The Harvest Is RIPE
I’ve been reading a book titled “Spiritual Rhythms” these last few weeks that God has used to reveal the importance of each spiritual season of life; both the winters when everything looks dormant and hopeless, the summers when everything is lush, vibrant, and fruitful and all the inbetweens. God has been reminding me that winters are essential for bearing his kingdom fruit and becoming more like Him. In times when we’ve experienced winters I’ve had to rely on what I know about God’s character revealed through his word, rather than my current feelings and circumstances. And wow does that ever grow faith in Him! I believe it is in the winters where our faith grows the most, and that faith in Him is what leads to the abundant fruit of summer! Thank you for journeying with us through all these seasons. We are excited to now share with you some fruit we’ve gotten to see from our ministry as well as our plans to plant more seeds for future harvests! –Melinda
A Time to Celebrate!
On March 12th, 2022 YWAM Niagara celebrated its very first graduating class of the Trailblazers DTS! We worshiped together and each student shared a testimony from a memorable experience from outreach or lecture term. This graduation was an incredibly special milestone for us personally as well as our staff team and community of supporters like you! So thank you for being a part of this, your prayers and giving have empowered this new ministry!
Prior to graduation, Melinda led the staff and students through a week of debrief and reentry upon their return to Niagara from outreach across Canada and Brazil. The week provided a space for students to process their joys and challenges of the entire DTS experience and see where God was at in the midst of it. It also equipped the graduates to continue to live on mission in the context of returning home. This was Melinda’s very first full teaching week and it was received incredibly well by the team!
Keep Knocking on Doors
We’ve been partnering with Niagara Dream Centre to reach the streets of Niagara Falls with the love of Jesus. Since beginning this new ministry it has been on our hearts to visit those living rough in the motels of Niagara Falls. A few weeks ago we felt God saying the moment was now and many doors began to open before we even knocked! We made new friends, listened to heartbreaking stories, offered food, prayer, and most importantly – shared the hope we have in Jesus. Tanner shared this story on the Dream Centre’s Facebook page and we were so encouraged to receive this comment from someone who used to live in similar conditions:
“Knock on doors!! Yes!! I love this!! I lived in motels for two years on Lundy’s Lane. No one ever knocked on my door. Even still, Jesus came for me himself! Keep knocking on doors.”
N.
Mobilizing Missions
With the completion of DTS, we not only said goodbye to our students but to many of the missionary staff whose ministry commitment to YWAM Niagara had completed. This was a bittersweet time but we enjoyed honoring everyone’s service with a staff retreat in Fort Erie. So, we need more missionaries and trainees to come to Niagara! In fact, our world needs more people in missions!
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:35-38
With this in mind, we have seen God open the door for us to dedicate the entire month of May to calling more young people into missions! We will begin with a leaders gathering in Flat Rock, NC with a focus on training up and empowering young leaders. Then we’ll drive to Kansas City, MO and spend a week of evangelistic outreach in the city culminating with The SEND – a stadium gathering to activate this generation of believers into a lifestyle of missions and evangelism! We are praying for at least 1000 young people to commit to joining missions at this event, and we want to help them see that commitment come to fruition! So we’ve teamed up with 10 other YWAM bases across North America to personally follow up with all these youth interested in becoming missionaries!
Being faithful through winters prepares us to see kingdom fruit. From difficult seasons it has been an honour to see students trained and sent to the nations, doors open before us to share the love of Jesus, and opportunities to grow as leaders and invest in the calling of this generation. We believe this month will be a catalyst in seeing the next wave of missionaries trained and sent out to further complete the great commission, and we believe God wants to use young people for the task! May more be called to join us in Niagara, be sent out into our community and out into the nations!
