In Honour of Mr Rudolph, the GTS 2 girls wrote and performed this song at the first Gigue 2009. It is to the Aladin theme song A Whole New World...

GTS is our world
Here on this magic carpet
Pressing into the Father's heart,
in worship every day!

Can you open your eyes?
It's 6 o'clock in the morning
Up and down the eternal stairs,
it's running twice a week!

A whole new world
A set of rules, a new curfew
RA's to tell us what is right or
not GTS appropriate

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when we're way up here, it crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Now I'm in a whole new world with you
Unbelievable chores, indescribably schedules
Blessed are the flexible,
they shall bend and shall not break!

A whole new world, come beloved, press in!
Scripture memorising too, it's OK you'll get better!
Dancing and singing loud and shouting out
FATHER! Praying in our heavenly language

A whole new world, lift your heads O ye gates
Jewish roots we will pursue, getting new revelation
I'll chase Him everywhere, He's always there
So let us share this whole new world with you

A whole new world, a whole new world
That's where we'll be, that's where we'll be
A thrilling chase, a wonderous place
for you and me

A Week of Life!

In life, one has many experiences that both shape and challenge natural self. No year is different to the next from this point of view. I find that for my life, I am facing head on many aspects that are not pleasing to God, others or even to myself. Pride is an issue that we all face and it is my mission to root this out from my life. I realise that when you ask God to grow to new levels in life, one can see clearer the things that displease God. I saw a picture during worship of my heart surrounded by walls. I knew that these walls were rooted in pride - mistrust comes from being too proud to admit or show that you are not coping with life. I believe that we are called to live lives that are accountable to the people that we choose to walk along side and that is why it is so important to use wisdom in choosing a band of brothers. At GTS (Gateways Training School), we choose to walk along side a band of people who are all seeking after the same thing - to hasten his soon return. A community of people living in a place where first things truly come first - to love the Lord with all of my heart, soul and strength. Only from this place, from a place where we allow God to first move in our lives rooting out the impurities that we can minister to others.

Some people out there, I'm sure are wondering what it is that I am actually doing during these 5 months of my life. I wanted to answer some of those questions here in this blog entry. Our moto is Blessed are the flexible, for the shall bend and shall not break! With this in mind we have a schedule, however if God breaks in and decides to mess our plans a little, or a lot, then we don't mind!

Monday-Friday we begin each day with 30mins of reading our Bibles then we pray in the spirit for 15 mins or so to stir our spirit for worship. After this all the staff and community join us and we worship with songs and exortations and prayer for a couple of hours. Usually after this there is a break. After this, the second year students (which is what I am), have classes with various teachers until lunch. Wk 1 Matthew Rudolph, wk 2 Asher Intrader, wk 3 Norm Fredrick, wk 4 Michael and Aimee Hennen, wk 5 Jeff Collins. After lunch the session are different every day.

Monday we do a research for the Ringing the Med project. The project we are working on is compiling information, for prayer, on all the countries that touch the Mediterranean Sea. The country that I am currently working on is Gibraltar. After the session, we all take a turn at cleaning and clearing all the areas that we use - there are no paid cleaners so this is a practical way of keeping all our areas clean and tidy! I clean the office on a Monday.

Tuesday we have either equipping classes or living room sessions. The equipping sessions are different every week talking about dreams, prophecy. Living room sessions are where we are invited in the homes of the senior leadership couples and talk on a pre-established topic. After this, I clean my bedroom and bathroom.

Wednesday we have small group. My small group leader is Rachel Potter with Chelsea, Sietske and I. After this, I watch Coby (although this has not happened yet!)

Thursday we have a bible study session and we are working our way through the book of Romans. Very good stuff! Each week we memorise a verse for a chapter, do an outline and answer questions. Before the end of the school, our whole class needs to memorise chapter 11 and 12. After class I clean the worship room!

Friday is different from every other day. After worship, we have a student led service 2/3 of the students bring a word. This is an awesome time where God truly comes and works through each student regardless of ability. After this the second years have life skills sessions about finances, blogging, newsletter writing. I slice the meat and cheese for the weekend for my service time!

