love + justice = kingdom

2011-11-27T17:48:00.004-06:00

Mission Possible!

Releasing Identity and Destiny to New Zealand & Tahiti

For some who may not know, this year I am attending Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, CA. This has been the most amazing journey so far and I’ve only been here for three months! I am so blessed and honored that many of you have supported me through finances and prayer to get to come to this school. I am receiving so much impartation and I joyfully release everything I have received and will receive here to YOU! Take it! It’s yours! I speak increase, breakthrough, healing, and blessings in every area of your lives!

As part of BSSM, the students participate in one of 60 different mission trips. Watch out world! Here come the radical revivalists ready to release the amazing LOVE of Jesus with signs and wonders following! I have been selected to be part of the New Zealand/Tahiti team. I am really honored to be going on this trip to minister with and serve the leaders of this team, John and Barbara Kealiinohomoku. They are incredible and carry such strong anointings.

The Heart of BSSM Mission Trips:

Our heart and passion here at Bethel International is to raise up a generation of world changers that will be known simply for their reckless abandonment to see that Jesus is Lord in all the nations. As we are building relationships with various regions around the world one of the main goals that we have is to make the nations look like geniuses. Our strategy is to raise up influencers in their own nations so they begin to run with the inheritance God has given them to transform their nation. All of our Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry trips are partnered with Bethel International’s vision for transforming nations.

The Vision for the New Zealand/Tahiti Trip:

We are looking for faith-filled, radical worshippers who will impart kingdom living for the people of New Zealand and Tahiti. Prophetic worship (yeah!!), prophetic ARTS (yeah!!!), evangelism (yeah!) and intercession (yeah!) will be the focus of this trip to ignite a fire amongst the youth , as well as the strategically minded. We will partner with church leaders to release revival with an emphasis on fruit that remains. This is a ground breaking trip that will release the Glory and new levels of activation for all!

The Mission for our Team:

We will be partnering with church leaders in New Zealand and Tahiti to release the love and power of Jesus over these two great nations. In New Zealand, we will be serving a Bethel Church plant in the Northern region with a specific focus on the indigenous Maori Tribe. While there we will hold a large leader’s meeting to empower and equip the body there to do the work of the Kingdom. There will also be many opportunities to visit schools, preach at churches, and do street evangelism. In Tahiti, we will be working with several leaders to bring revival to the churches and local communities. The main focus will be breaking hopelessness and poverty mindsets, and seeing a royal identity restored to the Tahitian people. Worship, intercession, art, evangelism, prophetic encouragement, and the raw love and grace of God will be the tools we use to see Jesus released.

WOULD YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN ME AND NEW ZEALAND & TAHITI? We are good investments with great returns!!!

The total cost of my trip is: $3250

Financial Deadlines:

$225 Deposit – Due immediately

$1850 – January 17^th

$1075 – February 21^st

Financial gifts may be made online at https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate. This gift is tax-deductible and you will receive a statement at the end of the year for your tax records. If you wish your gift to be anonymous, please check the anonymous box. This will allow you to receive an end of year statement, but will not allow the student to see your name. This gift is non-refundable, and if for any reason a team member or team does not go, the money will support another mission trip sponsored by Bethel Church. (If online payment is not an option, check donations can be made payable to Bethel Church and mailed to the following address: Bethel International - 915 Twin View Blvd. Redding, CA 96003. Please include a note with my name on it so they know what student's account in which to apply the donation.)

Thank you so much for being a part of my life! I covet your prayers so much. If you would like to know specific things you can pray for me you can go to my blog and find an updated prayer list there. http://lovejusticekingdom.blogspot.com/ I would also love to get an update about what is going on in your life and how I can pray for you. Feel free to send me an email at janellefite@gmail.com if you have a prayer request, great praise God story, or just to say “hi”. Let’s keep taking new ground in this journey of faith!

When I return from my trip on April 9^th, I look forward to telling you all the amazing things that you helped make happen! I pray that the life changing power of Jesus invades your life and sends encouragement your way today.

Much Love,

Janelle Fite

Psalm 112

Praise the LORD! Blessed [is] the man [who] fears the LORD, [Who] delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches [will be] in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; [He is] gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart [is] established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees [his desire] upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see [it] and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.

New Zealand/Tahiti Mission Trip Ministry Focus

2011-11-14T13:10:00.000-06:00

Hey All! Here is a new update of what we will be doing ministry wise on my mission trip:

We will be partnering with church leaders in New Zealand and Tahiti to release the love and power of Jesus over these two great nations. In New Zealand, we will be serving a Bethel Church plant in the Northern region with a specific focus on the indigenous Maori Tribe. There will also be many opportunities to visit schools, preach at churches, and do street evangelism. In Tahiti, we will working with several leaders, to bring revival to the churches and local communities. The main focus will be breaking hopelessness and poverty mindsets, and seeing a royal identity restored to the Tahitian people. Worship, intercession, art, evangelism, prophetic encouragement, and the raw love and grace of God will be the tools we use to see Jesus released.

I am soooo excited for this in many ways, but one of the ways is to explore how Papa God will use art through this trip. He is releasing me more and more in the realms of prophetic art and I absolutely love it!

(on a side note this is one of the recent experiences I got to have with prophetic art with my friend. http://jazminaseret.blogspot.com/2011/11/feathers.html)

I have a $325 deposit due TOMORROW on the 15th of which I have none at this point, but I know Papa God will come through!

If you would like to help me financially to be able to go on this trip that would be amazing! You can click on this link to donate to my trip. https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate

More updates to come soon!! I have my first team meeting this Saturday!

2011-11-08T13:10:00.001-06:00

NEW ZEALAND & FRENCH POLYNESIA

BSSM International Mission Trip

Yeah!!!! I am so excited! I have been chosen to go on the New Zealand trip for my Bethel Mission trip. This is going to be such an amazing trip and I am so excited to be joining a trip led by my AMAZING revival group pastor Barbara Kealiinohomoku and her husband John!

This is going to be a ground breaking trip that will release the Glory and new levels of activation for those of us ministering and for those being ministered to.

Trip description: This trip is for faith-filled, radical worshipers who will impart Kingdom living for the people of New Zealand and Tahiti. Prophetic worship, evangelism and intercession will be the focus to ignite a fire amongst the youth of these Polynesian Islands, as well as the strategically minded. We will be going to two South Pacific nations, New Zealand and Tahiti, and partner with church leaders to release revival with an emphasis on fruit that remains.

We will be having our first team meeting sometime in the next couple of weeks and I hope to learn much more information about all we will be doing and to meet the rest of the team. I will update you all with more information as I am informed.

I can not be apart of this trip without the prayer and financial support of my family and friends. So, if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation toward my trip I would be so honored and blessed! You can make a donation online by clicking on this link and select "mission trip.": https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate

$325 Deposit - Due November 15th

$1850 (2nd payment) - Due January 17th

$1075 (Final payment) - Due Feburary 21st

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Total Cost of trip: $3250
Dates of trip: March 22 - April 8, 2012

The Prayer Chapel

2011-09-08T20:11:00.001-05:00

I sit here in the Bethel prayer chapel for the first time overwhelmed by Your goodness and love! My heart is thankful and overflowing with gratitude that You have given me the privilege of being here at this season of my life.

I want to settle deeper into Your LOVE, Your GOODNESS, Your GRACE, Your KINDNESS, Your MERCY, Your PLAN, Your FAVOR......

You ARE the complete expression of LOVE! I Jn 4:16-17

Welcome to Redding!

2011-09-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to give you all a quick update. My friend Jazmin and I arrived in the wee hours of the morning on the 6th to Redding. It was so surreal. As were were on the highway getting close we just kept saying how surreal it was. We had been praying into that moment for quite some time and here it was upon us. We both just feel so blessed and grateful to be at this point and to be here in Redding at Bethel!

It is so beautiful here! We are surrounded by beautiful mountains and the Sacramento River. I just love Papa's creation and we are blessed with such beauty here. I am trying to familiarize myself with the city and drive around to get to know where things are.

Today we actually went to Bethel church to see things and get briefly acquainted with the building, the prayer room and to meet some people.

Please keep us in your prayers. Some friends have graciously allowed us to stay with them for a couple of days as we try to secure our more permanent housing. We have been hunting yesterday afternoon and today, but have not secured anything yet. We have a couple of options on the table and are waiting for a couple more replies. We know Papa has just the right place for us and we are just seeking His guidance as to what place will be the best for us. So, please pray that He will continue to line things up for us.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support!!! It means so much and I am so blessed to have so many of you play a special part in my life.

Much love,
Janelle

India bound :: First stop Bethel

2011-07-25T13:12:00.002-05:00

So, a lot has happened over these past four months since I have been back home in Iowa. I have had an amazing time being home with my family and again being a part of my home church, Heartland. During this time back in Iowa Papa opened up an incredible opportunity for me to serve as an assistant house parent at Ruth Harbor while they searched for full-time house parents. I was so blessed to be able to join the incredible team at Ruth Harbor and pour into the young women the Lord sent there for “such a time as this.”

I also spent time with Papa seeking His heart and listening about what avenues He wanted me to follow to India. Even though He has revealed to me to go to the states of Madyha Pradesh, Gujarat, and Marashtra, that is a lot of territory and where in the world do I begin? I began researching some different ministries I had connections to. In May, I was invited to Minnesota to talk with the mission department at Hosanna Church and to meet one of their missionaries, Jon Borde, who has an amazing ministry in India. It was a wonderful, glorious time catching up with the crew up there and what made it more special is because they all feel like family. As I returned home to pray, I felt the Lord would cross our paths again in the future but it was not the direction I was to pursue at this time. Even though it didn’t seem like Papa was giving me any direct promptings to any specific ministries I was just resting in the process and waiting on Him.

In mid June, Papa began to prompt my heart to pursue going to the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, CA. He began to stir in my heart there was something there He had for me that I needed to pursue and go after. So, I filled out my application, and a couple of weeks later had a phone interview with one of the pastors. Before the interview I can say that I was about 75% sure this was the right step, but as I was on the phone call I had an overwhelming peace and excitement come over me that this was 100% the right step to take in preparation for India.

I have to tell you about my favorite part of the interview. Toward the end of the interview the pastor was going over some basic things about the school and telling me about the mission trips the students have the opportunity to participate in each school year. I had talked to him earlier in the conversation about India, so when it came to that part he said that he didn’t think there was a trip to India this year. Gasp! You could probably have heard my heart sink in that moment, and for a split second I was disappointed. Then his next words were, “You know, we haven’t made many in roads into India, but we really need to.” What? Yes! Absolutely and I am going to be a part of it. Now, I didn’t say that out loud to him, but I was shouting those exact words in my spirit.

Two and a half days after my interview I was officially accepted to the school. Wow! I am so excited on so many levels to see all Papa will unfold as I follow Him to BSSM and on to India!

So what now? Well, now I am completely trusting Him to provide all the finances I need to go to BSSM for tuition and some living expenses, as well as finding some kind of housing in the Redding area for the school year.

I’ll provide details soon of how you can better pray for me and send financial support if you are so led.

I know so many of you have been praying for me during this process and I have felt those prayers tremendously and I am so thankful for you and for them!!!!

India is calling

2011-07-23T22:24:00.002-05:00

(this was written a few months back, but I just now posted it to my blog).

Papa came in like a whirlwind and quickly changed my course of direction in a matter of about 4 days, which is crazy, but as I look back on it now it was exactly what He needed to get my attention quickly so I would know when to "move" with Him. So what is the new course of direction? I AM GOING TO INDIA!

To back up a little bit....in January of this year I began to feel this very strong urge in my spirit that I needed once again to be directly connected to the nations. I needed to physically be in another nation. For those who know me, you know I love the nations. I've been overseas in a couple different ministries and, of course, the ministry I was currently working with, GMA, was also a missions organization, but this calling was not just to work for the nations but to be in the nations once again in a full-time way. I couldn't quantify all that was going on with me during that month...it was just this deep urging in my spirit that I needed to be directly connected to the nations again. Any books I read, any news I heard, any mission trips I was organizing for GMA, anything involving the nations was pulling out this spirit longing to be in the nations. I just had this deep longing in my spirit and urge that if I didn't go to those places something was wrong. In my spirit I felt I had to be there, anywhere now! But Papa hadn’t given me any specific direction and I knew that I wasn’t to move forward with anything until I had received specific direction about a specific place from the Lord. So, as difficult as it was I just kept all of this in my heart to ponder and kept listening and praying. After some time I talked to Leanne and my mom about this and tried to explain it even though I really didn't know how to explain it very well and I didn't really have anything specific to share along with it.

Fast forward to the weekend of February 26th. On Saturday night I had a very significant dream. Papa often speaks to me in dreams. Often the frequency of these dreams are more prominent in certain seasons. Sometimes they are significant but for another time and so I write those down and file them away in my memory. Other times they are significant and for right now…this was one of those dreams. In this dream on that Saturday night I dreamed a missionary friend of mine from South Africa (who I met in Mozambique and who is Indian…don’t you love all the nations represented in that one little fact…it makes me smile every time I think of it!) called me and asked me if I wanted to go with her to "mgm India." I said I did but I wasn't sure if I had the money. There were other parts to the dream but that was the end and the most important part. As soon as I woke up I knew in my spirit this was a “now” dream. I immediately wondered what the the “mgm india” part meant. It had to be significant. So, all day as I cleaned the house and laundered my clothes I talked with Papa about it. I knew that main part of that dream was that Papa was giving me a "missionary call" to India, but I was still unsure what the "mgm" part meant. Later in the day I laid down to soak (listening prayer) for a while listening, praying, singing... and then all of the sudden in the spirit I was taken up and I could see the whole Earth. I could see the world and the nation of India just came shooting right out from the rest of the world toward me like it was in 3D or something. Then Papa began to show me all kinds of different things in the nation and I could literally see in the spirit the entire nation being transformed by His love and in His glory. I could see His glory covering the entire nation and being completely transformed! It was one of the most amazing experiences/encounters I've ever had. Then it was like my entire body went into intercession over the nation. To say this was a significant experience is putting it mildly. After all of it was over I just began to weep. As I came out of this encounter the other thing that occurred was that I had this deep, deep urgency in my spirit that I needed to get prepared to go to India in every way. So for the next couple of days I was just quietly processing all of this between Papa and myself.

