Hello everyone!!!!
Merry Christmas!!! I'm in Cambodia right now. It's been almost three weeks. I cant believe time has gone by so fast! Right now its "cold"season but to me its pretty hot still! We are all staying at the YWAM base and have been making friends with all the staff. Our ministries are so exciting! We get to be involved with amazing things here. I go every Monday,Thursday and Friday Mornings ( 9-12)with two of my students to the Village to teach English and bible stories to kids. We have so much fun teaching there, we all play soccer when the lesson is over. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (9-12) I go to an orphanage and play with the kids and have bible lessons too. In the evenings after lunch I teach two English classes at the youth center. I teach level 2 and level 9 English. We have a big test next week!!! (:

The students are involved with allot more ministries during the week.
Cambodia has been wonderful!!! I love riding my bike through Battambang to grab a coconut or a fried banana! Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
Thank you for all your prayers and support!
Carrianne

Hello friends and family,

I am leaving in two days for three whole months!!!!

Yes, can you believe it's time for outreach!This Fall school has been amazing but has also gone by so fast. Our flight leaves Monday morning and we will be making a pit stop to Bangkok for one night ( I'm so excited I get to see some of my friends) Then we will be busing it over the boarder to Cambodia and staying at the YWAM base there for 2 months. We will work with YWAM and help teach English, play sports with kids and possible some flood relief stuff, since allot of south east Asia is flooded. On my birthday (Jan 22) We will be busing it over the boarder again ( different one though) to Vietnam and will stay in Saigon for a week then fly to Hanoi for the rest of the month!!!! I'll let you know what we do in Vietnam after we return safely (;

I'm so excited. Please be praying for our team(:

Love Carrianne

See you all in February !

Happy Christmas, new years,my birthday and valentines day!!! (:

November 1st

Hello all!

Everything with the DTS is going great. We are in our 8th week of lecture phase and we only have a month left before we leave for outreach. I’ve been really busy with the school and being in charge of communication and scheduling the Vietnam part of outreach.

Please keep me in your prayers. I am in need of the financial support of our outreach plane tickets.

Also my room mate Laura is getting married and will be moving out in April , so I am looking for more support so that I can hopefully live on my own in my apartment still.

I leave with my 9 students and 2 other staff to Cambodia  and Vietnam on November 28th until February 16th Please keep me in your prayers !!!!!

I  thank you all for your love, encouragement, support and prayers…I can not do this mission work without you all.

Carrianne

God speaks but are we always willing to listen?

God's been doing some really awesome things in my life! So last week the speaker spoke on the character and nature of God. In this time God put on my heart to do a DTS equip. (which is a secondary school that teaches you to lead outreaches ..) I would have to leave my home (San Francisco) yet again for two more months. It feels like I just came back from two months over seas and now I'm leaving on another outreach in November for three months and God's trying to tell me to leave yet again for two more months.... come on God , I live here now!!! I have an apartment. church , friends and a community here. Well it's not all about me. God spoke to me during a lecture about sacrificing and giving something up to serve the Lord. Right then and there I felt like God was saying give up you " rights" and where I call you is your home. WOW... did that hit me... it was like the speaker was talking to only me!!! I gave my "home" up to God right there and then and went and told my directer , Steve that I was interested in the DTS equip. He was very excited and later told me that he's been praying for me and hoping that God would put that on my heart so I would be the one that would want to do a DTS equip. The next day I went out to coffee with my other Leader, Jason. I shared with him what God was speaking to me and how I am interested in doing a DTS equip to further my knowledge on how to lead DTS'. He was so excited and said that he had been praying for me because he wanted me to start LEADING outreaches to Thailand next Fall and that the DTS equip would help me and was a conformation to his prayers.

It's so amazing how God works. I am still blown away by all of this. ....but wait there's more.....

Steve pulled me aside later that day and told me that him and Jason talked and how he was really excited that God was speaking to all three of us about the same thing. Well he then went on to say what usually happens if your getting ready to staff an outreach is to lead a whole week by your self overseas .....That's kinda coming up in NOVEMBER!!!!! So, I will be in charge of planning the whole Vietnam part of outreach , flights,transportation, living arrangements and all of ministry and then for a week I will lead it by my self. I am really nervous and kinda scared by I know God's totally got my back.