Friday is finished with a Shabbat meal - Freshly baked Challah - a sweet bread which is amazing. We spend time reflecting on the goodness of God and speak blessings over our family. Sometimes it is held at a local resturant, other times in our dining room and other times we split up and spend time in a family home. Every week is special and every week is different.

Up and coming events:
Sunday 1st March 2009 we are having a worship gathering in Limassol - we are praying for revival to fall in the hall and move all over the Island!
Sunday 8th March 2009 we are flying to Israel for 4 weeks - we will be serving in communities that desperately need help. Our purpose is to serve and bless the body of believers in Israel and reach out to the many who need to hear the Good News of Jesus. As a class we are expectant of miracles and lives to be radically transformed as we pour out all that we have received. Please pray for our health and for a deeper revelation of the fathers heart for Israel both for me and all of my class mates: Chelsea, Marie, Tabitha, Sietske and Tony.

Testimony: Since coming to the Cyprus Jan 2008, I have urged all of my prayer supporters to pray for rain. As Cyprus is a very dry land and constantly need a huge supply of water. Please continue to pray as there is lots of rain still needed, however I am so excited because for the month of February, it has rained almost every day! What a blessing on the land. My hearts cry is that God would also rain his spiritual rain down on the Island in greater quantities.

A few pictures from round and about!

HouseMates













Shabbat


















Birthday chocolates!













Seaside reflections...













Birthday picture












Snow day

Preach Update

For those of you who prayed for me on Friday morning, thank you. It was an amazing time of sharing the revelation that God had put on my heart to share. I entitled my message 'The One Thing' talking from Romans 5. I talks about how one man entered the world and brought sin condemnation and death. Then one man entered the world and brought life, justification and love. Stating that every violent act demands a response. The act of living, dying and rising again is violent as it goes against the flow and what is our response. Our response is to be empowered by his love and to reciprocate this love to him and then to others. I was inspired to write a small piece of prose. It is a little personal, yet it reflects the work that God is beginning to do in my life – He is softening my heart and helping me to be more vulnerable. I am not a finished work, i'm just learning how to love him and others better each day.

I'm in Love, in love with the one man who will never let me down, never lose control, never leave me or give up on me. In fact he sees me as beautiful. When he looks on me my heart is captured and I faint with anticipation. He looks at me and his eyes are intense with beauty. He was there when I was formed, in fact he took part in the planning of my life.

He loves me with a love that will not fail. This love is patient – waiting for me to reciprocate. He shows me kindness, leading me to repentance so soft and with no condemnation. Self seeking is not his nature, he constantly looks out for me, in all that I turn my hand to.

True love.

A Love that stops my thoughts, steals my heart, shakes my world; destroys my ideals, drives me crazy, makes me want to cry, run shout, laugh, sing, dance, my heart has been won by him. Mind, Emotions, will all captured and enthralled by him. When I close my eyes he's there, wooing me into a dance, inviting me to join him. He is enthralled by my beauty, passionate about my life, his eyes do not divert – he has one fixed gaze – for his bride to be. You see, with all the passion he loves me as an individual, he also loves his church – he is passionate about them, his eyes are fixed on her. He existed for the one. You see there is you – the one, then his bride – the body of believers, the nation of Israel only one, yes only one.

Limasol Sunday

On Sunday, a group from the community went down to Limassol to share Jesus and see what happens. The 2^nd years, Interns and some staff all went. We were encouraged to seek God for treasures. Just before I left Scotland, I was at a conference and bought a book called The Ultimate Treasure Hunt by Kevin Dedmon. The book is about asking God to show you treasures, writing them down and then going on a treasure hunt to find them. Once you find a treasure, the idea is that you share Jesus and God's love and pray a blessing over them dependent on how the Holy Spirit leads. I was really excited as God had given me a few names/treasures in a dream.

We arrived in Limassol and broke up into teams of 3 or 4 and went searching for treasures. After a few conversations, we saw a man with a cast on his arm – I had seen in my dream someone sleeping and they were given an injection to their hand and immediately they woke up. We approached the man and after a few moments asked if we could pray for him. He was very hesitant and his English was not great, but he allowed us to pray for him. After we prayed he said his arm still felt the same, however his whole countenance had changed from sullen to smiling – he felt the love and compassion of Jesus for him!

