berlin dts coming soon...

thank you all so much for the prayers and support!

yesterday, i got the muchly anticipated phone call from erik @ the berlin base

and i am officially accepted...

which has encouraged me so much!

before hanging up, he reminded me not to lose heart...

over the past 3 days i have received more financial support, and i am so thankful for all who continue to listen to the pulls on their hearts....

but i am still quite a ways off from having the full amount just yet..

i know God is providing and leading my steps.

exodus 33:14-15...

The Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest-everything will be fine for you."

Then Moses said, "If you don't personally go with us, don't make us leave this place..."

that is where my heart is... if God doesn't go before me, then i'm fighting a losing battle. by ourselves, whoa.....!

we are in trouble....

but He doesn't call us to this fight alone!

may His presence continue to lead our steps towards the lost, hungry, wounded....

the pregnant teen... the lonely middle school student...

the oppressed... the helpless...

the forgotten.

move... because if we aren't the ones oppressed, then maybe we are the ones oppressing...

i'm going to continue to go for this because i know that it will make a difference. it will reach someone. it will change hearts. and it's not because of me.... but because of God's love and grace that He continues to pour inside of us to overflow on those around us... those who haven't accepted that sacrifice yet...

if it comes down to boarding the plane with insufficient funds, i'll do it believing...

i trust God!

i believe...

and here's my squeaky wheel role...

the Discipleship Training School starts on April 5th... i am still low, from a humanly perspective, quite a bit... but choose with me to look at it with a different perspective...

if you would like to support me financially for this dts and outreach, please trust God...

and most of all, please continue your prayers, they carry me through my own doubt and discouraging thoughts...

send support to the address below...

Israel Boyce

c/o Pfarrkircher

Landsberger Allee, 219 b

13055 Berlin

Germany

or

Israel Boyce

3741 Canyon Lake Dr. 2-307

Rapid City, SD 57702

or

Israel Boyce

427 W Kiernan

Spokane, WA 99205

preferably the first one...

and again i urge you.... you don't have to be in another country to make a difference. have some empathy this week as you see others who need help. God loves them just as much as He loves you.

no one is in any way better than another because of the life they live.

before anything else, we were all made in the image of the invisible.

you can do something where you are...

but don't forget those who don't have the comforts or resources you have.

i would almost argue that they have it better. when life is lived in a constant state of needed trust in God, miracles are noticed a lot more often. eating becomes a miracle.

Father, i choose to trust You in all of this. i know that where You call, You provide...

i ask that You bless 100 fold to those who are willing to step out in faith and support this calling. may Your will be done with all of this, and may our faith in You continue to grow...

we love You... thank You for the callings You place in our hearts. make us part of Your awesome plan and to get past ourselves.

please pull me...us out of our comfort zones to reach more of Your beloved, and recklessly follow Your heart.

thank You for loving all of us, even when we realize how unworthy we are of it. may our hearts be humbled and our eyes be opened!

thank You for Jesus!

it's in His name that we can trust You, and that others will believe!

help us get out of the way so that Jesus may be seen!

amen!

i love all of you, and again, thank you for all of your prayers.

the initial pain of faith is worth it.

two full grown men on a moped

another quick update before my computer freezes up again...

this last week has been amazing, and full of great times with my family and friends.

thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

thank you!

i have had some time to just relax and spend with God, which i'm finding is so necessary in my life. but at the same time, i wish i could spend every moment talking and being aware of His presence. i do recognize that i would not be where i am, or as blessed as i am without Him, and only Him...

i suppose here is a quick list of events this past week...

my mother and i enjoyed a feast at curry masala as well as at home...

slept outside by choice.

cut my dreads off (scalp pain, and too much maintenance) 

worship wednesday...  absolutely healing and refreshing.

got my ticket for spokane...

met up with 'ol but great friends

skated...

got a ride on a moped...

rode the moped...

got laughed at for being on a moped with another full grown man...

felt european..

read encouragement...

went bouldering with my brother 

went again with bill.

ran out of things for this list.........

ywam: i got a call from erik at the ywam base in berlin. it was super good. i really look forward to seeing what God is going to do next with everything. i'm still short 2,000 usd but not fretting...   i'm told to expect a phone call back either friday or next week...    

