Observation Exercises
Welcome to SBS
Why Should SBS Grads Do Titus Project
Cassie’s Open Dance Class
Sandrine’s Titus Project Experience
What I liked the most about my Titus was the partnership andย service of the local church.
In Magnitogorsk in Russia, we were able to work withย one church for 3 weeks – teaching kids as well asย grandmas, teaching during camps, bible seminars, youth groups,
house groups and Sunday service. This church was so active!
I was blessed by the hunger of the people.ย As soon as we arrived, they started sharing their expectation ofย our time together. And they took everything they could from us,
they were so eager to learn. It was such a privilege to see theface of many people being filled with the truth. I loved seeingย people discovering that they can understand the Bible on theirย own and study it themselves. I loved having people coming upย to us, asking if they can teach what theyโve learnt to others asย theyโd been so blessed and impacted by those teachings. I lovedย praying for people at the end of the sessions as they wanted toย be free by the truth. It was great seeing people encouraging eachย other through the teaching they had just received. I remember aย woman encouraging a sister about Godโs character 2 days after
the seminar. They were applying the teachings in their lives andย letting it bring life in them. Truly the Bible is an extraordinaryย book that keeps transforming lives among different nations,ย cultures, ages and time period and it is a privilege to be part ofย the process of seeing peopleโs lives transformed and changed byย the Word.
Sandrine Freymond, 24 years old, Switzerland
(Sandrine has recently joined us on staff with YWAM Kyiv)
Seraina’s Titus Project Experience
Situation 1: A small group of Kazakh Babushkas (Grandmothers) isย looking curiously at me and the colorful visuals I put on the wall. Allย are ready with a pen in their hand.
Situation 2: Around 40 Kazakh men hang in their chairs, some areย smiling in anticipation, some are just observing those strangeย foreigners. Apparently it is a group mixed with pastors and exprisonersย who became believers while in prison. Some are out for aย long time, some just for a few weeks.
Situation 3: A group of “normal” Russian churchgoers chat while Iย get my notes and PowerPoint ready.
What do I do in any of these situations? I take a deep breath andย greet them with my broken Russian. In my heart I pray for God toย give me words and help them to understand.
It is a joy to see them nodding, almost like a light was turned on inย their mind and they understand things about Godโs heart they haveย not before, tears running down their faces. Others look at meย seriously and I canโt figure out what they think about my teaching.
During the last 2 months of teaching I learned SO MUCH! We taughtย various audiences, as you can tell, which was a big challenge but alsoย awesome chance to learn how to teach people according to theirย needs and ways of understanding. Iโm convinced that God was atย work helping the people to understand the Bible for themselves.
The main point I learned was not trusting in the way I teach orย my appearance but in what I teach: the Bible, Godโs
powerful word! I taught following the slogan ‘I will do my bestย and God will do the rest’. Looking back, I see how God helped meย personally to grasp more of who he is and I can whole heartedly sayย that I am very glad that I did the Titus Project.
Seraina Monsch, 25 years old, Switzerland
Teeth, Teeth, Teeth- oh and scooting too!
Kai is growing up and finally getting teeth. He is 10 months old as of yesterday and he only just has his top two teeth and his bottom two teeth, but the top two were definitely not fun. It seems like more are coming in now too! Well, I just wish it would end soon. But thankfully he will be able to chew one day, so I guess it is all worth it!
He is also super mobile, crawling around, pulling himself up on everything, moving around from couch to table to couch like he is the boss of the place :) I’m glad he is such a mover, that way he can keep up to his siblings, but what a handful!
Keeping up to the big sister
The middle child, there are all sorts of books written about being one, but I’ve never been one, so it is interesting raising Jay. Now that Cassie is off at school it is tempting to be able to get a whole bunch of things done during the mornings while Kai is sleeping, but I’m resisting that temptation. 3 times a week I get the special privilege of playing with just Jay. We do puzzles, baking, trains, cars and reading books together. He is really fun and a very helpful little man. I really enjoy his personality. Next big job for him…potty training!
