We're Back!

Well hello again everybody! It's been quite some time since we have officially updated on here, which leaves us much to talk about!  First off, we are finally home in Oakhurst and just loving it.  Mama B is doing very well and growing so much these past few months.  We cannot wait to see little Baby B and yes we have a name, but no, we aren't telling anyone yet!  Time seems to have flown by since we were last in California, so lets get you all updated on our last few weeks in North Africa.

Since our last e-mail update, a lot has happened. We had the a great opportunity to work alongside our fellow DTSr's the last few weeks of our outreach, meeting with locals, attending English classes, and supporting local "workers". We have never known hospitality the way we experienced it in North Africa. Our hearts for Muslims have grown and been filled so much with God's love for them. It was an unforgettable experience that we were so blessed to be a part of.

We flew from North Africa to Dublin January 17th, stayed the night in Dublin and finished our journey home the next morning. We finally arrived in Burbank the evening of the 18th and made a mad dash for Mexican food with our friends Troy and Allie who picked us up from the airport. Priorities people. We spent the next week back in Avalon surrounded by our amazing family and friends. It was such a huge blessing to see everyones faces again. We had the most adorable shower at our home church and felt so blessed by our community there! Receiving gifts for our sweet girl made everything feel so much more real...this is really happening!

We were prayed over and loved on and sent on our way. We made our way up to Oakhurst and it has been so so good to be home. We have spent the last few weeks praying about God's direction for us as we enter into this new and exciting season. It has been extremely nice and relaxing to just settle in for a little bit and seek out what God has to say for this next season in our lives. He has revealed some new promises to us, all while fulfilling some old ones.

For this next part of our lives, we are just resting in what God has for us.  Settling in has been a dream of ours for some time now and it is nice to finally be able to do just that.  We have spent much time in prayer about our next step with YWAM Yosemite and although God has not given us complete answers, we are excited to be apart of the base in any capacity. As we figure out our roles there and in this community, we will let you know. As for now, please continue to pray for direction for our lives, as well as our little girl who will be here in just a few short weeks!

God has been so good to us in 2014 and His promises for us this year are incredible. He miraculously provided for us to go on our outreach and to have some financial stability as we journey back home.  While we are seeking out what God has for us next, we realize that we still need some financial support until we know what our next step is. The biggest expense we will be having will be paying for the birth of our beautiful little girl in a couple weeks. Along with the expenses of the birth itself, there are also other costs that we will incur while we are here. If you feel like the Lord is asking you to join us on our journey financially, you can send payment via PayPal to justin.barigian@gmail.com. Thank you for your continued obedience with the Lord as we seek out His plans for our lives. If you would like to hear more about our DTS or what our future plans may look like, give us a call or an e-mail.

Thank you so very much for all that you guys do. We are beyond blessed to call you family and the closest of friends. Our daughter will have so many to look up to as she grows up in this beautiful community. Look for an update near the end of this month as we figure things out and please continue to pray for the health of the baby, our next steps and finances. You guys are the best!

Futures

Hello all!  First of all, we apologize about not updating as much as we would like, it's been a pretty busy set of weeks here in beautiful Sligo.  Second, we are realizing more and more each day just how much our supporters mean to us and we think of you all very often.

We recently had a visit from a gentleman named Abner, who is working in Lebanon preaching the gospel to refugees fleeing from the war.  He also works with the YWAM base there and it was great for the team going to Lebanon to meet him and ask some great questions.  Abner (originally from Brasil) was speaking on the importance of evangelism to Muslim believers and how to hold a discovery Bible study.  A discovery Bible study is a great tool to use when digging deep into the Word.  It is essentially just using the Scripture alone to see what God is saying.  Abner also challenged us to hold true to the Word of God.  He said that we will have to compromise either the world or the Holy Spirirt.  His teaching was very impactful because it caused us to really check our motives when we choose to do what we do.

While Abner was here, we also had the chance to participate in the Children's Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) holiday Bible camp.  Think of it as a vacation Bible school held during the final week of October.  We were the main staff for the duration of the camp and really had a great time with the children.  We played games, helped out with songs, memory verses and Bible teachings.  The camp ended with a party for children of all ages on Halloween night.  It was fun to see all the kids dressed up and watch the Jungle Book as well.  Sorry that we don't have pictures throughout the week, we aren't allowed to post pictures of the children, but know that Irish children are darling!