Father, we ask for Your wisdom for the ywam staff as they choose students to attend this dts. i know that Your will is the best. may their choices be guided by You! bring break through to the people of berlin through this. and bring breakthrough to all who attend. thank You for providing for those who trust in You. let Your name be glorified! thank You for this opportunity. in Jesus name, amen!

i leave for washington next wednesday (Lord willing) and i'm super stoked to be carrying a light pack this time. it's a hassle to carry a full bag and ride the bus, but the main reason for the excitement is for the opportunities to see God provide in everyday life. why wait for out of the ordinary times to lay everything at His feet and expect Him to do something...    

i look forward to telling of the amazing things He continues to do.

for example...  my mother's car was acting up, so she prayed, as did i and took it in today to find out it was minor repair that came at NO COST! it may seem small to some but a miracle none the less...

if you look for miracles, you will probably find your day is filled with them...

so thank You Daddy!

(i met a lady named dorothy where my dad lives in nebraska. she hosts a prayer group on mondays and i had the privilege or attending it while i was there...  she said something to me that hit hard at home! "the Lord is so good...i've seem Him answer too many of my prayers not to believe...")

i pray your life would be a living example of God's love...

that your eyes would be opened to His many miracles in your life...

also that you would be aware of what you are allowing into your mind and body...

may our lives be about something more than ourselves...

thank You for Your Son and the price He paid for us.

In His name, Amen!

and as one more friendly suggestion... don't watch pg-13 movies....

crapid

i'm in crapid city now!

thursday morning started rather slow...

hoping to be outta gering area by 8:30ish... we didn't leave until 10:30ish.

due to a frequency of waiting on the side of the road and learning that God knows what He's doing with that time, it was easier to trust that everything was good!

i was stunned at the fast weather change. 

being in the 50s at the start, we quickly noticed frost build up on plants, road signs, and barbed wire fences as we drove further north towards chadron.

after an hour spend warming up while my pops and i munched on a belated breakfast...

i unoccupied the passenger seat and started a rhythmatic strut north.

frequently turning my face south because of the sting the wind left, i breathed into my gloves and watched a small daewoo pull over in a kind gesture to save me from the cold....

shortly later i found out the sting felt on my face was from a below -8 degree wind...

at first thought about getting back to rapid, i hoped to catch rides through the black hills, but was content with  staying on a straight path to keep from massive confusion...

however, this daewoo of two people was headed to custer and let me out close crazy horse monument...

the weather had again quickly changed but for the better. i walked for close to a mile when my new ride pulled over and the cab of his pickup was quickly filled with conversation as we made out way through the black hills....    and to crapid city.

i think every part of this trip has had it's benefits.

while out on the road waiting, usually it's just me...and God, which makes for amazing worship and prayer, or conversing with Him.

after someone picks me up, more great conversation. usually filled with life stories and testimonies....

but occasionally we will find small talk which can quickly turn deep (and frequently does)

and while staying at somebody's home, it makes for much free time to do as one pleases, but i find myself on long walks filled with more worship and whatever may come along.

already the time spend here has given me great joy. 

thank you everyone who continually prays for me. 

i received an e-mail from the ywam berlin that they have all my references and will be contacting me within the next week or two.

my finances stand at $1040 usd, and $2075 is required plus a roundtrip ticket to germany.

i can't thank enough all of you who have given to this cause.

i'm stoked to see how My Provider will bring the rest of what is needed in when it is needed.

but trust me, you will hear about it if you're not already part of it...

Thank You Daddy for calling us to something greater than ourselves. for creating us to need relationships. to need a relationship with You as well as others around us. thank You for giving us the perfect example that we could know how to treat and love others the way You do. help us not limit You in our lives, but live with our eyes focused on the impossible. with our hearts leading our steps.

thank You for providing and blessing me with everything i need at just the right time. 

stretch us. 

we love You, and praise You for Your love!

in Jesus name, amen!

another novella type blog, but minus the apologizes. 

if there is some issue in your family.... don't wait to pray about it. and don't stop praying until something gets done. i assure you it is THAT worth it and so much more.

much love....israel   

kairos and a sign that reads west

boy oh boy!
i'm starting to see first hand God orient rides...

cody's taylor dropped me off early friday at a gas station off of I-80.
i turned around and was greeted by a man named dimension. an apparent hitchhiker too...
we went up to the on-ramp together and stood there talking about things.