Then came the transition of leaving GMA. It was so bittersweet to say goodbye to GMA. Papa has done so much in my life over the past few years through GMA and Leif, and I am so thankful for that time.

At the end of March I moved back to Iowa for a while to rest, get refreshed, and prepare for India. At this point I have no idea when I might be going or what all the steps Papa wants me to go through to prepare, but I am thrilled at discovering the mystery of it all. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of Kings search it out. So.....I am searching!

(oh and by the way….mgm india is three specific states in India: Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Mahrashtra)

Live Your Passion

2011-07-20T23:34:00.002-05:00

I was recently asked on an application about what is my passion. Great question!
Here was my answer:

The thing I am most passionate about is seeing justice released in the Earth, for it is the very foundation of His throne, His rule. It is the foundation of the government of Heaven. One of the Greek words for justice is mishpat, which essentially means the rule of Heaven in the Earth. The standard of what is in Heaven belongs on the Earth and Jesus came back to restore this and commission His sons and daughters to do the same. We are to restore justice wherever we see injustice happening throughout the world. Whether that injustice takes the form of sickness in someone’s body, educational systems failing large segments of the population or even the refusal to educate girls because of their gender, laws that by nature are oppressive, people dying from water-born diseases, women being oppressed simply because people have misinterpreted their religions, or children being abused and misused for someone else’s gain and pleasure. It is our mandate to see all of these kinds of issues and so many more align with the Father’s heart and what is in Heaven.

My passion is to go to the hardest and most difficult places and situations and watch the Kingdom win! I have a passion to rescue women and children out of the sex trade. Nothing gets me more passionate and worked up than when I see the enemy terrorizing the very core and soul of people who are not in a position to defend themselves. It is my passion to see these women and children educated and empowered to live an abundant life and to see them bring Kingdom change to the world around them in their own communities. This might be the issue that I am most passionate about and moves me more deeply in my soul than almost anything else, but my passion is to see the fullness of the Kingdom released into all spheres of influence in every community and nation.

Whenever I have had the opportunity to work in a community or another country it is my deepest passion and desire to work with the key authority figures over the area and those who are being marginalized and oppressed. At one time Papa told me this was the High/Low approach. Both ends of the spectrum in a community or country need to be simultaneously “attacked” by the Kingdom. Father’s heart is always drawn to those who are being oppressed but often the quickest way to change a community and nation is if we can Kingdomize the people in leadership, in authority, and the ones making laws and standards that affect the community at large. The Father reached out to the poor and the broken while also challenging and influencing the established authority governing over people.

I am making a move to step into the fullness of my destiny to live out my passion. Words can not express how excited I am.

Love is Just

2011-07-20T19:23:00.002-05:00

great short blog post from the music group Gungor. definitely worth checking out. read here.

Dare to Dream Unreasonably!

2010-08-24T17:06:00.001-05:00

In the beginning Papa God created the most beautiful home for us in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was a place of perfect peace, security, beauty, creativity and love. And it was in this place where God the Father and Adam his son dreamed together of what the world could be. There was no fear of failure or rejection or any thoughts that there would not be enough resources to fulfill their dreams. It was the perfect atmosphere to dream with Papa God.

Many of us, as children, had grandiose dreams of what we wanted to be when we grew up and how we would change the world. Somehow along the way, because of life circumstances and or choices, we have lost those dreams.

Well, it is time to revive those dreams and Dare To Dream with Papa God! Romans 8 tells us “the earth is groaning for the sons of God to be revealed.” Why? Because Papa wants us to dream with Him, release the kingdom, and see a world changed for His glory. What the world needs is inside of you! Christ in you, the hope of glory, will change the world! So be daring and dream unreasonably with your Papa God!

Dance for Justice

2010-03-05T15:06:00.002-06:00

stories about child trafficking in thailand

2010-02-28T23:53:00.000-06:00

XPmedia.com - Trafficked Children - Malina

Posted using ShareThis

just stop for the one

2010-02-28T23:45:00.001-06:00

i've been doing a lot of research lately, to get lots of facts and figures in my head about human trafficking, child slavery and many other dark issues that plague our world today. it can all be a bit overwhelming to say the least. the problems are so big, so massive. how are we going to break the chains and free the oppressed. there's so many that need to be freed, need to be rescued, need to be loved. how are we ever going to do it. then i am reminded of what i learned from heidi baker, just stop for the one. freeing the thousands starts with freeing the one. rescuing the thousands starts with rescuing the one. loving the thousands starts with loving the one. when i look at it that way then i don't get too overwhelmed because i can always stop for the one.

Go See Furious Love

2010-02-16T22:30:00.002-06:00

On Sunday the 14th, I drove over an hour to get to a location that was showing this movie. I am so glad I did because it was amazing. If you've seen the Finger of God, this one does not disappoint. Darren Wilson has a very genuine way of navigating through some very deep issues to expose what everything

always comes down to..........LOVE.

Without it we are just noise to the world's collective ears.

If the movie not playing at a church near you, then make sure to see it when it comes out on DVD.

http://www.furiouslovethemovie.com/
http://www.heartstonepictures.com/filmmakers.html

Don't let the trailer scare you. It is meant to get your attention because the movie does address some heavy topics, but it does not show you anything graphic or scary.

Martin Luther King Jr. - A Voice for Justice

2010-01-18T16:17:00.000-06:00

In honor of a man who gave a voice to justice.

True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Help Earthquake Victims in Haiti

2010-01-13T14:20:00.000-06:00

Click here to donate through World Vision.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

2010-01-11T13:30:00.000-06:00

GET EDUCATED, GET INVOLVED.

THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR KINGDOM HEROES TO RISE UP, TAKE THEIR PLACE AND BRING JUSTICE (SALVATION, DELIVERENCE, & HEALING) TO ALL PEOPLE AND NATIONS!

What can you do in 2010 to release justice, to bring Heaven to Earth?

Cool Necklace....Could be Yours...Check it out!

2010-01-06T19:23:00.000-06:00

Lisa Leonard designs is giving away a necklace. Click here to see how you can get it.

It's really cool and you can customize, which is the best part!

Help Us Bring Jesus to Muslim Refugees in Swat Valley & Waziristan, Pakistan

2009-10-31T13:00:00.003-05:00

Would you join me as we raise $60,000 to send containers with food and supplies to the Philippines and Pakistan? This money will allow us to send 3 containers (1 to the Philippines and 2 to Pakistan) filled with up to $1 million worth of donated food, supplies and Jesus Packets.

Picture you, your spouse and your children packing up all your possessions and traveling miles and miles by foot or vehicle just trying to keep your family alive. Now picture having to live in a refugee camp in a tent for an undetermined amount of time with little to no food, water, or supplies available to you. This is what is happening at this moment in Pakistan. There are approximately 3 million displaced refugees in the Swat Valley and the Waziristan regions. These are the Northwest regions in Pakistan. Officials say many of these people will not be able to return to their homes until March of 2010. The UN warns that Swat Valley could be the worst refugee crisis since Rwanda. Hundreds of thousands of people have been sheltering in refugee camps since fleeing their homes. Most others are literally squeezed into the homes of friends or relatives, with as many as 85 people in one house. My mind can't even comprehend that.

GMA is partnering with Interfaith Council for Peace & Harmony in Lahore, Pakistan to help bring relief in the midst of dire circumstances to these refugees. At this time, it is impossible for non-Muslim relief organizations to enter the Swat Valley or the Waziristan area, where mostly women and children have been displaced in the past few weeks due to the unrest in this nation in great turmoil. The Mualana, who I have built a relationship with over the last 13 years, (you can read more about him in our recent Pakistan Trip Report included in this mailing), is the Director of Interfaith Council for Peace and Harmony and will take in food, tents, medicine, as well as Christian printed materials in the name of Jesus that we provide him. He has the elite police force of Pakistan at his disposable as to ensure all the relief goods arrive safely.

There are moments in life when God's voice is so loud it is impossible to hear anything else. This is one of those times. Since returning from Pakistan my mind is overwhelmed, but my spirit is soaring because of all the Kingdom Gates Father God is opening to us in Pakistan and around the world.

Right now there is a Kairos moment taking place over the nation of Pakistan and we have an opportunity to make a HUGE impact on the descendants of Ishmael and show them the love of the Father who gave his Son to save them. Did you know that Ishmael means "GOD HEARS?" The Father, who is the author of love, hears the cries of his sons and daughters in exile. We too hear the cries and we will respond in love with tangible expressions of the love of the Father.

PLEASE PARTNER WITH US AS WE BRING JESUS AND AID RELIEF TO THOSE WHO ARE DESPERATELY IN NEED!

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:34-40

Let us be people of love who will respond to the ones who are thirsty and hungry and give them LIVING WATER and THE BREAD OF LIFE so they will thirst and hunger no more!

Your Ambassador of Love to the Nations,

LEIF HETLAND
Founder and President

To donate to the Pakistan Relief Fund:

Click on the link below to donate directly through our website.
http://www.globalmissionawareness.com/PaymentGroup /Registration.aspx?payment_group_id=1000001155

OR

Make checks payable to Global Mission Awareness, write "Relief Fund" in the memo portion of the check. Send to:

GMA
PO Box 968
Killen, AL 35645

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

GMA International Ministry Team Ready to Bring Help to the Philippines

2009-10-29T16:19:00.000-05:00

GMA has an international ministry team leaving for the Philippines on November 30th. As a team, we are very excited to minister to the Filipino people and see the Kingdom of God expand and bring transformation. Yet, our hearts are heavy as we watch the news and see the Philippines continue to get pounded by typhoon after typhoon. In light of this, we are now making relief operations part of our ministry time in the Philippines and we need your help to increase the impact.

In the past month, three typhoons, Ondoy, Parma and Lupit have hit the Philippines with another one, Typhoon Mirinae, expected to hit Friday, October 30th. Two of these typhoons hit the islands within two weeks of each other. When the first typhoon hit, the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on Manila and its neighboring provinces, including Los Baños, in less than a day. These are the two locations where we will be ministering. The rainfall was comparable to the devastation that came to New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. In a half an hour's time, water was either knee or chest deep. Before the storm was over, many houses were submerged, leaving rooftops now to become the floors of these homes. At one point, 80% of the capital city of Manila was under water.

7 million people have been affected by these storms with more than 600,000 forcefully evacuated from their homes. The damage from just one of these typhoons has been estimated at $803 million. Health officials are now concerned for the outbreak of waterborne diseases and say that as many as 1.7 million people living in and around Manila are at risk.

Much devastation has come to this country in the past month and our team wants to be used as an instrument of love to these people by bringing aid relief with us when we arrive. There are also a number of Destiny Ministries International (DMI, the ministry we work with in the Philippines) families who have been severely affected by this calamity. There is an overwhelming need for clean water, medicine, clothes and food, as these storms have devastated businesses, properties, and crops.

The DMI family has already been hard at work helping their fellow Filipinos, but we want to maximize their efforts by bringing in reinforcments when our team arrives. We want to touch as many lives as we can for God's glory and for His Kingdom! Paul Yadao, the Father of DMI, says, " We are destined to co-labor with the Almighty One in places of brokenness and great need bringing the Good News of the Kingdom. Our Destiny is to be like Him- as HE IS so ARE WE in this world! David was faithful in his generation. Now it's our turn."

This is an opportunity for us as the children of God to demonstrate the Kingdom of God in a tangible, practical way to our broken fellow brothers and sisters. Please help us in this effort to bring relief aid to the Philippines. We are currently raising relief funds to take with us on November 30th and to send over a container full of supplies to help the typhoon victims.

To donate to the Philippines Relief Fund:

Click on the link below to donate directly through our website.
http://www.globalmissionawareness.com/PaymentGroup /Registration.aspx?payment_group_id=1000001155

OR

Make checks payable to Global Mission Awareness, write Philippines Relief Fund in the memo portion of the check. Send to:
GMA
PO Box 968
Killen, AL 35645

Australian Heroes...from beachfont suburbia to war-torn Uganda

2009-10-21T11:34:00.001-05:00

In the November issue of Charisma magazine there is a great article about Irene Gleeson. What a remarkable woman this is. She and her husband left their very comfortable life in Australia to rescue and bless Daddy's kids in the worn-torn country of Uganda.

For ten years this amazing couple has been doing the work of the Kingdom. Thank you for your lives and spending them on behalf of those who otherwise would have had no voice!! What a treasure you are to the body of Christ!

Please grab a Charisma magazine and check out this article. I wish you could just read it online, but it is not on their website yet...not sure if it will be. www.charismamag.com

Facts About the World's Children
- 2.2 billion worldwide
- 143 million are orphans
- 2 million were HIV positive at the end of 2007
- 25,000 die per day due to poverty
- 3 million have no shoes
- every 3 minutes in a developing nation a child dies from malnutrition
- 9.2 million who were born in 2007 died before age 5
- One in seven have no access to health services
- 400 million have no access to safe drinking water
- One in three do not have adequate shelter
- 121 million are not educated
(sources: UN AIDS, US DOJ, UNICEF, childinfor.org, globalissues.com)

There are so many ways every person can do something to help.

Be creative. Ask Holy Spirit. Release it into the World.
Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa.

Heroes of the Nation - Bringing justice to Kenya

2009-10-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

I love this ministry. These people have the heart of Jesus and are determined to His Kingdom and justice release to transform a nation. I was supposed to go to their base in Nyahuru, Kenya this past summer, but there was a family crisis which prevented me from going. I pray Daddy God works it out that I can go there another time.

http://www.htn.org/index.php?page=Home

The Rifqa Bary Case - Honor Killing

2009-10-13T22:34:00.001-05:00

This is a reposting from an email that was sent out by Lou Engle:

Rifqa Bary's Update for October 13th 2009: Please Pray

Divining Moment

Many of you have already heard of Rifqa Bary, the 17 year old young lady, who's life has been threatened by her Muslim father because she has confessed Christ. Because of the death threats she fled and sought refuge in a Christian home in Florida. Tomorrow her court case will be heard again determining whether or not she will be extradited back to Ohio where her parents live. Rifqa is a precious and passionate lover of Jesus who is boldly proclaiming Christ. She is depending on her Christian family nationwide to fight in prayer for her life and for her testimony. If she is sent home a likely scenario would be that her Muslim family would return with her to their native country, Sri Lanka. It is there that there would be no restraints as to what could be done with her life.

