Monday, October 17, 2011

Outreach

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to update everyone on my upcoming outreach to Brazil. Originally I had intended on going to Africa on outreach, but God has been speaking to me a lot lately about going to Brazil with a DTS team. I arrived in Denver four days before SSJ started and was staying with a friend of mine. One morning as I was having my quiet time, I got my iTouch out to listen to music. When I turned it on, there was a zoomed in map of Brazil on it. I had only used the map app one other time, and it was to look up a place in my hometown. The search bar even said, "Siloam Springs, Arkansas". That was the first time I considered going to Brazil, and God has confirmed it several times since then. Our team will be flying to southern Brazil to a large city called, Curitiba. We are partnering with YWAM Brazil to launch an evangelistic outreach in a city to the north. We will also have many opportunities to serve in other areas like street ministry, sports ministry and campus ministry. I am so excited to be able to serve in Latin America, and to use the Portuguese I learned while in Mozambique. God is so faithful, and I know that He will provide for all of my needs. The outreach is $3,700, this includes all airfare, food, lodging...everything. The payment plan is split in two, meaning that the first payment($1,850) is due on Tuesday, October 18. The second half is due three weeks later. I already have about $1,000 saved for the first payment, but I still need $850.00 by tomorrow. I have sent letters out already, and am prepared to do whatever God leads me to in order to go. I ask that you would prayerfully consider supporting me financially. Any amount that God lays on your heart helps. I am so thankful at what He has provided already, and I am excited to see Him continue to move. If you feel led to support me, you can call: 303-424-1144 and pay with a credit card, or you can send a check. Please make all checks payable to YWAM Denver. The address is: 12750 W. 63rd Ave
Arvada CO, 80004. If you have any questions please email me at katecouey@gmail.com. I love you all, and I hope you are blessed.

In Christ,
Kate Couey

School Of Social Justice

Hey Everyone!
I have officially been in Denver for about three and a half weeks now. So far it's been a pretty crazy ride. The first week was the ever fun "Bonding Week" which consists of testimonies, introductions and a lot of other basic information about the base and the schools. The second week, we dived head first into a week of teaching on God and Suffering. It was about God and His control, specifically related to issues of injustice. It was really interesting to hear about this, because I often hear people ask the question, "Why does God let bad things happen". I never know how to answer this, but our teacher Peter Warren(the leader of YWAM Denver) gave us a lot of Scripture and useful information to help answer these difficult questions. This past week our entire base went to Colorado Springs. We joined together with the four other YWAM bases in Colorado for a conference called Acts 1. The focus of this conference was revival. It was so amazing to see how God moved. The leaders of each base would get together each evening to pray and seek God on what He wanted to do each day. We did not follow a specific plan, but rather opened it up to allow the Holy Spirit to do exactly what He wanted to. God met us there, His Kingdom invaded that conference and lives were radically changed. God has been refining me in the fire of His love these past few weeks and He's been so faithful to show me His heart. I am excited to see what these next few months hold! I am praying for you all, and I hope you have a blessed day.

In Christ,
Kate Couey

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

This and That

So, Jesus has been blowing my mind lately and I thought I'd share it with you. These past few weeks have been the hardest that I have personally experienced in my life. There has just been so much going on. It has been like the domino effect. One thing happened after the other and the stress was piling on. I guess I just wanted to encourage you all with a testimony of God's faithfulness. Just when I thought I was at a breaking point, God intervened. God showed me through friends, the Word, His own beautiful voice, and even a cup of coffee that He is ALWAYS with me. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Even when it seems like you are the exception to this verse, know that God is there. He is always faithful even when you cannot feel Him. I have come to learn that when I am going through the wilderness and I can't feel God's presence or hear His voice, I can still cling to His character.

God's character is steadfast. It never changes even when we do. I have found that speaking out and declaring God's goodness and faithfulness helps me keep my eyes on Him; even when I'm feeling apathetic. So take heart, friends! God IS good, and He IS faithful! God would never put you through a situation that He Himself has not already gone through. I know that blog's are not very personal, but I feel like I'm supposed to ask if anyone needs prayer. If you are going through a wilderness, or simply need some encouragement right now, I would love to partner with you in prayer! That is what the body of Christ is all about. :) Send me an email at: katecouey@gmail.com and I'll give you my phone number! I pray that everyone is blessed and encouraged!

Love in Christ,
Kate Couey

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Beginning of Another Adventure

Greetings Friends!

