Africa week 2

This week has been one with its own set of challenges and growths. 

For me personally, it has been a week of letting go of things I've held onto that are not mine to hold. Opening my hands and releasing these things things to God has been good and refreshing for my soul. It has also helped me take a deep breath of what really matters here and what is important while on this outreach. 

Having the right perspective can change the way any situation appears. The most important thing to remember is that God is good. 

This week we spent a few afternoons in a children's ward at a hospital. It was challenging to say the least, yet at the same time it was powerful to see Gods love working overtime in that place. One of those afternoons we found ourselves sitting in the hallway with a bunch of children. We where coloring pictures, playing ball, handing out stickers, reading books, laughing and just in general enjoying each little face in front of us. 

At first we thought we might be annoying the nurses and hospital workers that where trying to walk through the hallway, but then we noticed that they where helping some of the children who couldn't walk come and join us. 

There where a lot of giggles that day. Tears too, as parents left and the children realized they where gone we had many opportunities to comfort them and see the smiles slowly return to their faces. 

Another adventure we had this week was helping to plan and execute a Christmas party with one of TTH's feeding programs. It was a powerful reminder of how God works in little ways and how He is using us in everything we do. Watching the delight of the children as we taught them silly songs and actions was nothing that can be described. Also, who knew how popular paper airplanes could be around the world! 

God has blessed us greatly already on this trip and I believe He has more coming for each of us. 

Please continue to pray for each of us. 

Pray for-

Safety 

Focus on God above all else

Wisdom

Discernment

Deeper Joy

Thank you for your prayers and support! This season wouldn't be possible without you! 

African update

A happy heart is good medicine. Prov. 17:22

African update:

Team South Africa made it. We are here! God blessed us with good travels and quality flights. 

We arrived at a ministry called 10,000 homes located in the north east part of South Africa. The team here is awesome and seems to be very like minded to our own mission. They put us right to work! 

We have been joining them in working with after school feeding programs. Creating relationships is a huge part of what we do here. The holiday season is just starting for a lot of the schools, so we have helped with A Christmas party and there will be more to come! Yay, Christmas! 

God is really working on our team as well. We have had a few opportunities to just grow deeper in our personal relationships with each other and also our relationship with God. We have discovered how working together really brings unity into our team. We have a small team with many different personalities and we are all able to bring something different to the team. God has really blessed us with variety of personality this season. 

We have also had the opportunity to join the 10,000 homes staff in work projects on their base. We have been digging holes for drains, painting houses and other things, helping with thrift sales at the end of their road and beautifying flower gardens etc. 

Please continue to pray for myself and the team as we continue to work alongside 10,000 homes. 

Pray that we might be an encouragement to them and help them in their ministry. 

Pray that we will continue to grow in our personal relationships with God and with each other. 

Pray for lives to be changes through connection with our time here. 

Pray for energy and strength within our team as our days are long. 

Pray that we will continue to keep our focus upward on Jesus and what He is doing so that we can join Him. 

Thank you everyone for your prayers! God is good! 

Two weeks to takeoff

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Time is flying! We are leaving for Africa in three weeks. Can you believe?

 

We have covered so many different topics and thought to the point of our minds about to explode. We have struggled and we have changed.  We have grown and we are ready. Almost.

 

Two more weeks of lecture and preparation. God has this. We have had the privilege of watching him work and prepare our teams in every way possible.

 

He has supplied us with almost all of our finances already. $2000 in 2 weeks is nothing for Him. He has set up the locations for our outreaches and given us teams for both locations.

 

I with my group will be headed to South Africa and Lesotho. Locations we have never been but God is already there working. Our hope is to join what He is doing in each place we go and connect with the team He already has on the ground. We have a hope to build relationships and work together share God's love. There is no denying our hearts are growing for these countries.

 

As we get ready to go, we could definitely still use your prayers!

 

PRAISE-

We have received most of our support.

 

The team is learning to fight together.

 

Growth! So much of it!

 

Travel arrangements have been made! 

 

PRAYER-

For the rest of our finances to come through.

 

For the team to continue to grow and take in the right now.

 

For relationships and unity within the team.

 

Travel Favor.

 

 

Thank you so much for all your prayer and support! Without you non of this would be happening!

 

Future plans:

For those who are wondering what will be happening after I get back from outreach, here's the lowdown.  I will be joining staff at YWAM Chico. 

