Hello

We just had what was probably the only day of summer we are going to get this year in Herrnhut. Autumn is creeping slowly around the corner...

This week I start staff training with the Marriage of the Arts  team, we are a staff team of 12, for 120 students, and because it is an arts DTS we do a lot of teaching in various art tracks. We have a group of people from another base in Germany joining us for the week to learn how staff are trained here, which should be interesting.

I am still heavily involved in the Justice DTS and spoke Wednesday night on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation. It was a hard topic to speak about but the night was really powerful as students really got a heart for fighting this injustice and lifting people out of this horror and into a life of dignity and hope. I am still doing a lot of work with Pick a Pocket as the group prepares to send a team to Hamburg to serve long-term. At the moment a 'first-wave' of 7 or so people, is planning to leave in October. There they will invest into the community and develop a venue, of which I will have more details soon.

Personally, I am struggling as things continue to flex and shift again. I found it hard to say good-bye to some close friends over the last month as they move back home and out onto the field. It's also been a rough time of missing family and just wanting some time off and away from here. I need some supernatural energy at the moment.

Hope this finds you well. Lots of love,

Amy

Feed Somalia.

Art by Elizabeth Mannchen

Liz is a Pick a Pocket leader, and a talented and driven artist who, like many of us, is searching for ways to help alleviate the suffering of people affected by the drought across the Horn of Africa. We hear of children dying, and it can be difficult to know what to do. The only option is to do something-give what you have, do what you can.

Liz writes:

Somalia tugs at my heart as I watch from afar; people are starving and crying out for help.  When I first heard about this drought, and subsequent famine; I thought, as I am sure many others have, ‘Oh just another famine in Africa’. As I continued to watch the news, hear the stories and see the pictures, I was drawn in to the reality of the unfolding disaster.

One night I came across a picture of a starving Somali woman trying to breastfeed her baby. I realized, that even if she were to find food, she would not be nourished fast enough to be able to give life-saving milk to her malnourished child. I was deeply moved and I found myself wanting to go there, and help, in whatever way I could. But I couldn't. I felt hopeless and unusable. I am an artist, and I decided that if I could not physically get there to help, I would do what I could. I would use my art to be a voice for these women, children and men. 

Our world is overflowing with resources; there is enough for everyone. We have to make a choice- empathy or apathy, helplessness or action? Lets do something people!

http://ywam.org/News-Stories/news/YWAM-Acts-in-Somalia-Food-Crisis

New Supporters!

I am so blessed to have a major answer to prayer- 2 new supporters! Thanks guys, it is great to have people partnering with what God is doing through me.

Newsletter!

And yes I am totally aware of the existence of typos in this copy, they are being fixed :)

Newsletter!

I have a new newsletter just waiting to find its way into your inbox! It's definitely more of a general newsletter- explaining who I am, what I am doing... If you would like a pretty and printable pdf then please send me your email address to amylaurenfraser@gmail.com. Or, you know, just say hi.

Thanks!

Pick a Pocket Retreat Finances

Hey friends,

Pick a Pocket is preparing to go on our yearly retreat. As a missions group, predictably, we are very rarely in one place. It is such a crazy blessing to be able to come together, welcome new staff members and gather strength and excitement for what God has for us. We are staying at a staff members parent's property to the south. We are camping to keep costs to an absolute minimum and the entire 4 day retreat including transport will be approximately 36 euros.

However, and this is the tricky part, we have just been told that, in keeping with YWAM Herrnhut base policy, that we should not go on retreat with outstanding base debt. As a group of 30 of us we have approximately 3000 euros outstanding. This has accumulated because of monthly staff fees (25 euro), compulsory health insurance (40 euro) and various other transportation/housing/medical expenses. So this is me saying help!

Pick a Pocket is such an awesome group of people who live out generosity in every part of their lives. We live simply and faithfully in community and want to give our all to seeing this world reached with the love of God.

Please prayerfully consider if you can stand with us in this time and get behind us with financial support. Please pray for breakthrough in this area for us too! We are working to fight extreme poverty, to help people live lives of hope and dignity with purpose and so often we find ourselves consumed by the same needs we are trying to help others overcome.

Lots of love.

UPDATE:

We've had somewhat of a breakthrough regarding finances in the team. Many people have had their debt paid off. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Now and the Future.

Gutentag! 

I got back from the Liz and the Lions tour a week ago now. It was so great and really opened up my eyes (yet again) to how art can impact people. The band played 8 shows in a week, sold 50 cd's and raised well over a thousand euros for the projects in Ethiopia. On top of that we were able to get a couple of the girls sponsored individually at 70 euro a month. This money pays for their basic needs. It also allows the girls to support their families. The 13 girls are growing in faith and confidence as they experience the stability of dedicated people investing into their lives. The translator for the program, a totally delightful Ethiopian who grew up in a YWAM orphanage, is currently attending the Justice DTS. She is so excited to be out of Ethiopia for the first time!

Pick a Pocket is going through a period of change as new people come on board and we start going into a slightly different direction which I will tell you about soon. We have 8 guys joining, all talented artists with a passion for people and Jesus. Next week 30 of us are going on a retreat in the south of Germany which should be fun. Hopefully it will allow us to come together, build unity and dream of what God has for us as a ministry.

I have been asked to co-organize a conference similar to the one I helped out with last year. It's an extremely intimidating idea.... organizing a multi-day conference for at least 1000 people in a country I don't speak the language but I feel like the one last year was so inspiring and informative that I really want to see one happen this year too! Last year the conference focused on equipping people with  practical ways to stop human trafficking and fight modern day slavery. It was a fantastic platform for churches and  community groups to network and support one another. Will keep you updated on this....

I'm still excited about leading an art-track for the upcoming MOTA. We have already accepted 100 students which is amazing!

Personally I am really challenged at the moment. I feel intimidated by some of the things I am involved in coming up. Would really appreciate your prayers! 

Thanks so much.

New Pick a Pocket flyer!

First glimpse of out newest flyer! I wrote the text and the photos and graphics are a collaborative effort from talented Pick a Pocket staff.

Justice DTS

Along with my regular role in Pick a Pocket, I am helping out with the justice portion of the pioneering Justice Discipleship Training School. Last night we had our first of many Justice Nights and I spoke on corruption/integrity. It was a huge stretch, because I'm terrified of speaking in front of large groups of people, but I felt really strongly to talk about this subject. I am so excited to be a small part of this school and to be able to disciple, encourage and challenge people.

We showed the video below last night and I love it. Every time I watch it something different jumps out at me.

Liz and the Lions Tour Update.

I have the huge privilege of touring with the Pick a Pocket band, Liz and the Lions, around the Frankfurt area for a week. They are an awesomely talented group who play unique songs around a social justice theme. It has been amazing to me how effective art can be at opening doors. I have had a chance to meet some awesome people and have told them about the projects that we run in Ethiopia. It has been such an encouragement to see how excited people are about what we do and it has been a blessing to the projects that there are more people willing to support them financially. We have a few more shows this week, but have a look at the first one they did at an Irish Pub in Mainz.



We also have some merchandise and art set up in a cafe in downtown Mainz this week and we made it into the newspaper!