And the Journey Continues

Hello dear beloved friends.

We are excited to tell you about the rest of our trip in Nepal and about the two weeks we spent in China. We are finally settled back into life here in the good ol' US of A. So we thought it was about time to catch you all up again.

The "house, church, farm" where the team stayed

Our last blog post left us in Pokhara. From there we took a five hour bus ride followed by a four hour jeep ride up into the hills/mountains to a little village named Bulingtar. Most of our team stayed at the church location while the two of us stayed with a local Christian teacher about a five minutes walk away from the church.

Nate, Jeremy, Julianne, Heidi, and Andrea moving rocks

Our beautiful bricks

We spent a few days helping build a future church. The building site was about an hour's walk away from where we were staying. We would eat breakfast around nine, head out around ten, and arrive at eleven. We helped make bricks and stack them so they could be used later to build the actual building. We also moved rocks into a large pile so they could be used for the foundation. Part of our team mixed cement, others dug out clay for the walls, and still others helped dig the foundation. It was an incredible experience for our team to help physically build God's church.

The Nepali missionary team dedicating the new church

We were in Bulingtar for two weeks. Our students helped lead and teach in ten different church services during those fourteen days. They were able to share their testimonies, preform dances and dramas, and teach 25-30 minute sermons. One Saturday we had three different services to go to. Our team had to leave at 5 am to walk two hours to get to the service, over rivers and up hills. They spent three hours there to then walk the two hours back to the next service. We were sick that morning and were unable to go to the first service. As it turned out, the team did not get back in time for the second service, so Nate instead shared his testimony and Julianne shared the message. They all got back just in time for the dance.

Hiking with our packs

Our team had the opportunity to take an hour and half long hike with our hiking packs to another village for some services there. At our first service there, a woman from further up the mountain had heard missionaries were going to be there. She had been demon possessed for almost a year. She and her husband had come to see if Jesus could heal her. She had been to medical doctors and witch doctors, but they could not help her. While our team was singing and worshipping Jesus, a group of Christian prayed for her. She was healed! She became a Christian right then, and her husband accepted Christ later that night. There is power in the name of Jesus! He truly does set us free.

Prayer and Worship Time

Nate watching the sunrise

Nate sharing at a children's program

We left Bulingtar and returned to Pokhara. We were able to watch the sunrise coming over the mountains one morning. It was so beautiful! We spent a week in Pokhara doing ministry there. We helped during a church service for street kids both our Saturdays back. We gave two open air performances of our dances and dramas with testimonies in between. At the end of the performance the gospel was shared and we were available if people wanted to pray with us.

Students preforming a drama

We also did something we like to call a "Treasure Hunt." Before heading out for the day we all get together to pray. We ask God to help us find the person He wants to minister to that day. We pray and ask him for a name, the color of a t-shirt, an age, a restaurant, or whatever else might be a "clue" to helping us find this person. We all compare what we felt God was telling us, break into groups, and search for the person or people on our "list." One day our team found their "person," they shared what they were doing, told them about God, and asked if they wanted to pray with them. He said he was fine, so they went on their way. 

Team praying together before the dance.
Check out the dance at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZFb48pOZvA&feature=player_embedded

A couple days later, a DTS team from Hawaii also did a treasure hunt. They found the same man! This time when that team shared, the man realized that God really was trying to get his attention, and he gave his life to Christ! This story is such a good testimony for us to follow what God tells us and not to give up or get discouraged because God is faithful!

We left Pokhara and returned to Kathmandu with a week left in Nepal. Our first day back we visited an organization called "Beauty For Ashes." It is owned by Americans living in Nepal and is aimed at helping woman who have been trafficked. They offer jobs to these women to try to help them get off the streets and have a job that can that support themselves and their families. They teach the women how to make jewelry that is later sold overseas in the States. All of the proceeds go straight back to Beauty For Ashes. We helped cut and sort cloth for the jewelry, polish rocks, and help cut out earring backings. We also had time to visit a bit with the woman and encourage them. If you are interested in learning more about this organization or how you can help, check them out at http://www.beautyforashesintl.com/wordpress/

The team writing encouraging thoughts to each other

Our last few days in Nepal were spent debriefing our time in Nepal with the team. Helping them process what the Lord had been doing in their lives over the last seven months and what they would now being doing once they got back to their homes. It was a good time of being able to be with this beautiful family relaxing and enjoying each other and Nepal. It was sad saying goodbye to them.

We left for China on the 31st of January. We were just traveling by ourselves. The rest of the team returned to Minnesota a couple days later. We had a HUGE heart for China, and since Nepal is so close, we thought we should take a quick visit while we were in the area. We wanted to see what it looked like living overseas and what ministry opportunities were there.

