God is so good! I'm in awe of his love and his compassion. Every day I meet his smile and know He has amazing plans for me. I have been discovering him more and more especially this past week. I had been going through some hard things since coming here. Being in a place that is so different and doing things that are so out of my comfort zone were stretching me and bringing out my weaknesses and wounds as well. I know there were things that needed to be healed and sometimes it takes those 'tough' things that will force you to confront the stuff you usually try to hide. But I have no place for hiding anymore, it is either sink or swim, fight or flight. I decided to be transparent with God and with my team. I knew God wanted me to come to Kona and I didn't want to back out. I have learned that when He calls you somewhere He will also make a way for it.
On Sunday evening I decided to fast. There was a 'wall' I continued to come up against again and again, and I lost hope. I was ready to leave. I was filled with fear and hopelessness. I prayed and pressed through the feelings and that night decided to let God handle the situation I was in, I was beyond my strength. I went to bed, woke up the next morning, went to Monday morning community worship as usual, and pressed through even though I didn't feel like being there. At one point people broke out into smaller groups and prayed for each other. Someone prayed for me and asked God to fill me with his love and hope (she had no idea what I was struggling with, I was so chocked up I couldn't even tell her). Then suddenly I felt God's light come into me and something changed. I felt lighter. I went to lunch, and here the lunch lines are long, and as if it was a miracle something changed in me and I began to see my situation in a different way. I don't know how it happened. All I know is that when I went into my small group meeting that afternoon I was a completely different person. And I haven't enjoyed myself as much as I did then since coming here.
There is always much more to say but I can't leave out the highlights of my week!
One big highlight was our outreach day on Saturday. My outreach team visited an elderly man who has been on disability. Only 2 months ago he wasn't able to walk due to health problems but is now on his feet again. Our team spent the day at his house visiting, he made BBQ for us and we had the opportunity to share the Gospel with him. He gave his life to Jesus and we prayed with him. Our team came expecting to do work around the house but it turned out that this man really wanted company! We sang worship songs with him and the presence of God in the room was amazing! I was so blessed because I prayed for him, I just felt God's heart for this man in such a strong way and when you get the opportunity to express that it blesses you as well.
I love the memories we build through spending time together as a team. A young couple in our group has a little toddler girl and I am falling in love with her. She discovered the stairs in the house and found out she loved going up and down. So here I was running up and down with her until I was more tired than she!
My outreach team is an amazing team and we gel together so well. The teams in my school were chosen on the second day of the first week. The countries were written on a white board and the students were given 10 minutes to write down their first two options for outreach locations. We prayed and then each person individually decided their locations. As I prayed I clearly heard 'Mozambique'. I had not expected it, I never even wanted to go to Africa. But I put it down as my first option. We were then told that in 3 days we would know the results, but it turned out they were decided the next day. My team has 7 students and our team leaders, Matt and Rachel. We have a couple from South Carolina (Jasmine, Weyman, and little Gracie), Philip from the UK, Brock from the US, Grace from California, Jane from Sydney, and myself.
My team will be going to Mozambique to work with the orphans at Iris Ministries. We are leaving March 20.
Please pray with me for financial provision for my next deadline, this Friday. I have to pay $2000 toward my outreach which includes airfare to Mozambique. I have approximately $500 of that as of now.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Going deep
My second week has flown by. I went to City of Refuge with my small group women this morning. Sitting at the beach we overlooked the shallow water and palm trees on the horizon. What a blessing to be able to wind down after a long and busy week.
Amy Sollars taught about the Holy Spirit this week. We had a time of baptism in the Spirit and she taught on the gifts of the Spirit. My heart was stirred to ask for the gift of Faith and Miracles and Healing. So I asked God for them. Then one of the team leaders came up to me and prayed with me and she prayed for these same gifts over me. I believe that from that moment on I received these gifts.
Today I prayed with another person for an ankle and the ankle was healed! She had been having pain and didn't know where it was coming from. So we just released the healing of Jesus on her. I felt so much joy in my spirit as I prayed for her and I felt like I had just received prayer myself!!! When all the pain was gone she shouted and ran around the cafeteria "I am healed! I am healed!" The other person who prayed with me said that she had never seen something like this before.
My outreach team is already meeting as a 'small group' every week for debriefing times and also to get teaching and training on how to preach the Gospel. We have started practicing on each other. I actually am discovering that I like it! and I didn't know I would. Preaching the Gospel is not just for the 'preacher-type personalities', preaching is for everyone- it's not us who do it anyways, but it's the power of God in us who says what we say and does what we do.
