What is the most important?

Friendships are deepening, understanding and patience with the Czechs is also growing. 

It's hard to measure what I have learned of the language, but it is none the less valuable for it. 

 I think what has been the most significant in the last year, is the spiritual side, praying into change, asking for this safe house to be established, and worshiping Him, because Jesus is worthy to be worshiped here.  I know that that is what He wants from the Czech people, and He wants it from me too, and not losing sight of that is close to my heart and truly a life goal. 

New apartments

I have moved apartments, and am now in the hub of things. Hospitality is easier here as I have easy access to both the YWAM apartments. This would be a good time to point out if you are interested in visiting me, that this is very possible and I would be pleased to show you around and also get you involved in some kind of ministry if you are interested. 

 The apartment had not had anyone living in it permanently since it had been redone, so I have taken on the challenge of making it a bit homier. hanging some of my art work and such. 

Loving from the strength of the Fathers heart

"It must be so hard to see all that you see." Often people say this to me, and it's true.

It's heart wrenching to engage with the hurt of the people around you. The Father can handle it though, and he is showing me how to partner with His heart. 

 I know a girl who's name means hope, and she is one of the hard ones to watch, hard to engage with because her life reeks of pain and disappointment.

 One night I felt myself putting up a wall, I did not want to really think about how much she must be hurting, I wanted to ignore her, I was tired and did not think I would have anything to give anyways, though because I knew she was why I was here, and that the Father saw her, as she was, valuable, so much more valuable than she had ever known, I took the paints out of my bag and painted something for her on the spot. 

I painted an orange bird in a nest with the light of the morning pouring through the surrounding branches.  I had a translator explain that I wanted her to have it and that I hoped it would remind her that the Lord wants to be her refuge.

 She was more quiet and peaceful than I had ever seen her as she studied that painting close to her nose. She really did appreciate it, and while I have not seen her set free from her state of mind or addictions,  I call out to the Lord for her by name, I ask that she would see hope, that spiritual bonds around her life would be broken and that a place for her, a safe home would be able to take her in. 

 Though I have not seen a miracle in her life or in the life of many others, I recognize the miracle of functioning out of the love of the father. It would be too much to hear the stories of these girls, to hear how children have died and take those burdens upon myself, but as I listen, I can let the Father take the burdens, letting my heart be strengthened to feel the pain, strengthened as I let Jesus love through me. That is a miracle that Jesus is firmly establishing in my life.   

Kristen and Kwok Ng

Halleluja! Jesus is bringing the team together!

After much prayer and trusting, God brought these two lovely people into my life. 

Kristen and I met up in June after Paul's wedding, where we both spent a few days pouring out our dreams and convictions of how the safe house/home should run, as well as the team. 

Kristen is a 27 year old YWAMer from Arizona who along side her 37 year old Chinese husband Kwok have had some good expiriance working with broken people, even having had two trafficked victims live in their home. 

Kristen and Kwok have commited to joining me in opening the safe house which we very much hope will be running in 2016. We are going to start looking at housing and seeing what the Lord would have us do as a team, a team that needs to grow close to eachother and most of all to the Lord.

Thank you every one who prayed this couple into my life!

~Katrina 

November and December

Hello Friends, 

Here is an update about my last two months in Czech Republic.

We have started opening up a room once a week for women from the street to come and eat with us. This has proven quite successful as the ladies come and feel very loved and are open to hear some truth and most of the time be prayed for.

We had a good but heartbreaking annual Christmas outreach, which consisted of two days of going into brothels taking gifts that had been bought and wrapped buy ladies from a German church. We also gave a note with the gift in the appropriate translation, (Czech, German, Russian, Romanian, Portuguese or Vietnamese.)

It was my first time going into the brothels, though I have prayed outside many of them and have talked to a lot of the girls on the street. 

Girls even work minuets away from my flat, so I have got used to the blunt truth that this is what's going on, but still, to see the faces of the girls who really are stuck and can cry on a dime was something you can not prepare for. 

 Our strategy right now is to get the gospel understood. These girls are brainwashed and afraid, they need freedom from much more then these establishments or boyfriends. 

