I realize that my last few posts have been more on the pensive, reflective side so I decided I ought to do a good, old fashioned, informative update today.
Port-au-Prince: Tent cities, orphanages and construction.
It is easy to see how the capital could have once been a prosperous city, but now, even a year after the earthquake, it is defined by piles of rubble and tents. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed during the earthquake and even more were left completely homeless, their simple houses reduced to a pile of rubble. The only solution found by the Haitian government and aid organizations was to bring in tents to house these families until proper homes could be rebuilt for them. This was only ever meant to be a temporary solution but now these tents have become a permanent part of the landscape. Parks, plazas and soccer fields have become the permanent residence of a huge chunk of the city’s population. These tent cities have some of the worst living conditions imaginable: families crammed into a tent (usually nothing more than a tarp tied over some wooden poles), sleeping on the ground, with no running water or electricity, and certainly no bathrooms. Disease is rampant, the children’s bellies swollen with parasites, and starvation is real. Our team visited several different tent cities throughout our time in Port-au-Prince, doing dome evangelism, but mostly spending time with the kids there. These children have it the worst: most are either neglected or abused by their parents, many don’t have clothes or shoes and all of them are hungry and thirsty. But their eyes light up when they see us coming. We usually spent a few hours in the tent cities per week, performing skits, telling Bible stories or just playing with them or holding them. Their parents look on as we offer these children unconditional love and attempt to give them the only thing that truly lasts in this world: Jesus’s love.
We also took part in a few construction projects with the YWAM base that was hosting us. They purchased a large plot of land an hour outside the city and have the goal of building a hundred houses out there. So we spent a few days digging foundations, mixing cement and laying the groundwork for two duplexes. I had never done much physical labor before so this was definitely challenging for me, but so rewarding! We also helped build several bunkbeds for the base as they will be hosting up to 50 students in June for the first ever discipleship training school in Port-au-Prince. As a result, I have pretty much perfected the art of using the circular sander (I’m not sure if that’s what it’s called… But it’s circular and it sands so...). I loved learning to work with wood- now Jesus and I have one more thing in common :)
Every week during our time in Port-au-Prince, we visited the Canaan Orphanage. Though, I’m not sure “orphanage” is even an accurate term to describe it, seeing as how it brings to mind images of a simple building with rows of bunkbeds where children patiently wait to be adopted. Canaan Orphanage is nothing more than a plot of land, slightly smaller than a soccer field, surrounded by a few strands of barbed wire tied to some wooden posts, with a handful of makeshift tents on dispersed throughout it. At best, it looks like a mediocre campsite, but it is in fact home to over 30 orphans. Many them had parents die during the earthquake. It is run by one of the most amazing, spirit-filled women I have ever met, a middle-aged Haitian woman named Odelaine. She has no way to provide for these children; they trust God every day for food to eat, but what is truly amazing is that God has always been faithful! Every time we would visit these kids, they had grown and gained weight. One time, they even had new clothes! God taught me so much through these kids, but more than anything, He showed me that He truly does stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, and He takes care of the orphans and widows. Our times at Canaan were some of the best times of this outreach for me.
On Thursday, April 28th, we left Port-au-Prince and took a bus a few hours up the coast to the smaller town of Gonaives where we will be for the remainder of our time in Haiti. We are staying at a YWAM base here and will be working with the base director, Pastor Mola in his ministry. We will be doing street evangelism, and we will be visiting orphanages, schools, hospitals and various villages nearby.
Thank you Jesus: For healing my teammates who were under the weather and for keeping us all in good health since; for the amazing hospitality we've received at both bases so far (surprisingly delicious food, comfortable beds, mosquito netting!); for safe travels around the country!
Please Pray: For God’s continued hand of guidance over our team, that the Spirit would lead us to the people that God has prepared for us to minister to; for good sleep (there is a lot of noise at night here and a church service down the street at 4 in the morning that makes it sleep tough!); for continued good health and bonding in our team.
Thanks for sticking with me and my team on this adventure!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Where's God in disaster?
OK, so just a quick disclaimer: I've been reading quite a bit of Rob Bell and Donald Miller's works lately, which has many side effects, one of which is extensive thinking. The following blog is most likely the result of this dangerous pasttime.