CHINA!!!

We spent two weeks in China visited with other American couples and families that were living in China doing work there. We were able to explore the city a bit and just have time for the two of us to recharge before coming back home. It was our first trip together overseas with just the two of us. It was such an incredible time. We fell in love with the city and the people there. We really hope this is place where God is calling us for the future. We're not sure when we'll be back...but hoping soon. :)

And now I'm sure you're wondering, now what? I think we ask ourselves that every day. Now what, God? For now, we are currently living back in Howell, Michigan with Nate's family. He is working with his brother-in-law again, and I will be starting my new job at Aeropostale this week. We will be living in Michigan up until August visiting with family and working to pay off my silly student loans.

We are hoping to go back to Minnesota and join the staff team there. We will be helping again with the upcoming fall Discipleship Training School. Our long term goal is to get back to China, either for a couple months with a team or for a longer term with just the two of us. In order for us to come on staff, we need to have monthly support. Even being on staff isn't a paid position. We need to raise our own support to live and work at YWAM. We hope you prayerfully consider becoming a part of our financial support team. We'd love to get a great team together for monthly support but we also love any gift you have that you can give us.

We are so grateful for all your love, prayers, and support you have shown us over these past almost nine months. We honestly could not have done what we've been able to do without all of you. Thanks. Thanks. And Thanks.

So much love,
Nate and Julianne Gibbons

DTS weeks 5 and 6

Hello everyone! Our school is going along very well. The students are for sure growing in their relationships with God, which is so awesome to be a part of. These past couple weeks have been very intense and have gone by so fast.

The subject we had for two weeks ago was called “the Divine Plumbline.” This class really focuses on forgiveness. It was amazing to see how impacted the students were. Friday for class we had a ministry time where we split up into groups and each student got to talk about some things in their past. The leaders in each group helped walk through the process of forgiving those people. It was a time of deep inner healing and wonderful for the students.

That same Friday night we lead a team of students out on a little field trip. We went to the Marie Sanvick Center in downtown Minneapolis and volunteered our time there. We first started off by helping with some physical things, like making the dinner for that night and helping organize the clothes that would be given away. After that we sat and talked with the homeless people who had come to that night’s service. That was a really awesome experience talking with them, encouraging them, and telling them about how God had changed our lives. We also had one of our students go up to the front and give her testimony and little teaching that went along with it. A few more of us, including Nate, also shared their testimonies. Julianne and another girl named Heidi sang “Amazing Grace.” It was a great night.

This past week’s topic was about Relationships. It has been a good and busy week. Nate has been working hard on creating and finalizing the Nepal team’s budget. He has been planning it all out and making sure we will have enough money for the 7 weeks we are there. Julianne has been working hard on our support letters and on planning team bonding activities for our team to do while we are still here in the states.

This past Saturday, Julianne went with a bunch of students to attend a college aged group with a local church. They had a fun time hanging out with other students and telling them about YWAM. There was a hay ride, scavenger hunt, and a chili cook-off. It was a nice time getting away from the base without having to spend money doing something fun.

We now have a deadline of when we need all of our money for the trip to Nepal in by. We need to raise $6600 by November 5. Crazy right, but we know God can do it easily; and so we are trusting in him to provide for us.  We would love for you to join our team and partner with us by supporting us and our work financially. We ask that you would please just pray about it and then do whatever God tells you to do. If you would like to help be a part of what God will be doing in Nepal, check out our “Join Our Team” page.

                                                             

We hope you have got our newsletter in the mail. If you have not received one and would like to please send us an email saying you would like one to: nategibbons32@yahoo.com. We will gladly send you one as soon as we can. Also if you would rather it be sent by email, we can do that as well.

We hope and pray that you are all doing well and that God is blessing you and growing you daily. We love you all so much. Thank you for all of your support.

Love in Christ,

Nate and Julianne Gibbons

DTS Week Two

            We had such a great week!

We spent last week Friday through Monday in Grand Rapids with Julianne’s family. We rode with Julianne’s Baas grandparents from Minnesota to Michigan. On Saturday we had breakfast with Julianne’s Lanning grandparents. It was a nice time of catching up with them. That afternoon we went downtown GR to look at some of the art pieces at ArtPrize. We saw an exhibit of a bull moose being attacked by eight wolves. They were all real animals that were now stuffed. It was incredible! On Sunday we went to church with Julianne’s family. After church we had lunch with Julianne’s extended family. It was a great weekend to spend with her family. Monday morning we ran some errands that we needed to do in Grand Rapids.

