We're entering week nine of our training here at YWAM Switzerland! We spent the majority of our day at the local Starbucks. I'm not sure if it's comforting or frightening to know that no matter where in the world you go, you can always count on finding a Starbucks to feel at home!

This past week and the coming week, our speaker has been an Australian named John Faull. His topic is prayer, and we're going to be having prayer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We'll accomplish this by dividing the shifts between the 25 students in our class, and it sounds like we'll each be praying anywhere from 4-6 hours per day. John has led these "prayer weeks" in many locations throughout the world, and has seen God do amazing things each time. We're excited for what the week may bring!

Our details are coming together for outreach in China and the Philippines. We are putting the finishing touches on a newsletter update, which you should receive via e-mail. Basically, we're in need of a LOT of prayer, and a little money. Give it a read when you have a chance. The most pressing issue is that our visas are currently being processed by the Chinese embassy, and we'd really like it if they went through!

Last of all for today, a book that has been having a huge impact on both of us is "Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. After a middle-class Christian upbringing, Shane went to study at Eastern College near Philadelphia. Within a few years, he got involved with the homeless in Philadelphia, worked with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, interned at Willow Creek Church, and went to Seminary. Out of all those experiences, he founded a community called "The Simple Way," an alternative to the American dream. The Simple Way is marked by living in community, living and working with the homeless, and trying to live according to the Gospel of Christ. I wouldn't describe it as a hippie community...but along a similar vein. If you're in the mood for something that challenges the way you live and walk in your faith, it's worth a read.

Until next week,

Lauren and Jake