BYE!!!!

Keep me in your prayers!!

Thank you for keeping up on me =)

Last One for a While... =)

Man... I am finding this blog really hard to keep up with.. especially as I have been really preparing for my trip coming up... Sorry to you all ... I do my best... =)

Well ya, I leave on Thursday for 2 months and I will have some internet access sporadically but probably just with emails...

The last few weeks have been really really good... I have been learning a lot... last week was on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.... I just had my eyes opened a lot to the joy of the Spirit... and really learned a lot more just how to be a kid with God... how to have that childlike faith that we should have...

So I have been shopping around for my hiking gear... I feel ready for the trip... it's been fun.. I have some new really nice hiking boots... a really nice coat.. my big backpack and down sleeping bag... It's going to be crazy...!... For the trip, well specifically the trekking part, I will only be bringing 2 or 3 shirts... not showering for at least a week at a time ... a lot of times... haha.. sleeping on the floor, wherever... It's going to be such an amazing experience... and I love my group/team I am going with ... we have 6 kids going... and I love all the other 5 of them so much!

I will be leading worship with my guitar that I picked up a little over 2 months ago ... AHH... so that's really exciting for me... It won't be perfect but I have gotten a lot better and I know that when I am playing a lot.. and playing in front of people I will get a lot better really fast... so I am really excited for that...

Our flight leaves thursday at 1PM from LAX... we have an 11 hour layover in Frankfort, Germany... that should be pretty fun and hopefully we can get out and see the city a little you know??

I will get back to LA February 8th.. then graduation for DTS is Feb 12th... then I fly home on the 13th... it's coming up soon!...

Im expecting a BIG party when I get home... ha just kidding...

I will get home and then I will be flying to North Carolina to see Lexi finally... !!... I think I will fly out on the 25th of February and stay for a little more than a week... I think that is how its going to go down... =)...

Im trying to think of what more I can post publicly...

I am excited to get out of this bed... the bed Ive been sleeping in for the last 3 months... I hate it... top bunk... and it moves a lot... and it squeaks like crazy so if i move it squeaks and wakes me... haha... ya it's bad... I really miss my bed... the floor where I am going to might even be better.. =)

So I am trying to make a few last day phone calls before I leave... I should be talking to Brant within a few minutes... Im waiting for him to finish studying for finals...

Mom sent me some Kinesio Tape for my knee... (elastic tape) and I looked up some videos on youtube about how to put it on for support... It is feeling better so far today... I think it will really really help me as I set out to hike a lot... but when I get home I am definitely going right back to therapy... my knees are so bad... my right one is actually doing pretty good though recovering from surgery... it's the left that gives me all sorts of craziness.. sometimes I wish I could just get surgery on it now so it wont feel so loose... but hopefully it tightens up... and hopefully the trekking helps it...

Man I miss home... but it is so close now so it makes it a lot easier...

But I am so ridiculously excited to go on my 2 month trip it's not even funny.. I'm excited for so many reasons...

So now I will have been to North America, Central America, Europe (layover in Germany) and Africa... whoot!...

Okay.. well I will definitely be giving much more information to you all when my trip is over... I dont know if I will be able to update while I am there... I will try...

Look forward to the AMAZING video I will be making with my families new video camera they sent me to use... !

Thank you for your prayers... I need them!

LOVE Mark Fila =)

ThanksGIVING!

Well it is now officially thanksgiving break!!! whoot whoot... I have
been waiting for this break for what seems a long time... I am not
coming home which kind of stinks as I miss my family like CRRRRAZY....
but I am actually going to San Diego to my new friend Stephanie's
house.... Stephanie, Aubrey, Dorothea, Bob and I are all going there
for 4 days... it should be super fun! Bob is from Holland and loves to
surf so I am hoping to have him teach me... the weather should
cooperate as I think its going to be 70-80 every day... Everyone says
oh its to cold, But in Michigan I am so used to the cold freezing
water so being in the "cold" ocean here is nothing... Ive been in a
few times as our team took a few trips there...

there is 15 days until I leave for outreach which is quite insane to
think about... I will be half way across the world in 2 weeks.... and
I will be staying there for 2 whole months... My flight leaves on Dec
10th... I get back on Feb 8th...

