Photo Credits: Myself, J. Engle, L. Datskiv, J&T
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Friday, September 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Loving the nomads
We got to go on a road trip which meant we got to visit some beautiful nomads! We were invited into their tents out of the freezing cold air, and got to love on them and share what we have freely received. These people travel their whole lives, moving from one bit of land to another in some of the harshest conditions.
The Scarf
In the country before Nepal, while in our apartment there I felt to give my purple pashmina scarf to the girl who we were staying with. I kind of wondered if I was just in one of my over-giving moods and thought about whether it was the Lord or not. I felt to give it again and so told her I wanted her to have my scarf. However she wouldn't take it unless she was allowed to give me one back, as I'd "need it in Nepal!" She came back out of her room with this gorgeous, soft, warm, beautifully coloured scarf which was far far nicer than mine! I immediately felt overwhelmed with how God just wanted to lavish his love on me! I felt like the scarf I gave away was so plain compared to this one, yet felt it was so right too! So I packed it away and used it all throughout trek in Nepal.
Fast forward a month or so and I'm in the middle of nowhere (literally one of our 4wding tyres completely collapsed and we had already used up the spare, had to borrow the spare off our other friend's 4wd!), in a tent asking for Father's presence to come on this lady and her family. As we were loving on her, you could see tears appearing on her cheeks and our interpreter told us she could feel his presence (oh his presence and love was so thick!). She was in her seventies and had lived long enough to know what was real and what was not, what worked and what didn't. She could feel his love and wanted more.
As we sat there in the tent, talking and just being with this amazing family, I suddenly felt it again. "Give her the scarf." My first reaction this time was that I couldn't. I had only just started to notice a big improvement the cough which I had had ever since leaving for Thailand, and I knew that the scarf made a big difference as to whether I continued healthy or not. But I felt Father's love all over me again, almost weighing me to the ground and I felt, "Give her the scarf". I fingered the soft material, then made the decision and took it off, spreading it out so all the colours were visible and then folding it up to be able to give it to her easier. I offered to her by holding it out, smiling and gesturing. She said in her language that no, she didn't need it and I did. Immediately I felt I had an out and almost decided to keep it after all. But again, felt the "Give it to her". Our interpreter said that if I really wanted to give it to her I could drape it around her shoulders. I decided to give it to her on our way out, and as I sat there holding it on my lap, tears started to fall. I was horrified at myself. How could this scarf have meant so much to me? I hadn't had such a hard time letting go of a material object before. My face was wet with tears and I tried to hide them and wipe them away so she wouldn't see how much I didn't really want to give it. One of the team brought out the guitar and started to play worship songs in the tent. As I sat there trying not to cry, I prayed that the scarf would remind her of our visit, every time she saw it. I prayed that it would bring the presence of Father everywhere that it went and that it would release the kingdom of heaven everywhere that it went. I prayed it would be anointed for healing.
We stood up to leave and as we passed out the doorway, I held it in both hands, presented it to her again and draped it gently around her aging shoulders. Although only in her seventies, her weathered face showed the passing of the years, the endurance of the nomadic lifestyle and the things she had seen throughout her long life. She would have lived through many history making events, and later I found out that she would probably not have ever been to a big city before, and not had the chance to own or maybe even see something like that scarf ever. We went to sit in the cars and I could see her, still sitting on her stool at the entrance with her daughter beside her and her granddaughter in front of her. She picked up the scarf and started to finger it, looking at it properly for the first time...
The scarf was given to me in love, and to me for some reason represented love itself. I felt like I was giving away my friend from back in the other country, rather than just some piece of material used to keep me warm. Yet as I gave it away I feel like I learnt so much and received so much from the experience. When it is God who leads me to do something like that, he can look after the consequences (possibly getting sick again for another 2 months WHICH is not happening by the way). He gave his only Son away, anointing him to represent the Father, anointing him to release Heaven wherever he went. Anointing him to heal the sick...
I hope you get something out of this. It's not about how I gave something away. It's more about how God gave me, how he gave you the most important thing in existence to him... and all so that he could have us back. So that he could hold us in his arms again and love us and be loved by us... It's all about Him.
The Scarf
In the country before Nepal, while in our apartment there I felt to give my purple pashmina scarf to the girl who we were staying with. I kind of wondered if I was just in one of my over-giving moods and thought about whether it was the Lord or not. I felt to give it again and so told her I wanted her to have my scarf. However she wouldn't take it unless she was allowed to give me one back, as I'd "need it in Nepal!" She came back out of her room with this gorgeous, soft, warm, beautifully coloured scarf which was far far nicer than mine! I immediately felt overwhelmed with how God just wanted to lavish his love on me! I felt like the scarf I gave away was so plain compared to this one, yet felt it was so right too! So I packed it away and used it all throughout trek in Nepal.
