Journey

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This is a hard season for us, so if you are bringing encouragement cookies to the share time we would greatly appreciate it.

Goodbye Grammy

Goodbye Gram. And it is a  'good' bye from this end.

I was at birthday picnic/breakfast for an artist friend of mine, Marsha, when I got a phone call. Josh Hanna was on the other end with an unusually somber voice. "Steph the base just got a call, there is a family emergency and you need to call your parents, or the Hamms." Even though the time difference is 13 hours I am incredibly grateful that I got to hear so fast no just for my sake but for my family that had to ultimately deliever the news.

The first thing that came to my mind was "Gram". Gram has had on going health problems on and off for the last several years (only in her 60's), complicated by one of the highest amount of cigarettes ratio per day her doctor had ever seen on top of a pain medication addiction. The situation was complicated to say the least.

I love my Gram, but the last several times I saw her I prepared my heart, because it may have been the last time I would.  

Gram and Me March 2010

When I was little, I spent most of my life living with my mom, brother, and Gram. For a great chunk of that time Gram acted as an extra parent when my mom was at one of her jobs. Mom often had more than one at a time, doing the best she could to provide for our home, and family. 

Gram got us up for school alot of the time. After we were all dressed and boots were on in the winter, she would open the blinds turn on the cartoons, usually Transformers or something like that in the early 90's era. Then she would bring us oatmeal before we had to leave to meet the bus. 

When we came home from school, Shawn (my brother) would go to his room to play video games, start his homework, or go outside if it was nice. I remember often I (or both of us) would go to the kitchen, sit on a stool, and she would have the chocolate milk ready. -Yes Hersheys syrup, to all you non-Americans- Later as I got older it was coffee. Chocolate and coffee should always remind us of our grams. What a sweet thought. She had hers as strong as she could get it with a lil milk. I know this because at time when she had sprained her ankle, I was destined to learn how to make percolated coffee.

After dinner sometimes she would bring us bowls of Neapolitan, or Chocolate and peanut-butter-swirl ice cream. She would be the one to turn the light on, and worry it wasnt bright enough -to prevent us from straining our eyes for what ever reason. Or if either of us fell asleep doing our homework or watching a movie, she was the one to find a blanket 'just in case'.

Our house was out in the middle of the country on the side of a slow sloping mountain hill. Tiger lilies separated it from the road, and bird feeders hung from the trees.  Her hobbies when I was little were the bird feeders, her gardens around the house, and potted plants inside the house. There were times we would sit on the porch for hours, because she knew what the essence of 'chill' meant, and it was about the only place we could sit in the open air (because cigarettes and my asthma didnt mix) and hang out. During school seasons I would tell her about my day, and friends. Many of them liked her quirky personality and cheeky smile, a couple even called her gram - and I was happy to share. When I was older we would talk about my job. Although she would forget almost all the details of my stories, she would often remember the subjects in them, and ask later how so-an-so was doing or what was going on. She would always be quick to take a side against injustice or struggle, whether she rightfully understood the whole situation or not. Like I said she was quirky, and funny. When she was stressed or upset her voice would crack, so the combination of her serious side and a squeeky voice would always lighten the moment... and allow us to laugh together in hard times. Whats funny is she would get stressed on your behalf even if you were ok. That was the sweetest side of her.

I know there is so much more sweet stuff I could share, but Im gonna have to stop there, because although there have been some good times, the shock of her being gone, the distance I am from home, and the hard times can have a flood of condemnation that follows. I have to remember that we did everything we personally could handle to do, and did we could in the time that we had.

Gram and Me on the porch March 2010.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed, consoled, and helped with and for our family over the last few years.Those of you that have served Gram, cared for her, and did what you could especially in this season.

Our Teams, Nexwave and Media, 2011

 nexwave 

Focused on local youth of Perth and the surrounding suburbs.

These guys are invited into local high schools both public and private to speak on anti-violence/ bullying, peer to peer and family relationships, while doing basic mentoring/discipleship and community service with them.

They also host, and staff different camps throughout the year. These are a variety of camps whether they are a service camp that the school itself is hosting and nexwave is staffing... the students get the opportunity to serve the elderly, disabled, and 3rd world countries in need not far from our borders. Other camps include the opportunity to learn how to value themselves in light of Gods love for them.. Its amazing really what happens in and through these teens in the course of a week or two in either kind of camp.


Joe, Texas USA - Leader


Jenny, Ohio USA -Leader











Miriam, France - Leader (no photo)


Amber, Saskatchewan Canada


Matt, PA USA (of course, and yes we are the only state that refer to ourselves in acronym)


Sarah, WA Australia


Luke, United Kingdom (Part time also in Media)


Sharon, Vancouver Canada


Johanna, Wales/Canada


Josh, Gold Coast Australia


Dave, Kansas USA


Patrick, Switzerland (Engaged to BETH below)

A story:

We had so much fun! The 4 days of games were ridiculous, lots of running, sweating, and getting dirty. There were dodge ball sessions, and epic exercise ball collisions. Piles of the best food you can ask for, and when it was all said and done the students were asking for more. Not more food and games however. They were asking for more nights of encountering God. We got a word from the beginning saying that God wanted to reveal his Father’s heart to us. God came in a greater way than we could have imagined. I’m looking forward to Winter Camp 2012.
-David Baker

 media 

These guys,.. though nerdy and caffeinated.. and growing larger in number by the day actually do alot of the behind the scenes work that keeps all of our offices running and recruiting.





This is only some of our team Left to Right: Beth, Australia ; Elli, Germany ; Menno, Holland ; Brenda(and baby), Canada ; Richard, UK ; Acksios, Korea; Bottom - Arien Canada/Australia.

 Missing: Sarah, Jess, Adrian, J. , Mark, and of course Luke. (above)

Please excuse my hair,.. I dont know what it was doing that day.. oh and the semi-crooked buttoned job  on the cardigan. 'Dont leave the office much do ya Steph?' It was just an interesting day I suppose. :)

Story:

NEW PROPERTY GETS NERVES

By Beth R

"It should take 4 people 3 weeks. We've got 2 men and just 5 days"

This week is cabling week at the new Robertson Street property. Over the weeks and months we've seen roofs come off and foundations go down; steel framing has popped it's head above the walls and now it's time for the new base to get it's nervous system. That's where media comes in.

Media legend Richard Blake and Property (another ministry at YWAM Perth) bad-boy Sam Taylor have donned reflective vests and stepped up to the challenge of embedding 70,000 feet (that's 21kms!) of LAN cables in 5 days.

These men are not ones to shy from a challenge, “It's a job that I've been told should take 4 people 3 weeks. We've got 2 men and just 5 days. Bring it on” says the ever-optimistic Richard. Two days in and the challenges certainly are rearing their heads, but that will only make the victory that much sweeter.