Dear Family and friends,
Hello from Iceland!
My first two months of Discipleship Training School have been more than I could have expected!
We students spend most of our time in Cafe Rot, the coffee shop run by YWAM in Reykjavik. I work in the cafe as a barrista which is an excellent way of getting to know the people who come in for coffee. There are a lot of teenagers who come in everyday from opening to closing time, so I have built some really good relationships with some of them.
One of our regulars named "Smurfy" (I can't pronounce his real name, but everyone calls him Smurfy) , told us one day that the reason why he came in to the Cafe everyday is because he feels genuinely loved and cared about here, while most people just think of him as "weird". I have been praying for Smurfy since I met him, and one night me and my friend Simon asked if we could pray for him and he agreed. I got to witness him invite Christ into his life! He is still struggling with a lot, but i have seen Smurfy's change in his face. I can see real joy in his face for the first time.
Twice a week we have a Teen Center in the basement of Cafe Rot. We simply invite teens to come and we play cards, watch movies, play music with them, and talk and listen to them. Just love on them. There is a lot of depression and drug use in Reykjavik, so I think one of the the best things we do here is provide a safe, drug free place for these teens to hang out and be loved and listened to.
I have learned an incredible amount in the past two months of lecture phase. God has been tearing out old beliefs of mine and lies which I believed about myself, and building up boldness and confidence in my true identity which is hidden in Christ. This whole process has been painful at times, but Christ has shown me that this is what the transformation of my mind looks like.
One of the things God has been teaching lately is to always come back to the simplicity of my faith in Christ. Our whole mission and reason for being on this earth is simply to love people; sacrificially, unconditionally, and unyieldingly. We are not here to create converts but to appeal to people's souls by Christ's love through us. To be the Kingdom of Heaven and present to everyone as it is, with its irresistible love and peace and hope.
Some of you have probably heard that our DTS team has decided to go to Kenya, Africa for outreach! We will leave on January 5th for Nairobi and stay there until mid February. In Nairobi we will be working with ministries already in the city and visiting the slums on the out skirts of Nairobi. We will be planning activities with the kids there and just playing with them. We will also be working a lot with people who have AIDS. Encouraging them, praying for them and with them, and just letting them know that they are truly loved.
After the first month in Nairobi we will start moving around to different , smaller cities around Kenya. In one city we will help build a school, and work with some ministries which we have connections with. We still do not have a ton of details about everything we will do in Kenya, but everywhere we go we will be salt and a light to the people around us simply by carrying the hope, joy, and love which we have from Christ. I am Incredibly excited to see everything Christ will do through us!
Obviously, our outreach to Kenya will cost money. With plane tickets, housing, food, and transportation, I need still about $1,200
However, God provided all of my lecture phase fee , and I am completely confident that He will provide the everything that I need! We have a good Father!
If any of you would like to donate towards my outreach you can send checks or cash to the address below, or just give it to MariLynn or Richard Ross and they will make sure it gets to me.
More importantly than money, I need prayer support. I have seen in the past couple months how important it it for us as a team, to be covered in prayer. I am so thankful to those who have prayed for me while I am in Iceland! I have seen so much blessing and providence because of it.
Specific things to pray for are: finances to come in for everyone on the team, for Cafe Rot and the ministry here, for the teens who come in , to break the strongholds of depression, drugs, alcohol, sex abuse, apathy, and hopelessness which are so strong in the city of Reykjavik. Also for Smurfy, that he will be completely healed and for strength.
Revival in Iceland is not going to start in the churches, but in coffee houses like Cafe Rot and in the one-on-one conversations, and in the arts, and in the restoration of the family, and in relentless, steady, unchanging love.
Thank you all , again, for your love and support! Both in prayer and financially. Your e-mails and facebook messages have been really encouraging! I love and miss you all so much! If you would like more regular updates, you can visit my blog at:
youthwithamission.blogspot.com
In Love,
Nicholaus Ross
INFORMATION:
Nicholaus Ross
1314 Newman Avenue
Nashville, TN 37216
Please make checks either payable directly to me
or, if you prefer, make your check payable to:
“Priest Lake Christian Fellowship”.
Please indicate “Nick Ross YWAM” on the check. Thanks
E-mail: john.nicholaus@gmail.com
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