Let Us Pray

Tomorrow, would you fast and pray for our little sister? Pray that the Gospel through her life and this present situation would explode all over the nation through the media. Pray that many Muslims would come to Christ. Pray that the spirit behind her parents radical lawyer would be restrained. Pray for the favor of Jesus to be over her. Rifqa could be like Esther and her case a flashpoint to expose darkness and release light and truth. Let us be a Mordecai to her.

Consumed by the Call,

Lou Engle
President, The Call, Inc.
Contact |response@thecall.com | TheCall

So in Love!

2009-08-19T21:21:00.000-05:00

you are my love, the one who is unlike every other
the one who captures my heart, captures my soul
you have captured my gaze, i can not look away
i can not look away from your beauty, your eyes of love
you have stolen my heart, it is completely yours

you are mine and i am yours
there is no other who has my heart, you have all of me
no one loves me better than you my love
your love is so ravishing, so intense
how can i long for anything else

all i want is to be filled with all that you are
come inside me and fill me with the fullness of your love
you are my desire, my soul's only desire
i set my eyes on you, like a dove
my love, i set my eyes on you

i have only one focus, you and your love
your love is so overwhelming
how can you love me so deeply
but deeply is exactly how my soul longs to be loved

only you can satisfy me
only your gaze can set me on fire
i want to be burned up by the fire of your love
won't you come my love
burn inside of me with the flaming fire of your love
you are my only love

his kingdom = justice

2009-08-09T15:34:00.001-05:00

well, i've been away from blogging for quite a while now, but i am hoping to start blogging regularly again. jesus is stirring so much in me and has been stirring so much in me. over a year and a half ago i got a tattoo of the word "justice" in hebrew on my wrist. i wanted to be marked by justice and have a daily reminder to live justly and to love mercy. daddy god was stirring up so much inside of me about justice, what his justice looks like, and how i am to be (we all are to be) deliverers of his justice. but you see his justice looks different. his justice comes from an upside down kingdom. a kingdom that says bless those who persecute you, if someone takes something from you don't ask for it back, give to everyone who asks of you. this is the opposite way. the better way. the way of love. the kingdom of our god is not the kingdom of this world. if we expect to change our world then we better learn how to live in the kingdom of our god. his kingdom = justice.

for the past two days holy spirit has been speaking so much and again stirring up what love and justice is, how we live it, and how living it out in this worldly kingdom will show that we are truly the sons and daughters of a higher kingdom and a higher love.

i came across this video a couple days ago. can't wait to see the whole thing. let your heart be stirred and your spirit moved in love that it may propel you to demand the justice of jesus everywhere in the world. jesus open our eyes, move our hearts, destroy our complacency and move us into a love that has actions and not just words.

i came across this clip the other day of a new feature film that hillsong united is working on....wow, it is going to be powerful.

So You Wanna Be A Rock Star?

2009-02-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

I came across this very piognant "article" by Keith Green. Give it a read; it's good.

For as long as he could remember, Keith Green's greatest dream was to be a musical success. After he gave his life to Jesus, however, he felt the need to surrender those dreams and aspirations by laying down his music...perhaps never to perform publicly again.
Ironically, when sometime later he felt God release him to pick up his music again, he soon had a recording contract and his first album soared straight to the top of the Contemporary Christian Music charts.
The following message was birthed out of Keith's encounters with those who approached him, usually after a concert, to ask how they too could "make it big" in Christian music.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T15:58:00.000-06:00

A "New" Way of Giving for Christmas

2008-12-17T16:06:00.001-06:00

Jesus' birth was just the beginning of how Jesus changed the world. Christmas can [STILL] change the world. You can [STILL] change the world.....oh yeah.....and don't forget to take the supernatural power of God with you when you do!

Christmas and every season is ALL about LOVE

2008-12-14T18:00:00.000-06:00

Share the best gift you can this Christmas and throughout the year...it's the one thing that Our Saviour came for......LOVE.

Today I saw a man on the street
he was cold, he was tired And there were no shoes on his feet
He said can you spare a dime?
It won't take you much time'Til I can get back up on my feet
I look to heaven and pray
Day after day I'm just trying to get something to eat.

It's Christmas, give love'till there's peace
'Til there's more then enough
It's Christmas, give love
It's all about love

And what about the woman
Who walks the night alone With no place to sleep
And what about the child With a broken heart
Through teary eyes that can't really see
All they need is a hand Someone who understands
To listen to the cry that they make
Instead of walking on by
Take a look into their eyes And help somebody find their way

It's Christmas, give love'till there's peace
'Til there's more then enough
It's Christmas, give love It's all about love

Just open your heart
'Cause there's someone out there Who's needing you now
A little love Is something that can't be replaced
Put a smile on each face Some how, right now

On this holiday I don't care what people say
Put their weight upon my shoulders

God so loved the world That he gave his only son
Not just for me Not just for you For everyone
- Lyrics to "It's All About Love" Brian McKnight

Thank you

2008-08-15T11:53:00.000-05:00

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I've been back home in Iowa for three weeks now. I think I am finally feeling back to "normal." I got over jet lag really quickly, but it was the culture lag that was really getting me. I think finally, I have turned a corner and am pretty well adjusted to being back in American culture. It is so funny because the only culture shock I ever experience is when I come back home. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your support while I was in South Africa. It was an amazing time and the Lord did so many wonderful things. I wish had been able to tell you every testimony of how the Lord showed up, futhered his Kingdom mission and saved and healed many, but I would never be able to get away from this blog. He is so faithful and so amazing.

The Lord taught me so much while in South Africa and used me in many ways that I did not expect. Hopefully, over the next little while I will be able to share a few lessons he taught me while in South Africa.

Thank you again.....and now I will pray this priestly blessing over you from Numbers 6:24-26.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ’

Some Say Christians Suck...What do You Think?

2008-07-15T16:35:00.000-05:00

Tom Davis, the author of Red Letters, has written an extremely thought provoking article entitled "Christians Suck." Please read the article here. I highly encourage you to read this article and I pray each one of us will ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to how we can be a better Jesus to those around us. I've read the article and I say....right on Tom. If more of the body were not just hearers of the word but were doers of the word the world would look much differently then it does now. If you would like to visit Tom's website you can go here.

Hello, Goodbye!

2008-07-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

Hello Tanzania....Goodbye Tanzania! My time in Tanzania was short but fruitful. I had expectations of what Tanzania would be and what my time there would be like, but Daddy far exceeded all of my expectations. As he usually does. My first 6 days in Tanzania was time spent with the advanced team (my new family) who all arrived early to help with preparations for the African Call. One of the things I love most about travelling and doing mission work is meeting family I never knew I had. It was such a joy and privilege to see how Daddy brought us together to further the work of the Kingdom in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania with reverberations being felt throughout the continent. Thousands of people were saved, healed, and delivered (more testimonies on that to come).
The Kingdom and everything that has to do with the Kingdom is what Daddy was highlighting on this trip for me and for others. The Kingdom is so expansive and there is so much to learn about it. It is my prayer that I always remain teachable and that Daddy can teach me something new about the kingdom each day. The Kingdom is about family and the kingdom operates like a family. I don't know that I can really explain that well now, but I've seen it in part and I now know more in part.

Thank you so much to those of you who helped me get to Tanzania, financially and prayerfully. The Lord provided everything that I needed for the trip. I freely give you everything I received there. It is as much yours as it is mine.

(team of 115 ministering during the African Call)

Lighthouse Children's Shelter

2008-06-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

Last month when I joined a team to do vision clinics in Rustenburg we had an opportunity to go to The Lighthouse Children's Center. The Lighthouse is a wonderful ministry. I LOVED this place! We were able to spend a couple of hours at the shelter playing with the kids and rocking the babies...they had to pry me away from those precious children. Check out their website www.lighthouseshelter.co.za

5-29

2008-06-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

Every other month at the farm we pack parcels for the orphan care feeding. The parcels contain mostly the same things each month, with variences with the different toiletries that are put in. The parcels consist of sugar beans, sugar, salt, cooking oil, Kids Against Hunger food packets,soya,laundry soap,tea, body soap, toothpaste, candles, and matches.

5-26 to 5-28

2008-06-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

There is so much to write about, but unfortunately due to time my pictures will have to do most of the talking in my most recent posts. My trip to White River to visit the feeding site we partner with there was such a God-ordained trip. We were able to meet with many pastors and are getting area churches more committed to the vision. It was so good. We will be going back in July and during that time one of the things we will be doing is meeting with the directors of the Iris Ministry center that is in the same village we are working in. How cool is that? I this this meeting is going to bear much fruit. I would love to stay and work in White River for a while. The people there are so beautiful, and I would love to be in an area where Iris is working as well. I was talking with a pastor and in conversation came to find out that a team from Bill Johnson's church, Bethel, had been there recently working with him. Well, that certainly got my stamp of approval about the caliber of this pastor.

It was a five hour drive to White River from where I stay near Mokopane, but I could have taken 8 hours to drive it because every km I wanted to stop and just stare at the beauty that surrounded me. My pictures don't quite do it justice since they were taken from the inside of the car, but this part of SA is probably the most beautiful place I've been to date.

5-24-08

2008-06-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

These are some of the ladies from the Living Gospel church in Mookgophong. I have adopted this church as my home church. The first Sunday I stepped into the tent (that's where the church meets) I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. In fact, during worship I just about couldn't remain standing because the presence was so intense. They love the Lord so much and regularly have intercession meetings in the tent.....no wonder I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit so strong....they cultivate the presence of God there every day. Wow.

On 5-24 after I participated in children's church I stayed for the "Mamas" group. It was such a sweet time of praise, prayer and the word. I was so blessed that I could worship with them in such an intimate gathering.

My kids 5-17-08

2008-05-19T10:27:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of my babies!!! Aren't they the cutest things ever? Today they were practicing a drama to perform on Sunday during church service. The drama was about Ananias and Saphira. It was really great...they had such a fun time with it. I took video of the performance on Sunday. I wish I could post it but unfortunately the internet is really slow here so I can't upload any videos no matter what the file size.

The Zebra Prophecy

2008-05-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

A few weeks after I arrived in South Africa, I was on a game drive with some team members. One of the guys in the vehicle said that a friend of his had been to Kruger Park and saw Zebras. The Lord spoke to him as he looked at the Zebras. The Lord said the Zebra was a picture of what South Africa is becoming. From far away all Zebras look like they are only black and white, but actually up close there are some Zebras who are actually, black, brown and white. He was looking at one of these Zebras, and the Lord told him that just as the Zebras colors flow effortlessly from black to brown to white, so would South Africa...there would no longer be a distinction between white and black, but they would come together and merge.

This is such a great prophecy. Apartheid only ended here in South Africa around 15 years ago...needless to say, much racism and tension still exists among black and white. The Lord's healing rain needs to saturate this land so they can walk in the destiny He has for them.

On the Saturday before Mother's Day 10 Zebras were released at Shikwaru (there are already Zebras here, but they purchased more so the heard will increase). It was an amazing site to see. Not something you get the privilege of seeing everyday.

Project Warehouse 4/14

2008-05-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

I had a couple afternoons of free time this past week, so I thought I would tackle THE WAREHOUSE. Mostly the warehouse is nice and organized with the one exception being clothing that was donated and sent over in the last shipping container. I really wanted to sort through this stuff and organize it so we can use it in some of the upcoming projects we have. All of it is really nice sportswear. In the communities we are working in we want to start soccer clubs for the kids, so they can have fun, but also it is a wonderful opportunity for discipleship. These sports clothes will be awesome to give them so they will look like a real team when they play. So, for two afternoons I sorted, organized, and labeled all the pants, shirts and jackets by size and color. We now have an inventory to work from. Yeah!

My Little Bakkie and Me!

2008-05-15T15:02:00.000-05:00

Meredith requested pictures of me in my bakkie (that is what you call a truck here). My friends Lucky and Simba make fun of my bakkie and tell me my bakkie is still growing up and will get big some day! Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!

Let the Little Children Come to Me

2008-05-13T14:41:00.000-05:00

For the past several weeks on Saturdays I have been driving to Mookgophong to help with the children's ministry. Every Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning 40-60 kids come to children's church. They are so precious! I have been attending this same church, that meets under a red and white striped tent on Sundays. The first Sunday I attended this church a couple months ago, I knew I had found my home church. That morning the children's church went up front to sing several songs. My favorite song was called Radical....I am a radical girl for Jesus, I am a radical boy for Jesus, I am a friend of the Lord...I am stubborn not to my mommy, I am stubborn not to my daddy, I am stubborn only to Satan, I will not agree with him! Isn't that a great song for kids to sing. I loved it! That was it right there...they had my heart.

This past Saturday I arrived before the teacher. The kids are so amazing. Things are usually supposed to begin at 2pm. I arrived at 2:20, and all the kids were there, waiting underneath the tent, hanging out until their teacher arrived. These kids love coming to church. Most of their parents don't even go, but every Saturday and Sunday morning they are at church. I knew Tryphosa (their teacher) was on her way, but not sure when she was coming. I gathered the kids together and asked them to teach me some songs. They very willingly began to teach me some songs with actions, of course. They are such sponges just ready to soak up any love and attention you can give them. Once Tryphosa arrived, she had them line up like a choir and practice some songs they would be singing on Sunday. She began teaching them, but soon after she asked if I could take some of the older ones so she could be with the younger ones because they were having difficulty understanding what she was trying to teach them. So, I took the older ones and spoke to them with the help of one of the girls who could speak english well and could interpret some things for me so everyone could understand. The phrase that I kept hearing Daddy say was, "Let the little children come to me." So, I began to tell them how special they were to Jesus and how he has put something very special in them that is not found in most "big people".....raw Faith....the faith of a little child.

It was a blessed day!

Pictures from my last three days in Tooseng

2008-05-03T14:58:00.000-05:00

Update from March 23 - April 12

2008-05-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

So much has happened this past month I’m not sure where to begin exactly. It has been a real challenge schedule wise and due to the circumstance of me being without my computer for a couple weeks (more on this in another blog) to keep you updated on what is going on. The following is my attempt to remember what has happened over the last month.