I would first like to say thank you all so much for the prayers and support you gave me throughout the course of DTS. I am so thankful that God has placed Christ-like people like you in my life. DTS completely changed me and none of it would have happened if my brothers and sisters in Christ wouldn't have been there! During DTS God really burdened my heart with a desire to help the helpless, feed the hungry, and love the unloved. As I was able to put these things into action on my outreach to Africa, that desire continued to grow. God has put it on my heart to continue my journey with YWAM by participating in a secondary training program called the School of Social Justice(SSJ).

This program is designed to confront issues of injustice in today's society including: human trafficking and modern-day slavery, HIV & AIDS, urban injustice and poverty. SSJ also focuses on relief aid and gives practical and possible ways to put an end to the injustice that is going on in the world. I have spent so much time talking about these issues and hearing about how horrible they are, and I am now ready to act on what I know. I am so excited to be able to hear teachers who live every day to see injustice end in the world! SSJ not only shows you how to apply these teachings, but also how to communicate the urgency and desperation of the need to rally others to the cause. The goal of this training is to give clear and accurate understanding of the facts of these issues, as well as going in-depth into what God's heart is for the world. SSJ starts on September 26, 2011 and ends in December. When I left Africa in early May of this year, I had a strong sense that God would bring me back there very shortly. I recently found out that SSJ is going to offer an outreach to Zimbabwe, Africa! I feel like this is a total God-thing. I have had a desire to go to Zimbabwe for years now and I am so excited about this possibility! The Africa outreach would end in late February. God has confirmed this next step time and time again and I am so thankful that He is guiding me in this new chapter of my life.

I have been home since the end of May and have been working at DaySpring all summer in order to save money to pay for SSJ. The twelve week lecture phase of SSJ costs $3,500 and the outreach will be around $2,000 (when the outreach is finalized I will keep you up-to-date with the details, including costs). As of now, I will have the $3,500 needed for the lecture phase, but I still need $2,000 for the outreach. I recognize that Jehovah Jireh will provide all that I need in order to follow His will. He has proved Himself to be so faithful over and over again. I ask that you would prayerfully consider being a part of what God is doing in my life, as I take this next step of obedience. 1 Corinthians 12:12;14 says, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ...Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” I am only one part of the body of Christ and in order to be whole, I need to have these other parts come along side me in this missions training.

SSJ is known for being one of the most intense mission programs that YWAM offers. I have heard many stories of intense emotional and spiritual battles that occur as God's heart is being revealed. I need as much prayer as I can get to help carry me through every situation I will face. Thank you for your consideration in partnering with me with your prayers and finances. If you feel led to support me, send me an email at: katecouey@gmail.com or leave me a comment and I will send you all of the information. I am very excited about what God is doing and is going to do! I will continue to update my blog(kccompassion.blogspot.com) with details of SSJ and the way that God is moving in my life. Thanks again for everything!

In Christ alone,
Kaitlyn Couey

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Another Chapter

Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to update you and tell you that I have decided to continue on in my adventure with YWAM Denver! During the middle of DTS I started to seek God on what my next step would be. I had originally planned on going to college in the fall but God kept speaking to me about doing another school with YWAM. After you complete DTS there are a lot of other secondary schools that become open for you to do. As I looked at all of these fantastic schools, God began to put the School of Social Justice on my heart. SSJ focuses specifically on areas of injustice in the world. The school goes in depth into areas such as: human trafficking, poverty, relief aid, HIV and AIDS as well as variety of other topics. It is a three month school with an optional two month outreach. SSJ starts on September, 26, 2011. I am very exctied to learn more about all of these areas of injustice as well as practical ways to put what I learn into practice. God has given me such a passion to see captives set free and I can't wait to get more involved in stopping these issues! You can find more information about this school at: http://www.ywamdenver.com/training/school-of-social-justice/ As I am leaving in a little over two months, I would ask that you pray that God starts preparing my heart for all He has in store for me! Thanks for everything!

In Christ,
Kate

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Africa: Overall Impression

As promised, here is the first of many memories I have from my adventures in Africa. While we were in Africa, I encounterd so many different experiences. In South Africa, we helped out at a local home for children called Footprints. We did a lot of work projects around the base, as well as had the joy of playing with all of our new little friends on a daily basis. Those beautiful children and staff at Footprints completely changed my view of family. Their love for each other was so contagious and beautiful. The staff at Footprints never ceased to amaze me with their servant attitudes. They serve with such joy and selflessness. I was so encouraged to see people truly living like Jesus! While in South Africa, we had the opportunity to do some door-to-door evangelism in a local squater camp(a slum). We ran several church services at traditional African churches, and we got to share Jesus' love with everyone we met!

