I hope your summer has gone well thus far! My summer has been great! I apologize for such a long time in between updates. I was waiting to write once I heard back from a school that I applied to. Now that I have done that, I have exciting news to share with you!
Leadership Training School
For the past 3 1/2 years, I've wanted to do a Leadership Training School (LTS), one of YWAM's top schools. I've never had the opportunity to set aside the three months to take the course. Well, that time has come! A handful of weeks back, I applied for the next Leadership Training School, which is located at YWAM Lausanne in Switzerland. I recently heard back from them and they informed me that they've accepted me for the upcoming school in January of 2012! I am extremely excited about this opportunity to grow in my leadership giftings and to continue to learn how to lead like Jesus lead. This LTS will be a great tool for my tool belt and will really equip me for future ministry. The three month school is taught by internationally renown leaders on various topics, such as: leadership styles, integrity as a leader, faith & finances, communications, decision making, servant leadership, and a lot more.
What's my next step?
My next step in the process leading up to the LTS in January is support raising and applying for a Swiss Visa. I am starting this now because I need to raise $6,100 above and beyond my monthly financial support before the school starts. I want to ask you to prayerfully consider partnering financially with me specifically for this Leadership Training School. Setting aside this three months to grow in my leadership giftings will greatly benefit me down the road in full-time missions. If you would like to partner with me financially, there are a few different ways to go about that and there is info on the right side of this page.
Local Outreach
Our base has been doing various different outreaches in our local community. Last month, we were able to partner with a very cool gleanings ministry. Basically, after farmers finish harvesting their fruits/vegetables, they contact this ministry to come in and pick all of the leftover fruits and vegetables. We were able to help them pick artichokes, and that we did! We picked well over 2000 pounds of artichokes in 6 hours! We were able to distribute them directly to needy families in our community, to local churches and a majority of them to our local food bank. We'd like to continue to partner with this ministry as it can really bless people that need food but don't have the finances to purchase it.
RescueNet US
Communications
I've also recently started helping with some communications for RescueNet US. You may be wondering what that looks like. Well, a lot of different things to be honest. Some of the different things I've been doing recently have been spreading the word about the upcoming training course in October to YWAM bases around the United States, working on our social media, researching disasters worldwide, working on forming a team to work in the communications department, and much more.
RescueNet Training Course
During the month of October, I will be at YWAM Salem in Oregon, staffing the 2011 RescueNet US Disaster Relief School. I have been asked to teach on Disaster Preparedness so I am currently preparing my teaching. Please pray that I will be able to clearly communicate what needs to be taught and for the Lord to help me gather all of the information and resources that I need.
Personal Stuff
God has been doing a lot in my life lately. I am really growing in my intimacy with Him on a daily basis. It's been fun to spend time with God. He is teaching me how to give everything, literally everything, up to Him. He wants us to give him our struggles, difficulties and just plain old surrender to Him daily. I've been digging into the Gospel's and am currently in John. It's been awesome read about Jesus' life and all that He did, whether He's healing the sick or feeding 5,000 people.
Thank You!
Lives are changing because of your prayers and financial support so I want to thank you for that. It's such a huge blessing to me and many others around the world - thank you!
God Bless,
Tyler Dean