This is pretty new news... 2 of the students aren't going on the
Morocco trip anymore... so our team is down to 6 students.... pretty
small team .... but it is so awesome... God is going to do such big
things... it's not even funny... Our team is looking really good and I
love every single one of them.... I almost for sure will be leading
worship with the guitar I picked up 6 weeks ago... so that is kind of
scary... because I am not amazing yet.. you know?? strumming is really
hard to keep pace while changing chords and everything so I am really
working on that... pressure pressure... good thing I like pressure
huh? So ya over thanksgiving I will be working on that a lot..

I have been reading Francis Chan's new book "Forgotten God" it is
probably the best book I have ever read...!!!.. I amlearning so much
and having so many things confirmed... the book is about the holy
spirit... and how the church in america has basically... well not
basically... it has forgotten the holy spirit.... that was the
beginning... then it talks just about what the spirit was back in the
bible and why has he changed?? well it hasn't but why has our idea and
perception of him changed?? It's just an amazing book ... READ IT!

Have a wonderful thanksgiving!
Mark

this is my outreach team!!!

from left: Kyle Melanie Sierra Debbie Dave (outreach facilitator) Me Liz Addie ( dts staff ) Leeann Geoff ( dts staff ) and Cam

Cant wait!!!

The Dance show!

Okay so we had our show 2 nights ago... it went absolutely AMAZING!... They did video record it but it won't be ready until I get back from outreach... =(...

There was probably 30 numbers or so of people doing things... singing, acting, dancing, everything.... It was so fun!... I was in a really really super funny skit with shawn and we( and two other girls) had the whole crowd laughing their heads off... mostly it was shawn =)...

And then our dance... whoa was it ever amazing... there were people crying and ...oh man... it was so cool... to be a part of something like that... I got to play Jesus and it was just crazy... I have already heard one testimony of a girl from outside the base that was bulimic and has had healing from Jesus because of our dance... she is trying to come to the winter DTS!... cool cool stuff.!

But ya it was an amazing night and God used it in so many ways... I know he rejuvinated me with energy to strive for the best here at DTS and on outreach... My spirits just totally picked up it was amazing.! and it still is... =)....

I think almost everyone felt the same thing that I did... God sure blessed the night with joy and everything else....

I dont think we made very much money though for our outreach teams... thats what it was for... but I know we made some impacts on peoples lives... !!!

Hey !!!! So this last week has been really good... quite a booster actually... Art Collins was our speaker... he spoke on servanthood but also touched on some other things... it was so good... He is at least in my top two favorite speakers so far... I really liked Liz... The thing that was so good about Art's teachings was that they were so convicting... like incredibly convicting...

I had been feeling really overwhelmed the last few weeks because of the crazy schedule we are on... with new speakers every week constantly... Ive just been so busy it's ridiculous... and looking in the future I couldn't really see any breaks you know... But the staff noticed just that everyone was getting tired... we are on week 9 already!.. so they gave us today (monday) off for more rest and tomorrow we are going to the museum of tolerance... and then tomorrow night we have the dance fundraiser ( I will explain in a moment ) so tomorrow we don't have class either... it has been such a blessing and I feel so much more rested and ready to go... God is restoring my strength and it's great...

So the dance fundraiser... We, as the create track, have been working on this for a really long time and actually the dance that we have been working on all these weeks is going to be the main thing of the fundraiser... its going to be here at the base in LA... we are expecting 200-300 people from outside the base... all the profits will be going to our outreach teams... well the students that don't have all their funds yet... I will be representing our outreach to North Africa and explaining what we are doing to people... so that's exciting!