At the end of our time in Johannesburg, we took a twenty eight hour bus ride up to Dondo, Mozambique. This is when I truly encountered culture shock. Johannesburg is a very westernized country; Mozambique is an entirely different story. For the first time in my adult life I was surrounded by a hot-climate culture that didn't know the meaning of personal space. This was a challenge at first, but I soon became accoustomed to the daily bubble invasions.:) The language barrier was also a new challenge. We crossed the boarder into Mozambique and suddenly we couldn't understand a thing. Portuguese is the primary language in Mozambique and though we had a few lessons in the language before we left, it was still very hard to communicate with the locals. Everything worked out though, because God's love breaks through ever barrier! Mozambique is where my comfort zone shattered. I did things there that I could never have imagined myself doing! The first week was a little rough. I couldn't understand how people live in those kinds of conditions on a daily basis. My heart broke for them and I couldn't do anything but love them. Mozambique was were we really dove in and had the oppoutuity to do a lot of ministry times. We stayed at an Iris Ministries base that was run by a family from Missouri. We were able to do many awesome things while there! On Easter Sunday we had the honor of Baptizing about thrity people in this little pond. It was AMAZING! After that, we ran an Easter service. It was so powerful! God was always so faithful to show up at the services we did.

One of my favorite experineces in Mozambique was when we led a service at a local pastor's church. We traveled about thirty minutes to a larger city outside of Dondo called Beira. We arrived at Pastor Mario's church to find this huge outdoor coliseum packed with about 5,000 people. We found our seats withought having any game plan or ministry schedule set up. During worship our leader passed a schedule around that contained who was speaking and what dramas we were going to do. To my horror, I saw that my name was on the list to speak and to close the ministry time. I about died, because I had never spoken in front of that many people, and I felt that I had nothing to say to them. Instead of fretting about it I continued to press in to God during the rest of worship. As I laid everything aside, He was faithful to put His words in my mouth. He reminded me of times in my life when He showed up and pulled me out of the mirey clay. I knew that I had something to say that they could actually relate to. Before it was my turn to speak someone gave me a Scripture verse that really hit home. It was Exodus 4:10-12 which reads, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” I then got up on the stage confident in the Lord. The words poured from my mouth and I knew that it was God who was speaking. God is so good! After that, the Pastor got up and spoke for a minute about what I had been talking about. Then it happened. I saw at that moment the thing that us Americans are lacking and that the Africans have in abundance: desperation. The Pastor said that if anyone was wearing a sign around their neck(going off of a drama we had performed for them) that was not from God such as: depression, lust, abuse..etc to run to the altars. And that's when I saw it. Hundreds of people leaped out of their seats and ran as fast as they could to the altars. That's what we need in America! We need to be so desperate for Jesus that we run to Him with all that we have. God meets us in a place of desperation. God met every single person at that altar. Lives were changed that night because the people weren't afraid to step out and show their need. After awhile Pastor Mario prayed over them and then dissmissed them to their seats. After the altar was cleared there were about a dozen people still up there on the ground manifesting demons. It was crazy! They asked if us visitors would come up and pray for them. I couldn't believe it! One of things that God had spoken to me prior to outreach was that I was going to see captives set free. I truly felt like that was a big moment in fulfilling that. Our team went to the front and laid hands on them. Every single one of them was delivered that night from the demonic and many were filled with the Holy Spirit. I always thought that casting out demons would be a scary and unnerving experience but it wasn't. It was the most natural thing in the world. It was also very peaceful. I had no fear and as soon as the name of Jesus was proclaimed there was a such a beautiful peace unlike anything I have ever experienced. God is SO faithful!

