Back in Switzerland: Promises

It's great to be back in Lausanne! I've been here for nearly two months. I missed living on the base here and the beautiful city of Lausanne. I missed the walks in the woods and the view of the mountains. Last month, the staff all had a chance to go on a staff retreat in Leissigen; a beautiful spot near Interlaken. We spent a weekend there, enjoying the area, good food, and each other's company, attending sessions about leadership and where we need to be at, personally, as we lead. It was a peaceful getaway with sunny weather and only the sound of cowbells to accompany it.

That, however, is the only traveling we have had time for since. The Discipleship Training School that I'm staffing started over a month ago and it has been very busy, but absolutely incredible. I love all of the students, along with my lovely staff team. Just within the seven of us leading, Egypt, Korea, Indonesia, India, and the States are all represented. This is the beautiful diversity of YWAM. Within our group of 23 students, there are, I believe, 12 nationalities represented. Along with ethnic and national diversity, there is also a wide range of personalities, gifts, and backgrounds. Something that I've always found wonderful about YWAM is that it brings people together who otherwise would likely have no association with one another. These unlikely friendships often end up being the richest and most fulfilling.

We've gone through several topics over the past few weeks: Hearing God's Voice, Discipleship, Fear of the Lord, and The Father Heart of God. Even though I went through each of these topics myself, as a student, over two years ago, it has still been so valuable for me to sit in every lecture again; revisiting these topics as a person who has grown and matured, spiritually. I am in such a different place than I was then, and there are new dimensions and meanings for all of it for me.

It is so interesting to me how my relationship with God has evolved. The way that he speaks to me has changed. It is less often a big and dramatic thing -- which, by his grace, it really was when I first began with him--and more often so integrated with my own thoughts that it is an innate part of who I am and how I live. It is not that he is distant, which it felt like, to me, at one point. It is that he expects me, at this point, to be close enough and intimate enough with him to hear the more quiet voice. This really requires me to be more diligent and disciplined, spiritually. It has also required me to train my mind more to be aligned with his; perfectly and sincerely ready to listen (which is not always the case, but I can tell when it is not.) Within this past month, God has been kind enough to reaffirm to me that we are closer now than we ever have been before. He has reminded me, in this newer form of communication, of promises and clear direction that he had given me in my own DTS back in 2016. He has assured me that he stands by what he said and has given me clarity on how to move forward in that with my future. To confirm this, he has spoken in other ways, to bless others, which were undeniably him, confirmed by those he spoke to through me. This way, he simultaneously encouraged me and others, through me, because he is cool like that. It was sort of his way of saying "You can see that I'm speaking to you, and in the same exact way that I spoke these things to you, I have spoken to you about the future. You can trust what I've said."

Anyway, it has been such a joy to invest in all of the students here and to see how much they have grown in just this first month. They have opened up quite a bit to each other and to us, pursuing God and learning a lot. I have actually never seen a DTS group this open-hearted and open-minded. They are not afraid to ask difficult questions, which I love. Thinking critically is such a crucial part of understanding your own faith; understanding who God is, who you are, and what that means.

We have a lot of fun, as a group. A lot of laughter, music, sitting around fires, and games. On the weekends, some will even take the chance to visit surrounding areas, which are beautiful, as we are right in the center of Europe in an ideal location for day trips or weekend trips.

Last weekend, a group of us went to Bern to participate in A21's Walk for Freedom, an event designed to raise awareness about human slavery/trafficking. It was a silent walk in a single file line; the dress code being all black with the A21 T-shirt. It was really powerful and a joy to participate in. Many walks were taking place around the world that day and a lot of money was raised for a good cause. People are often

unaware of the severity of it, even in the Western world, and only 1% of trafficking victims are rescued.

A couple of days later, we had a time of intercessory prayer for trafficking around the world; particularly in the nations that are represented in our group. We had two circles of prayer that people could move back and forth between: One for victims of trafficking and one for those who are responsible for the trafficking. I had, of course, prayed for those enslaved, many times before. My heart breaks for them. I had never, however, thought to pray for traffickers before. Even those who we consider the most evil are loved by God and can receive his forgiveness. It was a sight to behold: young men and women weeping for the souls of human traffickers. Ultimately, the tragic reality of trafficking begins in the hearts of these people--people who do not see or understand the value of human life.

We prayed for their eyes to be opened and for them to understand what they have done; but also that they could still, even in the weight of the guilt that would come with it, find hope in forgiveness and see a future. Many, I think, would call us extremely naive. I'm used to that by now though. It is a label that is often associated with faith. We, however, are called to pray and believe even for what seems impossible.

I'm really excited for what is next! Our outreach locations and teams were just finalized. If you want to know what they are, you can join my newsletter list to receive regular updates: less about me and more about the school and the ministry. We have two more months of the lecture phase before the outreach begins.

The Autumn season here is beautiful and is the first that I have ever truly experienced, growing up on the coast of California for my entire life. The misty woods behind the base provide the perfect place to walk through and enjoy the yellows, reds, and oranges of the season, as leaves gently fall to the earth. I just love experiencing new things, of all sorts, both big and small. It is so funny to me to think that in all of my life I had never seen this sort of thing. There are always so many new sights to see and opportunities to grab unto. I am so young and have so much to do. I can feel overwhelmed, at times, but more than that I feel hopeful. I am excited for the promises of God. He has always kept them, so far. I know that he will not stop now. I'm living my best life and I love it.

Thank you so much for reading! email me at emkathey@gmail.com if you would like to support me or hear more about what I'm doing, through updates. I will hopefully actually start posting pictures and brief updates on instagram as well (@elvishem). Have a lovely day!

-- Emily Kathey

#travel #living #spiritual #switzerland