July's E-Newsletter from Bolivia!

One morning I went for a walk in a mountain Quechua village outside of the city of Cusco. The neighbors were letting their sheep out & heading to the fields. Others were out in the fields harvesting carrots & onions. I greeted them & continued on my path towards the stream to wash my clothes. I joined some other women as they were doing the same.

As I was finishing my clothes I noticed some of the men & women washing the carrots they had just pulled out of the ground. I’m talking TONS! I started helping them. Cleaning & sorting, along with some nibbling on the small ones! One of the ways they clean them is by walking on them as the water flows through them, so I joined in. How many times can you say you got a carrot stuck in you sandal?!?! Only in the mountains of Peru! I was there for hours working and talking with them!

As I finished up for the day, I walked back to the mud house the team & I were staying at that week. I was just thanking God as I was looking at the sunset & the amazing mountains! Who gets to do this? This is amazing! 

The next week was a total contrast. We went from freezing temperatures to jungle heat & humidity. Last week we helped another YWAM base in the construction of their orphanage. Most the time we were out in the forest, clearing the land in order to plant crops. A machete in hand was the order of the day. As we worked every day, I kept thanking God for the life He has given me. Outreach with the DTS’s are full of surprises! The students are doing an amazing job. I am so proud of each & every one of them. 

We crossed the border into Bolivia & we are working with 2 different churches in the city of Cochabamba. We still have 5 weeks in outreach to go, so please continue to pray for us as we travel. Also that God would continue to prepare the lands we are going to. I am surprisingly not too stressed out. Like I said, the students are doing great & the team of staff have been amazing too! Thank you guys! I love you! To get the weekly updates on our outreach, stay tuned to my facebook page. (www.facebook.com/sylvia.barnard)

In my last newsletter I wrote about my long distance relationship with Randhus. We have not been able to talk as much as we had been in the past few months because of all my travels, but our “skype dates” are treasured. He is going to be flying to Peru in August & staying with me & my family for a month. I am beyond excited to see him again! Being Nicaraguan, he needed to get a visa for Peru. Thank God, that all went smoothly. But, his flight has a layover in Atlanta, so he needs the USA visa. His appointment at the American Embassy is this Friday at 9:30am. PLEASE lift him up in prayer & the people at the Embassy that he will be speaking with. Pray that the Lord would give him favor. After he is here for a month, I am planning on flying back to Nicaragua with him until December. I want to spend some quality time with him & his family. I will make sure to focus on family, but I am also excited to join in with him in ministry. I will write in more detail about that in another letter. 

My “Cappuccino corner“ is still open! I am looking for a more stable support base. Instead of looking at my budget like one big giant, I decided to divide it up into more reasonable amounts that people could feel like they could be a part of each month. So, the idea is to sign up for a “club”. In my “Cappuccino corner“ you can join the “Short Club“ at $25 a month, the “Tall Club“ at $50 a month, the “Grande Club“ at $100 a month, or the “Venti Club“ at $250 a month.

My monthly support goal is $854. Breaking it down, here is what I need:

-8 people to join the “Short Club"

-4 people to join the “Tall Club"

-2 people to join the “Grande Club"

-1 person to join the “Venti Club" 

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for the DTS staff as they lead the two teams on their outreach.

2. Please pray for all the students as they continue to face new challenges each week.

3. Please continue to pray for my mom and my family.

4. Please pray for Randhus’ USA visa &  travel plans this upcoming month.

5. Please pray for my brother, Keith & his wife, Lu. They are traveling to Cartagena, Colombia to take another YWAM school together this month.

6. Please pray about joining my “Short“, “Tall“, “Grande“ or “Venti“ Clubs and be a part of my financial support team. Sylvia is in need of some “coffee”! 

June's 2012 Newsletter!