Our daily times in the prayer room are amazing! We have two hours of worship and intercession every day. The over 100 something group of us is starting to unite more during worship and prayer. There have been times when the presence of God was so strong in the room that I felt the warfare the angels were doing. I am also learning that when I intercede for someone or something that I can lay my own feelings and thoughts behind and get into the moment of prayer together with our group. Our personal issues don't determine so much whether or not we can intercede, it is more about surrendering to God in his presence and then aligning myself with his heart for the situation or people we are praying for. I don't pray in my own strength, Holy Spirit prays through me!! I am discovering that I don't have to wait until all my own issues are settled, which could take years, but that I can be a releaser of the Kingdom of Heaven now.
Please pray for me during this time! I am going through a lot of obstacles every day. God is refining me so much. I need strength and hope!!
May His blessing rest on your life, I thank every one of you for your support! You are so awesome!
Amy Sollars taught about the Holy Spirit this week. We had a time of baptism in the Spirit and she taught on the gifts of the Spirit. My heart was stirred to ask for the gift of Faith and Miracles and Healing. So I asked God for them. Then one of the team leaders came up to me and prayed with me and she prayed for these same gifts over me. I believe that from that moment on I received these gifts.
Today I prayed with another person for an ankle and the ankle was healed! She had been having pain and didn't know where it was coming from. So we just released the healing of Jesus on her. I felt so much joy in my spirit as I prayed for her and I felt like I had just received prayer myself!!! When all the pain was gone she shouted and ran around the cafeteria "I am healed! I am healed!" The other person who prayed with me said that she had never seen something like this before.
My outreach team is already meeting as a 'small group' every week for debriefing times and also to get teaching and training on how to preach the Gospel. We have started practicing on each other. I actually am discovering that I like it! and I didn't know I would. Preaching the Gospel is not just for the 'preacher-type personalities', preaching is for everyone- it's not us who do it anyways, but it's the power of God in us who says what we say and does what we do.
Our daily times in the prayer room are amazing! We have two hours of worship and intercession every day. The over 100 something group of us is starting to unite more during worship and prayer. There have been times when the presence of God was so strong in the room that I felt the warfare the angels were doing. I am also learning that when I intercede for someone or something that I can lay my own feelings and thoughts behind and get into the moment of prayer together with our group. Our personal issues don't determine so much whether or not we can intercede, it is more about surrendering to God in his presence and then aligning myself with his heart for the situation or people we are praying for. I don't pray in my own strength, Holy Spirit prays through me!! I am discovering that I don't have to wait until all my own issues are settled, which could take years, but that I can be a releaser of the Kingdom of Heaven now.
Please pray for me during this time! I am going through a lot of obstacles every day. God is refining me so much. I need strength and hope!!
May His blessing rest on your life, I thank every one of you for your support! You are so awesome!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
My first week in Kona
I've been here in Kona for a week and so much has happened that I don't even know where to begin.
The night I arrived at the campus we were greeted with cheers and shouts from our school leaders. They are the loudest and most outrageous people on campus. Already on the first day I made friends with one of my roommates, Hope, who is also in my school. She is like a sister to me. I had prayed for a friend like that and God has already answered that request in a wonderful and complete way. The campus is huge. There are 9 different schools running at the moment and the campus is growing rapidly. Loren and Darlene Cunningham are directors here and I've had the priviledge of seeing them and hearing their stories about YWAM history. They are such an inspiration to everyone!
I am sharing a small apartment with 5 other young women who are so lovely and fun to be with. We are getting along well, although we need to start working on a cleaning schedule for our room :)
In our first week of school we have learned and grown more than you would normally in a month's time. God is really up to something with our class because of the acceleration of growth and learning. Our group has just over 100 people. We have quickly jumped into building relationships with each other and letting ourselves be transformed by God's love.
Andy Byrd has been teaching us about the foundations of the gospel this past week. This guy is so on fire and radical for God it is so contagious! We have encountered God in our daily worship and prayer sessions in the prayer room. I personally have been stretched in all directions since coming here. I am being challenged to lay myself down, let myself go, and let the Holy Spirit take charge of my heart. I didn't realize how many walls and how much false thinking there still is in me. Do I really believe the Gospel? Will I go out and be a vessel for God to move through to bring His kingdom to the world, or am I too scared of what people think of me, too insecure of what God can do and who He is? Do I believe that He is who He says He is and will I go out and preach His word, heal the sick, and love those around me?
