Phil and Linda's Blog

Our Indian Adventure

2012-02-23T17:17:00.000Z

Jonathan, Elisa and I (Phil) have been on our India adventure for eleven days now. It has been a full and enriching time. The kids are handling the life here remarkably well which is great, especially as Jonathan does not like spicy food! Everything here includes spice apart from the rice, which there is plenty of.

The first week we were with five people from our church in Hinkley, although I answered a heart cry to visit Mysore and teach on the SBS there. I was the first guest teacher they have had in the school (only a few weeks left) because it is off the beaten track. I left the children in the good hands of our church folks and flew 1 hour 20 mins south to Bangalore. I arrived at rush hour so it took 5 hours to get to Mysore from the airport that evening.

I found a really solid SBS school with mature leaders and a high standard of school. Although the teaching of Isaiah went well, the times spent with the leaders and staff was very significant.

It seems to have been a time of significant meetings, which is such a wonderful encouragement as I have met some King’s Lodge graduates who express such appreciation of the training they received with us in the UK, as well as others that have been impacted by the Biblical Teaching and Preaching school in this part of the world. I met one of our key leaders who has led a church planting movement which now has about 100 church planning teams and has seen 100s of churches over these past years, with many 1000s of Hindus coming to Christ. He was very excited about the potential of the on-line SBS courses I have developed.

On the way back to the airport at Bangalore last week, I met with another TKL SBS/BTPS grad that has now trained about 2000 pastors in the skills of preaching, a great need here as many, many pastors have no formal training. He is meeting a growing demand.

We have been able to join in with some of the outreaches to the slum areas with Elisa joining at every opportunity. The ‘evangelism strategy’ is to meet people and pray for them in the name of Jesus. They then see the answer to these prayers; healing, getting a job, reconciliation in their families, restoration of a marriage etc, and then they become open to hearing about Jesus, and the God of all Gods! Another eight people from the slum areas were baptised last week.

Both of the children are growing in many ways. I am so proud of the way they handle the situations they face. I am humbled as I speak to the SBS students, some with amazing stories. A Buddhist who came to Christ through a dream, and now leads a number of churches in North India, a former Hindu who was rejected by his family when he declared he was a believer, a pastor who longs to get back to Saudi Arabia to continue his evangelism ministry… What a privilege to be a small part of the lives of this kind of people!

Life in India on their Own

2012-02-15T13:28:00.000Z

The Hope Community Church outreach team is staying and working with YWAM Lonavala near Mumbai.

A School of Biblical Studies (SBS) is in full swing there and two team members are taking time to teach on their school this week. Phil will teach Deuteronomyand then Joshua after the team leave, extending his and the kids' time to 2-1/2 weeks in India.

However, when work spread that Phil would be in the country, another SBS in Inda contacted him with a heart-felt plea to come teach them as well. A miracle of provision came so we could fly Phil to Bangalore on Monday to then have a 6 hour car journey to be with the SBS in Mysore. He is teaching Isaiah to them for just a few days, then coming back to join the team as it leaves.

Our seasoned kids are on outreach in slums under Pete and Sally's care until Phil gets back. Not what we expected ... again ...

Indian First Impressions

2012-02-15T13:11:00.000Z

Elisa the photographer is in her element, capturing the beauty of people in the middle of the life they know.

Elisa is also writing about what she sees: http://elisaleage.blogspot.com/

Home School Holidays

2012-02-15T13:07:00.000Z

No, it's not the children who are on holiday; it's the teacher!

Phil taking Elisa and Jonathan to India created a window when I could take a break from the every day diversity of life. These moments rarely come in life and we decided I should make the most of it.

I landed at Denver International Airport last night for a 2-week visit for my family, friends and churches here in Colorado. We counted out that it has already been 20 months since we were here last, and that was feeling too long.

So if you're in Colorado, so am I until the 29th. Email me!

Taking off to India

2012-02-11T11:34:00.000Z

A church outreach to Lonovala, India, started it all.

Last year the team saw amazing fruit from their one week of ministry, and Hope Community Church announced a return trip happening this February half-term. This morning Phil, Elisa and Jonathan took off to be a part of this outreach!

More details to come, but they're off!

Wisdom in LA

2012-02-11T11:23:00.000Z

Wisdom literature is what they asked for. Hebrew poetry, Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Solomon - plus the first few chapters of I Kings to the point where the kingdom divided. The Chronological Bible Core Course in YWAM Los Angeles brought Phil in for a week of in-depth teaching on their school in January.

Phil was also used as a consultant in on-line learning materials for local church ministry. The Bible classes that the team offers need accessable materials for the participants to do at home. Phil was going to show the leaders how to write their own curriculum; when they saw all the materials available through Phil's on-line SBS they asked to use that instead as he had already done all the work. Yeah! We are now blessing churches in Los Angeles as they study the Word!

Phil took Elisa along as a travelling companion. They had so much fun together and her love for the Lord has been even more rooted in her life.

Facebook us

2012-01-30T12:31:00.000Z

It seems that Facebook is here to stay and we want you to be our "friends"!

Regular and encouraging reports on ministry and life at The King's Lodge can also be found on our The King's Lodge Facebook page - look us up and "like" us.

April DTS at TKL

2012-01-30T12:12:00.000Z

Wondering what to do this Spring? What about joining a Discipleship Training School (DTS) at The King's Lodge?

My lovely friend from Egypt, Amal Moore, explains this school which she will be leading. 3 nations, 2 international events, knowing God in a fresh way ... and making him known.

Major building devepment

2012-01-30T12:02:00.000Z

Nearly 2 years ago the foundations were laid for our new meeting hall to the north of our main building. The plan has always been to join the new room to our "Snack Bar", providing access through the centre of the building and increasing the potential of this hall.

On the 23rd of January the dividing wall came down! Could call this a major breakthrough :) Although the interior of the hall structure is unfinished, it is another step in laying heating pipes, electrics and sound cabling and raising the floor to the same level as the rest of the building. Another £60,000 and the project will be done ... so we can begin the next project.

Phil has spent hours working with the contractors, relating to our donors, strategizing and keeping the momentum going for this project. Well done, Phil!

Family photos

2012-01-30T11:47:00.001Z

Family getting together holds special places in our memories. The pictures are a huge bonus.

The entire Leage family, that is Phil’s mum, her 4 children, their 6 children, and their 3 children plus 7 spouses, gathered during the Christmas holidays at The King’s Lodge. It’s great being in the Midlands of England to provide a central spot. It was so much fun.

A new family picture was just taken for our staff board - the black and white shot you can see to the top right. Look at our kids – growing so fast!!

Merry Christmas from the Leages!

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000Z

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

One year ago today …

2011-12-06T12:42:00.002Z

Another year of family adventure began on December 6^th, 2010. Delayed by fog, we missed our connection to San Francisco. Our first unexpected treat of the year – being re-routed to Hawaii through Japan.

Another 4 months in Kona, Hawaii, were spent in further development of the on-line SBS, tapping into so many resources there that otherwise would not have been possible, and growing in understanding of the on-line learning medium. Our family flourished during this trip, creating wonderful life-time memories of the 4 of us together.

BCC Fiji

Return to The King’s Lodge in England coincided with the launch of a Korean/ English Bible Core Course (BCC) which Phil co-led (especially on the English side!).

Teaching opportunities over this year:

Bible Core Course (BCC): Fiji, New Zealand, England (The King’s Lodge), Switzerland, South Korea, and Egypt (via Skype).

School of Biblical Studies (SBS): The King’s Lodge and Kona (USA).

Discipleship Training School (DTS): The King’s Lodge and Kona.

Not to be outdone, Elisa and Jonathan were able to travel (without us) to Mexico, Romania, Italy, and around the UK to grow and share their faith with others.

