Week of Adjustment

Here we are in Kona, Hawaii. These past 2 weeks have been quite the adjustment for Sarah and I. I am serving and running along side the Sports focused DTS, and Sarah is doing a leadership school. We have had to really adjust to doing two separate schools full time. We know this is what the Lord has for us these next 6 weeks and we want to get the fullness of what the Lord has for us. It took about a week or so to get adjusted but we have really found our groove. We are already seeing radical transformation in the students of the Sports DTS. They learned how to hear the voice of the Lord last week, and God really showed himself to them in a tangible way. People were recommitting their lives to God on Day 2!! People were crying out and worshipping freely all week. That is VERY rare in Week 1 of a DTS. You usually don't see that from the class as a whole until Week 4 or 5. Sarah is learning so much about leadership already. They have times of intense intercession, speaking, daily times of worship and prayer, serving in the offices on campus, and one on ones. They have a very busy schedule but they are all learning a TON!! So, all in all, God is so good and our time out here has been great. We are staying busy but we have really learned how to keep each other priority in the midst of the busyness of our day. Thank you all for your prayers and support in our time out here. We wouldn't be able to do any of this without your prayers!! Thank you!!!

Chris & Sarah

Off to Kona!

I just had one of the most memorable 2 1/2 weeks or my life traveling and ministering with my friend Dan Baumann. We had to privilege to speak in 4 different venues in Australia. We saw God move at every place!! People were encountering God and we got to be apart of it!! Now, I am here at the San Francisco airport waiting for my flight to Kona. There, I will meet with all of my Awaken family and fiance! It is going to be such a sweet time of fellowship and relationship building. I will also be staffing (part time) at Sports focused DTS. I will be helping out with 1 on 1's and where ever else I am needed. I have a huge heart to see the sports world revived back to Jesus so this is an amazing opportunity to get under the leaders of this school. They just have a heart to empower and teach me everything that they know about bringing Jesus to the sports world. I don't know exactly what the school is going to look like, but I know that I will be having the time of my life. This is an amazing season with some of my best friends!!! And don't forget the wedding in July!! Thank you all for your prayers and support. I couldn't do this without all of you. God bless!!!!

Hello From Australia!

Hey guys!! I have officially been in the land down under for a week now!! It has been amazing to get to learn the culture and to see what God is doing in this nation. We arrived here last week and were picked up by two Korean guys from the church we were speaking in. We had about 4 days with them and it was amazing!! The whole church was hungry for God and we had the chance to minister to them 3 nights in a row. People were encountering the living God, and it was very encouraging. We got to build really good relationships with the leaders and members of the church. They encouraged and blessed us for 4 straight days. It ended up being such a blessing to Dan and I. We were blown away from the hunger in this Korean church. We spoke to over 300 young people on our last Sunday afternoon. They all wanted more of God and that gave room for Him to move. So Dan and I had the privilege to serve and bless this church before heading to YWAM Wollongong, Australia. They live a little different pace than the church in Sydney. This base in a small beach town with an amazing family atmosphere. We have been speaking all week here to the DTS (discipleship training school). They are hungry for God and we have been able to love on them and share everything that we have learned in our walks with God. They seemed to be encouraged by our testimonies. We had a ministry night last night and God showed up in a big way. His presence poured out onto us for about 2 hours. Dan and I just went around praying for the students and the leaders. They all felt refreshed by the Holy Spirit, and hopefully they will be able to walk into their outreach next week blessed by us. I pray that they encounter the living God in their daily walks with Him. Today is our last day here in Wollongong, and from here, we will be flying north to Brisbane. We will be speaking in a church on Sunday. After Sunday, we will be going to speak at another DTS in the Sunshine Coast of Australia. It has been quite the honor to travel with Dan Baumann and learn from his lifestyle and walk with God.

Australia Bound!!

Hello everyone!! Sorry it's been a while but I have been all over the place this year. I spent the first 3 weeks in Kansas City, then up to Iowa City for a few days, then Chicago, then Michigan, and now I am back in Chicago with my girlfriend Sarah Wenz. We are having a blast learning about relationship and what it looks like with community. I will be heading home to South Carolina tomorrow to spend time with the family and to get Sarah introduced to my wonderful family!! It's an exciting time for both of us! I will also be meeting with pastors in the area to see what Christian community looks like in SC. I am also heading out to Australia March 13th - 28th with a good friend Dan Baumann. We will be speaking in two different churches and two different DTS's. It is quite the honor to run and serve the kingdom of God with Dan. He is a mentor in my life and I am excited to see what God wants to do there. I am also trying to raise around $3000 until then so I can have everything paid off before Kona. I will be flying from Australia to Kona. Sarah will meet me there the 1st of April and we will be there for 2 months. Thank you all for your prayers and financial blessing!! I love y'all and I pray blessings on you and your families!!!!!!! I would love prayer for: Wisdom and guidance in my relationship with Sarah, financial provision, protection over our relationship, and grace/wisdom on how to bring in a relationship with Sarah into Awaken. I love you all and thank you!!!!!

Kansas City!

Here we are in Kansas City for the beginning of the year! When all of us came back from Kona before Christmas, we all went home to see family for the holidays. Then, after the New Year, 12 of us headed to Kansas City to seek the Lord for 2012. We really want to build our relationships out here that we started last year on the road trip. We are living with a man named Adam Cox, and he has really imparted family and the Father's heart onto us while being here. So, we decided to get under him and what his ministry is doing for this month. They carry the family of God and what it is to look like on Earth the best of anyone. They have blessed us with staying in the same house as him!! He is really imparting wisdom and revelation on what family and community is to look like in this day and age. We really feel that we have the same DNA as them and we are excited to spend this next month pouring into each other's life, building family, pouring into Kansas City, and seeking God for what is to come in this next year and beyond. It is an absolute privilege to get under these guys and really learn from them. We hope to really carry more of the Father's heart in our hearts on this trip. We want to seek sonship and what that looks like on Earth as sons and daughters of God. It's one thing hearing that God is our Father by pastor's and the Bible, but it is a completely different that actually getting the revelation of Papa God and His passionate, jealous love for us as children in the Kingdom!!!!!! He loves us!!! I am really excited to see what God is wanting to impart to us as a family and I pray that we get clear direction for what is to come in 2012. Thank you for all of your prayers and finances!! God bless your family!!!

Fambodia Slideshow

Back to Kona!

This outreach has been more than anyone could ask for. We have been able to pour out our lives into Cambodia for 3 months. We have impacted lives by discipling, teaching, and praying for the youth of this nation. I just want to thank everyone for their prayers and support because your prayers have been answered. This team has turned into a family and we are all sad to depart from one another in a week. We have helped God leave an imprint of His love into this nation. There are so many good testimonies of our team building relationships and pouring into individuals lives. My co-leader and I have hoped to leave everyone on our team a heart for this nation and for international missions. Our prayer is that this trip marks their lives for changing the world. We have had so much favor and grace to the point of knowing that it isn't us who is keeping this team together as family. It was and is truly God that holds everything together. He has had His hand on our team since day one. He has special plans for everyone on this team and it was a privilege to be apart of it. Everyone played such unique roles by just being themselves. Everyone has very special callings on their lives and I thank God that I got to be apart of what He is doing with their character and relationship with Him. I want to that all of you again for getting behind me in prayer and support. God bless you all and I hope to be contacting most of you when I get back into the states. We arrive back into Kona the 13th of Dec. and I will fly home the 17th. I will be home for a few weeks before heading out on my next season. Thank you all!!!! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!