Week of March 23

I decided to spend Easter in Tooseng. However, I could have stayed at the farm and spent Easter with the other missionary volunteers, I really wanted to experience Easter in the village. I had a wonderful time spending Easter in Tooseng with my new family there. Many of Mavis’ family returned to Tooseng for the holiday weekend. I was able to meet 3 of her 4 children. We had a special dinner with all her family on Good Friday. I didn’t spend Easter at a church service, but instead spent it with my new friends and family having a wonderful time in fellowship together. That morning the Lord and I had our own time. It was so special. It was such an intimate time with my Savior. I really cherish that morning and the fellowship I had with my Father. It was unlike any other Easter I’ve had and I have to admit it was probably the most special, just because of the alone time I set aside for me and Jesus.

On Tuesday, I returned to the farm for meetings to prepare for a Letter Writing Conference. I won’t go into too many details about what this is because it will mostly bore you. The part that I had in the conference was that I am the coordinator for putting together a letter writing campaign between mentors and orphans. The conference was very useful in how you should take information, statistics about where children are in their lives, how they perceive the world, and then shape that into a program that reaches them. A lot of the information was about program development. Most of it did not apply to what I am doing here, but I took away what is useful to me and it will help me in the future.

The end of the week I had meetings with Jan & Jenny who have been heading up the orphan care project. I had been waiting and waiting to talk with them and pick their brains about all sorts of things and about Mavis and Tooseng in particular. They have know Mavis and worked with her for over a year. So, their wisdom was much needed.

Week of March 30

I spent the week in Tooseng. I arrived on Tuesday and went to the health clinic to meet with the head nurse, Mary. We had three medical students in Polokwane doing and internship and they wanted to visit the village and the clinic there. So, I was arranging those details with her to make sure it would be okay for the students to come and see the clinic. The rest of the week was really just continuing to build relationships with the women volunteering at the project and learning more Sotho.

On Thursday, I drove to Polokwane, about an hour away from Tooseng, to pick up the med students and bring them to the village. They had a wonderful time visiting the village and the medical clinic and seeing the kids at the project. They were able to be there during lunch time to see all the children being fed. I asked the ladies to teach them some words in Sotho that would help them in the clinic. The girls thought that was really awesome to learn that.

On Friday, several people from Life Church in Oklahoma came to Tooseng to visit the project, along with Doc and Jacques. While they were there Doc, Jacques, Mavis and I had a very important meeting. The week previous Mavis had brought up some concerns she had with her and RaGs relationship. I took those issues to Doc and Jacques and earlier in the week I was to meet with her to inform her of what they said. The week was soooo busy that we hadn’t had a chance to meet. So, when Doc and Jacques came on Friday we decided to just have a face to face meeting. That way she and Jacques could speak directly without going through a third party (me). It was obvious during this meeting the relationship between Mavis and RaG was at a serious juncture where the future of our relationship was going to be decided. Mavis was having a meeting the next day with her board and the elders of the village. She said she would bring to them what was said in the meeting and then she would let me know the following week when I returned to Tooseng what the results of the meeting were.

On Saturday, I went to a funeral early in the morning. Every week that I have been in Tooseng, there have been one to two funerals every Saturday. (more on this in another blog). Then after the funeral two of the teenage boys from the project took me on a tour of the village. I had asked them the day before if they would show me around because basically I had just been on the maid dirt road in the village because that is where the center is located and then the house I stay in is just on the next road over. The village supposedly has 6,000 people in it so obviously there was a lot I hadn’t seen. It was such a wonderful day, the sun was shining and the people were beautiful. The boys were teaching me Sotho as we walked along and I was teaching them English and answering their questions about America. We walked around the village for three hours. It was one of my best days there, just seeing the village and interacting with the people. As we walked, we greeted those we passed….may of them were surprised the white girl could greet them in their language. They love that! A couple of people we walked by even invited us over to sit down and have cool drink (that is what pop or soda is called here).
When I returned back to the house Mavis asked me if I was received well as we walked around. I said yes people were very pleasant and some of them even invited us over for cool drink. She was very impressed with that. I think she was surprised by the warm reception I was getting. I was surprised….I mean I am my Daddy’s favorite one, so why wouldn’t I get their favor too. Duh!

Week of April 6

I was at the Shikwaru for four days this week. I was trying to get back to Tooseng by Tuesday, to deliver Kids Against Hunger food parcels to the workers, but African time got in my way. I realized on my way home from Tooseng last week that my back license plate fell off, nowhere to be found. So, my plan was to go into town on Monday to get the new plate. Well, the first place I went to did not have something they needed to make it. We went to the other shop that could do it only to find that they were closed. Of course. So, the following day I went back into town to the second shop to get my new number plate (this is what they call license plates) made. Oh yes, and I went to a store to buy the boys in Tooseng two new soccer balls and a pump. Klaus (one of the volunteers at the project) is staring a soccer club for the boys.

On Thursday, I drove back to Tooseng, greeted everyone at the project, and gave Klaus and the boys the new soccer balls and pump. They were sooooo excited!!!!!!!!!
After the last meal at the project we headed down the street to the office so I could drop off the extra food parcels and then we handed out the food parcel bags and bags of maize to the orphan children who we are helping in the project. They have quite a good system of keeping track of what child is getting what. As each child came to get their goods they marked off their names from a register that they keep. Mavis had been gone all week in Johannesburg trying to get supplies and she just returned late Thursday evening. Obviously, we had yet to have a meeting to find out what the conclusion of the meeting was that she had with her board and the elders of the village.

On Friday, I drove Mavis’s friend to Polokwane, and in the meantime, Jerry arrived in Tooseng for a visit and was hoping to do a short bible study or something with the ladies at the project. Well, Jerry found Mavis and she told him that the relationship between the project and RaG was ending. This is what had been decided when she met with the board and the elders. On my drive back from Polokwane to Tooseng Jerry phoned me and told me of the news. Needless to say I was quite shocked. I cried most of the way home. Just thinking of how I was building these really great relationships and now the next day was going to be my last day there. When I arrived back in Tooseng I met up with Mavis and we talked. We were both very sad that I was going to be leaving. She did NOT want me to go, she called me her “best gal.” We both said that is seemed as if we had known each other for years and been a part of each other’s family. I understood that the vision that she has for the project and the vision that RaG had for the project were on two different paths, and since RaG was just a partner coming in to help her it is not really our show to run.

So…….now what….living and ministering in this community was to be my main purpose here besides working on the Sponsorship program for the orphans. Well, I know Daddy has a plan even if this didn’t work out. When it comes right down to it, my presence there brought out some issues that Mavis didn’t really want uncovered. Some of the things she was doing, although not illegal and maybe not completely unethical, was in conflict to the agreement of support that was made between she and RaG. With me living in the community it was no longer possible for her to “do what she wanted” with the supplies we were providing.

Saturday I had a very nice last day in Tooseng, saying goodbye to friends and promising to come back and visit soon. I will truly miss my new family and friends there, but I know God is still working and has a plan.
I am glad that next week I will have a week of ministry in Rustenburg with the vision clinics. This is always a wonderful time of ministry with much fruit.

Africa AIDS Exhibit in West Des Moines

2008-03-26T06:31:00.000-05:00

Friends, PLEASE go check this exhibit out. I have heard amazing things about it.

Where: Lutheran Church of Hope

When: Thursday, March 27 - Monday, March 31 2008

For more details click here to go the World Vision site where you can read more about it and watch a video.

Finger of God

2008-03-18T03:10:00.000-05:00

The Finger of God is a new documentary that is out which captures what God is doing today around the world. What exactly is this documentary about? Well, I think filmmaker Darren Wilson puts it best when he says this, "Every artist has an agenda. Mine is simple. Document what God is doing in the world today, prove that He is alive and relevant, and don’t bog Him down with my own preconceived ideas of how He should go about being God."

The following is a blog titled "I'm Not Checking My Intellect at the Door," from Seth Barnes who talks about the filmmaker Darren Wilson and the movie Finger of God.

We're stuck - here we are, children of a cynical culture, and we serve a master whose top priority is teaching his disciples to trust a God they can't see. Along the way, Jesus said and did some outrageous things. How do we live the life of faith while not checking our intellect at the door?
Along comes a minor documentary that helps us wrestle with the issue. It's called The Finger of God. Filmmaker Darren Wilson was a natural-born skeptic, never having personally witnessed a miracle. When his uncle and aunt showed him the amazing gold teeth God gave them, he decided to go in search of the miraculous, wherever it may lead him.
While starting in places like the local Pentecostal church, where falling down in the Spirit is regular fare and gold dust and gemstones showed up out of thin air, Wilson soon moved on to places like Mozambique to interview Rolland and Heidi Baker. Seeing God heal is the standard way the Bakers start their outreaches in a village. In one scene, Baker calls a deaf woman to the front. She asks the crowd, "Is this woman
deaf?" Everyone shouts back that she is. Then, after praying for her, the woman is healed. While seeing is believing for the locals, and many come to faith, I wish it were so easy for us Americans. Weaned on movies replete with special effects, we tend to be like Toto, wanting to pull back the curtain on the Great and Powerful Oz. With Roger Daltry of The Who, we sing, "I won't get fooled again."
It's hard to be a person of faith when you're born in a nation of Doubting Thomases. We're not going to check our intellects at the door. Some of us have polished them to a fine sheen at the best graduate schools. In an age of science, gold teeth look to us to be some kind of hoax. People lie all the time, and the religious crowd so earnestly desires to believe. Why shouldn't they fudge the facts a bit?
Yet, at the end of the day, I believe in a God who is still in the healing business. I can't explain the gemstones, but when Wilson interviews a man who was murdered, raised from the dead, and then converted his murderer (who subsequently became a preacher), I find the story compelling. It reminds me of Paul of Tarsus, and I choose to believe. All of us who call ourselves "believers" (believing in stuff we can't
see) at some point have to make that choice. What's your experience with doubt
and faith?

THE "El Camino"

2008-03-17T09:27:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is......the famous el camino....okay so it is really not an el camino, it is a VERY small truck, but I didn't know how else to describe it to you. It is quite hillarious to drive around in the big green Landrover for two days and then drive this thing the next day. Sharon and I missed half the scenery on the way to Tooseng on Saturday because we sit so low to the ground in this thing. It isn't the prettiest car in the world, but I am very thankful to have it and that it runs well and will get me to and from where I need to go. I am much more priviledged than most in SA by having a vehicle at all. Most stand around waiting for rides or they just have to walk for miles, or take the bus taxis. I have one of the few vehicles in Tooseng. Mavis doesn't even have a car. So, although my little white horse is not asthetically pleasing it is a HUGE blessing that I am most greatful for.

Tooseng 3/15/08

2008-03-16T16:24:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Sharon and I drove up to Tooseng to begin weighing, measuring heights, and testing hemoglobin levels(for anemia) of the children in the orphan care project. We are gathering this data to evaluate the physical progress of the children in the project. In three days were were able to examine 105 children. Of these children we found that 6% of them were anemic. We will be providing these children with iron tablets to help restore their bodies iron levels to appropriate levels.

One 16 year old girl's hemoglobin level is 7.5. It should be at least 12. So, this is actually a very dangerous level. These tests that we did very well could have saved her life. I will be taking her to the clinic in the village on Thursday. They will probably do some more testing to determine the exact cause of the anemia because it could come from a parasite or other diseases besides the body just not absorping iron correctly. I will keep you posted about this case.

Sharon, who has trained me, will be heading back to the states tomorrow. So, I will have the task of completing these tests on the rest of the 230 kids in the orphan care project. I think I will recruit the peace corps volunteer who arrives tomorrow to help me with this.

My house in Tooseng

2008-03-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

The Great South African Driving Adventure

2008-03-13T11:12:00.001-05:00

Well, today marked the first day of driving in South Africa. No, there was no test driving on the farm, just here you go, drive to Tooseng.....oh, and by the way, you won't be driving your small little truck (because Roelene who is currently driving it is not here today) you'll be driving Lizzie's GIANT Landrover. I was doing okay with not test drivng when I thought I was going to be driving the tiny little pickup (buckey, as they call it), but now the Landrover. Yikes! Sharon, the lady who was going up with me asks.....so, have you driven here before.....nope I said......oh, she says this should be good...I'm glad it's you and not me. So, I get in the driver's seat....am a little freaked because I'm not sure how quick I will learn how to shift with my left hand. I turn the key...and nothing happens. Well, then I figure out that you even have to turn the key a different direction. What? So, I try again...the right direction this time.....and.....nothing. So, I go in to ask if there is some special trick for starting the vehicle that I am unware of. NO. Lizzie comes out to try and start it.....something is wrong...the car really won't start. We are not off to a good start here. Two of the workers have to push the car around, which is not easy....have you seen the size of this thing. Then we found jumper cables. We pop the hood and hunt for the battery......mmmmh no battery......where could it be.....of course, under the passenger seat. Now, why didn't I look there first? Oh, last's right because that is ummmm weird. Needless to say, the car finally started. Yeah!!!!!!! And we're off. The first road we have to drive on is a dirt road and very bumpy, you almost nead a Landrover to get down it. So far so good. I only put it in the wrong gear once. We finally make it to the main road, which is paved and it is pretty much smooth sailing and there's no traffic, which I like since I am just getting used to driving on the left side of the road. We then have to drive into town and we need to stop at the Mokopane Mall to pick up a few items to take to Tooseng. So in town, I make it through stop signs, traffic lights, and turns that are all on the opposite side of the road. Then it's time to stop and fill up with diesel, which is an experience in itself because everybody has to do everything for you (that's how they create jobs), so that takes quite some time. Ahhh, now we are off and on to Tooseng, about another hours drive from Mokopane, which is about 20 minutes from Shikwaru. So between having to dodge cars, buses, people, sheep, cows, and donkeys on the way and then back home again I proud to say that we returned home safely without incident....i mean if you don't consider having to dodge people and animals as an incident. Can I just say that I totally rock and I have wicked awesome driving skills! :) I'm sure there will be more driving tales to come. Stay tuned!

Saturday in Tooseng 3-8-08

2008-03-09T14:06:00.000-05:00

Spent Saturday in Tooseng meeting the chief, the mayor and other prominent position holders in the community. We fed the children lunch and put on a short children's program for them, which I was in charge of.....quite interesting when it needs to be translated.

Here are a few statistics that I learned about Tooseng where I am working. This information came from government findings 2 years ago. My guess is that many of these numbers would be higher today.

