It seems like the last month of the Steiger Radical Missions School was a whirlwind. I think I blinked, because it was there, and then it was gone. Despite all the attempts of the Enemy to steal my joy and take my focus away from the goodness of all that was going on around me in New Zealand (NZ), I found myself continually blessed there. It’s been two months since I left NZ (already?). I was blessed to visit friends on the West Coast of the US on the way back to Minneapolis. Returning home, my house was very different than when I left it. This was also a huge blessing in more ways than one. It’s been a transition long in coming, and I’ve adjusted back. My wait for the next step continues, and I’m hoping for some kind of major change this fall.
After returning from our break, we were blessed with a series of speakers that really impacted our group. Among them was Cecily Hill, a Maori missionary and pastor from Auckland. Cecily’s life experience was especially valuable to the single people in the school who were predominantly between the ages of 25-35. Cecily ministered around the world, even seeing hundreds of miraculous healings, as a single person until the age of 49 when she married for the first time. Jenny Duckworth shared the wisdom of her many years of discipleship and living in intentional Christian community. This impacted me greatly as I also own a community house in Minneapolis that has seen a particularly high rate of challenges over its 3 short years. I also spent time with Jenny’s family at their community, Ngatiawa, located up the valley from Waikanae Beach. It was a beautiful time of rest and contemplation, and I found myself going away quite encouraged. One of our last speakers was Weston Cerrye with whom we saw many in our group experience physical healing. This included my friend Kristin, whose leg grew to match the length of the other!
The last days in Waikanae were short and emotional, but the good-byes were sweet. Four of my schoolmates and I hopped in a camper van and drove north through Taupo to Auckland. From there, I went to Tauranga where I met several new friends from the Tauranga House of Prayer (THOP). We had adventures to Cathedral Cove (featured at the beginning of the movie Prince Caspian) and Hot Water Beach where we got to dig shallow holes in the sand and sit in the hot springs that rose through the sand. Even on the way back to Auckland, I was blessed to meet up with a Fijian woman from THOP. I spent the evening with her family and a group of islander women from their church. They were a beautiful example of the strength of family – something they were quite sad to hear that I did not have to that same extent.
Once I set foot back in the US, I met up with my friend Andrzej (pronounced ahn-DRAY-ik) in LA. I got to stay with a few of his friends in Hollywood, Monkey and Myra, and Katy in Los Feliz. After being in beautiful, laid-back NZ for over two months, Hollywood was a rough adjustment. I spent a lot of time by myself while my friends were at work, but the weekend brought another adventure – a road trip with Andrzej, Manda, and baby Silas to Portland, OR! We surprised several of our friends with our visit. We saw their new band play their first show and we even took one of them back to LA with us.
My house was quiet when I got home. After all the extremely stressful drama I’d had to deal with from several of my tenants while I was away, it was a delightful change. There was a lot to do, but my Polish friend and Steiger schoolmate, Lukasz, came to stay with me for a month. His presence and help around made all the difference. My parents also stayed with me for a week after driving up from Florida for a visit. It was great to have a full house, including their dog, Ty. Since their departure, two couples have moved in for the summer, both in transition. I continue in my search for reliable and trustworthy tenants. My hope is to rent out the whole house and move out for a year. I’m just waiting on the Lord for a specific leading our door to open in regard to where I should go next.
Please pray for me as I deal with all the unfinished business concerning my former tenants and seek God’s will for the future. It’s been a particularly stressful season, and I still am trusting the Lord for a season of rest and restoration. Please also remember me in my search for the right people to rent out my house beginning in September. I believe that God has great plans and purposes for me, and I look forward to seeing what adventures He has in store!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
इ"म नोट सुरे वही थिस इस इन थाई.
Where to begin...
After about four weeks of classes and evangelistic outreach, we had a break for 10 days. I had contacted an old acquaintance a few weeks before coming to New Zealand -- "Glennem from Blenheim," as we called him on Teen Missions Team 93033 - Zimbabwe, 1993. Glen and his family have lived in Nelson, New Zealand (NZ), for the last several years. Nelson is located on the northern edge of NZ's South Island not far from kilometers and kilometers of bush treks and beautiful beaches. This was my only real plan for the break - the ferry to Picton and on to the Buckley's in Nelson. Up until a week before I left, I didn't have a travel partner, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to travel alone for 10 days. So, I prayed, and the next morning my roommate told me her travel plans had fallen through. My response? "Praise the Lord - I asked God last night for someone to travel with!"
