SO even though we are busy with lectures - work duties - music writing - performance - worship time - searching out what God is speaking to us - learning important things for outreach - working on dramas and learning Portuguese - spending time with the people we are in community with - trying to sleep.... ...- and staying in the word and keeping up with our school load - we have TONS OF FUN TOO!!!! Here are some pics of the masquerade that we had last weekend! It was so much fun - everyone just cut loose and danced as silly as we could! I went dressed as a snowflake. I even cut this sheet into a snowflake and wore it as sleeves - we had such a blast!

We also had a game night with our outreach team (which is amazing by the way!) We have a student from Belgium who made crepes for everyone! They were amazing we covered them in bananas, apples, nutella, and vanilla ice cream and pigged out! We laughed the entire night - because our team has so many funny people on it!

MUSIC TRACK

So the music track has been keeping quite busy. A few weeks ago we did a worship service for a local youth group and it was amazing! We had so much fun getting to know the teens there and sharing music with them. The last week has been focused on our song-writing, and this week we shared the music we had been working on with the class and voted on 3 songs to be recorded before we leave on outreach. Jordan, a friend of mine, and I wrote a song called Healing Rain with a friend of mine and we presented it. Our song was chosen among the three to be recorded, along with two amazing songs by my friends Seth and Jessica. So Monday afternoon we will be working on the scratch tracks. Then all week will be spent working with the bands we have set up for each song to get them recorded. It is a lot of work, but it is such an honor and really rewarding. I can't wait to hear the finished product and share it with everyone!

Also, this week we have cafe night at the end of the week! So, on Friday night the art track will display their work all throughout our meeting hall. We will have food and couches set up and everyone on base will come to enjoy the night. Then the dance and music track students will all perform various pieces. We are really given full creative rights to this night, we can share music we have written or cover songs and include any musicians to help us. I am not sure which song I am going to do yet, I have it narrowed down to three choices. So, I will have a lot of work to do this week, but I am surrounded by amazing musicians and we always have a lot of fun.

Another amazing opportunity that we have here on base is to lead worship. I will be doing that one morning this week as well, which is always really fun. It's great because we get to enjoy worship with all different students and staff working together in bands. It really brings fresh variety and a sense of community to our worship times.

Oh and fun fact - the band I am in is called Hee-su and the extras (named after our Korean drummer)!!

MINI-OUTREACH

Two weeks ago our entire school and staff went on outreach to Bellingham, Washington. We worked there with Mosaic, a church led by Atkins. He taught on the father heart of God in the mornings and throughout the day we worked with local community outreach programs. With 70 of us, we were able to accomplish quite a lot and really got a heart for the people of Bellingham. I spent a good amount of time landscaping for some of the non-profit organizations. I also was able to work with the homeless downtown, we just enjoyed sharing stories and food with them. It was so amazing. One day we were in the street chatting with a few of the homeless people and we had just given them sack lunches. Another man came, with a sack lunch in hand from one of my team members and he offered it to me!! This man, was homeless and had just been given food, and not knowing I was a part of the team - offered his to me! I was just moved...really! The week was amazing as other teams worked with an organization on a Christmas drive for homeless children and some worked in an after-school program. It was an amazing week as we learned from the pastor and people of the Mosaic church that relationship is really the way to see people come to know the love of God. They really focus on loving and meeting needs rather than throwing theology into a debate with people. I also discovered this is really the heart of the Father for each of us. In all that He does He wants us drawn to His love and to know Him in that way! It was amazing. Also, being away really brought our school together. It just adds and element and really brings people together. I was really able to get to know the staff in a greater way, and they are so amazing!!!

We did especially bond - tromping through the mud and rain all week - sleeping in a room with 30 people (some snoring...some building snoreproof walls with their journals and blankets) - squeezing 15 people in a van for twelve hours - having a van break down and playing in a store parking lot for three hours - making sack lunches in a parking lot on a cart flipped upside down as our table - getting lost on the way home...12 hour road trip = 13 and a half hours - playing perfect guy...but his hair is made of string cheese - waking up to a great breakfast every morning and worship - canoeing on a lake - playing sardines outside in the dark - having dance parties in the van - dying of heat in the van - and just getting to know the wonderful people we are family with now!