- Population 6,000
- 500 households
- 75% unemployment
- classified as the poorest of the poor in Limpopo Province
- 10% educated
- 47% semiliterate
- 43% illiterate
- Teen pregnancy is estimated at 43%. Teenagers are engaged in unprotected sex to conceive babies for the sole reason of accessing child grants (welfare)
- The mortality rate is high due to HIV/AIDS and thus leaves orphans in the care of granny or child headed households
- 24% divorced
- 34% single parents
- 42% widows

Tooseng

2008-03-06T02:55:00.000-06:00

Me and Mavis

Wednesday 3/5/08

Today I was able to go to Tooseng to visit. Tooseng is the community I will be living in most of the time to work with the children in the orphan care project. It was such a blessing to be able to go there. I met Mavis, the martriarch who is in charge of the feeding program there. She is an amazing lady. She was so excited that I was there and she wants me to be there this Saturday to stay. But it will be another week and a half before I can move up there. I have to finish some "office work" before I can move up there. Next week I will be taking care of details like settling finances, test driving my "el camino", and working on a letter writing campaign that is part of the sponsorship program I am helping to set up.

In my time in Tooseng, we had the opportunity to feed the children lunch. There were about 347 children that ate today. They are so beautiful. They sang us a song that i was able to capture on video. I hope to get that uploaded to You Tube soon so that I can share it with you.

At the end of the month about 60 of the older children will be coming to Shikwaru for "camp" during holiday. This will be quite the experience for them. It will be a good opportunity to get to know some of them better and to spend some quality with them and to do some bible studies with them. I will also be in meetings during that time meeting with representatives of the Dept. of Education and informing them of the letter writing campaign that we want to do with the children. Jacques ( the head of Reaching a Generation and Book of Hope SA) has assigned me to be the project coordinator for this project.

Once I am in Tooseng, Jacques would also like me to start a bible study in the mornings for the 12 or so ladies who volunteer with the feeding program. I am very excited about this. I know God is going to move mightily during this time. He would also like me to do have "club" or something for some of the older girls, so that I can disciple them, form a good relationship with them so that I can then speak to them about boys and AIDS and purity. This is very important in this community. I will also be doing some programs with the other younger children. Lots to do.....so little time. Please be praying for me as I seek the Holy Spirit's wisdom in proceeding with all of these things.

Please enjoy some photos from my day in Tooseng. Click here to see photos.

My Home Away From Home

2008-03-04T05:52:00.001-06:00

Here is my home at Shikwaru. I have a very nice room and my own private bathroom. My bed is quite comfortable. The bonus is that there is hot water to take a shower in. What??????????? This place is like a five-star hotel compared to what my accommodations were when I was in Mozambique.

Here are a few pictures of my place at Shikwaru.

This is the building affectionately know as "The Stables" and this where my room is located.

That is my bed (the one with the red shirt on the pillow)

Here is my bathroom. Can you believe I have a shower? It is still hard for me to figure out after being used to taking bucket showers outside in a bamboo enclosure. Praise the Lord for hot water. This will not be what I will have during the week at Mavis' but I will be glad to come back here on the weekends and take a hot shower.

First Week in South Africa - Sights and Animals to See (updated with pics)

2008-03-02T02:07:00.000-06:00

Arrived in Capetown at 9:30 p.m. where Jerry and Karen greeted us at the airport. We stayed at a nice guest house about 20 minutes from the airport. The next morning we drove 2 1/2 hours from Capetown to Cape Aguhlas (wow, beautiful...pictures coming). We checked in to the hostile we were staying at for the week and then got back in the van to head to the Southern most tip of Africa where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. I believe on this ride we saw baboons, bass buck, and I saw a Zebra. The Tip was amazing.....the ocean just went on forever it looked like you could sail right off the edge of the world...and it actually appeared to be rounded in shape just like a globe. I've never seen anything like it.

The scenery driving to and from the schools we have been ministering in has been overwhelmingly beautiful. This is probably the most beautiful part of the world I have been to, with the exception of Cuba and it's amazing beaches and beautifully crisp blue ocean water.

I've seen so many animals on the drives to and from the schools. I've seen ostriches, zebras, baboons, blessbok, and a few that I don't know what they are. Pretty cool perks to being down in that region of the country.

3/2/08

Got up early this morning to travel to the top of the mountain at Shikwaru Game Lodge (my mission base when I'm not in Mavis's community). It was beautiful. On the way we came across Wildebeasts and Impala. Once we reached the mountain we gazed at all of God's creative beauty and then took some time to have "church" in the midst of it. On the way back down the mountain we found ostriches and giraffes. The giraffes are so cute and curious. We got pretty close to them...probably within 50 yards or so. I guess they are very curious and will actually even come right up to you, but that didn't happen today.

Later in the day Karen and I drove through the farm on the four-wheeler to try and find the giraffes again and to find the zebras. We found the wildebeats, Impalas and warthogs, but no giraffes and zebras this trip. I hope to find the zebras sometime this week while I have a little bit of down time where I can go for a walk or two. I think I will take out the four-wheeler later in the week and spend a few hours out there to see what I can find.

Click here to see pictures from my first week of seeing sights and animals. (I hope to get the pictures from when I was at Cape Aguhlas where I was at the southernmost tip of Africa, but there are on someone else's camera. As soon as I can get them I will.)

First week in South Africa - Ministry Time (updated w/ pics)

2008-03-02T02:02:00.000-06:00

Monday morning the 25th began a week of ministry with the vision clinics in five different schools in the Western Cape region.

Monday 2/25- We ministered t 190 children today at Bontebok Primary school. Several schools in the area sent children to see us. Approximately 130 children received glasses. I worked the dispensary (the station where we actually give them the glasses and fit them) most of the day. I assessed a few of the children. When you assess a child you take some time to chat with them, get to know a littel bit about them, talk to them about Jesus and then lastly give them an eye exam to see if they need to be fitted for glasses, and then take time to pray with them before they go to the dispensary.

One child that I assessed was named Cheston. He had five brothers and he lived with them and his mother and father. He said everything was good at home. I then asked him if he knew who Jesus was. He did and he told me what he knew about Jesus. He told me he had asked Jesus into his heart. Before he left I asked if I could pray with him and he said I could. I asked if there was anything specific I could pray with him about. He wanted to pray for his granny who had a heart condition and his 2 uncles who were sick. I began to explain to him that Jesus can heal them and in fact he could go home and lay hands on his family and pray for their healing and Jesus would come and heal them. I prayed over him and his family and asked for Jesus to bring his healing power and to anoint his hands with healing. Before he left I asked him to do me a favor and when he arrived home to go to his granny and uncles and lay his hands on them and pray to Jesus that he would come and heal them. He promised me he would. I will probably never know the outcome of this, but I have absolute faith in my heart that Jesus will heal them through that little boy.

Tuesday 2/26/08 - We saw around 135 children today in Bredasdorp and fitted 95% of them with glasses. This school was so amazing. From the moment we stepped into it we knew something was different about it. It was so nice and you could actually feel something in the atmosphere. Come to find out a short time later, most of the teachers in this school were believers and the headmaster was a strong believer and he has transformed that school and those children by cultivating the presence of God. They open up staff meetings with prayer....the faculty brings scripture with them to share. They told us that in the auditorium where we were holding the clinics every morning they would be worshipping the Lord with song in there. The aroma of the presence of God still lingered...it was tangible. The amazing thing about this was that this day was the day we had the most children accept the Lord as their Savior. Most of the kids who did were not from that school but had just come for the clinics. It was almost as if there were an open heaven over that school; everything was just so effortless. You could even feel the presence leaking out to the town. The staff helping us completely spoiled us...bringing us tea and coffee and feeding us a wondeful lunch with delicious chocolate cake for dessert. (That doesn't happen...that is definitely not the norm). After we ate we had a wonderful time with the headmaster. He shared a lot of things with us and we had a wonderful time of prayer before we left.

One awesome story from that day was that Steve was assessing a young boy. In talking with this boy he came to understand that this boy was beng extremely harrassed by his fellow students. When it came time for Steve to pray with him the little asked to pray for those students who were being mean to him. Wow....Steve was so taken back at how this young child who could have asked for prayer for himself opted to follow scripture when it says, "pray for those who persecute you." A child's faith is so simple and so beautiful. Why must we as adults always complicate it. To make for an even better story this child needed major help with his eyes. He needed to see a specialist and we could not help him at the vision clinic. One of the other team members had taken a picture of Steve and this child. When another team member heard about this story he was so moved and wanted to find out the name of this child. Using the picture (although his head was blocked by Steve's hand around his head praying for him), we were able to give it to the school to track down who this child was because there happened to be a teacher in the background of this picture who would know which child this was. After about 5 different people gettng involved the child has been discovered and the headmaster, the student, and the mother have now been informed that one of our team members will be footing the bill for whatever needs to be done to correct his eyes. We have been told that the school, the boy, and the mother are sooooo overwhelmed and excited. Now that's a GREAT testimony.

Wednesday 2/27/08 - This day was a bit more challenging for doing the vision clinics. We were in a very cramped space basically falling all over each other throughout the day. But despite the cramped conditions we were able to reach around 90 kids and fitted around 66 of them with glasses. Throughout this day we were able to share the love of Jesus with each child.

Thursday 2/28/08 - We saw around 128 children and fitted most with glasses. I thoroughly enjoyed being at this school. It was an extremely large school with children in Grades 1-9. It was obvious that this area had more poverty because many of the kids in 7-9 grades were 14-18 yrs. old. Often this is the case in very poor areas because they are not able to go to school when they are young because they are too poor or too many kids in the family.

We had quite a bit of down time at the beginning of the day because the students were coming to us in spurts, so I took the opportunity to walk around and pray in the spirit over the school and the children. Later in the day I assessed a few of the children. One girl really struck my heart. She was about 12 or 14 and I had to communicate with her through an interpretor. I found out she lived with her granny and her mom and other siblings lived far away in a shack. She said that when she is home with her mom she(the child) has to be the mom, so she came to live with granny so she could be a kid and go to school. When it came time to pray with her she wanted to pray for her granny that she would stay healthy and live long so she could stay with her and finish school and be a kid. (Aooaooh...that's the sound of my heart breaking). Can you imagine having to go through that and to pray that your granny lives "forever" so you can be a kid and finish school. I prayed a special blessing over that girl and she gave me a smile before she left. That made my day.

Friday 2/29/08 - Today was the last day of vision clinics in this area. Because one of our team members was sick I did assessments/eye examinations all day. You wouldn't think it would be exhausting to do that, but it is very emotionally exhausting to do it. We saw lots of little ones at this school who were very cute. We needed a lot of interpreters because the little ones didn't speak any English.

God saved the best for last for me on this last day of clinics. The very last student I assessed was named Evedene. She was so special. She loved school and wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. She lived in a house with 19 other people. What? Yes, that's right...19. She spoke very good English, so I know I did not misunderstand her. As I spoke with her a while I asked her if she knew who Jesus was and if she went to church. She told me she did know who Jesus was, but as we were talking I discovered that she had never asked Jesus to come into her heart and be her Saviour. I asked her if that was something that she would like to do and she said that it was. So, I had the awesome privilege of leading her to the Lord. Wow....it doesn't get much better than that. That was such a blessed way to end the day.

I made it

2008-02-26T07:35:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends!
I have arrived safely in South Africa and am in the Eastern Cape right now doing ministry through vision clinics. We have seen approximately 300 children in two days and have several more days here in this area.

The day after we arrived in the Eastern Cape we were able to rest a little bit and recover from jet lag. I was able to go the the southern most tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas and stood at the exact point the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet. It was so cool, and I took the opportunity to pray for my continent of Africa.

I will post more details soon about this when I go the Shikwaru and have more time and access to the internet.

Marked by Justice

2008-02-15T09:52:00.000-06:00

So, last night I went to get more ink...and now I've been permanently marked by justice. I had the Hebrew word for justice (mishpat) tattooed on my wrist. This word is very important to me and really defines my life's assignment from the Lord. Everything within me desires to be the hands and feet of the Lord to bring justice to those who God requires us to give it to. Here's a little bit about justice...

Just as love is the predominent idea of the New Testament so is justice the central ethical idea of the Old Testament. Most people think of justice only in regard to punishment, but that is only one small part of the Hebrew word mishpat. Through out the OT, justice is often times bringing freedom in some form or another to those who are oppressed or being exploited. Most always those being exploited are orphans and widows and aliens in the land.

Deut 10:18 "He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing."

Psalm 146:6-9 "He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever, who gives justice to the
oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens
the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.
The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He
cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked."

Job 29:12-17 "For I helped the poor in their need and the orphans who had no one to help them. I helped those who had lost hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows' hearts to sing for joy. All I did was just and honest. Righteousness covered me like a robe, and I wore justice like a turban. I served as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame. I was a father to the poor and made sure that even strangers received a fair trial. I broke the jaws of godless oppressors and made them release their victims."

Justice means meeting the needs and taking care of the poor, the widow, the orphan and all who are oppressed. Often these groups are oppressed by our society and to do justice is to correct the abuses and meet their needs. "Injustice is depriving others of their basic needs or failing to correct matters when those rights are not met. Injustice is either a sin of commission or of
omission."

Spread the Love

2008-02-14T10:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Heart Day!

Well, here it is...the day set aside for the celebration of love. Let's celebrate by spreading the greatest love ever known to man.....the Love of Jesus.

The greatest love gift ever given was Jesus coming to this earth to die for our sins so we could be made righteous unto him and be free from the bondage of sin to live forever in eternity with Him. That is one powerful act of LOVE.

Jesus gave his whole life for Love...will you give your whole life for love? What will you do for love today?

Deut 6:5 Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength.

Psalm 63:3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Psalm 57:20 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Psalm 89:28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.

I Cor 13:3-7, 13 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Making a Spectacle of Myself

2008-02-12T09:47:00.001-06:00

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Janet Benjamin, the owner of Laramy K Optical Lab in Indianola. Janet and her team extravagantly blessed me with not one, but three new pairs of glasses. Now, I don't really need three pairs of glasses, but they wanted to bless me and you never know what can happen...glasses can get broken or come up missing, or maybe I will be able to bless someone and give away one of my pair of glasses. The Lord knows why he blessed me with three pair and soon he will let me in on the mystery of His ways.