Family in Brighton became a focus over the Spring and Summer when Phil’s mother was in and out of hospital, and David (Phil’s brother) began chemotherapy and then experienced blood clots which induced 2 near-fatal cardiac arrests. Nuneaton home life had to be adjusted and Phil’s teaching trip to Tokyo was cancelled to help support the family. We stand in awe as we tell of their amazing recoveries and the way we have known God’s presence through this time.

On-line SBS curriculum is now complete and uploaded – available even to you! www.e-sbs.net Teaching materials, videos teachings, interactive lessons, etc. for all 66 books of the Bible are ready and in use, and the staff working with Phil has increased to 12. Spread across 12 time zones from Fiji to Sweden, scheduling on-line staff meetings and training sessions has been a challenge!

I’m splitting my time between home-schooling the children and leading the Personnel Department at The King’s Lodge. In between we’ve been supporting major changes taking place in The King’s Lodge infrastructure and with our TKL web page: www.thekingslodge.com

This last year has been amazing – looking forward to what’s ahead!

All's Well That Ends Well

2011-11-20T15:35:00.001Z

The best prices for flights departed at 6:00am and returned at 10:00pm so we chose those to help make it possible to Jonathan to accompany Phil for the first time on one of his teaching trips. They took off early last Sunday morning for Lausanne, Switzerland, for Phil to teach on their English/Korean Bible Core Course.

Jonathan kept up with his school work while Phil taught Genesis, Deuteronomy, and a Teaching and Preaching Seminar on Saturday. They squeezed in wandering in the woods, a stroll around Lake Lausanne, 10-pin bowling with the whole campus, and finding nice chocolate to bring back for the ladies.

Returning home last night became more difficult than expected. After circling Birmingham the pilot concluded the fog conditions were unsafe and he couldn't land. For some reason instead they flew to Manchester to put the plane down - 100 miles away. Coaches were hired, passengers transferred, and arrival into Birmingham finally happened just before 2am.

Yawn, but thank you, God, for a safe return

WildFire Blazes through Cambridge

2011-11-20T15:23:00.000Z

WildFire Spreads to Cambridge

A team of 50 WildFire participants blazed through Cambridge during the October half-term week. Soul Survivor, Youth for Christ, Urban Saints, YWAM and HOPE Cambridge partnered to gather hundreds of young people to share the love of God in practical ways and friendship-building through “Beyond Belief”.

Partnering with 3 local churches in Histon (Cambridge), WildFire began their days with worship, teaching prayer and preparation. Community action and outreach projects followed, including a community talent night, football in the park and teaching circus skills, street evangelism, and helping with lunch clubs for retired people.

A tropical Elisa

Elisa and Jonathan had a fantastic week with this group of young people and families. Highlights were doing street evangelism with Connie Taylor, a gifted evangelist and trusted friend to them. They also liked the social events for the elderly where they sat and talked about each other's lives. Priceless.

WildFire, an inter-generational missions model, is making a way for families and different ages to bring their strengths, learn from each other and work together in knowing God and making him known. Our kids have been involved with WildFire since 2007, travelling both throughout the UK and to China, Bosnia, Spain, South Africa, Romania and Italy.

WildFire has been perhaps the single most influential tool of God's work in their lives and we are so grateful!

So Pleased ...

2011-10-26T12:45:00.000+01:00

Just concluded a wonderful 10 days on the beautiful Korean Island of Jeju, at the U of N Campus Bible Core Course, teaching Deuteronomy and Kings.

The comment of one student was that before these two weeks, ‘I hated the Old Testament and the God I saw there. Now I see the same God of the New Testament and am beginning to love the Old Testament’.

So pleased someone was listening!

‘…who turns the rock onto a pool of water…’ Psalm 114:8

2011-10-19T10:28:00.005+01:00

It was just over a year ago that I was at this same YWAM training campus on the South Korean Island of Jeju. Then I was teaching Romans to an eager class of about 60 students and at the same time praying much whether I should take the family back to Kona, Hawaii, for a second time. The financial barrier seemed insurmountable as we had no recourse to make this happen, and I was wrestling in prayer to know if it was the right thing to do. At that time I was meditating on Psalm 114, and it was verse 8 that challenged me where it speaks about God bring water from a rock. Jeju is a volcanic Island with no shortage of rocks! I would look at such a rock and wonder how water, or in my case provision, could ever come from such an entity. But according to this psalm it is God who brings such miraculous provision from such an unlikely place.

Jon Ho, my translator

I am back on this island of Jeju again for this week and next, teaching on a brand new (for this campus) Bible Core Course (BCC). I was co-leading the bi-lingual English/Korean BCC last April at The King’s Lodge where the staff and leader for this school running here now were trained. This very helpful Bible training programme is training 40 students and additional staff so that it can be multiplied throughout this nation and beyond. It is a joy to be teaching the significant and foundational books of Deuteronomy and Kings for this multiplication venture.

As I went for a walk this afternoon and saw those same rocks, I was reminded of the gracious, faithful provision of God. As you will be aware we as a family did to back to Hawaii for those four months, and looking back I can see how God did indeed turn flint (Ps 114:7) into a pool of water with his gracious provision. But more than that, it prove to be one of the most significant four months in my ministry so far in relationship to the on-line courses I am developing.

Surely we should ‘Tremble…at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob’ (Ps. 114:7).

Good Morning, South Korea!

2011-10-17T22:39:00.001+01:00

Phil should be climbing out of bed soon at Jeju Island and getting ready for his first day of teaching on the Bible Core Course run in South Korea. It’s tough to cover Deuteronomy and Kings in just over a week! The heart and intentions of God are so strong and clear in these books that I know many will grow in awe of our great God – and discover that the God of the Old Testament is so “slow to anger and rich in love.”

Our dear Jonathan “Foghorn” Leage has been struggling with his health this past week. Three days in bed with the flu were followed by a terrible cough and cold. He seems to be on the mend and all efforts are in that direction.

Elisa “I need more to do” Leage is exploring volunteer opportunities in our local area including a Christian coffee shop and a mums and toddlers group. We love her energy and passion to make a difference in people’s lives.

Home schooling, leading our Personnel Office along with some Media Department oversight fill my days with lots of diverse and wonderful thoughts. We are missing Phil and look forward to his return at the end of the month.

Sweet Reunions

2011-10-02T20:48:00.001+01:00

The first two weeks of September for Phil were spent strategizing, negotiating, training and dreaming together with like-minded people.

The training arm of Youth With A Mission is the “University of the Nations” (U of N), with campuses in over 150 nations. The bi-annual U of N workshop, which gathered nearly 600 YWAM training faculty, became a place of affirming the same values while working from different corners of the world, and of planning for the future.

His time was sweet in three ways:

Meeting up with the YWAM “family” in the very special place of Kona, Hawaii, was incredible. There is such excitement within the mission for on-line learning, and Phil seems to be a leading pioneer in the field. If only we could do half of what they all dreamed up for us!!
We loved welcoming him home to us again; two weeks away can feel like a long time! Elisa and Jonathan were already a week into their new school year with The Oaks Virtual Academy and had lots to catch him up with. It was also a busy time for me in the Personnel Office, welcoming new staff and positioning those already here.
We asked Phil to bring us a bottle of pancake syrup – which he did – but the security inspectors pulled it out of the duffel to have a look and then plopped it back at the very top of the bag. The result was a crushed ½ gallon (nearly 2 litres) bottle of syrup dripping through our luggage and the whole luggage compartment from Kona to LAX to Amsterdam to Birmingham. Can’t begin to describe the clean-up process. Maybe not so sweet?

Family miracles

2011-08-28T16:08:00.003+01:00

Our holiday week in Brighton took on a far-more-than-expected significance.