Fast forward a month or so and I'm in the middle of nowhere (literally one of our 4wding tyres completely collapsed and we had already used up the spare, had to borrow the spare off our other friend's 4wd!), in a tent asking for Father's presence to come on this lady and her family. As we were loving on her, you could see tears appearing on her cheeks and our interpreter told us she could feel his presence (oh his presence and love was so thick!). She was in her seventies and had lived long enough to know what was real and what was not, what worked and what didn't. She could feel his love and wanted more.
As we sat there in the tent, talking and just being with this amazing family, I suddenly felt it again. "Give her the scarf." My first reaction this time was that I couldn't. I had only just started to notice a big improvement the cough which I had had ever since leaving for Thailand, and I knew that the scarf made a big difference as to whether I continued healthy or not. But I felt Father's love all over me again, almost weighing me to the ground and I felt, "Give her the scarf". I fingered the soft material, then made the decision and took it off, spreading it out so all the colours were visible and then folding it up to be able to give it to her easier. I offered to her by holding it out, smiling and gesturing. She said in her language that no, she didn't need it and I did. Immediately I felt I had an out and almost decided to keep it after all. But again, felt the "Give it to her". Our interpreter said that if I really wanted to give it to her I could drape it around her shoulders. I decided to give it to her on our way out, and as I sat there holding it on my lap, tears started to fall. I was horrified at myself. How could this scarf have meant so much to me? I hadn't had such a hard time letting go of a material object before. My face was wet with tears and I tried to hide them and wipe them away so she wouldn't see how much I didn't really want to give it. One of the team brought out the guitar and started to play worship songs in the tent. As I sat there trying not to cry, I prayed that the scarf would remind her of our visit, every time she saw it. I prayed that it would bring the presence of Father everywhere that it went and that it would release the kingdom of heaven everywhere that it went. I prayed it would be anointed for healing.
We stood up to leave and as we passed out the doorway, I held it in both hands, presented it to her again and draped it gently around her aging shoulders. Although only in her seventies, her weathered face showed the passing of the years, the endurance of the nomadic lifestyle and the things she had seen throughout her long life. She would have lived through many history making events, and later I found out that she would probably not have ever been to a big city before, and not had the chance to own or maybe even see something like that scarf ever. We went to sit in the cars and I could see her, still sitting on her stool at the entrance with her daughter beside her and her granddaughter in front of her. She picked up the scarf and started to finger it, looking at it properly for the first time...
The scarf was given to me in love, and to me for some reason represented love itself. I felt like I was giving away my friend from back in the other country, rather than just some piece of material used to keep me warm. Yet as I gave it away I feel like I learnt so much and received so much from the experience. When it is God who leads me to do something like that, he can look after the consequences (possibly getting sick again for another 2 months WHICH is not happening by the way). He gave his only Son away, anointing him to represent the Father, anointing him to release Heaven wherever he went. Anointing him to heal the sick...
I hope you get something out of this. It's not about how I gave something away. It's more about how God gave me, how he gave you the most important thing in existence to him... and all so that he could have us back. So that he could hold us in his arms again and love us and be loved by us... It's all about Him.
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| Sunrise on the road |
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| Mother and daughter |
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| Grandma with her scarf :) |
Monday, May 9, 2011
Nepal - from christian workers kids, to street kids, to adopted kids (by our Father)...
...to kids in the base of the Himalayas, 11,000 feet above sea level!
My time in Nepal was so incredibly amazing... we were hosted by the Iris family there who already have four kids of their own, yet they took in all of us as well... Jesse, Tanya and Zoe got the spare room, Lonnie slept almost on the roof and us girls slept in the lounge, picking up our stuff during the day.
While in Thailand, the big earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. All of our team there started seriously thinking about how we could possibly go to Japan and help out with the crisis. Yonnie, our Thailand team leader also heads up Iris Disaster Relief and as such she knew straight away that she would be back and forth from Japan to Taiwan (her home) in at least the 6 months to come. I prayed that if I was to go, that the Lord would provide and make it clear. I ended up not going, but Jesse did go for 10 days during our stay in Nepal. The Japan team in that first response mainly ministered in Sendai, Japan and saw God's love poured out in awesome ways! Many people were weeping as God's love touched them and they recieved Jesus gladly. A lot had never before heard of Jesus. One Japanese pastors foot grew out to match the other :) Jesse was there in Japan when the second 7.something earthquake hit. It was funny because we were in Nepal watching "Furious Love" with the YWAM team and at the same time the Japan team were watching "Furious Love" over there, and while they were watching it the earthquake hit.
Love and affirmation of God poured out on the MKs
We arrived in Kathamandu on a Thursday and went straight that night to the children's home where they housed 9 full orphans. In Nepal they aren't allowed to have kids in the home unless they are full orphans (both parents not living).
