Love Changes Everything

Today, as in many other days, I got to learn a lesson about the Lord’s love through two young boys. After session today, my color team was meeting together and when we were finished, one of the guys (Vedan) asked if we could pray over a little boy he was holding from the village named Enrique, who had come into base for lunch. Vedan had noticed that his hand was swollen and had taken him to our clinic. Here, because of the dirt and lack of simple treatments like bandaids, minor cuts can get infected and evolve into big lumps on the kids and can often be a source of getting made fun of. His hand was bandaged but still distorted, so we decided to pray for him just a little bit.

As we were praying, however, this precious little boy (whom only spoke his tribal language that we didn’t know) started shaking and tears started streaming from his face. My heart broke as I soon realized that he was struggling not with a broken hand but a broken heart. Vedan kept holding him, and we kept lovingly rubbing his back. About an hour later, a few of us were still sitting with Enrique (as he hadn’t stopped crying) and some older village kids had come over to watch him and maybe get ready to make fun of him again. But Enrique didn’t seem to care as in the past; he knew the kids couldn’t touch him as long as he was in our arms, and we wouldn’t let him go.

I’m learning the same thing Enrique learned today in my time here…though enemies may be all around us (including sickness!), as we learn to stay in the Father’s arms, things don’t touch us like they’re supposed to. (Ps. 91:9-10!) Just like we were so protective of Enrique, the Lord Jesus is protective of His children and His bride. He is like Boaz who told Ruth, “Stay here!” Stay in my presence, for here I have charged the young men not to TOUCH you! (Ruth 2:8) He is as zealous for us as King Xerxes was for his Queen Esther: NO ONE better try to mess with the queen while the king is around! “Will [Haman] even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman’s face…Hang him” (Esther 7:8, 10) And as God told Abimelech, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for SHE IS A MAN’S WIFE” (Gen. 20:3), so are we JESUS’ BRIDE and no one may assault us as we stay in His Presence.

As the children that live here learn to embrace this reality, they are filled with confidence to go out and preach the good news in some of the darkest of places, knowing that they are in the Father’s arms, and they cannot be touched. A few weekends ago, I went with some of the older girls and guys to put on a church service in a local village. As we took communion before we went to claim the blood over our bodies and hearts, the girls explained to me that village had tried to poison some of them by giving them something to drink, but when they drank it, it didn’t work. (see Mk. 16:18 – yeah, it happens all the time here). Currently, the city is going through a major cholera outbreak, but we still go out into the villages and sick kids and their germs are all over us, but no sickness comes back to our base. Jesus is GOOD!

There’s one more part of the story, however! While we were with Enrique, I saw my friend Edwardo (12, one of my favorite village kids, speaks some English) and invited him over to us. Edwardo has a very cheeky personality and is always messing with me, but when he came over and saw Enrique’s tears, he got silent and realized it was a serious moment. I told Edwardo (in as best Portuguese that I could muster) that we were praying for Enrique’s hand, and I asked him to place his hand on Enrique’s and pray with us. I told him that the “Biblia Sagrada” says that the one in us is greater than the one that is in the world and when we place our hands on the sick, they will get better. Although I was a little nervous as to whether or not Edwardo understood me or would even pray, I started to pray and then squeezed his hand and he finished. Of course I have no idea what Edwardo prayed, but I know it was heartfelt – he was speaking with a tone I had never heard before.

Edwardo is often hanging around the base and at church services (often looking for things to steal), but after we prayed, I felt like I needed to ask him if he knew that Jesus was in His heart….if he had prayed to ask Him to be in His heart. He said no and I asked him if we could pray for that for him. We all prayed over Edwardo and then encouraged him to keep praying to Jesus on his own. “You are a SON Edwardo! God doesn’t just love you, he LIKES you,” we said, “and God is not embarrassed of you.” Later that day as I was walking back to our compound, I saw Edwardo ahead of me with a notebook. My first thought was ,“Oh gosh, here we go again, someone left their prayer journal in the tent and Edwardo took it and I have to get it back from him before he sells it.” But I felt like the Lord was telling me just to wait and watch. As I watched from afar, I saw Edwardo talking to one of the guards outside of our compound (where we live) and then walk away without the notebook. I went inside the compound and found one of my peers standing outside his house with the notebook. “How did you get that?!” I asked frantically. He said that one of the kids had picked it up and given it to the guards to give to him. “Cool,” he said, and walked off.

