The end of week 7

This has been a great week, we are back to classes. Our teacher was a man named Ed Sinke a pastor in El Paso,TX. He was speaking on Evangelism. One of his main points was being real, being a real person when doing ministry and living out a Christian life. He wanted us to think about our walk and what we believe, not just follow it because we have to but why we do and why it is worth it.
This next week we have a lady named Bev Kline, who started the Fatherheart living alternatives ministry here in Lindale. Fatherheart is a place for young unwed mothers to have their children and learn to raise their kid. She will be speaking for 3 days this week and then on Thursday we will be volunteering at the ministry.
This weekend is a conference for all the staff that are part of this base and the ministrys pioneered from it. So this base will be empty from Friday to Monday. So with nobody around I don't have much to do. I will be doing security for those nights and working at the entrance guard shack during that time.
We are still not sure where we are going for out stateside outreach. We are still going to Chicago for the Urban outreach. We leave for Germany around the 7th of July. I am still in need of the money for outreach, but my tuition is fully paid off. I know that God will supply for all those needs.

God Bless
-Ben
-Ben

A Gift from God

I have been playing guitar more and leading worship a few times. Something I have rarely dome before. I am still lower level guitar player, So I am working on that.
A few weeks ago I was trying to sell my Playstation Portable(PSP) and my acoustic guitar, but it wasn't working out. I tried going to local pawn shops to trade them in for a nice acoustic/electric. At all the shops I went to they would only give me $120 for both of those items, and the guitars were at least $200
I went into one one shop and found a guitar That I liked. I asked the lady there about trading those items for that guitar, but the owner of the shop was not in. So I waited a while and played, then talked with her for a while. She was a Christian lady who had supported YWAM since she had moved to Texas. When the Owner Got back (Her son), she told him who we were and what we were doing. Thought the trade was in my favor, he did the trade directly for the guitar. He said "I know you will put the guitar for good use for a good purpose.".
So that is my Gift from God. I am trying my best to put it to good use and learn to play better
-Ben

Current Needs

Ask and you shall receive. I have a few needs that I would like to bring up, God has called me here and it is a time of dependence on him. I have a few needs that I would like to bring to your attention. I would like you to ask God if you are to be a part of it or not.

Needs:
-$2400 for Germany Missions trip
-$ spending money for the trip
-Prayer covering

Please, don't feel like I'm just wanting you to reach into your wallets, because I don't. I want you to pray about it and ask God what you are to do. I would rather receive a dollar that God has blessed and spoken to people about, than a thousand that he hasn't.

Checks can be written to: YWAM, with a separate note for "Ben Collins outreach". if my name is on it it cannot be used as a tax write off
support for the trip can be sent to:
YWAM
C/O accounting
P.O. Box 3000
Garden Valley, TX 75771

Anything sent to me personally
Ben Collins (SOE)
P.O. Box 3000
Garden Valley, TX 75771

Thank you
God bless
-Ben

The Beginnning of the Half way week (6)

How does time fly? It feels like I just arrived. I am now entering the sixth week of the Lecture phase of the school. This week is Ministry prep. week, the week where we learn and practice the dramas, dances, and music for our trip. I'm not sure what I will be part of for this trip, but I will give you that update when I know. This week is usually a hard week to go through, there is usually a big spiritual attack on the schools because you are preparing for ministry, so please keep that in prayer.
We meet every Monday for missions team meetings. Last Monday we talked about what will be happening during the trip. It is a lot of walking around, street ministry, youth gatherings, church events, and prayer meetings. We will be staying at one of the YWAM bases in Germany....its a castle.
Last weekend I volunteered at one of the bases to help do grounds work at one of the schools. that night they had a bonfire for us. this is a picture of a few of us who were there.
We are trying to get a bunch of people to volunteer time in town on the weekends. we are not sure exactly what we are going to do yet, but we are trying to hook up with some of the local churches in order to get something going. last week we were talking about revival in America, not just a small revival but the country as a whole. We figure that God has called us to do more than nothing on the weekends. Faith without works is dead, and works without love is worthless so we are really trying to go into this with the most Christ like view on things. God didn't call the government to take care of the poor, hungry, or those living in sin; he called the church to do it. Two weeks ago we had classes on the Holy Spirit and gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was quite a different week and a new experience for me. Thursday of that week she prophesied over the class individually. I will try to get that up so you can hear it as soon as possible.