As I look around this city, it is impossible to forget the earthquake that ravaged it one year ago. There is still rubble everywhere and thousands of tents litter the city. When I hear people recount to me the tragedy that struck on January 12th 2010, I can see the sadness in their eyes. Not a single person in this country was left unaffected by this disaster. In 45 seconds, an entire nation was turned upside down. It is impossible for me to look around at the mass graves, to hold an orphaned child in my arms and to walk through the tent cities and not ask my God the question: Where are you in all this? And where are you now?
One common explanation for the earthquake is that God was shaking the foundations of this country. People frequently tell the story of how a slave, 200 years ago, drank blood and committed the country of Haiti to the devil for 2 centuries in exchange for their freedom from the French. The curse on this land is evident: the once fertile soil is now dry and barren, poverty and famine are everywhere. Many believe that after the curse ended in 2004, God wanted to start over in Haiti, tear it all down and rebuild it. Every important government building- all built on the foundation of Voodoo rituals- has now been reduced to a pile of rubble.
Now this theory sounds nice until you drive past a mass grave where 80,000 people lie dead, or until you hear a four-year-old state matter-of-factly: my mom and dad are dead now. The God I serve is a God whose heart breaks for orphans and who despises death and destruction. The God I serve is a God who gives “life in abundance” and longs to bring joy and love to His children. How then could the same God sing the death warrant of hundreds of thousands of people and leave the rest to suffer through loneliness, disease and starvation?
No. I cannot accept that God divised this disaster, orchestrated the whole thing for some higher purpose. And while I acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than our ways, I don’t want to use it as a cop-out, and simply accept that this is beyond my understanding. I believe that the opposite of faith is not doubt- in fact, doubt is crucial to the growth of faith. In Eph 1:17, Paul prays that “The God of our Lord Jesus, the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him" and in James 1:5 he says that if anyone lacks wisdom he should ask God for it because He gives it generously and without reproach. So I am not afraid to continue questioning. But rather than theorizing and wondering about the mysteries of God as though He were some far-off, mythological entity, I exercise my privilege of an intimate relationship with God through Jesus and ask Him directly.
And Jesus responds by bringing to mind the story of Lazarus in John 11. Now, in this story, when Jesus first found out that Lazarus was ill, He was probably aware that he would die if He didn’t leave immediately to go help him. He knew Lazarus was going to die but He didn’t prevent it. He knew Lazarus was going to die, but when He got there and found His dear friend actually dead, He was heartbroken. He wept. He grieved. He joined Mary and Martha in mourning. His pain was every bit as acute as theirs because Lazarus was His friend too, “the one He loved” (v.3) But He didn’t stop there. He took the situation to His Father and asked Him to redeem it. And it was in the midst of this disaster that Jesus performed on the greatest miracles of His ministry.
Jesus did not cause Lazarus to become sick and die- some disease or accident that is simply the result of living in a fallen world did that. In the same way, I do not believe that God caused the earthquake in Haiti. Our whole planet got messed up during the Fall. Earthquakes happen. (I suppose it is also a definite possibility that the evil one could have had some part to play in it as well- after all, Jesus did call him the Prince of the Earth.)
Jesus knew Lazarus would die. He definitely could have prevented it, being God, but He didn’t “for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified through it” (v.4). Jesus also knew the Earthquake would hit Haiti on January 12th, 2010, turning an entire nation upside down. He could have prevented it but He didn’t. He did not cause this disaster but He allowed it to happen. Slight difference in wording, huge difference in implications.
In the case of Lazarus’ death, Jesus’ heart broke. On the day of the earthquake, His heart broke again. He wept. He grieved. He joined with the nation of Haiti in mourning. He said to Himself in both situations, “This is not how I created this world to be”.
But He didn’t stop there. He didn’t panic or freak out or go “Ah! Now what?!”. No, he rolled up His sleeves and from the ashes of disaster, He began to bring life. He looked at the fallen world, at the beautiful mess we’ve made for ourselves and He got to work. Because God is in the business of redeeming. He loves to take our mistakes and turn them into something beautiful. He did it with Lazarus. He is doing it in Haiti. And He is doing it in our lives every day.