We then went to Nepali church on Saturday (that is their sabbath) where the pastor got the rest of the team to introduce themselves but skipped over me - apparantly I look Nepali! I LOVED the worship here, it was just a capella worship and no harmonies likes Africa, but the presence of God was so sweet and beautiful! The next day we had the privilege of going to the youth group which is run by the family we were staying with. This youth group is not of any one church but is rather a combined churches youth group and is mainly christian workers kids. An average of 20-30 kids come each Sunday after lunch, mainly to this one family's house that has a big yard. Also once a month on Fridays they invade the house of our friends, where the Mum normally cooks up huuuuge amounts of Spag Bol (Spaghetti and meat sauce) and garlic bread! She's amazing! So that Sunday we were given the responsibility of sharing a message and also organising games.... At first we had all these other random games organised, but then we had the genius idea of teaching them the game that overtook our school in Mozambique..... NINJA!
After Ninja, Jesse and Tanya shared their testimonies and spoke to the kids about how they are not just kids of their parents who come over to do amazing things for God, but how THEY also are anointed, called and equipped by God to change their world around them. We had a fire tunnel and prayed over them, speaking into their lives and sharing words the Lord would give us. We also had them become the fire tunnel and they got to pray over eachother and practise hearing from God themselves. They are such an amazing group of young people and part of my heart is still there in Kathamandu with those kids! We heard that a couple weeks later, one of the boys who couldn't even walk with his friends to the restaurant after church because of asthma, got prayed for at this youth group. He felt his whole chest heat up and felt like a hand reached into there and gave him a new lung. A couple days later he ran 2km without any problems! How GOOD is God!! He so loves his kids!
My first mani and pedi!
We got to go visit a friend in Nepal (who does awesome haircuts, she cut mine) who trains up women who have been rescued out of dance bars and trafficking situations. We ministered to them first joining in their worship in the morning, then sharing with them, and then they got to practise all their mani/pedi skills on us... I find it so funny that something I have just not made the time to do before or really had the money to do before, just gets given to me :) After I have sold and given away all my stuff except a few boxes, and am living by faith depending on what is given to me. It is sometimes hard feeling like I'm not independent and not earning my own wage, but I am in the best place and that is in the arms of my Jesus. My sails are up and he is free to blow me whichever way he wants! Pray for my stubborness to not get in the way! (as it still tries to sometimes).
We also had a great time ministering to some street kids. We got to connect with a team from Hawaii who are in Nepal for 3 months. They are full of joy and the holy spirit and we were so thankful to be around such refreshing people.
Releasing the kingdom in the temples and high places
During our time there we visited some of the temples just to walk around and release the presence of Jesus in those places. I was originally planning to go with the Hawaii team to a couple of high places to pray and worship over the city, but God put the girls from the family on my heart instead so we went to watch them dance (flash mob - probably on youtube by now... ) "Love the one in front of you" :)
Reports from the team that did go were incredible, there was one local person who really did not want them there worshipping, he was trying to take the guitar off the worship leader but then other local people of the temple beliefs were holding him back and saying "we want them here! We like what they are doing." It is so good to hear that even the locals loved it. The guy then picked up a stick and was trying to hit them with it, so the team decided to put the guitar away and then pray for people instead. Gods love ws poured out and people came into more of a revelation of who Jesus really is.
Iris picnic on the mountain!
Two days before the trek, we took a van and a 4wd (with no working 4wd) up this hill to 7,000 feet, as a celebration for the iris childrens home kids finishing the school term and getting their exam results back. All of
them are full orphans (as the government will not allow others in the home) and there is one girl who is 9years old and is in 1st grade, she came number 1 in her class and the school is letting her skip to grade
3 next as she is doing so well :) one of the other girls also got number one in her class, and all of the kids passed :) so they were all very happy. We packed 8 people and 2 kids in our 4wd plus a guitar and a suitcase full of food on the roof, and the rest fit in the van. At least 27 people and kids were packed in there! Kids squished onto adults laps. We had to borrow the van from one of the schools as the iris van broke down the other day... The 4wd broke down the week before. Both are really old but it is hard to get newer or better cars here as anything like that is taxed 100% coming into the country, meaning you have to pay the full value again. The 4wd they use there you could get in its condition for around $500 in the states but to buy
it in Nepal it is worth $12,000. So that gives you an idea!
A few days before the picnic, the iris kids home grew from 9 to 11 kids as they just took in two brothers. They are so small and so cute and in the space of a few days, it was already so noticeable the difference in their faces and behavior as they started to realise they are safe and have a home where they are loved and valued. They had such fun on the picnic playing with the YWAM team guys! (guys who are reading this- we need you on the mission field! We need fathers and big brothers and just guys in general!)
It was fun in nepal - even though we were staying in a nice looking place the power still goes off and the water runs out. We have to time our showers and laundry carefully! The power is scheduled to be on in different suburbs at different times and every so often everyone is given a new schedule. Sometimes it is on from 4am to 9am, then 2pm-7pm. Sometimes it is off all day until 8pm and then stays on all night until 8am.
My time in Nepal was so incredibly amazing... we were hosted by the Iris family there who already have four kids of their own, yet they took in all of us as well... Jesse, Tanya and Zoe got the spare room, Lonnie slept almost on the roof and us girls slept in the lounge, picking up our stuff during the day.
