#but the front end of 15 has some incredible moments of cas seeing through everyone
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anyone wanna talk about how much i love cas this week?
“any time they try, it’s like it it breaks them apart”
and cas keeps trying!
he keeps trying to overcome a billion years of brainwashing and programming, and he overcomes so much in such a short time. he has victories and setbacks but
but!
by season 15, his will is iron
he prays to chuck for help, but the moment he reads chuck’s intentions as a liar, he has no qualms against turning away, and it is amazing!!! i don’t think you understand just how amazing
it’s such a wonderful moment, tucked away in a season where sam is paralyzed, waylaid, and discomfited by chuck, where dean both gets on board w/ and suckered by chuck, and then has a existential crises over him, where a tough cookie like eileen is puppeted ratatouille-style by him…
cas turns away!
#cas things#cas vs chuck#cas has had too many existential crises already#cas gets suckered a lot early in the series#but here at the 11ty hour it’s sam and dean getting suckered#even by belohagor#cas: and you just HAPPEN to have the right spell…#cas does a fantastic job early s15 when all these weirdos flood in#and then!#he leaves and decides nope i’m gonna lend my strength to this fight#it is only when jack reappears that he is shaken#and clings too hard alongside dean to billie’s plan#but the front end of 15 has some incredible moments of cas seeing through everyone#oops spelling damn
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The$6 AP will perform his hit single Found Love followed by his brand new remix of Cockiness (Love it) with Rocky. But this isn't the first short haircut. Rihanna hairstyle bob In an interview, her stylist Ursula Stephen once explained the singer's desire for constant change. we're always experimenting with her and having fun with her hair and changing it. Rihanna hairstyles images Since short hairstyles have been in vogue in recent years, she also wears a short pixie cut. One of her most iconic haircuts is pixie with a side-swept bang. She rocked a haircut and dyed her hair pink for a more dramatic and stylish look. Rihanna new hairstyle Curly hairstyles don't seem appropriate for short hairstyles, but in 2016 most black women carry too short haircuts to look uniquely stylish and. The latest hairstyles and trends make it possible to go to unlimited style options for women with fairy hairstyles. Make sure you match your face shape and hair texture before choosing your Pixie cut. Rihanna red hairstyles I once saw RiRi wearing army pants and flip flops, so I bought army pants and flip flops. And now that Rihanna has unveiled a brand new look for summer you can bet I'm already reaching for scissors and planning a dramatic hair chop in a few minutes. Rihanna hair style The singer took to her Instagram story on Wednesday to show off her super cute short black bob haircut in a boomerang video, revealing that she had chosen a pretty drastic change from her more recent looks. You can also choose a blunt angular bob as your hairstyle. This bob will suit you no matter what kind of hair and kind of face. Rihanna haircut short This makes the cut more vibrant and. As well as Bobs Rihanna also looks perfect with her fork and bowed out bangs. These haircuts are suitable for those who want to look edgy and bold. Hair is shaven on the sides and voluminous on the top. Rihanna hairstylist If you want to be braver, give more volume on top of your hair. The difference between Fauxhawks and pompadour Mohawk is that fauxhawks make a sharp cut at the back of your hair while pompadour gives a wave cut at the top of the Mohawk. Rihanna color hair In addition to this hair, you can choose two tone short bob long bang bun knotty knots sharp curly side shaved bob fringed bob and curly bob as your options. Look at the haircuts below and see how stunning Rihanna is with her short hair. Master of Reinvention robyn Rihanna fenty is a Barbadian singer songwriter and actress, especially when it comes to funky hairstyles. Rihanna hair color She is a fashion icon a diva on the red carpet and is known for her quirky style. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown he first entered the music industry by recording demo tapes under the direction of record producer Evan Rogers in 2003. Rihanna hair cut She always offers new hairstyle trends with bold and unique hairstyles, and changes much of her hairstyle very often. His individuality is what makes him a true style icon. short thick hair can meet maximum experiments.
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Not What She Seems-Chapter 15: The One Where Cas Has Bad News
Characters: Dean x Ava (OC), Sam, Cas, Sebastian (OC-brief mention) Word Count: 3,161 Warnings: Little bit of angst, some violence, a not so happy dream sequence A/N: This is the fifteenth installment of my first ever fan fiction. It has been an interesting road to get to this point, and I am both excited and a little sad to say that the end is swiftly approaching. To all of you that have been following since the beginning, thank you so much! For those of you just now realizing that this is a thing, you can catch up on the first fourteen parts here. This fic is extremely dark up until about chapter 8, warnings are included on the Masterlist notes.
As always, this was beta‘d by my loves @trexrambling and @pinknerdpanda, who are basically my fairy godmothers and somehow help me turn my words into what you see here. Thank you so much!
If you like what you see here, please head on over to my Masterlist for more! It is updated frequently. If you’d like to be tagged, please send me a message, an ask, a messenger pigeon, smoke signals, or whatever other form of communication you prefer. (Please note: My blog is about 98% safe for work, however, this particular series, for the most part, is not. If I know you’re under 18, I will not be tagging you in this series, and ask kindly that you don’t read it. As soon as you’re of age, have at it. But until then, my sweet, precious angel babies, I don’t want to contribute to your rebellious delinquency. I still love you, though. Mama bird, out.)