Serious in Black

Sassy in Red

Stylish in Brown

Save Jerusalem

2008-02-09T16:06:00.000-06:00

Take Action NOW! Click here and go to this website and learn how you can help save Jerusalem.

President Bush is putting major pressure on Israel to give up more of her land, specifically East Jerusalem where almost all of the Christian holy sites are located.

Let your voice be heard and tell the President we don't want the Annapolis Road Map plan.

The Bible implores us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, yet our gov't continually tries to make Israel give up land for peace. NEVER in history has this worked! There is much research out there that shows every time the United States blesses Jerusalem it affects our nation positively and every time the US pressures Israel to do something that is detrimental to them some negative happens to the US, often times being natural distasters. I know this may sound a little conspiracy theory-like, but it is not. If land deal goes through we better be praying hard for our country.

It has begun

2008-02-07T12:03:00.000-06:00

Well, two weeks from today I will be on a plane headed to South Africa. So, the inevitable has begun........packing. Yes, that's right. I have begun the task of trying to pack for 6 months (warm and cold weather conditions) with only 2 suitcases of 50 lbs each available to take. Now that is what I call a challenge. Please pray for me that God will show me exactly what to pack and what not to pack. I definitely need some supernatural packing abilities right now.

What is your relationship with God like?

2008-01-30T20:49:00.000-06:00

This video clip comes from a guy who spent time at Iris Ministries in Pemba,Mozambique. I have often said that some of the most impacting lessons of my life came from learning from the poorest of the poor in Mozambique and this is a perfect example. This video captures some of what you experience in Pemba and the lessons God teaches from it.

Locks of Love (Updated)

2008-01-23T18:06:00.001-06:00

Do something good with your hair....don't just cut it off. If you've got long hair and you've considered getting a hair cut, donate your hair to Locks of Love. Last Thursday I made an appointment to get my hair cut short so it would be easier for when I go to South Africa. My hairstylist asked me if I would be interested in donating my hair to Locks of Love....I said yes, of course, so I had to just go one inch shorter than I had planned. So, I had about 10-11 inches cut off the back. I am sooooo glad she said something because I had been considering to that several months back, but for some reason when I made the appointment it never entered my mind. Now my hair will be used to make a wig for a child suffering from long-term medical conditions that cause them to lose their hair...most of the time it is because of cancer.

So, before you cut off your hair, you might want to consider donating to Locks of Love ;or if it is not quite long enough yet grow it out a little longer so you can donate it.

Here's a couple pics of my hair.

Before:

After: (Curly)

(Straight)

An Extraordinary Woman

2008-01-20T22:40:00.001-06:00

I am so inspired by the life of Mother Theresa. What an extraordinary woman she was. She "wasted" her entire life loving and caring for the poorest of the poor all the while spurring on the rest of the world by example to do the same. I would venture to say that there are only a handful of people in history who have been recognized by the world for being a shining example of the Love of Christ. If I can leave the tiniest fraction of the mark she did on the world I will have done what my Beloved has sent me to do.

Here are some quotes from one of the greatest women to ever walk this earth.

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

"I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God."

"If we want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out. To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."

"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."

"Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work."

"Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them."

Set The World On Fire

2008-01-16T10:38:00.001-06:00

Okay, so the other day I was freaking out for a few hours. I started to think....what the heck am I doing...going to South Africa...feeding 300 children...setting up a sponsorship program etc. It's all too big, it's too much. What was I thinking? How am I going to do this? I can't do that...I'm not equipped or qualified to do this. Then Daddy had to gently remind me that it is not about me, but it is all about Him. He will be with me every step of the way. He won't call me or ask me to do something and then leave me to fend for myself. I must be weak in order for him to be strong. He is my everlasting strength, my help in times of trouble, the one who gives me courage. If I am not weak then how will the world see that it is Him and not me. I'm going to take a cue from Paul and boast in my weakness so I can be made strong in Christ. Wooohooo I am weak.....I can do NOTHING on my own!!!!!!!!!!

John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

I Chron 28:20 "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

2 Cor 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."

2 Cor 12:10 "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

The next day after my freak out and then my recovery, as I was driving in my car I heard this song on the radio by Britt Nicole called Set The World On Fire. It perfectly describes what I am all about...weakness and all. I feel like she got inside my brain, my thoughts, and my heart and wrote this song. So, of course, I was singing it at the top of my lungs and crying all at the same time.

Lyrics:
I wanna set the world on fire
Until it’s burning bright for You
It’s everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There’s nothing I can not do
Nothing I can not do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father’s hands

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire
I wanna set the world on fire
I’m gonna set the world on fire
Set the world on fire

Look What God Has Done

2008-01-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

Ps 66:5 "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf."

Ps 71:17 "Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds."

Isa 25:1 "O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt you, I will give thanks to your name; For you have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness."

Phil 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

As of January 4, 2008 God has supernaturally provided over $17,000 to meet the budget I needed to raise to go to South Africa for six months. This is an amazing testimony of his provision, which basically was gathered in 10 weeks. He never fails to amaze me with his goodness and faithfulness. Not only was he faithful to provide my budget, but he also provided a laptop computer and additional money that I get to sow directly into the children I will be working with. Any additional money that comes in will go to buy more food, clothing, or school uniforms for the children.

Thank you to those of you who were God's hands and blessed myself and God by sowing into the Kingdom through what the Lord is leading me to do in South Africa. I am humbled and honored to be at the receiving end of these blessings. May God bring increase to you a thousand times (Deut 1:11) and give you the blessings of your obedience (Deut 28:1-14).

Thank you Daddy God for being so extravagant and giving to me with royal liberality (Esther 2:18)!!

World Peace vs. Macbook

2007-12-23T12:33:00.000-06:00

So, of course I want world peace for Christmas, but now I have found something else that I want too........a Macbook! This thing is awesome. I knew Macs were cool, but seriously......I really really want this. I'm an not usually someone who obsesses about material things, but I think I am obsessed about this one.

I have been looking for a new laptop, which I will need for the mission field for what I will be doing in South Africa. I've gone to Best Buy to see which computer has what I need for the lowest price, which of course is not a Mac.....but then I keep coming back to the Mac. Ugh! I know I can get buy with a less expensive computer, but I really do want this one. It would make all my pictures and videos that I post to this blog so much cooler, among other things I would use it for. Can I get an Amen on that one?!???!!!

So, here it goes........ Santa.....I mean.....Daddy Jesus would you send me a Mac for Christmas?

What is the reason for the season?

2007-12-11T14:07:00.000-06:00

Let's once again make JESUS and what he came to do the reason for the season. Let's get back to basics and display the LOVE AND COMPASSION OF GOD and show the world what Christmas is really all about.

[AC] Advent Conspiracy from Jon Collins on Vimeo.

South Africa...Here I Come!

2007-11-27T20:17:00.001-06:00

On June 12, 2007, while in Cuba with MIA, the Lord began to speak to me about Africa, which seemed strange. At the time we were ministering in an outdoor mission church and Leanne asked us to go before the Lord and talk to him about our desires. All of the sudden I found myself sobbing and crying out to the Lord. My spirit was crying out to him telling him, “God, I want the children of Africa. I want the children of Africa. I will take them all. God, if no one else wants them, I want them!” Then I heard him say in a still small voice that I would go to every nation in Africa. Wow, that is overwhelming to say the least. I don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I know that he has a plan and as he reveals it to me piece by piece I will follow where he leads. After returning home from Cuba in June I began transitioning from Leanne’s assistant to being MIA’s representative to Africa. I have been training someone else to take over my former responsibilities so I can focus more on the Kenya Project and other things God is leading me to regarding Africa. As some of you have heard, MIA will be relocating their home office to Alabama in January. I will not be going to Alabama, however, I will continue to be a part of MIA as a representative to Africa, helping with the Kenya Project, and periodically assisting to lead mission teams.

Several months ago I came across an article about an Africa Orphan Care Project that Blessman Medical Ministries (BMM) and Reaching a Generation (RaG) have started in South Africa. I felt a prompting to find out more about this. As I learned more about the orphan care project and the model being used to care for the orphans I was very impressed. I believe the Lord has given them a great blueprint. Immediately, I brought all of this to the Lord in prayer. He soon told me to go to South Africa to work with BMM and RaG and learn what they are doing with the orphan care project. (For more information about this project go to: www.blessmanmedicalministries.org)

I have been invited by Dr. Blessman to join Jerry & Karen Holte, who will be overseeing the project in South Africa. My plan is to be in South Africa for five to six months to help work with the orphan care project. So, ready or not South Africa….here I come! My heart leaps with excitement to return to Africa. It is my desire to learn the model they are using and apply it to Kenya and other places throughout Africa as the Lord leads me.

Pictures from Cuba trip Oct 07

2007-10-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

Going to School

2007-09-30T13:50:00.001-05:00

Well, Meredith and I are flying to Phoenix today to attend Patricia King's Glory School. I have such anticipation in my spirit for what God is going to reveal to us.
I will be giving updates when I return.

To check out Patrica King's ministry Extreme Prophetic click here.

Umm....WOW!

2007-09-28T18:30:00.000-05:00

WOW, can not even begin to express my feelings and thoughts. The above painting was painted by an eleven year old girl named Akiane. I came across an article about her. This is perhaps one of the most incredible things I have ever read. I was blissfully happy, jealous, crying, and utterly amazed as I read about this girl. As I read this article, I realized that I had actually seen her on Oprah one time, but of course, I didn't get the full story there.

Get ready to be rocked and blown out of the water when you read this.

The exciting thing is this is just the beginning of what God is doing with this next generation. We are going to see and hear many more things like this that we never even dreamed was possible. But really I don't know why we would be suprised when we serve the Lord of the Impossible.

Click here and read the article on page 7 called I Am A Co-Creator and interview with Akiane.

what's in a name?

2007-09-23T23:53:00.000-05:00

what's in a name? well, a lot actually. in old testament times jewish people would not name their children until they could see what their dispositions were like (sometimes i think this could take up to a year), and then they would give them a name that affirmed who they were and was a prophetic declaration of who they would become.

friday night i was at The Well at Khop and as i was worshipping the lover of my soul i heard him give me the name of the children's center in Kenya. i had thought of a clever name a few months ago, but as i was pondering it this last week, it just didn't seem to fit and i became dissatisfied with it. well, this was just one thing that brought me to my knees this week about this project. he is so wonderful and so faithful and cares about every detail. i know i need to ask his advice more for every detail. it's so easy to get caught up in trying to do everything on your own, but i digress. that is a whole other topic.

so, the name He gave me for the center is Abba's House, beautiful isn't it? i love it. i knew there was a wonderful scripture that went with this so when i returned home i looked it up. it is from romans 8:15-17 "15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."

the children at this center will receive the Spirit of Adoption and become children of God, no longer orphans, but sons and daughters, heirs receiving their inheritence of the kingdom of God. hallelujah!

Kim Walker & Jesus Culture

2007-09-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

This stuff is full of the spirit and songs for our generation to declare that this will be a Jesus Generation. I just "stumbled" on this today. It has surged my spirit like only music full of the spirit can!
Check it out and be blessed.

My space pages to check out:
http://www.myspace.com/jesusculture
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=92209677

overwhelmed....excited....or overcited?

2007-09-17T17:41:00.000-05:00

Ever been overwhelmed and excited all at the same time? Well, that's me right now and those two words combined makes my new word overcited. For the past few days I have been trying to put together some facts and info for presentations about the Kenya Children's Center that I am spear heading. This project is sooooo from Daddy and I am so thrilled that He is giving this to me, yet at the same time it all seems so big and I begin to wonder how all of this is going to happen. There are so many details to work out and administrative tasks to take care of and we haven't even broke ground yet. There is so much to do it is almost like I'm not really sure where to begin. On the other hand I am so stinkin excited because this is exactly what I have been praying for. God has so much in store for this project and this is exactly his heart....to care for widows and orphans. Help me Daddy to stay focused on you and not what is around me. I need to see from your lap, so hold me there and show me what you see.

Puzzle Pieces are the Reward

2007-09-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

This week I have been reminded of a song I was introduced to at the Holy Given Missions School in Pemba, Mozambique. It's called "Receive" by Cindy Ruakere. The song talks about the Lamb receiving the reward of His suffering. It is extremely moving. You see, WE are the reward of His suffering. WE are the prize. WE are the apple of His eye. His heart is a giant jigsaw puzzle. We are the pieces and the puzzle won't be complete until we all fit back into His heart, which is where we started from. Wow, that is powerful! I am weeping as I write this. You see Daddy God showed me this puzzle picture of His heart about 8 months ago and I was totally undone by it. I knew then that my assignment was to bring Him the missing African puzzle pieces of His heart.

"May we see a generation give that which they cannot keep in order to gain that which they cannot lose. May you drink deeply of His cup of joy. May we all give the Lamb the just reward of His sufferings." - Heidi Baker

Ponder This

2007-09-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering.