It reminds me of when Moses took his people out of Egypt and when they started crying out to God when the Egyptians were coming after them. God said why are you standing there??... I've got your back , go forward!!!!! That's how I picture it, Gods saying I have your back just GO FORWARD!!!! I guess I'm in shock that all of this is happening so fast and all I had to do was trust God and let go of the things that I needed to give to Him...

This week we are reading about Joshua and Caleb how they had faith to come back to Moses and say we can take over the promise land... we can do this... and the 10 didn't want to face the giants and stay where they were content.... they weren't willing to go forward and they didn't have enough faith to believe and fallow where God is telling them to go. I am really nervous about the BIG plans God has for me in leading outreaches but do I have enough faith like Joshua and Caleb to go forward and trust in God????
YESSSSSS ! I am believing and TRUSTING and its going to be GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Please keep me in your prayers!!!!

Carrianne Barr

Friends!
I hope everyone is doing wonderful!
I am drinking a nice cold diet coke so I'm doing amazing! My friend who comes in to the base from time to time knows some of the girls like diet coke and buys us some every Friday, he likes to call it DC! hhaha..thought I would add that for fun.

I just got back from being in my friends wedding! It was a beautiful wedding at that! She has been one of my good friends (and supporters) for years. It was such a blessing to be able to be there for her on her special day and be a part of it as well. Her wonderful Aunt and Cousin picked me up on there way to Morgan hill 3 times for things like the wedding shower, bachelorette party and the actual wedding.... BIG thanks to them for the love and rides! (:

The DTS started on Monday. Alissa and I spent ALL day on Sunday picking people up from the airport...and when I say all day I mean from 8am-1am at night....driving around in circles at the airport!....we kinda lost a student...not really, she took a taxi to the base and spent the night here at YWAM SF but we didn't know and therefore we spent most of the night looking for her. I hate the airport now!!!! haha but this week has been fun introducing the students to the Tenderloin and letting them in on all the whats and what-nots to do!
We have 10 students . 5 girls and 5 guys ...first time its been even and not more girls. They all are very nice and I'm excited to see what God has in store for both them and myself!
Tomorrow I'm teaching on intercession and prayer walk!
(: Hope all is well!

Publish Post

Can you believe that September is coming up? I am writing a quick update on my lunch break so it wont be that long just wanted to make sure everyone knew whats going on ! (:

Last week was our staff retreat. We had Monday off and spent Tuesday meeting with our ministry's praying and fellow shipping ( we also ate lunch at a Thai restaurant YUM!) Wednesday we went to Tilden park in Berkeley and swam in the lake, played catch and some card games. Some staff left with a couple bee stings but all together it was a fun day!During the week we also had a couple speakers come and talk to us.

All this week we will be preparing for the Fall DTS to come, they get here Sept 12th. (:

We have as for right now 9 students and hopefully 10 by the time the school starts!

I'm getting excited ..... yay!!!!!!

Okay hope you all have a wonderful week, im a little sick but hopefully ill feel better by tomorrow

Carrianne

DTS= look upwards, inwards and outwards.

 

Hello everyone.

Well our two weeks of  DTS training is over. I am excited for the next school to start. It's coming up pretty quick. We still have allot to do to prepare for their arrival but that usually doesn't happen until the week before they come! They should be getting here on September 12th. So far we have ten wonderful students. The last winter school was my first school ever that I helped staff. I know that God has grown me so much since then and showed me allot about myself. I am not worried about staffing this next school but really excited about what God's going to teach me next ! Please be praying for these ten students that God will prepare their hearts for what He's about to show them and what they are going to experience. I cant wait to walk along side of these students and grow while they grow. (:

Carrianne Barr

Matt 28:18-20

“Did you know that 98% of San Francisco does NOT go to church…..and that’s on EASTER Sunday.”

August 3 2011

Family,

Thank you all for committing longer with me in my ministry. It has been an amazing two years here in San Francisco serving the Lord and I love what God has in store for me. Working with DTS is very different from the youth in Mission Adventures and Traveling can be hard sometimes also, leaving your home that you have here to go away for two months. Don’t get me wrong going to places like Italy and Thailand is very wonderful but it is hard not having your own bed and living with 19 students. (: I love this life that Jesus has planned for me and I couldn’t be happier serving Him in a beautiful city.