Preschool and Dancing and Jesus
Cassie is four now, which means her life is getting filled with all sorts of good things. After a great time in Canada for Christmas, and a wonderful teaching trip in Sweden we come home to Ukraine. We realized that Cassie needed a bit more social interaction and stimulus, and so we began entering into the life of extracurricular activities. Every Monday and Friday at 4:00pm we drive Cassie to dance class. She absolutely LOVES it! Her dance teacher seems to really like her, even doing her hair into extra special braids if we get there a little early. And Cassie dances with all of her heart- chin up, tummy in, toes pointed, you get the picture!
She also really wanted to start school, and so every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we take her to a local preschool (Picture is of her first day). Her Russian skills are getting better and better. Although it is already a bit of a fight to get her to go once she gets there she has a good time and is making more friends each day.
Lastly, Jesus. Well, He shouldn’t be last, but it is the most recent development. Each day Ben or i try to read to the kids a story from their bible. Over the past year I have been explaining to Cassie that Jesus is always with her, even though she can’t see Him. How when she does the wrong thing or makes a bad decision, that Jesus wants to forgive her and take that yucky feeling away from her insides. And how one day when she feels ready she can ask Jesus to really come and be a part of her life. So the other day I am reading to the kids the part in the bible where Jesus is explaining how the bread is like his body etc. and I tell her that one day it will be easier to understand and if she decides she wants to have Jesus as a part of her life. Then she turns to me and says, “Actually Mom, yesterday by myself I asked Jesus to be a part of my life, I invited Him into my heart.” Wow, what a big girl! Of course this decision will grow and have different opportunities to be confirmed throughout her life, but for now we celebrate, we will have a big party! Mark the day – February 27, 2013 Thank you Lord!
Bibles For Orphans- Featuring Cassie and Jay
Bibles for Orphans
Our church at home in Canada asked us if we knew of a good project that the kids could raise money for. We know that when kids discover God’s love for them and His rescue plan for the world they are filled with a sense of worth and purpose.
Recently Ben’s parents bought Cassie and Jay the ‘Jesus Storybook Bible.’ It is a bible with awesome illustrations, and actually fun-to-read bible stories, each one taking poetic license to show the way that Jesus is theย fulfilmentย of God’s rescue plan even from the beginning of the world.
And so, the end result- Bibles for Orphans! It is an organization here in Ukraine that gets bibles into the hands of orphans. Currently they are raising money to get this bible translated into Ukrainian and distributed to orphans throughout this nation. Each bible will be $3. Click here for more information on this fundraiser: www.biblesfororphans.com
Our kids made a video for the children at our home church in Canada. Their goal is to raise $300 for 100 bibles. Each kid is giving of their own money- pretty cool eh? Click on our video link to see the cute video our kids made.
An excerpt from the intro to the bible:
“Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. It’s about God and what he has done.
Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose), they get afraid and run away. At times, they’re downright mean.
No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne-everything-to rescues the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!
You see, the best thing about this Story is-it’s true.
There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling on Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.
It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in the puzzle-the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.”
Parenting
On our most recent road trip we listened to an excellent teaching on being married and raising a family in ministry. The teaching is by Darlene Cunningham, co-founder of YWAM. This teaching was particularly encouraging because it is challenging raising kids, never mind when that is within a small community. Darlene gives some really wise principles within a strong godly heart!
Titus in Ukraine
Teaching in Titus
Great Questions
Recently we taught in a Discipleship Training School, a 6 month program that equips young believers to know God and then make him known – because he is a beautiful, wonderful God worthy of everyone’s worship. We were teaching about the Bible because it is God’s story and shows his wonderful plan for our redemption! We usually put out a little question box, where students can write any questions they have and so I thought I’d share some of the questions the students had for us. Most of them are well thought out and challenging, but it gives us a chance to help them see who God really is! So here they are:
How can we call God love and use when he sends people to hell. I understand that people “choose hell by rejecting Jesus”‘ but it seems like you are screwed if you are born to a muslim or a hindu family.
