Update... back to the rat race.

So just to give you all an update on what is going on with me. I have decided to stay in Spokane, and get a job. It has taken me awhile to get to the point where I am okay with sitting still and waiting for the next step. This is actually an incredibly hard thing for me to do, as I am a very restless guy. So pray for me that i have paitence and contentment as I wait for however long it will be until God tells me to move forward. It is definately an unfamiliar place as I have no experience really don't have any type of experience outside of the missionary field.
If you have any questions or comments email me on facebook or my email. derek.deniston@gmail.com
Thanks all and God bless
Derek

What's next?

So the big question... what is my next step?

Well I'll be completely honest... I don't know what is next. Right now, I am waiting for God to speak until he has said exactly what I am doing , where I am going or how long I am supposed to wait.
I am taking a stance of listening and waiting, in this time, I have decided to (try)and get a job.
Even thinking of jumping back into the rat race is weird for me. I am sitting a coffee shop and the lady asked what I wanted and I looked at the board and my head almost exploded.

So yes that is what I am doing now, if anyone has any questions or comments it would be great to hear from you.
Thanks for every one's support.
Derek

Love Vs. Passion

As most of you know, I am back in Spokane. For how long I have no clue.
For the past few years I have been struggling with finding my passion and finding what I am good at, what Jesus wants me to do. I feel like I've bounced around, jumping from thing to thing, Children , Discipleship training schools, all over Africa, and in Asia, waiting for this big gong to go off in my relationship with Him and I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was what I was supposed to be doing.
All along loving God and doing these things for his glory.
The definition of love is :a

a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

profoundly tender, passionate affection for an
Key word in that being passionate.
I don't know exactly what I am writing here but for me, I feel like there has been a disconnect between love and passion for me.

I having been loving Jesus, but not been viewing it as a passion. What if that is all He wants. What if that and that only is what He wants from me.
i
Its not about what I am do, what country I am in, or what the next step is.

I feel like one of the problem i have identified within myself is that, I am never in the "now". I am always in a different tense.
So for now the only tense i will be in, the only position i will be in, the only place I will be in...
Will be chasing the one who makes all the rest of life possible. He is my passion.

My Struggle in Song

I know its a little clach'e to use someone else's words to verbablize how you feel. God showed me this song the other day and it hit me straight in the face. What I am chasing what I am doing. Live life for Him. I realized I was holding back myself by my own selfishness. Anyways, fantastic song fantastic group if you haven't heard them. Be Blessed

My struggle in a song : Garden by Needtobreathe


Wont you take this scar from me
cuz fear has stolen all my sleep
if tomorrow means my death
I pray you'll save their souls with it

let the songs i sign bring joy to you
let the words i say profess my love
let the notes i chose be your favorite tune
Father let my heart be after you

in this hour of time i see
who i am is not just me
give me strength to die myself,
so love can live to tell the tale

let the songs i sign bring joy to you
let the words i say profess my love
let the notes i chose be your favorite tune
Father let my heart be after you

Father let my heart be after you
in everything I do

let the songs i sign bring joy to you
let the words i say profess my love
let the notes i chose be your favorite tune
father let my heart be after you

Dreaming for Derek (my wake up call)

We have had many speakers in the DTS so far, and all have been very good. Last we had a speaker come in called Frans Conje. He talked about our dreams and passions.
When I started staffing this DTS, I was really crying out to God to redefine my dreams, my passions and what He wanted me to do. Frans came in and only spoke for three mornings, and opened up a can of worms for me. Next steps, new ideas, what passions aren't mine, and what I want to do. So God has been speaking to me about the future and making it mine and pursue MY dreams.

Frans in his 30's decided he wanted to be a director. He had been working with sports ministry for along time, and than God gave Him something totally out of the box. He directed the movie "faith like potatoes" and the movie "Hansie" (which was his brother). But he did this all without any idea what he was doing at first, God just told him to do it and He created great movies. I feel like it was encouragement for me to think outside the box and do what I want to do. That with God passions aren't impossible, if i wanted to be a president (not saying I want to be) but with God I could do that.

Anyways, just an update on what I have been learning and what He has been speaking to me this last week.

DTS outreach

Today, we announced the outreaches for this DTS. Man, I am so excited. We have a Trifecta of leadership on the outreach team. Me, Hayley, and Stanley will be leading this team into the Zambian Wild and the suburb's of Joburg.
This is the team(front to back) Lennon, Leonard, Shayla, Mongo, Pinkie, Lizzy, Manuel, Marcella, Laney, Breanna, Brittany, Kelly, Rebekkah, Kacy, Michael.

Today, we announced the outreaches for this DTS. Man, I am so excited. We have a Trifecta of leadership on the outreach team. Me, Hayley, and Stanley will be leading this team into the Zambian Wild and the suburb's of Joburg.

These Students are amazing! 10 girls and 5 guy students. Keep us in your prayers as we start to develop as a team and for the planning of this outreach.

Starting fresh and New

My third time returning to Africa has been by far the best. I am now staffing a DTS here at YWAM kruger, and am loving it. It has really turned into my home and the people here are my family. Everyday is alittle bit better than the next and I thank God that He is so good!