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| Arriving from the airport, no one was home so we climbed the fence! |
Love and affirmation of God poured out on the MKs
We arrived in Kathamandu on a Thursday and went straight that night to the children's home where they housed 9 full orphans. In Nepal they aren't allowed to have kids in the home unless they are full orphans (both parents not living).
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| The kids LOVED Zoe |
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| Can I just say Nepal is one of THE most gorgeous places in the World... |
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| They kept playing even after everything was finished... this game is a virus |
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| Fire Tunnel |
My first mani and pedi!
We got to go visit a friend in Nepal (who does awesome haircuts, she cut mine) who trains up women who have been rescued out of dance bars and trafficking situations. We ministered to them first joining in their worship in the morning, then sharing with them, and then they got to practise all their mani/pedi skills on us... I find it so funny that something I have just not made the time to do before or really had the money to do before, just gets given to me :) After I have sold and given away all my stuff except a few boxes, and am living by faith depending on what is given to me. It is sometimes hard feeling like I'm not independent and not earning my own wage, but I am in the best place and that is in the arms of my Jesus. My sails are up and he is free to blow me whichever way he wants! Pray for my stubborness to not get in the way! (as it still tries to sometimes).
We also had a great time ministering to some street kids. We got to connect with a team from Hawaii who are in Nepal for 3 months. They are full of joy and the holy spirit and we were so thankful to be around such refreshing people.
Releasing the kingdom in the temples and high places
During our time there we visited some of the temples just to walk around and release the presence of Jesus in those places. I was originally planning to go with the Hawaii team to a couple of high places to pray and worship over the city, but God put the girls from the family on my heart instead so we went to watch them dance (flash mob - probably on youtube by now... ) "Love the one in front of you" :)
Reports from the team that did go were incredible, there was one local person who really did not want them there worshipping, he was trying to take the guitar off the worship leader but then other local people of the temple beliefs were holding him back and saying "we want them here! We like what they are doing." It is so good to hear that even the locals loved it. The guy then picked up a stick and was trying to hit them with it, so the team decided to put the guitar away and then pray for people instead. Gods love ws poured out and people came into more of a revelation of who Jesus really is.
Iris picnic on the mountain!
Two days before the trek, we took a van and a 4wd (with no working 4wd) up this hill to 7,000 feet, as a celebration for the iris childrens home kids finishing the school term and getting their exam results back. All of
them are full orphans (as the government will not allow others in the home) and there is one girl who is 9years old and is in 1st grade, she came number 1 in her class and the school is letting her skip to grade
3 next as she is doing so well :) one of the other girls also got number one in her class, and all of the kids passed :) so they were all very happy. We packed 8 people and 2 kids in our 4wd plus a guitar and a suitcase full of food on the roof, and the rest fit in the van. At least 27 people and kids were packed in there! Kids squished onto adults laps. We had to borrow the van from one of the schools as the iris van broke down the other day... The 4wd broke down the week before. Both are really old but it is hard to get newer or better cars here as anything like that is taxed 100% coming into the country, meaning you have to pay the full value again. The 4wd they use there you could get in its condition for around $500 in the states but to buy
it in Nepal it is worth $12,000. So that gives you an idea!
A few days before the picnic, the iris kids home grew from 9 to 11 kids as they just took in two brothers. They are so small and so cute and in the space of a few days, it was already so noticeable the difference in their faces and behavior as they started to realise they are safe and have a home where they are loved and valued. They had such fun on the picnic playing with the YWAM team guys! (guys who are reading this- we need you on the mission field! We need fathers and big brothers and just guys in general!)
It was fun in nepal - even though we were staying in a nice looking place the power still goes off and the water runs out. We have to time our showers and laundry carefully! The power is scheduled to be on in different suburbs at different times and every so often everyone is given a new schedule. Sometimes it is on from 4am to 9am, then 2pm-7pm. Sometimes it is off all day until 8pm and then stays on all night until 8am.
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| We prayer walked the city, actually prayer drove around the main road. Prayed over the main human trafficking areas and brought His light into the darkness! This is one of the big touristy temples (see the golden statues in the back) |
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| Street kids getting free dinner |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Trekking to 10,000 something feet, bringing Jesus!
We just came back from trek and oh my goodness it was like the most hard, incredible, revelatory time for me :) it was physically incredibly hard, spiritually challenging as the battle is more full on up there, and I fell back in love with Jesus again... There is something about having taken an 18 hr bus ride over trecherous roads, a 2 hour 4wd ride over even more trecherous roads and then a hike up steep mountains and up rivers, ending in darkness then being helped by the other girls (my leg was stuffing up) along these big wide open
fields in the Himalayas with snow capped mountains all around and starry skies, across a 2 log bridge (not falling in)... There is something about that that just is so romantic... And funny! It was so lord of the rings, even at a couple of points up the mountains where it was so steep that if we slipped we would probably just fall and keep falling... Jesus so loves me :)
There was one point where we were sitting in the kitchen/dining/living room of this tibetan family we were staying with, and I just felt so dry and far from God as I felt like I hadn't felt his presence or heard his voice in so long. This was partly due to the spiritual atmosphere of the place. One of the YWAM girls prayed with me and just soaked me in his love... Something broke and I got so hungry for the word again, just soaking in it and resting in his presence, getting so much of what he is teaching me through this whole thing.