Dean woke slowly, his body stiff from laying in the same position for so long. As he attempted to shift, he noticed the warm weight pinning his arm against the extra pillow and he gradually began to remember the events from last night. Ava was lying on her side, and her long hair had cascaded over her shoulder and just barely concealed the swell of her breast. Dean couldn’t help but smile as he ran his thumb gently down her spine, then he leaned forward and kissed her shoulder.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered. He had expected her to stir, but she remained silent. “You’re either a heavy sleeper, or you’re just messing with me,” he chuckled as he planted kisses along her neck and nipped at her earlobe, something he had learned last night that she quite enjoyed. Nothing; no movement, no sound. His brows furrowed in concern, “Ava?”
He gently pulled his arm out from under her and rolled her onto her back. She looked normal, as if she was just sleeping. He gently cupped her cheek, her skin smooth but incredibly hot against his rough palm. Her eyes were closed, but he could tell that they were moving under the lids, and a thin sheen of sweat shone on her forehead.
“Ava, wake up!” Dean could feel the panic rising in his chest at how still she was, aside from the little bit her eyes seemed to be moving, and sat up so that he could pull her into his lap.
“Come on, Ava, you need to wake up. You were fine, everything was fine, right? Ava!” Footsteps echoed in the hall and his door flew open.
Sam stood in the doorway, his hair still disheveled and tired eyes wide as he took in the sight in front of him, “What in the hell...why are you naked? Why is she...what is happening?”
Dean looked at Sam in panic, not even realizing that he was still naked from the night before, “She won’t wake up, Sammy. She was fine, everything was fine, and then we went to sleep and now...she won’t wake up. Sammy, why won’t she wake up?”
Sam quickly crossed the room and put a hand to Ava’s forehead, “She’s burning up, dude. You said she was fine last night?”
Dean nodded, “Yea...we came back here to talk, and then...well...you could probably guess what happened next. We fell asleep soon after, but she was fine. She was fine.” He fell silent, then as if realizing for the first time that both of them were naked hurriedly covered her with a blanket. “Can you get her some clothes? Maybe...maybe Cas can help.”
“Dean, Cas hasn't answered any of our prayers. Why would he show up now?”
“Just because I did not respond does not mean I did not hear you.”
Sam jumped at the sudden voice behind him and turned around to see Castiel standing almost against him. “Jesus, Cas!”
Dean laid Ava back on the bed and jumped up, eyes narrowed, “You heard me and just decided to ignore it? What the hell, man? She could have died! Where the hell were you?”
“I could tell that the situation was handled and that I was not needed immediately. Where I was is not relevant to the problem at hand.” He walked over to the bed and sat down gently as he put a hand to Ava’s forehead, “How long has she been like this?”
Dean ran a hand over his face and sighed, “I don't know...we've been asleep for a few hours...she was fine before that.” Cas closed his eyes and tilted his head as his brows came together in concentration. Dean frowned, “What? What's wrong?”
Cas turned to look at him, “I need some time.” He glanced down, then brought his eyes back up to meet Dean’s, “You may want to put some clothes on and get something to eat while you wait. I do not know how long this will take.”
One of the dresser drawers slid open on its own, and Dean walked over to grab what he needed from it and quickly dressed. He walked towards the door, then stopped to look at Ava one last time, “How bad is it, Cas?”
Cas frowned and gave his head a slight shake, “I do not know yet, but Dean...you may want to prepare yourself for the worst.”
Sam softly grabbed Dean’s arm, “Come on, man. Let's get some coffee.” Dean let Sam lead him out of the room and down the hall, his chest tight with possibilities that he did not want to think about.
She hears voices echoing down the long hallway of the house they are in, whispers of distrust and whether or not they will keep her with them. She can tell they are too far away, she shouldn’t be able to hear them, but the voices are distinct; Sam and Dean are discussing what they should do with her. She stops, and her grip tightens around the knife she doesn’t remember picking up.
“Sam, I don’t know, man. Look, you were soulless for awhile, and I didn’t just abandon you. You were dangerous, you had no sense of right and wrong, that there was a grey area. Do you remember how you acted?”
“Yea, I know, Dean, but...you heard what Cas said. This is different, this isn’t just not having a soul or drinking demon blood. It’s actually inside of her, Dean. Even after the blood transfusion, Cas said it’s the strongest connection he’s seen. I get it, man, I do. I lived it, and I wish for nothing more than to have her be free of that...that darkness. I just....I don’t think this is going to work. I know how much of a struggle it was, and I don’t know that she’s going to be able to live through it anyway. Maybe if she got away from this life, away from us, she’d stand a fighting chance.”
“So just throw her out there alone with no one to keep an eye on her, no one to remind her she’s still human?” Dean scoffs, “That’ll work. That’s a brilliant plan, Sam. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that scenario. What happened to you being the one that wanted to save her, huh?”
Dean sighs, and Ava can feel herself being pulled to him, a moment of softness and a desire to wrap her arms around him so that she can press herself against his chest and let his heartbeat ground her. As quickly as the moment comes, it is gone. In its place is anger, deep and ugly hatred bubbling and threatening to erupt. These were not her friends, not her family. These men want to abandon her. They are no better than the foster parents she had before she had managed to get away.
It’s like Ava is watching someone else walk down the hallway, like the knife is held in someone else’s hand. She quietly approaches the room she knows she'll find Sam and Dean in, and for a moment she almost talks herself out of it. There is no need to kill the Winchesters. They had rescued her, saved her from that monster-
Monster? I made you who you are, I made you strong, Ava. If not for me, you’d still be living that pretend life, going to work, coming home, making love to some man that was just kind enough to make you feel good about settling. The Winchesters stole what we could have had. You would have come around, and I would have shown you a whole new world. You were strong, Ava. The Winchesters are making you weak...especially Dean.