He is to Good!

I nicknamed him Potato!

having a job in the U.S. and working in a foreign country are two separate things. While they both have similar parts and origins, doing missionary work is completely different than having a job.

Some might say that missionary work is a job, in fact, I might even say that. Getting up every morning realizing your in a different country, doing something that five years ago you wouldn't even consider doing, loving people who absolutely need it, and giving God the glory is in my opinion the greatest job in the world.

Thank you everyone who has made this possible. I appreciate all the encouragement and love that has been given.

Getting the Train rolling!

Adjustment... the dictionary says the definition of adjustment "harmony achieved by modification or change of a position." Those words may look few but in fact that has been the definition of my life the past few months.

Coming to a new base would be a challenge in its own right, but coming to a new base overseas is a completely different kind of beast. You deal with culture changes, adjusting to people, new physical lifestyle and different ministry opportunities. I thought about those things and pushed them aside and said "God is bigger, and He has me here for a reason."

I have been here for three months now and I am happy to say, I love Africa. Adjusting well should actually be in my job description, probably my biggest problem would be trying to figure out my roll at the base and what He has me doing, but I feel like he is just telling me "wait".

Looking back on the past year and a half, man God has me on a crazy ride, and it is just beginning.

the past and the present

Hey everyone,
Do you know the difference between me and my sister? I am terrible at communication and she is fantastic at it. So let me catch you up on what Derek has been up to the past year.
I finished my DTS [Discipleship Training School] outreach and went to Thailand for 2 months, it was an amazing time, I loved the people, I loved my team, and I loved Thailand.
So I got back and I went straight to a secondary school, School of Intercessory Prayer. I loved it, it really opened my eyes to how much and how deep God loves us and how deep He wants to take us. The group around me in the class are my best friends for life, and I will never forget the time's we shared and the laughs we had.
I went home for Christmas, had a great time, hanging out with my whole family and enjoying relaxing. We were snowed in the entire time, but who knows the next time the ten of us will all be together?
So I went back to Colorado, and God placed me on DTS staff. It was very hard, but very rewarding in the end. I lead a team of 13 to Sudan and Uganda, and while the culture was difficult, the people, and the students were amazing. There was 19 students, and all of them had an impact on me and I saw all of them grow so much in an incredible way.
So now, to the present.
After this past DTS outreach, I went home and my parents had invited me to go on vacation with them in South Africa. Before I left Spokane, I felt like God was telling me to "pack to stay."So I did, and when I got here, there was no doubt in my mind that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.
Right now I'm living with my sister at Rich and Lynn Hodge's house, and am loving it. I am working with the YWAM base here, going into the communities and loving on people. This last year and a half has been a crazy ride and I see no end in sight. God has been with me since day one, and the process of learning to trust Him is a daily thing, but it's exactly where I want to be.

Giving can change your world!

Giving is the greatest thing you can do.. living with 4 guys you learn that giving is a given... but when God tells you to give... you better give. God has been giving me tons of money the last few years and he decided that it was time to give back. He told me to give this camera my sister gave me the night i left. I was fighting giving because .. i felt like i was holding on to the material things in life. But i realized after awhile, that none of its mine, im just borrowing it. So i got up infront of everyone and told the story on how my sister had given this camera to me. Well earlier this man, his wife needed a whole bunch of money to take him his wife and 2 kids to brazil. He had recieved all his money by the time i got up there.

So i told this story and i turned to him and told him God wanted him to remember this time and have memories of his family. He broke down crying and gave me a huge hug. As we were walking out to pray, one of our leaders ran up to me and said, "Well God wants you to have a camera a guess" and hands me another camera. I didnt no what to say or think, i wasnt expecting anything, i just wanted to bless him and God provided. He is amazing and tonight was amazing, I am recieveing more and more of God each day and i LOVE it . Obey God and he will provide!

Love and Trust
DDD

Every Journey has its beginning

Wow... God has an amazing plan for my life.

I look back to three months ago being so lost... to looking at now in my life, Jesus is definately throwing me pitches that I thought i had seen before , but apparently not.

I thank God everyday for where he has me, these last 5 weeks are direct reflection of that. He has worked worked wonders on my heart, mind, and soul. Through relationships here i have learned so much about myself and how i have mistreated people and how i need to change some things in me and adjust it to God's view instead of my poor and terrible view.

This DTS group is amazing, i love every single person here. Opinions differ between person to person we are all different. But i love to see the different personalities and opinions molding together and joining as one. Ive seen week after week of us slowly coming together and its amazing. From the different upbringings, to the places they live and the different experiences they have gone through, this group is a special one. No one person is the same and i love it.

We went hiking this weekend in the rockies and God just spoke loads about his love and creativity. it was amazing. Got to spend tonsa of time with the guys in the DTS and the DTS leaders.

I am really praying about my future as well. I have a whole bunch of options and i am just looking for clarity for it all. I feel like God wants me here but i want to be comfortable about it as well. I have learned alot about paitence as well and i am waiting for God to show me the next step in this.