In the end of outreach, I fell in love with Jesus and the beautiful people of Africa. South Africa and Mozambique will forever hold a dear place in my heart. I went into outreach knowing that God was going to do crazy things, but He completely shattered all of my pre-concieved expectations and hopes. You could say that Africa changed my life, but the truth is that God changed me IN Africa. He took me to a place with Him that I had never dreamed I would go. He is my lover, my friend, my Father, Mother, and Lord. He is everything to me, because He is all I need. He is always enough.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Pictures from Africa



Outreach! (South Africa and Mozambique)

Hello Everyone!
I am so sorry that I have not had the opportunity to update my blog sooner. As you all know, I recently got back from the outreach portion of DTS. My team went to Johannesburg, South Africa as well as Mozambique. We were gone for about two months. It was by far the most amazing experience of my life. I honestly do not have the words to express to all of you just how much God changed my life. I'm literally a different person, and I owe it all to Jesus. I have countless stories of how God touched my life, and the lives of precious Africans. I am going to be posting all of my stories little by little, so please keep a look out for my updates! I love you all and I pray that you are blessed. If you have any questions about my adventure in Africa(or about anything else) PLEASE leave me a comment or email me at: katecouey@gmail.com. I would really enjoy answering them. Thank you for all the prayers and support! I couldn't have done any of this without you all.

In Christ,
Kate Couey

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Week 12 ( the last week of lecture phase!)

Olá para todos!

That's "Hello Everyone" in Portuguese. In four days I will be leaving for Johannesburg and Mozambique, Africa! This week has been so busy! My DTS has been packing and cleaning like crazy. I am so excited for all of the amazing things that God is going to do on outreach. When we are in Johannesburg we will be helping out in a local ministry. We will be doing a lot of work projects, and helping out with all of their needs. We also have the opportunity to go to the Lion Park while we're in South Africa. We will get to feed giraffes and play with baby lions.

From South Africa, we will take a twenty eight hour bus ride up to Dondo, Mozambique. We will be working with Iris Ministries while in Mozambique. They have a home for boys who range from 4-18 years old. We will be helping out with the boys, as well as doing ministry in the bush. We are actually going to camp in the bush for an entire week. I am so excited to get to serve the people of Africa! Please pray for me while I'm on outreach. Pray for protection, for favor, and that God would really use us to bring His Kingdom to Africa. Also pray that I would have supernatural boldness so that I may fearlessly do God's will. I may be able to update my blog once or twice while on outreach, but it is unlikely. If you would like to know how I am doing during my trip, please feel free to contact my dad at: billc@dayspring.com. I will continue to pray for all of you! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful day.

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Week 11

This past week our speaker's name was Troy Sherman and he taught on missions. He was by far one of the most entertaining and easiest to listen to speakers we have had. He put a lot of emphasis on radical love in missions. He said that missions is simply serving and loving people. I learned this past week that in our society we usually pray as if we are trying to convince God to answer our prayers. It's like we're trying to talk God into doing things like ending poverty and saving people. He is already convinced! Are we? Troy talked about being the answer to our own prayers. If we are not willing to be the answer to our own prayers, then why are we even praying? When we take action and actually try to do something about our prayers, God reveals part of His heart to us. God is convinced! Go and do something about what you know! We know so much about Jesus and about all of these injustice issues that are going on in the world, but we do nothing! The first speaker in DTS called this the Tragic Disconnect(knowing everything, but doing nothing). We are called to live lives full of love. Love is an action! Love does something. Troy Sherman said that, "Love demands a response." That doesn't mean that you have to go to the ends of the earth to find someone to radically love. Everyone needs to know of the perfect love that God has for them, and they can...through us. As Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." I want to encourage you guys to start actively loving those around you. That could be something as simple as asking a stranger how they are doing. You will probably find that when you radically love, you are blessed even more than the other person.
Most of my notes this week consist of random quotations from Troy. Here are a few of my favorites:

"The world is desperate for people who are desperate."

"The Gospel is a message of "come back home". It's not about Jesus just coming in and fixing up the place."

"It wasn't the death of Jesus that saved us, but His love."

"God has given us everything necessary to change the world."

"Pray like it all depends on God, but work like it all depends on you."

"The blood of Jesus only covers what I uncover."


Thank you all for your prayer and support! I hope you all are abundantly blessed in Christ. I will be posting my final blog post before outreach in the next few days. I am praying for you all!