2 weeks down, 10 to go

The nice thing about our base is, when you leave, you feel like you have never left. Not too much changes around here and you always feel like you have been here a long time even if it has only been a week.....or two weeks. I Love It!

The first week we where here was an orientation week. We went over a lot of what happened during the lecture phase of the school, basic rules, and basic class sessions. The second week we had a teacher named Larry Allen speaking on the Atonement of Christ and God revealing his character to us. Larry Allen is the teacher of another school called the School of the Bible at our Dayspring campus in Tyler, Texas.

I have enjoyed getting into the swing of things again. I am trying to not use my car very much, so I went to the dump pile in the back of the base and picked up about 5 bikes, and built my own to ride around the base, and get some exercise. We have some professional mountain bike courses in the back of the base, so I have been hitting those after dinner on some nights. I got all muddy the other day after it rained.

After getting muddy on the trail, I went to the girls dorm to wash off the bike and myself. When I went to spray the bike I stepped on a board that was laying on the ground and realized it had nails sticking up out of it.......after stepping on one of them and putting it about a half inch into my foot. It ended up being a fun night, I had to go to the hospital, get and x-ray, and get a tetanus shot. So please keep that in prayer that it heals well.

For my DTS I paid for the tuition, and God has provided for all that was owed so far, and will provide for the rest of what is needed. It cost $3,345 for the tuition on both of the schools, $2,200 for South Korea and over $2,400 estimated cost for the trip to Germany. God provided for the costs in the past and will for the future. There is still $955 due for the school tuition and another $2,400+ for the Germany outreach.

Three years ago when I was wanting to go to the Summer of Service and Training program here in Texas God provided for that and more, he provided enough for me and two other people. I paid for the tuition of the Discipleship training school, but God provided for the outreach. God as provided enough for me to get into the School of Evangelism, and I know that he will provide for the rest of what is needed.

If God calls you to something, he will provide for what is needed, that is where you come in. I'm not just talking about money, which is a big need, but I am also talking about prayer. A ministry bathed in prayer is the most successful. I need your support in keeping my ministry focused, wise and fruitful. I am also in need of your help financially, your help and support is what keeps me doing this, without you I would not be here. God doesn't supply a money tree, he supplies others to support you. I don't consider you my supporters, I consider you my partners. You partner with me in what God is doing in and through this ministry. I would like to to thank you for your past, present and future support, may God bless you and keep you

-Ben

Back in TX

Headed back to Texas for my School of Evangelism. Two of my friends driving from Rhode Island came to our house on the night of the 25th, We left on Wednesday the 26th from Delaware. The first day of traveling we left Delaware at 7 in the morning and drove 3 hours to Virginia Beach to pick up two other people going into our school. From Virginia Beach we drove another 3.5 hours to Durham, NC to pick up another person going into our school. Last we traveled to Asheville, NC to pick up the last person for the trip and spend the night. We got there and they had dinner for us, then took us out on a quick tour of the city. We went up on one of the mountains and took pictures. This is one of me Standing by a cliff looking over the city.

The next morning we left on our 909 mile, 14 hour drive to Texas. We rented a trailer to take all of our stuff. We got about 400 miles into the trip and the second car(not mine) broke down. had no oil in it and got a bad batch of gas with water in it, so it took up a while to get it running again.....about 7 hours worth of fixing and tinkering. With a lot of work and prayer we got back on the road at about 8 and drove the rest of the trip. We arrived at the base at 3 in the morning Central time (4 in the morning Eastern time). So it was quite a long trip and I am glad to be in TX again. Thank you for all your prayers and support. I still need your support, so please keep me in prayer especially for finances, I am still in need of more for tuition and outreach.

God Bless
-Ben

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