My friend Lauren who lives here in the house and works full time with the youth group called kings kids in Ferguslie Park, could sure use all the extra prayer we can send her! Ferguslie Park is one of the most broken and violent neighborhoods in the UK. They had a fist fight during church yesterday and have had one during youth group about once or twice a week these last few weeks. She is hard core 
but this is not an easy season. So pray for strength to keep going, peace to rest when she needs it, wisdom on how to handle these kids with such broken lives, and a soft heart to continue to love them. She needs all we can give her!
One last thing
14
Apr
Over the weekend
14
Apr
I got a random Email from a couple of old high school friends on Friday saying they were in Edinburgh but leaving on Sunday, so of course I went over on Saturday! Turns out Erik and Evan Holt had been running around this part of the world for a few weeks now and remembered I was close by. So we wondered around, ate fish and chips, drank IrnBru, much to both of their disgust (Scotland’s very own soda is a taste that must be acquired drank coffee, and did a lot of chatting. Topped the day off with a trip to the Scottish Whisky Heritage Museum where you ride a whisky barrel through history, watch lots of little movies, meet a ghost and learn how to enjoy all the characteristics of whiskey by having a free sample at the start of the tour! You even get to keep the Glass! What a Deal 
I then spent the night in Glasgow with a close friend and learned that he and his wife are going to have their first kid! WOOOOOOHOOOOO 
THEN on Sunday in between church services myself and another friend from church went to check out the Glasgow Tigers. The Tigers are a American Football team that plays in the British American Football League, or BAFL for short. It’s kinda like the NFL over here, there are 3 divisions 2,1 and Premier, the Tigers are a division 2… best thing is the team is walk on, so no try outs and they always need people… especially Americans that actually know how to play! All that to say we then checked out the East Kilbride Pirates, they are a Premier team…which also mean they are about as “Pro” as American football gets over here, of course they don’t get payed, it’s a club and done mostly for fun but they would play in the BritBowl or the UK’s version of the Super Bowl if they made it through the season. Again, they always need people… hehe. I spoke to their head coach today on the phone and he said he would pick me up for practice if I needed a ride! Hahaha I haven’t played real football in ages but they will let me walk onto a Premier league team just because I’m American and I have played before! I think thats great! So, a few of us from church are thinking about joining the team as away to get involved with and become friends with a bunch of these guys. I really believe that to speak into someones life and have it mean anything, in the normal everyday world you have to become real friends first. You have to be invited to speak, other wise your just one more person telling them what to do and how to live, and thats not the point. The point is to see people come to know this God I know, this Jesus who rescued me. And to do that we have to meet people where they are at… so if that means we get to play a little tackle football while we’re at it… well WOOOOOHOOOOOO Haha It’s not a for sure but we are definitely looking seriously at it The other Tim Played in a double header baseball game in the same kind of league but for baseball this week… he also was randomly invited and just participated in his first practice with the team last Thursday. They won They all only practice one evening a week… how great is that. But its not over! I spent Sunday night in Glasgow with another friend (from Northern Ireland) who had 4 other friends over from his high school back in Northern Ireland who all go to Uni somewhere here in Scotland. We played darts on the best magnetic dartboard ever till the wee hours of the morning, It was a grand ol’ time. Then today was back to work, I built the first of our mini green houses and raised beds for all the vegetables we are growing this year. 
We will have 5, 5x5ft plots this year with more next year. We also had some budget meeting stuff, planned a week of solitude/reflective retreat for when the new folk get here, at a real live monastery, How sweet is that! Oh and I got a “Learn Romanian” language kit to start learning the VERY Basics! Haha but hey, gotta start some where right? Well its time for me to sleep, Goodnight!
Back from Holand
09
Apr
Well I am a little late getting this up, but thats cause it took a few days to let my brain unwind from all of the discussion and thinking that took place 24-7 over the last week while I was in Holland It turned out to be a GREAT Time! Tim and I spent one day before the consultation and a day after wondering around Amsterdam waiting for our flights. The Consultation was actually in a smaller town called Delden which is about two and a half hours away from Amsterdam, much closer to the German border. I met Lots of new folks, swapped some emails and got some great help in planning my first trip to Eastern Europe! I spent most of my time there in discussion groups talking about starting new teams… which is what I hope to do over the next two years. We (those of us here at Stanely House in Scotland) also had a good bit of conversation about where we are headed in the next few years and lots of good Ideas have been kicked around about DTS, new teams, outreaches and all kinds of other stuff. We really want to make sure that our ministry equals the amount of training we are doing. We want to make sure we are passing on a missional life style to the people who come here and not just “an experience.” We want to make sure people are exposed to the whole spectrum of missions and not just a small part. In other words how we are all called to be missionaries, whether that is living in the jungles searching for unreached people groups, living in the slums providing for peoples basic needs, or living in the west working a normal job, reaching out to those around us in our everyday lives. We are called to be “Light bearers” no matter where we currently live. But it’s just the beginning so we will see where all this goes over the next few months.
As far as Eastern Europe goes I am going to try and go to Romania sometime in July. We will see. I had a phone call today with some folks in Bucharest and sent out a few more emails so hopefully in the next few weeks things will really start to come together and I can get my tickets! I am being beckoned to the kitchen where a fresh batch of salsa has just been made so I must go and give it a sample! Cheers!