On Monday morning Nate’s parents came to pick us up from Grand Rapids and take us to Howell. We went out to dinner with Nate’s family on Monday night. It was good to catch up with his family. Tuesday morning Julianne went to the women’s Bible study with Nate’s church while Nate went with his dad to pick up a cover for his truck bed. We spent Tuesday afternoon FINALLY looking through some of our wedding photos. On Wednesday we picked up Nate’s absentee ballot. We went to his church that night to visit with friends there.

We left to return back to Minnesota early Thursday morning. Nate’s parents drove us back to the base. We spent all day Thursday in the car.

Friday we were able to sit in class again with the students. This past week they had been learning about the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Friday morning they all brought something that represented what they wanted to give to Jesus so they could follow Him more. They each took a turn sharing what they brought and then laid it before a cross. After us as staff came around them to pray for them. It was a very powerful moment for the class.

Friday evening was our annual YWAM banquet. Nate’s parents came to the banquet with us as well. It was very well attended. We all had a great time.

On Saturday Nate’s parents took us to the Tigers v. Twins game in Minneapolis. We sat in the second row in left field. It was a great game. We were a bit on edge in the last inning but the Tigers pulled through it and won! We had such a wonderful time.

We are excited for what this next week in class will bring. Thank you for all the support and prayers you have given us over these last few months. We appreciate it so very much!

Check out the link at the top of our page called Bean Sent Coffee and learn how you can support us by drinking coffee!

Love in Christ,

Nate and Julianne Gibbons

The First Week of DTS

The students are HERE!!! Last Sunday the rest of our lovely DTS students arrived. We had a great time meeting their families and friends who brought them to the base. We played a couple games getting to know each other it was a lot of fun.

This amazing puzzle mural was made by our staff and students! We each painted a piece to describe what we wanted to [re]learn, [re]turn to, and how we wanted to [re]act. We had a time of sharing what God was putting on our hearts and then put the puzzle together. Nate's piece is the winter camo looking one on the left side. Julianne's is the mostly blue piece with the top of the r and the e.

This past week was a lot of orientation for the incoming students. It was also a time of figuring out our new roles as staff instead of students. We have fourteen students: ten girls and four boys. Most of the students are from the states. We do, however, have a girl from South Africa, a guy from Ecuador, a girl from Mongolia, and a girl from Brazil. It is pretty exciting around here at the base!

Our responsibilities as staff will begin within the next couple of weeks. The students will be broken into small groups and we each will be co-leading of on the groups. The small groups will meet once a week for about an hour and a half. We also will be one-on-one discipling some students over the next three months. We will meet with assigned students once a week for around an hour, talking with them, encouraging them in their walk with the Lord, and praying with and for them.

In a couple weeks we will know for sure where we will be going for the two month outreach portion of the DTS. Once the locations are set, we will help plan and prepare the trip: contacting people in the countries, booking plane tickets, and setting up ministry opportunities for the students.              

We are so excited for what God will be doing in this next season of our lives!

AMAZING STORY!!!! We had a time of worship together as a class on Thursday morning. A half hour into it, we split into pairs to pray for each other. One of the guys, Nick, in the DTS really felt like he was supposed to pray for healing for someone. Nate directed him over to Julianne to pray for her knees that had been hurting. Several years ago when Julianne was visiting the doctor, they discovered that her right leg was longer than her left leg.

If you look closely at the picture on the left of her old shoes, you can see that the tread on the right shoe is more worn down than the left shoe.

When Nick came over to Julianne to pray for her, he almost immediately asked her if one leg was shorter. He began to pray for her leg to grow. And it DID!!! A warm feeling flowed through her leg. It felt like someone was tugging on her jeans, stretching it out. Now both legs are the same size! Our God STILL HEALS!!!





Thank you so much for all your prayers and support over these last three months! We really appreciate all of you! Continue to keep this fall DTS school in your prayers as we are deciding on our outreach locations soon. Thanks!

We are currently back in Grand Rapids this past weekend visiting Julianne's family. We will be heading over to Howell tomorrow morning to spend a couple of days with Nate's family. It was been such a refreshing time being back "home" again. (Plus we picked up our fall and winter clothes! It's been getting chilly.)

Keep in touch! We will be sending out our newsletters this week. If you want to receive one either by mail or online, please fill out your communication information for us. We would love to keep you updated.

CONTACT INFORMATION 

We will be sending out more information about joining our team and how you can partner with us next week. Get ready! It involves COFFEE!

We love you all lots!
Love in Christ,
Nate and Julianne Gibbons

For more information about YWAM and the DTS program click here.