Phil's brother and mother had both been releases from hospital just the week before. David astounded all around him by recovering so well from 2 heart attacks which coindided with his his chemotherapy treatment for bowel cancer. Phil's mum was up and around again after having a cancerous polyp removed.

What a joy to be with Mum, Judy, and Dave and Rita as we celebrated God's goodness to our family.

The End is in Sight

2011-08-18T14:36:00.000+01:00

Every moment I have been able to, my focus has been on continuing to develop the on-line SBS. I am encouraged as more people enrol and benefit from this course. One graduate from Australia, Bindi, wrote on the fbSBS facebook page:
‘Hi - I finished my journey of fbSBS and SBS in June this year and now I am on staff for a Sept school, preparing my first teaching Ephesians. As its one of the first books, I'm recalling how I felt early in the school so I can help the students and comparing how God has changed me since then. I just wanted to encourage you all that this process is not insignificant. His Word changes us *forever*. I will now be a student of His Word for the rest of my life because I long to know more of Him. The inductive process, which was hard, is now second nature and helps me get to know God more and more.’

I am finishing up the final books that need to be uploaded on-line and then the entire course will be sent to one of our leaders in Swaziland, where the Internet connection is very poor or non-existent, and be available on their campus intranet.

You can check out what I have been doing on our demo courses available at www.fbSBS.org Although on-line learning is quite common now, it is new for our mission and I am among those leading the way in this area. Quality, accessible training will be an enormous asset to our staff around the world.

At the end of August I will be in Kona, Hawaii, for a strategic University of the Nations conference. There are major changes to the training in Youth With A Mission and exploring the on-line educational possibilities are part of that change. I expect it to be quite an exciting time and it will, of course, be so much fun to be back where we have made such good friends these past few years. I will be there about 14 days.

We continue to thank you so much for your love and support, and interest in what we as a family are involved in.

Family updates

2011-08-18T14:28:00.000+01:00

These last few months have been full and very challenging and have turned out quite differently to what we expected, but in it all we have seen the kindness, peace and grace of God.

My mother has had three spells in hospital so I have travelled down to Brighton each time to help with the convalescence and to support the family. This last spell which was to remove a cancerous polyp. The procedure went very well and she is making a wonderful recovery.

Also my brother, David, who was completing his last session of chemotherapy, suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital. At one point we thought we were about to say goodbye to him, but in a remarkable way he pulled through and is making a good recovery. After 3 weeks he was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. Truly a miracle, we celebrate his continuing life!

During this time Linda has taken on a new role at The King’s Lodge as Personnel Director. It’s a demanding responsibility involving the heart of the running of the Lodge. Elisa has just returned from a challenging outreach in Romania, and Jonathan from outreach in Sicily. Each had quite a diverse time with Elisa spending much time in the poverty of the gypsy communities and Jonathan in a youth camp.

Elisa has written a blog about her time at http://www.elisaleage.blogspot.com/

Summer half-time

2011-08-02T19:47:00.000+01:00

Half-way through the summer already! Here’s what’s been happening so far:

Get Out Camp 23-27 July: Over 100 participants moved in for the 4-day preparation camp before launching into outreaches to the Philippines, Romania, Sicily, and the UK (Weymouth and Droitwich). Phil and I served behind the scenes by washing pots and sweeping floors while the participants got on with team building and meeting with God.

Jonathan is in Sicily: Message came from the team leader to say, “Having wonderful time. God is really meeting with us and using us. Etna has erupted and it was breathtaking and very safe.” Now Jonathan can add “volcano eruption” to his list of summer activities! Mount Etna volcanic eruption

Add caption

Elisa is in Romania: They have been part of festivals and visited gypsy camps and orphanages. Her team mates are experiencing a lot of sickness which is slowing them down.

I am in the office: I am still learning the needs and methods of our Personnel Department. The new schools will be on us before we know it, and my office will make a way for the staff to be available to run them and this facility. I am now registered with the UK Border Agency to issue visa entry clearance certificates - step 1 of the visa process - and I have to equate doing this to sitting down to do my taxes. Scary!!! but after a while I’m getting used to it.

Phil is in Brighton: A week ago today Phil’s brother, David, suffered a heart attack. Only yesterday he was brought out of the sedation, and today he took 6 steps!! Around the world (including Romania and Sicily) prayers have been calling out for God’s healing power, and I think we have just experienced a true miracle. Please pray for David and his wife, Rita, as the recovery continues. Hopefully Phil will be able to return home in a few days.

Jonathan's Mission to Sicily

2011-07-09T21:57:00.000+01:00

Family Reunion at TKL

2011-07-09T15:18:00.000+01:00

YWAM England and Wales Staff Gathering met at The King's Lodge from the 1st-3rd of July.

We had just concluded a wonderful raining term the day before which meant many of those studying with us were able to join the gathering. Relationship is what holds YWAM together, and vision for what God has ahead is what drives us; both were abundant during these days. Hosting and feeding 300 people meant a lot of practical work, but it's fun when it's "family".

You'll remember that The King's Lodge has launched a building project which began with a new meeting room. The interior work has yet to be done but we squeezed into our new room and worshipped together anyway.

Here is a face-paced video clip from YWAM England's media team of our weekend. Oh, and the weather was perfect!!

Birthday Girl, Birthday Boy, and the Happy Couple

2011-06-27T23:07:00.001+01:00

Our beautiful girl turned 16 on the 23rd of June. She is becoming such a godly young woman. She's blogging about life; most recent update is here.

Phil - lover of horses - wonderful father, husband and friend turned ...58 on the 25th of June. What a gift to our family and to the nations.

... and our 19th wedding anniversary was celebrated today, 27th of June.

And dear Jonathan missed much of the celebrating by going to Liverpool for the weekend with a WildFire outreach team. Great ministry, great friends, great fun ... and little sleep!

Elisa Leage, World Traveller

2011-06-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Elisa returned to England on the 20th of May. She came back extremely worn out, but loving God and people and life as never before. This outreach has been an amazing experience.

She has continued to blog about her experiences and feelings so we'll let her speak for herself:
www.elisaleage.blogspot.com

Back to an Irregular Routine

2011-06-04T22:11:00.000+01:00

OK, we've been back in England nearly 2 months.

Phil jumped into co-leading the Bible Core Course (BCC) almost immediately while Jonathan and I worked to established home life and a schooling schedule. The Bilingual BCC is training 21 students in how to inductively study different genres of scripture and the course is going wonderfully. It is such a privilege to be a part of it.

Two weeks of Phil teaching in New Zealand left Jonathan and me to ourselves - lots of fun together - and then Phil's trips to be with his mum in Brighton scattered us again. Elisa's return from outreach in Mexico brought us all together for a few weeks.

Thursday lunchtime Phil and a colleague travelled to Hurlach, Germany, for a gathering of 25 European SBS leaders and staff. He is hosting the sessions and leading them in prayer, content and fun in Bavaria.

Elisa and Jonathan finished their school year on June 15th which will free us up for an amazing summer.

In a week's time I will assume the role as Personnel Director at The King's Lodge. Over the summer I hope to get a handle on the role so that when we begin home school again in Septermber I can balance the children's needs with overseeing the Department. May need your prayers on that one!

And Now There Are Two

2011-06-04T20:46:00.000+01:00

Just weeks after our return to England Jonathan was fitted with braces on his teeth. Thank you, God, for this provision through the National Health Service.

Now our kids have one more thing in common.

An Unexpected Turn

2011-05-17T20:35:00.000+01:00

Phil’s mum was admitted into hospital on Friday after collapsing in her home. We thank God that she was not alone and received medical care immediately. Although tests have been done we still don’t quite understand what happened. One result of which we are sure, though, is that she is worn out from the experience. A good lot of rest and pampering is in the diary for these next weeks.