Just a couple weeks ago Laura and I got invited to our friend’s birthday party. He was turning 35 years old and is a strong believer in the Lord. He loves going to his church in concord and telling others about Jesus. He also stops by the YWAM base to say hi to everyone because as he said in his testimony at his birthday party a couple weeks ago YWAM changed his life. He used to be a drug dealer outside of YWAM and he lived in San Francisco in a not so good lifestyle. He started coming into the Base and made friends with all the staff, there he gave his life to the Lord and stopped selling drugs and instead went to church and then school and now he’s a big shot at the place he works. He thanked Laura and I at his birthday party for loving the people that come into the YWAM base and showing God’s love. I felt like a movie star as he introduced us to all his family and church friends. It’s so easy to forget the lives that have changed because of our drop in center/ YWAM base. You sometimes get caught up in seeing the same old faces that come in everyday and the hopelessness in that but it was such a beautiful reminder that God does change lives and He did call YWAM to be in the Tenderloin and that He did call me to do missions in San Francisco.

It’s such a blessing to have friends that support me in something like this. I have enjoyed my time off in July to connect with some of you and see my family. Since the beginning of January I had been working the school and it ended 6 months later. This September I will be starting another school that will go until the end of February so July was pretty much my only time “off” to visit. But what’s time “off” when you’re serving the Lord (; I will update my blog every month (or try to) so please make sure you check it out. It might be my only communication to all you lovely supporters.

Thank you and much love and gratitude.

Carrianne Barr

 

 

Purpose and Outcomes of DTS approved by YWAM's GLT August 25, 2001

1. To GATHER and CHALLENGE people to worship, listen to and obey God, releasing them (in the context of the DTS) to serve through evangelism, intercession, acts of compassion and other expressions of God's heart for the world, possibly even pioneering new ministries.
2. To INSPIRE and CULTIVATE growth in one's relationship with God resulting in Christ like character, which is based on a solid Biblical foundation, the work of the Holy Spirit and the personal application of Biblical truth, especially concerning God's Character, the Cross and empowering Grace.
3. To SHARPEN one's ability to relate to, learn from and work with people, including those of different cultures, personalities and perspectives.
4. To further EQUIP each one to serve God's purposes either in or outside of YWAM Family of Ministries, strengthening a commitment to reach the lost, especially the unreached, to care for the poor, and to influence all areas of society.
5. To IMPART the vision and foundational values of Youth With A Mission International as well as that of the host operating location and to provide information regarding a variety of opportunities for service.

The DTS aims to graduate students ...

• with a growing understanding of the breadth and depth of God’s character and ways
• who are becoming more like Jesus in the way they relate to God and people
  who increasingly cooperate with the empowering presence of the endwelling Holy Spirit
• who listen to and obey God as the result of God’s enabling Grace
• who search the Scripture in such a way that transforms beliefs, values and behaviors
• with strengthened lifestyles of worship, intercession and spiritual warfare
• with a greater ability to work with others, especially those different to themselves
• who can share the Gospel with the lost and have a life long commitment to do so
  with a commitment to continue to be involved in some way with God’s work among the nations, including unreached people, the poor and needy and in spheres of society
• who understand the calling and values of YWAM and are aware of a variety of opportunities available to them throughout YWAM
• with a clearer understanding of God’s purposes for their life and a sense of their life direction
• who either:
• go on to serve God in either a context familiar or foreign to them
• pursue further training (in or outside of YWAM) to equip them for further service.

Hello everyone!
This week I started work again, we are in DTS staff training. Yesterday Breanna and I had ministry evangelism together. As we were walking down on Market we pasted by a flower stand with beautiful sunflowers. We thought how wonderful would that be to bless someone with a sunflower. We bought one and walked down to the piers. We saw a lady sitting by herself on a bench and felt like God wanted me to talk with her... just so happened shes visiting from Milan , Italy and I just came from there!!! We talked a bit and took our blessing but because she was touring San Francisco all day didn't accept the flower. So we had to find another person to bless! we came across another lady who was from Canada and Breanna talked with her, just so happened Breanna just came from Canada! God works in so many ways. They both were so excited that god had told us to bless someone with a flower and with only ONE flower we were able to bless two people (:
God's so cool like that!

Overseas DTS outreach and such...

