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

P.S. sign up for our Florida newsletters!!  God is doing amazing things! 

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Greetings from Florida!

After 8 days of driving and about 3 weeks with Carrie's family we have finally arrived in Florida!
 
We got to Florida yesterday and met up with a few people from our team, the rest of them are arriving in the next few days.  Initially there will be 7 of us, small group but a Biblical number!

Already we are seeing the hand of God in the contacts being made in Florida.  During one of the 'scouting' trips made by Josh and Ruth they made several contacts who have opened their doors to us and allowed us to stay in their homes until we find a more permanent location for our team to live.

Over the next few days we will be meeting as a team to build a foundation in prayer and worship, seeking the will of God, because He is the one who has called us to be ministers of his gospel here in Florida.

We will also be looking into several possibilities for a more permanent location for our team. We are praying for a place where we can stay as a team and have space for visitors, speakers and ultimately a place where we can have and run a Discipleship Training School (DTS).

Please join us in prayer for:
- A location for our team
- A vehicle for Josh and Ruth
- That God would continue to open doors for ministry
- Financial support

Thank you for standing with us and for supporting us in prayer.

Be blessed,
Joel & Carrie

P.S. We'd love to hear from you!  Feel free to write us anytime at joelandcarrie09@gmail.com.

The Journey Begins!

It has been a blur of two weeks and I can't believe how quickly it's flown by!

This morning Joel and I will begin the first leg of this journey.  We have been so blessed by the outpouring of love and support by the people around us and are blessed to call you friends/ family in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Just a brief overview of what the month of March looks like for us:

While we begin our journey today, we won't actually be getting to Florida until the first week in April.  We will drive across country and stop in North Carolina for a couple of weeks to spend some, much over-due, time with my family.  This will be the first time my entire family has been together in over three years and we are so excited to be able to spend a few weeks together with them! 

 Once we hit Florida we will meet up with our team in Venice and the adventure will really begin.

Prayer Points:

*Safety- during our drive across country
*Health- I am currently battling a cold/sinus infection that has gone on for a good 2 months- I am very ready to be healthy again! Also pray that Joel doesn't catch whatever this is :)

On an interesting side note, during our drive to Florida, Joel and I will go through 14 states :)

(Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and finally Florida.)


Be blessed!,
Joel & Carrie

We're Moving to Florida!!

Even as I write those words I find my self having a hard time letting them sink in, yet God has called us, and we are going! 

A little bit of back story.  Back in 2007/08 Joel and I went into Youth With a Mission (YWAM) to do our Discipleship Training School (DTS).  As most of you know, that is where he and I met.  During our time with YWAM we had the opportunity to go on outreach to Afghanistan.  Out of the 80+ students and 30+ staff at our base, our team had a total of 5 students and 2 staff.  Two of those teammates were Josh and Ruth. 

Unbeknownst to all of us at that time, Joel and I would end up getting married a year later in 2009 and Josh and Ruth would also end up getting married.  Josh and Ruth have continued to work with YWAM these past 5 years, staffing and leading DTS' themselves.  They have also continued to travel all around the world bringing the truth of God to the nations. 

Fast forward to January 2013.  Josh and Ruth were in town visiting Josh's family (small world huh?), so we were able to meet up with them for coffee.  Just a few short hours later, after hearing about the vision God has placed in the lives of Josh and Ruth, Joel and I began to seriously ponder if this could be God's next calling in our lives.  Josh and Ruth have been called to start a YWAM base in Venice FL and with a flutter of excitement in our hearts that night, God began to show us that this is what we have been waiting for. Hours of prayer later, and after meeting with our Pastor and getting the prayer support from family and several good friends we feel confident that this is what God has in store for us next.

So, with that said, coming just a few short weeks away, Joel and I will be packing up our lives in the pacific Northwest and traveling to Florida to begin this new adventure.  We are both excited and humbled that God would call us to join in this great task- and to be able to once again fulfill the calling that He has placed in both our hearts to be in missions.  What an awesome God we serve!

While neither of us feel worthy, we feel that is the best place to start and we are continually praying "Lord, let not my will, but Thine be done."

The details:

Where: Venice, Florida… exact location TBD.
What:  To know God and to make Him known.
Who: Currently there are around 10 staff.
When: Joel and I will be moving beginning the first week in March, we plan to visit my family in NC along the way and be in Florida around the first week in April.

How you can participate:

Pray(!) for us and for our team:
    Prayer Points:   
    •    Housing- currently we are looking for a residence that will house about 10 staff members so that we can begin to develop relationships among the team and become unified and focused on what God is calling us to do.
    •    Relationships- Opportunities to grow relationships with surrounding churches/community during the first few months of living in Florida.
    •    Josh and Ruth- they are moving from Germany and are expecting their first child in June- prayer for strength and wisdom as they move in the direction God has called them.
    •    Joel and I- as we begin to pack up our lives here and make this transition, also for safety during our drive across country.