This past week we had one of the best weeks (in my opinion).  Maged, the base director from the King's Lodge in England, came and spoke about hearing the voice of God.  We absolutely loved his style of teaching and what he had to say about drawing closer to The Lord in obedience.  He spoke out of so much love and obedience for our Father that it was difficult not to enjoy this week.  The Holy Spirit fell so heavy upon all of us as we dug deep into Scripture and practiced hearing the word of God.  It is so encouraging to know that each believer carries the authority of the Holy Spirit and is able to clearly hear His voice.  It is not always easy, but with some practice, we can hear God's voice beckoning us into a deeper relationship with Him.  Don't we serve an amazing God?

One nugget that I really want to leave with you all from this week is a quote that was shared with Maged some years ago.

     "Our God is the genius communicator.  His ability to communicate is far greater than our inability to hear." 

Powerful words spoken by a man who is truly on fire for The Lord.  I hope they encourage you.

The title of this post is "Futures" and for good reason.  Korina and I (plus Baby Bean!) really want to share our vision for our future within ministry.  We know a lot of you read this blog, but may not know exactly what our long term plan is for our lives.  I'm hoping to clear up some questions now.

We are currently attending a DTS at YWAM Sligo in Ireland.  This school has been years in the making for our lives and we know each and every day that our Father has clearly called us here.  We will be leaving for our outreach in Morocco the second week of December and will be returning to the states in late January.  Once back in the states, we are planning on staffing with YWAM on a full time basis.  We are continually praying for direction as to which base we will attend and God has revealed and confirmed many moves for us in the near future, so please continue to pray.

We have a heart for the lost.  God has fostered this compassion for people  in our hearts in many ways; through jobs and experience He has intentionally placed in our lives.  I love food, but even more importantly,  I love to teach.  I feel that God has given me the ability to portray clearly information and I love to help explain difficult things to people who are asking for more.  This gift has been prayed over me for many years and I finally see it coming to fruition.  I want to lead my family in the footsteps of Christ, asking Him what step to take next and walking in faith as we are obedient to the Father.

Korina, as many of you know, has a strong mothering spirit.  God has revealed to her that she will be a mother to and of the nations.  This is very exciting as she gets ready to mother our first child.  Her strong faith causes others to draw close as she loves them like a  mother does.  Others draw to her for advice regarding many different issues.  Her goal is to continue to allow God to reveal this capability in her and her family as walks out in obedience to His will.

We are continuing to step out in faith in every aspect of our lives.  Any decisions we have been making in regards to our lives, have been taken up to The Lord.  God speaks to us in amazing ways, and it is exciting to see glimpses of our future.  For this to happen, we also need your help.  We need your prayers all the time that we hear God clearly and follow His will.  We also need help financially.  Outreach costs for us are currently $2700 that is due by the first week of December.  Beyond that need, we are seeking out monthly supporters who want to joins us in seeing the nations changed.  Once we graduate DTS and return to the states, we will live off of full support from generous donors who believe in what we are doing.  Please pray and consider joining our team as we impact the nations.

None of what we do can be accomplished without the help of our supporters.  God gave Korina and I each and everyone of you for a very specific purpose and we look forward to discovering that together. Please continue to pray for us regarding the health of our little one, our finances, and our futures.

If you would like to partner with us financially, please visit here to make an online donation.  For tax deductible purposes, please send checks to Singing Waters Christian Center, PO Box 1544, Avalon, CA 90704 with a sticky note attached with our names on it.  PayPal is  probably the best options, you can send money to justin.barigian@gmail.com.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Be encouraged by this Word.  When we seek Him, He hears us.  Best of all, He will respond!

I'm Irish, Not An Idiot

Whoa, what a week!  Our lecture this week focused on the Father Heart of God and how we have certain areas of darkness in our lives that are keeping us from seeing the Father.  It was impactful, to say the least, but also super encouraging as well.  Before we dig deep into that subject,  lets update you all on everything else that has been going on in our lives here in beautiful Sligo, Ireland.

Last week's lecture was on experiencing intimacy with the Holy Spirit.  Hearing Him talk to you and the feeling of "closeness" with Him.  It was a great reminder of all that we had been doing with Singing Waters on the island, and it was great to see all the students excited about hearing The Lord speak to them.  At the end of the week, we visited Northern Ireland to experience just a wee bit of St. Patrick's ministry.  We first visited Downpatrick to see one of the major spots of St. Patrick's  hometown ministries as well as visit the very first church planted by St. Patrick.