dimension's real name is mark... (i heard the cop call him that...)
he just got out of jail for carrying lots of green shag on him...
and was headed to denver to get his dog.
it was hard talking to him...i suppose because everything we talked about were coming from two very different point of views.
then...the state troopers came...
first one, then another....
then another pulled up behind them.
after waiting for awhile, they gave us written warnings for being within the interstate boundaries...

we went back to the c-store and made signs that read "west" outta cardboard and stood off the side of the street just before the on-ramp... oh how clever we are!
sometimes it's tough enough to get picked up by myself, but it was proving pretty certain that the two of us weren't getting any rides anytime soon...

keep in mind, every 5-10 minutes a cop would drive by... but in between of the sightings we would dance around and laugh at how goofy we must have looked...

i decided to go use the restroom and prayed that God would hook dimension up with a ride...
and when i came out, he was gone....
thankful, i chatted with the cashier for a few minutes and said farewells mentioning that i knew God would hook up a ride for me...
i held the door for a man, then he for i on the next one...and as we both walked towards the pumps...he said, "i'm headed west if you want a ride." NO JOKE!!
gary was his name and he turned out the be a Christian too. so our ride was filled with some good conversations about God's love for us, and His role as our Daddy!
i helped him load some bails of hay then he dropped me off just past a town i have never heard of before.... big suprise....

i then got picked up by a man named ken who said God told him to come back and pick me up...
is that not amazing?!
he runs a prison ministry called Kairos which means "there is a time for all things....God's timing"
he also mentioned that he saw i didn't have a beard, so figured i took care of myself to some extent... :)
we talked and it was super encouraging... he dropped me off outside of lincoln at a truck stop...

there i waited for 4 1/2 hours...

earlier in the trip i probably would have been upset, but was encouraged to keep trusting in Him for His kairos...

during my time there, i lady drove up
gave me some money
and apologized for not going west...
i thanked her and smiled...

another state trooper stopped by, but was much more kind and reminded me of the rules.

i ended up changing positions about 5 times before a man picked me up...
his name was larry. he drives the van that goes out and helps broke down vehicles.....etc.
my prayers go out to him... i'll extend on that another time.

he dropped me off in york where i waited for maybe ten minutes and was picked up by a man with oregon plates..... hooray!

his name is dennis. he made me laugh a lot.
he said God told him to pick me up, and agreed that if i was still there after he got his smokes, he would..... and i was....

another sign of God's faithfulness...

he was coming back from chicago on a trip for closure with his love. it was hard listening to his story because i wanted so bad to help... but i know that God was doing more than i ever could.

we blared johnny cash and look at the stars through the sun roof as we drove through the last stretch of nebraska.
we also talked a lot about God and how he saved his life earlier in the week as he spun out of control driving 70 down a snow packed interstate from utah to wyoming....going straight down.
he spun 8 times and didn't go off the cliff to the right, or in the ditch on the left but stopped with a little bump on the guard rail.... and it changed his whole view on his trip...
i'm glad he is alive...regardless if he had picked me up or not...

he took me to my dads, stayed at my dad's neighbors, and left early the next day to portland...

oh man, for the sake of your eyes, i will finish up...

the time here has been super good and i expect it to get better.
Lord willing i leave this thursday to my mom's...

ywam: trusting God and stoked to do so!
waiting for the last reference to get there
and the remaining finances to come!

Father, thank You for keeping me safe on this trip, but also the million blessings that take place everyday in my life. thank You for hearing our prayers, and knowing our needs. help us trust in Your kairos, and take steps to encourage and bless others too! help us know Your love in real ways, and share it in real ways to real people with real needs. i love You. thank You for Your love!
also, my heart goes out to those who picked me up and shared their heart with me. please continue to meet their needs and love on them as you have done to me!
reign in our lives, families and friends!
in Jesus name, amen!

i hope you experience God in amazing ways as this last couple months have been full of for me.
thank you for your prayers and caring to keep track of me!

much love and joy!

cody....wake up

i'm sitting waiting for cody g to wake up.
last night was super fun....
climbing up the balcony to scare his taylor...
drenching each other in febreeze...
trying to get the remote control to work...
going off to bed knowing that tomorrow will hold a mystery in itself.

today Lord willing i'm headed towards gering then rapid.

i hope to be there in gering by tonight and spend the next several days with my dad there.

then next thursday, be off back to rapid for a short time (a couple weeks) followed by spokanada!

thank you all for your prayers.
again, i'm trusting that if ywam berlin is whats suppose to be, it shall.
where God calls, He provides. i don't doubt at all that He will provide...
but may His will be done.