Financial Support:
    •    If you feel led, please become a part of our support team.  YWAM is a volunteer-based mission organization, so we will not be receiving a salary but rather depending on financial support from our friends, family, communities and churches. The great thing about this is that it is a opportunity for others to join us in the work God has called us to do as well as strengthening our dependence in Him!  At this time, we are completely at a loss as to how to begin fund raising but are trusting that God will provide we we need it as He always does!

If you would be interested in partnering with us please email us at joelandcarrie09@gmail.com to get information on how you can be a part of our team.


"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,Who bring glad tidings of good things!” "
                                        -Romans 10:14-15



    Join with us in prayer as we start this exciting new adventure!
                    Love,
                    Joel and Carrie

Currently Reading

I've been reading a lot lately.... 

Random books mostly, but currently The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
I borrowed the book from a friend to freshen up on the details before the movie comes out in December, but as I'm reading God is teaching me, funny how He uses a fiction book to reveal things about Himself.

I'm only in the second chapter, but let me give you re-cap of whats happened so far (there's a point, I promise)
The story is about Bilbo (a hobbit) and if you know anything about hobbits, then you know that they are quiet and unassuming people who despise adventures and anything out of ordinary.  They are quite happy living their lives in their safe communities eating five or meals a day and seeing the same faces everyday.  Bilbo was just like any other hobbit, safe and happy in his little house in the Hill, until Gandalf (the wizard) chose him for an adventure. The morning he is supposed to embark on this adventure no one is around, so he thinks he got out of it and sets about doing his normal things, preparing his breakfast, then his second breakfast and sitting down to relax when Gandalf arrives and tells him to run.  He needs to be on the adventure in 10 min, people are waiting for him.  Bilbo goes, runs out the door and forgets his hat,his cloak, and his handkerchief and he's so distressed by this that when he meets with his group of fellow adventurers he starts making excuses as to why he needs to go back. His new friend Dwalin then pulls out a spare hat and cloak, and even though they are too large, gives them to Bilbo to protect him from the elements.  Content, but still missing his handkerchief, they continue on their journey until Gandalf arrives and gives him "a lot of pocket-handkerchiefs". 

Doesn't that remind you of someone?  It reminded me of myself, that much I know. I get so caught up in my life, and making sure I get my things in order that I forget to listen to what God is calling me to do.  Back in 2007 God called me on an adventure to Germany and though it terrified me and I had less than a month to prepare I went- and thank goodness I did! I met my husband there and we are coming up on our third anniversary next week!  Hebrews 13:5 says "...I will never leave you nor forsake you"  and thank goodness He never does!  Even when we are so dizzy with whats going on in our lives, and the adventures that it feels God has thrust upon us with out our consent He is still there! Right beside us, every step of the way.

But what about Bilbo's hat and cloak? He still had to leave them behind!  Just like Gandalf, God always provides for us.  Even when we lose the things we own, he gives us what we need.  It might come in a funny package, being too big or not exactly like what we had before, but He makes sure we're taken care of.

Matthew 6:25-34 says  

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

 Jesus, give me the shove I need to get out the door, to go on the adventures that You have planned for my life even when I have no desire to go on them myself.  Help me to get past my personal comforts and to lean on You and trust You to take care of me.  I know you won't abandon me, and if I leave my figurative hat and cloak behind help me to remember that you will provide exactly what I need, when I need it.  Thank-you for being so faithful.

 And, that's what's been floating around in my head lately, what's God teaching you?

Love,

Carrie

Catch up part 1284761825

Okay okay, so it's not quite my 1284761825th catch up post... but it's pretty close!

Why am I so bad about keeping up with a blog that only contains events of my life?  No idea.... but the fact remains that I am terrible at it!

So... rewind a few months back to December...

Once upon a time, my husband and I got our first real tree!  Which I actually blogged about here. This was a lovely tree.  Perfect in many ways, and just the right size for our little apartment (which in itself was a miracle considering we left all tape measures at home when we went to purchase said tree).  Somehow I managed to misplace about half of my old Christmas decorations.... (COME hommmmmme!) so, I had to make a trip to Target for some new accessories.

On December 3rd, I shot a wedding  for a lovely couple.  Here are a few of my favorites!

On Christmas Eve we went to our dear friends Alex and Katie's house to celebrate Christ's birth! It was a lovely time, there were 7 of us in total I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Christmas eve. Katie and I strung cranberries and popcorn after we ate and decorated the windows with our creations!

That night we all cuddled up on couches and watched A Christmas Story... if you haven't watched it before.... I'm not sure I'd recommend it- but being with a great group of friends makes all the difference.

After the movie, we had a grown up sleepover!  All crashing in separate rooms and waking up on Christmas morning to eggs, waffles and sausage!

The next morning was Christmas!  After getting up early (like a bunch of little kids), Joel and I went to his parents house for another feast! This time it was prim rib and these awesome little olive penguins Joel's brother Brent made!

It was a lovely Christmas, and through it all we celebrated the birth of our Savior, the love that He has given us and the joy of having amazing friends and family surrounding us.

Fast forward a bit... On January 28, I went and chopped off 10 inches of hair!  Talk about a change!

So.... I'm sure there are other things that have happened in our lives.... but for now I'm drawing a blank.

Happy Presidents day everyone ;)

Love,
Carrie