes easier in context of relationship.

Q. How long will you be staffing?
A. At least for two years. Right now I plan to staff until March 2012. I will not know what I'm doing in 2012 until then. I know definitely that I have committed to staffing at Herrnhut for two years from when I begin.

Q. Are you being paid to work full-time for YWAM?
A. I am not being paid by YWAM. I will be paying for housing, food, insurance, any traveling I do, and any other costs. Since I will be working as a missionary full time in a foreign country and I will not be paid by the organization I'm working for, I am dependent on partnering with me to support the work I'm doing.

Q. Why is it important to have "Support Partners"?
A. I have had to step out in faith trusting God that all my needs will be provided while I'm working with YWAM. Most of this will be through support partners (and some may come miraculously, as it did when I did my DTS in April). Because I am dependent on people who support the ministry I've been called to, my friends and church congregation are a part of my work. This reminds me that what I do is bigger than just me, or the people I'm around all the time. My aim is to be an extension of my church.

Q. What are your costs?
A. The fixed costs I know for sure is 250€ per month for rent, food, and insurance. The monthly cost will increase as I add a cell phone to use here, my own groceries, film and photo supplies, et cetera.

Q. How can I support you?
A. Tax deductible: Checks can be made out to YWAM. DO NOT put my name anywhere on the check. Instead include a note with the check that it is for Christopher Wolf – Herrnhut, Germany. Mail to
Accounting Department
YWAM Tyler Texas
PO Box 3000 Garden Valley
TX 75771-3000

If you do not need a tax receipt, there is a PayPal button on this blog page, or checks can be mailed to my home address
9698 W. Chatfield Ave. Unit H
Littleton, CO 80128

Q. Is there somewhere we can see your photos from Hawaii and South Africa?
A. Yes! Click on these links: Hawaii 1, Hawaii 2, Hawaii 3, Hawaii 4, South Africa 1, South Africa 2, South Africa 3

Q. What if I have more questions, or want clarification on a question?
A. Please email me questions or leave them in a comment on this blog and I will answer them in my next update!