 I am in a season of serving the YWAMers who are already here, but within this year, I will start working on acquiring what I need to open a house, be that looking for staff, training myself or going right ahead with the people I know and buying/starting to rent a house.  I believe that as we open the house, the girls will be released into our care, and not the other way around. 

There have been many other things going on, such as and English club where I get to love the Czech youth and share about my life with God, indirectly I get asked about my faith all the time, such as a question like, "Would you rather be ignorant and happy, or understand and have to then have responsibility?"  Others are saying Ignorant, while I have been lovingly able to say I want the responsibility, I value the truth.

I have started supporting the YWAM Ministry here financially with at least 30$ a month. This goes toward the upkeep of our car, buying tea for the girls on the street, the office space that we are going to be renting and other ministry related things.

I would like to ask you to also support the ministry with a matching 30$ a month.

Know that your friendship and prayers are also hugely appreciated.

Thank you! 

 Sincerely,

Katrina Stine 

If you would like to Support YWAM Cheb please send a check to:

Grace of God of Dinuba

695 N. Bates Ave Dinuba, CA 93618

(Please designate checks as Katrina Support.  With an attached not that it is for YWAM CHeb. ) 

If you have any questions please feel free write me at:

Email:  katrinajstine@gmail.com

Learning to trust as God calls me to give money

  

One morning this November, we looked at the story of the good samaritan who took time and  

money to love a stranger.  I was challenged by how I needed to trust God to lead me in knowing  

who to help and when to give money. I decided that when I felt God was puting a need in my 

way, I would be generous. 

 

God brought me an opportunity to live out His love within hours. I gave money to a young  

stranded man, sharing my trust in God. He was truly touched, realizing that God had not  

abandoned him. He was amazed that I trusted him. I was also not sure I should trust him, but  

God calls us to trust.  

 " ove trusts.." 1 Corinthians 13:7  

  

I was excited to work with God, happy that God had given me money to share, and had brought  

the desperate man my way.   

 ~Katrina Stine 

Update with PICTURES!

 Leaving Gleanings on July 18th making a stop in Czech, I headed to Uganda, meeting with a David, who would then travel with me to Yei, Republic of South Sudan, (ROSS,) where we taught about 37 hours of the YWAM Discipleship Training School, spending a total of two week in ROSS.

God was so faithful to teach through me, helping me access the library of knowledge that I have had the privileged to build through my first world education and simply the time I have spent with God.

One on ones with the students may be what will have the most lasting affects.  A beautiful setup was arranged, so that we stayed in the same building as the students, thus getting to spend quality time with them, hearing their stories; talking and praying through their questions and fears.

 Finishing that time we traveled back into Uganda and built on the relationships that I started there about two years ago, with missionaries in Arua and Kampala area. 

One night in Aura, Uganda I helped lead and direct worship for two and a half hours, during a prayer meeting where the speaker of the week prayed for any of the twelve students who wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit (baptized with the Holy Spirit,) or/ and to receive power to speak in tongues.  It was a very special meeting and a privilege to get to help facilitate such an outpouring.  

 On August 23rd I arrived back in Czech, started settling in and seeing how I could serve YWAM Cheb, Czech Republic.  The first week of September I applied for my visa in Berlin, also visiting my amazing sister Charity, who is on staff with YWAM Berlin.

  I also visited the Melendez family at Herrnhut as they dropped of Daniel for his rad revive school. 

 Tomorrow I start another adventure WITH my new team.  We are going to a faith and conflict conference in Bosnia, and then making our way back through Hungary spending a night with one of the team members family.  We are driving all the way there and back, so we will see quite a few countries!

 Thanks for looking into where, and what I am doing. Please pray for me, as what I am doing is not easy, going after strong spiritual forces as well as against powerful people. Do not fear for me, always have faith in our God of wonders, the One who will reign forever and ever. 

Always let me know if you have questions!

 

May the Peace of Jesus be with all of you, my loved friends. 

 Your servant, Katrina Joy Compassion Stine.