So where is God in disaster? He’s right there with us, feeling our loss, our confusion, our pain just as intensely as we are. But even as He wipes the tears from His eyes, He is working in situation- no matter how convoluted- to make it into something even better than it was before, to bring His kingdom of Heaven here in the place of Hell and to give glory to His name forever and ever. Amen ☺
As I look around this city, it is impossible to forget the earthquake that ravaged it one year ago. There is still rubble everywhere and thousands of tents litter the city. When I hear people recount to me the tragedy that struck on January 12th 2010, I can see the sadness in their eyes. Not a single person in this country was left unaffected by this disaster. In 45 seconds, an entire nation was turned upside down. It is impossible for me to look around at the mass graves, to hold an orphaned child in my arms and to walk through the tent cities and not ask my God the question: Where are you in all this? And where are you now?
One common explanation for the earthquake is that God was shaking the foundations of this country. People frequently tell the story of how a slave, 200 years ago, drank blood and committed the country of Haiti to the devil for 2 centuries in exchange for their freedom from the French. The curse on this land is evident: the once fertile soil is now dry and barren, poverty and famine are everywhere. Many believe that after the curse ended in 2004, God wanted to start over in Haiti, tear it all down and rebuild it. Every important government building- all built on the foundation of Voodoo rituals- has now been reduced to a pile of rubble.
Now this theory sounds nice until you drive past a mass grave where 80,000 people lie dead, or until you hear a four-year-old state matter-of-factly: my mom and dad are dead now. The God I serve is a God whose heart breaks for orphans and who despises death and destruction. The God I serve is a God who gives “life in abundance” and longs to bring joy and love to His children. How then could the same God sing the death warrant of hundreds of thousands of people and leave the rest to suffer through loneliness, disease and starvation?
No. I cannot accept that God divised this disaster, orchestrated the whole thing for some higher purpose. And while I acknowledge that God’s ways are higher than our ways, I don’t want to use it as a cop-out, and simply accept that this is beyond my understanding. I believe that the opposite of faith is not doubt- in fact, doubt is crucial to the growth of faith. In Eph 1:17, Paul prays that “The God of our Lord Jesus, the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him" and in James 1:5 he says that if anyone lacks wisdom he should ask God for it because He gives it generously and without reproach. So I am not afraid to continue questioning. But rather than theorizing and wondering about the mysteries of God as though He were some far-off, mythological entity, I exercise my privilege of an intimate relationship with God through Jesus and ask Him directly.
And Jesus responds by bringing to mind the story of Lazarus in John 11. Now, in this story, when Jesus first found out that Lazarus was ill, He was probably aware that he would die if He didn’t leave immediately to go help him. He knew Lazarus was going to die but He didn’t prevent it. He knew Lazarus was going to die, but when He got there and found His dear friend actually dead, He was heartbroken. He wept. He grieved. He joined Mary and Martha in mourning. His pain was every bit as acute as theirs because Lazarus was His friend too, “the one He loved” (v.3) But He didn’t stop there. He took the situation to His Father and asked Him to redeem it. And it was in the midst of this disaster that Jesus performed on the greatest miracles of His ministry.
Jesus did not cause Lazarus to become sick and die- some disease or accident that is simply the result of living in a fallen world did that. In the same way, I do not believe that God caused the earthquake in Haiti. Our whole planet got messed up during the Fall. Earthquakes happen. (I suppose it is also a definite possibility that the evil one could have had some part to play in it as well- after all, Jesus did call him the Prince of the Earth.)
Jesus knew Lazarus would die. He definitely could have prevented it, being God, but He didn’t “for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified through it” (v.4). Jesus also knew the Earthquake would hit Haiti on January 12th, 2010, turning an entire nation upside down. He could have prevented it but He didn’t. He did not cause this disaster but He allowed it to happen. Slight difference in wording, huge difference in implications.
In the case of Lazarus’ death, Jesus’ heart broke. On the day of the earthquake, His heart broke again. He wept. He grieved. He joined with the nation of Haiti in mourning. He said to Himself in both situations, “This is not how I created this world to be”.
