Ready...get set...GO!
So last time you heard from us it was about fundraising for outreach...then there was a long pause, because WE WERE ON OUTREACH. Which means...all the money came in!
...and that we CLEARED our bank accounts and bank cards and change purses. No joke. I literally paid our outreach fees with 1 check, 1 debit card, 2 credit cards, and cash.
For a split second there it looked like we were the only one's going on outreach with our students. ..but our staff Ben and Amy (married) were able and the only staff that joined outreach with us and our 21 students! WE ARE CRAZY.
Let me explain our cup of crazy to you...
This is not normal for a DTS, especially for PADTS. First off in DTS School Leaders typically don't go the entire outreach, but only do a 1 week-1month visit. Also in PADTS we typically aim to have 10 staff + school leaders for the whole school. It was a special case this year because of Maria Jackson and a team going to start another PADTS in Amsterdam, to help out the base there.
Needless to say our plates were a bit full with booking locations to sleep, travel, organizing ministry opportunities, maintaining team unity, rehearsals, and continuing to disciple our students while all of our students were putting into practice (through evangelism) what they had been learning during the lecture phase. But GOD GAVE US SO MUCH GRACE!
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| Andreas and I sharing about the school at the premiere night. |
Before we left for outreach our school had a premiere of our variety show that we would be taking on outreach with us - which we called: Out of the Box.
Out of the Box consisted of 3 group dances, 4-7 vocal ensembles (the number because we added on outreach), and 21 solo testimony pieces.
Each student turned a part of their testimony into an artistic piece. I would literally LOVE to share each and every one with you, but here's just a few examples of our students Testimony Pieces:
These were testimonies taken and shown to 100's and 100's of people on outreach across the UK. Their testimonies were not only used as:
- intercession & prophetically performed: as a prayer for anyone else who was/is struggling with similar things they struggled with.
- spiritual warfare: to push back any spiritual heaviness that is not from God. Any way people in the audience were struggling with shame, fear, anger, etc. that we could bring LIGHT and SALT through proclaiming truth through art and therefore inviting God's freedom, love, and joy to be present.
- ice breaker: when they would perform their pieces it opened up doors for people to come talk to them who identified with what they were sharing.
We danced, sang, and brought the drama - in Jesus name (haha) - from Ealing, London (3 weeks), Harpenden (1 week), Central London (1.5 weeks), and Edinburgh, Scotland (3 weeks)
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| Introducing the team at a church in Ealing. After the team performed, the pastor asked us to invite people forward to receive prayer from our team. |
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| Andreia dancing her heart out. Oh, look there's me. Left side of picture in black. |
Our amazing, dancing staff Crystal Shearer (who didn't go on outreach because of help that was needed on the campus) - choreographed a group dance called: This Moment (aka: Real Simple, Real Fast). It is choreographed with deep meaning about how God is present and will give us signs/speak to us, that we need to slow down from our own-agenda's and hectic lives and find the peace and fulfillment that only he can provide.
One day while performing this piece on the streets, Andreas was talking to a homeless man, who turned to Andreas and said "I get it." The man went on to explain exactly what the dance is about. Andreas continued to dialogue with him, but it was amazing to hear how God opened a door and spoke to this man through the dance.
Andreas stepping up as a leader...
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| public speaking |
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| praying over the team |
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| And keepin' it real. |
One of my personal highlights was probably joining Project Dance AGAIN, but this time in London. As you may remember, last year (2011) Andreas and I first connected with Project Dance in New York. (Although I think the first time I heard of Project Dance was in 2006? When an email came across my desk here at UofN). This year I was able to join Project Dance with all the dancers from our team! (Andreas stayed with the other half of our team). I was like a kid in a candy shop during the weekend of the event when I took the classes they provide. It was nice to reconnect with Cheryl Cutlip and other dancers that I met in NYC like Mary Marshall (who choreographed a group number I was in for Broadway Blessing 2010). What a blessing!
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| Me and the dancers from our team in front of the Tower Bridge where Project Dance London had the outdoor show. |
Regardless of the long days - full of amazing things, but never the less...FULL. With usually about 6 hours of sleep a night, which was the only time we weren't ON and GOING. We were FILLED up to the brim with God's grace, and I am so grateful for his faithfulness to us - personally, as leaders, and to our entire team.
Thank you for all your support to us. Sending us money, praying for us, and waiting patiently as we reboot and begin updates again! As for our next step...
IT IS HOUSTON, TEXAS. More to come...stay tuned...
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Until then here's some fun photos of the Tolås's from outreach.
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| All tours were booked, but we tried! |
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| yes I probably look like a little kid, because I am so excited to watch Billy Elliot! |
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| Pool party/bbq on outreach!? I promise it only happened once. With the local church community. |
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| There's my Korean twin sister! :) The HeartBridge teams met together half way through outreach, it was great! |
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| Both teams sharing together! |
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| Andreas attached to his cell phone. ^ |
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| Andreas introducing a student for a testimony... |
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| Tammy introducing a student for their testimony... |
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| We are goofballs...and yes we do know it. |
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| Come into our office, the door step at the church next to Westiminster. Us? Homeless? What would give you that idea? |
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| Again..us? Homeless? What would give you that idea? We enjoy walking miles with a suitcase, it's the new workout craze. |
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| Yes, he would do that. |
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| I didn't know I designed a line of clothing!? |
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| This was at the start... |
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| At the top of Arthur's Seat with Ben and Andreas. |
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| I was just about to fly |
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| See that blue dot? It's Andreas! |