After visiting Downpatrick,we made our way back home and stopped at Armagh, another one of the cities that St. Patrick had a big influence.  We were able to stay at a nice hostel there and explore the city some before we came home.  We were abe to visit both churches of Ireland, one being an Anglican Church planted by St. Patrick, with the other being a Catholic Church, which was breathtaking.  It was great to be in these towns with buildings and places that are a few thousand years old.

Returning back home, we celebrated yet another birthday here and another this week as well (so many October birthdays!). We prepared our hearts to receive the message this week about God's Father Heart and man, it was awesome.  Larry Nichols, our guest lecture this week, is from Montana and has worked with YWAM for many years.  His love and passion for the Father Heart of God was astounding and very encouraging for Justin as he  prepares to be a father himself.  Larry also brought a guest with him, Les Sannes, who was such a joker.  Les bunked here with us at the hostel and really spoke into our hearts.  He prayed over us for our finances and really encouraged us to constantly seek after the heart of God.  It was great having the view of a sender, one who donates and supports missionaries, rather than a receiver (us).  

It was so impactful to hear about God's Father heart.  We were challenged to really investigate the heart of God and understand exactly how much love the Father haves for us.  It is overwhelming to try and understand just how much God loves us.  Even when we disobey The Lord, He still beckons us closer and wants an even deeper relationship with us.  This sometimes, seems unfathomable.  Why would such a powerful being want that from us?  Because that is precisely who God is and it was great to experience that this week from Larry and Les.

Next week is an exciting week for the group because we were invited to staff a holiday Bible camp for a local children's organization.  We will be staffing this camp most of the week and then hosting a party on Halloween night for the children.  Both of us are ready to take part in the local children's lives as we show them the love of God.

Also happening next week is lecture focusing on a discovery Bible study to aid us in sharing the Gospel.  We have a gentleman from Egypt coming in for lecture and Justin is very excited to meet him.

Korina's doctor was finally able set an appointment in a few weeks to have her ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby, so we won't be keeping y'all in the dark for that much longer!  

Some continuing prayer requests for this week...

For finances as we are nearing the due date for our outreach costs.  You can donate many ways, either online here or by donating directly to YWAM Sligo via PayPal (click on donate, add our names in the memo/comments box).  For further ways in partnering with us, please send us an e-mail at justin.barigian@gmail.com .  

For further revelation from this past week as we continue to dig deeper as a group following after the Heart of God.  As we continue to grow more vulnerable as a group, the enemy tries to tear us apart any chance he gets, so for protection as students open up together and grow.

Baby things.  Continuing health for the baby and the mother.  That the baby will be turned the right way as to reveal the gender, because this will be our last ultrasound.

"Look at this door! Have you seen this door?!"

Culture Corner.

So instead of lingo this week, we are going to explain the title.  We went to a local coffee shop with one of guests this week, Les, and he decided to pay for the hot chocolates.  Being his first time in Ireland, let alon Europe, his Minnesotan accent was easy to spot! When paying for the drinks, he pulled a handful of small change out of his pocket and asked the lady at the counter if she could help him count the Euro.  Mind you that Euro coins have huge numbers on the face of the coin and are very similar to American currency.  As she is picking through his change, he dropped an American quarter on the counter and she said, "That one won't work here". Les chuckled and tried to explain that it was worth $4 or $5 in Irish currency.  The lady quickly responded, "I'm Irish, not an idiot" and everyone, including Les, got a good laugh out of it.  

Stranded in Strandhill

One week of survival for Team B at our DTS.  We are still in one piece, at least for the evening.

This past week has been kind of a whirlwind, yet in a good way.  We feel that we have finally settled in here at the White House here in Sligo.  All items have been unpacked, our sleep schedule has officially changed and jet lag is a fleeting thought.  We have fully embraced what is life here in Ireland and we could not be happier.

Mama B showing off her 17 week belly at the Sligo Abbey

Lecures officially started today and this week our focus is on relationships.  We are watching a video series featuring Dean Sherman, the Dean of the University of the Nations.  There has been healthy discussion on what a Godly relationship looks like and we are excited to dig deeper throughout the rest of this week.  It is encouraging to know that the two of us have been doing things the way God has intended them to be.  It is confirmation that The Lord has truly blessed us so that we may, in turn, be a blessing to others.

This past weekend, we visited a small town on the coast just outside of Sligo called Strandhill.  Strandhill reminds us much of Bodega Bay in Northern California with plenty of artisinal shops featuring all types of sustainable cookery, produce and gifts.  It was nice to finally have fish and chips that Korina remembers being so good!