Ava shakes her head as she tries to get rid of the voice. Dean saved her. Sam and Dean both have saved her. For the first time in her life, she has realized what it was like to actually care for someone. Ben was a wonderful man, but he had been convenient. Though she owes her life to the Winchesters, she knows her feelings for Dean are based upon something else, something deeper than anything she’s ever known. Dean Winchester is a good man.
Dean Winchester is a murderer. He killed me right in front of you, and you say he’s a good man? Do you know how many lives he has taken, how many of my kind and others he has destroyed for the sake of being a hunter? The man does not see in shades of grey, Ava. It is black and white. He claims he does it for the greater good, but you know what? It’s all lies. He does it for himself. He does it because his soul is broken and the only thing that makes him feel better is to destroy what everyone else has.
I don’t believe you.
Believe it. Listen.
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe when we get done with this job we just go home and tell her how it is. We should have never brought her back to the bunker, Sam.”
“Dean, I’m sorry. I know I started this, and now you’re in it deeper than you should be. Are you going to be able to tell her to leave after everything that’s happened?”
Dean pauses as he thinks about the answer, “Yea...it’ll be okay. Hell, I left Lisa and Ben behind, and I actually loved them. Getting rid of Ava should be cake.”
See? He doesn’t care about you. You’re just another notch on his bedpost that he made the unfortunate mistake of bringing home instead of one of the dingy hotels they always stay at. You know what you should do, Ava?
What?
He took advantage of your trust and your feelings. He took the opportunity to be with me away. That makes you angry, doesn't it Ava?
Silence.
Your silence is answer enough. He took all those things away from you. You should take Sam away from him.
No! I can't hurt Sam. I can't do that to Dean.
I believe thou doth protest too much. You heard them. They don't care about you. They regret bringing you home with them. They're going to make you leave, Ava, and where are you supposed to go? The least you could do is make Dean regret it. They don't even know you're here, it would be so easy.
Ava feels her feet begin to move despite her attempt at staying in place. She makes it to the doorway and sees that both brothers have their backs turned towards her.
Perfect. It's like it was meant to be. Go ahead, Ava. Do it. It'll be easy.
Before she realizes what is happening, Ava crosses the space between her and Sam and with all of her strength, plunges the knife deep into Sam’s back. Before either Winchester can react, she has already pulled it back out and slammed it home again. Sam drops to the ground, and Dean looks at her in shock. Before he can say a word, Ava has lashed out at him, the knife catching him easily across the throat. Blood splashes across Ava’s face as Dean falls forward and tries to grab her. She steps back and watches as Dean hits the floor next to Sam. She calmly wipes the blood from her face with the back of her hand and feels a smile creep across her face.
See? How did that feel?
Ava pauses for a moment as she closes her eyes and allows the adrenaline to course through her. She takes a deep breath as she slowly opens her eyes and lets them rest on the widening pools of blood under the brothers.
It felt good.
“Dean, what were you thinking?” Sam looked at Dean as he leaned against the table, his head in his hands.
Dean looked up at Sam sharply, ‘What was I thinking? You were well on your way to trying it, Sam, and don’t deny it. Am I wrong?”
Sam shook his head, “I wasn’t going to-”
“Bullshit,” Dean spat, returning his head to his hands. Sam didn’t understand, Dean didn’t expect him to, but he was also pretty sure that if Sam didn’t shut up, he was going to punch him.
“Seriously though, Dean...it’s only been a couple of weeks. Neither one of us should have...she needed more time to herself.”
Dean shoved himself away from the table and went to the fridge. He opened it angrily and pulled out a beer, then threw the cap on the counter, “I didn’t do anything, Sam. She came to me, okay? It’s not like I planned it. Hell, I don’t think she did either. We were talking, and one thing led to another…” He sat back down at the table, “You know what, I don’t have to explain myself to you, and neither does she. What’s done is done, and of course neither of us can have nice things, so here we are. Do you have anything else to say about it? Or are you going to leave us two consenting adults alone?”
Sam sat down across from Dean, “You’re right. It’s not my business. Sorry.”
Dean began picking at the label on his beer, “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”
Sam shrugged, “Honestly? I don’t know. I thought things were getting better, that maybe the blood was running its course since the episodes seemed to have spread out but...maybe I was wrong. I thought I could understand it, but this is totally different than what happened with me. It’s unpredictable. I’ve been going off the assumption that Azazel would have been more powerful, but I’m beginning to wonder.”
“Sam, I don’t know what-”
“She is still asleep,” Cas’s deep voice interrupted.
Dean jerked around to see Cas standing uncomfortably close to him, “Fucking hell, Cas. You have got to stop doing that.”
“Sorry.” Cas took a step back, “I should probably reword what I just said. She is unconscious. She seems to be...dreaming.”
“What’s wrong with her? What is she dreaming about?”
Cas frowned, “It is hard to explain what is wrong with her. It appears that the blood she had been injected with has been, for a lack of a better term, multiplying. It is attaching itself to what is left of her blood vessels and taking them over.”
Dean looked between Cas and Sam, “What does that mean? Sammy, what does that mean?”
Sam sighed and looked down at his hands, “It means...it means that eventually her blood won’t be her blood. It will be Sebastian’s...it’ll be demon blood.”
Dean looked back at Cas, “Well, just fix it. Use your angel mojo and fix it. You heal us all the time.”
“Dean, it is not that simple. I am millions of years old and I have never seen this type of possession. I do not believe there is a way to reverse it. There is a darkness inside of her that, if left alone, will change her. She will not be Ava and she will not be Sebastian. I do not know how to describe it, but it will be powerful.”