My knees (mostly my left knee, the good one =)) have been bugging me the last 4-5 days... it's a little discouraging knowing how much hiking I will be doing on my outreach.... but I know God has it all under control... so if you are reading this please be praying for my knees because they have been talking to me a lot ... =)...

A cool thing that I realized at church this week.... okay so a little backtrack... In my quite times in the mornings I decided I should start working on some sermons for the future... so I tried looking back through all my DTS notes and was getting frustrated because I didn't know where to start... But the revelation I got yesterday in church was really cool... it seems so simple I know but it really is going to help me... it is to start sermons based off of bible verses first and then plug in thoughts and sayings, stories etc... instead of starting with a thought and then plugging verses in... I mean you want the base of everything to be God's word right??? I just thought that was cool.. =)

I leave for outreach in less than four weeks... oh my!!!

Thanksgiving is next week.. this is really exciting for me.. knowing that I get 4 days off to just be free you know... I almost came home but it ended up costing to much... So I am going to my new friend stephanie's house in San Diego... I am going with 5 of my class mates! Stephanie Aubrey Dorothea Bob and I.... It's going to be really fun... I actually already met her parents they visited one day... I talked with them for like an hour... they actually started a church in their basement... it was really cool... they have inspired me so much and now I get to go spend 4 days with them! I am hoping Bob can teach me how to surf too!

Okay I gota go ... Have FUN!!!

Hey !! Im so sorry it has taken me so long to post an update... it has been some of the busiest weeks I can remember...

Our speaker for last week was Liz Cochraine... she pioneered YWAM in India and Nepal and just as of last year stepped down as the leader of over 2000 staff... she was really really good and I enjoyed her stories a lot... the week was on spiritual warfare... but really a lot of it was just based on God and how powerful and awesome he is... Ya thats why it was such a good week... fun stuff to learn... !!...

This week our speaker was Graham something.... haha... he was from India too and you could sure tell... he dressed that way and ... ya he was just a very different speaker but really fun... for our classes we all sat on the floor and took our shoes off... he made us a special Indian meal that we had to sit on the floor and eat with our hands... it was really good... His week was more of an outreach based week... I'll admit I didnt learn as much this week as last... Liz was really good...

This week we finished our dance that we have been working on... it is sweet... It is to the song awakened by Ian Mcintosh... If you have seen the lifehouse everything skit it is kind of like that but a lot more dancy with more choreography.. I get to be Jesus so that pretty fun...

This week every night we had outreach prep... so I learned a lot about the culture of my country... and learned some of the local Arabic Language which I dont remember any of it... La means no... thats about it... =)...

I have really been missing home and friends back home the last few weeks... but its just kind of at that point here... a little past half way of lecture and people are used to it here... so no more of the honeymoon stage you know... It's still great but I think most of us are really gearing up for outreach... it's exciting knowing how soon it is coming... December 14th I will leave... WHOOT!... and then I will return back to LA Feb 9th or so then graduate DTS Feb 12th and return home Feb 13th...

I have a really exciting ministry I want to start when I get home so that is really exciting... I'm going to start a teenage church group in our basement and just kind of pastor it I guess... God has been giving me many visions of this and I am so stoked... I have mentioned it to a few people back home and they seem real excited... So basically for 5 months or so before I head off to Bible College at Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids) I will be working with my friends just helping them find Jesus more and catching that fire... helping them find where God is leading them with their lives... What I heard from God was "Mark you need to go home and disciple these kids and encourage them so that they know who they are in christ and so that they can find their potential to impact the kingdom of God".... so ya there is a lot more details I have figured out I think but we'll see its a ways away... But I can still be excited about it right??

I have really been getting a ton better at guitar in the past few weeks... I can play a lot of songs and almost would be comfortable leading some worship soon.. give me a few weeks I think... but ya... as long as I know the song and can practice a little first ... I LOVE IT!!