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Week 10

Hello Everyone!
This has been one of the most challenging yet amazing weeks of my life! This week we were taught about Evangelism and Life in the Spirit by Dudley Weiner. He is actually the leader of a YWAM base in southern France. I feel like I have learned more in this week than I ever have in my entire life. He taught us using mostly stories and personal experiences so I only have about five pages of notes, but I grew so much this week. One of the biggest things I learned this week is to be a student of everything. It's so important to listen to and watch all of the little things that are going on around us. These little details that we usually don't notice are so significant. Dudley talked about what is going on on the outside of people is NOT what is going on inside of them. This really convicted me. So many times I make assumptions about people based on the way they are acting on the outside, but I have no idea what they are going through on the inside. I feel like this has totally changed the way I see people. We're all the same. I am the same as a drug addict. Dudley used an interesting analogy to show the truth of this statement. We are all like cameras, the only thing is that we all have different lenses. All of the unique things around us has helped shape our lens. I may see the world in a different way than a drug addict does, but we are both humans and we were both made in the image of God. My mind has been blown so many times this week. We did this really cool exercise in class the other day. Dudley had our class form two lines facing each other. We went from one person to the next saying whatever we felt God wanted to say to each person. It was awesome to see the way God used this to speak so clearly to me. I was a little bit nervous about having to give a word to each person, but it was AMAZING! I feel like I was blessed more by giving than receiving.

God has been teaching me a lot this week about restoration and my identity in Christ. He is really moving and working in my heart. I feel like God has freed me from some stuff this week and I feel so amazing. There is so much freedom in Christ! I feel like I am now ready to fulfill the plan that God has for my life. I am ready to step out and be who He created me to be! I have realized this week how much God likes me. He doesn't just love me! He likes me! He likes who He has created me to be. I feel like I am finally understanding who I am in Him. So many times I try to find my identity in other things, but only in Christ can I find my true identity. He is enough and He satisfies every time.

Every Wednesday we have Kingdom Night, which is just doing street ministry in downtown Denver. This week we decided to have a worship time outside in downtown Denver. Some students played guitar and sang worship songs. We also had an area where people could come and paint while we worshiped. It was amazing to see how the demeanor of the people changed! We had a really diverse group of people that came. There were homeless people, young people that were just hanging out in the area, Christians, artists, gang members, and a lot of others. Everyone was so open, and they could totally sense that something was different about us. When you bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth crazy things happen. People that were walking along the street would stop and just stare at us. It's like they knew that something more than what met the eye was going on. God is so good! At one point a girl and I were talking to this woman who was complaining about her chest hurting. She said that the Doctors wanted to do this expensive scan on her, but she couldn't afford it. I asked if we could pray for her and she agreed. We laid hands on her and began to pray. As we were praying my hand got really hot(it was really cold outside). I asked her how is was feeling when we finished, and she said that it was feeling a lot better! I prayed again for complete healing to take place, and I am confident that God is going to completely heal her, and free her from pain. We have Jesus living inside of us. We have authority in Christ and we are called to partner with Christ to see His Kingdom come to this earth. God wants to see His people set free! All we have to do is be natural, and God will come and be supernatural! Thank you for all of the prayer and support. Thanks for partnering with me to see God's Kingdom come to the earth. I pray that you all have a blessed day.

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Monday, March 7, 2011

Love Action

At the beginning of DTS we were informed that we were going to have to do a project called a "Love Action". Basically, we had to put our love in action to someone in the Denver area. I struggled with what to do for a long while. I finally had the idea to put together little care packages for some homeless people in downtown Denver. It came down to the day I was supposed to go do it, and everything kept falling through. I wasn't very happy about it. God kept talking to me about how simple His love is. I finally decided to write four letters and give them to whoever God led me to along with a McDonald's gift card. I went down to downtown Denver with three other girls. We just walked around waiting for the Spirit to guide us. None of us really had any idea of what we were supposed to do. As we were walking, this young woman approached us and asked if we supported Planned Parenthood. She was trying to get us to give a donation, because she worked for them or something. We started talking to her, and she told us that she was having a pretty bad day. She had been out in the dreary weather for several hours and things were not looking too bright. She asked us what we were doing and we told her about YWAM, and how we were out doing a project. We talked to her a little longer and she began to cry. She said that we were so refreshing, and that we had made her day. She told us that she didn't even work for Planned Parenthood. She worked for this other organization, and they had randomly decided to put her with Planned Parenthood that day. She told us that she was having a hard time in college, because there weren't any people to support her. She was super discouraged. God was so awesome to come and encourage her the way He did. Her spirit was so much lighter when we left. It was awesome!