So, the past 3 months have been nothing but amazing. I have been leading the DTS in Iquitos, Peru. We have 16 amazing students from all over the globe. The school is divided into 2 parts - 3 months lecture phase & 2½ months outreach. We are now in the outreach phase. The structure of the school continues with the staff leadership, but the atmosphere changes a lot. Each week we work in a new church & city & have a completely different schedule. This year we are traveling throughout the southern parts of Peru & into the country of Bolivia. For example, we will be ministering up in the Peruvian Andes Mountains with a Quechua people group, help building a YWAM orphanage in Puerto Maldonado & to the other extreme of the busy city of La Paz, Bolivia.

God has blessed me with an amazing team of staff & students that are amazing. We have another week ministering in Iquitos & then we start the major traveling. They are all excited about this new phase. Ready to give after receiving this whole time. Please pray for protection, as we will be traveling almost 100% by bus. Border crossings, guarding our luggage, our physical safety & unity. Ahhh, unity. Please pray that God would help us to continue in the spirit that we have been in during these first 3 months. Please continue to lift us up, because I KNOW that satan is not happy that a strong team is going out. Pray that we would also be able to have special, fun times as a school. Spiritually speaking, that God would help each one of us conquer different areas of our lives, be student or staff. We are all growing in this life. I want the students to continue to grow and I want the same for the staff and myself.

For me personally, I would like prayer just for the stress of leading the school. Financial things, contacts, details with the churches… etc. I have been learning more and more how to trust, delegate and let go. It has been such an amazing process that started when my mom got cancer last year. I HAD to let go. I COULDN’T control everything or better yet, anything! I have learned how to rest in God’s hands when something this big was weighing on my family. After experiencing His comfort and support, He led me to trust others. I am a control freak and tend to not give people much because I want it a specific way. UGH! Not the best trait of mine. It’s still a process, but I am enjoying the new feeling of seeing others take something that is dear to me & run with it. I am still there, but being a part of another person taking on more responsibilities, brings joy to my heart. To get the weekly updates on our outreach, stay tuned to my facebook page. www.facebook.com/sylvia.barnard

My mom has finished her treatment! Last week marked one year since we got the devastating news that challenged our family in a new dimension. She still has things that we need to be careful with and I ask you to continue to pray for her and my family, but she is on a great path to conquering cancer 100%. She has had some of the tests done, but has a few more to go. So far, everything has been positive. I came up to Lima this past weekend to visit with my family before we leave on our 2-month outreach. This time was so good. We didn’t have much “to do”… we just visited, talked, ate! It was good. 

On to romantic things… So… if you have been out on my facebook, you might have noticed my status. Yes, I am in a relationship with a man named Randhus Carrión. He is Nicaraguan & lives there. We have known each other since 2003, but the romantic spark has only taken place in the last 5 months. Our relationship has been all long distance, but is has given us the chance to really talk. When all you can do is skype, that’s exactly what you do. TALK. I wouldn’t recommend a long distance relationship to everyone, because it is hard & at times frustrating to not be able to have that person in front of you & look into their eyes… BUT, God has helped us a lot. We have been skyping every night since January 9^th. I don’t think I could even add up the hours we have dedicated in quality conversation. I am really enjoying this relationship.

Last month my dad had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua for the Central America regional YWAM conference. He was able to meet with him and his parents on 2 occasions. My parents love me and want to best for me and are advising me in several areas, but overall supportive of the direction that this relationship is going. He will be traveling here to Peru in August. We are counting down the days until I pick him up at the Lima airport. When he arrives, it will have been 8 years since I have seen him in person. I know that sounds extreme. Well, it is! But, we are both excited. I have few pictures of my time in Nicaragua in 2003 & 2004, but I am looking forward to showing you guys CURRENT pictures of us. Patience! The countdown is at a little less than 2 months. 

Thank you so much to those that are already supporting me and for those that responded to the “Cappuccino corner“. For those of you that didn’t get my last newsletter explaining about my “Cappuccino corner“, let me explain it again. I am looking for a more stable support base. Instead of looking at my budget like one big giant, I decided to divide it up into more reasonable amounts that people could feel like they could be a part of each month. So, the idea is to sign up for a “club”. In my “Cappuccino corner“ you can join the “Short Club“ at $25 a month, the “Tall Club“ at $50 a month, the “Grande Club“ at $100 a month, or the “Venti Club“ at $250 a month.