Hello all,

I am in Gilroy right now visiting my wonderful friends and family! I cant believe its July already. This year has flown by so fast, maybe that has something to do with being overseas for two of those months but just as well it’s already been two years last month that I committed to YWAM. I know most of you know but I will be signing up for another two year commitment. I will be sending each one of my lovely supporters a nice letter so be looking for that in the mail (:

I bet most of you want to hear about my time over seas and how staffing this DTS went….lets just say God really grew me and I have learned so much.

One huge thing that I am so proud to share is that I really came to realized that God is my beloved and even if I fail or mess up He is never going to love me any less and I only grow in the hard times. Before I started DTS ( not trying to sound pompous) I was always good at what I did and I did my “jobs” well: AWANA, In N Out Burger,Mission Adventures and so on, but always learning new things. Going into DTS was a lot harder; you help disciple students and point them in Gods direction. But when things get hard, and you have 19 students that aren't all at the same stages of growth, you might blame yourself or even think that you failed at times… Well, I know this is simple, but Jesus will always love you and He is there holding you up. And where some things that I wasn’t always good at may have crushed me before, but I really accepted that doing a good job isn't where my value is- it's in Jesus. Now that I have realized that, even when something isn't always perfect, I know that I have to put my value in Jesus and not always being perfect, because I will fail, but Jesus won't let that crush who I am. :)

Wow…. now that I shared just a snip-it of what I learned, I’ll share with you what our team did in Turkey and Italy!

We left for Istanbul, Turkey in the beginning of April. Half the team stayed in Altintepe and half in Kadikoy, which is about a 45 minutes drive in a blue bus. We did a lot of things separate from each other (our two groups) that just worked out better for transportation costs. Our team was staying in an apartment that our local missionary's there supplied for us. In Turkey, the people are very quiet, and most of them are Muslim, so about seven times a day the ‘call to prayer’ would go off. In every neighborhood throughout Turkey there were Mosques that played the‘call to prayer’ and it would last about five minutes or so. So we had to be extra quiet in the apartment we stayed at, and even on the streets and buses when the ‘ call to prayer’ would sound. We did a lot of English teachings,random park ministry and visited the gypsies, café and university ministry's where we met a lot of people and built wonderful friendships with people working there and studying. But most of our time was spent doing a city prayer walk over all of Istanbul!!! We really wanted to walk all through Istanbul proclaiming Jesus' city back, and we did! It took us about 3 weeks , 8 hours a day sometimes, but man was it worth it. We ended on one of the Island mountains and worshiped and sang for Jesus, which was amazing because you can't mention God, Jesus or anything like that. We also got the opportunity on Easter to climb that same hill and help pass out tracks and Bibles in Turkish. You can only do this once a year, and that day is very huge for all Turkish people. So many Turks come from all over to go to the island and pray to the gods and get luck for things. They take thread and walk up the hill and how far you go before it runs out is how much luck they get. We were so blessed to be a part of this special time that only happens once a year and the missionary's there plan for all year long. We handed out so many Bibles and some people were able to talk to the local missionary's there and ask questions about Jesus and such. It was a wonderful month in Turkey and God did some amazing things there.

*Going up the hill to handout tracks and there’s so much thread everywhere.

Rome and Milan, Italy!

Here are some FUN pictures. Colliseum, Gelato, Travi of love fountain and the lie telling mouth!…Just some famous things of Roma that I wanted to share first!

Roma was amazing, so many beautiful, artistic buildings and statues. I could have stayed there for the whole month. (: Everywhere we went was beautiful, so I felt like a tourist, but we did a lot of prayer mapping, walking around all of Rome and writing down what the certain areas were about and what churches we saw and things like that. We also Prayer walked and did a lot of piazza ministries, and the guys got to do stuff with the refugees. The piazza ministries were my favorite. They are all so beautiful and I made a lot of friendships with the guys selling things. One man that my group and I made friends with makes necklaces from peoples names out of wire. At our last day he made me one (: I love it! We had pizza every day for lunch and our team took turns cooking different kinds of pasta for dinner.

*At the piazza where we did our ministry at.

* My cowboy and necklace friend !

MILAN!!!! We actually stayed in this little town next to Milan.

