I applied and was accepted within 3 weeks and then addressed things like – what to do with my pilates business in London? What to do with the dance teaching scholarship; my apartment? God was clearly moving in my life, so through prayer God provided and I headed over to Vancouver. I was tired and I needed a break. Ha!

I came to the War College to spend a year with Jesus and I got more than that.

Through relationship with residents of the Downtown Eastside, in brokenness I met Christ, and my own brokenness. There was indeed light in the darkness, peace in the pain, hope for the lost, generosity where there was nothing to give. How had I become so hardened? How cold and harsh the world and my life seemed until I saw and walked with real suffering. Its addictive, God’s presence. The more I experienced, the more I wanted; the more I found my identity in Christ.

I was challenged this year in every conceivable way, through theology studies – my worldview; Christian doctrine addressed my core beliefs; in drill I learnt by climbing a mountain that I can indeed endure. I learnt to live with nothing much, I was fed and clothed by the residents; I laughed and cried with the residents; I got angry for righteousness and I questioned justice. I learned to live in community again…

I learned to hug and that simple things go a long way; such as saying a person’s name, shaking a hand, buying a coffee, eye‐contact and checking in…..hanging in there in the ups and downs of addiction, finding hope in hopelessness; standing in awe of God’s transformative power in our community friends; just witnessing, standing back, being still and knowing He is God. I am nothing but for His grace, through faith alone…..I find strength.

Just over 10 years ago, I stood on the number 1 podium holding a bunch of flowers before a set of photographers in a stunning ballroom gown. That’s all been turned upside down, inside out…for the Lord has taught me that His works are hidden and His glory is to be revealed through us cause God is a relational God – He want His Victory to be done through us. In choosing surrender, we choose success, simple. Hallelujah & Amen. Thank God for the Salvos!

You’re invited to our annual War College welcome BBQ this Sunday, September 12th at 6pm, on the roof of the 4 Sisters.  Please RSVP if you’re coming so we can be prepared numbers wise.  In your RSVP let me know if you can bring salads, sodas, snacks etc.  Bringing something is encouraged but not mandatory!

If you want to help out with set up, clean up, shopping, hosting, BBQing or any of those details – leave a comment and we’d be happy to bless you in your gift of service.

Cheers!

Nicole

The night began with a video the students put together – which I’m hoping can get posted on here one day.  But the uploading videos to a blog is far too advanced for me – I’ve asked the students if one of them can do it – I’m hopeful!

Following the video we jumped into some great worship led by Major Danielle Strickland, co-founder of The War College.  It was a blessing to have her join us and lead us in worship.

Then, praise God, two of our students enrolled as Solider of 614.  Hardcore folk, enrolling with hardcore standards, in a hardcore neighbourhood – it was great. 

After the solider enrollment, Stephen Bell, facutly at The War College, gave us a message from 2 Timothy: You were not given a spirit of fear or timididy, but of power, love and self control.  And told the War Cry students to go out from here without fear – Praise God!

After the messgage – it was time for the War Cry students to shout their War Cry’s!  “JESUS YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING” “JUSTICE” and “JESUS’ were some of the cries you may have heard that night.

Then the end song set of worship, which if I remember corretly was meant to be one song – “Awake”  turned into an hour (plus) long dance party with The Holy Spirit!  Dancing, Rapping, Drumming, Prophetic Words it was all there (as well as a lot of sweat and odour) - I think at one point we had 4 different drummers on stage (with only two jimbe’s).  Among the rap, the drum beats and the cry’s was the repeated “I am the War Cry, I’ll be the War Cry, I’ll be The War Cry” 
I even heard someone fainted from the War Cry! 

And even if you weren’t there – doesn’t mean you can’t also…be the War Cry, You are the War Cry, so Be the War Cry!!!   

Hallelujah!

Check Out this PDF of Mitchell’s father’s account of visiting him in Vancouver’s DTES.

Westlink

I have seen the body of Christ unite as one in prayer. I have witnessed Gods grace and mercy, his fellowship and love. I have grown in the fear of Yahweh. I have seen the answer to prayer, and the forming of the plans and future God has for me. I have made lifelong friends in Christ. I was surrounded by strong and faithful leaders. I have felt such a wide range of emotions. God has blessed me with the gift of intersession and it has been such an exciting gift to have. To be able to stand in the gap, or on behalf of people, to bring them before God and to see God answer my prayers and work in their life.   I have made more friends and met more people than I have in all my years of school. After all that has happened in this year, I still have so much more to learn.

What awaited me was the best year of my life to date. The war college flipped my selfish and comfortable life on its head and awakened me to the fact that my life is not my own. I truly met God here in this beautiful and broken place that is the Downtown Eastside. I came here with a mindset of coming to help the people, but the people humbled and changed me far more than I can say. I was stretched, made uncomfortable, broken and rebuilt, forced to look at my core beliefs, learned a lot about myself, got stoked about the bible, hungered for righteousness, desired holiness, discovered my gifts, experienced community and family and ultimately just fell more in love with Jesus each day.