I am looking for some hiking equipment right now.. some boots and maybe a somewhat warm coat... I am going to need some decent equipment for when I go hiking/trekking for a month... My knees have been doing better as I have been working them out a lot... I am hiking and running at least every other day... I would more if I had time... but I think a lot of the painful kinks and stuff are working themselves out... Thankyou for your prayers... but I definitely still need them...

Okay hopefully I can give another update soon!

HAVE FUN!!

The Walls are up

Singing Jesus songs with the kids

The RUNDOWN

Okay so DTS has been amazing... it is an amazing environment where I am just thrown into focusing on God all the time (if I want a lot of it is a choice) but the opportunities are there to just dive into God 24/7... we have worship 3-4 mornings a week for a few hours and its amazing... we have speakers who teach us monday thru thursday every week... and so far they have been amazing and very challenging... I am just soaking stuff in like crazy... God has been leading and guiding me like never before and I am so excited for the rest of my life its ridiculous.. Im pretty sure Im going to cornerstone university next year (which you should check out they have a soccer team with scholarships) and I might run cross country... thats exciting... I will major in bible.. then after that I am going to start a church... and I know that... I guess I dont know when but me and Lexi have been having these crazy awesome visions of starting this raw real passionate church... I have no clue where... but it is going to be AMAZING... its going to be really hard I know but we know that is what God is calling us to do a few years down the road so that is exciting..!!! God has been doing crazy things with Lexi and I's relationship too.. ever since she moved God has fulfilled his promise of it being a good thing for us... and we are a millions times more closer and inl love than before only because we realize we cant do anything with out the Lord.. and when we fill our relationship with God's love versus ours and completely submit everything to him we are blessed beyond measure... beyond anything words could ever express..!! It has been an amazing love ride... and God is so big for both of us its not even funny... =) My outreach for DTS is going to be to North Africa... and I am totally stoked for it... I will be there 2 months starting the second week of December I think... I will fill you in when I know more... I am playing the guitar now.. learning it really fast... and I love it !!! it is so cool and I think I am going to be leading worship on our outreach to Morocco already... so 2 months of guitar then BAM leading!... how cool!! I am going to cornerstone church out here (Francis Chan's church) and God lights me up every week... it is totally amazing! Kind of funny because I think I am going to Cornerstone University too.. lol... no correlation ... I really miss home... all my friends and Mom Dad Andrew Annie and Pete and obviously Lexi... but it is definitely a good thing to as I am learning to rely on christ for EVERYTHING and no human being... I just got back from a week in Mexico where I did a lot of youth outreach in the slums, helped them learn to read and their ABC's... then we built a house for a family in 2 days... probably the coolest ministry Ive ever been a part of... it was so amazing to build this super nice house (comparative to the neighborhood) for this needy family and then give them the keys... OH MAN!!!! But the Mexico trip was also very scary in the way that I felt this crazy bad spiritual presence... It was holding me down all week... and I wish I could explain it but God was very hard to see and know because satan had such a grip on the city of Tijuana... It scared me... and I couldnt wait to get back to LA... as soon as we crossed the border on the way back I felt free... it was really weird... Ive never felt anything like it... Okay I have to go do a few things... that are due tomorrow... but just know that DTS is amazing and I am loving it but also realizing how much I love my home and my friends

Michael Evan Me Shawn Andrew Cam and Bob

DANCE!

Okay so... today was the first day of my dancing track...

It was really fun... we are working with this christian dance studio that is offering us cheap classes... so today was the first dance class... party groves... yeah.. fun stuff... so basically it was pretty intense dance for an hour... which was about all my knee could take anyway =)... but the class today was basically for those moments at dances where you dont really know what to do.. lol... so we just learned some basic fun moves... But mostly I think we are going to be taking two classes on thursday nights.. funk (which is like pop and lock stuff which will be really cool if I can figure it out) and hip-hop... and probably a little laturgical mixed in somewhere... So ya Im excited about this opportunity... But a lot of the main outreach we will be doing with the dance group is teaching dance at a christian school to the younger kids... now tell me thats not exciting!

then we also are having this big fundraiser on nov 17 in which we will have a few numbers i think... hopefully i can get them recorded and load them so you all can see.. we started working on one today... its to the song awakened by ian macintosh.. its really cool..