We slept 11 of us in one room, 6 of us in the living/dining/kitchen and another 5 of us in the prayer room of their house (they were not Christian) We found out later that this family who had given their home for us were sleeping in their potato field so we could sleep in their house. the dad would have slept there anyway to protect the newly planted potatoes from the wild pigs, but it was just so humbling for us to realize that this family of 4 with two little girls were sleeping out in the field where it was so cold that we were even freezing in our sleeping bags inside, and there would often be frost overnight.
Some highlights of the trip:
The team split up as some of us were not able to make an extra trek to another village. I was with the group that stayed behind. The first morning, we went out to sit in a field and just worship for a bit. As we worshipped with one of the guy's backpackers guitar, a family of villagers came and watched us. They asked us through our translator what we were doing and the they asked if we could pray for their brother who loved down the mountain. They must have heard about the healings that Jesus had already done the night before. So we prayed for their brother. Then we found out that the lady had back pain, and so did the man with her. So we prayed for their backs and they both got healed. We asked if they wanted to know about Jesus and they did. So we shared the complete gospel with them, and gave them bibles. They wanted to read about Jesus before saying yes to him, because we explained very clearly that they could worship no other gods if they wanted to worship Jesus. So they were very happy and went away with their bibles.
During the first night of the Jesus film, during the film a few of the guys went to pray for a lady who had cancer and was dying. She had 7 little children. As they prayed, this beautiful lady started getting hit with the Holy Spirit, she started laughing and the tumor on her body went soft. The guys knew something was going on! The next day a few of the girls went to visit her, she accepted Jesus, her husband said he wanted Jesus too and they walked all the way to church that Saturday (nepalis have church on Saturday's). The people whose house we were in were actually also medical doctors and the husband went to see her the next day, tested and confirmed she was completely healed, and the whole village was talking about it!
On the second night we did the Jesus film, I got to pray for a girl who had a sore leg. She got healed, then the next day my own leg got healed as I was hiking back down the mountain! Jesus is so good! There was a man who got healed from a bad back because his ox had stepped on him in the field while working. There was another woman with cancer who we prayed for and she was originally not able to walk. We saw her on the trek down the mountain later on, she was trekking down too!
It was so great for our combined iris and YWAM team, as some of the team had not experienced God healing people so much before. One girl had a lady come up to her to pray for her elbows. Before she finished saying 'in the name of Jesus', she was healed and grabbing her other arm to lay it on her other elbow. Then she grabbed her friend to pray for her! This story was repeated a lot. The deaf were healed, people came to Jesus, we grew closer as a team and closer to Jesus.
More updates later!
fields in the Himalayas with snow capped mountains all around and starry skies, across a 2 log bridge (not falling in)... There is something about that that just is so romantic... And funny! It was so lord of the rings, even at a couple of points up the mountains where it was so steep that if we slipped we would probably just fall and keep falling... Jesus so loves me :)
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| getting off the bus and onto the 4WDs |
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| sometimes the bus would run out of power halfway up a hill and would have to reverse, slowly and back around the corner on the edge of the cliff, then go fast to make it all the way up! |
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| we stopped in a little village for noodles before starting the hike. on the way back down, revival broke out in this village and the whole village came from their houses and the fields, some with their harvesting baskets still on their backs, asking for prayer. they went through the fire tunnel multiple times they were so hungry for Jesus! |
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| the kind of view I had most of the bus trip |
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| bridges like this are all over the mountain, some over chasms that go way deep! |
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| this was taken later on the trek, most of the snow had disappeared off the mountain! |
There was one point where we were sitting in the kitchen/dining/living room of this tibetan family we were staying with, and I just felt so dry and far from God as I felt like I hadn't felt his presence or heard his voice in so long. This was partly due to the spiritual atmosphere of the place. One of the YWAM girls prayed with me and just soaked me in his love... Something broke and I got so hungry for the word again, just soaking in it and resting in his presence, getting so much of what he is teaching me through this whole thing.
We slept 11 of us in one room, 6 of us in the living/dining/kitchen and another 5 of us in the prayer room of their house (they were not Christian) We found out later that this family who had given their home for us were sleeping in their potato field so we could sleep in their house. the dad would have slept there anyway to protect the newly planted potatoes from the wild pigs, but it was just so humbling for us to realize that this family of 4 with two little girls were sleeping out in the field where it was so cold that we were even freezing in our sleeping bags inside, and there would often be frost overnight.