Please pray for me in that as well! 

 

Please pray for my monthly support. If you would like more information and join my monthly support team, please contact me!

 

Please also pray for a vehicle for when I return to the base.

 

Please pray for the time and finances to go back to Minnesota and get things sorted and figured there.

 

Thanks everyone! I hope and pray you are doing well!

Life vs not life

 

If you stop growing, you are busy dying…

This was a though provoking quote our speaker though out at us this past week.  We spent the week studying "the Cost of Discipleship", what it looks like to make Jesus the supreme authority in our lives.

 

It all starts with giving up rights…

 

"If Jesus is not in the first place, He is in the wrong place."

 

"The higher the calling, the Longer the learning, the deeper the sacrifice, the greater the fires."

 

"God is a high-jacker of dreams and plans."

 

…God is most glorified with we are fully satisfied……

 

Empty me, take all of me out so that I can be filled with all of you.

 

There is no shortcut to Gods glory.

 

(very partial list)

FAMILY -Matt. 10:37

 

REPUTATION- Psalm 69:7

 

FREEDOM & COMFORT - Jeremiah 8:6

 

POSITION- Matthew 19:21

 

OWN LIFE or PROTECTION - Acts 7:59-60

 

HOME - SENCE of BELONGING - Luke 9:58

 

When we are willing to lay everything down for Christ we become the message of Christ.

 

Obedience is better then sacrifice.  This was an interesting thought for me, but it really made sense when I started to unpack it.

 

If God asks me to do one thing and I am willing and even try to do everything except for that one thing, I am still living in disobedience to God.  I could be sacrificing everything. Giving away all I own or letting go of everything, but because I'm not willing to do that one thing, I am sinning against God.

 

"If you don't deal with that one thing, that thing will deal with you."

 

Its like the story of Jonah.  God told him to go to Nininnivah. He didn't want to. He tried to do everything besides go to Ninivaah, and look what happened to him. He got swallowed by a fish…and he still had to go to Ninivah.

 

"The highest form of worship is obedience."

 

MARKS of a DISCIPLE

 

What did Jesus desire to see in His disciples? What where His goals for these guys he hung out with all the time?

(Partial list)

WILLING TO SERVE - Mark 10: 35-45

 

LISTEN- Luke 10:41 and 9:35

 

OPEN - 1 Thes. 5:12, Heb. 13:17

 

KNOW  your WEAKNESS - 2 Cor. 12:9

 

FORGIVENESS- Matthew 18:21

 

THANKFUL - Colossians 3:17

 

FAITHFUL and TRUSTWORTHY - 1 Cor. 4:2

 

This week was powerful on so many levels. The power of God was moving through my heart as well as through the whole team.

 

Thursday evening and Friday afternoon I was able to just sit and listen to the DTS students share testimony after testimony of what God was doing in there personal lives. 

 

PRAYER AND PRAISE!

 

Most of the team has their first $1000 towards outreach in and paid.

 

Hearts are changing and becoming more life Jesus.

 

Mindsets and hearts are changing and expanding according to what God is leading each of us.

 

Please continue to pray for finances and fundraising opportunities. There is still approximately $15,000 -$20,000 needed for the DTS team to go on outreach.

 

Please pray for our outreach as we continue to seek Gods will and desire for each group.  We are thinking we will have four different teams going out this season.

 

Please pray for continued growth and depth in each of us as we walk through each week.

 

Please pray for our speaker, Stephen Bell this week as he brings the subject "Holy Spirit" to us with power and passion.

 

Please pray for understanding in our second language students to be able to easily understand the lectures.

 

If you would like to send me or my team mail or money, please send checks payable to YWAM CHICO to:

 

Jodi Noordmans

BOLD AUG 2016

YWAM Chico 

15850 Richardson Springs Road

Chico, CA 95973

 

Or you can donate  online at this link… DONATE

 

On any donation you make, Make sure to make a note that it is for Jodi Noordmans FALL BOLD school.

 

There is also ways you can donate through PayPal if that is better for you…just let me know and I will get you the information.

 

Thank you my people. This season of life is only made possible by your prayer and support.

 

I believe with all of me that this is a season that will keep on going. The ripples that will continue after this team is gone and back will continue to roll out and out and out.

 

Thanks again! Praying Blessings over your lives!