But He didn’t stop there. He didn’t panic or freak out or go “Ah! Now what?!”. No, he rolled up His sleeves and from the ashes of disaster, He began to bring life. He looked at the fallen world, at the beautiful mess we’ve made for ourselves and He got to work. Because God is in the business of redeeming. He loves to take our mistakes and turn them into something beautiful. He did it with Lazarus. He is doing it in Haiti. And He is doing it in our lives every day.
So where is God in disaster? He’s right there with us, feeling our loss, our confusion, our pain just as intensely as we are. But even as He wipes the tears from His eyes, He is working in situation- no matter how convoluted- to make it into something even better than it was before, to bring His kingdom of Heaven here in the place of Hell and to give glory to His name forever and ever. Amen ☺
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Emily...
She had chocolate skin and short brown hair tied in tiny, matted braids, beginning to turn orange at the roots (a sign I later learned, of malnutrition). She looked up at me with lifeless, watery eyes from the arms of her sister. Her arms hung limp at her sides and her head rested lethargically on her shoulder.
-Tiens, her sister said to me. Take her.
I lifted the baby girl from the outsretch arms of her caretaker, no more than three years old herself. At first, she seemed to object to these foreign hands- their unusal coloring and funny smell undoubtedly unnerved her- and she let out a faint whimper, tightening up her face into a half grimace. But after a moment, she layed her head resignedly on my chest, too weak to protest. I had one hand on her head, covered in blisters and sores, unskillfully hidden by her thin cornnrows, and the other on her bare bottom from which dangled two thin legs.
-How old is she ? I asked her sister in Creole.
-Un an, came the reply. One year old.
At first, I wondered if I had understood her correctly. The child in my arms could hardly have passed for six months, much less twelve, weighing barely fifteen pounds by the feel of it. I wondered when the last time was she’d had anything to eat, if she could even grasp the concept of a full stomach. I could feel the congestion in her young lungs as she painstakingly drew breath after breath. I didn’t even want to contemplate what kind of sicknesses she was probably battling, what parasites were gnawing away at her insides.
-Comment li rele?, I asked. What is her name ?
-Emily, they told me fondly.
Emily. My name. Suddenly, this rag doll resting on my bosom was no longer simply another impoverished child living in a tent in the slums of one oft he world’s poorest countries. Suddenlz, we were connected. She had a name. My name.
My mind went back to seventeen years ago, my imagination painting a scene not so different from this one: another little girl, one year old, resting her head on a young white woman’s shoulder, her name also Emily. The only difference was that this Emily had just eaten a full meal, her pudgy arms and legs making her tiring to hold, a peaceful smile resting on her round, white face. This Emily would grow up never one going to bed hungry, never knowing what it is to walk barefoot over gravel roads or to sleep on a dirt floor in a tent. She woul leanr to read and the names of planets and how to drive a car. She would travel the world and own sixteen pairs of jeans just because she could. She would never have to drink muddy water from a hole in the ground to quench a burning thirst that she would never know.
In that moment, my mind fought to comprehend how two humans, both made of twent-six chromosomes, with ten fingers and two lips and the same name, born into the same world could have such vastly different experiences of it. How is it decided which Emilzy will go to Italy for vacation and which Emily will be born in a tent? Why should one eat cheesecake simply because it tastes good while the other tries to ignore her growling stomach in an attempt to find slumber?
I couldn’t find an answer to satisfy my restless heart other than maybe (at the risk of sounding cliche) it’s a bit like the wind. I mean, have you ever thought to ask why there are some areas of the world that have high barometric pressure and others that have low? I don’t think anyone can explain the why but everyone loves the result: a cool breeze. So maybe the reason why some have so much while others have nothing is so that the one can give to the other and something good can come out of it.
I don’t know. Maybe that’s a stretch. But it gives me some measure of peace so I’ll hold onto it.
-Tiens, her sister said to me. Take her.
I lifted the baby girl from the outsretch arms of her caretaker, no more than three years old herself. At first, she seemed to object to these foreign hands- their unusal coloring and funny smell undoubtedly unnerved her- and she let out a faint whimper, tightening up her face into a half grimace. But after a moment, she layed her head resignedly on my chest, too weak to protest. I had one hand on her head, covered in blisters and sores, unskillfully hidden by her thin cornnrows, and the other on her bare bottom from which dangled two thin legs.
