So, we have been here two whole weeks!  It feels like a month!  Yes, we are on Catalina, but this is not a resort island like we have on the East Coast.  We are at Emerald Bay, which is actually a Boy Scout Camp.  The nearest town of about 100 people is about 6 miles away, but takes about 30 minutes by car to get there.  Avalon is the big resort city, but it takes a couple of hours to get there.  Yes, it is gorgeoeus here, and we can go hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, but the entertainment is what you bring with you!
    The first week, Brian Brennt was with us this week.  We had an awsome time.  This last week Kenny Peavey was here.  This coming week, John Dawson will be with us.
    We will be on the island until Feb. 8.  We then go to Kona for 7 weeks for the rest of our training.  We have four outreach teams.  One will be going to Ensenada, Mexico, one to Belem, Brazil and the Amazon River, one to Australia and Papua/New Guniea on board the Pacific Link, and one to Europe.
    Sarah and I will be going to Europe and  board the S/V Next Wave.  We will be going through the port cities of England, Ireland, and into Germany and the Baltic.  More details to come!

As of January 1, 2012, we are back in Los Angeles.  We were given/loaned enough money to get plane tickets to get here.  We arrived Sunday, January 1 about midnight.  So our New Years Day activity was flying across county.  I believe we will be doing a lot of flying this year!  We were able to stay in a hotel for Sunday and Monday night while other arrangements for our housing were being arranged.  As of Tuesday, we are at the YWAM Los Angeles base in Lakeview Terrace (in the LA area).

On Friday, we will depart Long Beach for Catalina Island to begin our Discipleship Training School (DTS).  We still do not have the money for both of us to do this.  The fees for this DTS are $4,400 each.  That's $8,800 for both of us.  The outreach portion will cost between $1,200 to $3,500 each, depending on where we travel too, which we won't have a definite location until later during the training.  (During our time in Virginia we received $240.)

We are still in need of funds and would ask for prayer partners and financial partners for our ministry.

I should also say that our daughter, Stefania, who has been a YWAM missionary for about 3 years now, is also with us.  She also just returned from Uganda two weeks ago.  She will be one of our group leaders for this DTS.  Yes, that makes her one of our teachers!  She also needs long term support, as she will be staffing with YWAM Ships for several years.  Her blog is stefaniacurling.weebly.com