Here we go again…
29
Mar
Well I am going to try and give this here page an update once a week. Thats the goal anyways! Tomorrow I am off to Holland for the week! YEAH Tim Robson and I are going to be attending the YWAM Western European Leadership Consultation…straight from the web site…
“YWAM Western European Leadership Consultation – Come prepared to talk, this isn’t about sitting and listening, its about dialog, networking, and planning for change in YWAM’s future. Great times of input, coupled with creative space to hear from each other and God as we journey together. This consultation will hopefully be one of those significant signposts that we pass that help us find God’s destiny for YWAM in Western Europe.”
I have never been to one of these before so I am excited to see what all takes place. Only down side… we leave at 4:40 am… but with daylight savings… it’s actually about 3:40…and its 10:00pm right now! Haha that is why this first of the new updates is going to be short I am off to bed and try to get some sleep before I leave tomorrow.
This last week was not all that exciting, so don’t worry your not missing much anyway. Tim and I had to get some materials ready for our trip… did some laundry… random work around the house… nothing spectacular, just a touch of normal life I guess. But when I get back I will fill you all in on the trip! Goodnight
What is Coming up…
12
Feb
Here is a quick look at what I will be doing in Scotland when I get back… Peregrinati Way
December news
18
Dec
Well it’s been a few weeks since I sent a letter out, mostly because I am home now and have been able to have real conversations with lots of you!! I got back into the States a few weeks ago and spent just over a week in Illinois right off the bat. It was perfect! Very relaxing, lots of R&R and LOTS of great conversations! Now I am in Iowa, staying at my parents house and helping out at my Dads office until the 6th of Jan. It’s nice to be home, see everyone, share pictures, tell stories and hear about all the things that have been going on while I was gone! To those of you in Colorado… I’ll be there soon! I am coming out to spend three weeks with you on the 6th of Jan! AND THEN…Iowa for a week, Illinois for another week… then… BACK TO SCOTLAND!! WoooHoooo!!
Most of you know when I left for my Discipleship Training School it was done to lay the groundwork for what I felt God was calling me into long term, and sure enough, He’s still calling. So I will be going back for two years with a two fold purpose. I will be working with Tim Robson (my DTS leader) to co-lead a continuing discipleship and exploration time for students who have finished a DTS to discover what it is God is calling them into. As well as working with Gary (the base leader and head of YWAM Scotland) to try and hammer out what it is that God is calling me to. Romania and orphans continue to come up, but we will see. I’m trying to hold all things in an open hand for God to decide what is of him and worthy of pursuit and what is not.
I have lots of things to say about both, so if you live in Illinois, when I come back in Feb I am going to share lots more about all of this at church. “But what if I live in Iowa?” you say, well… because the holidays are such a busy time I am going to wait until after I get back from Colorado at the end of January to have a program, it will most Likely be at A.C.E.’s in Webster City and I will soon have a date for you. And if you live in Colorado… Well… wait your turn I’ll be there soon! Hahah And of course for everyone, Call me and we can go have coffee sometime! If I’m in your state we’ll work it out! And I mean that, call me, send me an email, something, get in touch with me and I will fill you in. I do not have a cell phone yet, so right now you can call me at my folk’s house (515) 832-9934.
Just a few prayer requests from my end before I let you go…
* New Life Church & YWAM Arvada base in CO, I have friend connections at both, (where the shootings took place) and just ask that we would keep all of those involved held up in prayer.
* Safe travel, I am going to be doing a lot of long distance traveling over the next three months and we all know the kind of havoc winter plays on travel.
* Wisdom and Provision, I am changing gears in a sense from fund raising for one specific thing to needing monthly support. My monthly needs are right about 600 British pounds, which in USD is around 1200 a month! This will cover ALL of my expenses including my college student loan payment, but as you can see that is a big need because of exchange rates. This is something God has shown me many times that he will take care of, but wisdom to make the right choices and strength to walk in faith are always needed!
Well again, Thank You so much for all the ways you support me! I want you to know that You are all part of a Global Missions Team, put it on your resume or in your portfolio go ahead, you can! By lifting up even the smallest of prayers great things are done in the heavens. You are all vital members of this team and without you I’m just Tim, but gathered we make a hand or an arm of the body of Christ. As we link with other followers all over the world in even the smallest of ways we bring the Body of Christ together! Through his direction then, we are able to reach out and help those who need it, guide people to the path, and encourage those who are on it! I say the same to you, learn HARD into God, believe what he says and strive only for one thing… to know him more! Have an AMAZING Christmas season!
Blessings,
Tim
Trust…
27
Nov
Before I can even begin to grapple with and understand Gods provision and plan for the future, the unknown, that which does not even exist, I must first learn to trust him and understand his speaking and actions in the now. In that which does exist, I must make myself available to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and trust the provision of God, here, now, today, before I will ever truly trust him with tomorrow. I will continually hold on to things in fear that they might not be there tomorrow. That I need to stock pile and hide bread crusts under my pillow for fear that there will be none tomorrow. Leaving me continually striving to provide for myself, instead of trusting in God for everything.
“Daily His grace, daily His leading, daily His face, daily His love, daily His presence, daily I seek. Not a striving of my own but a simple action I take, to walk in His steps and sit at His feet. To look where He looks, and stoop where He stoops, to pray as He prayed and live as he did. Lord I am yours, lead me this day.”