We took a train to Milan and only half the team went and the other half went to Aquaveva. We slept in a tent outside behind the church and was greeted with the friendliest bunch of Italians ever! People from the church took us to their homes to take showers and they cooked for us. It was amazing- REAL Italian food! A team from Australia and a crazy bunch of Brazilians were there to help with this 5 day event. We started out with 24 hour prayer and fast. We took teams out and prayed for the whole town, walking up and down each street praying all hours of the night for each home. Then the next day we started knocking on doors, inviting them to the concerts and events that night that we were having at different piazzas and at the church. It was an amazing 5 day event! They really know how to celebrate 30 years at that church!!!! That was only the first five days there... the rest of the time we took trips into Milan and prayer walked and talked to people in the Piazzas. We also spent a lot of time getting to know the youth of the church. We were the first team that really connected with them, and when it was time to leave, it really was hard for all of us to say good bye! I wouldn’t mind sleeping on folding lawn chairs or going days without a shower again just to visit and reconnect with all our Italian friends some day! It was a wonderful blessing to be welcomed by the church, and because of our stay, they are looking into hosting more YWAMer's there in the future, and investing in a better place for the teams to take showers and sleep, but I didn’t mind so much!!! (:

after a long day (:

We returned to the US at the beginning on June and spent another month on outreach here in San Francisco. We stayed at the Hunter's Point House and had different ministries throughout the city. We really made a lot of friendships through our ‘park ministries, and got to try out new ways to connect better with the different types of people living in the city! The students graduated last Thursday and even though it was sad to say our goodbyes, I really am excited to see what they do next. For the students, DTS isn't the end, but just a stepping stone- the beginning of what God wants them to do. It was my first Discipleship Training School that I helped to lead, and I really learned a lot myself. God is so good. Right before I left for my outreach, Laura (my YWAM roommate) and I moved into our own apartment in the Tenderloin area, just a couple of blocks from the base, and I am looking forward to setting up and spending some time there during my time off before beginning my ministry again!

Thank you for helping me be a part of discipling these young men and woman who are choosing to go out and follow what God has in store for them. It really was an amazing 6 months and God did AWESOME stuff. Of course I couldn’t write all of what happened while we were overseas, so if you have questions or want to hear more, I will have a little more free time for a couple of weeks, as we have a few ‘staff recovery’ weeks. (: Funny!!!

Okay have a wonderful summer, and if you are ever in San Francisco, please give me a call, I'd love to see you and show you around the base and introduce you to some of the wonderful people I work with and serve!

Love, Carrianne

Just some Turkey pictures to get us started (:

Famous mosque in Istanbul, Turkey!

Some wonderful Turkish ladies we met and had tea with

Mina and myself at the famous bull in Kadikoy

The DTS staff enjoying some good dessert at one of the many staff meetings

The team worshiping on the island hill after our Istanbul city prayer walk

I'm back in San Francisco!

I just spent the last two months in Istanbul, Turkey and Italy, Rome&Milan! They were both amazing in their own ways. I am still on outreach here. Theres a couple groups doing ministry and my group is doing all sorts of crazy stuff. We have only done one day so far but I am still very busy and living at the YWAM house in Hunters point.

I would love to write all about the outreach overseas, so when I have about five days to process and write about two months worth of GOD stuff I will get right back on here to update you all!!!!!

Love you all and I'm so glad to be back. (:

Hello Family, Can you believe our Winter DTS is on our 7th week.??? I cant, and I'm working the school.(:

Well we leave in less then a month for Rome and Turkey, wow!! I will be over seas from April 6th-June 11th and then we have a month of San Francisco outreach in the city, we are looking into all 23 ( this doesn't count Jason and Justine and the new born babe) of us living in Bay view, Hunters point which will be really nice to have the team together under one roof after being over seas.

