Dear Friends and family,
I am so excited to be attending Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Lakeside, Montana as I enter this new and adventurous time in my life. You are receiving this letter because you have made enough of an impact on my life that I wish to keep you updated on where I am today and where I am headed in the next few years. If you don’t already know what I have been up to the past two months, this letter should definitely bring you up to speed.
This past summer I felt God calling me to commit a portion of my post-high school life to missions before I continued with any further education. Through a rather unique series of events, I recognized God was specifically calling me to join YWAM and participate in the Discipleship Training School (DTS). YWAM exists to equip young people, like myself, to live mission-based lives intentionally focused on reaching the world for Christ and living out the great commission (Matthew 28:19). They’ve sent out nearly four million young people over the course of more than 50 years in the field. Even in the short time I’ve been here, I already feel like I’m a part of a great legacy of believers who are excited about reaching out into the world and spreading devoted compassion for those who seldom receive it. I am currently in the middle of the DTS’s twelve week long Lecture Phase, being poured into with knowledge and wisdom on a spectrum of topics from the basics of Christianity to prayer and evangelism. As each week passes, the classes become more and more intense and, by God’s grace, I don’t even think I’ll be able to recognize my old self once the course is over.
I am thrilled to announce that I will be departing with a team of fifteen on an eight week Outreach to Surabaya and Bali, Indonesia. This is where everything I’ve learned in the classroom is put to practice. While there, we’ll be sharing the word of Christ through music and dramas, preaching in local churches, supplying street children with housing and shelter, providing slum families with access to clean water, and being flexible to what God calls us to do for his kingdom. In addition to this, two other students and I have considered the opportunity of continuing our ministry for an additional five weeks in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.
While I am looking into taking a School of Biblical Studies in Taiwan next year, in all honesty I am not sure where I am headed after DTS in the long run. However, I have a strong sense that God’s preparing me for a long term investment, whether through missions or not, in real global issues of injustice and poverty. I’m working towards a career that will deal greatly with the youth; a job where I play a “hands-on” role in raising up a generation that will promote a proactive approach towards the world we live in today. I have considered becoming a high school teacher, youth pastor or even a traveling preacher but have not found a specific calling on my life so far. Fortunately, in this setting I am in I have time to explore exactly what the world has to offer and precisely what God is calling me to be.
The intent behind this letter is to seek out supporters in my ministry here at YWAM and in the future. If this is something you are interested in, I would like to invite you to partner with me in this season of my life. First and foremost, I definitely need to be showered with prayer while here in Montana and even more so while on my Outreach overseas. The other real element of support is in my financial needs. God has already blessed me with enough resources for the Lecture Phase of DTS, but I still need another $3,500 by December 2nd or I will not be able to go with my team to Indonesia. The great thing is I already know in my heart that God is a faithful Provider; he has proven that fact over the last four years of my life. Just last week the YWAM base held a giving night to help raise money through prayer, worship and contributions for the few of us who weren’t able to pay our fees in full. Provided by students alone, the collective total of $32,357.19 due quickly shot down to $12,342.67; I personally received $526 towards my school fees. Miracles like this reaffirm that I’m in Montana for a specific reason.
My vision is that this wouldn’t just be a one-time letter but that, as you choose to partner with me in what God is doing, we would grow closer as the global family of God and in our understanding of the work he’s doing in every corner of the world. One of the luxuries I have as a child of the internet is the ability to be in constant communication with you, as a supporter, and give you current updates and prayer requests. To stay connected, I’ll be making a real effort update my blog here in Montana as well as overseas. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter and I hope that you will prayerfully consider partnering with me in the ministry of Christ.
If you wish to support me monetarily, please send money to the following address;
YWAM Accounting Office
501 Blacktail Road
Lakeside, Montana 59922
Alive in Christ,
Brandon Miller
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