This year has been a testament of God's grace in times of uncertainty. At the beginning of this year  Pick a Pocket had no idea what 2012 would bring. We started the year off sitting on our suitcases in hopes of moving our team to a new location. But ourdream of starting our first venue in Hamburg, Germany fell through. Little did we know that God's dreams for our ministry were even bigger then we could imagine. This year has brought us closer to knowing the magnitude of God's grace and provision that He has in store for us. 

Trusting in the Lord is not just about prayer requests being answered or things going the way you planned. Trusting in the Lord means believing and standing firm in His character and who He says He is even if everything else around you discourages you from that. Our team has been challenged this year to do just that, and in standing in obedience, God did great things through our ministry.With traveling to over 18 countries, touring and exhibition around the world, supporting projects that continue to serve the poor and yes, actually opening up our first venue, we can not believe how much God has done this year. 

He not only provided comfort to us through times when we had no idea how continue but also gave us plans and visions so big we still speak about it in amazement. We want to share with you Pick A Pocket's 2012 year in review and share a bit of highlights from the year!

2012pick a pocket’snewsletter for

NATIONS WE'VE REACHED: Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Holland, Norway, England, USA, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, China

We have continued to serve our long term projects in Ethiopia this year as well as support other missionaries working on the field in places like Romina, Uganda, India and Kenya. 

KosheThis year we celebrated the 3rd year of running the Koshe project; a project dedicated to supporting, educating, and discipling 13 young Ethiopian girls, who were rescued out of working in the trash dump of Addis Ababa. This year we have seen growth in the girls character, education, individual talents and relationship with God.  As a team we were able to continue supporting and running this project through support from people like you. During this season we have closed down for a short period of time in order to transition the project into a new structure and partnership, next year! Please pray with us in this time. We are looking forward to exploring new ways to reach out to  the girls more in 2013!

SolomonFor four years now we have been privileged to walk side by side with Solomon- an Ethiopian veteran that once was found homeless on the streets of Addis Ababa and now through our partnership is living in a safe community and giving basic needs. This year we were able to help Solomon with surgeries that helped him to gain the strength to walk again as well as provide medication towards his HIV. 

IndiaThis year we have been in the process of partnering with a project in India that is dedicated to serving orphans, widows and HIV patients.  We look forward to sending Pocketeers over to India to scout out this project and explore the idea of a future a partnership.

field projects

This year was a big year for us with touring. We were privileged to tour through out America , England and Germany reaching over 26,000 people with the message of using the the arts, to parter with God to serve the poor! A few highlights:

Fight The Silence Tour: Fight the Silence tour: Pick a Pocket was  invited by the band "For Today" to come on tour with them in order to promote the fight against extreme poverty and reach out to the youth. The tour took place throughout the US and Canada reaching over 23 states and 2 provinces. 

German Tour:  Traveling around Germany to different communities and churches the team was able to promote our discipleship training schools as well as find new partners to raise support for our new venue ['vɪltnɪs]! 

Liz and the Lions USA And England tour:  With their newly release single "learning to be dangerous" our pocketeers in the band Liz and the Lions toured their new album throughout the east coast of America and England. With a Pick a Pocket booth set up at every show, the band was able to use the music to inspire, rise up and challenge their audience to join them in the fit against extreme poverty.

tours

London: With an invitation from "More Than Gold", a YWAM ministry dedicated to outreaches during the Olympic Games, Pick a Pocket was invited to exhibit in galleries, cafes and venues all over London during the Olympics. From photography and fine art exhibitions to instillations and live art on the streets, Pick a Pocket spread through the streets of London and made much noise during the times of the games! 

Shanghai: One of most powerful responses to the arts this year was our exhibition in Shanghai. With over 2,500 Chinese showing up to our photography exhibition with works by Ulrich Mannchen and Jan Schlegel and performances by Liz and the Lions, the response from people being moved by the art and music was unbelievable. 

exhibitions

Pick a Pocket opened its first ever venue: ['vɪltnɪs]For years we have been dreaming of a place where people could come to find inspiration, creativity, fellowship and passion in a place where art is exhibited and coffee is served It is also a place for our pocketeers to have a platform to

work, create and go out from ['vɪltnɪs]. Located in Herrnhut, the town of our YWAM base, has served as a great bridge to reaching our community here.

café & art

gallery

A big value of Pick a Pocket is discipleship and passing on the things God has in trusted to us to others. With this our team is heave,y involved in the DTS school that our base here in Herrnhut runs. From staffing in the schools, leading outreaches and training the students in their art, we have season a huge success this  year with our team helping in equipping more students to go out and use their art and talents in the nations. 

DTS discipleship training school

Thank you to everyone who fought with us this year, supported us, came to our events and simply believed in us. It is because of your partnership that we are able to do what we are doing! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years and look forward to the adventures of 2013!

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