 Love,

Jodi

Update, Support, Outreach

Dear Family and Friends,

"Camping and Hiking adventures with the crew!"

 

This season of YWAM is starting up to be something amazing!  It's hard to believe that it's only been a month that I've been back here in Chico California.

 

God is already moving in the hearts of all of us as He teaches us what it looks like to hear His voice and listen to His call to lay our everything down at his feet. 

 

He is also teaching me what it means to listen to His voice and believe in the deepest desires He has placed inside my heart.  He is teaching me to once again walk in obedience to the hopes and dreams He is calling me into.

 

There are a million things I could tell you about what  God is doing,  Every day is jam packed with teaching and interesting conversations.

 

One take away from this past week is this:

  The Purpose of life is this-  To bring God glory and to enjoy his love everyday. 

 

Sounds great, but to do this, we have to start realizing how much we are loved by him. Every time I think I start to get an idea of what God's love is like, I stumble into confusion and start to wonder what I need to do to for His love.  And even though my head knows that God's love is never hinged on my doing anything, my heart often forgets.

 

So, I pray that God would renew my mind to know his awesome love and Grace.

 

In other news, We are starting to plan our outreach.  This year there will be two teams, both headed to locations in Africa.  Please pray for us as we start to figure out the details of these trips! 

 

"ICE CREAM...Jesus DOES love me!"

Pray for-

 

Finances

Ministry locations

The students hearts and minds

The people we will be connecting and ministering alongside

The people we will be ministering to

 

Please also pray and consider joining me financially.  My being here is not without the prayer and financial support of so many of you, Thank you!

 

If you would like to give, please send checks payable to YWAM CHICO to:

 

Jodi Noordmans

BOLD AUG 2016

YWAM Chico 

15850 Richardson Springs Road

Chico, CA 95973

 

Or you can donate  online at this link… DONATE

 

On any donation you make, Make sure to make a note that it is for Jodi Noordmans FALL BOLD school.

 

Thank you so much for being apart of my life and believing in what God is doing through me.

 

Praying Blessings over you,

 

Jodi

 

 

Rest

Rest.

That moment when you realize God is not just giving you an opportunity to rest, but when He is calling you into rest. 

I made it to YWAM Chico about a week ago.  Spent the first weekend getting to know the amazing team that I will be spending this season with, and then began navigating the way through a week full of lectures and training matched with preparation for coming students. 

Somewhere in the first few days I caught a nasty cold. With no chance to slow down or take things slow it was grin and bare it. 

There are heaps of things left on the todo list before the DTS and CDTS students arrive on Tuesday, but today is the day to put everything aside and stop.

God talks a lot about rest.  He makes it a mandatory thing, He doesn't just give us the opportunity for rest.  

Psalms 23 says "He makes me lay down in green pastures." That whole "MAKES" word isn't just a request kindly asking us to do what we are told. It's a full force word. You don't slow down, He will make you slow down.

I was reading Matthew 11:28-30 this morning where it says, " Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

So, today, with lists of things to do and not enough time to do everything, I am resting. Resting in the promises of God's tomorrow. Resting in the fact that this is my day to rest. Resting in the arms of my Papa. Resting to restore my soul. Resting because that's what I need to do. 

And it is so good!

Prayer update-

Pray for these people and the staff!

Pray for deep revelation and growth

Pray for unity

Pray for finances

The Lecture fees are $1750

The Outreach fees will be $3200-$3500

If you feel God is leading you to support me financially, you can donate online at this link… DONATE

Make sure to make a note that it is for Jodi Noordmans FALL BOLD school.

Or

you can send checks payable to YWAM Chico with a note saying it’s for my BOLD School Support.  (note: please do not write my name directly on the check) 

You can also just send me really fun mail to this address! :)

Send mail to:

Jodi Noordmans

BOLD AUG 2016

YWAM Chico 

15850 Richardson Springs Road

Chico, CA 95973

Thank you!

Jodi

YWAM round 2

Hey everyone!

New and exciting adventures are on the horizon! 

I am headed back to Chico California. I believe that God has a whole lot more for me to learn and experience there. I will be involved in a school called BOLD. It is the Basics Of Leadership Development school.  I’m excited to see God use my leadership skills and develop me deeper in his design for my personal leadership.

