Jan. 25 2009

Hello everyone! Since my last post we got another very last minute male student (a huge answer to prayer), I was a volunteer at the Sony Open golf tournament, outreach teams have been decided, and I turned 20! Things have been going very well with the school so far. We have a varied group of students from new Christians to a couple pastor's kids. They are a really ambitious group that are diving right into the school and I think many of them are getting a lot out of the lectures.
So far we have had people from the base teaching lectures, but this next week we have Keith Martins and his team who run a prayer ministry. I hear that he is a good speaker from many who have heard him speak in the past. Should be exciting!

Curtis West

My Birthday Surprise Party!


Lecture on the beach


Surfboard on the North Shore



Tabernacle demonstration (I made the priest costume!)

Aloha, again!

Well, I have finally started to settle into the groove here at the Honolulu base again and students are now arriving so that we can have our official kickoff tomorrow. We have 21 students; 16 girls, 3 guys, and a married couple. We were really hoping to get more guys but the ones we have seem great.

I feel like these next couple of months are really going to push me. I am the only first time leader here and also younger than a majority of the students. I am really excited however to see what is in store.

Please pray for wisdom in leadership and that the staff's relationships with the students can start out on a good foot.

At the top is my least favorite picture, but the only one I have at this moment, of all the staff this quarter.

Curtis West

Hello from Calcutta

Hi everyone. Made it here to Calcutta last week and have been having an amazing time. We have worked with two similar ministries both dealing with Children, but very different groups of children. One ministry is called Kings Kids and works with inner city street kids while the other works with "ruffer" kids who are in the train station. Both ministries feed, bath, provide clothing, tell stories to, and do worship with these children. We have had the oppertunity to visit the places where these children live and it is heart breaking. The train station children have no parents to care for them. They make money by selling the plastic bottles they collect, but that money is spend on drugs, especially glue to sniff. Some of the kids even show up to the program high, but soon crash once the high wears off. These ministries are doing great things in the lives of these children who would otherwise be living with no purpose.

I am excited to leave for Delhi on Tuesday. Pray that all goes well as I am leaving by myself.

Curtis

Hi again

Working with P. Daniel has been a crazy amazing experience speaking at churches, doing crusades and a lot more. We have had a lot of fun and have really been enjoying his hospitality. Two of the members on my team left yesterday which is sad, but I still have Kat and the DTS for the next couple of weeks. On Saturday we leave for Tirupoti to work with some long termers for a short while then we are off to Calcutta. India has been beyond crazy, but it is so great. I'll try and upload some pictures as soon as I am able to do so. Thanks for all your prayers!

Curtis

Hello again

After just over a week of ministry in Chennai doing mostly childrens ministry, we are now in a large village called Dharmapuri. We are here working with a man named P. Daniels who is an intense little man who has had a crazy life. We have met up with the DTS who has been here for a couple of weeks already and will be preaching and doing crusades in the village. I am still really loving India. Please keep praying for our team and that Emily and Marlissa (my team mates)are able to have an effective last week of their outreach. Talk to you all later,

Curtis

Namastea!

Hello everyone!

The team and I have made it to Chennai India safely and it is absolutely amazing. The driving here is something I will have to get used to ( although I don't see how you ever could). It is noisy, smelly and and beautiful place to be. We began some ministry yesterday which included working with some kids, but today we are going to do our first open air ministry. I am very excited for this and hope it turns out well. Many of the people speak at least a broken English so it is pretty easy to get by. I'll do my best to keep you all updated on what is happening here.

Thank you to all my supporters. God is going to do some amazing stuff here.

Curtis West

Yee-Ha!

Hello Everyone!

Doing well here in Hawaii. Last night we had a cookout/Ho-Down which was a lot of fun. I guess learning "Catilac Ranch" is just an Albertan thing!

India is now a reality! I finally booked my ticket today and am leaving July 6th. Plans are coming togather for india as well. For the moment it looks like I will be with my teamates for the first three weeks before they return home in Chennai and aurrounding area.Then I will be with the DTS team that is going for a couple weeks in Terapoti and Calcuta. From there I will most likely be leaving them to go to Dehli to work with the YWAM base there. It's going to be exciting!

In the meantime we are going through Hebrews which has been my favorite book so far. Next week is Poetry and Wisdon Literature then is a week on how to teach what we have learned. It's almost done, which is sad, but I can't wait to share what I have learned with people.

Thank you SOOOO much to all my supporters! You have made going on this outreach possible!

Curtis West