A HOME FROM HOME: Scandinavia Part One

It's amazing how quickly a place can feel like home. How you can enjoy the atmosphere, make yourself comfortable, know where even that barely used kitchen utensil is found and look forward to getting back there after a long journey or full day. The YWAM (UMO) base close to Lime, Denmark is one of those places.

Even though I was only in Scandinavia for two weeks, this was the base for our travels and was almost immediately a place I looked forward to returning to and felt the comfort of 'home'.

My time here was divided between the prayer room (a wonderful room where the afternoon sun creeps in set aside specifically for prayer and worship), our own quarters, the dining room and the kitchen!

Whilst I enjoyed the opportunity to bless others through food and fellowship (especially cake!), my favourite times here were talking with God about the base and His plans and purposes as I strolled round their grounds early in the morning, and being in the place of prayer and worship. Sustaining open ended sets that were fueled by revelation of the God we love and serve, diverting from what may make sense or be 'correct' musically to follow the heart journey he led me on. Leading devotional sets solo (which is typical) can either be a horrendous or a wonderful place to be. The absence of a team means no-one to spark off, no-one to cover you musically, no-one to give you a break and no-one to take the lead when you feel 'dry' or don't know where it's going. Those same disadvantages are its benefits.

Life and energy has to come from Holy Spirit, sustained by constant revelation that leaves me in a place where even though tired I don't want to stop. Direction, the focus, the very words even no longer come from a partner or a team but from where God is leading and that 'dry' feeling' is the cue to press in, go deeper, push through and ask him for more.

Sustaining this for one time five hours alone, I found my favourite thing. Start with the word. It sounds simple and it really is. I thought I was ending the set when I felt led to Psalms and began singing through, meditating, lingering, worshiping. That is, responding with my heart and voice to what I learned and experienced.

And so, I found my current favourite way of worshiping when I'm alone. I found the sweetness of being welcomed by the bride in Denmark and the joy of finding myself a part of the YWAM family. I experienced the presence of God and see there a place where He longs to abide. There's a people hungry for more of Him, and God has done and is going to do even more amazing things in that place. It's a joy to have been a teen, tiny part of that. (Quick aside....if you're looking for a DTS, consider YWAM Randers!)