We kept walking after that knowing that God was doing something crazy. We saw this woman sitting up against a wall by a bus stop. She had her eyes closed and was talking and making strange movements. I wanted to give her one of my letters, so I went up to her. I said, "excuse me, ma'am", and without opening her eyes she shouted,"NO!" I backed away, and went back to my group. We decided to go stand up against the wall next to her. She started asking for a dollar. One of the other girls gave her some money, and then I went and gave her the letter. We asked if we could pray for her and she said YES! She even wanted to hold our hands while we prayed. It was awesome to see God totally turn that situation around. I gave another letter to this man playing a harp, he didn't want to talk to us, so I don't know what happened. I also left one on this bench that I know a lot of homeless people use. Two of the girls in my group started talking to this man that they had met the previous day. He was staying at one of the local shelters, and it happened to be his birthday. We decided to take him to dinner. It was so awesome getting to hear his story! He just wanted someone to talk to him and to listen. At the end I gave him one of the letters. It was a really cool experience. On our way out of the restaurant we ran into this man who was asking for change. He said that he needed to get to Boulder to see his daughter who was in the care of two women there. One of the girls gave him a five dollar bill. He started weeping. Apparently he needed five dollars so he could clean himself up before he saw his daughter. Then he asked us to pray for him. It was so beautiful! He actually started praying when we were finished! He kept telling God how much he loved Him. It was amazing! We stared our time having no idea what was going to happen, and God met us where we were at! God Moved in mighty ways! God will use us if we are willing!

God really used this experience to show me the simplicity of His love. He just wants His children to know how much He loves them. I think I finally get it. It's all about love. When you talk to people with the sole intention of seeing them saved so that they won't go to hell, you miss the whole point. When you talk to people to share God's love, and to see their lives completely transformed by the love of Jesus, you succeed. Jesus came to this Earth to share the love that the Father has for us. He did come to save us, but He also came to show us how unconditional His love is. He came to show us that His love has no strings attached. It's pure. It unconditional. It's radiant. It perfect. It's love...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Week 8

Hello Everyone!
This past week has been a roller coaster! I have been gone since last Saturday on my in class outreach. We went to Los Angeles to work with the Dream Center, as well as the Jonah Project (www.jonahproject.com)which is a non-profit organization right in the heart of Skid Row. We left for this adventure early on Saturday morning. We spent that night at the YWAM base in Las Vegas, which is in the third worst neighborhood in the United States. That night we went down to the main strip in Las Vegas and did a little site seeing. It was beautiful but very different than what I expected. Never have I seen so much of God's glory mixed in with so much sin. It was pretty intense. We left Las Vegas on Sunday morning and arrived in L.A. that afternoon. Our speaker for the week came with us and taught on the Holy Spirit for the first few days. It was by far my favorite teaching yet. He was very thorough in his teaching and he answered all of my questions. It was great.
Later in the week we worked with the Dream Center. We worked with a food truck on the first day. We handed out groceries and prayed with people in a local community in L.A. On the second day we worked with their children's ministry. We got to play and make crafts with the kids while their parents received food for the week. It was so awesome to see how God used the simple act of handing out food to bring Him glory. We also worked with the Jonah Project in Skid Row. Skid Row has one of the largest concentrations of homelessness in the United States. There were hundreds and hundreds of homeless people. My team went around and talked and prayed for people if they wanted it. It was an incredibly eye opening experience. I went in to Skid Row thinking that it would be similar to all of the street ministry we have done here in the Denver area. It was nothing like that. I didn't even know poverty like that existed in the U.S. I think that God really used my time in Skid Row to show me that being in ministry isn't always going to be pretty. It's going to be incredibly hard and challenging at times, but it's worth it.
On Thursday we spent the day at the beach. Several of the people in my school got baptized in the ocean. It was awesome! When that was over we went and did street ministry on the boardwalk in Venice beach. It was a pretty crazy experience. We went in groups of three and talked and prayed for people. There was a lot of spiritual warfare going on in that area. Despite that, we were able to be a light in a dark area. A lot of the people guessed that we were Christians even before we had said anything about it. God really went before us and prepared the way. We were able to plant seeds in these people's lives. It's exciting to see the way God is moving in that area!
We joined the YWAM base in L.A. twice this week and had an amazing time of ministry. The DTS there was learning about the Holy Spirit this week as well. We had a powerful time of prayer and worship. The Holy Spirit was so powerful. People were getting healed and filled with the Spirit like I've never seen before. God spoke to me in such powerful ways this week; He is doing so much in my heart. This week I have been reminded over and over again of God's goodness and faithfulness. Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is Good." My life is such a testimony of God's goodness. He has watched over me and He has protected my heart my entire life. I just want to encourage all of you to reflect on God's goodness this week. Think about all of the times that He has comforted your hurting heart, and all of the times He has filled you with His love and peace. God is so good. Thanks for all of the encouraging words and prayers that you guys have been so faithful to give. God is truly using you in massive ways in my life. I love you all!