Later on we all met up to exchange stories, we discovered that 4 different people from our group had felt led to pray for him. A few moments later, he came to us with an older man who knew a lot more English, we asked if he felt better and when he said it was still the same, we asked if we could pray for him again. This time he was so happy and God was clearly doing a deeper work that just healing his arm. The older man engaged in conversation with one of the intern students who has a huge burden for Iran. It turns out that this man is from Iran. It was a great time of sharing the Good news and seeing God's hand at work.

Week 2

Another week in the life of GTS II, I have enjoyed our week of teaching from Matt (our trusted leader!) Diving into the topic of our destiny and calling. The week was a little unfinished as we had a surprise visitor who took a morning session. Dan from Canada, a leader from the conference that is happening in Limassol in May with John and Ann Arnaud and Heidi Baker.

This week, I have found new depth of peace and love from God. God is so good and His love for me is so vast. I am excited to hear His voice speak clearer and stronger in my life. It is exciting and challenging to be in this environment of accelerated growth. On Saturday night at worship, I watched the under 5 year old kids – it was a new experience for me 8 children of various stages all at once. I went into worship later and it was really hard to connect with what was happening, however towards the end of the session, Mrs Rudolph was challenging us to be let God take more control of our lives and to allow the Holy Spirit to move in and through our lives in a deeper way. The presence of God was so peaceful and I was so blessed by the time that at the end I didn't want to leave the worship room. I was not alone in this thought and so a few others sat in the presence of God for a good 15mins – it was very sweet. At the end of that time Mrs Rudolph spoke to me and I realised that during my time at home, I had allowed my flesh to take more control of my life and neglected God. I spent some time repenting to God and receiving forgiveness – it was amazing. Thanks be to God! Teaching us this week is Asher Intrader, he taught us last year with authority and great revelation. Today he was exhorting us about the father's love for us.

Coming up this week for your prayers on Friday, I preach to my fellow students for 20mins. All of the second year students are to preach out of Romans, right now I am looking closely at the content of chapter 5 and seeing what revelation unfolds as I meditate and hold dear these words of Paul. Also on Wednesday, we are having an evening in Limassol where Asher is going to speak and we will do the worship which will be great.

Praise for this week:
Physical rain – the island still needs tons of water!
Personal health and strength

Prayers for this week:
Receive more from God
Preaching on Friday
Rain for the Island both Spiritual and Physical
Physical health and strength

Week 1

CYPRUS 2009

The travel here was really easy. I am exctied by what God has already begun here and enjoying the lifestyle again. Our schedule feels a lot more relaxed this year, however the class times are a lot less spoon fed and a lot more research based. Mon- Fri in the mornings we have class with different teachers which is great. This week Matt is teaching us on destiny, calling and spiritual giftings which, so far, has been great and very intense. A lot of introspective thinking!

In the afternoon, we have various sessions. Monday is Research of different countries for more effective prayer. The country I am researching is Gybralta - small island i know! It should be really interesting. Tuesday we have living room sessions, when we spend an afternoon with one of the leadership couples and can have discussions based around a topic. Wednesday we have small groups. Thursdays we have our bible study time which we are going through the book of Romans - should be great! Friday we have lifeskills class which we will learn different things about life and ministry. The usual Saturday day off and Sunday for outdoor pursuits and other things as they come up.

Celebrated my birthday in style, the house all had breakfast together which was great. Then in the afternoon my class (all 6 of us) plus Serah and Rachel went down into Limassol and shopped for a wee while, then walked along the beach to the pier taking pictures and enjoying each other's company. We finished our time by getting Coffee/hot chocolate and then headed back for our first Saturday night worship. Worship was amazing, the Spirit of God fell and really touched and began a work of healing in many of the student's lives. I felt God's presence in a real way and the smile of God on my life. At the shabbat meal, the guys all dressed up in mock kilts and with their best Scottish accents sang Happy Birthday to me. It was hilarious - I was laughing so hard! Pictures are to follow as I did not take any so still waiting on receiving some.

Prayer requests:
Up coming Israel Trip (5th March-5th April approximately)
Good relationships to continue amoungst all the students and staff
Maintain Good health
Deepening of my relationship with God

Thanks for:
Safe Travelling both for me and my luggage
A great first week of learning
Great weather (not as cold, however seeing a lot of rain which is good for the land)