My heart was THRILLED with joy! Maybe it’s the same kind of pride Jesus feels when we make a decision that makes him happy! One thing is for sure: we can’t be touched by the love of God – the kind that made tears stream down Enrique’s face and made Edwardo return a notebook - and NOT be changed.

Searching For Elephants in the African BUSH-BUSH!

This last Friday-Sunday we had an optional outreach for anyone who wanted to go. Because I love outreach AND was told that the place we were going might have elephants, I signed up right away.

This weekend our group was accompanied by the medical team, a first for me to get to see them in action and learn how to work with them. Friday night we showed the Jesus film in the first village, preached & prayed with many for healing and salvation. Saturday we returned to that village and helped the medical team set up their tent. Because the lines are always so long to get into the tent, we stand outside and pray with people before and after they can get into the tent for treatment. We stayed there all morning and after lunch the medical team moved to a different village. There were a FEW notable things that happened before lunch, namely 4 blind people received their vision in the name of Jesus! 2 older woman and 2 younger kids saw that morning and all glory went to the Lord. (Ps. 146 – He STILL opens eyes that are blind…)

As the day kept progressing, we knew that the presence of God wanted to come and work through us more and more. What God has been writing on my heart throughout these whole 3 months is that expectations of what walking with Him and partnering with the Creator of the universe looks like are still WAY TOO SMALL. Mt. 5:8 says “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will SEE GOD.” First, He’s made it obvious that His will is for us to be PURE. But second, it is also His will that after having been purified and made “holy as he is holy”….He wants us to SEE Him. Not just “pie in the sky,” yes, one day we will see the Lord and yay it’ll be great, but to SEE Him! Now. And work with Him as a “friend” like Moses did and as a “co-laborer” as Paul put it.

Saturday night as the Jesus film was playing, six of us girls went behind the screen to intercede and pray for the presence of the Lord to fall upon us and our anoint our hands that it may be JESUS’ very hands touching people when the movie was over, and it would be not us but JESUS walking through the crowds and praying for their hearts. The Lord kept laying it on my heart, “I am NOT far away” One of the girls felt that she should pour out one of our bottled waters on the ground to symbolize that Jesus’ PURE and living water would come to this place. Because the sun had been down for awhile, the ground beneath us was cold, but when one of the girls touched the water that was on the ground, it had turned hot. Soon our hands were trembling and hot. Later when we prayed over individuals, we knew the presence of the LIVING God was working through us. He never ceases to amaze me and even makes me laugh! And I just want to set out a challenge: LOOK for Him! He is EVERYWHERE!

In. Ex. 8:22 He declared that He was working signs and wonders in Egypt that they may know “that I am the Lord IN THE MIDST of the Earth…” (other translation - “that I the Lord am IN THE LAND”) The signs and wonders are not significant necessarily in themselves, they’re just an outward manifestation of the fact that GOD IS HERE! As John the Baptist said, “But AMONG YOU stands one you do not know”! (Jn. 1:26) You don’t even KNOW, he was saying, that someone and something GREAT is in your presence right now (like Jacob - “GOD is in the place and I did not know it!” Gen. 28) It would make absolutely no sense for God to create His beloved Earth but then never visit it; there are many ladders all over this planet just like the one Jacob saw. And He may manifest Himself in something as small and weird as a burning bush and hot water or as beautiful and magnificent as the pillar of fire that saved Israel (Ex. 14:24…He didn’t just create a pillar fire, but actually inhabited one- “the Lord IN the pillar of fire and of cloud (looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw them into panic)…”)

Because GOD showed up in the village that night (not because WE showed up), many people were healed and saved. And because Jesus is living in their hearts, He is certainly living in that village. And when Jesus comes to a village, He cleans it up. One of the women took me to see their villages’ water supply, and it was the most pitiful thing I had ever seen, and it broke my heart. No doubt, AIDS and other illnesses are rampant in every “bush bush” village we go to. In the past, people have turned to witchcraft to solve their problems (stop a drought, avenge their enemies, heal their diseases, etc.) and it’s obvious that asking Satan for help only makes things worse. (“Give him an inch, he takes a mile” as they say…) These people’s burdens have only compounded over the years. Please pray that as the years go by, the presence of Jesus would bring complete transformation and healing to that village. Pray for the baby Christians to stand strong against persecution and especially against fear – fear that the demons and spirits will harm them because of their acceptance of Christ. Pray that they would have confidence to know that the blood of Jesus is enough to protect them from harm and they don’t need to seek help from the kingdom of darkness.