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Week 6 and 7

     It's another beautiful day here in Arvada! This past week our speaker's name was Peter Warren. The topic was Spiritual Warfare. I learned so much about it I don't even know where to start. Peter talked about the history of the world, and why the spiritual realm is the way that it is. I learned that nothing can limit God, but He chooses to limit Himself in order to partner with us. He has delegated some of His power to us. Limiting Himself is what freedom requires. I also learned about satan and his kingdom, and the different levels of demonic authority. Peter also taught about the way that demons manifest themselves and inhabit different things. He then when on to give us thirteen weapons that we have against the powers of darkness. I really enjoyed this week's teaching. Not only was the topic important, but he also gave scripture to back up all of his points. 
     The teaching for this week(week 7) was about relationships. A couple that is on staff here at YWAM taught it. Their names are Jeremy and Keeley Lange. They spoke on: our relationship with God, relationships with family, friendships, and romantic relationships. Dean Sherman once said that, " Every problem in the world is a problem of relationship." This was one of the Lange's main points. They basically said that if all of our relationships were the way that God meant for them to be, then there would be fewer problems in the world. I found their take on relationships to be refreshing and honest. They are an excellent real life example of what a Godly relationship should look like. They are actually practicing what they are preaching. I was not particularly looking forward to this week in the beginning. I have read so many Christian relationship books and I thought that this would be another "lecture" on premarital sex and emotional baggage. It definitely shattered my expectations. I feel like I gained a lot of new and useful information. Honestly, it wasn't so much the teaching as it was the real life example they showed us. Their level of respect and love for each other was contagious. It was amazing. 
     Next week(week 8) my DTS will be going to Los Angeles for eight days for our mid lecture phase outreach. We will be working with an organization called the Dream Center(http://www.dreamcenter.org/). We will also be doing a lot of ministry in Skid Row, which has one of the largest amounts of homeless people in the United States. We will be staying in a local church for the entire trip. Please pray for our safety and for God to start preparing our hearts and the hearts of the people we will be ministering to. Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey
    

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Week 5

      Greetings from Arvada, Colorado! This week my DTS joined the Boarders DTS up at the Eagle Rock base. The speaker this week was a man named Don Stephens and he taught on the Kingdom of God. He basically taught on a bunch of different world views. He covered: Gnosticism, Pantheism, Islam, and the Kingdom world view. I really enjoyed learning about all these other religions. It gave me a greater understanding of how to defend my own beliefs. It also made me appreciate the personal relationship that I have with Jesus.
     
     Also, we have different ministry opportunities twice a week. I haven't had a chance to share what God has been doing, but it has been so amazing! About two weeks ago I went with a group to this mental health clinic. We didn't go there to convert people, but to simply love on them. Love was something that they were desperate for. I met this one woman who I was particularly burdened for. She was the sweetest thing. I(along with two other girls) sat down and talked to her for about forty five minutes. She was so hungry for companionship and acceptance. She could not believe that we would actually sit down and talk to her, and be interested in who she was. It broke my heart. We prayed for her at the end, and she just broke down in tears. It was amazing. So often we overlook hurting and broken people in our own communities. We don't have to go out of the country to show people God's love. We just have to look in our own backyards. We only spent a few hours with these beautiful people, and they were filled with joy. Not only were we able to be a blessing to them, but they were a blessing to us. When I looked into their eyes I got to see a glimpse of God's heart. It's not complicated. It's simple. It's pure. 

     About a week and a half ago we did another outreach. This time we went to downtown Denver. I went with two other people and just walked around the area. We didn't have an agenda. We were just waiting on God to see what He wanted to do. At one point I was holding up a sign that said "Free Prayer". It was amazing to see the way God used that sign! Every single person that we prayed for approached us. Not once did we have to ask people if they wanted prayer. These two guys came up to us and said that they wanted some free prayer. They were treating it as a total joke. I asked one of the guys if there was anything in particular that he needed prayer for. He said that he wanted me to pray for his brother. As I prayed for him the Holy Spirit really began to move. It was so powerful! When I finished, he opened his eyes and was like "whoa". Then he gave me a hug and walked off. It was AWESOME! What started out as a joke, God turned around and used for good. They saw that we were serious, and that we weren't pushing religion on them. We just wanted to bless and love them. God is so good!