‘How powerful?” Sam asked quietly, his eyes on Dean.
“I cannot say for certain, but I have cause to believe she will be almost as powerful as a nephilim. Sebastian may not have gotten the child that he wanted, but he succeeded in creating a being that will be more powerful than most of the heavenly host.”
“How long do we have before she turns?” Dean asked gruffly.
“I am unsure. She may wake up and still be the Ava you know, and then it is just a matter of time. Or you may never see that side of her again. It is too hard to predict.”
Sam stood suddenly, and Dean looked at him sadly. “Then we research! There’s gotta be something we can do to help her. You said it, if we leave her alone, it will change her. Maybe there’s a spell or something that we can use to reverse it. I’ll get started-”
“Sam, there is nothing. Regardless of what happens when she wakes up, she will turn. The only certainty we have is that she must be dealt with before that happens. It will be too late once the change is completed.”
Dean glared at Cas, “What are you proposing? That we kill her? We just saved her. I’m not doing it. There’s gotta be a way.”
Cas tilted his head as he stared at Dean, “Is this because you two fornicated? If you are unable to take on the task, then I will do it myself. We allowed Jesse to go free because of your feelings, I cannot let Ava do the same. She will be even more dangerous than the child.”
Dean stood and moved closer to Cas, “You keep your damn mouth shut-”
“Both of you, stop. Cas, we will take care of it. Dean, Cas is right...we can’t just let her go free,” Sam paused and held his hands up as Dean took a dangerous step towards him, “but I also don’t think we need to kill her. We need to see what happens when she wakes up. We aren’t going to know anything until then. ….Dean, you aren’t going to like this, but I think we need to put her in the dungeon.”
Dean’s mouth dropped open, “Are you freaking kidding me? We just rescued her from being chained up in what was basically a dungeon, and now you’re wanting to do it again? Absofuckinglutely not. No. We will take turns watching her. Sam, take first watch, I’m going to run out and get some supplies so we don’t have to leave for awhile. Cas, maybe go do something useful…” Before Dean could finish his sentence, Cas had vanished. Dean rolled his eyes in exasperation, “Whatever, man. Sam, just...go. I’ll be back in like an hour, if that. Call if you need anything.”
Dean walked off without letting Sam answer and grabbed his jacket as he crossed through the war room and towards the garage. He slipped it on and paused as his fingers brushed something in the pocket. It was a folded piece of receipt paper.
Hey Deano,
Sometimes you need to remember instead of forget. If you ever need anything, there’s a certain foul mouthed Southern girl that’s willing to listen. Don’t be a stranger.
P.S. There’s an apple pie waiting for you if you’re ever back this direction.
Audrey
Her number was neatly printed at the bottom, and he stared at it for a moment before folding the paper up and slipping it back into his pocket.
It occurred to Dean that his life had been much simpler when all he dealt with were monsters.
Forever Tags: @trexrambling @pinknerdpanda @wheresthekillswitch @emilywritesaboutdean @arryn-nyxx @emptywithout @escabell @charliebradbury1104 @jarpadandjensenaremyheroes @deanssweetheart23 @canadianjelly @super-not-naturall @aubreyreadsstuff @dean-winchesters-baby @melissaj616 @fandomismyspiritanimal @keepcalmandcarryondean @owllover123 @rosie-winchester @amionthetumbler @duubaduu @goldenolaf25 @authoressskr @nanie5 @mrssamfuckingwinchester @zincomms @kathaswings @crazynerdandproud @barbedwireandbubblegum @sandlee44
Dean Only: @lavieenlex @highonpastries @akshi8278 @valkyrieslament
#supernatural fanfiction#not what she seems#dean winchester#ofc#sam winchester#dean x ofc#sam x ofc#angst#castiel
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November 2017 Updates
TOM & KAREN VIRTUE
Thankful for Changed Lives!I get to visit our teams around the country, which means that I also get to meet students all around the country. On visits I get to meet students whose lives have been changed by Christ.You see below the student leadership team at U Wisc. Stevens Point on a recent visit. They plan outreach on campus, invest in younger students, and most of all follow Christ and have opened themselves up to Him changing their lives.
Kong - Front Left, and Zenki - Front Right both came to Christ as 1st Year students and are now Seniors. Seeing their hearts and maturity was a moment of seeing in person the fulfillment of why we do all we do with students on campus. We want to see students come to know Christ and become the kind of people who will influence students on their campus. That’s what I saw in Kong & Zenki. It was a moment of celebration! Another example of God changing lives comes from San Jose State U where we all prayed specifically to see Freshmen come to know Christ this Fall. As of last week 18 students had put their trust in Christ @ SJSU – 17 of whom are Freshmen! That one upper-classman just kind of slipped in unexpected! End of Year GivingThese two examples represent why we have invested these years in working with college students. We’re thankful for what God has allowed us to experience and see. We’re also thankful for you and your partnership. We couldn’t do anything without you. Thank You!We ask you to consider us in your Year End giving. God has continued to provide for us, but as we look forward to the coming year it is clear we have had some losses and we will need to work on finances in the coming months. However God enables you to give at this season or in the coming months we will be grateful. We are overwhelmed by your faithfulness and generosity! If you need an envelope drop us a note, or you can go directly online to give.cru.org/0054578
Thankful to God and you!! Tom & Karen
MARK & LISA SUDMAN
Dear Family and Friends, November 2017
I (Mark) was sitting here realizing how thankful I am for all that the Lord is doing in my life, and how it has been quite a while since we have written to you all. So, I have put those 2 thoughts together and decided to write you today about what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.
