Hi there,

It’s about this time of the year that our family heads up to the Myall Lakes, a little over an hour to our north. Directly in front of our campsite is a large water expanse that in many ways is ideal for sailing, apart from one issue.  The bay itself is gusty, sometimes producing a 5-28 knot wind-speed change within about two seconds. Very effective in de-stabilising [and sometimes capsizing] a 16 foot catamaran.

As I think about this year on a personal and ministry level; it’s been amazing- but it’s also been turbulent. Like my lake sailing experience, it’s been exciting, its been fruitful, and we’ve made a lot of ground — quickly. We’ve been blessed with our biggest quarter in history – 72 students. On a personal level, I [David] was able to graduate my exec masters in leadership. But we’ve also been buffeted. There has been great turbulence in world affairs, with terrible pain experienced by victims of the Middle east crisis, and some of this pain experienced here in the West. In Australia, we’ve seen another mid-term change of Prime Minister. In Newcastle, in April we survived a physical storm, being lashed with 120KM/hour winds, and power outages for days – unusual for this region. As a family we have experienced great turbulence, with the passing of both Carrie’s and David’s godly Mothers within a space of exactly one month. My reflection is; hard though it can be, God wants us to find peace in the turbulence, not always in the removal of turbulence.

I’m reminded of this other point, and have lived with its consequences in my own life. The roughness of life is itself a growth-trigger, or as James says, it “produce[s] endurance.” The forces which appear to work against us – if we are humble and faith-filled in our response – actually  increase our influence. In my studies earlier this year, I found that the tough environmental forces experienced by the rural Galileans, in fact prepared these soon-to-be disciples for selection by Jesus. I used this idea for the title of my masters thesis, entitling it Calloused Hands, a metaphor describing the fruit of weathering these forces.

As I sat to write I sensed the Lord identifying new purpose in you. That in the good times and bad there is perspective, re-purposed hope, and great beauty, in the strength that He’s producing in you. This strength is more specific than that offered up from good-old general character building. Rather, it is a unique quality of influence that is being released against the backdrop of Godly response to these forces [to sound like star wars].
Lastly, Carrie and I simply want to thank you. We are grateful to be shining God’s light in the world on a scale greater than ever before; about eighty-five outreach participants are to be commissioned out to the nations today! But the darkness seems ever darker, and we cannot do this without the strength that God provides through you. We are in great need of your intercession for us as we enter into unprecedented growth and harvest within YWAM. This strength is seen in the encouragement flowing from Jonathan in David’s hour of need. “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” 1 Sam 23:16

We pray that the Lord would be your strong tower, your peace, and your refuge this Christmas.

Much love……. David, Carrie, Nathan, Chloe and Abbey