Mirjam and I took a ferry across the Cook Strait which is known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. We were highly favored both ways, though, and had nothing but sunshine, dolphins, and beautiful scenery. There were actually 11 of us from the school on the same boat, which was a lot of fun. Mirjam and I took the bus to Nelson and spent two days with the Buckleys, who were great to hang out with. God blessed us with hosts who love homemade espresso drinks and even took us an hour up the coast to see the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri.
Afterward, we took the bus to Blenheim and the TransScenic railway through Kaikoura. The open-air observation car was an amazing way to see the east coast despite the sometimes overzealous, teenaged ruggers (rugby players) on board with us. Mirjam and I sat with two lovely old English women on holiday from Essex. They were quite amused with Mirjam's dredlocks ("Are they your real hair?") and our knitting/sewing projects.
One of the school staff members connected us with a fabulously hospitable couple in her hometown of Christchurch. Nick and Jenny picked us up from the rail station and took us to their home where we each had our own private bedrooms. This was the first time either of us had slept alone in a room since we'd come to NZ! Our first full day was spent driving Nick's old manual, column-shift work van on all over the area (constant self reminder = "left side, Heather"). Mirjam and I hiked along the crater's edge above Governor's Bay and enjoyed amazing views. We had to run briefly from an onslaught of Orks (obligatory Lord of the Rings reference - sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again). Ok, it was a group of 40 or so identically-clad hikers. Still, it was fun to pretend. Then we had coffee at Lyttleton Coffee Co. in the little shipping town of Lyttleton. It was defintely the cutest coffee shop I've been to in this country. It was so great, I bought the closest thing I will most likely purchase to a NZ t-shirt. Check out the artwork on my Flickr.com site.
A couple of our schoolmates arrived in Christchurch our last night there, and Nick brought them over for a dip in the spa with Mirjam and I. Then we picked up a camper van for relocation to Wellington. The company we drove for made a mistake in calculating the charges, and when I pointed it out, they decided to overlook the $135NZ discount they gave us! We drove through the NZ Alps by way of Arthur's Pass to Greymouth. Our last day on the South Island was Mirjam's 22nd birthday which we spent driving up the west coast and back across to Picton. Our friends had made it back there as well, so after a mussel dinner in Havelock, we hung out at their backpacker (NZ travelers' hostel). There we met several other travelers from Finland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austria. Our Scottish friend met us on the ferry back to Wellington and spent the whole day hanging out with us.
Everything was going well until the parking lot of the camper van park. (Note: any of my family members reading this are not allowed to laugh at or mention the following story at any point in the future.) We unloaded the grey water from the van and were preparing to refill the fresh water tank when, OH JESUS! I side-swiped the stupid, yet functional, metal pole guarding the little pavilion over the dump station. I was a little upset. Fortunately, I had Mirjam along to cover me in prayer. I resigned myself to losing my $400NZ deposit, while she quietly asked for a miracle. When I presented the situation and our camper van to the nice man at the office, he said he would take a look at it. He then proceeded to refund my $400 and gently send us on our way!
God is good. And He loves me.
The Lord has continued to bless me despite everything that's been thrown at me that could steal my joy. During my time away, there was more turmoil on the homefront. Wow, the Devil never quits. I am believing for a miracle as, once again, I am faced with a complete turn-over of tenants and the prospect of an empty house on June 1st. Please pray for the provision of a reliable, godly tenant to rent the whole house for at least 6 months. Also, I am trusting God as my advocate with the potential numerous mediations as I return home. I am looking forward to connecting with the one God has set aside for my house and being released from the stress that has felt like a millstone for quite some time.
