This morning we had a lovely breakfast with the leaders, because community is important. #breakfast #leadership #community #love #ywamurbankeylondon

Our Oct. DTS has Kicked of this morning with its first teaching, and we have the privilege to have our base director talk and share with us about the history of YWAM and their history and journey in establishing #ywamurbankeylondon #newhouse #privilege #dts #london #teaching #october

Today is a new day, and here in London although the weather is looking a bit down, we know that God is doing things around us and in us. In whatever situation, miracles can happen and what seems impossible can turn upside down if given to God. #miracle #impossible #possible #god #london #ywamurbankeylondon

A new week is coming ahead, and here is just a little something to keep you going #remember #newweek #salvation #he #god #ywamurbankeylondon

Kicking off the staff retreat at The King's Lodge tonight with worship, communion and the Word. #ywamurbankey #staffretreat #baseretreat #ywamthekingslodge (at YWAM The King's Lodge)

We started our retreat worshiping the Lord! #london #urbankey #ywam #retreat #uk (at Ywam London Urban Key)

Today it's a beautiful day, it's almost as if summer stayed around a bit extra here in London, enjoying the hot weather before our base retreat kicks off tomorrow. #london #summer #hot #beach #retreat #ywamlife #ywamurbankey #blessed #londonweather

This picture was taken at the first concentration camp in Germany. These are some of the sleeping conditions they had to go through. This is just a reminder that no matter the situation, no matter the season, no matter the day, just keep breathing; the simple fact that you still are breathing proves the goodness of the Lord and is a testimony of goodness. #ywam #ywamfamily #ywamurbankey #breathe #hope #blessed #testimony

Today we had our Saturday morning community meeting! Together we had a great time of worship and prayer! You're welcome to join us when in London! #ywamurbankey #ywamfamily #ywam #jucum

Just in one month we will kick off our October 16 DTS. There's lots of things that are great about DTS, and although the the core is about discipleship we like to think that part of that is being selfless like Jesus. That is one of the few tools you get get in DTS. #ywamurbankey #dts #selflessness #love #jesus #transformation #discipleship

Fight for freedom

Initially, we began our mercy/human trafficking ministry in prayer, asking for God’s heart. However, the more we prayed, the more our narrow vision expanded. When you hear the words “human trafficking” you probably imagine girls in a room, tied up or maybe you picture scenes from the movie “Taken”. You think of innocent young women who were on vacation or came from poverty that have been tricked and kidnapped, beaten and raped. This is all true. It’s only one aspect, but it is true. I say our vision was narrow because initially, our sole desire was to free the people in the category above. We wanted to rescue them, be a part of the healing and restoration process, disciple and mentor them. We wanted to see them encounter God and be saved. That is a beautiful desire that is, of course, from God’s heart. But as we prayed, we realized how much deeper God’s heart is for this ministry. After some of our first intercession times, we received words like “light in the darkness”, “set slaves free”, and “I am jealous for them”. The thing is, God would only express His jealousy if there were something making Him jealous. God is madly in love with our little borough of London. He has dreams, purposes, callings, and relentless love for the people of Harlesden. So we realized, God's plan for this ministry was not only geared toward one group of people, but instead God has strategically placed us in a neighborhood of darkness, a neighborhood of slaves that He desperately wants to set free. The thing about slavery is that it’s multidimensional- physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. Human trafficking is an area of mercy ministries that focuses first on the physical dimension- rescuing people from labor factories, brothels, etc. Maybe we don’t have labor factories or brothels in our town or maybe we do. But what we’ve been called to is to fight for the slaves, to be lights in the darkness, to declare God’s heart for His people, and to let His power and glory be the spark of revival. We are called to fight for the ones that are captives of the mind, of the spirit, of the soul- those caught behind literal locked doors and those whose true selves are caught behind addiction, confusion, fear, and destruction. That broadens our vision to not only the ones who are forced into darkness, but also the ones that choose it. We fight for the prostitutes, clients and pimps, the drug users and dealers, the alcoholics, the child abusers, the victims and the villain. We fight simply for people to know they were made for more and they are loved by the perfect Dad because in that, there is incredible freedom. So our ministry has broadened. Some of us have a heavy heart for the homeless that are also wrapped around drugs and alcohol and others have heavy burdens for the sex workers. But we stand on the same foundation with the same goal- to carry the Presence of God, to love people by their original design not their acquired character, and be a light in a very dark place. Why? It’s for freedom that Christ has set us free. (Galatians 5:1) Not for service. Not for worship. Not for obedience. Christ has set us free from the bonds of slavery simply because He knows how good it feels to be free and He wants us to experience true freedom, simply because He is crazy in love with us no matter our good deeds or bad. What a privilege it is to fight this battle with God, what a privilege it is to be His vessel of light. And the best part is that we are already seeing freedom coming and the winds of the Holy Spirit moving. We see drug dens being shut down, little kids with relationships with Jesus, and people joining us to know more about God. Revival is here and it won't stop.

