El Salvador

I have been having a great time here in El Salvador, staying with the team at a YWAM base in San Salvador. This city is very modern yet the amount of barbed wire, locks, and violence here is interesting to say the least! Many cars have signs on them with "Do Not Murder - Exodus 20" written on them. The country is highly evangelised, yet not many have close intimate relationship with Jesus.

Ministering in local Churches

On Sunday our team ministered at 4 churches. I had the privilege of helping to lead the morning church into an atmosphere of worship, as they had a keyboard and not only that but a pedal as well! We also went out to the skate park to play with the kids - about 10 of them and most of them have parents in jail. In their neighbourhood alone there has been 8 gang shootings in the past week.

Sunday night the Lord gave me a word to share with the congregation there. Breck, one of the guys on the team shared just before me and we neither of us knew what the other was sharing, but Breck spoke out most of what was on my heart! God is so good in how he confirms that we are hearing Him rightly! This church was the most like my home church (Planetshakers) out of any so far this trip. A few things I noticed - they had a spirit of honour. Honoring us as well as God. They agreed vocally with whatever the pastor was saying and also with us. They also were hungry and passionate in their pursuit of Him through worship and praise. They went crazy dancing even before the word was preached! So these are a few things I feel were key in their ability to receive all God had for them! We prayed for the sick at the end, and opened up the altar for anyone who felt dry or just hungered for more of God. I had shared on the night season - this being the night until Jesus comes back - that is when the day breaks. Psalm 91 says that those who DWELL in the shelter/secret place of the Most High will rest/abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 

Dwell - one of the origins of the word (english) means to be distracted. Tarry.

Abide - means to stay overnight. 

The key to lasting the night season until Jesus comes back, the key to LOVE and loving the one in front of you (us disciples will be known by our love) is to live distracted by Jesus. You are constantly thinking about Him and distracted from what you're supposed to be doing. He gets in the way of "ordinary" life sometimes but thats how we need to live! To stop for HIM before stopping for the one. To live constantly distracted by Jesus and in love with Him and knowing that He loves me. In my own strength I cannot love the person who may annoy me or the person who hates me. When I am crazy in love with Jesus, I can. Because it is HIS love that I have. Supernatural love :)

Many people came forward and were touched powerfully by the Holy Spirit. We also had a fire tunnel that the whole church went through (the children went through at least 5 times!). By the end there were bodies all over the floor and we had to keep moving the fire tunnel...!

How Jesus LOVES to pour out his LOVE on His people! He is the business of Healing, Filling, Refreshing, Mending broken hearts, and OVERFLOWING us with JOY! Our team had a dance party all the way home in the car (yes... it is possible. somehow!)

Visiting the Least of These

In the last couple of days I have also had the privilege of visiting an all boys home (10-17years old) - some have parents in jail, some are unwanted, some are true orphans. Most of them are in this particular centre because they made trouble and were kicked out of other centres. They have no transition in place for when they turn 18. On one side of the centre is a women's prison. On the other is a teenage girls prison. Please pray for the children of El Salvador!

We have also ministered to men in a drug rehabilitation centre, and the rest of the team visited a village affected by recent mudslides and ministered to the homeless. God is LOVE and no-one is unloveable to Him! He can break through to the most hurt, abused or hardest heart!

Australia

I will be back in Australia from 23rd December until at least the end of January. This will be an awesome time for me to catch up with Family, with Friends, with all of you!! I will be making myself available to share stories/news of what has been happening in the nations - South-East Asia, Mozambique, North and Central America. So please let me know if you would like to have me share in a group situation.

Many, many hugs and blessings!!!

I pray MORE for you!!! Of everything that He has! and that this month and a bit leading up to Christmas would be a time of deep GROWTH and INTIMACY with the Lord!

lots of love

Serena