Mammy Johnston's Ice Cream Shoppe had this lovely sign out front. What a lovely way to live life.

The beach was breathtaking.  God's might and power was ever evident in the thrashing of the waves, His beauty in the color of the clouds, and His love in the company.  This is a side of Ireland most don't experience and we were fortunate to witness this beautiful place.

Caught in the act of looking good while enjoying the view.

While at Strandhill, we decided to venture a little down the coast to stumble upon some church ruins. It was so peaceful looking at crumbled piece of history somehow surviving for some 500 years.  It's hard not to gain some perspective when you think about how long a structure has survived.  What did it endure to still hold onto a shred of its identity?  How many people were able to witness these broken walls as we were?

The back wall to the Killaspugbrone Church where St. Patrick tripped and lost a tooth. The tooth lived here for a while before moving to Dublin.

We have a doctors appointment tomorrow! Yay!  We will keep everyone updated as to what is going on...maybe if its a boy or a girl!

Looks like everyone thinks we are having a boy...except George?

Edge of a grave at Sligo Abbey.

Thank you all for joining us on this incredible journey.  We are consttantly amazed by the beauty of this place and will continue to share our pictures, our stories and our love.

Prayer Requests

-Justin has managed to get a cold, so prayer that he quickly recovers.

-For Korina's doctor's appointment tomorrow.

-Continued support raising: still need $3100 to pay off tuition.

-Team members who may be feeling homesick or having a tough time coping with all these new experiences

Irish Lingo

"Getting knocked up" in English

"Up a pole" in Ireland.  My wife, Korina, is up the pole!

Dublin Troublin' and Mutton Bustin'

I'm not even sure where to start so I guess I will start at the beginning....

We left Oakhurst for Burbank Tuesday morning with my father-in-law. It was a relaxing drive down to Hollyweird. Our hotel was really nice and we grabbed what might have been the last Mexican food for a while. It might have been that we knew it was our last American dinner, but that was the best Mexican I've had in a while. If you're in Burbank head over to Salsa and Beer! 

In the morning we met up with our sister Amber and her husband Chris to have breakfast before our flight left. It was great to see them one last time. Our short flight to San Fran in the tiniest plane I've ever boarded was pleasant enough. Our flight from San Fran to Dublin was actually not too bad, a little over 9 hours. It included meals and snacks and a personal touchscreen tv with a ton of stuff (Justin watched the new Captain America while I indulged in some True Detective-boo ya!)

Once we landed in Dublin it was 11am the next day.... but our brains were still on 3am time. We got to our hosts house by bus from the airport in a suburban town called Santry halfway between the airport and the city center. We spent the afternoon and evening in Santry.

Back yard of our hosts house -pretty sure they filmed part of Shawn of the Dead back here....

The next morning, after some much desired sleep, we took the bus into Dublin and spent the day exploring the city. Justin got his first taste of fresh Guinness, genuine fish and chips from his first chipper, and a relaxing walk through Saint Stephens Green. 

Justin overlooking the pond in St. Stephens Green

The next day we met up with one of our fellow DTSrs and hopped the train out to the opposite coastline to Sligo, our final destination. The train was nothing short of magical (you guys wild horses- or at least they looked wild, like Shadowfax status guys! -ran alongside the train as we passed through the countryside) Also the sun was shining, which was weird, but so so nice.

Our arrival at the base was met with a warm welcome from the rest of the students and staff. We are staying at the White House Hostel here in town, a cozy little old place that overlooks the river. So far we have done a bit of exploring of the town of Sligo, getting to know our fellow DTSrs, and today was our first offical day of orientation!  Currently we are taking bets on who will do some actual mutton bustin' (riding sheep for as long as you can -for you non-hillbilly people) My bets are on a student named Ruby 😉 Life is so so different now, but so so good. 

I am feeling great pregnancy-wise. 17 weeks on Wednesday. Still no discernable movement but in the next week or so we will hopefully find out if its baby boy Barigian or baby girl Barigian! Taking votes now! Still waiting for this second trimester energy to kick in but all signs point to soon. Still no crazy cravings, or aversions really, I just have a preference for salty and savory and not so much sweet. 

Prayer requests-

We still need to raise about 3,500 for the outreach portion of our DTS. So finances and also  safety while we are in Morocco. 