Sometimes we struggle to worship God because of the season we may be going through or whatever circumstances we may be facing; but no matter what happening it's good to know that we only need this one thing and nothing else. #worship #praise #god #quote #ywamlife #ywamurbankey

1 Corinthians 10:23-26 talks about everything being at out reach and disposal but not all is convenient for me. What things do we see as good in our lives but that are far from God's perspective of good? #deep #quote #ywamlife #pensive #god

Hey guys, the girl on the left is fleur one of our former students from the January DTS. Here's a blog of her outreach experience check it out and share :) https://ywamlondonurbankey.tumblr.com

DTS testimony, Fleur, UK 19

Lebanon For the 2 weeks that we were in Lebanon we were able to do so much and in some ways it felt like we had been there much longer as we felt so at home. Lebanon had such an impact on us as a group and I think we all would have wanted to stay there for a longer period of time. We were challenged both spiritually and physically, at points struggling with health or becoming so overwhelmed by the injustice of situations that we were seeing on a daily basis. We were working alongside a couple, who had set up a Forgiveness and Reconciliation programme in a town near Saida in Lebanon. This programme was aimed mainly at young people and the intention of it was to teach them over a number of weeks the power of forgiveness and how to forgive others. In the first week we were doing a lot of work in different schools; dramas on forgiveness, small teachings and testimonies of times where we had forgiven others. One of the most impacting groups we found that first week was on Thursday. We worked with a group of Muslim girls who were already quite far along on the Forgiveness programme. We were able to share so much with them and they were so open in telling us the things that were hard for them to deal with or forgive. It was such a special moment as we could see God breaking through and pouring out His heart for them even though we were not able to speak about Him. Each school we went to was so different. The schools that taught about Jesus in the classrooom were incredible and it was so beautiful to see children worshipping and praying. The schools where we couldn't speak of God were more spiritually challenging and in these schools we had to be more attentive as to how God wanted to move and speak through us without having to say His name. In the second week we were working in a Refugee Camp with little children who came from mainly Syria and Palestine. This was so heartbreaking to see these children living this way and not being given the true love that they deserved. We were able to share about God here and we could tell them of how much God values each one of them and wants them to be a part of His family. It became more challenging though to speak to the children one to one because then I had to rely on the extremely limited Arabic that I knew and a lot of hand gestures and actions. But what I came to realise that what these children needed the most was to see that they were extremely loved and special and through playing games with them, singing songs and even just running around having fun with them, through God's help we were able to show them His unending love for each one of them. The main thing that I came to understand over this whole 2 weeks was that even if I was not able to speak about God, or communicate my faith properly because of the language barrier, He was still present in every situation because wherever I went, God naturally went with me because He was working through me. So I could still show these children God's abounding love for them and how much He treasures them without having to mention His name. This was an incredible revelation for me showing that if I myself have chosen to bring God into my life, then I am a carrier of His light, and it is no longer my own love and compassion that I am showing these children, but it is God's love and compassion pouring out of me to all of His children. These children, especially in the refugee camp were so desperate for pure love and my part to play was not to show them wordly love, but to rely on God's strength and power and be a bearer of His peace and love. I alone could not do much to help them, but by allowing God to work through me, He was able to use my spiritual gifts and move in such powerful ways to spread His mercy and love over His people. Lebanon was such an incredible, eye opening experience for all of us as a team and God certainly allowed us to use our spiritual giftings more and it was such a prime moment to learn how to fully depend on God's strength and put our trust in Him completely, living in Faith, not knowing what was going to happen next but knowing that God had it all under control and all we needed to do was listen to Him, act on His word and speak to His people what He wanted to say to them Fleur, 19, UK (Jan DTS 2016) www.ywamurbankeylondon.com

#lategram last night we had an open mic night opened to the community, we had singing, playing and dancing happening on stage, plus just a lot of fun talking and mingling. Here's a short clip of @tina.hays one of our staff rocking out her sweet #irishdance moves #ywamfamily #ywamurbankey #fun #openmicnight #summer #london

Happy birthday to our awesome base leader who is oceans away in Hong Kong today. We miss you and we love you, from your #ywamfamily