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| the pump where we got our water - no electricity or running water here... and no latrines either. yes. we went in the fields... |
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| the daughters of the family whose house we stayed in - so cute! |
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| 6 people slept in here, along the benches, 2 to one bench, 3 to another and 1 on a small bench :) |
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| 11 people slept in here! 6 on the right, 5 on the left. It's a storage room I think |
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| We came back from the nepali church one day to find new meat hung up to dry in our bedroom! |
Some highlights of the trip:
The team split up as some of us were not able to make an extra trek to another village. I was with the group that stayed behind. The first morning, we went out to sit in a field and just worship for a bit. As we worshipped with one of the guy's backpackers guitar, a family of villagers came and watched us. They asked us through our translator what we were doing and the they asked if we could pray for their brother who loved down the mountain. They must have heard about the healings that Jesus had already done the night before. So we prayed for their brother. Then we found out that the lady had back pain, and so did the man with her. So we prayed for their backs and they both got healed. We asked if they wanted to know about Jesus and they did. So we shared the complete gospel with them, and gave them bibles. They wanted to read about Jesus before saying yes to him, because we explained very clearly that they could worship no other gods if they wanted to worship Jesus. So they were very happy and went away with their bibles.
During the first night of the Jesus film, during the film a few of the guys went to pray for a lady who had cancer and was dying. She had 7 little children. As they prayed, this beautiful lady started getting hit with the Holy Spirit, she started laughing and the tumor on her body went soft. The guys knew something was going on! The next day a few of the girls went to visit her, she accepted Jesus, her husband said he wanted Jesus too and they walked all the way to church that Saturday (nepalis have church on Saturday's). The people whose house we were in were actually also medical doctors and the husband went to see her the next day, tested and confirmed she was completely healed, and the whole village was talking about it!
On the second night we did the Jesus film, I got to pray for a girl who had a sore leg. She got healed, then the next day my own leg got healed as I was hiking back down the mountain! Jesus is so good! There was a man who got healed from a bad back because his ox had stepped on him in the field while working. There was another woman with cancer who we prayed for and she was originally not able to walk. We saw her on the trek down the mountain later on, she was trekking down too!
It was so great for our combined iris and YWAM team, as some of the team had not experienced God healing people so much before. One girl had a lady come up to her to pray for her elbows. Before she finished saying 'in the name of Jesus', she was healed and grabbing her other arm to lay it on her other elbow. Then she grabbed her friend to pray for her! This story was repeated a lot. The deaf were healed, people came to Jesus, we grew closer as a team and closer to Jesus.
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| to get to the church and the area we showed the Jesus film, we would walk along this track and then down the middle of a stream (stepping carefully on the rocks), also crossing a couple of streams on the way! |
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| One of the ladies we prayed for who had cancer. She had previously not been able to walk, but Jesus is in the process of healing her! |
More updates later!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Why Asia Trip
Just to clarify more of the purpose of this Asia trip.
My reason: while in Mozambique, God gave me confirmation after word after confirmation that I was to go to south America with Jesse and Tanya in sept 2011. As a last confirmation before I said yes definitely, I texted Katie my friend and leader at church, asking her for a word or picture from God for me. I didnt say what it was about, only that it was not about a guy! So I got a text back from her (which was a small miracle in itself, as most of my texts weren't going through and most that people tried to send me weren't coming through either!) at 6.30am the next morning. The scripture she got for me made absolutely no sense to her, but made perfect sense to me! Then about 1/2 hour later, Tanya came to my house looking for me to say they were having a south America meeting (which I didn't even know was planned. It was the first of many). At the end if that first meeting, we were looking at the map of the world and Tanya mentioned they were going to Nepal as well in April. She was like 'hey why don't you come to Nepal with us too?' my first response was no as my church conference is in April and I had been every year since 2004. It was an event I always made priority for, even cutting short family holidays to Malaysia for. Once I actually let God bring it up to me again it took me two days of crying and letting go... Even now I am still thinking of conference and kinda wanting to be there, but I KNOW that God wants me here am I am right smack bang in the middle of his will. So then God would give me names of more countries in Asia, and every time I would get another country, I would find out from an email from Tanya or from Jesse on skype that they had added that country to the trip. We had not talked about the country, God would just tell me and then Jesse and Tanya would add it!
Jesse and Tanya's reason:
One of their reasons is that at then end of the central/south America trip, they will be moving to Micronesia with another family to start a boat ministry to all the different islands and also start another mission school, both for micronesians and for international students. This will be more aimed at people who have a heart specifically for unreached people groups and will have more practical content such as surviving in the bush on almost nothing. This will be an Iris mission school and Heidi will be involved. This Asia trip is also to meet contacts and find out where the needs are, so that when students come to the school in Micronesia and they have a specific country on their heart, they can be sent out to a specific country and the need in that country as well as contacts will be known.
There is 7% left on this battery now, so that's all for now but feel free to email me for more info! serenaxh @gmail.com (take the space out)
Pease continue praying:
For health
Unity in the team, and that when Kelly and Kelly come from the states to join us, we will all fit in seamlessly together :) pray for their preparation as well
Provision. For each of us in the team
Intimacy- most important! Wth Jesus.
That we would continue to just make the choice to worship. Make the choice to lean in to Daddy's heart. Make the choice to love. To let God in to the deepest parts of our heart. To make time for Him and guard our intimacy and guard our hearts from offense and anything of the enemy that may try to take root.