I thankful that our AIM Diaspora Region has been making some great connections with ministry partners in Europe and the prospect of starting up a team in Southern Spain to work with the African immigrants living there. I am also thankful for the reports of many opportunities for diaspora ministry in Brazil where we have a team working. I’m also thankful for the 10th anniversary celebration of our Oregon team’s language center that took place last weekend.
And speaking of last weekend, Saturday our home church hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for about 50 international students that we have been working with. The history of Thanksgiving and our reasons for being thankful to God were clearly explained. I also had the privilege to speak about the many good things I am thankful for (my family and all the fun stuff we did in Africa) But then asked, what about being thankful in times of difficulty and suffering? God clearly tells us to give thanks in everything, even to rejoice in our suffering. How hard is that?
I was then able to recount my story and how, without proper medical care, I figure that I would have died 5 or 6 times by now, about my battle with cancer and having 5 tumors, having 2 emergency surgeries to remove a burst appendix and then a burst spleen last year in April during a short trip to Uganda and Kenya. Then having a brain tumor affect my vision and needing to have brain surgery to remove that tumor, resulting in my losing all my left peripheral vision. And then finally, having a seizure 2 weeks after the surgery.
All of us will have times of difficulty and suffering but we know there is hope, because for those who fully trust Him, God promises strength in times of weakness, joy in times of sorrow, hope in times of suffering. And we know that for those who love Him, He is faithful and works all these things for our good, even the bad stuff. We also know that for those who fully trust Him, that when our lives on Earth are over, we have a Hope, a confidence, an assurance, that He will welcome us into Heaven where there is no more pain or weakness, no sorrow and no suffering.
And that’s something to be thankful about. Even to rejoice about.
While I hope this might be of an encouragement to you today, I also wanted to share my story with you in this way so that I can simply express my thanks to God for His answers to the many prayers on my behalf, for His mercy over these last few years, and for being tumor free now for 15 months.
May God bless you and may you give thanks in everything, even in suffering.
Mark and Lisa Sudman
[email protected] / 562-304-6304
[email protected] / 562-308-7272
AIM donation website Click Here
CHARLES & CHERYL WARNER
Dear friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving! We're thankful for all that God is doing in our lives and ministry and want to share more about that with you. We've attached two important letters to this email. The first is our November 2017 prayer letter highlighting our ministry in Ukraine over the last ten weeks and describing our future ministry and move to Kyiv in February 2018. The second letter is from the Executive Director of our mission, Perry Bradford, endorsing our move and bringing your attention to the extra $26,000 we need to raise in our "Back to Ukraine Fund" by January 31, 2018. Please consider contributing to this fund in your end-of-the-year giving. Thank you for your generosity and your prayers for us and our ministry. Kind regards, Charley and Cheryl Warner Barnabas InternationalMissionaries to the Former Soviet Union since 1987(Based in Kyiv, Ukraine, from February 2018)
FROM BARNABAS INTERNATIONAL ON BEHALF OF THE WARNERS:
Chris Vlasic from Calvary Chapel Westgrove giving his testimony at Wednesday’s gospel rally with over 150 students in attendance. One of those raised hands caused Micah to nearly jump for joy. She struggled to contain herself, not wanting to distract others from the rally. It was a friend of hers from junior high school and freshmen year who she hadn’t seen for a while. Micah talked to her friend after the rally and found out he was rededicating his life to Christ after having a conversion experience a few months ago. Micah expressed how glad she was and assured him she was praying for him. She plans to invite him to club meetings and church soon. Micah said on Wednesday that she was looking forward to seeing more hands raised at Thursday’s rally. She is excited for her club to continue to grow in their promotional strategies so that they can help others like her friend find Christ and remain committed to Him.
Pictured left to right: Pacifica Club members Micah and Alex and NSP marketing intern Jonah. Incredible moments like this are why we engage in ministry. Students are reaching out to students and their friends are coming to the life-changing knowledge of the love of God. It is thrilling to see students depart from aimless or empty lives to enter the abundant life with Christ. The joy on Micah’s face is the response we all should have to such fruitful ministry. Praise God for the hearts of these students at Pacifica and for making them His instruments to bring the gospel to hundreds of students. Please pray with us for the students at Pacifica who heard the seeds of the gospel this week and for the Christian club students as they follow up with those who made decisions to follow Jesus. Pray that the truth given to them seeps into their hearts and takes root, and for the community to rally around these young believers to help them grow in their faith. Our Contact Information National School Project 16175 E. Whittier Blvd. Whittier, CA 90603
Add us to your address book 562-943-9787 www.nationalschoolproject.com
DAVE DAHL
Pray for our work going on in the Middle East. I will be with a team in Lebanon to continue to support our church partners as they meet the most basic needs of Syrian refugees. The dedication of the Lebanese church to the crisis has been inspiring. So many stories of transformation in this refugee population. The Spirit is moving in incredible ways. Our team will be building a playground at a Baptist Church that has an elementary school for Syrian children. Their commitment to the most forgotten in this crisis is inspiring. After sending my team back to the US I will be heading to Egypt. I will be working in the Upper Nile Valley region. Our partnership with the Coptic Church is exciting. Through the intense persecution of Christians and the moving of the Holy Spirit, God is doing a great work in Egypt. Coptic are coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and are beginning to focus on evangelizing children. This focus on children is what brings Kids Around the World to the partnership. We have both playground projects as well as KIDStory trainings planned in Egypt. Two weeks ago a colleague of mine went to the same area of Egypt to train children’s workers how to share the stories of the bible with kids. We hope that our partnership will be a part of a greater movement that is engulfing Egypt. Thank you for your prayers Dave Dahl, Team Leader 1046 Calle Recodo Ste. F, San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone: 562.397.5247 International Office: 4750 Hydraulic Road, Rockford, IL 61109 Visit us on the web at www.kidsaroundtheworld.com