Phil travelled down on Sunday to be with her and help with all the practical bits. All four of the siblings were together for a few days, making it a special time for family in the midst of the concern. Phil’s older brother, David, had begun his first course of chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer early that same week. Worse than not feeling well, his immunities have decreased and doctors forbad him visiting his mum in hospital.

Elisa returns to England tomorrow (!!!!) after her extra 6 weeks of adventure. Phil will make the 170 mile journey before the commuters think of hitting the roads so we can all meet her at Birmingham International Airport tomorrow morning. Later in the week he’ll zoom back down the road to Brighton to help with Mum’s home care.

You may remember that Phil is scheduled to teach on a DTS in Tokyo next week. He has cancelled the trip in order to be with his mum, and is working through the travel insurance coverage in hopes of reclaiming the cost of the ticket.

We’d value your prayers for Chris (Mum), David, and all of us really as we approach this uncertain time.

The Leage family at YWAM's 50th Celebration, September 2010

Phil in New Zealand

2011-05-01T02:06:00.001+01:00

This weekend has been a much unexpected time of rest and refreshment. I am teaching on one of our Bible schools here on the South Island of New Zealand for these two weeks and the staff and students left on Friday for three days for a field trip. I stayed behind enjoying the quiet of a rather remote farm house.

I was still able to enjoy the royal wedding though, which began at 10pm!

In these two weeks we are exploring Deuteronomy, Kings, Micah and Ezra so we are covering a lot of ground. The students are engaged and enthusiastic and for me this stuff never grows old. As we went through Deuteronomy, this book where Moses and the second generation of Israel renew the covenant, I am struck again by the magnificent wisdom of God and how much this book has to teach us about nationhood, leadership and society.

I return home Sunday to our own Bible school there at The King’s Lodge diving straight in teaching the beautiful (and much needed) book of The Song of Solomon, along with introducing the prophets of the Old Testament. No time for dust to collect under my feet!

Thanks so much for keeping me and my family in your prayers.

Update from Ensenada

2011-04-30T15:12:00.000+01:00

"It is currently week three of ministry and I am loving it so mucho grande ..."

Read more here about Elisa's exploits:
http://elisaleage.blogspot.com/2011/04/si-senor.html?spref=fb

The Nations Come to England

2011-04-24T16:46:00.001+01:00

A new term of training began at The King's Lodge on the 8th of April, just two days after our return. We weren't the only ones to show up from the far ends of the earth.

"So there was a Colombian, an Indian and a Ghanaian who walked into the Snack Bar..." - perhaps a few years ago it actually might have been a joke, but now there is a new release of missionaries coming to England. Over 20 passports are represented this term.

Phil has joined the Bi-lingual Bible Core Course (BCC) as the school co-leader. In 12 weeks these 21 students will inductively study 13 books of the Bible which represent different literary genres. Letters, prophets, gospels, poetry, law - all need to be read and understood uniquely, and this course will guide them through providing the necessary tools. The Korean translation of this class and all group gatherings is a new dimension for most of us, and the wonderful people and God's grace are making it very do-able.

The evening of Good Friday we put Phil on the plane to Oxford, New Zealand (via Christchurch) http://www.ywamoxford.org. He'll teach 3 books in two weeks on their BCC, returning on the 8th of May. Ten days later Elisa will arrive! Half-way through her outreach/child-minding, and she is doing so well but her family is missing her heaps.

Two Weeks In and Giving It All She's Got

2011-04-18T20:40:00.001+01:00

Another weekly update from Elisa.
http://elisaleage.blogspot.com/2011/04/semana-dos.html?spref=fb

Action songs with kids and the team

Adventures South of the Border

2011-04-14T13:13:00.000+01:00

Read about Elisa's amazing first week in Mexico. She's missed by her family but having a blast on this outreach. http://elisaleage.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-numero-uno.html?spref=fb

What a Week

2011-04-09T16:33:00.000+01:00

Last Friday drew a conclusion to our 4 wonderful months in Kona.

A long weekend together in O'ahu was a wonderful family treat. We enjoyed a road trip around the island, hiked the Diamond Head crater, splashed on Waikiki Beach, and the enjoyed the beautiful North Shore which got all our votes for being the most fantastic spot on the island.

Monday night Elisa flew out to join the DTS outreach team in Mexico. Tuesday morning the rest of us caught our flight from Honolulu to LA to Paris to Birmingham, arriving early evening on Wednesday at The King's Lodge.

This Friday (yesterday) we were a part of welcoming a new group of eager students ("trainees" for visa purposes). Phil will be co-leading the Bible Core Course, which will be an English and Korean bi-lingual classroom. Lots of names to learn and stories to hear and lives to become a part of.

And the sun is shining in England!

Leages Star in Movie!

2011-03-27T20:24:00.001+01:00

Here is a short video produced for the Holland Road Baptist Church World Week.

It'll give highlights of our last few months and take a look into the future. Enjoy!

Things We'll Miss

2011-03-27T08:21:00.002+01:00

Things we will NOT miss when we leave Kona:

Nearly all goods are imported, making life jolly expensive!

Kona Cruiser cockroach

Things we WILL miss when we leave Kona:

The University of the Nations - Kona

Mr. Sunshine

Our favourite store!

Tropical beauty

and so many wonderful friends we have made during this time. Thank you for welcoming us and investing into our lives and ministry.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

2011-03-24T19:57:00.002Z

School of Illustration students created some beautiful drawings for the Field-Based SBS on-line course material.

These samples below are aids to understand Figures of Speech. Language and literature is filled with words that paint a picture, and the author's intentions can be better grasped if we can also SEE in our minds what was said.


Example of a Simile from Matthew 7

Litote - "not a little" which means A LOT!

Idiom from Luke 18

Building homes for families in Mexico

2011-03-23T19:05:00.000Z

This is the story of a family that was helped by Homes of Hope in Mexico http://ywamsandiegobaja.com/homes-of-hope/

Elisa travels with the DTS team on the 4th of April to spend 5 weeks building homes, sharing their lives and love for Jesus, and being a big sister to 3 wonderful children on the team (Jonathan's handsome in the photo but not traveling to Mexico!)

Turning 14

2011-03-19T00:35:00.001Z

Our wonderful Jonathan was born the 18th of March, 1997. That makes him 14 today!

We see humour and fun and a quick mind in our boy. He's a natural leader in the making. He loves the strategy of chess, the tension of a suspense movie, and is the family food connoisseur. Jonathan is also a loyal friend.

Thank you, God, for placing Jonathan in our family and for the young man he is becoming.

Fiji

2011-02-26T02:43:00.001Z

My time in Fiji is coming to an end tomorrow when I fly back to Hawaii. Wow, what a full and interesting time. This ‘Liquid Continent’ is beautiful, with such a diversity of peoples and nations, but with such huge needs.

I have had an extremely rewarding time and a wonderful welcome at the Bible course here in Vunayasi, complete with the formal Fijian island welcome protocol. The location of the campus is in the middle of a sugar plantation a few miles outside of the second city, Nadi. Of the ten students on this school, eight are from Fiji and two from Papua New Guinea. The significance of the amazing letter to the Ephesians believers began to take hold in the lives of all of us more and more during this week as we explored it together. The eagerness of the students and the faithfulness they show in their studies continue to be an inspiration.

I was able to meet up for a couple of hours with Losaline Tuwere, a former Fijian SBS student and then staff from The King’s Lodge back in the mid-1990s. Losalini went on to pioneer the work of YWAM in Bangladesh. She is now married, living in Suva (the capital of Fiji) and working with Habitat for Humanity. It was an inspiring time, celebrating what God has done over these in-between years.