...cody is still not up....

the days here in omaha were slow but good.
yesterday i had coffee/tea with a dear friend here
followed by a study sesh at another coffee joint...
i got to mail some postcards and practice my southern accent
along with my deutsch accent at wal-mart...

...i do declare...

i should wake cody up now
but
Father, if Your presence doesn't go before us, then take us not from this place. thank You for all You have done over this last month and a half. thank You for everyone You have placed in the path of growing and learning to trust You. please help these friendships flourish and bless others. i also pray that God will confirm in Your heart which paths to take, and that you would take steps of faith to follow His calling on your life. trust in Him. not in your abilities to follow, but in His abilities to lead! lets rock the world with His love!
thank You Father for giving us Your Son, and loving us. we love You, may Your name be glorified!
in Jesus name, amen!

cody is finally up!
are you awake?

route 66

yo everyone!

here is a real fast update.

i'm at a hotel in omaha right now... long story.
it's all by God's grace though.

after leaving tennessee, i met some very kind people.

my new friend jon let me stay the night at his place in oklahoma and drive the last 20miles there...

i got a ride on route 66...
got the cops called on me for laying down on the on ramp.
then i got a ride to iowa.
spend the night in a truck stop.
met the grand parents and family friends.
decided that i never want to live in iowa....
learned some music theory.
went to two churches.
realized how cute older people are....
met the only other person in iowa with dreadlocks.
was blessed several times...
ate pizza hut with an old cute couple.
walked for the second time on the interstate in iowa,
got my second ride with an iowa state trooper...
almost stayed the night in another truck stop...
then was picked up by a new friend who took me to tennessee a few weeks back.
we stayed up all night trying to get ahold of cody, then gave up and took me here..
where i slept all day and now write this to you...

Father thank You for providing for our needs, and all of the blessings lately. thank You for everyone that i have had the priviledge to meet on this trip so far. please show us how to worship You, and continue to humble our hearts as we learn how to live more for You. thank You for all of Your joy and being our everything. may Your will be done! In Jesus name, Amen.

thank you again..... for all of your prayers. Lord willing i should be back in s.dakota by march. and in washington shortly after...

God is good, go show someone!

thank you mom

at the stroke of 2 o'clock A.M. i will have been here 4 weeks...

and at the stroke of 8 o'clockish A.M. i will be on my way for the next part of this adventure.

i can't say thank you enough to everyone who has kept me in their prayers.
the last couple days have been a toughy... but i know that i am where i am suppose to be.

to everyone here in tennessee.......

i love you and thank you!

your friendships have made this place another home.

i will miss all of you... even getting beat at mortal kombat by sean...
i pray that God will continue to open up your hearts so that His love may be shared!

oh yeah... see y'all saturday! (inside joke, but if you really want to know, just ask)


i am excited for the next part of this journey.

...iowa...

why?

family...

i am actually excited to visit them.
i know that God has placed it on my heart, therefore it will be good!

Lord willing i will be back in s.dakota for my mom's birthday (28th) where we will celebrate and eat yum yums.
then shortly after, i should be headed back to spokane,WA.

ywam:
i have started fundraising/friendraising and know that God will provide where He calls.
He has layed it on my heart that the finances will be there when they are needed.
the application is in, the reference forms are on their way, and my faith is in God.

one quick testimony.....

a week ago today, my mother called and said she wanted to bless me with some finances...

AMEN!

with that, i'm 1/3 the way there, and again i believe that the rest will come in God's timing...


Father, thank You that we don't have to play Jesus. we don't have to be God. but that You are God. please continue to humble our hearts. remind us that we can't do it on our own. we can't do it without You. thank You for Your protection as i travel tomorrow. help me to proclaim You in my actions and words to all my rides. and may i get to Your destination.
please continue to open the hearts of Your children. show them how to bring heaven to earth and love like You do.
thank You for caring for our every need. may all of our trust, hope and peace be in You!
in Jesus' name, Amen!

how great is it that we can pray. how much greater is it when He talks to us. listen.