There is a different spiritual atmosphere over katmandu and although it is very beautiful and perfect weather, me and others in the team have felt quite drained and there is definitely weird stuff going on here
Pray for the family we are staying with and the childrens home that they have :) the kids are gorgeous and God is doing such a great work here. Our hosts are the most beautiful family and we get to stay in their home... It feels such a relief after staying in hotels and apartments so long. Their natural kids here in the house are also lots of fun :) we get to eat beans and rice!!!! You may think I'm weird, but I love it :)
Divine connections and that we would be continuously conscious of the open heaven we walk in, of Gods presence, of our authority and His burning love for every person we meet
My reason: while in Mozambique, God gave me confirmation after word after confirmation that I was to go to south America with Jesse and Tanya in sept 2011. As a last confirmation before I said yes definitely, I texted Katie my friend and leader at church, asking her for a word or picture from God for me. I didnt say what it was about, only that it was not about a guy! So I got a text back from her (which was a small miracle in itself, as most of my texts weren't going through and most that people tried to send me weren't coming through either!) at 6.30am the next morning. The scripture she got for me made absolutely no sense to her, but made perfect sense to me! Then about 1/2 hour later, Tanya came to my house looking for me to say they were having a south America meeting (which I didn't even know was planned. It was the first of many). At the end if that first meeting, we were looking at the map of the world and Tanya mentioned they were going to Nepal as well in April. She was like 'hey why don't you come to Nepal with us too?' my first response was no as my church conference is in April and I had been every year since 2004. It was an event I always made priority for, even cutting short family holidays to Malaysia for. Once I actually let God bring it up to me again it took me two days of crying and letting go... Even now I am still thinking of conference and kinda wanting to be there, but I KNOW that God wants me here am I am right smack bang in the middle of his will. So then God would give me names of more countries in Asia, and every time I would get another country, I would find out from an email from Tanya or from Jesse on skype that they had added that country to the trip. We had not talked about the country, God would just tell me and then Jesse and Tanya would add it!
Jesse and Tanya's reason:
One of their reasons is that at then end of the central/south America trip, they will be moving to Micronesia with another family to start a boat ministry to all the different islands and also start another mission school, both for micronesians and for international students. This will be more aimed at people who have a heart specifically for unreached people groups and will have more practical content such as surviving in the bush on almost nothing. This will be an Iris mission school and Heidi will be involved. This Asia trip is also to meet contacts and find out where the needs are, so that when students come to the school in Micronesia and they have a specific country on their heart, they can be sent out to a specific country and the need in that country as well as contacts will be known.
There is 7% left on this battery now, so that's all for now but feel free to email me for more info! serenaxh @gmail.com (take the space out)
Pease continue praying:
For health
Unity in the team, and that when Kelly and Kelly come from the states to join us, we will all fit in seamlessly together :) pray for their preparation as well
Provision. For each of us in the team
Intimacy- most important! Wth Jesus.
That we would continue to just make the choice to worship. Make the choice to lean in to Daddy's heart. Make the choice to love. To let God in to the deepest parts of our heart. To make time for Him and guard our intimacy and guard our hearts from offense and anything of the enemy that may try to take root.
There is a different spiritual atmosphere over katmandu and although it is very beautiful and perfect weather, me and others in the team have felt quite drained and there is definitely weird stuff going on here
Pray for the family we are staying with and the childrens home that they have :) the kids are gorgeous and God is doing such a great work here. Our hosts are the most beautiful family and we get to stay in their home... It feels such a relief after staying in hotels and apartments so long. Their natural kids here in the house are also lots of fun :) we get to eat beans and rice!!!! You may think I'm weird, but I love it :)
Divine connections and that we would be continuously conscious of the open heaven we walk in, of Gods presence, of our authority and His burning love for every person we meet
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Visits with great groups of people
Our time in this country has been so great :) At times I kind of felt frustrated as because of safety concerns, some of our plans were changed. I am the kind of person who likes to have things organised and planned or at least know what we're doing. At least when there is a goal or purpose in mind. Other times I can be more of a spontaneous person... but anyway, I was finding it hard as things weren't as organised. But God had his own plans and connected us with amazing people. Each group or person we got to connect with has been so amazing and we are seeing the Lord do some great things through them.
We visited a school a train ride away from where we're staying, which was really great to see all these village kids getting to go to school and get an education. We got to play games with the kids and tell stories and see how the people in charge of it have these amazing plans for the land that it is built on. They have planted all kinds of fruit trees and want it to be really self sustainable, so they don't have to buy food from other places. The day after we visited the school, we got to visit this zoo where as I mentioned before, the monkeys escaped, we got up close and personal with aggro hyenas and I touched a leopard... ! But the highlight was definitely the kids on the train platform. They kept asking for money but after awhile realised we weren't going to give them any, and we just played with them and loved on them. When our train came a couple of the kids came back and pushed through the crowd to give us one hug goodbye.
