Greeting Friends!
I jut wanted to update all of you on everything that has been going on in my life for the past six months. I hope this update finds everyone well and blessed in the Lord!
From September 26th-December 15th 2011, I participated in a YWAM school focused specifically on issues of injustice that are currently raging the world we all share. Our speakers covered topics such as: human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, refugees and immigration, prostitution, FGM(female genital mutilation), community development, and many many other topics. As you can imagine, these are very heavy topics and it proved to be a very intense quarter. Throughout the twelve lecture weeks God began to show me His heart for justice and for those who seem to be the most forgotten in our world. Through many tears, prayers, dreams, and laments I know that God is calling me into the world to love these precious people. Not simply at a distance, but up close and personally. My motivation in doing so is not simply to be a humanitarian and help people, but to love Jesus through serving His beloveds. I also want to serve to alleviate some of the pain He feels when He looks at His children...He's so worth it. I have no idea at the moment what that specifically looks like for me, but I know that during this next season of my life God is going to reveal what that entails exactly. I am so very thankful that I have been given the opportunity to be educated on things that are so very dear to God's heart. I am also thankful for the support that you all have shown; I do not take any of it for granted. If any of you have questions, please feel free to ask. Also, if you want to know more about a specific issue I'd love to share what I learned!
As many of you know, after SSJ God called me to go to Brazil on a two month outreach. Our team left in mid December to serve in three different locations while there. Our team had a unique dynamic because we had students from two DTS' with us, as well as six secondary students. Our team was led by a married couple(accompanied by their three little children) who are on staff at YWAM Denver. Also, the secondary students served as “student leaders” so we were involved in may different areas of leadership. We ran small groups, ministry times, church services, and many of the every day activities. Our first location was at a YWAM base in Curitiba, Brazil. We were there for the first two weeks of our trip. While there, we served in a local church, picked up trash, did some door-to-door ministry, performed skits, bar ministry, and several other things. This was probably the most mellow part of our entire trip. The second day we were in Curitiba, I found out that the local bar across the street had a brothel in the back. That was hard news considering the school I had just graduated from. We decided to do ministry there after hearing that no one had ever tried to before. We found out that it was a “neighborhood” bar so they usually didn't let people in who were not from that area. We actually saw them kicking people out. A small group of us would go over there, order cokes and just try to love the people there. At first it was awkward because we couldn't speak their language and we didn't really know how we were supposed to act. It ended up to be a total God thing. We didn't see any crazy things happen, but they told us that we were now friends and that we were welcome any time. I never did get to go into the brothel, but I feel so at peace about it. We had some really powerful prayer times over that building, and I know that God is doing something amazing there.
Our second destination was Barao de Cocais,”which literally means “the Godfather of the Coconuts”. We spent about three weeks there participating in an evangelistic crusade called Impact. A local church in the city puts this on twice a year. We partnered with about 300 other people. Some of them were from a Brazilian YWAM base, a local Methodist church and a Christian rehabilitation center for youth. Every day we would go out to a different neighborhood in the area and start with door-to-door evangelism. We would also invite everyone to a program that we would put on somewhere in that neighborhood. Then all of the different teams involved in Impact would perform dramas, preach and evangelize. We did this about every day and it was INCREDIBLE. We saw so many lives completely transformed by Jesus' love and in the end we counted about 600 people who got saved! The really cool thing is that every person who accepted Jesus was put in contact with a church for further community and discipleship. Our Father is so good! I have many beautiful stories of how faithful God was to our team and to all the Brazilians.
Our final location was Rio de Janeiro! We stayed on the outskirts of the city in a large warehouse-turned-church. We were there for the last 10 days of our Journey. We did ministry for children, preached and ran church services, worked with a YWAM base, Bible distribution, did work projects, and did ministry in the flavellas(slums). We saw many of the head drug lord's come to Christ, and we saw communities touched so evidently by Jesus' love! We were also able to see the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the entire city. It was glorious. All in all God moved so mightily in and through our team. For me personally, He taught me so much about what it means to truly be a servant leader. I learned that it doesn't always mean being the first to step out , but it also means to step back and allow others to learn. I learned what it means to be radiant for Jesus, to let my actions speak so much louder than mouth ever could. To love with all that I am even at the risk of getting hurt. And finally, to always be aware of what is going on. As my DTS speaker Dudley Weiner said, “Be a student of everything”. God challenged me, taught me, and revealed so many things to me in Brazil. I feel like He is starting to treat me like an adult and it's a little scary, but very exciting! Brazil is beautiful, and God is even more so. I hope this gave you a little glimpse at what God is doing in my life, and in the world internationally.
Though the road ahead may seem blurry, God has us in His hands. All we need to do is trust Him. He satisfies and He is enough. “ I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.” Psalm 52:8-9
My email is:katecouey@gmail.com If you need prayer, have questions or just want to talk, please email me! I love you all and I hope you are blessed in Jesus' name.
In His Service,
Kate Couey
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
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
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
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
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
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
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
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