Northward & Forward

It's hard to believe that it's already February, almost March. Time has flown by this year's beginning. I've been so blessed through all the travel and transfer, up from SF, and now in Winnipeg. It's crazy to think I'll be starting YWAM Winnipeg's Peace & Justice Internship in just two weeks from today!

I'm so excited to see what's in store for this next season of life. I'll be coming alongside, at this point, two other individuals as we learn more about how to live a life of peace and justice for Christ's kingdom. Living in the West End neighborhood (pictured above) of Winnipeg, we'll be finding out ways to incarnate peace the way Christ would among the people of the neighborhood. Each week we'll have different lectures on elements of the Kingdom way of embodying peace to others around us in ways that transcend our average lives. Find out more about the internship here.

Please pray for me as I set out to live in a new place, interact with new people, and face issues I've never been face to face with in this new relational dynamic in ministry. I'll be posting periodic updates about my time in the internship, things I'm learning, and things you can pray for. Thank you so much for all your support and prayer in my ministry with YWAM wherever I am.

Through the support of those generous enough to give to my ministry, much of the internship is already paid for. But I still need to raise a bit more for living expenses and to make up for conversion rates in Canada. If you feel lead to support me in this effort, check out my support page here.

Prayer Requests for December

Well, it's December 6th as I'm writing this, and today is my last official day at YWAM San Francisco.  In 6 days, I'll be moving on to Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, where I'll be spending the holidays with Joelle, and preparing for my upcoming Peace & Justice Internship at the base in Winnipeg. It's been a wonderful just about 2.5 years with YWAMSF, full of genuine people, deep challenges, and fulfillment in ministry for Christ.  Here's how you can be praying for me as I transition:

This Year, I'm Thankful

It's been a great year for me with YWAM.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  I've been able to help alongside YWAMSF in drawing people to participate with God in the Tenderloin, and the way is paved for me to help with YWAM Winnipeg as I prepare for my internship in the new year.

November Prayer Requests!

My mind's been preparing to leave SF, and this month I've been a little frazzled on the blogging front, but here it is, November's prayer requests:

•Pray for transition to Winnipeg! I've been with YWAMSF for 2 years now and it's been a wonderful time.  Now it's off to the next step of the journey!  I'll be doing an internship with YWAM in Winnipeg this upcoming year, and I'm going ahead of time to spend the holidays with Joelle's family.

•Pray for finances for my upcoming internship.  I've got my plane ticket and I'm ready to go to Winnipeg, but the internship will cost around $2,150.  Please pray that God would provide these finances, and please let me know if you'd want to help by emailing me at Jon.T.Owen@gmail.com

•Pray for preparation for this next season and the upcoming internship.  I'll be spending tim with Joelle's family for the holidays, and debriefing my time here in SF as I reflect back on these last two years of ministry.  Pray that I can be prepared for the Peace & Justice Internship I'll be doing with YWAM Winnipeg.  I'm really excited to dig in there, as I've been reading the book the base director wrote called The Cost of Community.  The base director Jamie and his wife Kim seem to have built a really great intentional community in the lower income neighborhood of the West End in Winnipeg.  Please pray that God would prepare me with the right spirit to go in, learn, and most of all serve.


It's an exciting next season! It's so weird to imagine I'll be leaving my home of two years.  I've been selling all my big things, and giving away a lot of my stuff as I prepare to move everything I own to a new country.  It's a little unnerving! Thank you all so much for your prayers in the midst of all my ministry.

October Prayer Requests

Fall weather's turning the corner everywhere else in the US, in San Francisco, we're just now verging on Indian Summer.  This is the only time of the year otherwise average 60°s SF hits the heat.  I'm not much for hot weather, so I'm definitely pining for the smell and temperature of an Ohio autumn.  Here's how you can be praying for me as we turn over into the last quater of the year!

September Prayer Requests

Hey!  These are my prayer requests for the month of September, in the year of our Lord 2012.  Thanks be to God.


•Pray for our DTS which started this month!  We've had 15 students come in to participate in a deeper instruction of Christ in our Tenderloin SF context.  They'll be learning about aspects of Christ, prayer, God's heart, and much more, then going overseas to spread God's Word.  Pray for them as they all grow together.

•Pray for Provision in finances.  Since I've been in SF, I'm been surviving, but not thriving.  I've been a good steward of what God's given me, but San Francisco is much more expensive than expected, and I want to be responsible for my future and flourish in my ministry in SF, not just get by.  Please pray that God brings provision financially.

•Pray for Communications!  Everything I do in SF is communications-centric.  I create structures in our organization to help things run more smoothly, I produce our newsletters, our print media, and I head up and supervise projects like our upcoming website, and others that anyone under me does.  Please pray that God would flourish communications in SF!  We have a lot of ministries, and a lot of opportunities for others to get involved, which means we need a lot of structure to communicate that, and welcome people into ministry. Your prayer helps make it happen!


Thank you all so much for your prayers!  If you pray for me consistently, please let me know!  It's always nice to hear that I've got prayer support.  I can also pray for you!  So please email me if you have any specific requests.

Time in Ohio

I just got back home from some time spent away from SF in Ohio, for one of my best friend's weddings!  Thank you so much for everyone who I was able to see, and sorry for everyone I wasn't able to!  It's always bittersweet going home for just a few days.  I was only in for 9, and then back to work!