JEFF & CARRIE GAGE
Hi Everyone, Since our video email updates take a lot of time, we just wanted to send out an in-between prayer email to ask for your prayer support. We have a lot going on right now. We hope to get a video update to you soon, but for now, it'll be great to know you're out there praying for us! Jeff - Yesterday he left for a weekend Hackathon in London. This will be a focused time working on software for a Christian ministry. He won't know his project until he get's there. Please pray for safety for him and his colleague Courtney. Pray that their efforts will be fruitful. Pray also for new friendship to form with other people in similar ministries. The people he meets could end up being partners for projects or maybe just for collaboration down the road. https://codeforthekingdom.org/ [Update from Jeff: I am working on two projects. One is called PrayerMate. You can already find PrayerMate in the app stores, but the developers are here and they want to add some new features to the app this weekend. The other is a networking app that connects people that need mentors with potential mentors. Praise God I did manage to get about four hours of sleep in a youth hostel on a real bed where most everyone else slept on the floor.] Carrie - This next week, I am teaching the Bible lecture on Ezra at my local chapter of CBS. Please say a prayer for me that I have time to study and prepare. Please pray that I can deliver God's word with confidence. I will have a translator, so please also pray for her too! Also, this next Saturday (Oct. 28th), friends of ours are hosting an outreach dinner to some local Syrian and Gambian refugee families. I have been asked to share my testimony and also share a Bible story. They expect around 50 people. Please say a prayer for God's power to open peoples hearts and to speak through me. I feel so honored to be asked to do this and I just want the Lord to really touch hearts. Also pray I don't get intimidated by anyone there as I speak. Most of all, pray for people to come to the Lord! Please also keep our kids, Wesley and Sophie, in your prayers. Pray for them to grow in the Lord as they meet challenges. Pray for their protection and anything else the Lord would have you pray for them. :-) Thanking the Lord for you all, Jeff & Carrie "My power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” from 2 Cor. 12:9
For Sophie's 13th birthday she wanted Thai food. So we found a restaurant 45 minutes away in a "not so nice" area of France. The food was questionable in my opinion, but Sophie loved it! She also loved speaking French with the owner.
My dear friend Siggi just moved to northern Germany. She has helped me with German, culture and even with finding our apartment. We've also been prayer partners. We both feel so sad, but we're believing the Lord to bring good from this. Please say a prayer for her adjustment and new ministry opportunities.
Fall in Germany has lots of pumpkins and squash. This is a Muscat (nutmeg) squash. It makes good soup! I have come to really love the fresh soups here. But I have to admit I still miss all the Trader Joe's pumpkin spice "stuff."
Thanking the Lord for you all, Jeff & Carrie "My power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” from 2 Cor. 12:9
TOM & KAREN VIRTUE
Recently four of our national leadership visited our small team in New York City to encourage and give them a lift in the middle of a full Fall schedule. I was impressed to see the faith and initiative of these people who have a large challenge!
I loved being in the city and even had a chance to spend an hour out in Central Park. But, our focus was meeting with this team to spend time in the Word and prayer and to sharpen some of our skills and focus as we serve students. We got feedback at the end that our discussion on leadership reproduction in particular met them in a special way.
We looked at Joshua 1:1-9 together where God meets with Joshua to give him some perspective on coming after Moses as the leader of Israel. The recurring phrase in these verses is “be strong and courageous because I am with you!” After personalizing this passage to their current lives we “coached” them on where they are and where they want to be at the end of the year in seeing leaders raised up in New York City. I walked away with a much more clear picture of how to pray for this team and their opportunities for influence in the city. They are working on the front lines of seeing God touch students’ lives and it’s a privilege to be able to serve them!
You see here the AZ retreat from last weekend of over 120 students! Five years ago we started coaching one student at the U of AZ. That was the beginning of what God began to do in AZ. It’s a wonderful thing to see how He has given a real harvest time at UA and now at ASU. Sometimes you just have to celebrate!
Reaching students together… Thank you!! Tom & Karen
JASON FRIESE
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL PROJECT
“I think that God exists, but I’m not sure if he loves me,” said a high school student outside of West Covina high school. After we had a chance to talk more about the gospel and why there are problems and pains in our lives, he decided to accept Christ. Unfortunately he didn’t feel comfortable exchanging information, so we have to pray that God will send others to continue to minister to him. But nevertheless, what a way to start training our college students and high school students to share the gospel.
This week we have some key opportunities for even more people to hear about the gospel. We have two more high schools planning to go witnessing for the first time this year, and Edgewood HS is hosting our first outreach events of the year in the San Gabriel Valley.
Here’s a few prayer requests:
Edgewood HS had a student commit suicide last weekend. Please be praying for the students’ family and friends. Pray also that the outreach theme of “Love and Thanksgiving” would touch the students who are dealing with loss.
Momentum for the San Gabriel Valley chapter. November and December are key times to develop patterns that must be revived after the Christmas break which can often be a major interruption if there is not enough momentum already built up. Pray for students to be consistent in meeting together and for them to be encouraged by outreach opportunities.
Witnessing this week near West Covina HS and Workman HS as both schools will hopefully have leaders participating in it for the first time.
Our staff recruiting efforts. This week we are having three “Evenings of Vision,” where people are encouraged to find out about our staff opportunities. If you or someone you know is interested, you can find out more about these events here.
