A Week and a Half.

I have been here for just about a week and a half now...and I have had a lot of time to reflect on the reasons that I am here and the goals I have for this time. The first few weeks of being here have been about adjustment and integration into the base and the ministries here. I have come to be a part of the ministry PickaPocket in the cafe ['Viltnis] that they have in Herrnhut. However, I cannot start working in the cafe itself until I have my health permit, which I am scheduled to acquire on the 23rd. Until then, I can do odd jobs and help with little things like working the register and helping clean during closing at night.

In this extra time I have had, I have thought a lot about some of the things people asked me before I left. Someone said to me, "Two years is a long time (especially for someone your age). Why would you want to spend that time (a very key time in growing and maturing) with an organization that you have some disagreements with?"

First, a little context. YWAM Herrnhut, although it has flaws, has changed my life. I have learned so much and have grown so much from the awesome community and support it provides. I have never felt so encouraged in my faith, and I have never spent so much time in prayer and in the Word. That being said, the flaws have been apparent to me since the very beginning of my time there. Perhaps this was unique to my particular Discipleship Training School (the Marriage of the Arts) but there was a lack of doctrinal training. Many of the young adults that attend these DTS's are new christians, and therefore are void of the years of church that some of us were blessed with. Therefore, I believe a basic doctrinal foundation is imperative before anyone is to attempt to share God's love with the world. I believe God can work through anyone, but for the sake of the young adult, more knowledge and understanding would be so helpful. The other flaw I believe there is, is a lack of a church -- a lack of the true discipleship, eldership, preaching and teaching of a church. Maybe this is my traditional side peeking out, but I believe that in order to flourish, these things are important. 

So, why on earth would I want to spend TWO YEARS of my earthly existence working with this organization that has these flaws? Granted, these are pretty intense flaws, but...any organization I could join -- ANY organization that involves man -- will be flawed. Whether in a big way or in lots of small ways, there will always be flaws. Where there is man, there WILL be flaws. You can plan on that. All we can do is pray that we are walking in the direction that the Lord intends for us. I believe that if I had stayed home and gone to school, that as long as I am seeking Him, the Lord would have blessed me in that. I believe that if I had decided to partner with another organization, as long as I am seeking Him, the Lord would have blessed me in that. As long as we are seeking the Lord, and holding Him as the focus of our endeavors, I believe that he will bless us. And in walking towards Pickapocket of YWAM Herrnhut in the last few months, I have been so blessed. I prayed that if I was not in the Lord's will, that He would make it clear to me (as in door-slammed-shut and there-ain't-no-way-this-is-gonna-work). Although I came to a few minor road blocks, there was nothing that was impassible.

Also, lets step back for a minute, and reexamine the first segment of that question: "Two years is a long time (especially for someone your age)." This one is easy for me. I don't care what I am doing with ANY of my life. I really don't. I hold no importance in this world. NONE at all. Indeed, I want to be successful in the conventional sense, but the most important thing to me, is being in the will of the Lord, serving people, and sharing the love of the Lord. This can look different for each person. For some, this looks like staying stationary, for some it means constantly being on the move. We are all a different part of the body of Christ. Each part of the body has a different function, and we must each be functioning together, for the body to be mobile. So no, two years is not a long time to me, and I am not going to hold such importance in my time here on earth. I pray that others will receive freedom from earthly convention and expectations. Yes, I am only 19 years old. I am fairly well travelled for my age. I am still growing and maturing, and I hope I never enter into a phase of my life that I am NOT growing and maturing. I am excited for the things that the Lord has prepared for me. 

So I guess that may be one of the only serious blog posts. If anyone has ANY questions for me, please do not hesitate to email or message them to me!! I love being challenged and being pushed to formulate an opinion or a response to a comment or question. I love it.

Marlies Appel

www.facebook.com/marlies.appel

m.e.appel194@gmail.com