-How old is she ? I asked her sister in Creole.
-Un an, came the reply. One year old.
At first, I wondered if I had understood her correctly. The child in my arms could hardly have passed for six months, much less twelve, weighing barely fifteen pounds by the feel of it. I wondered when the last time was she’d had anything to eat, if she could even grasp the concept of a full stomach. I could feel the congestion in her young lungs as she painstakingly drew breath after breath. I didn’t even want to contemplate what kind of sicknesses she was probably battling, what parasites were gnawing away at her insides.
-Comment li rele?, I asked. What is her name ?
-Emily, they told me fondly.
Emily. My name. Suddenly, this rag doll resting on my bosom was no longer simply another impoverished child living in a tent in the slums of one oft he world’s poorest countries. Suddenlz, we were connected. She had a name. My name.
My mind went back to seventeen years ago, my imagination painting a scene not so different from this one: another little girl, one year old, resting her head on a young white woman’s shoulder, her name also Emily. The only difference was that this Emily had just eaten a full meal, her pudgy arms and legs making her tiring to hold, a peaceful smile resting on her round, white face. This Emily would grow up never one going to bed hungry, never knowing what it is to walk barefoot over gravel roads or to sleep on a dirt floor in a tent. She woul leanr to read and the names of planets and how to drive a car. She would travel the world and own sixteen pairs of jeans just because she could. She would never have to drink muddy water from a hole in the ground to quench a burning thirst that she would never know.
In that moment, my mind fought to comprehend how two humans, both made of twent-six chromosomes, with ten fingers and two lips and the same name, born into the same world could have such vastly different experiences of it. How is it decided which Emilzy will go to Italy for vacation and which Emily will be born in a tent? Why should one eat cheesecake simply because it tastes good while the other tries to ignore her growling stomach in an attempt to find slumber?
I couldn’t find an answer to satisfy my restless heart other than maybe (at the risk of sounding cliche) it’s a bit like the wind. I mean, have you ever thought to ask why there are some areas of the world that have high barometric pressure and others that have low? I don’t think anyone can explain the why but everyone loves the result: a cool breeze. So maybe the reason why some have so much while others have nothing is so that the one can give to the other and something good can come out of it.
I don’t know. Maybe that’s a stretch. But it gives me some measure of peace so I’ll hold onto it.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The adventure continues in Haiti!
I’m not sure quite what I was expecting from Haiti but I definitely was not expecting to feel instantly at home here. However, everything from the smell of burning trash to the flat roofs and tile floors of the villa where we will be staying this month to cows grazing on the side of the roads makes me feel like I’m back in Morocco and puts me right at ease.
We were blessed with amazingly smooth travels to Haiti- we made our connecting flight in JFK without a problem, all our bags made it and we found our contact at the airport in Port-au-Prince easily. We loaded up into the back of a truck and began the long, dusty trip to the YWAM base- a big villa in a quiet neighborhood, about 30 minutes from the heart of the city. The YWAM base here is divided up into 2 houses: the Mayagate house where the base director and most of the staff live, and the Bellville house- our house- home to 4 American and 3 Haitian staff.
Our daily schedule is full but fun! We get up with the sun at 5:30 AM to have a quiet time followed by breakfast at 6:30. At 7:15, we have worship and at 8:15 we clean the house. From 9 to 12:30, we do ministry. So far, we’ve taken a prayer tour of the city, played with kids in the tent city down the road, and dug foundations for a house. Today we’ll be visiting an orphanage. During the afternoons, we either have more ministry or we have the afternoon off.
We don’t have city electricity most of the time, so during the day, we just don’t use it! Surprisingly, I have found it is perfectly possible to live quite comfortably without electricity. We make coffee by pouring hot water over grounds, we take showers using a bucket and cup and the Haitian sun provides all the light we need. At night, we run a generator, giving us access to internet, so I’ll be on Skype and Facebook most night for a short time, if any of you want to chat with me!
Well, I’ve been on this computer for far too long now so I’ll sign off. Please keep praying for good health and protection for our team! Dorothea is currently wrestling with “Haitian happiness” (aka Diarhea), so please keep her in your prayers.