I'm finding that I've been more caught up with my own fears and insecurities and God is doing a big transformational and healing work in my heart. There's nothing like being thrown into unchartered waters with God's love being the only thing to hold on to.
I'm also discovering things about myself I never knew I could do. One of the things Andy has been making our class do after the teaching sessions is to get into our outreach teams (yes, I found out where I'm going for outreach!!) and stand in a circle while taking turns standing in the middle and confessing our unbelief or pride ,or whatever is standing in the way, in front of the whole team, while they are all praying with you and affirming your prayer! Talking about stepping outside of my box!! no place for fear or pride...
The first time I stood in the circle I thought I would run away, but I ended up making bold declarations of God's truth and preaching to myself in the midst of it - it is fun to see what you can actually do when you just step out in faith and do what you need to do, whether or not you know how to do it!
Note of encouragement:
If you believe God is asking you to do something - don't step back even if you don't know how to do it. He always gives us the grace for whatever we need. We just need to let go of ourselves and trust Him.
I am on a team going to Mozambique to work with Iris Ministries We will be feeding orphans and ministering to people the love of the Father. We will also be going out into the bush and into villages healing the sick and telling them about Jesus. We have to learn Portuguese since that is the main language in Moz. One of my team leaders, Matt, has worked with Iris Ministries before. He and Rachel are our team leaders. I am so blessed to be on their team and I am confident in their leadership. I am thinking of learning guitar because our team needs someone to lead music.
Prayer points
much love to you all
The night I arrived at the campus we were greeted with cheers and shouts from our school leaders. They are the loudest and most outrageous people on campus. Already on the first day I made friends with one of my roommates, Hope, who is also in my school. She is like a sister to me. I had prayed for a friend like that and God has already answered that request in a wonderful and complete way. The campus is huge. There are 9 different schools running at the moment and the campus is growing rapidly. Loren and Darlene Cunningham are directors here and I've had the priviledge of seeing them and hearing their stories about YWAM history. They are such an inspiration to everyone!
I am sharing a small apartment with 5 other young women who are so lovely and fun to be with. We are getting along well, although we need to start working on a cleaning schedule for our room :)
In our first week of school we have learned and grown more than you would normally in a month's time. God is really up to something with our class because of the acceleration of growth and learning. Our group has just over 100 people. We have quickly jumped into building relationships with each other and letting ourselves be transformed by God's love.
Andy Byrd has been teaching us about the foundations of the gospel this past week. This guy is so on fire and radical for God it is so contagious! We have encountered God in our daily worship and prayer sessions in the prayer room. I personally have been stretched in all directions since coming here. I am being challenged to lay myself down, let myself go, and let the Holy Spirit take charge of my heart. I didn't realize how many walls and how much false thinking there still is in me. Do I really believe the Gospel? Will I go out and be a vessel for God to move through to bring His kingdom to the world, or am I too scared of what people think of me, too insecure of what God can do and who He is? Do I believe that He is who He says He is and will I go out and preach His word, heal the sick, and love those around me?
I'm finding that I've been more caught up with my own fears and insecurities and God is doing a big transformational and healing work in my heart. There's nothing like being thrown into unchartered waters with God's love being the only thing to hold on to.
I'm also discovering things about myself I never knew I could do. One of the things Andy has been making our class do after the teaching sessions is to get into our outreach teams (yes, I found out where I'm going for outreach!!) and stand in a circle while taking turns standing in the middle and confessing our unbelief or pride ,or whatever is standing in the way, in front of the whole team, while they are all praying with you and affirming your prayer! Talking about stepping outside of my box!! no place for fear or pride...
The first time I stood in the circle I thought I would run away, but I ended up making bold declarations of God's truth and preaching to myself in the midst of it - it is fun to see what you can actually do when you just step out in faith and do what you need to do, whether or not you know how to do it!
Note of encouragement:
If you believe God is asking you to do something - don't step back even if you don't know how to do it. He always gives us the grace for whatever we need. We just need to let go of ourselves and trust Him.
I am on a team going to Mozambique to work with Iris Ministries We will be feeding orphans and ministering to people the love of the Father. We will also be going out into the bush and into villages healing the sick and telling them about Jesus. We have to learn Portuguese since that is the main language in Moz. One of my team leaders, Matt, has worked with Iris Ministries before. He and Rachel are our team leaders. I am so blessed to be on their team and I am confident in their leadership. I am thinking of learning guitar because our team needs someone to lead music.
Prayer points
- Unity in my outreach team
- Fearlessness and love for each other and the orphans
- Finances: about $6,000 to go to Mozambique
much love to you all
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)