My monthly support goal is $854. Breaking it down, here is what I need:

- 8 people to join the “Short Club“

- 4 people to join the “Tall Club“

- 2 people to join the “Grande Club“

- 1 person to join the “Venti Club“

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for the DTS staff as the lead the two teams on their outreach.

2. Please pray for all the students as they begin this new time of putting all the things they have learned during this time into practice. Pray that they TRULY become family!

3. Please continue to pray for my mom and my family.

4. Please pray that God would open all the doors for outreach that He wants and He would make it clear which ones He wants to close. That He would give me patience while coordinating with 16 different pastors for these upcoming 8 weeks.

5. Please pray for Randhus and I as we continue to get to know each other more & more. That He would guide us and our families in all of the decisions we make.

6. Please pray about joining my “Short“, “Tall“, “Grande“ or “Venti“ Clubs and be a part of my financial support team. Sylvia is in need of some “coffee”! 

February's Cappuccino Corner E-Newsletter!

DTS 2012

To say I am excited about the school would be an understatement. I am ecstatic! I am still getting applications and requests for more information everyday, and the inauguration is right around the corner, on March 5th. 15 students have been accepted and more are in process, so I am hoping to have roughly 20 altogether. I have been getting to know them from afar, and everyday I get more excited to see what God is going to do in their lives in the next 6 months.

I am now in Lima, processing some paperwork for my missionary visa, and will be flying back to Iquitos on February 3rd. All the DTS staff will be at the base by the 2nd week of February. There are SO many things we need to do in preparation for the school, but I am excited to get my hands dirty and work alongside these AMAZING people.

As you may remember, this is something I wrote in my last Newsletter:

“It is not about a few people giving a lot - it is about a lot of people giving a little! The price of a weekly visit to Starbucks could help support me for $25 a month. If you could commit to more, great, but if not, “invite” me to a Starbucks coffee that can result in changed lives!”

Keeping coffee in mind, I thought this would be a fun way to let you get involved in supporting me as I serve here in Peru. In my “Cappuccino corner“ you can join the “Short Club“ at $25 a month, the “Tall Club“ at $50 a month, the “Grande Club“ at $100 a month, or the “Venti Club“ at $250 a month.

My monthly support goal is $854. Breaking it down, here is what I need:

-8 people to join the “Short Club“

-4 people to join the “Tall Club“

-2 people to join the “Grande Club“

-1 person to join the “Venti Club“

Prayer Requests:

1. I mentioned the DTS staff in my last newsletter, but they are so important to me that I ask that you pray for them by name. Waldir & Maira (married in December), George, Magly and Ruby. Like myself, they all have a huge heart for youth and have their own challenges being on the mission field.

2. Please pray for all the students that will be arriving in Iquitos this coming March. Also pray for those that are in the application process, and that God would provide them all with the finances needed in order to come.

3. Please continue to pray for my mom and my family.

4. Please pray that God gives me the wisdom to lead this school, and that He would ALWAYS give me the patience and words to speak in love.

5. Please pray about joining my “Short“, “Tall“, “Grande“ or “Venti“ Clubs and be a part of my financial support team. Sylvia is in need of some “coffee”!

November/December 2011

4 years. Wow! It seems like it was just a few days ago that I was stepping out in faith into this new life in Peru. Four years ago I decided to do my DTS in Cartagena, Colombia, sold almost everything I had and walked into the unknown. Since then, I have helped lead a team of youth pastors and YWAMers to China in 2008, been staff in DTS Iquitos 2009, 2010 & 2011, did my PCYM YWAM school in 2009 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and went on a construction mission trip to Haiti in 2011. So many things have happened since I took those first steps and left Tampa, FL. I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to this, but there is always a doubt in every human being when you set out to do something great. There is that doubt, that thought that bounces back and forth in your brain, “Can I really do this? Am I strong enough? Do you really want this life?” Well, I am here to say, “YES!” I want this life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t always know exactly what is next or what God has prepared for me. But I do know that my home is in Latin America and my life and ministry is here. So, please keep me in your prayers as I plan this to be a life-long commitment on the mission field.