I believe that God is working in me to pull all the piece of my life together. I have a lot of different random pieces from my life, that up to this point have felt like this thing and that thing, Never fitting together or really being helpful from one area to the next. I believe that God is about to change that and bring everything together.

The school will run from Mid August through Mid February. It is a two part school, the first section will be held at the YWAM Chico base and be a series of lectures and trainings.  The second will be an outreach putting into practice the tools we have learned during phase one.

Please join me in prayer for this school.

Pray for the students and staff

Pray for deep revelation and growth

Pray for unity

Pray for finances

The Lecture fees are $1750

The Outreach fees will be $3200-$3500

If you would like to support me financially, you can send checks payable to YWAM Chico with a note saying it’s for my BOLD School Support.  (note: please do not write my name directly on the check) You can also just send me really fun mail to this address! 

Send to:

Jodi Noordmans

BOLD AUG 2016

YWAM Chico

15850 Richardson Springs Road

Chico, CA 95973

OR you can donate online at this link… DONATE

Make sure to make a note that it is for Jodi Noordmans FALL BOLD school.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support in this season!

Blessings,

Jodi

The Light Shines Through

#wherethelightshinesthrough

As I sat there listening to the song “Where the light shines through” by Switchfoot, God gave me a view I had never expected…

There he was in my minds eye. A man. His head was bowed and his shoulders slumped, as if the weight of the entire world was sitting on him. As I watched this man, I saw him raise his arms and cry out. With the cry, the man lifted his hands as if in surrender and release of everything he was carrying.

It didn’t take a second. I saw the Holy Spirit jump like being released from a tight hold. The battle was epic, immediate and heavy. It was over almost as soon as it had begun. The damage left behind should have been more then crippling.

Yet…

I saw the man breath deeply and lift his arms. As he lifted his arm a strange mysterious light was shining out of him. In surprise he looked down at his body.  There was light shining out of him in several different places.  It was as if every area in his life that had been attacked by the evil lies was now shining with a strange, but declarative truth.

The battle had done it’s job and done it well.  The lies, the fears, the anger, the bitter pain, all of this gone as the Holy Spirit beamed truth, life, joy, faith, freedom out of this man.

No longer was he a slave to anything of this world, he knew beyond anything else that he had a freedom living inside him. 

His wounds is where the light shines though!

perfectly imperfect

I spend hours staring at my artwork. Flipping it over and over and over. I critic it with a critical eye and study every flaw and misplaced line.  I get frustrated and throw it on the floor.

Three or four days later I pick up that piece of paper and look with fresh eyes at the lines I had scribbled on the paper.

I take a step back and I stare at it with new perspective. The mistakes have not changed, it hasn’t improved over time.

But My HEART has.

For me, everything I start to draw or sketch starts in my heart. It starts with a idea placed inside me by the Holy Spirit. A vision that I cannot see with my eyes, but can feel inside my soul.  

 

As this idea works its way to my brain, things start to take shape and I start to put my own personal human twist into the vision.

I start to sketch things out and nothing seems quite perfect or quite right. Nothing ever seems quite like I wanted it to in my mind. By the time I’m done with the first sketch things are sometimes quite out of perspective of the “idea” I had.  Thus the throwing it all on the floor and walking away.

Little do I ever understand with God is doing inside me. The healing, the growing, the deepening, the searching, the surrender, the molding, the shaping, the strengthening.  Rarely do I recognize the deep knife surgery that is happening inside my soul as my fingers fly over the surface of the paper.

When I pick up that piece of paper a few days later and study it, it is not with my eyes that I see it, but with the heart that God was changing as I worked. It is a piece of who I am. A struggle of my soul, and Sharpening of my heart. 

It is my heart that beats in time to the Holy Spirit. It is me pouring out the love the Father has given me. It’s me seeing with the eyes the of my Father. It’s seeing the flaws and knowing their part in the whole picture. It’s surrendering the messed up parts of me to be seen through the eyes that make all things beautiful.

My artwork isn’t perfect or without flaw. It’s not meant to be. It’s meant to reflect with unfinished work of the Holy Spirit in my life. If I were perfect, my art would probably be perfect too. But there are days when all I can achieve is a beautiful disaster.  That’s ok. Jesus love’s the disaster. He loves the broken pieces. He loves us, His messed up, dirt covered, bloodied kneed, tear stained, giggling, crazy little children.

Thank you Jesus, for loving the imperfect messed up me.