I get that there is lots of evidence for the accuracy of the new testament, but how do we know that its true? If I discovered a really old copy of the resurrection story I would assume it was fiction or something.
How do we reconcile the big difference between how the Holy Spirit acts in the New Testament and how he acts in our lives? The fact that its so different makes me think that the Holy Spirit just isn’t around or maybe he changed or maybe something else entirely.
How can I be sure the BIble is God’s Word?
What are the apocrypha?
If you’re wondering about one of these questions, or you have one yourself, don’t hesitate to write us and ask! We love helping and encouraging people to know what God is really like! Send us an Email here.
Look for the Helpers
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers โ so many caring people in this world.”
– Mister Rogers
Bible Jokes
Just for some fun:
A resident of one of the European countries – an atheist – became lost during a trip to Africa. After a while he came upon a tribe of savages.
Suddenly, he sees that the leader reads the Bible. Going up to the leader, the European said to him:
– Bible reading? This book is out of fashion – no one reads it anymore.
– A white man, it is your good fortune that a couple of weeks ago we visited a missionary, and that I am now reading the Bible, and otherwise you would have long been roasted on a fire.
ะะธัะตะปั ะพะดะฝะพะน ะตะฒัะพะฟะตะนัะบะพะน ัััะฐะฝั – ะฐัะตะธัั – ะทะฐะฑะปัะดะธะปัั ะฒะพ ะฒัะตะผั ะฟััะตัะตััะฒะธั ะฟะพ ะััะธะบะต. ะงะตัะตะท ะฝะตะบะพัะพัะพะต ะฒัะตะผั ะพะฝ ะฝะฐะฑัะตะป ะฝะฐ ะฟะปะตะผั ะดะธะบะฐัะตะน.
ะะดััะณ ะพะฝ ะฒะธะดะธั, ััะพ ะฒะพะถะดั ัะธัะฐะตั ะะธะฑะปะธั. ะะพะดะพะนะดั ะบ ะฒะพะถะดั, ะตะฒัะพะฟะตะตั ะตะผั ะณะพะฒะพัะธั:
– ะะธะฑะปะธั ัะธัะฐะตัั? ะญัะฐ ะบะฝะธะณะฐ ัะถะต ะฒััะปะฐ ะธะท ะผะพะดั – ะตะต ัะถะต ะดะฐะฒะฝะพ ะฝะธะบัะพ ะฝะต ัะธัะฐะตั.
– ะะตะปัะน ัะตะปะพะฒะตะบ, ััะพ ัะฒะพะต ััะฐัััะต, ััะพ ะฟะฐัั ะฝะตะดะตะปั ะฝะฐะทะฐะด ะบ ะฝะฐะผ ะฟัะธะตะทะถะฐะป ะผะธััะธะพะฝะตั, ะธ ััะพ ั ัะตะนัะฐั ัะธัะฐั ะะธะฑะปะธั, ะฐ ัะพ ะฑั ัั ะดะฐะฒะฝะพ ัะถะต ะถะฐัะธะปัั ะฝะฐ ะบะพัััะต.
SBS
It was a wild ride, reading and studying every verse in all 66 books of the Bible. Maybe it seemed challenging at the beginning. And maybe there were days when I just couldn’t do any more. But I walked away with a firm grasp of understanding of the whole Bible!
What does the Bible really say? Who really is Jesus? What is God’s will for my life? Is God really a Father? I hear so many questions about the Bible. Iย had so many questions about the Bible. Most of them are answered now. Of course I also have many new ones. Will any of them get answered this coming year? I certainly expect so. I will discover more about God and more about how I can be the best ambassador for him.
* The picture shows the students and staff of the YWAM Kyiv School of Biblical Studies 2007-2008.
Memory Maker #2
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Well, actually there is no snow yet and its just getting cold but since we’re putting up the Christmas tree on Friday, we decided that we gotta make some ornaments!
Yes, the kids dumped in the ingredients and stirred up the dough and had a blast with the cookie cutters. It’s going to be a great Christmas!
Teaching Adventures 