-- Howard Hendricks

Faith is spelled R-I-S-K

2007-09-11T14:51:00.001-05:00

many years ago a great preacher named John Wimber said that faith is spelled r-i-s-k. i know in the last several years i have realized more and more how much this is true. if there is not some element of risk involved can you really call it faith? i mean if everything is always all figured out and squared away before you step out into something can you really call that faith? i don't think so. (of course this doesn't mean you shouldn't make plans or be wise, i'm trying to make a point.) well, yesterday i had a faith crisis. i am going on mission trip oct.14th and received a phone call that i needed to book my room and ticket immediately because there were only 3 left and that's how many we needed. needless to say, i was not expecting to have to "pay" for the trip until next week. i immediately went info freak out mode because i don't have any money at the moment. after several hours of being depressed and questioning everything, and yes, praying i figured out a way to get everything booked. the RISK is, i still do not have the money. i know some might see me as foolish, but i know that God has given me a responsibility to go on this trip, and i also know that between now and oct. 4th Daddy will provide the finances i need. ok, crisis over....i am back in the faith mode.
i found this quote on another site that i would like to include in this blog:
"Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no longer any opportunity for faith either." -- Paul Tournier

Jesus - Democrat, Republican or Revolutionary

2007-09-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

ok, so this blog is somewhat of a response to a friend's post, although not directly. i feel she raises a couple questions that i know i have asked myself and i'm sure others have too.

here is part of her blog:

"i am not sure, but i don't think that Jesus would have wasted time on searching candiates or debating issues. Jesus cared about the souls of the people who he came in contact with. i don't think Jesus would have been a republican or a democrat. i am not sure he would have bothered. i could be wrong."

well, this is my response:

the thing about Jesus....well, he was the best at debating issues....a walking debate, if you will, that challenged a religious and political system and turned it upside down like no person had ever done or has done to that degree since. every gathering, every "sermon," every woman he spoke to, every healing and miracle he performed was all a response in direct opposition and a living debate of what the religious and political systems of the times were saying and doing.

it's true that Jesus did care about the souls of the people he came in contact with, but i believe that isn't the full picture of what he came to do.....that picture is too small. Jesus cared about saving people, the sozo meaning...saving, delivering, healing (not just their soul). it's not just the gospel of salvation but the gospel of the kingdom.....bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. he cared about changing a religious system that was robbing people and particularly women and gentiles of having an intimate relationship with their God. he cared about changing the world....that's what he came to do and he did it.
now, do I think that Jesus would be a republican or a democrat.....not really....i think he was and would belong to the Jesus political and religious party....now that's a party i can get excited about.
if we don't vote, if we are not active in the world, we might as well give up and give the earth over to Satan and go to heaven right now.....because whatever areas the people of God do not occupy the enemy will move right into. as for me, i'm not ready and willing to do that yet. much of what we are dealing with right now in this country is because God-loving people have checked out of the system (political, religous, school board, dance, music, the arts etc.) and the system has been handed over to the enemy. well, i'm not about to give up the fight. Jesus said, "from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing. and forceful men take hold of it."

it's time for another Jesus Revolution that turns this world's political and religious systems upside down. through this revolution "Jesus is doing something so powerful and dangerous that only those who are willing to embrace it with forceful intensity may take hold of the movement of God's kingdom. the Jesus Revolution isn't for the faint of heart or the middle-of-the-road. it isn't safe. it isn't comfortable. it costs us a great deal to say yes." who wants to join me?

History Maker

2007-09-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

This is my declaration…..I’m Gonna Be A HISTORY MAKER!

Is it possible.....
- for the AIDS pandemic to end?
- for a dry and barren land to become fruitful?
- for people to be physically raised from the dead?
- for Las Vegas to be the 1st city in America to have a "Transformation" video made about it?
- to bring a revolution to every place that the souls of your feet set?
- for one man to turn a religious and political system upside down?
- for a person to usher in and declare spiritual freedom to a nation that then brings political and social freedom?
- to ask God not only for a nation, but for an entire continent?
- for one woman to care for the orphans of an entire continent?
- for a song to break the strongholds of the enemy?
- for a painting to reveal the love of Jesus?
- for a poem to release healing?
- for a dance to bring freedom to a generation?
- to change the spiritual atmosphere in a place without even speaking?
- to walk in divine health and receive the healing that Jesus died for and never be sick again?
- that our ideas of what is possible with God are TOO SMALL?

YES! What is impossible with man is Possible with GOD!

Christ in YOU the hope of Glory!
Jesus said, "GREATER works will YOU do!"

I Can Hear the Sound!

2007-08-31T12:08:00.001-05:00

I can hear the sound of Africa calling my name. I can hear it....I can feel it, the time for me to go to my beloved Africa is getting closer and closer. I don't understand it all and can't see all of what God has in store in these next few months, but I feel an acceleration. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, but God is calling his bride into action to get ready for his return. God has been speaking to me very clearly over the last 6 months. I have been asking him for the children of Africa.....telling Him I will take them. Through different circumstances, one being a dream someone had, He is telling me to go ahead and take them. (There's lots more to this and it would take too long on the blog to explain it so if you want to hear more about it ask me.) So, I don't know what it is going to look like but I am ready to go to Africa to declare war on the enemy who is trying to steal, kill, and destroy, and entire generation in Africa. I say to my Father that I will be one who will "GO".
I am very excited that one of the opportunities I have is to be involved in a children's center (orphanage) that MIA is helping build in Kenya. Also, I have an opportunity to go to South Africa to work with a wonderful group of people that I hope to learn a lot from and use what I learn to take to Kenya and all the nations in Africa.
I cherish your prayers as I continue to seek Daddy God for his specific direction for the next few months. I will be writing more updates about Africa so stay tuned.

Cuba - August 07

2007-08-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, you'll have to forgive me for not following up about Austin and Texas, but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.
Anyway, I just returned home from Cuba last Saturday night. (The beaches in Cuba are actually as beautiful as the picture shows) Wow, this trip was so amazing. God showed up in a powerful way as we ministered in churches and in a youth conference as well as when we met with national church leaders. God made so many kingdom connections for MIA. It was awesome to see how God was weaving together everything we were interceeding about before the trip. Thank you to those of you who were praying for us. We could tangibly feel your backing as we went forth into all that God had for us on this trip. Through your prayers he increased our spiritual sight to see things from his perspective and to trust in the unseen and lean not on our own undestanding. There is a shift taking place in Cuba and with MIA's connection to Cuba. It is all very good. God is pushing us forward to advance his Kingdom in Cuba. Praise the Lord! Hopefully, in the next few days I can get a couple pictures up from the trip. We didn't really take that many though.

Ahh! Austin

2007-07-23T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been in Texas for three days and finally made it to Austin last night. Wow, this place is beautiful. Some friends and I went out to dinner last night at a place called The Oasis. This is an incredible restaurant that has multi-layered balaconies where you sit out and watch the beautiful sunsets. It is the sunset capitol of Texas.....we enjoyed good food, good conversation, and a beautiful sunset overlooking Lake Travis. I can see why so many people love to come to Austin.
Well, I'm off to go hiking in the beautiful mountains of Austin. I will blog more later. And in two days I will be going back to Houston for the Texas Ablaze conference......yipee...I am so excited to see what God is going to do. I'm ready God, mess me up!

Sounds from the Bride in Nashville at The Call

2007-07-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Wow! I've never experienced anything like what I did yesterday. There are no sufficient words in the human language to describe what happened at LP Field in Nashville, TN on 7-7-07. The atmosphere of heaven descended on that place where for 14 hours praise, repentence, and cries for revival were sent up to the throne room. I found a couple clips on you tube to share just a part of what happened on that day.

This clip is during a time of prayer and repentence for the 47.5 million innocent lives that have been sacrificed in this country.Many of us took a solemn oath on that day to pray 22 simple words everyday to end abortion in America. (go to bound4life.com to find out more)

The cries and repentence turned into a time of declaring and prophecying LIFE and singing to God our plea to end abortion and send revival to America!

This clip is some of what went on as 300 men blew shofars(look it up if you don't know what these are)like in Judges 7:7. From the first blast of the shofars the place erupted in wildness. The shofars blowing and the sons and daughters of God rejoicing in the triump of victory went on for probably 15 minutes.

This clip is what happened after the shofar blasts ended.

Worship in some of the Cuban churches (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-25T16:47:00.000-05:00

Click on the links below to see video footage.

Worship on Sunday night at a church in Jovellanos.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=W7NHAxoTeY0

Worship during one of the seminars for church leaders and pastors.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=v3b8iRAsgAY

This one is hard to see, but beautiful to listen to. This was at a mission church at night outside.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MRYEUwTew58

These videos do not do the worship justice. We try and try and try to explain what it is like, but you can't truly know until you experience it yourself. So, come on......what are you waiting for? Come on a mission trip to Cuba with us and worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You will not come home the same!

MIA Staff (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

This is MIA in the field. It was an absolute joy to work with these wonderful men and women of God whom I call Friends! You guys are awesome and I would happily go to the ends of the earth with you!

MIA & CCM (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-24T22:32:00.001-05:00

No embargo here.....only LOVE!

This is the MIA mission team with the Cuban team we minister side by side with in Cuba.

They are a beautiful group of people who are extremely gracious and humble and love the Lord with everything they have.

Ministering to the Body of Christ in Cuba (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-24T22:02:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest joys in the Christian life is getting to minister to the body of Christ. Here are some few photos taken during my mission trip to Cuba. (I'm not in many of these pics because I'm the photographer.)Enjoy!

Navigation Through Unchartered Waters (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

This June trip to Cuba was definitely one for the books. This was my third trip to Cuba and MIA's tenth trip or so to Cuba overall. Well, as one person on our team put it so eloquently, "The honeymoon is over and the marriage has begun." This was so true for this trip. We experienced and had to deal with so many new things on this trip that were extremely challenging. Unfortunately, because of very serious and sensitive issues I can not go into a lot of detail. However, I learned so much on this trip that I could not have learned otherwise or in any other circmstance. God really taught me more deeply about what it means not to lean on my own understanding, but in ALL ways to acknowledge Him......and He did direct our path. How do you navigate through waters you have never been before? Or how do you navigate through calm waters that suddenly turn into a raging storm? Well, I think the best thing to do is to lean on the One who created the waters. Even before I left for this trip, I did not understand the full extent of what was going on in Cuba, but I took time out of the craziness and went before the Lord in intercession and dance. I acknowledged Him before it all, in the midst of it all, and praised Him in the circumstance and He directed my path. I gave it all to Him to carry because it was His burden (not mine) to work for good. I also learned more deeply to lay aside my expectations about what a trip is going to look like. This mission trip ended up being nothing like we thought it was going to look like because of very serious circumstances, yet God turned it around and did so many amazing and Kingdom advancing things . Looking back, I can see His hand in it all. Now, I don't know if what happened on this trip was what He originally intended, if He reordered our steps, or if it was just that He turned it into good. But, what I do know is that the Kingdom of God was advanced and we are following God through Gates that are being opened in Cuba and then ultimately the world.

My 30th Birthday in Cuba! (Cuba June 07)

2007-06-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, 30! It's official. I turned 30 on June 13th and Daddy God blessed me with such a special birthday in Cuba. It was awesome!
A couple months before I turned 30 I was starting to think....whoa 30 that sounds old.....makes me kinda nervous. Now that I am 30, I am excited to be in this phase of my life. My twenties, as I think it was for most, was exploring and learning who I was in this world and in Christ. I have figured out a few things by now, but by no means have it all figured out yet. However, I am now excited to see what my thirties will bring. I feel such a maturing in the Lord and feel like 30 is a significant number for me. I can't really put it all into words, but I know this has marked something important in my life.
Ok, back to my special day when I turned 30! I was awakened by a knock at my hotel room door and when I opened it up there were about 6-8 team members seranading me with "Happy Birthday." We had the morning off on Wednesday so most of the team took a bus tour of Varadero to tour the penisula. On the walk to the bus stop I knew we would be passing by a tree that has my absolute favorite flower on it. I don't know what it is called, but it is what they make lays out of in Hawaii. Anyway, I asked one of my tall friends if she would grab a flower for me because I knew I would be too short to reach it. However, as we got closer it was clear the limbs were much higher than I had thought and it was way too high even for her to reach. But just as I was passing under the tree one flower fell right in my path in front of me. Thank you Daddy.....my very favorite flower just for me on my birthday. Then on part of the bus tour as we were passing a bay, I looked and saw two dolphins jump up out of the water. Sweet! I knew that there were dolphins around the island, but in all of our trips there none of us had ever seen any in person. Leanne treated me to a special lunch. In the evening we were ministering in a church and worship was really great that night. Leanne got up to preach and then pulled me up there.....she then proceeded to tell the congregation that it was a special day for me.....it was my birthday. Then the band and the congregation sang a special Spanish birthday song to me (this was not just Happy Birthday in Spanish), then they even sang Happy Birthday to me in English (the ones that could speak English). It was such a very special day and I thank everyone who made me feel extra special on my 30th birthday.

That's me on my birthday on the tour bus with

my favorite flower in my ear.

Me enjoying drinking a coconut with the MIA team on our day off.

(We are in the backyard of Al Capone's estate in Cuba; I think I could handle a back yard that looked like that.)

Open those Gates! (Pre-trip Cuba June 07)

2007-06-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I am very excited. I leave for Cuba in less than 14 hours. The past day and a half has been crazy and intense. There is something taking place in the supernatural regarding Cuba that can't be seen with physical eyes, yet with my spiritual eyes I see the team busting through gates that have previously been closed. The demonic forces have been holding it closed......and there is a battle going on for control of this gate. Much of this has been confirmed several times through our intercessors. There have been many things that have happened in the preparation of this trip that have indicated to many on the team that the devil is doing his best to stop us....but God can not be stopped. He will accomplish what He wants accomplished and we are ready and willing to carry out what he wants to do. I want to share with you what a friend emailed to me yesterday:
Last weekend as we were praying over the team, a prophetic declaration rose up in me that this team to Cuba will be a sozo team (not the Dew's sozo, but the Greek) - Salvation, Healing, Deliverance. I received this newsletter this AM from Jill Austin that confirms that in me. It's the breaker anointing. With all that has taken place there in the last week, this just makes so much sense. This is just an excerpt from the whole newsletter.
Micah 2:13 - The one who breaks open will come up before them; they will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it; their king will pass before them, with the Lord at their head.
What does it take for heaven to invade earth? It takes a breaker anointing! One of God's names in the Bible actually is the "Breaker." A breaker anointing is a catalytic deposit of the Holy Spirit where eternity breaks through into the natural realm. It is a holy invasion where the gates of heaven are broken open with visitations of salvations, healing and deliverance.
This type of anointing will break through every obstacle and hindrance to the furtherance of the Gospel. It shakes every shackle loose that holds individuals and the Church back from coming into their destiny and inheritance. Jesus promises that "the Kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force." The breaker anointing is the core anointing of the apostolic church for advancement.
Yesterday, in the middle of utter chaos in the physical realm, I escaped into a wonderful place of spiritual warfare and intercession for the nations and for Cuba. I put on this "battle" cd that I have called "Fireland." I began to dance and stomp for the nations. My mind could not comprehend all that was transpiring, but I felt the heavens stirring and the horses of the armies of the Lord were riding in. After about 45 minutes, the intercession lifted, and I went back to my responsibilities. About 20 minutes later I went outside to put something in my car......my dog ran across the street to the neighbor's yard. So, I walked over to get her. As I was walking back across the street I glanced up into the sky and saw a large bird soaring. It was so beautiful. Then I looked again and saw three. They just kept soaring. I was in total amazement. They were beautiful! As I continued to watch them, I walked around to side of the house to the back yard and to my amazement I saw four more soaring birds! That made SEVEN! "Whoa," I exclaimed. I kept counting...1,2,3,4,5,6,7.......1,2,3,4,5,6,7....I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They soared around my house for about five more minutes and then they flew off into the sky and over the trees and disappeared from my sight. I am utterly convinced that these seven soaring birds were golden eagles. After that I thought I could fly. The prophetic meaning of 1 is beginning, God, source of all unity, divine soverignty....3 is Trinity, divine completeness, perfect testimony....and 7 is completeness, perfection, day of rest, finished, or dispensational fullness. One of the things that experience said to me was that Daddy was in charge and he will complete the work that He wants to do.....we are soaring together at a higher perspective than what can be seen on the ground level.