The war college was a hugely foundational year for me. I don’t know what my life will look like in the future, but I believe that I’ve discovered a very valuable thing – that I just need to surrender and trust that the Lord will guide me down His path, the only way to go. If you feel God leading you to the war college, don’t hesitate – take a leap of faith and just apply, you will not regret it

This has been a year of tearing down and destroying my false perceptions of Christianity and

the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… a de-culturalisation one would say. Jesus has revealed my own heart to me – one of legalism and pride. The way that Jesus disturbs things with the

Jews and says things along the lines of “Just because you are the Jews, doesn’t make you

children of God”, has convicted my heart. Just because people say I am a good Christian and I appear to be humble and holy, does not make me that.

That knowledge and revelation has taken me to an unknown place that was vague before I

came here. This place is called being poor in spirit. It is a place in which I have nothing to give and I have to place my whole reliance on Jesus. I am made child-like in this place. In

this broken place, Jesus says that I am blessed and a receiver of the Kingdom of Heaven. He destroys those ugly places in our hearts and doesn’t leave them empty, but replaces those torn down places with joy, beauty, reconciliation. I know for certain that He brings forth beautiful things from nothing because I have seen it with my own eyes and I believe it because it is completely absurd. He is the One who creates babies in the wombs of barren women and joy

in the place of mourning and beauty in the place of ashes. He likes to surprise us and isn’t bound. He likes to hear about how beautiful He is from us. He loves to love us and He loves when we love to love Him.

I know that I am His. I know that He has graced me with mercy and intercession. I know that He has watered me and held me as I’ve grown. I know that His sacrificed body is enough to cover mine. I know that my relationship with Him is much more messy than following a

ten step self-help book, even though it’s easier to believe that sometimes. I know that everything I do must flow and bubble out of the deep love I have for Him and that it is renewed over and over and over again. I know that I am being made evermore like Him.

There are also still a dozen (or so) more who have felt God leading them in this direction and are waiting on timing. Praise God!

Below are my findings (hopefully accurate).

Death and Glory:

25% = Cadets
17% = Officers
8% = accepted Candidates

Grand total: 50% of Death and Glory Grads have, are or will be pursing officership!

Martyrs Session:

33% = Cadets
22% = Officers
11% = paperwork stage of candidacy

Grand Total: 66% of The Martyrs Session, have, are, or will be pursing officership.

Holy ___ Session:

16% = Cadets
8% = Accepted Candidates

Grand Total: 24% of The Holy Session have, are or will be pursing officership.

Revolution Session:

16% = Cadets

Grand Total = 16% of the Revolution Session are pursuing officership.

Incendiary Session:

28% = Cadets
14% = FOF (Future Officers Fellowship)

Grand Total: 42% of the Incendiary Session are pursing officership.

Conquerors Session:

This is our most recent graduating class, and as such no one has done anything ‘official’ to be statistically reported, but I will say that 33% have specifically told me they will be pursuing officership, and they are solid folk who I can’t wait to see in Red Epaulets!

All Over Grand Total:
21% of all War College Grads are currently 1st or 2nd year Cadets.
6% of all TWC Grads are currently officers.
12% of all TWC have done some form of official paperwork (some more then others) towards officership.

(that’s 39% overall)

So, there you have it…

And, as Stephen Court recently said on armybarmy, just because a bunch of War College Grads are pursing officership (this year primarily too, Praise God), doesn’t mean you’re signing your life away to officership if you come.  (Though I did read an article once, where someone wrote that The War College is the best pre-requisite to Training College they know!)

Apply To The War College Today.

Almost Everyone Should Come To The War College.

Grace,

Nicole

And I agree, I do think almost everyone should come…and I think if you’re reading this, you are probably one of those everyone’s….and here’s why.

You see, I’ve been on this wild trip this past month or so – and really it has been great. 

It started in my division, BC (Canada and Bermuda) at Teen Camp.  I think there are some highlights archived.  But this is a War College blog, and I want to write about TWC!!! Not only did we have two accepted Blood and Fire students (start date, Sept 2010), and not only did we have a handful of other TWC Alumni or Faculty up there too, but there were 100 plus teens who have the potential to be future War College students or other leaders and that excites me.  It also really pumped me up for…

…The World Youth Convention, where I got a fortaste of what Heaven might be like as I worshipped along like minded people, with many tribes and tounges.  There were 1000 young Salvationists from over 97 countries represtented.  This is a War College blog, and so I don’t mind saying, it was also ripe ground to do some War College recruitment. 

 I hear that some of the 458 delegates are interested in doing The War College together – I TOTALLY RECOMEND THIS.  458 listen to this: You’ve already gotten a taste of what community is.  You’ve already been exposed to the teachings of some great leaders, most of whom have and will teach at TWC.  You already get the idea of there being no Holiness without Social Holiness…you already get it.  You know these things are good.  If you know it is good, really, WHY NOT, do it for a full year.  I urge you friends, really really pray and ask your networks of community around you for wise council.  Almost Everyone from 458 should apply to the War College.