Tomorrow is Sunday... which means we travel around to different churches for a few weeks till we find our home church... but Im pretty sure I already found mine at Cornerstone Simi Valley church... Francis Chan is the pastor and he's amazing!! check out his podcast in itunes... its funny cuz i listened to it a lot before i even came here to LA and I didnt know that his church was so close... but it is so I get to listen to him live! how cool...

I almost went to a LA Dodgers game tonight... but we went to get tickets and it was sold out.. bummer... that would have been a cool experience...

Monday is when we have the outreach presentations (it got changed) so Im pretty sure by Monday I will know which outreach country I am going to for 2 months... EXCITING!!...

Ha classic me... I dont really know what next week's teaching is on.. I just kinda roll with the punches I guess... but I would have to go all the way back to my tiny dorm room to look at the paper... so I'll just tell you at a later date.. =)

Hmmm... well I can't think of to much else to say sooo... I'll update you all soon!

Hey all...

Well I just finished my work duty... I am on maintenance... we have to work 10 hours a week.. but its pretty fun with the guys... we make it a good time... =)

This week has been really cool.. our classes all week were on hearing the voice of God and intercession... And well, I can say I really didn't know a lot of the things we covered and it challenged my ways of thinking a little bit... but in a good way... just gaining a much higher perception of our almighty God.. it's fun!!

Worship has been amazing and ya... it's definitely the best worship I've ever been able to take part in and I get to have it at least 3 times a week.. it's great!...

I am going to be participating in the Create track... which means that I am going to be reaching out to the city of LA by performing and dancing.. skits.. etc... But ya it's really exciting.!! Tomorrow we start that up then on saturday we are already doing outreach!...

By monday I will know what outreach country I am going on.. I get to pick from Morocco Thailand Costa Rica or Mexico... so We will see!

Oh in two weeks I am going on an outreach to Mexico.. Tijuana... We are actually having classes there ... the DTS classes... at the base there... then on the last 2 days we are building a house... Oh the outreach is for 6 days I believe... so ya... thats pretty exciting!

My knee is doing good ... I have been running at night... 2 - 3 times a week.. ran 4 miles the other day and my knee wasn't even sore the next day so that was good... but of course it was a little sore today and I dont even know why... but owell.. =)..

Got a letter from Peter yesterday... it was really cute and I was very excited to get it...

Okay well its just about dinner time ... oh that reminds me the food is really good too!.. =)

hope to update you all soon...

I'll tell you how my dancing outreach went haha

alright well im sorry i havent got any pictures up yet... i'll work on that i promise... today we are going to the beach so hopefully get some there... ill show you my room and my roomate shawn... He's awesome..

okay so here during the 3 months in LA we are going to have a focus track that we ha... focus on for ministry in the city.. and its crazy but i think im going to do the create track which is dancing and acting stuff.. get some skits and dances together... it will be really fun... i just hope my knee doesnt limit me to much... but if it doesnt i might have a chance to take professional classes in hip hop and folk or something im not sure i dont really remember i just think that that sounds pretty cool!... lexi will be happy too... =)...

hmm well a few times a week we have worship for at least 2 hours in the morning and its so amazing.. its definitely the best worship ive ever been a part of... and i can see myself up there leading sometime in my life... once i pick up the guitar.. im going to try to get benji (one of the leaders here) to teach me a little... im pretty excited about that...

classes actually start on monday this week... finally.. im excited .. our first speaker is christy wilke... to teach us about hearing the voice of God... exciting stuff...

so this week the schedule finally normalizes after a crazy first week...

ive been running some at night when i can.. and when my knee feels up to it.. playing a lot of sand volleyball with the group... having fun with that...

but ya i have to get some pictures up of this place its really really cool.... =)

Hey well the first actual day of DTS is over... we did a lot of introductory stuff all day so it really wasnt too exciting besides getting to know a lot of the people better... thats always exciting... I am definitely coming across as a bright person to people as I am always smiling... I just cant stop.. you know how i get somtimes...