Our mailing address is: National School Project16175 Whittier BlvdWhittier, CA 90603
BRIAN & CHRISTINE VIRTUE
A Stretching Month! Updates and Current Prayer Requests
It's been a while since our last email update, but we're excited to share some of what has been going on in ministry here at IGSL, some family updates, and a brief update on Abbas and Nasima from Bangladesh who we shared about a year ago. We'd love your prayers now as we come off a really demanding October and for the items below. Perhaps the biggest challenge is that I (Brian) was designated to be the Interim Executive Director of IGSL in mid-September. So I have been running the school day-to-day and leading our executive leadership team. This has been quite the challenge as we are right in the middle of a curriculum revision process and restructuring our doctoral programs. This has been on top of my normal role Directing Human Resources and Leadership Development and regular functions like teaching and mentoring students. This role will continue through early January when the Executive Director returns from a long furlough. Please pray for my capacity and wisdom in guarding my priorities and time with family! We are currently in the middle of our 2nd Term. Christine has been helping teach the Ministry Communication Class in the Partners in Ministry Program and has done a fair amount of faculty care coming alongside some of our new faculty wives and moms. I am teaching our introduction to Servant Leadership course with our 1st-year students. Please pray for us as we teach and work with our students. We have 4 couples from our mentoring small groups that graduate in April so we are starting to prepare them for their upcoming transitions back to ministry in their countries. October is also the month where I have a lot of my doctoral intensives. We celebrated in September the completion of my 1st year of PhD program in Peace Studies! Year 2 began about the same time. In October, I did a few weeks of courses facilitated on conflict negotiation, conflict coaching, and conflict mediation with special emphasis on cross-cultural contexts. The primary professor for these modules used to work for the state department around the world and then spent many years as one of the top guys for Peacemakers on the International side. They were great weeks and these courses will go through the end of February. So the journey continues, but please pray that with everything else going on I can still be diligent and forge ahead in the program. But as you see above - our family continues our cross-cultural journey here in Manila. It's Kaelyn's birthday today and she celebrated yesterday on her school field trip by riding a Carabao! These moments bring a lot of joy because they are just so out of the box for us. Kaelyn turns 7. Last week we celebrating Colin's 10th birthday. We came to Manila when Kaelyn was 2 and Colin was 5 so they both have now spent over half of their lives in Manila! Please keep praying for them and for Morgan as they navigate their 3rd culture journeys! Thank you all for your prayers and support! We continue to see God increase our impact and contribution to the ministry beyond what we could have imagined (and sometimes beyond what we even desired!) but God is good and faithful and we continue to see His hand at work in our family and our ministry. Thank you for being such a great part of this adventure!
Last week I was able to spend some time with Abbas. A year ago we shared about how his father in law was martyred by Islamic Radicals with a machete in the street. Abbas was in Manila for a Muslim ministry conference and it was a blessing and challenging to fellowship with him. I and others have struggled to know how to come alongside Abbas. Talking in person allowed me understand so much more of his situation. He has stayed in his town, despite being blackballed from employment and multiple attacks from Muslims and angry family members because he has 6 house churches he has been leading that are watching. He has feared some would return to Islam because the pressure is so great-so they have stayed at great risk to themselves. Abbas’ wife Nasima is pregnant and they will have their 1st children after 9 years of marriage next month - but this heightens their decision even more. He senses it might be time for them to move because he thinks it is growing more hostile and they will need more help with the baby than they will get. Please pray for wisdom and for God’s protection and that Abbas and Nasima would connect to other Christian workers in Bangladesh!
Watch an Online Presentation of Our Ministry Vision!
Partnering With You, Brian & Christine
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Tuesday, June 6th, 2017 – Stitched Up Heart Flexes Their Muscle During Fan Oriented Performance in Dallas
All photos by Jordan Buford Photography Two of California’s most promising bands on the rise, Stitched Up Heart and Hell or Highwater, had teamed up for the Hearts in Hell Tour, a lengthy run across the U.S. that will stretch on into early July. And on this Tuesday night, just four days into the tour they were hitting Dallas, The Curtain Club hosting them. A lot of people were excited about that, a few dozen packing into the venue shortly after the doors opened at seven, and as more filed in over the next couple hours, they were treated to some high-energy sets from some of North Texas’ finest local outfits such as Idler and Awaiting Daylight, as well as a rare acoustic set from Solice. All that just whet peoples’ appetites for what was to come; Hell or Highwater thoroughly rocking everyone, setting high expectations as everyone anxiously awaited Stitched Up Heart to take the stage. That happened just a couple of minutes before 10:30; this headline spot affording Stitched Up Heart the opportunity to dig deeper into their catalog and play some songs off last year’s Never Alone (out via Another Century | Century Media Records) that Dallas fans had yet to hear live. That was a prospect Mixi seemed excited about, the frontwoman mentioning they had a bunch of songs planned, right after they established themselves as a commanding force with the pulse pounding opener “City Of Angels”. A darker mood was cast in the venue (in every sense), little lighting illuminating the stage, while smoke frequently spewed out of the machines placed underneath a riser set on either side of the stage, engulfing whoever happened to be standing on it at that moment. It did cultivate an atmosphere; and the quintet quickly continued their assault, executing their set at a rapid-fire pace, “Monster” further demonstrating their mastery over the melodic and heavy components of music.