NEWSLETTER

Hello, dear Friends and Family,
I write to you all, praying that you are all doing well! I cannot even begin to account for all of the amazing things that God is doing in me, in those around me, and the areas He is helping me to grow in. I want to start by thanking you for all of your prayer and financial support! I found out this week that my entire lecture phase has been paid now. Praise God! He deserves so much glory! He is teaching me about His love and grace (which was the lecture topic this week), each and every day. Last week a girl on base was led to give me a gorgeous pair of her shoes. They were new and my size!!!! God is amazing!
I also wanted to write to inform you of the amazing things that God is doing during our lecture phase here. Our activities include: daily worship and intercession, lecture classes each day, small group activities, outreach preparation, and track activities. Tracks are the various interest focus areas that we as students choose to learn how to use our abilities to glorify God and further the Kingdom. I am a part of the music track and God is really challenging me. I have already helped with student-led worship and will be working to put an entire worship team and set together. I also have to write two songs and I have begun recording with people. Our music track will be doing two local outreaches here in Montana, ministering through music. The entire group of students I am with will be going to Washington State in November for a week-long outreach! Praise God that we all get to minister here and abroad!
Then in December I will be joining the outreach team going to Brazil. The way that God put Brazil in my heart is amazing, and the things that our trip will be focused on, line up with the vision that God had placed in my heart years ago! Here is the story of God’s handiwork in planning my outreach! . About a month ago I had a dream that I was with a YWAM team of people wading through this huge dirty river. The dream had more details and was very vivid, and I thought it unlikely to happen even with YWAM. When the outreach choices were presented to us and we were sent to go pray, I kept hearing God say Brazil over and over. Of course I had some doubt so I asked God to give me an image of me in the country He wanted me to go. So, this dream immediately came up into my mind. The crazy thing is that for a month our team will be living along the Amazon River, working with the tribes who live there. We are going to share the love of God with them and the message of Christ, while helping them with basic community development needs. Please pray for our team, as we will be boating down the river and staying in hammocks in the jungle. I know that God is sending me there and I can’t wait to see Him transform the lives of these tribal people, who may have never been reached! God is so good! We are also spending a month in Rio de Janeiro. There we will be working in the slums with teens in the streets and women who are bound in prostitution. One of the girls and I really have a vision for great ways to reach these women, as working with women from this type of a background has been something in our hearts for years now!
Now, to share the way that God is fulfilling my desires. Forever in my heart, I have longed to go and minister in South America, and now I have the opportunity to do so! Not only that, but at the same time I will be ministering through worship and music, I will have the opportunity to work with women who have been used and abused, work with the teenagers of Brazil, and I will even be cutting hair. I have always wanted to give women who come out of horrific backgrounds the message of God’s love and their beauty through words and giving to them. I am so very excited for our time in the city as well as with the tribal people of Brazil.
I am so amazed with God, His love, and His many blessings. He has been pouring out his blessing on me, from fulfilled desires, to shoes, to financial blessing, to impacting messages He continually pours out His love on me! I am so grateful for all that He has done and all that He is doing! I am surrounded by such outstanding staff, who are so open and pour out their time and love for us! I am also blessed with an amazing group of fellow students. Everyone is so compassionate and full of energy! I am so excited to be a part of this school, and what God is doing!
Thank you also for being a part! Through your constant prayers, financial support and encouragement, I have been truly blessed and I am able to go and share the love of God with so many people. This is truly what God has called me to for this time and I am so greatful that it is being made possible!
Please continue to pray and support as I still have $2700 due this next month. By October 18th, $1500 is due so that they can purchase our plane tickets and begin to make final arrangements with our contacts abroad. If you would like to support me financially the information is listed below, and please continue to support me in prayer. I love you all so much and I am so thankful for the blessing that you are in my life! You are truly amazing! I am praying for all of you as well (actually we all pray for you corporately at least once a week).
For continual updates and pictures: Follow me on Facebook or my blog (leahsjourney1.blogspot.com).
For outreach support: Make checks payable to YWAM Montana, with DTS: Leah Crout in the memo. For Living Expenses: Make checks payable to Leah Crout.
Please mail any letters or support to this address: YWAM Montana DTS: Leah Crout 501 Blacktail Road Lakeside, MT 59922.
Also, please feel free to call, email or skype any time! Cell: (614) 301-1440 Email: leahjoelle@gmail.com Skype: leahcrout
Thank you so much for all of your love and support! I miss you all!