And, Almost Everyone from the WYC should apply to The War College.  Come on!  That’s over 1000 young Salationists pumped up to change the world!  What better place to start?

After Sweden, I travelled with another War College Grad around Europe a bit.  Because we are like minded and share similar experiences and understand community, travelling together is great fun and I’d like to say Kingdom building too.   In TWC you meet a lot of great folk, and your networks widen.  While in Sweden, I met so many people who I knew from various Brigade Ops with TWC, or if I didn’t know them personally they knew my roommate from TWC, or who knew other session mates of mine – and not only is it just plain cool when you meet someone you know directly, or by association, but it expands your networks and essentially your community. 

In London, we met up with a dear session mate of mine.  Get this, me from Canada, meeting up with someone from Australia in England!?!?  Now that’s cool.  This is a friendship that has encouraged and uplifted my soul manyatimes.  I cant explain to you the comradery and joy it is when you share similar heart and mind as one another. 

After this, I am going to be on a Prophetic Evangelism team made up entirely of War College Alumni and Faculty - we represent 3 countries, 4 territories and have officers, ministry directors, cadets and soldiers!  This is world changing stuff I am blessed to partake in here on earth.

So yes, expanded community and authentic friendships and networks deepening…all great stuff, all things you will find at The War College…

But I don’t want that to be the reason you apply.  It’s kinda just the icing on the cake.

If you love God.  And you love people.  And specifically if you love the people that most people don’t.  Then apply to TWC.  If you hunger and thirst for Righteousness and Justice – the apply button is at the top right corner.  What are you waiting for?

I have had a lot of joyous times this trip, seeing old friends and seeing parts of God’s creation I’ve never seen before – great. But I’ve really enjoyed spending a lot of time in reflection and contemplation.  During these times I have reflected and rejoiced in how my time at The War College and its’ specific community of 614 and the DTES has changed me.  I have learned things I cannot write about.  I have seen things that have forever changed my worldview.  I have loved others beyond what I alone could ever do, and have been loved in ways far beyond my own understanding. 

If anything I have said.  Or anything our website says sticks out to you in any way, then why not apply to The War College.  You are probably an ‘almost everybody’, and Almost Everybody Should Apply To The War College.

It started as usual with morning prayers led by the Time to Be Holy/Time to Serve groups.  Yesterday we prayed with three people from other parts of the world.  I got to pray with someone from Taiwan, Malaysia and Brazil.  God Bless them.

Yu can catch the main morning online.  A good justice session led by Commissioner Helen Clifton in person, and Commissioner Christine McMillan via webcam.

Following this we had two focus groups.  I went to ‘Prophets in Training’ where I got to hear some really cool stuff the ISJC is doing.  Check out their website (just google, Salvation Army International Social Justice Commission).

Then I just had to go listen to my former Corps Officer and one of the founders of TWC give a re-cap on the mission week in Denmark.  Typically I avoid workshops by speakers I know, because I’ve probably heard it before, and there was soooo many other good groups to check out – but I just couldn’t have been pulled away…and glad I went – it was great to hear what the team did in Denmark, and inspired me on to greater things.

Then in the afternoon we went to the city square for an open air meeting. 

Catch that?

Remember, there are over 1000 people here, it definitely wasn’t your typical Open Air meeting, or at least one Ive never been to.  There were performances from Norway, Korea, India, Sweden, and more I’m sure.  I got to talk to many people in Stockholm about The Salvation Army and why there were over 90 countries represented in their city square. 

Another thing that made this open air meeting less typical, was afterwards we all stayed, a worship team came on the stage and the center of the city was filled with many people praising the name of YHWH.  Now, I’m not going to lie, we sang some songs, that I normally really really don’t like or enjoy, and disengage with when in a ‘church’ meeting we sing…but nonetheless, you couldn’t help but engage with the Spirit, and enjoy this otherwise unenjoyable song, when you were singing with the nations, and worshipping God in the center of a secular city´- come on, that’s incredibly significant and prophetic.  Praise God.  Oh, and The General gave a message as well.  God Bless The General.

This morning, General Shaw Clifton spoke a message of holiness at the Holiness Meeting.  He spoke about the mind of Christ and loving God as his children.  He even showed us pictures of his beautiful grandchildren.  Please go online, www.raisedup.org, to watch.

Within the hour, we are about to enter a covenanted hour of silence.  I have really grown to love the discipline over this past year of silence and solitude and looking forward to this.  Perhaps you will join us – the hour is from 1430-1530h (230pm-330pm) Stockholm time.  I recognise that this might be extremely early for some of you – and you might not even read this post until later in the day – but I do urge you to do it.  So did the General this AM.

This day is quickly coming to and end, and thus this conference is coming to and end also…wow.

In HIS Grace, I remain,

Nicole

ps – while you’re checking out the Raised Up website, head over to www.sendthefire.ca, for a short video clip and write up.