The rhythm section of drummer James Decker and bassist Randy Mathias made it a powerhouse, the pair even being merciless at times as Mixi prowled around the stage, constantly making eye contact with everyone there and doing everything possible to establish a connection. That drive to create a bond with everyone watching would wind up making Stitched Up Heart all the more entertaining, the patrons being all too happy to clap along with them at the start of “Turn You On”, during which Mixi grabbed a hat from someone out in the crowd, sporting it for a moment before throwing it back to the person, much to their delight. However, easily the coolest (and sweetest) moment of the night came during “Event Horizon”, when the singer coaxed a reluctant young girl up on the stage with them, kneeling down on her level and singing directly to her. Mixi even got her to headbang along to the music with her (somewhat) before the girl returned to her dad’s side.
“…I want to see you moving with me!” the frontwoman instructed as they bridged things right into their next number, “Catch Me When I Fall” further putting people in a state of awe. They were electrifying, already appearing in prime tour shape, guitarists Merritt Goodwin and Nick Bedrosian along with Mathias and Mixi being complete livewires, constantly sprinting about the stage, subsequently fueling the excitement with their dazzling display that continued to engross everyone.
Before they continued, Mixi mentioned how much this meant to hear, recalling the days of dreaming that she would be able to play in front of people who actually knew her songs and sang along to them, expressing their collective gratitude to everyone for doing that now. It was purely genuine at that, her smile being evidence of her sincerity.
A couple rarities followed, including a B-side found only on their European issue of their record, “Yesterday”, as well as one Mixi acknowledged they “never play” because it’s rather emotional for her. “I don’t want to cry at a rock show, right?” she kind of quipped. The song was she was speaking of was “Now That You're Gone”, and if it was overwhelming to her than she did a great job of masking it. One of the most enticing things about Stitched Up Heart’s music is the fact that the writing works to elicit some sort of emotion from the listener, and that song about a departed loved one gone too soon is easily their rawest. It was also a highlight of the show, still retaining an edgy sound despite the delicate subject matter.
They proceeded to kick things back up with “I Can't Breathe”, while the optimistic and triumphant sounding “Never Alone” had everyone jumping around for a few moments as they continued to keep the audience completely invested in what they were doing. No sooner was it done and they launched into their most recognized single, “Finally Free”, which began with Mixi grabbing a phone from one of the spectators, capturing some footage from the stage, and drew to a close with her grabbing in inflatable pizza floaty and crowd surfing for a minute. She disappeared shortly after, leaving Decker, Goodwin, Mathias, and Bedrosian to bring it to a mighty and stunning finish. It seemed as if they had just gotten started, Stitched Up Heart making this an incredibly quick 42-minute long set, being so captivating that it just flew by. Truly a testament to the quality and caliber of their performance, they made it easy to get lost in the experience they were delivering, the time just melting away… and they weren’t done just yet.
Some demands for an encore eventually got them back on stage, though it seemed they had exhausted just about all of their options. Enlisting the help of a former guitarist who just happened to be in town, they decided to try their hand at something from the Skeleton Key EP. Skepticism abounded prior to “Fun House”, which saw them trim down to a trio of Decker, Mixi and their old guitarist, who knocked out the song near flawlessly. Their chemistry was topnotch, and it was evident they were having a blast revisiting that old song. That could have been a fun way to end their set, if only the full band had been involved on it, though they had something else just as surprising to end with. “Let the bodies hit the floor…” Mixi softly repeated, which was the last thing anyone expected to hear; and, with some help from her band mates, the screams were wicked enough that the late Dave Williams would have been in awe. Their rendition of Drowning Pool’s classic, “Bodies”, ensured the set came to a ferocious close, Mixi even hopping off the stage and making her way through the crowd at the tail end of it, occasionally letting some fans sing with her.
Paying tribute to a hometown legend was a fitting end to this Dallas show, during which Stitched Up Heart had really been able to flex their muscle and show their North Texas fans just what they’re made of. And it was something remarkable. I had regrettably missed them before, though heard nothing but great things, and this set surpassed all expectations. Goodwin, Bedrosian, Mathias, Decker and Mixi have some astounding chemistry together. It was palpable, and even though they were often doing their own thing, there was no denying that connection they shared. As performers, they exuded a transfixing aura, essentially demanding everyone’s attention, and their appreciation and respect for the fans allowed them to easily earn it.
That was refreshing, seeing how they interacted with and treated the audience. The five of them may be making music because it’s their passion and something they get a thrill out of, though there was no doubt that this show was for the fans and Stitched Up Heart did everything within their power to make the people feel like they were a part of something. To let them know that the fact they came out to a show on a Tuesday night was greatly appreciated the musicians gave it everything they had, packing all of their heart into what was a spirited performance that renewed people’s faith in the future of music. With a hint of mainstream accessibility, Stitched Up Heart is still very much a hard rock band with some slight metal tendencies, their music certainly having its hard and heavy moments. And while Mixi has a gorgeous and powerful voice that enhances the honest and inspiring lyrics, her screams proved to be as guttural and ferocious as anyone’s, switching between the two style’s at a breakneck pace. Definitely a band everyone needs to check out, this Hearts in Hell Tour makes for a perfect opportunity to see just what Stitched Up Heart is about, and thanks to their dynamic and engaging songs as well as their determined spirit, it may not be long before they outgrow the club setting. Concluding on July 9th at Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, CA, the Hearts in Hell Tour will take Stitched Up Heart and Hell or Highwater through much of the Midwest and back to the West Coast. Some notable stops include The Basement in Columbus, OH (June 15th); The Riot Room in Kansas City, MO (June 23rd); Knitting Factory in Spokane, WA (July 1st); and House of Blues in San Diego, CA on July 8th. A complete list of dates and more info can be found HERE; and check out Never Alone in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.
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