Dance On Injustice

2007-05-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

At times when I have been before the Lord in intercession or praise I will feel this overwhelming desire to stomp, like my feet are doing intercession, and I aways imagine my stopping is to the beat of African or tribal drums. One amazing time of this was actually during my time in Mozambique during the Holy Given School. We were in the middle of worship and all of the sudden Lesley-Anne instructed the drums and congos only to play. We broke out into about 30 minutes of dancing (stomping) and interceeding for the nations....for injustice. It was one of the most powerful experiences I've ever had.

Below is an account of a dream that Julie Meyer of the International House of Prayer had. It was so cool to read this dream and to see that Jesus dances (stomps) too. Get ready.......this is one powerful dream.

The Lord came to me and said, "I want you to meet my friends." I am really excited thinking I was on a journey to meet Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Zechariah, Moses. He took me by the hand and we started flying around in the sky, kind of like a cartoon loop to loop. I was not scared even though I was extremely high above the ground and the earth. We were just flying around and I could feel the breeze on my face. I could feel His hand holding my hand and I was so high off of the ground and loved feeling the wind on my face and I was so aware that I was not afraid, just holding onto His hand.
All of a sudden I saw His face change. He set His face intently to the earth and we started to head directly to the ground. I looked at Him, I looked at His face and I could see in His eyes and in His face a determination.
Isa 50:7 Therefore I have set My face like a flint
I kept thinking we would surely not hit the ground, but I looked at His face and it was set and I felt this horrible dread come upon me, even though I was holding His hand. We were flying very fast in a head dive toward the ground and He was not looking like He was going to turn around.
All of a sudden we exploded right through the ground. I felt the pound on my head. It was like watching an action movie. I could hear the sound of the earth exploding around us like the sound of standing right beside a rocket ship as it blasts off into space. It was deafening. We were traveling right through the earth and the Lords face never turned to the left or the right, it was set, straight ahead.
I could see with my eyes, the every moment of coming near the earth, hitting the ground and blasting right through it. I could see the earth, the rock, the water, this burning fire, and I could feel the very tearing and burning of my skin. It was like my skin was really feeling, really feeling the rock and earth tear my skin as if it was really happening to me. I could feel horrible pain in my dream.
All of a sudden we came to the other side and burst out through the earth. I stood there and I looked down at my body and it was all torn, my skin was torn, and I could feel the pain of it, but it was not about me. Jesus looked at me, right up close in my face, eye to eye, and He said, "I want you to meet my friends."
I was crying because all of my body hurt. I was thinking surely He would notice how badly I was hurt and how badly my skin was wounded and torn, but He did not. I looked around and it was a very crowded place. I had never been here, but I knew it was India. It had a horrible smell and there were a lot of people, people everywhere and I was following the Lord. He was not even looking at me. It was like He wanted me to feel the pain of the tear of my skin. There were little children everywhere. There were beautiful young girls in cages and He was with each one of them. He would just stand there with them.
The seemingly forgotten of the earth, were who the Lord called His friends. I saw children lying on the ground, with flies on their skin and I saw them pass from this horrible life to the next and the minute they awakened in eternity, He was there, for each one, He was there. NOT ONE of them is forgotten in His eyes, not one of them.
The sadness of what I was seeing, along with the agonizing pain my body felt, left me crying and crying. The Lord came over to me and got right up in my face and I thought it would be about me, I thought He would notice my pain, at that moment, but He said, "Until your heart is torn and ripped like your flesh is now, you do not know my friends.?"
It was absolutely more then I could take in. I was right there watching children die, mothers take their last breath, disease spreading, and young girls being sold and He kept saying, "Until your heart is torn and ripped like your flesh is now, you do not know my friends. You do not know me."
Then when I sunk into a heap of tears, to my surprise, He got right into into my face, eye to eye and said in this low whisper, "It is time to dance." He said it like it was His secret weapon, the dance.....
He started doing this dance with His feet, like a stomping. Those perfect feet, that revealed the very scars of death and life were dancing this rhythmic, tribal stomp, the feet of the Lord who stomps out injustice. It was the most powerful dance and stomp I have ever witnessed. To watch the Lord himself, with the scars of passion dance upon the injustice of His friends. He said it again, "Until Your heart is torn and ripped in two, you do not know my friends. You do not know Me."
Then He grabbed my hand again and we headed right straight through the center of the earth and again, I could feel the horrible pain of my skin and flesh ripping and tearing right off of my bones and that thunderous sound as we were blasting right through the earth. All of a sudden we were standing in a doctors office, like a clinic.
My first thought was of myself and how much pain I was in. I felt as if I had no skin on my bones, like it had all been ripped off.
He said, again, "I want you to meet my friends."
I looked around and I saw a trash can filled with babies. I could see heads and hands and tiny feet and babies filled trashcan after trashcan. Some were still alive and moving, their skin was burned, some of their heads were crushed, some were completely whole, their eyes wide open and starring.
I felt as if I was in shock. The Lord looked right up into my eyes with His eyes and He said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn like your flesh, you do not know my friends. These are my friends"
I was standing there as another baby was thrown by his leg into the trash can, a whole baby. I could feel the very thoughts of the Lord.
"Oh the silent of the earth, the seemingly forgotten ones. YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!
They were silent in that room on earth, but they had a voice that has the ear of the Father, God Almighty.
Their screams never cease throughout the corridors of eternity. They are day and night and night and day, crying out and they HAVE THE ATTENTION OF HEAVEN. THEY HAVE THE ATTENTION, the Ear, OF GOD ALMIGHTY.
I started screaming out. "YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU. YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU Engle (check out TheCall website) ! YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU!"
I could see through the Hall of eternity and that Heaven knew the very name of Lou Engle. Lou knows the friends of the Lord. I could hear the continual cry of the babies throughout the corridors of Heaven, the seemingly silent of the earth, the forgotten of the earth, but they have the ear of the Father and they are day and night and night and day crying out for justice on the strong of the earth, crying out for justice on the very ones that took their lives. But.....in eternity THEY HAVE A VOICE!!! Day and night and night and day.....crying out for justice on the seemingly strong of the earth......and THEY have their FATHER's EAR!
And again, the Lord looked straight into my eyes and said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn like your flesh is now, you do not know my friends, You do not know Me."
I stood there sobbing and sobbing and then He got right in my face again, right up close to my eyes, and said in a low whisper, "It's time to dance."
He started that "New Dance" with those perfect feet that tread the high places of the earth, now those feet were dancing and stomping, right in the middle of this abortion clinic. It was so powerful. It was always at the time when I was the most broken and the most undone that He would say, "It is time to dance. It's time to war, to dance is to war."
He would stomp, with this new rhythm, this stomp with His feet. It was not the two-step, it was the Judge stomping out injustice, with His very own feet and He said, "Just wait until the earth joins me in this dance, few have joined me and I am extending the invitation but you can only dance when your heart is the most torn and broken."
Then He came up to me again and said, "I want you to meet some of my friends." And right through the earth we went, yet again. I could barely stand. My heart was broken. My skin was torn. I looked down and it looked at if a bomb had exploded right next to me. We were walking down a very, very busy street. He was ahead of me and I was in so much pain, I wanted Him to walk slower, but it was not about me. He wanted me to feel the pain, because He wanted my heart to KNOW the pain and embrace it and take it as my own.
He waited for me to walk right beside him. This place I knew was Israel. At different times I would see Him, tip His head at someone, as if to say, "Hello" or "Shalom". He did not speak, He only tipped His head. He would catch their eye and then tip His head back and I would look at the person He was tipping His head to, and I saw their eyes bulge.
I looked inside of them and I could see a light go on. I could see, just in a glance, Jesus opened the eyes of their heart and they could literally SEE Him, as Jesus, the Messiah. I could literally see on the inside of them as we walked down this path in Jerusalem that all of a sudden the eyes of their heart were opened and this small flame started to burn on the inside of them.
Some of the people He tipped his head to, I knew were of great authority, heads in the Jewish community, Rabbi's. I could literally see in a glance the Lord, opening up their eyes, I could see the Lord appearing. He was appearing to some of the top rabbi's in the land, and just with a glance and a nod, this flame of revelation started to burn on the depths of the inside, in a second the eyes of their heart were opened.
Ps 102:16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.
We followed these Rabbis up to their room and these Rabbis went up into the upper room of their house and I was watching these Rabbi's fall on their knees and cry out, "This Changes EVERYTHING. This changes EVERYTHING. I could see the Lord go over and start to blow on that tiny ember of revelation on the inside and little by little it started to burn like an unquenchable fire. I could see this small flame of revelation become like 'fire shut up in their bones."
I saw that this fire would continue to burn until the appointed day would come when these Rabbi's could hold it in no longer and they would shout it from the top of the mountains, "Yeshua is Messiah"......YESHUA IS MESSIAH!"
I actually thought about how we pray for this in our little prayer meetings from Kansas City, that Jesus would appear, appear in His Glory. He really, really is. I looked over and this was the first time I saw the face of Jesus and He had tears running down His cheeks and I could hear Him saying, "Oh Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem."
I could feel in my heart the passion and the love that He had for Israel. And I could feel the hurt of a lover when no love is given in return and He looked at me, yet again, and said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn, just like your skin is now, You do not know my friends. You do not know Me."
I could feel deep in my being the depths of love that He had for Israel. Like Jacob loved Rachel, Like Elkanah loved Hannah, yet His passion extended far beyond natural love. I was yet again, crying and crying and the salt of my tears stung the wounds of my flesh, yet I could not stop crying and right when I thought I could take nothing more, and I had fallen to a crumpled heap on the floor, He said in this low whisper, "It is time to dance."
All of a sudden we were right in front of the wailing Wall and He started again, this stomping, stomp, this rhythm, this dance with those perfect feet, like none I have ever seen. It was always at the point where I felt the most brokenness, and grief that He would say, "It is time to dance." I could feel the presence of power and I could feel the power of this dance, dancing upon injustice. Oh what a sight to see when the Son of God and His perfect feet come spinning around and dancing on injustice. Jesus kept saying, "It's time to dance. It's time to dance."
There is a new dance coming, that will just come out of our worship and our heart for the poor of the earth, for the seemingly forgotten, but whom the Lord calls His friends and just when our hearts are the most broken, THAT is when it is time to dance.
Oh, what a sight to see when the King of Kings, the Judge of the earth and His Perfect feet that show the scars of passion, begin to dance and stomp out injustice. It is a literal dance. It is a literal stomp!
It is time to dance. And I knew this in my dream as we were walking down the streets of Jerusalem, right up to the wall, where He started His dance. I knew that He was revealing Himself to very, key people in the Jewish community, very high rabbi's in the Jewish community even in the middle of the dance.
I saw their eyes bulge. I could look inside of them and see their hearts begin to pound. I could see the Lord put inside of them, "a knowing" that He and He alone was the Messiah. For such a time as this, the day is coming when the top appointed rabbis, of the earth, in the timing of the Lord, He will stir up their hearts and they will explode on the inside and run to the highest places in Jersualem and shout to all Jerusalem, Yeshua is the Messiah. Yeshua IS MESSIAH! Blessed Is He who comes in the Name of the Lord."
Right now, they are hiding it and asking themselves if it really did happen.
It is already set for an appointed time and in these days ahead, He is appearing and opening up the eyes of men's heart and then He will come and set their very bones on fire. I could see these rabbi's exploding with the word of the Lord, proclaiming His appearing. It is happening. It is set for an appointed time. It is happening today.
Jer 20:9 But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.
Then yet again, He said, "Until your heart is torn in two and your heart is ripped in two, just like your flesh is, You do not know my friends."
IT'S TIME TO DANCE!

Love Gets Dirty

2007-05-25T17:04:00.000-05:00

What does love look like in Pemba, Mozambique? Well, for the team of 10 who just returned from Pemba on April 23rd, love took on many different facets at Iris Ministries during our two week trip.

Love looked like.....feeding 1,500 children and pastors after church on Sunday afternoon, evangelizing and praying for the sick in the bush, hugging and kissing the Iris kids, tucking the little ones into bed at night, treating the kids for scabies, buying bananas for the kids, teaching in the Pastors' Bible School, dancing with the children during church, playing tickle games with the kids, teaching children's church, praying for the widows coming for their weekly supply of beans and rice, playing in the dirt with the children, worship and prayer with two Iris teenagers, bringing hundreds of pounds of donated clothes and toys with us to Iris, and encouraging the MIA missionaries, as well as other Iris missionaries by praying over them and washing their tired, "dirty" feet. This is what love looks like. This is how we became the aroma of Christ in a lost and dying world. It was a privilege to see God move in the hearts of this MIA team as they became the aroma of Christ in Pemba.

These are some questions I've asked myself during my times in Mozambique. Do I really love? Am I truly following Jesus' example of love? Jesus' ministry was simply about love. There is so much beauty in simplicity. Love is so simple, yet we try to complicate it because we can't understand just how simple it really is. Jesus came to earth because of the Father's love for us. Jesus came to love and out of this love flowed miracles, signs, and wonders. In His ministry we see a pattern. He always went to the least of them...the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the marginalized. He went to the people and places that were "unclean".

Jesus got dirty....ministry will be dirty! If I love prostitutes and drug addicts, I will get dirty. If I love the homeless and the hungry, I will get dirty. I think I've been too clean. Every time I go to Mozamique, Holy Spirit tells me I have been too clean, but I want to get dirty! Several months back I bought a John Deere T-shirt that I absolutely love. It says, "Play in the Dirt". That is my mission field theme. Let's play in the dirt with Jesus and love people into the Kingdom!