I AM GOING TO THE AMAZON!!!

I can't even find words that give God the full glory for all that He is doing! Our Discipleship Training school has about 50 students, all of which are really here for God. It seems that everyone came with open hearts to each other and before God. It was amazing, one of the first nights to hear how God brought everyone to YWAM MONTANA. It truly testifies to the goodness of God. Our school theme is ABIDE. We are learning to Seek God first and has He fills us up, then to do for the kingdom. No more of this backwards Christian stuff where we just serve because we have all these "SHOULDS" in our life. So the first week was full of intense times of worship, messages on intercession, hearing God, seeking God, times of openness and sharing. We also really had a great time learning about YWAM history and Montana history. We even had a Montana night, square dance, costumes and all to celebrate our new home. I love all of the students and staff here, and I know that God brought us all together for a reason! He is so amazing!!

This week our speaker is Gordy McDonald. He is teaching on the character and nature of God. I am falling in love all over again. I like seriously am in awe of His love and grace for me! God is so giving in every aspect of my life. From provision, to relationships, to peace, to supernatural joy, to the beauty of nature found here, to confirming each desire in my heart: God continually keeps filling me with awe at the way that He works all things together for the good of those who serve Him! He is miraculous!

So this week we have been placed in small groups to get to know each other better and have a staff member that we can really connect with and go to for anything. I am with Michele, who is amazing, and already has been there for me really praying me through. We also have started working in our tracks. I am in the music track and will be required to lead worship on base, on outreaches locally and abroad, write at least two songs, and work with one of the bands to record music. It will definitely be a challenge, but it is one that I really am looking forward to!!!

Also, yesterday we found out our teams! This is truly a testimony to what God does. We were presented with the 5 outreaches at the end of last week. The options are Turkey, Thailand, Guatemala, Brazil, and Haiti. As each country was revealed I saw ways that I would "fit" in each outreach. In some, there was a worship focus or a need for Spanish speakers (etc). But when Brazil came up on the screen, I almost started crying. We had an hour to go and pray over the trips and then write our choices down so that they could pray and construct teams that would work well together. So, I prayed and I couldn't get Brazil out of my head. God probably said it at least 5 times to me. But being me - I thought it might be my head. So, I asked God to reveal a picture of me ministering abroad in whatever country he had on His heart for me. So, I began meditating on God's goodness and in my spirit God brought this dream to my remembrance. He reminded me of a dream I had a month ago. This dream took place in an area exactly like where we will be ministering along the Amazon River. God confirmed it in so many ways that I am truly in awe of God. So there will be 15 of us traveling to Brazil in early December. We will arrive at a YWAM base and from there we will take a train and boat trip to the tribal villages along the Amazon River. We will be staying in hammocks along the river and sharing the message of God's love with the people. We will also help the communities there with basic development processes (i.e. filtered water). Then after spending a month along the Amazon our team will travel to Rio De Janeiro. There we will be doing drama, dance, music, and street ministry especially for teens and children. We are excited to share the message of Christ's love with these people and see their lives impacted. I am so, very excited for all that God has in store for us! I am believing to see God heal, deliver, save, and restore many in Brazil.

Please pray for our team as we prepare to travel and continue raising money. God is so so good! I know that this is the country He has in his heart for me to travel to this year. Thank God for His hand in my life.

Attached are some pictures of my roomates, outreach leader, Montana night (dressed up), and the base! Keep in touch!!!

Making friends in Montana...or making family...