A most unforgettable part of this trip was the 24 hours I spent with Mark Roche, the Director of Homes of Hope in Suva. Mark and Lynnie are missionaries from Linda’s home church in Greeley, Colorado, whom we have known for many years. They have a desperately-needed ministry in this land providing both a home and protection for abused and pregnant single women, often very young. Not only is there an atmosphere of love and acceptance in the name of Christ, but they also receive training for a meaningful life ahead along with the clear presentation of the Gospel.

When I return to Hawaii we have just over five weeks left before we return to the UK, so we should make the most of the sun and surf!

Elisa's Solo Adventure

2011-02-21T01:20:00.000Z

Elisa is becoming an experienced babysitter and we can see that she has a gift in working with children. Her main family (children ages 4, 6, and 8) are DTS leaders this quarter and preparing to lead an outreach team. Phil mentioned in passing that she needs to live in a Spanish-speaking country to make the Spanish she is studying in school come alive. One thing led to another and an invitation came for her to accompany the family for the 5-week Mexico leg of their outreach as a helper to the parents. Rough dates are the start of April to the first week in May. We just have to get her there and they will cover her living expense in Mexico. What an opportunity!

She will be able to get ahead with her school work to make this happen (a blessing of home schooling) and we believe this trip will be a landmark of growth for her. This couple has our highest respect; I’ve known the mother since 1988 when we did our DTS and outreach together.

The logistics are slightly complicated as our family is scheduled to leave Hawaii during this outreach period, meaning that she will probably have to fly from Hawaii to England unaccompanied in May. Thankfully we can change Elisa's return date and Air France has a service available for unaccompanied minors.

Elisa has begun her own blog. Click here http://elisaleage.blogspot.com/2011/02/mexico-locaness.html to read about how she sees it.

Feburary update

2011-02-17T00:33:00.000Z

Create your own newsletter design

On-line Students En Masse

2011-02-02T06:24:00.002Z

Bible overviews are often a part of a Discipleship Training School. A Kona DTS leader and friend asked Phil to teach his students weekly, with on-line homework through the e-SBS site (giving Phil helpful feedback on the material, too!). Now every Tuesday morning Phil begins their day with keys to understanding their Bibles.

I had lunch with one of the students yesterday, and it turns out Phil is his favourite teacher so far! He went on to say that Bible study would be boring but Phil makes it interesting. We were told that one of the students was given a Bible by her parents as she left for DTS, but she came to her leader and asked how to read it; she didn’t know what to do.

Lack of relevance ... no sense of accessibility ... this emerging generation struggles with their Bibles.

But if the Bible can truly renew minds, conform into the image of Christ, and make disciples, we’ve got to help them.

More thoughts about this on:

http://www.biblefresh.com

On the Plane Again

2011-02-02T06:22:00.001Z

As the sole non-American in the family, we knew Phil would only be allowed 90 days on his US visitor’s visa, requiring him to make a trip out of the country during our stay here. The best use of the travel would be to make it a teaching trip, so we began sending out feelers.

Fiji, a cluster of volcanic islands, is the South Pacific location chosen to make Bible training more accessible to Islanders. YWAM Honolulu has partnered with YWAM Fiji to solidly establish a Bible Core Course, and they need teachers. That’s where Phil comes in!

On February 18, Phil flies to Nadi, Fiji, to teach the book of Ephesians to this group of hungry students.

Friends of mine from Colorado have led the Homes of Hope ministry in Suva, Fiji for more than a decade, ministering to single mothers and strengthening families. We are working toward Phil hopping over to see them and the wonderful things they are a part of.

More information can be found here:

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/fiji-islands-facts/

http://www.hopefiji.org

On-line Learning Explosion

2011-01-22T06:04:00.000Z

Arrival, settling, reconnecting, Christmas celebrations ... all these had to happen before Phil could hit his stride.

The plan seemed simple. Set aside four months to complete the curriculum for the on-line SBS. This on-line course has been at least 5 years in the making, and Phil spent years gaining accreditation through YWAM’s training arm, The University of the Nations. Practical and foundational training is especially relevant to those in the midst of ministry. The on-line course is designed especially for these people who find it difficult to come away from their ministries to a residential course.

Now we have found that we are not alone ...

Some YWAM Kona entrepreneurs have shifted the Foundations in Community Development (FCD) school into an on-line format and set January as their launch date. Allan, the consultant who for years has walked with Phil through the process of adapting the SBS material, is arriving from Australia this weekend to advise and teach on the FCD . Phil gets him in his spare time!

The profile of YWAM on-line learning has skyrocketed suddenly; we only learned of FCD going on-line upon our arrival. We are marvelling at God bringing us here at this time when ideas and skills are converging.

TKL Alumni

2011-01-22T05:55:00.000Z

Plopped here in the middle of the Pacific, it’s been a good week to be reminded of the fruit that is coming from the ministries of The King’s Lodge.

Last Sunday we attended a Kona farewell to a staff family who are moving back to the Mainland with a clear vision to be missionaries through their new jobs. Bryan and Tara trained and worked at The King’s Lodge (TKL) a few years ago and we are so grateful that the Lodge is part of what God is doing in their lives.

Dave, who did DTS and SBS at TKL, was introduced in this week’s staff meeting as a central leader within the Kona Campus Services. His wife, Carol, is now the Primary Health Care school leader in Kona after training with our team at TKL.

Last night’s community meeting with 600ish in attendance was given entirely to visiting worship leader, Jonathan David Helser. Jonathan learned to play guitar at 19 while on his DTS at The King’s Lodge.

Whether formally or informally, the Christian life is spent investing in people and pointing them to the Father. Our mobile lives often mean we don’t get to see the progress or the outcome, so we keep investing with a confidence that what we are doing in obedience is making a difference. Every so often we get the privilege of a glimpse.

Yep, it’s been a pretty good week.

Daily Life

2011-01-22T05:51:00.000Z

We are trying to build routine into our daily lives. Phil has a desk in the SBS office which has become his “mission control”. It is just across the road from where we are living - convenient, and keeps him linked in with the emerging SBS staff in Kona.

The kids' school room in is our condo. The semester ends next week so we are finishing up assignments and preparing for exams. The weekly live seminars began at 6pm (Jonathan) and 4pm (Elisa) in the UK; Hawaiian time now changes those seminars to 8am and 6am (yawn)! From the other side of the fence homeschooling had looked easy; we must say we are grateful for the benefits, though, especially the ability to travel during term time.

Our car is off the road again for the third time since we arrived. Phil has worked so, so hard to keep it going. The difficult balance is in knowing how much time and money we should invest into it – we just want it to stop fluids leaking from various locations!

Phil is sporting a new look with his new glasses since his frames broke a few weeks ago. Thankfully we brought his prescription with us. That was a lesson I learned when my glasses were broken on outreach in China and I had an eye test in Mandarin!

Whether we live in Hawaii or Nuneaton, the bumps and joys of life remind us to look up. We are learning “the secret of living in every situation ...” (Philippians 4:12b NLT).

Christianity Today

2010-12-16T06:59:00.000Z

Below is a link to an article in the Christian magazine Christianity Today. I think you will enjoy it.

http://lists.christianitytoday.com/t/109678163/9463381/193711/0/

New Contact Details:

2010-12-11T04:39:00.000Z

Our new postal address is:

75-5851 Kuakini Hwy 300

Kailua Kona HI 96740

USA

Phone: +1 808 333 6189

Landed!!

2010-12-10T21:48:00.002Z

After an interesting journey which included Japan, we landed in Kona on Tuesday afternoon as originally scheduled. The four bags which should have accompanied us had an even more interesting journey, via Atlanta, and they finally made it Thursday afternoon.

We will move into the condo on Monday when our friends begin their 4 month furlough, but right now we are staying on campus and very close to the action. The things we put in storage have been uncovered but nothing can really be put in its place as we will change locations very soon.