Since we've been back, we've had a series of amazing speakers at the school. Just previous to the break, we had a Vinyard pastor from Christchurch come up to us to speak to us mainly concerning the gift of prophecy. In actuality, he and a dear lady from the local Anglican congregation spent the majority of three days praying and prophesying over each one of us. We've also had many occasions to pray for each other and speak into one another's lives. Another speaker we had was Cecily Hill, a pastor from Auckland, who ministered for 49 of her 51 years as a single person. Hearing her experiences in ministering to people at the margins of society, healing the sick and doing so as a single woman were both encouraging and inspiring. This last week, we had Justin and Jenny Duckworth speak on perseverance and sustainable community living. I'm really looking forward to spending the night at their camp in Ngatiawa next weekend. I'm really praying that the Lord uses them to restore some of the hope in Christ-centered community that's been damaged by the discouragement I've encountered over the last couple of years.
The rest of the school, minus a few of us stragglers, drove up to Tauranga this weekend for an artists' seminar being held by David Pierce. I got to stay behind to spend time with Jesus and do things like have people over for dinner, have a soaking-in-the-Spirit time at the house, visit Ngatiawa, and write this journal entry. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for direction beyond the school including a two-week visit to California on my way home and the possibilities of going to the Rainbow Gathering with the Jesus Kitchen and traveling to Beruit with a team from my church, The Salvage Yard, this summer.
Feel free to check out the photos I've posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/
For more info. on the Jesus Kitchen and NLM, go to: http://www.steiger.org/2008/
After about four weeks of classes and evangelistic outreach, we had a break for 10 days. I had contacted an old acquaintance a few weeks before coming to New Zealand -- "Glennem from Blenheim," as we called him on Teen Missions Team 93033 - Zimbabwe, 1993. Glen and his family have lived in Nelson, New Zealand (NZ), for the last several years. Nelson is located on the northern edge of NZ's South Island not far from kilometers and kilometers of bush treks and beautiful beaches. This was my only real plan for the break - the ferry to Picton and on to the Buckley's in Nelson. Up until a week before I left, I didn't have a travel partner, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to travel alone for 10 days. So, I prayed, and the next morning my roommate told me her travel plans had fallen through. My response? "Praise the Lord - I asked God last night for someone to travel with!"
Mirjam and I took a ferry across the Cook Strait which is known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. We were highly favored both ways, though, and had nothing but sunshine, dolphins, and beautiful scenery. There were actually 11 of us from the school on the same boat, which was a lot of fun. Mirjam and I took the bus to Nelson and spent two days with the Buckleys, who were great to hang out with. God blessed us with hosts who love homemade espresso drinks and even took us an hour up the coast to see the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri.
Afterward, we took the bus to Blenheim and the TransScenic railway through Kaikoura. The open-air observation car was an amazing way to see the east coast despite the sometimes overzealous, teenaged ruggers (rugby players) on board with us. Mirjam and I sat with two lovely old English women on holiday from Essex. They were quite amused with Mirjam's dredlocks ("Are they your real hair?") and our knitting/sewing projects.
One of the school staff members connected us with a fabulously hospitable couple in her hometown of Christchurch. Nick and Jenny picked us up from the rail station and took us to their home where we each had our own private bedrooms. This was the first time either of us had slept alone in a room since we'd come to NZ! Our first full day was spent driving Nick's old manual, column-shift work van on all over the area (constant self reminder = "left side, Heather"). Mirjam and I hiked along the crater's edge above Governor's Bay and enjoyed amazing views. We had to run briefly from an onslaught of Orks (obligatory Lord of the Rings reference - sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again). Ok, it was a group of 40 or so identically-clad hikers. Still, it was fun to pretend. Then we had coffee at Lyttleton Coffee Co. in the little shipping town of Lyttleton. It was defintely the cutest coffee shop I've been to in this country. It was so great, I bought the closest thing I will most likely purchase to a NZ t-shirt. Check out the artwork on my Flickr.com site.
A couple of our schoolmates arrived in Christchurch our last night there, and Nick brought them over for a dip in the spa with Mirjam and I. Then we picked up a camper van for relocation to Wellington. The company we drove for made a mistake in calculating the charges, and when I pointed it out, they decided to overlook the $135NZ discount they gave us! We drove through the NZ Alps by way of Arthur's Pass to Greymouth. Our last day on the South Island was Mirjam's 22nd birthday which we spent driving up the west coast and back across to Picton. Our friends had made it back there as well, so after a mussel dinner in Havelock, we hung out at their backpacker (NZ travelers' hostel). There we met several other travelers from Finland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austria. Our Scottish friend met us on the ferry back to Wellington and spent the whole day hanging out with us.