     Thanks for all of the prayers and support! You all are such a blessing. I ask that you would continue to pray for me. Specifically that God would continue to give me boldness and faith to step out and do His will. I love you guys!

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey 


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Africa Update

Hello everyone! 
I just wanted to give you all a quick update on my upcoming Africa outreach. We had our first outreach meeting today, so I have a few more details concerning the trip. We will be leaving for outreach in late March, and will be coming back mid May. We will begin our journey in Johannesburg, South Africa; we will be there for three weeks. Then, we will take a bus ride to Mozambique. We will stay there for the final month of outreach. In Johannesburg, we will be working with children in the slums. We will put on skits, do dances, play games, and simply love on the kids there. In Mozambique, we will be working with IRIS ministries, which is the ministry that Rolland and Heidi Baker started. http://www.irismin.org/ It's going to be awesome! The total cost for the outreach is $2,900. God has been so good to provide the first half of that, but I still need $1,450. The second half of the outreach cost is due later this month. Please pray that God would continue to provide. I have no doubt that He will! Also, if you feel lead to support me financially, please email me and I will send you all of my information. I am so thankful for all of you! I pray that God would continue to richly bless you. 

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Week 4

The fourth week of DTS has ended, and I am happy to report that it is now the weekend! This week's teaching was taught by a local pastor named Blake Mattox. He taught on the Character of God. He spoke a lot about forgiveness, obedience, and 'monsters in the dark'. I enjoyed his teaching because he didn't water down his words. He spoke the truth. It was awesome. Next week DTS is going to be commuting every day to Eagle Rock, which is the YWAM base up in the mountains. We will be sharing a speaker with the Borders DTS the entire week. It's going to be awesome! I will give you all more details later. Also, last night I went to(part of) a 24 hour prayer/worship meeting at Faith Bible Chapel. God really blessed my time there! It was very encouraging. Please continue to keep me in your prayers. Specifically concerning financial provision. Thanks for everything!

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Monday, January 24, 2011

Week 3

Hello Everyone!
I just finished my third week of school. This past week has been absolutely amazing. Our speaker this week was a man named Jeff Pratt. He spoke on the Father Heart of God, and it completely changed my life. I've never realized how unconditionally God loves us. It rocked my world. This has also been a challenging week for me. Several things have come up, but God has been so faithful to encourage me. I feel very blessed. If you all have any questions, or would like to know more about what's going on in my life, send me an email or text. I would love to share more with you! 

Blessings,
Kaitlyn Couey

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Week 2

The second week of school is over, and I'm very excited about everything I have learned. One of the YWAM Denver staff members spoke this week. His name is Mark Davies, and he taught on the Fear of the Lord. God has really blessed me through the teaching this week. I now have an understanding of what it truly means to fear God, and how I'm supposed to apply that to my life. I also learned this week that I will be going to Mozambique, Africa on my outreach! We will be working with orphans, widows, and those living with HIV. Mozambique is also one of the poorest countries in Africa. I am very excited to see God move in the people there! Please keep me in your prayers. Also, feel free to message me any prayer requests, I would love to pray for you.

Blessings,
Kaitlyn Couey

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Day 2 of YWAM

Hey Everyone!
I have officially made it through my second day of DTS. The first week of DTS is called 'bonding week'. It's basically just getting to know people and sharing our testimonies. I'm finally starting to get used to the idea of being away from my friends and family. The first day was pretty hard, but it's getting a lot better. God is already doing amazing things. Once bonding week is over, I'll post a copy of my daily schedule on here. I'm praying for all of you, and I hope you have a blessed day.

In Christ,
Kaitlyn Couey

Sunday, January 2, 2011

It's Finally Here!

Happy new year! It's a beautiful day here in Colorado. I've been here since Friday night and I'm enjoying spending time with my family before I begin my adventure. DTS starts tomorrow, 01-03-11 and I'm really nervous, but excited about it. I am so thankful for the support and prayers that you all have freely given. It means a lot to me. Please pray that tomorrow goes well, and I will try to post again sometime next week.

In His service,
Kaitlyn Couey