Love you all!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Meet team Haiti!
When the Outreach teams were first announced, Team Haiti consisted of our two leaders, Bob and Dorothea, myself and two other girls. When I realized how small this team was, I really questioned God about whether it should even happen! After all, what kind of impact could three girls have on Haiti? But God spoke clearly: "Go to Haiti and trust me with your outreach". So I did (if somewhat reluctantly). However, all five current members of the team felt that God would bring more people to our team. So we began praying into that. And while He didn't answer our prayers in the way we imagined He would, ten people will now be boarding the plane on Tuesday, March 29th, glory to God!
Our Leaders:
Bob DeGroot, age 21 from Holland. He has been with YWAM for almost two years now, having completed his DTS in the spring of 2009. He shares my love for the beach and surfing so I knew from day one we would get along great. As if that didn't make him cool enough, he also has an amazing heart for God's kingdom and a special soft spot for kids.
Dorothea, age 23 from Switzerland. She did her DTS with Bob in 2009, so this is not the first time they've worked together in this context. They're both servant leaders and have given us as students a big say in what happens on the team. Dorothea is a firm believer in positive attitudes and has a huge love for fun. Her laughter and encouragement really bring life to the team.
The Original Three:
Stefanie Sliger, age 18 from Texas. She graduated highschool last spring and, like me, felt called to put college on hold for a time to go deeper into God. She has an amazing leadership and pastor/teacher annointing. When she speaks, people listen and where she goes, people follow. She also brings lots of energy to the team and is a pretty solid defender in soccer :)
Rachael Loh, age 27 from Malaysia. She might seem quiet and unassuming from the outside, but when she speaks, I have learned to listen. She is so filled with the Holy Spirit and it shows through her gentleness, her words of encouragement and her humility. She has an annointing for emotional healing that I know will come in handy not only in ministering to the people of Haiti but in our team as well.
Me, age 18 from Morocco/Minnesota. While this is not necessarily something I would have imagined for myself, last week David Gava prophecied a deliverance annointing over me both in the physical and the spiritual realm. In hindsight, this actually makes a lot of sense, because since I've been at DTS, God has used me to help break strongholds in the lives of several of my friends. I look forward to the way God will develop that in me in Haiti!
January Additions:
Summer Zhu, age 18 from Australia. She had originally joined the India team but felt like God was calling her to switch after about a week. She is always laughing and making others laugh- definitely filled with the joy of the Lord! She also has amazing musical ability and a real worship annointing. She will not only be able to bring people into worship but she will also be able to bring healing and deliverance to people through her worship!
Ryan Vermooten, age 24 from South Africa. He was a last minute addition to our DTS, and arrived halfway through the second week of the school! But that was clearly an act of God as he has been a huge encouragement to me and a great asset to our team. As a vegetarian, he is the only member of our team who is genuinely excited by the beans-and-rice diet we'll be enjoying while in Haiti. He has amazing photography and videography skills, having done several YWAM schools in these fields, and has an annointing of creativity on him!
Ex-Team Turkey: About three weeks ago, the Turkey team was cancelled because their leaders were now needed to lead the Ghana team (it's complicated). As a result, the ex-Turkey team members were divided amongst the three remaining teams and we got two more members to our team!
Holly Leeming, age 20 from the UK. I was particularly excited by this addition because Holly, in addition to being pretty amazing, is my roommate! This means she probably knows me better than anyone else in the school, and has already learned to put up with my sleep-talking :) She has a powerful testimony and I have been able to personally witness the Lord's healing in her life, which has given her an annointing to now heal others!
Rachel Brighton, age 20 from Pennsylvania. She was a Junior in college without a major, who decided to take some time off to seek God's will for her life. Since being here, she has found new life in the Holy Spirit. She has a "sledge-hammer" annointing, to break down walls and breathe the Holy Spirit into the lives of everyone she encounters.
Our latest addition: (as of yesterday, March 23rd)
Jesse Blair, age 25 from Washington. Needless to say, our whole team was excited to have another man! He is naturally protective and is sure to take good care of us ladies, but his goofy nature will keep us all laughing. Not to mention he balances out the guy-girl ratio a little :) He also has a lot of experience with construction which we'll be doing a lot of!