Everything was going well until the parking lot of the camper van park. (Note: any of my family members reading this are not allowed to laugh at or mention the following story at any point in the future.) We unloaded the grey water from the van and were preparing to refill the fresh water tank when, OH JESUS! I side-swiped the stupid, yet functional, metal pole guarding the little pavilion over the dump station. I was a little upset. Fortunately, I had Mirjam along to cover me in prayer. I resigned myself to losing my $400NZ deposit, while she quietly asked for a miracle. When I presented the situation and our camper van to the nice man at the office, he said he would take a look at it. He then proceeded to refund my $400 and gently send us on our way!
God is good. And He loves me.
The Lord has continued to bless me despite everything that's been thrown at me that could steal my joy. During my time away, there was more turmoil on the homefront. Wow, the Devil never quits. I am believing for a miracle as, once again, I am faced with a complete turn-over of tenants and the prospect of an empty house on June 1st. Please pray for the provision of a reliable, godly tenant to rent the whole house for at least 6 months. Also, I am trusting God as my advocate with the potential numerous mediations as I return home. I am looking forward to connecting with the one God has set aside for my house and being released from the stress that has felt like a millstone for quite some time.
Since we've been back, we've had a series of amazing speakers at the school. Just previous to the break, we had a Vinyard pastor from Christchurch come up to us to speak to us mainly concerning the gift of prophecy. In actuality, he and a dear lady from the local Anglican congregation spent the majority of three days praying and prophesying over each one of us. We've also had many occasions to pray for each other and speak into one another's lives. Another speaker we had was Cecily Hill, a pastor from Auckland, who ministered for 49 of her 51 years as a single person. Hearing her experiences in ministering to people at the margins of society, healing the sick and doing so as a single woman were both encouraging and inspiring. This last week, we had Justin and Jenny Duckworth speak on perseverance and sustainable community living. I'm really looking forward to spending the night at their camp in Ngatiawa next weekend. I'm really praying that the Lord uses them to restore some of the hope in Christ-centered community that's been damaged by the discouragement I've encountered over the last couple of years.
The rest of the school, minus a few of us stragglers, drove up to Tauranga this weekend for an artists' seminar being held by David Pierce. I got to stay behind to spend time with Jesus and do things like have people over for dinner, have a soaking-in-the-Spirit time at the house, visit Ngatiawa, and write this journal entry. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for direction beyond the school including a two-week visit to California on my way home and the possibilities of going to the Rainbow Gathering with the Jesus Kitchen and traveling to Beruit with a team from my church, The Salvage Yard, this summer.
Feel free to check out the photos I've posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/
For more info. on the Jesus Kitchen and NLM, go to: http://www.steiger.org/2008/
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kapiti: Part 1
My trip has been really interesting from the moment my friend Joel dropped me off at the bus stop in Minneapolis. It seems like the Enemy has been busy trying to throw whatever he can at me to foil all the good things the Lord has been trying to do. I will say, though, that the Lord's blessings have outweighed them all. The first couple of weeks were full of anxiety and distraction, but I've been slowly learning how to lay those things at God's feet and not pick them up again immediately. I've been surprised more than a few times being blessed unexpectedly - from free lattes to beautiful sunlight streaming through the trees on a mountainside hike. There are a few things that I've been asking God about. I'm still waiting for answers, but this is a pretty amazing place to do it!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Next Stage: New Zealand!
At the end of my last entry, I mentioned that I was applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Well, it’s time! In a few short weeks (Feb. 26th), I’ll be flying from Chicago to Wellington, just an hour from the little beachtown of Waikanae. I should explain how I got to this point - first who Steiger is, second my history with them, and third how I came to this next step in my ministerial journey. These last few months have been a hard journey in letting go of everything that makes sense in trusting God to be who He says He is. I’m not sure if I have any more faith than when I started this journey, but I am sure that He’s still loving and working on me.
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
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