Yesterday we were able to go with a friend of ours to visit a village a while out of the city. We were invited into one ofthe family's homes which was made of dirt just like outside the home, but everyone took their shoes off anyway as we stepped from the dirt outside to the dirt inside. It was swept so clean and reminded me of the dirt yards in Africa where they sweep their yards every day and it is so clean too. So we hung out a little with the family and then they took us outside to show us the shrine they had to pray to their gods. We then went over the road to where there was a few more houses and visited some more families. The highlight of that trip was just sitting on the edge of a pathway (made of dirt, which they will sit on but they will not sit on the dirt next to it) overlooking these fields with a nice breeze blowing over us all... I originally sat down next to this little old granny, who had a walking stick and was wearing a sari without a blouse - which means she is really one of the poorest of the poor. I wanted to take of my top and give it to her, but then I wouldn't have had anything much on... not good in a culture where they pretty much always wear sleeves! It was so good just loving on the people and talking with them a little through a friend who spoke english as well as the local language.
I had been thinking of visiting a particular organisation here in this city ever since I knew we were coming :) It is run by my cousin's sister-in-law and they rescue and shelter children from really vulnerable situations such as their parents wanting to poison them, abusive situations and children at risk of prostitution. So today we got to visit the home and just really get to hear what they do, pray with them and play with the kids. This was such a great time for me personally as my church ran a trip to this home last year, and I had wanted to come but the Lord didn't say to. I didn't know that it was in His plans anyway for me to visit now instead. So if God is saying to wait or you don't feel him saying to go when you think you want to, just wait on him - he has the perfect plan! The kids in this home in the words of another team member, are just "all so incredibly cute"! It's hard to think that they have come from such challenging backgrounds as they are all so happy and free... They love the Lord and they have great people looking after them. You just know that they are going to be able to step into whatever dreams and futures God has for them. I had really been feeling that this visit would bless us and also bless them and it seems like that is what has happened. So I am just really happy that we got to visit!!
We visited a school a train ride away from where we're staying, which was really great to see all these village kids getting to go to school and get an education. We got to play games with the kids and tell stories and see how the people in charge of it have these amazing plans for the land that it is built on. They have planted all kinds of fruit trees and want it to be really self sustainable, so they don't have to buy food from other places. The day after we visited the school, we got to visit this zoo where as I mentioned before, the monkeys escaped, we got up close and personal with aggro hyenas and I touched a leopard... ! But the highlight was definitely the kids on the train platform. They kept asking for money but after awhile realised we weren't going to give them any, and we just played with them and loved on them. When our train came a couple of the kids came back and pushed through the crowd to give us one hug goodbye.
Yesterday we were able to go with a friend of ours to visit a village a while out of the city. We were invited into one ofthe family's homes which was made of dirt just like outside the home, but everyone took their shoes off anyway as we stepped from the dirt outside to the dirt inside. It was swept so clean and reminded me of the dirt yards in Africa where they sweep their yards every day and it is so clean too. So we hung out a little with the family and then they took us outside to show us the shrine they had to pray to their gods. We then went over the road to where there was a few more houses and visited some more families. The highlight of that trip was just sitting on the edge of a pathway (made of dirt, which they will sit on but they will not sit on the dirt next to it) overlooking these fields with a nice breeze blowing over us all... I originally sat down next to this little old granny, who had a walking stick and was wearing a sari without a blouse - which means she is really one of the poorest of the poor. I wanted to take of my top and give it to her, but then I wouldn't have had anything much on... not good in a culture where they pretty much always wear sleeves! It was so good just loving on the people and talking with them a little through a friend who spoke english as well as the local language.
I had been thinking of visiting a particular organisation here in this city ever since I knew we were coming :) It is run by my cousin's sister-in-law and they rescue and shelter children from really vulnerable situations such as their parents wanting to poison them, abusive situations and children at risk of prostitution. So today we got to visit the home and just really get to hear what they do, pray with them and play with the kids. This was such a great time for me personally as my church ran a trip to this home last year, and I had wanted to come but the Lord didn't say to. I didn't know that it was in His plans anyway for me to visit now instead. So if God is saying to wait or you don't feel him saying to go when you think you want to, just wait on him - he has the perfect plan! The kids in this home in the words of another team member, are just "all so incredibly cute"! It's hard to think that they have come from such challenging backgrounds as they are all so happy and free... They love the Lord and they have great people looking after them. You just know that they are going to be able to step into whatever dreams and futures God has for them. I had really been feeling that this visit would bless us and also bless them and it seems like that is what has happened. So I am just really happy that we got to visit!!
Tonight we have dinner with our hosts - it is our last night here :) I am so thankful to God for how he has just blessed us so far in the connections we have made and the people who are now in our hearts... We did not end up getting a guitar but it is okay, we can still worship God without a guitar!
Thank you so much for all your prayers. Please continue to pray for refreshing, wisdom, clarity and the best use of our time, provision, unity, strength, JOY and LOVE! that we each of us in the team would continue to walk in intimacy every day with Jesus.
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