That we would  be effective in our minstries here, and a good influence on our fellow DTSrs.

For teachability and a curious heart.

Last but not least...thank you. To everyone of you who have supported us through prayer  and finances to get us to this point. To every person who wished us well, encouraged us, even liked a photo on Facebook, you're all our heroes. 

Until next week- The Barigians 

For old times sake....some lingo for ya:

"Like" always goes at the end

In America - "That sheep is, like, really fat."

In Ireland- "That sheep is really fat, like." 

Business as usual...maybe?

     Life around here has been what some may call, "business as usual".  While that may fit the bill for most of what we are doing lately, it is far from the truth.  It would be a disservice to our Maker to just call the last month "usual" because of the blessings He has poured on to us.  

     We are working like crazy lately, trying to save as much money as we can for DTS, but also really getting involved as much as possible downstairs.  Justin had the chance to speak on something God has placed on his heart.  God has shown him that we need to look more closely at how we evangelize.  The focus needs to be on the individual receiving love from a believer.  Too many times do we focus directly on conversion, that we miss an opportunity to really love on people the way Christ did.   

Justin was blessed to be a part of this church by sharing his heart on evangelism.  We are excited to further extend our knowledge on this subject as we approach our start date.

     God is also preparing our hearts for a special healing service that we are going to be a part at Singing Waters.  The leaders have been earnestly seeking after the heart of God and what it means to be bold.  He placed it on our hearts to have a healing service here at the church.  We could not think of a better way to be bold for Jesus and count on Him to show up at this service.  Tons and tons of prayer has already gone into this and will continue to as we near the service.  We just want to show the city of Avalon that we serve a God who heals, all you have to do is call on His name.  We are asking Lord, thank you in advance for your presence.

     So, I think we are down to something like 68 days until we move off the island and 88 days until we hop on a plane and head to the Green Isle.  Every couple of days we are finding out more information regarding our DTS.  There are currently 12 students attending our DTS in Sligo, with the count being 8 men and 4 women.  We know that for the duration of our stay in Sligo, we will be in a hostel called the White House which is situated near central downtown (if one would say that there is a downtown Sligo).  The hostel has been rented out to YWAM so we will have full rein over the place.  This is super exciting because we will be able to make it our home and be able to live right in the city that we will be serving in.  From the White House, we will be attending our lecture at one of the local churches, just a short walk away.

  

The White House (not a great pic, sorry!)

 

     After lecture phase, we know that there will be a small group performing outreaches in both Lebanon and Morroco.  Please pray for clarity for us as God show us exactly which country He wants us to serve in.  We aren't quite sure how we will be serving in these countries, but will update as soon as we find out.  

 

     Support raising has been going very well, but we still need a large chunk of our DTS covered while we are saving.  We have our plane tickets (as we posted last week), which is a huge blessing from God.  Besides our plane tickets and the support that we currently have, we are still in need of about $6,000.  God has been so gracious with us and promised us the full amount once we reconcile a previous debt.  He has asked us to be bold in using money that would otherwise go to our DTS and put it toward this debt.  We will have this paid off in about two weeks and couldn't feel more blessed.  

     Funding is necessary for us to attend our DTS, but we are also looking for support in ways of some supplies.  We would love to invest in a nice DSLR camera like a Canon Rebel T3i or similar.  Also, Justin is in need of a camping backpack since his bag is just a little too large to take internationally.  We have a fair share of necessary clothing, but may need items that we just don't seem to own like rain boots, light rain jackets, and other light, waterproof clothing.  If you would love to help us out with these items, we would be forever blessed by your support.

In the meantime, we are choosing to dig deeper into God's word and not fall complacent as we look forward to DTS.  It is not easy by any means because our hearts are already there in Ireland (as well as Oakhurst!).  The Lord has blessed us with a calmness that seems confusing at times, but is greatly appreciated.  We are planning a support dinner here on the island for mid July and may even have one in September in Oakhurst before we leave.  If you want to help out in any way, let us know!

Action photo on the Rib Runner looking for dolphins!

     Lastly, we would love to thank each and every one of you.  By reading this blog, you are supporting our desires and dreams every day.  We can never thank you enough for all of your support.  

     If you would like to know more about our fundraising campaign, please visit https://www.youcaring.com/justinandkorina.  You can donate online via WePay or PayPal (for online donations, we recommend PayPal).  If you want to be old school, you can mail your checks to the church (check our website above!).

Once again, thank you for all that you do.  We love you all dearly!