The DTS has begun... and it's awesome!

You've been praying with us the past 9 months for this very moment.  We have had ups and downs and shed blood, sweat and tears along the way, but it's finally here!  This is happening!  The Discipleship Training School HAS BEGUN!

This could not have happened without the prayers and support of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ over this past year.  Thank you so much for partnering with us in prayer and standing in faith that God's will would be done.

Now that the school has started our daily schedule has gotten a bit more chaotic, but it is so refreshing to walk into a group of 60 something people every day from all over the world and Worship our God and King together.  Each person that is here has a story to tell, and we are so blessed to be able to see how God has called them to this place.  It's not going to be easy, and we do ask for your continued prayers for us as staff and for the students, but it is good.  God WILL be praised in this place, and we are so honored to be here and to be a part of it.

Students

Final Count.

We officially have 42 students in the first ever DTS in Sarasota, Florida.  The 42nd student arrives tomorrow from Germany.

This is our final count from the different nations!
* 14 people from America
* 14 from Germany
* 2 from Canada
* 2 from Switzerland
* 2 from the United Kingdom and
* 1 student from each of the following: Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Netherlands, Mexico and Sweden.  Phew!

Fun fact:  The first DTS held in Herrnhut, Germany- our sending base,  also had 42 students.

First Week

 The first week's topic was on Hearing the Voice of God.  It was so awesome to see students breaking out into small groups and practicing what they learned.  Through Intercession and also praying for one another.  God speaks to each and every one of us and in so many different ways.  It is so exciting to get to witness students have revelations that God really speaks to them!

Provisions

 God has continued to blow us away by His provisions.

We not only ended up with enough mattress' and bunkbeds for each student, but since then we have also received numerous donations of sheets, pillow cases, towels and food!  Each week we have been given large donations of bread (the good stuff from the deli section in grocery stores)!  We were also just given a donation of a bunch of canned food and dry pasta!

COUNTDOWN!

 

In THREE (3!) days the Discipleship Training School will begin!  We have spent the past two weeks in staff training for the DTS preparing for this exact moment and it's finally here!  Students are also beginning to trickle in.  It's exciting times!

This is just a short update to let you know how God has been answering our prayers as well as some things we continue to fight in prayer for.  We appreciate you standing with us in prayer, and as always if you have any questions please let us know!

Housing

 

This has been a prayer on our heart pretty much since arriving to Florida 9 months ago.  We knew that God was calling us to this place but had no idea how we were going to house ourselves, let alone the students God was beginning to call.

In the last couple months we have spent hours and hours praying over student housing, and, while we were all confident that God would provide- things were looking bleak.  We went away on Christmas break knowing the school was just a month away and still we had no leads for housing.

When we were in Germany this past August one of the speakers at the conference said "God is never late- He just misses a lot of opportunities to be early", that quote stuck out and has proven true in this process of looking for student housing.

We have students beginning to arrive today and just YESTERDAY we got the thumbs up on a second house for students to live in.  It's incredible how God has moved in this area.  From going from absolutely nothing and joking that we're glad the church has such a large front yard so we could use it for tents for the students to live in, to actually having two homes for the students that are 2 miles away from the church and just a couple blocks away from each other... in one of the safest parts of Sarasota!

God is moving, and while His timing is different from our own; we wanted housing nailed down months ago.  He had a different plan and it was a plan that gives Him so much glory!

So thank-you, thank-you for joining us in prayer over this these past few months.  We know, and can see that things DO happen when we pray!  God hears the cries of His children and answers, maybe not in our timing, but in a way that He is glorified through it all.

Baby Ahrens

Coming soon!

May 2014

Baby GIRL Ahrens

We couldn't be more excited!!!!

Travels!

While we were in Germany we were blessed with some additional funds which were specifically designated for us to be able to travel a bit while we were there.  This was such a huge blessing and allowed us to do something that there is no way we would have been able to do otherwise.   We asked some people at the base (mostly Europeans ;) where we should go and the winner was Vienna, Austria!

Joel and I were able to slip away for about 3 days to explore Vienna, we did a ton of walking and lots of admiring the amazing architecture in that city.  There were TONS of people there also, Vienna is definitely a tourist spot, but it was still incredibly beautiful.

We did the touristy thing and took a ton of pictures while we were there, mostly of giant cathedrals, but I thought I'd share a few with you since it's been SO long since I last blogged! (woops.)

Out of over 400 pictures I have narrowed it down to this... unfortunately it's still a ton of photos :S

DAY ONE: St. Peters Church and St. Stephen's Cathedral

                                St. Peters Church ^

                                                                                      ^ St. Stephens Cathedral   

 DAY TWO:  Parliament building, Rathaus, Museum platz, Votive Church

Parliament building ^

  Rathaus ^

Kunsthistorisches Museum ^

  

Votive Church ^

    (I'm in LOVE with the reflections from these stained glass windows)

DAY THREE: Schönbrunn Palace, St. Charles's Church & wandering around the city at night

Schönbrunn Palace ^

    ^ We got to watch an awesome apple strudel demonstration while at Schönbrunn Palace. YUM

 St. Charle's Church ^

Hofburg Palace/ Sisi's museum ^

Annnnnd there you have it.  A shortened version of our rendevous/mini vacation to Vienna.  It was an awesome trip and Joel and I were so blessed to be able to get away just the two of us for a few days.

 What have YOU been up to lately?

Much love,

Joel & Carrie

Visit to NC- picture update!

On our journey to Florida we were able to stop and spend about three weeks with my (Carrie's) family in North Carolina.   We had a great time catching up/spending time with family while we were there.

I also had the chance to take some photographs of our family- which were long over due!  I thought that I would share a few of those with you today! 

  

 

And there you have it :)  An overload of pictures.

Thanks again to everyone who prayed for our safety as we journed across the country!  So thankful that we serve a God who hears our prayers.

Blessings!

Joel & Carrie

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