But there was an amazing worship time last night that really hit me hard and god just was telling me" this is only the beginning" ... So i am really excited for things to really get started... wednesday is when we start real learning about relationships the first week... next week is our first week of speakers coming in... and I will be learning about hearing gods voice ... EXCITING!!!..

But the fellowship is awesome right now and I am having a blast...

I am getting really tired at nights though becuase of the time difference... but Im also waking up really early... kinda weird.. I hope i get used to it soon..

Talk to you soon!

The First Night

Okay so I am currently waiting for breakfast we were told it was at 7:30 but really it's at 8... so I had a few minutes... But the first day was just SOOO cool... the flight was so smooth and easy.. Werner the school leader found me within like 2 minutes...

I got to meet a lot of the people last night... for a long long time.. it was fun.. you guys no I love talking so it was just great... everyone is going to be soo fun... it seems quite free too... like what to do with your free time and stuff.. its cool... But ya I got so busy last night I havent unpacked anything...

I have one roomate shaun... he's 22.. and from Tennessee.. He's got a nice big southern accent it's cool... But we have the first room of the guys house... (there is only 11 guys versus 35ish girls... kinda funny) so all the guys are in the same house...

Okay I'm going to go eat my breakfast with my new friends... I'll update soon.. and get some pictures up... of my tiny room... and the sweet base.. its really cool..

Dear friends and family,

God has excited my life and built in me a passion to live for him for the rest of my life and especially this upcoming year. This year, beginning in the fall (september 20^th to be exact) I will be serving the lord full time until February 12. I am servitng with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and attending the Discipleship Training School (DTS). The DTS consists of two parts, training/lecture for the first three months and then the actual mission outreach around the world for the last two months. YWAM is an organization that makes it possible for young adults to passionately reach out to the world and show God's love, and learn more about it at the same time. The bible says in 1Timothy 4:12 “don't let anyone look down upon you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” YWAM sets out to make disciples of young people, and train them to impact the world and everyone around them for Jesus Christ.

I am so excited to be a part of this organization come september. I can't wait to see how God is going to use me. I can't wait to dive into my relationship with God; to become more intimate with God. I can't wait to learn how to depend on God for everything in life. I can't wait to have stories to tell!!

My YWAM base is located in Los Angeles, California. This is where I will train and learn for the first three months. There is a different topic for each week. The topics include hearing God's voice, servanthood, relationships, spiritual warfare, ministry of the Holy Spirit, cross cultural communication and many more. I just wanted to list a few so you had some idea of what I am going to be studying. Then after my lecture phase I will start the outreach phase most likely in either Thailand or India. I am not entirely sure where I will be headed but it will be put heavily under prayer. If I were to go to Thailand the trip would be focused on justice; mostly for human trafficking and slavery. If I were to go to India it would be focused on reaching the muslim nation. I am not sure where God is calling me yet. You can check out my DTS at transformationdts.org

The base in Los Angeles is one of over 250 YWAM bases. It is a medium sized base and I will probably be with around 50-100 students.

I am explaining to you what I am doing because I am going to need prayer. Matthew 18:20 says “where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.” I am going to need prayer for guidance, for safety, for relationships, for anything and everything. So I am writing solely asking for your prayer and support.

Thank you for your time... and prayers...

P.S. I would absolutely love to receive mail while I am there...

Mark Fila (Fall 2009 TDTS)

C/o Youth With A Mission Los Angeles

11141 Osborne Street

Lake View Terrace, CA 91342