Please check out Will's latest update Will Rattray

Hello all,

The past four weeks we have been located on base at YWAM Samoa where we finished off the 50th year celebration which was such a blessing to be a part of. To hear so many testimonies from those who have been involved and served with YWAM Samoa has really grown my heart for those who haven’t yet heard about Jesus or the Gospel. To share the Gospel with nations who haven’t heard it yet or are heavily influenced by other beliefs has become something that pulls on my heart and could definitely be something in the near future if the calling from God is there!!!

Since the ending of the celebration, we have been heading into the centre of Apia and hitting the streets finding people who need encouragement, prayer and to hear the Good news. It’s been such a faith building and encouraging time of hearing Gods voice and seeing the fruit come from God using us to be his hands and feet is so life-giving and fulfilling. The first day we went into Apia, we combined with the other two teams staying on base (Honolulu and Queenstown) and mixed up into groups of three and started at McDonalds and dispersed from there. The group that I was part of found this young man who had just left his family to get a bit of air and time to think. As we walked past Him I gave him a wave and he waved back with a smile on his face so we went and spoke to him what ended up being two hours. We had such an amazing conversation about his family, upbringing and Jesus who he knew a lot about coming from a Catholic family. He was able to ask questions and we were able to answer with what felt like such spirit lead answers and then were able to encourage and pray for him. It was a blessing to see God meet him in that time. He was so grateful for the conversation we were able to have and wanted to repay us in someway. Before we left I gave him a hug and reminded him how much God loves him and that was one of the longest and tightest hugs I’ve had in a long time.

This week we have been given the opportunity to go into schools and bring more items/dances, testimonies and encourage the students which is so life giving as well and continue to look forward to more opportunities where we get to encourage the youth of Samoa. With four weeks remaining of outreach, I look forward to seeing what else God has in store for our team and myself to step into and serve in Samoa!

I would like to once again say a huge thank you for all your support whether it be prayer or financial!! It has been such a blessing to know so many of you have been praying and have felt very covered by you’re prayers and to those who have generously given financial support since being here in Samoa, THANK YOU!!!

Many Blessings,

Will

Hi Everyone,

Will has limited wifi and reception so has sent me this message via messenger and asked that I forward on to you all. Thanks so much for your ongoing support. Sounds like he and the YWAM teams are needing it and so appreciating it as they are now out on their outreaches. Sarah Rattray

Wednesday 9th April
Talofa from Samoa family and friends,
Our team and I are two weeks into our outreach, and we have already seen God move in so many different ways that we haven’t seen before. The culture of serving in the Samoans has blown us away and we have definitely been well looked after.
We left for American Samoa two weeks ago today after a big send off from everyone on base and said some tough goodbyes, but it came with an excitement of what was waiting for us as well. It’s incredible the strength of connection you can create with people in such a short time when you spend every second of every day with them!!

Arriving in American Samoa (A.S), we were met by big boss Randall who was our main contact from YWAM Samoa and He is also one of the men in charge for the 50th year anniversary of YWAM in A.S and Samoa. Our week in Leone, the village we stayed in in A.S, looked like attending church every day and hosting youth rallies alongside a team from YWAM Samoa, YWAM Honolulu and Island Breeze Ministries which is a team whose ministry is focused around bringing the different cultures from different islands, mainly in the pacific, through the likes of dance and songs. On one of our last days, we split in half with everyone and half of us went and did wave ministry which is where we would line a busy road right beside McDonalds and take a bunch of signs that we had made all with encouragement and a bit of fun but sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Was a blast!!!

After this week, we headed to Savai’i which is the bigger of the two islands of Samoa. First part of the journey began with an eight-hour ferry from American Samoa to Apia. We then spent the night at the YWAM Samoa base and left the next day for another ferry to get to Savai’i. Since being in Savai’i we have been to three different High Schools so far this week (one each day), where I’ve never seen so much engagement from youth that age. Every day we have been going into classrooms and sharing testimonies and encouraging students who may not have an idea about what they would want to do after school. We have also been sharing with them the opportunities that YWAM, specifically University of the Nations, offers. After we share in the classes we get the whole school together and run through a program lead by Island Breeze which contains dances and songs (some which our team have learnt), testimonies, worship and a message. At the end of every message there has been an opportunity to respond and every day, we have seen around 30 students respond to wanting to know Jesus on a personal level.
Have been having such an incredible time but prayer for covering of protection over our team would be much appreciated. Sickness has hit almost everyone but myself and one of our leaders so to extend those prayers for our team like I said would be much appreciated!! Once again, thank you so much for the ongoing prayer and support.  God Bless you all!!!
 

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