Phil began teaching on the School of Biblical Studies this morning. He will speak for four days on Kings and Chronicles, beginning with King Solomon today. As soon as he finishes on Wednesday he will change from Phil the Teacher to Phil the Mechanic to get our car back on the road – friends were using it these last few months and it broke down on them. He’s looking forward to the challenge of diagnosing the problem and getting his hands dirty.

We’ve managed avoid napping during the day, but 3:30am seems to be the set time for us to wake up these days. Once we get back to sleep it becomes very deep and hard to get started for the day; hope it will be better next week.

Both kids are hard to find these days now that they have reconnected with friends. We are keeping up with our school work and really looking forward to a Christmas break. Phil and I have received such warm welcomes from those we knew before and I think the settling in process will be far quicker this time around – thank you, Lord!!

So if you are jealous of us sitting in sunny Hawaii I need to tell you that there is a heavy tropical rain pouring outside my window. Welcome, Leage family, to a Hawaiian winter.

It was the perfect itinerery ...

2010-12-06T14:11:00.001Z

The threat of morning fog motivated us to leave for the airport earlier than scheduled. But our 7:45 flight to Amsterdam was delayed ... and delayed ... for 2 hours 20 minutes. Oh dear – our connection to San Francisco had taken off by the time we were able to leave England.

Thick fog brought flights in and out of Amsterdam to a crawl and we got caught in the middle of it.

Once in Amsterdam we waited in a few lines, and then were very impressed with the Dutch efficiency which had already rearranged our tickets before we asked. She looked over her glasses at us to say, “We are sending you to Tokyo.” Not quite the day we had expected! And how interesting to spend Pearl Harbor Day in both Japan and ultimately Honolulu. As originally scheduled, we touch down in Kona Tuesday afternoon.

Our four months in Kona will be filled with developing and refining the one-line curriculum for the Field-based SBS and other YWAM on-line learning. The children and I will be doing school during the day and picking up with friends we made last year. We keep reminding ourselves that things will be different from our last visit, but we are looking forward to returning to this very special place.

Good bye, England and Europe, with all your frost and snow and freezing temperatures. We didn’t plan to leave in the height of a winter storm, but have to confess we’re looking forward to the sunshine again.

Elisa on 4thought.tv

2010-11-10T19:42:00.001Z

Waddell Media has kindly provided us with a copy of Elisa's TV slot aired on October 31. Now it can be viewed by those outside the UK.

As you watch it, please pray for teenagers in Britian!

Hmmm ... That's a good question

2010-11-04T17:48:00.002Z

The question is something like, "And what is it exactly that you're going to do??"

Does it ever work for you that the reason you did something turns out to be an opportunity for something that seems quite different?

We expected that our time in Kona, starting the Biblical Teaching and Preaching School, was to establishing this training course there for the long-term. The campus leaders felt it filled a special niche of training which wasn't yet available - and they were right! The reality we found is that very few people from the Western World were interested. Dramatic interest has come from the Indian sub-continent and West Africa, who unfortunately find it very difficult to obtain visas and pay the travel and tuition (please see post dated 21 October).

Decisions had to be made! The BTPS in Kona has been put on hold. That decision then forced more decisions to be made ...

Phil's anointing is to make the Bible story accessible to people. Teaching (like this current 4-week solid teaching stint) and showing others how to do the same is where we have been investing. But for years he has also been making our Bible Study materials available beyond the residential SBS.

I remember painting the nursery, awaiting Elisa's arrival, when Phil had his first strategy meeting for the Distance Learning SBS. In the past 15 years the materials he and his team developed have trained people around the world. Now that we are in a digital age, the material has to move from paper to being available on-line. Progress has been made, but lots of books are still not available.

Now for the problem: TIME and RESOURCES.

We believe that it is right to stick with our original plan to travel to Kona next month. Concerning the need for TIME, Phil will come under the Training Department there and exclusively develop on-line learning materials and support others who want to also develop courses on-line. The resources needed are on the technical side, and the Kona campus has incredibly strong resources in audio/visual (RESOURCES!)

The tickets are booked. We leave the UK on 6 December 2010, and return 6 April 2011.

How seeds can grow!

2010-10-25T05:37:00.002+01:00

It was 17 years ago (1993) that I had a quiet Korean student in my School of Biblical Studies at The King’s Lodge. Working in English was a challenge so Yang Hee audited the SBS the following year in order to review her work and pick up things that might have been lost due to language the first time round.

I remember my surprise about 10 years ago when I receive a simple email from Yang Hee, asking me to come to teach on the SBS which she was leading in Korea. I arrived to find a school of about 45 students (including a number of pastors), eagerly studying the Bible and my ‘quiet’ student from The King’s Lodge showing exceptional confidence and leadership ability. She now leads a team of nine working at the SBS centre in Korea who minister around the nation and are writing Bible study materials for the Korean church.

When I arrived yesterday in Korea, I was picked up from the airport by another King’s Lodge graduate from 2000/01. Ji Wung was not only my student but also worked for three years on our TKL SBS staff.

Over a rather nice meal on the way back from the airport, I asked Ji Wung, now the SBS leader in Korea, the story of how this training has developed there over these past 10 years.·

There has been an annual nine-month SBS, training between 40-60 students each year.
For this current school they had to turn away about 30 people, so they are now preparing to run two schools each year.
They have developed and support two SBSs in Seoul for Business people, running concurrently each year. So far, between 600-700 people have been trained through this program.
They have developed and support a SBS especially for Pastors (similar to the one for business people).
They run a Pastors’ Bible seminar three times a year, reaching about 200 pastors at a time.
They have been instrumental in introducing a week of ‘How to Study the Bible in a Dynamic and Effective Way” into every DTS in Korea.
They have trained leaders and staff, and support two SBS school in China and Mongolia. Southern Thailand is next on the agenda.
Ji Wung is now a sought-after speaker throughout Korea, and often ministers in Thailand, China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, Kyrgizstan and soon to the Korean community in Seattle, Washington.

We don’t often get to see the results that unfold after our students leave The King’s Lodge. Clearly they are gifted, committed and anointed people and it is our privilege to be a part of their growth. It is a huge encouragement for us to get a glimpse of some of this fruit 17 years on. As partners who have prayed and given and shared your lives with us, please join us in celebrating!

I begin teaching the wonderful book of Romans tomorrow (Monday), to a class with 58 students and a staff of 22.

On the road again

2010-10-21T21:09:00.004+01:00

Phil leaves Friday (22^nd) to teach Romans in Korea. After day at home to repack, he travels to Los Angeles on the 31^st to teach on Psalms and Proverbs for a week.

Upon return, our own SBS gets to sit under Phil’s teaching for 1 and 2 Corinthians. The next week he takes Elisa with him for 4 days in Wiler, Switzerland, where he will again teach Romans.

Watch Elisa on Channel 4!

2010-10-21T21:07:00.002+01:00

Elisa's film will be included in next week's broadcast of 4thought.tv. Her 90-second interview will be broadcast on Sunday 31st October at 6.55pm on Channel 4. It will also be available to view on http://www.channel4.com/programmes/4thoughttv/ after the initial broadcast.

Please pray that this piece is thought-provoking for young people as they consider their own stance on sex before marriage. Also please pray a covering over her as she has made such a bold stand for purity.

Sharpening the focus

2010-10-21T21:05:00.004+01:00

Isn’t it interesting how you can think you are moving in a certain direction for a certain reason, and then realise the direction is right but the reason is different to what you expected!

Our priorities in these past few years have been pioneering on-line (field-based) learning within YWAM and the development of the Biblical Teaching and Preaching School (BTPS). Both of these took giant leaps forward during our year in Kona, Hawaii.