This school hasn't been easy, I didn't know that I was pretty much doing another DTS!!! Who knew God was going to bring up so much in my life as well as the students!!! It's been so awesome but also hard . I have four girls that each week I do One on One's with and a small group , along with class time and staff meetings! It's sometimes hard manging my time. But God is showing me allot through all of this. I think our hardest week as a team was Dow's week on "hearing God's voice" This week is so powerful for the students because they learn how to hear God's voice and the enemy I guess doesn't like that very much- that week we had 2 students in the hospital, a uncle die, 2 grandparents get diagnosed with cancer and my daddy have two heart attacks. But the enemy didn't win, we learned so much more that week and it was so amazing to see everyone come together in times of prayer and intercession with Jesus!! The next week was learning about Spiritual warfare...go figure!!! (: Last week Jerry came and taught on forgiveness, forgiving others and forgiving yourself. Almost all the students went up in front of everyone and confessed sins to Jesus and Forgave people ... doing this in front of 3 or more , let alone the whole class was very hard but I am very proud of everyone who stood before the Lord to do these things. We all felt so much better after that and so much lighter, Jesus really does forgive us and He loves us that much!!!! AND that is why peter came this week to talk about the CROSS!!!! How powerful this subject is. He just finished his book that he's been threatening to publish for years now. It's a book about his fathers story and .... well its just such a wonderful book. I think everyone needs to hear this story and so I am putting his website on here in case you wanna check it out!!! http://www.outofthefarcorners.com/

God is so good!!! I cant stop thanking Him for everything he does!!! (:

Prayer requests:

Looking for a new apartment, same rent or cheaper!!! YWAM encourages us to move off base so there is plenty of room for new staff! Please be praying that Laura and I find one in the Tenderloin for a GOOD deal ! (: heheh

Also for Outreach funds!!! (:

God bless!!!

Carrianne

January 20 2011

Hello dear friends!
I am SO excited for DTS to start! Can you believe all my 19 students come this Monday???!!
It's going to be such a good time, not just for the students to grow but for me as well! (: I cant wait! They will be here for 3 1/2 months during our lecture phase, where speakers from all over the world teach on different subjects.2 months over seas , where our focus for winter school is Turkey and Rome and then when we return one last month of outreach in our home sweet home of San Francisco! Yesterday we prayed over the 12 girls to see who of our 4 girl staff would take on in the small group times. We all prayed and re-prayed and finally picked our ' small group' girls. I have 4 lovely girls that I will have in my small groups which means every week ( besides class time and ministry time) I will have a special time set aside for each girl, we call this our ' one on one's' and hopefully I will be there for them whenever and grow along side them. But I am still looking forward in getting to know our other 15 students as well.

We went to Target and Chinatown to get welcome gifts for all the students! We bought San Francisco mugs filled with candy and a little cute something inside. Color crayons and two color books for each room and lets just say a tub of cheese balls was a wonderful add to the welcome gifts!!! (:

Well lately in the Ellis room (our drop in center) there has been allot less fighting, and Laura thinks that's because they know almost everyone that comes in! Which is wonderful because they are therefore respecting us here. The Ellis room is understaffed which makes it allot harder on them. sadly one of our staff, Adam is leaving for home to work off his debts he has from school. I know the Ellis room will detriment from that.

Our dear friend David who comes into the Ellis room recently committed his life to the Lord. He is in our awesome 360 program and I thought it would be awesome to have him just write a little about how its going and what he's been doing !!!!
Enjoy!
LOVE ALWAYS, Carrianne

"Its been great and hard at the same time I've learned how to love people the way Jesus must have had to because its not easy sitting in a class with each other when your frustrated and angry with most of your class mates. But we are all helping each other when we are at our lowest or dealing with personal challenges by praying for one another" - David S.

January 2011

Happy new year everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed the Holiday season! I know I had a wonderful time!

Christmas eve my parents picked me up (aren't they awesome) and we went to Christmas eve dinner at my aunts house. It was so exciting to see everyone. All the cousins got a cute little basket full of cookies for Christmas! (: I had a great Christmas at my parents house and we enjoyed Christmas dinner at Denny's... don't judge! It was a wonderful Holiday grand slam!(: heheh!

I had a whole week of Christmas vacation spent at home with friends and family! It was really good spending some time with my nephews and getting to know Tyler, he's three and can say my name perfect!

I got to bring in the new year with some friends and make soap ...new years eve soap with my mom...it was really exciting!
Just a heads up my birthday is coming up.....Jan 22, so mark your calenders...I'll be having a post up in a couple of days telling what I would like! HAHAHa Just kidding! The DTS school starts Jan 24Th so that's coming up and I'm so happy! YAY!
<-- This is a peppermint chocolate shake for Christmas! Yummy

Thank you to all my friends and family who helped make my week joyful and fun.