And that is team Haiti!
Our Leaders:
The Original Three:
Me, age 18 from Morocco/Minnesota. While this is not necessarily something I would have imagined for myself, last week David Gava prophecied a deliverance annointing over me both in the physical and the spiritual realm. In hindsight, this actually makes a lot of sense, because since I've been at DTS, God has used me to help break strongholds in the lives of several of my friends. I look forward to the way God will develop that in me in Haiti!January Additions:
Ex-Team Turkey: About three weeks ago, the Turkey team was cancelled because their leaders were now needed to lead the Ghana team (it's complicated). As a result, the ex-Turkey team members were divided amongst the three remaining teams and we got two more members to our team!
Our latest addition: (as of yesterday, March 23rd)
And that is team Haiti!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Week 10: Partnering with the Holy Spirit in Powerful Evangelism!
This last week was absolutely amazing as our speaker, David Gava, did far more than just teach- he worked with the Holy Spirit to effectively equip us for outreach, no longer a far-off eventuality but an immediate actuality!
He spoke on evangelism and emphasized the importance of really coming into the knowledge of what we have been given in Christ, because "if you know what you've been given, you can go out and give it! But if you don't know what you've been given, you can't go out and give it because you don't know what you have" :) He also challenged us to think about what it would be like if we began to work with the Holy Spirit in evangelism. Jesus only ever went where He saw His Father working and even then, worked not out of His own power but out of God's power in Him! We actually have the potential to do all the things Jesus did and more if we stop trying to do things for God's kingdom out of our own limited knowledge and ability but rather partner with the Holy Spirit! The age of signs and miracles is not over - David and other speakers before him have countless testimonies to make this quite clear. Rather, God's infinite imagination is working greater miracles all around the world today than ever before: people are being raised from the dead, money is falling out of loaves of bread, there are countless healings and countless deliverances... And I believe that if I am in constant submission to and communion with the Father through the Holy Spirit, He will do unthinkable works through me! He will lead me to where He is already working and thoroughly equip me to work alongside Him and in Him. He will give me words of knowledge for people I have never met and will heal the sick that are brought before me. I will cast out demons in His name and reap the plentiful harvest that is waiting! As David said, "God is not looking for ability, He is looking for availability". I don't know what ability I have but I do know this: I have never been more available!
So stay tuned as, like Jesus, I go where the Father leads and partner with Him in the amazing things He is doing in Haiti and beyond. :)
He spoke on evangelism and emphasized the importance of really coming into the knowledge of what we have been given in Christ, because "if you know what you've been given, you can go out and give it! But if you don't know what you've been given, you can't go out and give it because you don't know what you have" :) He also challenged us to think about what it would be like if we began to work with the Holy Spirit in evangelism. Jesus only ever went where He saw His Father working and even then, worked not out of His own power but out of God's power in Him! We actually have the potential to do all the things Jesus did and more if we stop trying to do things for God's kingdom out of our own limited knowledge and ability but rather partner with the Holy Spirit! The age of signs and miracles is not over - David and other speakers before him have countless testimonies to make this quite clear. Rather, God's infinite imagination is working greater miracles all around the world today than ever before: people are being raised from the dead, money is falling out of loaves of bread, there are countless healings and countless deliverances... And I believe that if I am in constant submission to and communion with the Father through the Holy Spirit, He will do unthinkable works through me! He will lead me to where He is already working and thoroughly equip me to work alongside Him and in Him. He will give me words of knowledge for people I have never met and will heal the sick that are brought before me. I will cast out demons in His name and reap the plentiful harvest that is waiting! As David said, "God is not looking for ability, He is looking for availability". I don't know what ability I have but I do know this: I have never been more available!
So stay tuned as, like Jesus, I go where the Father leads and partner with Him in the amazing things He is doing in Haiti and beyond. :)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The last few weeks
First off, I'd like to apologize for how long it's been since I last posted something here. These last few weeks have been pretty crazy busy (and I must admit, I've just been a bit lazy in regards to this blog). As the countdown until outreach begins to truly wind down, I find my free time being all but cut out of my life as I go from lectures to work duties to outreach team meetings to the video editing studio...