Plan A was to lead another BTPS in Kona January 2011. Establishing this course at this strategic site was the avenue which opened so we could develop Bible teachers. Sadly, as we faced last year, the majority of applicants can neither obtain visas nor afford the travel and tuition.

Experience is telling us that teams of missionaries in the flow of ministry are desperate to grow in the Bible while they remain “on the field”. Wisdom gained also highlights that those who feel the need and passion to learn to teach and preach are not living in the Western World but are in India and West Africa. These clear truths are rearranging our path.

So Plan A has been set aside and our eyes have turned to the Indian sub-continent as the better location to see the BTPS re-established. Future leaders have already identified themselves and this is a key to stability. Lots to pray about now and soon there will be more stories to tell.

Plan B has emerged as a greater strategic priority rather than being second-best since the other fell through.

On-line learning is sweeping the world. Our own children being educated through it! Our mission wants to grow in it but as of today there is only one on-line course in YWAM – the Field-Based SBS which Phil has designed. Now for the problem: the Old Testament is not complete and revisions are in mind for the New Testament (instructional material – not the Bible text!). Both time and technical support are needed.

Plan B is to continue to make our scheduled trip to Kona for 4 months, connecting with highly-skilled techies on site and being in a position to focus simply on the task of developing on-line learning. Breaking this ground as a YWAM pioneer in on-line learning will pave the way for multiple courses to become available to so many more.

So this return trip to the Pacific will have quite a different flavour than we expected, but we are very excited and expectant at the opportunities we have to initiate a whole new, more accessible training model for our mission. The price for going is £3,000 in airfares ($4,800USD) and about £3,500 ($5,000USD) in rent. We're keeping our eyes on the outcome! Please let us know if you want to be a partner in this development venture.

Just this evening one of our Health Care students who works long-term in Mozambique asked for details about how her entire team can enrol in the FB–SBS!

It’s why we do what we do!

School of Biblical Studies Pod Casts

2010-10-17T20:04:00.000+01:00

The School of Biblical Studies International has created a site to house a series of mp3 teachings by various SBS teachers on the books of the Bible and other Biblical subjects. These are available for free download.

Check out http://thesbspodcast.com/ If you scroll down the list, you will find a series of teachings on Luke which I have recorded, and Obadiah and Jeremiah are in the making.

In the land of the Pharaohs

2010-10-09T10:48:00.000+01:00

It has been just about a week since I arrived in Egypt and begun introducing the students here the School of Biblical Studies. At this time of year a few dozen such schools around the world, in a variety of languages are beginning in much the same way. The students are taught how to approach the Bible in a simple but effective way that will open up the truth that is there, and also the method we use in our schools that helps them to study in a really practical way. I never get tired of the comments that come from our students, even after just one week of such study. They are often amazed and thrilled at what they are discovering for themselves, “the Bible can make sense and is so applicable” is the kind of excited comment I hear.

At this school we have over a dozen students from six nations, two of them being in the Middle East and it is a joy to see this school continue to flourish and grow. We do have some interesting moments as everything is translated onto Arabic, and when the Arabic Bible says something quite different, but I am so grateful for excellent translators.

I leave here on the 1.0am flight Wednesday morning!

4thought

2010-09-29T21:40:00.000+01:00

This is a proving to be significant week for the Leage family.

Phil flies this Saturday (2nd) to Egypt to teach Philemon, Galatians and Ephesians in their SBS. This school to Arabic speakers has moved from pioneering to established stage, and it has been our privilege to walk this path with them. This is the first of Phil's four teaching trips scheduled before the year ends.

Linda was invited into The King's Lodge DTS classroom on Monday (27th) to launch their school with teaching on YWAM history and Foundational Values. Being in the classroom and imparting to the students was great, but I equally enjoyed spending time refreshing myself on the roots of YWAM and how God both has and is leading us as a mission. Phil proved to be a worthy substitute teacher for the childen that day.

Elisa put her name forward for a television interview of a Christian teenager, and Thursday (30th) we travel to London for her to be filmed. It is a 2 minute program presenting different individual's viewpoints; this particular series is asking teenagers of different faiths about their views of sex before marriage. We'd love your prayers for the filming itself, for the show to challenge current thinking, and for courage and protection over Elisa as she speaks about something which can be so volatile.

Jonathan is rolling with the punches of all these events and working at establishing good study habits. Paintballing began his week ((25th), a long-time ambition and great activity with 13-year-old mates.

Family Reunions

2010-09-23T18:11:00.001+01:00

We have just returned from 3 days of celebrating that Youth With A Mission has turned 50 years old. What a wonderful landmark, and already what a wonderful legacy.

A gathering of 600 Western Europe YWAMers descended on Highfield Oval in Harpenden. Some brave souls slept in tents these last few days before Autumn officially set in as we were absolutely packed. Our family happily snuggled into our sleeping bags in a four-bedded room, but all the fun was out with the YWAMers to share in stories, laughter, cry and eat together.

Loren and Darlene Cunningham led us in not taking ourselves too seriously but standing in awe at what God has and will do through this mission. The emphasis was the same as it always is: hear the word of the Lord and be obedient. We are led by two people who have lived their lives with this as their guide.

Phil's mother was able to attend the entire event. She has prayed since the 70's for YWAM (including 3 children in the mission) and it was a great privilege for Phil to introduce her to Darlene. Dave and Rita and Judy also were part of the 3 days, making it a wonderful family reunion.

Spot the Difference

2010-09-23T16:30:00.000+01:00

Before

After

We are so grateful for the National Health Service (NHS) in this country which provides orthodontic care for a number of children. We were praying hard during the initial appointment as he measured Elisa's teeth down to the millimeter, and she qualified - just barely!

These first days have been sore and we are learning what foods to avoid and to focus in on. Only a top brace has been fitted, and the bottom brace will be added in the spring when we return from the 2011 BTPS in Kona.

Thank you, God, for your provision!!

50 Years to Celebrate

2010-09-13T16:13:00.000+01:00

YWAM is 50 years old this year!!

Celebrations locally will take place next week in Harpenden, England, just 75 miles down the road from us. Loren and Darlene Cunningham, both our founders and such amazing leaders, will join for a Western European 3-day party to rejoice in all God has done.

Really cool stories and photos of events which have already taken place around the world can be seen on www.ywam50.com

Charisma magazine's September 2010 cover-story article joins in celebrating the 50 years of YWAM's ministry. You can read the whole article on-line. Click on http://strang.imirus.com/Mpowered/imirus.jsp?volume=str10&issue=10&page=1 and enjoy!

Leage Academy for Extremely Bright Children reopens doors today!

2010-09-07T09:49:00.000+01:00

Well, we won't always use that name but we think it fits.

Thankfully, we have secured some help to get our new school year off the ground beginning today. Our on-line school is called The Oaks Virtual Academy and, as local Headmistress, I am very pleased with both the curriculum and the school leadership based in South Carolina. We have already visited the virtual office of their mentor who will be tracking with them throughout the year. On-line leadership seminars (actually called webinars since they gather via the web) are a real plus of this school.

Learning at home through an on-line school seems a very good fit for us right now. The courses are rigorous but we have one-on-one support from both their subject teachers and their mummy. It also allows the portability which is required by the calling God has put on our family at this time.

You can find out more through looking at www.theoaksvirtualacademy.com The accredited curriculum is provided by www.apexlearning.com/

3 more students today

2010-09-06T22:31:00.000+01:00

Paula has spent the last 20 years working as a YWAMer in Japan and Scotland, and is now settled in Blackpool. She's a homeschooling mum of two gorgeous boys, and she wants to keep reaching out to people around the world. Paula's SBS experience and natural skills make her the perfect fit for the e-SBS.