I wrote in my last newsletter about my mom, her cancer and how the family has grown in all this. She is now done with her Chemotherapy and Radiation and is continuing with another therapy until summer of next year. My parents have an apartment in Lima and I come see them whenever I can. I am happy, no, ecstatic, to say that she is VERY healthy. Chemotherapy was hard, but God gave her more than she needed to come out on top. She is past the worse part. I could write a whole newsletter on how this has helped us grow as a family and how it has changed things in all of our lives.

Since the DTS 2011 graduation in August, I have been living with my parents, and Keith & Lu in Lima. After the New Year I will be flying back to Iquitos to lead the DTS 2012. I am so excited about this school. When we first started talking about the DTS, I was a little hesitant to take on this new responsibility of leading the school, but God has provided all I need and with an AMAZING staff. As my role with the school is changing, I am doing many things that I have never done before. I am a little scared, but at the same time confident that God will give me all I need. Those that know me well know that I do best when I am put in a new situation and learn with “hands-on” experiences. I am excited about the challenge and ready to take that new step in leadership!

While in Lima, I have been working on a hidden talent that I never developed before: I have been taking piano lessons! Though I’ve been leading worship for years now, not being able to pick up an instrument and play made me feel limited. I am not very advanced, but I am practicing everyday. It feels so awesome to just sit down in front of the piano and sing away! I can’t wait to actually lead worship while I play. I am not ready for that yet, but I will be soon.

God has faithfully provided for me all these years. On the other hand, many personal and ministry projects that God has placed on my heart have not been started for various reasons, mostly the lack of financial support. When I left Tampa, I had the goal of having an $854 monthly support base. I have been surviving on much less than that, but it limits what I can do. Please pray about this and let me know if you would like to partner with me here on the mission field. I know you can’t all be here physically, but you can help me continue to touch the lives of many, many teens and youth. If you would like a breakdown of my budget or an example of some personal and ministry projects I want to do, please write to me and I will send you more information. It is not about a few people giving a lot - it is about a lot of people giving a little! The price of a weekly visit to Starbucks could help support me for $25 a month. If you could commit to more, great, but if not, “invite” me to a Starbucks coffee that can result in changed lives! For those of you that are supporting me, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am here because of you!

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for our DTS 2012 staff: Waldir and Maira, George, Brett, Ruby and Magly. They all have their own set of challenges to get ready for this new phase of their lives.

2. Please pray for all the students that will be arriving in Iquitos this coming March. They are getting ready to start a journey like I first did in 2008. I know what it feels like and it is not an easy step.

3. Please continue to pray for my mom and my family. Like I said, she is past the worse, but prayers for her and my family would be deeply appreciated.

4. Please pray about joining my financial support team.

Your sister-daughter-niece and friend,

Sylvia Barnard

DTS 2011 Purple Team Outreach!

Iquitos, Peru's 2011 Purple Team outreach video. Amazon, Iquitos, Chiclayo & Camana, PERU. Cochabamba & Santa Cruz, BOLIVIA. Arica, CHILE. Matinga & Villa el Salvador, PERU.

www.ywamperu.com

www.jucumperu.com

www.facebook.com/sylvia.barnard

August - DTS 2011

So, another year, and another AMAZING DTS. You might think that they are all the same thing, same structure and similar results, but that is not the case. The students are always different in every school and what God does in you as a staff is also extremely different. I was not sure how I thought about working with the DTS at the beginning of the year. I did it more out of a need than a passion, but thankfully God gifted me with some of the most amazing 6 months of my life.