Despite being busy, these last few weeks have been full of great teaching and fun times. Two weeks ago, our topic was spiritual warfare and our speaker, Jills Bills really opened my eyes how finite our enemy is! He is a created being in no way equal to our God: he is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or all-knowing. His power is limited and his authority is actually smaller than ours! This really made me feel empowered to actually make a difference in the spiritual realm. This topic flowed into this last week as we learned about worship in warfare. We learned about how great an effect our worship can actually have on the place we are in! For this reason, it is so important that we be intentional in our worship, fixing our eyes on God and making Him the subject of our full adoration and attention. I also benefited from some extra time just spent in worship. As I turned my focus from my hectic schedule, tight finances and homesickness to God, He was so faithful to comfort me and restore joy to me.
A few weekends ago, a few of us drove 2 and a half hours east to the Riverside County Fair in Indio, where I introduced my international friends to the wonders of fair food, demolition derbies and unlimitted ride wristbands. Our amazing day of funnel cakes and ferris wheels ended with (can you believe it?) a SWITCHFOOT concert! We got there two hours before the show started and braved the cold to win amazing spots right up at the front. Not only did this allow me a pretty spectacular view of Switchfoot's top-notch performance but it also meant that I made contact with Jon Foreman's hand on not one, but two occasions! I guess that makes us basically best friends now (though we were already pretty tight before, after all, do follow him on Twitter!)
On a slightly different note, things for our Haiti outreach are really starting to come together. A major door opened for us to stay in Port-au-Prince, working with Homes of Hope, serving at the YWAM base and doing urban evangelism for the first four weeks. The second half will be spent in Gonaives doing ministry around the base there as well and working primarily amongst the Haitian churches. We'll be focusing on connecting the various churches to each other and to YWAM, as well as just serving where we're needed. The opportunities of course, are endless. As a team, we are committed to continually listening to the Holy Spirit and being sensitive to whatever work He would have us do!
Please continue to pray for our finances, as we are all still short. If you feel led to help support me individually or my team as a whole, please send any checks to:
Despite being busy, these last few weeks have been full of great teaching and fun times. Two weeks ago, our topic was spiritual warfare and our speaker, Jills Bills really opened my eyes how finite our enemy is! He is a created being in no way equal to our God: he is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or all-knowing. His power is limited and his authority is actually smaller than ours! This really made me feel empowered to actually make a difference in the spiritual realm. This topic flowed into this last week as we learned about worship in warfare. We learned about how great an effect our worship can actually have on the place we are in! For this reason, it is so important that we be intentional in our worship, fixing our eyes on God and making Him the subject of our full adoration and attention. I also benefited from some extra time just spent in worship. As I turned my focus from my hectic schedule, tight finances and homesickness to God, He was so faithful to comfort me and restore joy to me.
A few weekends ago, a few of us drove 2 and a half hours east to the Riverside County Fair in Indio, where I introduced my international friends to the wonders of fair food, demolition derbies and unlimitted ride wristbands. Our amazing day of funnel cakes and ferris wheels ended with (can you believe it?) a SWITCHFOOT concert! We got there two hours before the show started and braved the cold to win amazing spots right up at the front. Not only did this allow me a pretty spectacular view of Switchfoot's top-notch performance but it also meant that I made contact with Jon Foreman's hand on not one, but two occasions! I guess that makes us basically best friends now (though we were already pretty tight before, after all, do follow him on Twitter!)
On a slightly different note, things for our Haiti outreach are really starting to come together. A major door opened for us to stay in Port-au-Prince, working with Homes of Hope, serving at the YWAM base and doing urban evangelism for the first four weeks. The second half will be spent in Gonaives doing ministry around the base there as well and working primarily amongst the Haitian churches. We'll be focusing on connecting the various churches to each other and to YWAM, as well as just serving where we're needed. The opportunities of course, are endless. As a team, we are committed to continually listening to the Holy Spirit and being sensitive to whatever work He would have us do!
Please continue to pray for our finances, as we are all still short. If you feel led to help support me individually or my team as a whole, please send any checks to:
YWAM LA
11141 Osborne St.
Lake View Terrace
CA 91342
Thank you so much for going on this adventure with me! As always, I will keep you posted!
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