Paula's job is to relate to all these students and adminstrates the courses for them, providing support, feedback and structure. Reformatting the SBS into an on-line course has made this Bible study accessible to anyone around the world.

Paula filling this role enables Phil to continue developing the curriculum (such as the Deuteronomy teachings he has developed this week) and to explore new ways of encouraging Bible literacy. She is a part of Phil's virtual staff!

Want to find out more about this course? The cost is modest and the benefits are profound! Look at www.e-sbs.net

Today's email from Paula reads, "3 more students today!"

Insights into the heart of a BTPS student

2010-09-04T20:56:00.000+01:00

Why would someone want to pay money to learn how to preach? Don't people just "have it" or they don't? Is it simply down to charisma and confidence? Or is it down to the anointing of the Holy Spirit for the message to make sense?

Through school, work, and church experiences, we all know that not everyone is an effective communicator! Some, however, really knock our socks off and get a point across that we'll never forget. Understanding comes and it's as if a whole new world has opened up for us. THAT'S the kind of communication we all crave!

The Biblical Teaching and Preaching School is designed to nurture and develop the calling that many feel to teach and preach God's Truth into our current world which seems determined to look any direction for help but to Jesus. Yet, once a life is yielded to Him we all need to be shown and taught how to live and grow. The BTPS shows people know where to begin!

Students for the January 2011 BTPS in Kona are calling out to grow. In their applications they are asking to develop in skill and experience and confidence. Phil will certainly give them all this and more than they expected!

Anticipation toward investing into lives from Cameroon, Nigeria, the Philippines, India, China, Kosovo, Germany (and more) is growing. We pray that God does something fantastic in each life, releasing them into the nations to proclaim his life and goodness.

Why We Do What We Do

2010-08-30T17:59:00.000+01:00

We are a family who loves VeggieTales and we still enjoy watching them together and belting out the silly songs. This last year I read the fantastic autobiography by creator Phil Vischer called "Me, Myself and Bob", and it was compelling reading - highly recommended. His new material called "What's in the Bible" is excellent!!

Anyway, VeggieTales begins a number of DVDs with a small clip showing their own children, and then the banner comes across the screen to say "why we do what we do". It's a quick visual to show that this young generation is the reason for their ministry.

What do WE do? What brings us alive is to make the Bible both knowable and known. Creating paths for understanding what God both was and is communicating through scripture is where our strengths lie. Empowering believers to communicate what they have found in the Word is a joy. Using a variety of expressions, it's all about knowning God and his character and his ways through the Bible, and then passing that on to others.

WHY do we do what we do? Turn on the TV. Look out the window. Maybe just look at your own heart. Life has its challenges for all of us and we have not been created to do this alone.

Hawaii video part 1

2010-08-30T16:54:00.000+01:00

Below is a video Elisa put together about our time in Hawaii. I think you will enjoy it. Due to the length, it is in two parts.

Hawaii video part 2

2010-08-30T14:45:00.002+01:00

Back in the UK

2010-08-07T22:36:00.004+01:00

It’s good to be home!

After a fortnight of catching up with friends in Colorado and then being whirlwind tourists in Los Angeles, we have finally landed (and feel awake at the right times) in the UK. It has been a fantastic transition of catching up with family and friends, and we are always overwhelmed by their kindness.

There is a lot to be said about not living out of a suitcase, having my own kitchen (albeit very small) with my own things in it, and all those familiar things and people around us. The unpacking process felt like a form of torture, and we have committed to being lighter travellers from now on!

A week in Brighton with Phil’s mum and sister and the Holland Road Baptist Church is nearly over and then it is back to Nuneaton for a good stretch (that is, all of us but Elisa who leaves mid-week for 5 days of camping at Soul Survivor down in Somerset). She and Jonathan will be reunited next week with their best-est friends in the world whom they have known nearly all their lives. We look forward to sweet reunions.

So the car has had its roadworthy checks (MOT), taxed and insured, the TV license is in place, the cupboards are about to be filled, and soon life could feel like normal (whatever that is!!).

L. A. Mega-Church

2010-07-27T00:04:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to the founding church of the Four Square Denomination. Jon, the friend I have reconnected with after 27 years is the International Director of Missions for this denomination. It has been thrilling to hear what God is doing through this ministry. In 2009 they saw over 2.6 million people come to Christ and 6,530 churches planted world wide. The church here in LA is reaching out with over 200 different ministries into this needy city. This has been an inspiring time as well as fun to visit well known sites.

Below is a clip of the worship service. You can guess the audience they are seeking to reach!

Reflections from the Travellers

2010-07-24T19:52:00.002+01:00

After nearly ten months of travel we are headed back England. We look back in awe at all we have been able to accomplish and the amazing experiences we have had along the way.

We left The King’s Lodge in September ’09 with the task of establishing The Biblical Teaching and Preaching School (BTPS) on the YWAM Kona Campus. At the end of June ’10 Phil completed the first BTPS in Kona, and significant interest has been generated for the next school in January. We were welcomed into the Biblical Studies team there where we could both learn and give.

I was asked to join the Staff Services team (“Personnel” or “Human Resources”) when I arrived, but within the month led the department with a staff of only one (me!) It was a difficult and challenging time, but with time (and another team member joining me!) I came to really enjoy this role. The structure of the campus required every staff person to related to me at least once each quarter which allowed me to know everyone working on campus – all 400-ish of them.

Elisa and Jonathan have grown so much in this time – now 15 and 13. They have only known their life in England, and this was their first time to live in the US; the separation from friends and familiarity was painful. Now they have left close friends behind in Hawaii. Elisa aced her first year of on-line schooling, and Jonathan said his co-op home school experience was a highlight of being in Hawaii – WOW!

So many things have been different that we expected them to be. Our main surprise was that another school leader is not in place (as anticipated) for the next BTPS, so we have agreed for Phil to lead the next one in Kona in January 2011.

We are so excited to reconnect with friends and family when we return to England. Experience tells us that re-entry into even a familiar place can be bumpy.

Our greatest reflection must focus on God’s amazing love and leading and provision during this time. This whole year has been lived very close to the edge, and that is where we have found Him to be the closest.

California Getaway

2010-07-24T18:57:00.009+01:00

Following 2 fantastic (but far too short) weeks in Colorado, our next stop was Los Angeles. Phil recently renewed contact with a SBS classmate from 1983 who extravagantly opened his home, loaned us a car, showered us with thoughtfulness, and gave us an all-round great experience in California.

We’ve strolled the Walk of Fame, window shopped on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and had our picture taken with the Hollywood sign in the background. Six Flags Magic Mountain was a great rollercoaster day, with enough corkscrews, vertical drops and 360’s to make the head spin.

The girls fly tonight – destination Nuneaton! The boys depart two days later due to the blessings yet complications of buying tickets through airmiles.

Phil boasts on Linda!

2010-07-11T03:00:00.008+01:00

The following letter was written by Diane Gaylord, an immigration lawyer who worked in the office with Linda during her time in Kona Hawaii, where Linda was the manager of the Staff Services office for the duration of her time there.

On the move again

2010-07-10T04:22:00.002+01:00

The BTPS has ended, Linda cleared her desk, the children waved goodbye to the beach, and in just a few days we packed up, cleaned up, and said farewell to Hawaii on July 6th. We stopped at a campus-wide barbeque on route to the airport (pretending it was in our honour!) and had one last opportunity to see the new friends we have made in the past 9 months.

We're enjoying the solitude of the Colorado prairie. Elisa's photos are capturing the beauty of the plains; it will be a huge contrast as we head to the mountains tomorrow with my parents and my brother and his family.

Two weeks in Colorado, then a few days in Los Angeles before returning to England. The girls arrive on the 25th; the boys on the 27th. Such is the way when travelling via air miles. What a provision!