This DTS was the largest DTS we have ever had, which was amazing, but comes with its added responsibility. More people to disciple with few staff. About 3 weeks before outreach, one of the couples on staff had to return to Colombia because of a death in the family. We continued on with outreach planning, but had to make some adjustments. This meant I was going to be leading a team of 10 by myself. Then, one week before outreach, my mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. That obviously was very hard. I talked it over with my family and we all decided that it would be better if I continued on with the DTS, but stayed extremely connected via e-mails and texts while in the country. I KNOW that God was my strength, but He also surrounded me with the most amazing team. I have been using the word “AMAZING” many times in the report, but you know what… it’s true! They were amazing.

I was saying earlier on that each DTS is different and that God also continues to teach you as staff in different areas. For those of you that know me or have worked with me, you know that I like everything to be done to the best of ones abilities. I also tend to want to control things in leadership and have a hard time trusting and truly delegating. From the very first meetings I had with my team, I told them that I was REALLY going to need their help. I was able to let go of so many things that I would have normally held on to and tried to control, but God helped me so much in that area this year. I think it started with the fact that my mom had cancer and I couldn’t do anything to control the situation. I HAD to let go and let God work in her. So, I let go and God gifted me with an amazing team. There was such a release of stress when I just handed it over to them and let them “own” it.

The outreach this year started in the Amazon River communities and the city of Iquitos. We then went to the northern & southern coastal regions of Peru. We crossed over into Bolivia & had 2 great weeks there. We also were about to minister in the city of Arica, Chile for one week. We then crossed back into my beloved Peru and ministered in the mountains outside of Cusco and back to Lima, a total of 10 weeks traveling.

This whole time, my parents have been in Lima taking care of my mom’s treatments. This week, she finished her 3rd session of Chemo. It was SOOO hard to be far from her this whole time, but like I said, God helped me and so did my team (THANK YOU GUYS!!!). She has been responding fabulously to the treatments. Of course there are the ugly few days after each session, but her faith in God and great spirit has given her such a great response to all this. My parents have been closer and calmer than I have ever seen them. They are living every day to it’s fullest. Taking advantage of every moment. Their life at the busy base in Iquitos is VERY different than what they are living now. My dad has made sure that she is comfortable and has a “home” in Lima. I walked into their apartment in Lima the day and a ½ I was there and it was awesome. It was like a peaceful-no-stress zone. She is doing well in that atmosphere. They are not just waiting for the months to go by, they are living life together. Her treatment will be for about a year, every 3 weeks. Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouraging e-mails! If you desire to contact her directly, here’s her e-mail: bethabarnard@gmail.com

So, back in Iquitos, the students graduated on August 5^th. The graduation was so great. I was so proud of all of them. It was hard again to see them all leave though. Yes, it is the end of an extremely busy and draining school, but I grew to love these students so much and hated to see them leave. The base is so much quieter these days.

So, what I am doing these days… Well, first – recovering on sleep… Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I am working on some updates for the website and videos for DTS 2012. But, these next few months are going to be lighter on the ministry side. I was away from my mom for 3 hard months and it’s time to be by her side. I will be flying to Lima in the beginning of September. I will be there basically for Thanksgiving, Christmas, my 29^th B-day and New Year’s. Some time in January or February I will be returning to Iquitos to continue in the prep work for DTS 2012. About half the work can be done in an office, but there’s always “hands-on” coordination to get done before a school like a DTS.

So that’s all for now. I’ll try to do a better job at keeping you posted with updates now that I will be in one place longer than a week. If you ever want a quick update, you can always find my status updates on facebook, read my blog or look at my tons of pictures on facebook.

Prayer Requests

1. My mom’s health. Like I said, she is responding fabulously to treatment, but please continue to keep her in your prayers.

2. My dad and how all this affects him.

3. YWAM Iquitos base. With the absence of the directors, that the staff remain strong and growing in their ministries.

4. DTS Students as they are heading back home. All the changes they will be facing.

5. My future plans. I am 100% committed to YWAM Iquitos, but I would like more clarity & guidance in my personal life and goals.