I have been here a day and a half now, and already God is moving. I have been blessed with such amazing roomates! We also have a great group of students and staff here, and it's so exciting. God is amazing (as He always is) and has already been speaking to me and I can't wait to see what else He does.

This weekend has really been a time to settle in and get to know people! Of course we played mafia last night in my room with a bunch of friends. We also learned how to play knucklebones (which is similar to jacks) and I was horrible at!!! We have enjoyed our walks and some times of worship and lots of fun adventure already! This morning a group of us walked to church together and joined a great congregation for their service. Then a bunch of us walked down to the lake, and yes...we did it...we did the unthinkable (mind you it has been chilly here)....we went swimming!! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREEZING! I don't get cold people, but this was freezing! I am talking skin-numbing, tingling, shivering, COLD! But it was so so very fun!! There were about 7 of us who jumped in and about...6 who watched! Such a fun thing to do! Then it was dinner time so we warmed up and enjoyed our evening. It's so great to meet so many people from around the U.S. and the world already! I can't wait to continue this journey!!! I am tired though and school starts early tomorrow -
so goodnight world!!

Oh wait ...I have seen for real cowboys...like boots, belts, hats, and all...and I think we are having like a hoe down this week or something! WELCOME TO MONTANA WORLD!

3 DAYS LEFT!!! HOLLAA!!!

God is so so good! He blessed me last night at The Living Room. It was so encouraging to have everyone join in prayer for my time with YWAM, and to have people bless me financially and with their own testimonies. I am so excited for all that God has! He is so very good and faithful!!

3 DAYS!!!

YWAM COUNTDOWN ~ 4 DAYS

Today I started weighing all my clothes!!! HAHAHAAA!!!
That probably sounds crazy, but I am putting them in huge laundry bags. Then I get on the scale and weigh myself...lol...not going there :D Then I weigh myself with the luggage to find the difference. I gotta make sure I can take all that I need to Montana. I leave Saturday morning around 7 and I should get to the airport in Montana around 12:30. I'll make great time thanks to the time-change and a short layover. I have been getting excited, so I can't fall asleep. I am just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for everything that God has! I can't wait to meet everyone on base and see what God is going to do!

COUNTDOWN - 4 DAYS UNTIL I LEAVE!!!!!!

MISS MY FAMILY ALREADY!!

Paris, France 2007

After our time in Brooklyn, we were joined by about 9 people from New York and about 10 people from Ohio. This group of people made up the team traveling to Paris, France. There we worked with four different churches, ministered in the streets through drama, music, and the message of the Gospel.

After what seemed like a lifetime, we arrived in beautiful Paris, France. There we worked with a few churches in the outskirts of the city to minister in their services and in the streets of Paris. We were able to see God touch the lives of so many, but not without being met with great opposition. France consists of a largely Atheist-declaring group of people. There is also a very large Muslim community, that did not really want to see us there spreading God's Word. There were a few instances when we had to relocate our team for street ministry for safety reasons. We did, however get to share about God's love with a few Muslim men, and saw the children of Muslim families saved and set free. I remember one time of ministry in particular. We were at a strip of shops were there were probably about 20 kids running around. We had expected to meet adults or teens, and had to improv. a drama and message geared to younger children. My friend Jessica and I worked together to share an engaging story of Jonah, in which she translated to them for me. Meanwhile, about 5 of our team members acted out the entire story on the fly. It was hilarious to see grown men acting like whales, and being "swallowed up." It not only amused us, but the children were captivated. When we explained that God has a plan for their lives just like Jonah, and Jesus is the way to fulfill that they were ecstatic. We also saw a few adults watching as well. God is so good, we were able to share our story just in time before rushing to another location as a few men became angry with the work we were doing.

Our team also had the opportunity to work with various churches in France and the youth at these churches. Because our team was large we were able to split up between these churches and minister on the same evenings. It was such an amazing experience to be a part of the worship team and learn to worship in French. Each night we had great moves of the spirit during worship and people were set free from oppression. It seemed that depression and hopelessness plagued a lot of the people in these churches, and it was so amazing to see God move upon them in love, whether through worship, prayer, or the word. I remember one church in particular that was really impacted. The first time we ministered there the people seemed very reserved, like they hadn't experienced the life of God. It wasn't long before the sin, hurt, resentment, and bondage that withheld this congregation was broken in times of worship and ministry. God really created unity between the leadership of the church there and our team, and this was one of the main keys to seeing God move.

So often today, we find between denominations, pastors and church leaders, and even within the members of our own congregations the enemy works at creating division and succeeds. Sometimes we destroy ourselves before the enemy even has to try. I believe that God wants us to be like the church in Acts following the day of Pentecost. On that day - they were all gathered together, in one place, in one accord and began to worship God. Then God came by His Holy Spirit and radically changed the people. Also thousands were added to the church that day as they heard the word of God and saw Him move in power. God has called us to walk in this and so much more. Whether we were ministering in worship, preaching through a megaphone in the streets, or sharing a drama with young children- it was when we put aside ourselves and walked in unity with God and one another that we saw lives changed.

Let's continue to move forward loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and loving one another as ourselves. This love will set the captives free, because love is the TRUE message of salvation.

BROOKLYN 2007

The summer of 2007, I joined Vision Ministries International for Timothy Project. The Timothy Project is a 6-week mission-focused training school and time of ministry. Our team first went to Brooklyn, NY that July. We worked with Resurrection Church in Sunset Park to reach those in the streets of New York, and hosted a youth conference that weekend. We had about 15 high-school students who joined us that week. Each morning we would gather together for prayer and ministry practice. We worked to teach the young people at Resurrection drama and dance. Then Each afternoon we would walk downtown and take a street corner. There our band would play, the dance team would minister, and we would share drama with those on the streets. It was so amazing to see the youth of the church growing as they saw the lives of others reached. We also had amazing times of street ministry. We saw people delivered and set free, saved by the power of God, and loving brought into God's healing hands. We would also take time split into teams ministering throughout Brooklyn sharing our testimonies and ministering prophetically to those in need. It was absolutely amazing! We were also able to minister to many in the Spanish community through our interpreters. Then each night we held a service at Resurrection Church.

In these services, we saw God move mightily. Not only were people coming from all around Brooklyn, but the young people of Resurrection Church were truly being changed. Many of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. We saw girls set free from years of self-hatred and eating disorders. We saw people saved and recommit their lives after years of sexual, drug, and alchohol addiction. It was absolutely amazing to see God minister. As a part of the praise and worship team, I was able to grow as well. I learned that there is definitely a difference between the times when we would try to force a move of God and the times we were worshipping in spirit and in truth. In those moments He moved through us by prophetic song and freed the atmosphere in the room. Each night the times of worship, the strong messages shared, and times of ministry made an impact on the youth of the church, those who had come in from the street, and those from our team. God also brought unity between our team and the church members. Relationships were established with people who I am still blessed to be in contact with. God is so so good!!!

Bahamas 2005

My senior year was the first time that I was able to travel out of the country to do some missions work. I traveled with my class to Andros Island, Bahamas. We had an amazing trip and while there we were able to give to the young children whom had nothing more than huts to live in. The people of Andros are the poorest of all the Bahamian Islands, and the average income is $900/year. We as Americans cannot even fathom the simplicity of their life. Yet these people and the children were beautiful and welcomed us lovingly. We also had an opportunity to work with one of the local churches and were a part of their services while we were there. We also stayed in cabins with dirt floors ourselves, and took clothes and shoes to give to the people in need there. It was such a life-changing time. This trip created a strong desire inside of me to pursue more work abroad and with those in need. I remember coming home and praying every night for the people in Andros for a year or more. Those there are still in my heart, and as God as opened more opportunities for me to minister in this area, I am greatful for this first experience that helped me to become aware of the need others have.

Blessed!

My God is so Magnificent! So wonderful! His grace truly Amazes me! Each and Every day I am reminded of His love, as He reveals Himself and the way that He works things out for my good. AHHH!!! I LOVE HIM!