6. Personal finances.

Thank you so much for your prayers & support! God bless you!

With MUCH love,

Sylvia Barnard

Sept 2010 updates...

Wow, this year has gone by so quickly and God has been so good… Almost a year ago I was packing up to go to Bucaramanga, Colombia for YWAM’s PCYM school and had no idea what God could do in a year. I graduated in February and traveled back down to Iquitos, Perú. We had 19 students from all over the globe. Everyone is so different but special in their own ways. Another thing that I loved this year was getting to know Lu (my brother Keith’s fiancée from China). She is so sweet and tender and I pray every day that God would give me more of that tenderness in my life. This year we traveled to 3 different river communities just hours from our base in Iquitos. We drilled a well for a much needed community and worked with many children. The men in Latin America are always open to a good soccer game, so the guys enjoyed ministering to them through a good game and fellowship after. This year’s outreach we traveled to 4 cities in Northern Perú and 5 cities in Ecuador. Each week was different, a lot of work, but a very good outreach. We are now back in Iquitos, the students have graduated and gone back to their homes to continue on with the plan God has for their lives. Some of them are going back to college, others are now working with their church, others are planning on coming back here to work at the base and others are still trying to figure it out. The base has been quiet since they have been gone. You get to know them so much and become a family for 6 months and it is hard to see them leave, but I am trusting God to continue to hold them in His hands.

Prayer Requests:

1. What's next for me?

2. My parents. Their ministries are growing rapidly and their responsibilities along with that. That God would continue to be with them as they go through all this.

Thank you so much for being with me in all this and all your support. It wouldn’t be the same without your friendship!

Love you all,

Sylvia Barnard

Oct-Nov '09 - PCYM Bucaramanga, Colombia

Last Newsletter I was on my way to Bucaramanga, Colombia to attend the PCYM school with YWAM… Well, I have arrived and have gotten through a month of AMAZING teachings! I always knew that kids were important in God’s eyes, but I never really gave them THAT place in my heart like God does. He has a precious generation that needs to be taken back for Him and THEY will change their world.

It is interesting to be in the “Student Mode” again. I find that I LOVE learning. I already knew that, but each time I Iearn something new I get excited and want everyone I know to be a part of the experience WITH me. The school it pulling out ALL of my creative juices. It is hard at times because I feel like I never stop. We are up early and it is 12:56am and I am still typing away or painting something or cutting papers to make a design in my academic journal. I love it, but I sometimes wish I could have a little more time.

HUGE PRAISE!

We are having the annual YWAM “North Cone” Conference in December in Lima, Peru and God provided an amazing international airline ticket for me to go. Let me explain what North Cone is. YWAM is divided into districts. South America divides into 3 zones. North Cone (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador & Peru), South Cone (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia…) & Brazil is on it’s own ‘cuz it’s so big and has so many bases. SO, this years’ conference is in Lima, Peru – organized by the Peru YWAM team! Yeah! I am so excited. It is the first conference held in my new country. I can not help a lot in the prep, but I am trying to help from afar and am sure I will be multi-tasking (as always) when I arrive. I will start traveling on Dec. 4^th, fly to Lima on the 5^th, be there that week and fly back on the 12^th. Please keep me in your prayers and all the YWAMers that will be traveling on those dates.

Prayer Requests:

1. The King’s Kids Ministry here in Bucaramanga has a concert on Nov. the 22^nd. Thank God, we have a great auditorium for that night. We have the tickets printed and ready to sell. The auditorium holds roughly 300-400, we are hoping to sell at least 300. This is a great outreach to the community, churches & especially teens. Please pray for the ticket sales and all the prep for the event. Also, I am choreographing the last piece. I am excited but anxious at the same time. God will get the glory though everything, but I want to do a good job.

2. Finances. I have the school tuition to pay for and I am not always sure where that is coming from. God has NEVER let me down & never will. Please pray that I would continue to have peace in this area.

3. My future crazy plans. I WANT to make sense of it, but I just need patience… Help me rest in Him!