Sunday morning before we left we had a church service and guess what? Probably 80% of our little church was under the age of 10! We prayed over the children and blessed them as we went. Praise God that He is raising up a new generation and doing a new thing in Africa! And how amazing that we don’t have to say like the Chaldeans told Nebecchudnezzar, “No one except the Gods can tell you your dream and THEY DO NOT LIVE AMONG THE PEOPLE…” (Dan. 2:11). God lives in our hearts and He lives in Africa. He always comes when His children call. “Hallelujah, Amen.”

P.S. We did get up at 4am to look for elephants, but only found their footprints…

I Am the Standard

The last two weeks we’ve had with them have been INSANELY AMAZING for lack of better words! It all started when a woman named Cindy Raiqeri and her band of two others from New Zealand came to encourage us and worship with us. Alongside Cindy’s time here, we missionary students, the pastors, and the kids from the base all joined together to uphold a two-week period of 24-7 prayer. During this time, God poured out so much of His vision and heart for this nation to us.

The night we kicked off 24-7 prayer Cindy shared with our group (pastors & missionary students) that she had been observing the pastors in their school (Tues-Thurs. they have Bible classes apart from us taught by Western long-term missionaries), but she was surprised at how little of the presence of God she saw in them once a white person got up to teach them. Earlier that week, they had all journeyed to our Monday meeting singing Mozambican songs, worshipping loudly and dancing, because Cindy had asked them to teach her some of their songs. We were already in the tent for our Portuguese lessons, but even when they were 1/4 mile away we could hear them coming and we stopped what we were doing to see them dance and march into the tent. It was beautiful. But once they got there and it was time to have our worship service together, slowly but surely, they got quiet again and sat in the back behind us during worship. I used to think a lot of their actions were out of humility, but I realized that day that something wasn’t right; they were acting out of intimidation or an age-old tendency to submit to Westerners and let them lead the way.

Cindy noticed it and tried to get them to come up to the front and lead again, but it was difficult. That’s when we started to realize that it was time to address deep issues. Cindy challenged them by explaining that though Hillsong and Chris Tomlin are great, there are songs that move the heart of God, that can rock the world, that can ONLY come from this place and this culture. And God wants to hear them! The world NEEDS to hear them! The Word says that the creation waits and GROANS for the sons of God to be revealed, and I’m learning that as the church, our hearts should be groaning and aching until all of our brothers and sisters in the body are RAISED UP all across the globe and have learned to take pride and walk in their true identity as image-bearers and sons and daughters of the King. The Lord has been tearing my heart over the history of colonization and slavery. The truth is this: it was NEVER RIGHT for men and women made in the image of God to be told that they weren’t as intelligent or as beautiful as others. It was NEVER RIGHT for them to be told that they couldn’t handle governing a country. And it was and is NEVER RIGHT for them to be told that they can’t or don’t know God as well as us or that their churches must conform to ours.

Nearly 40 years ago after this nation’s war for independence was over and nearly every white person had fled, the country was left in absolute chaos. A civil war quickly arose and with natural disasters compounding the chaos, the words spoken that these Africans could never handle the country on their own seemed to ring true. Amidst sickness and disasters, witch doctors became more numerous, and the door was further opened for Satan to have his way in this place. Beginning with the lie that arose from colonization (that these people have little worth), the father of lies continued to spread lies like wildfire into the hearts of these people, the biggest (I believe) being that they would be forever helpless to change their situations. This story, however, sounds like one we’ve heard before millenniums ago in another African country…

“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people

of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.

Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God

heard their groaning…God saw…and God knew.” (Ex. 2:23-25)

The people of Israel were never meant to be treated as slaves. In fact, they were the opposite; they were royalty – sons and daughters of the Most High King. And when they needed deliverance, how cool that God did not raise up a nice Egyptian or someone else from a wealthy nation, but yet He rose up one of their own. With the presence of God inside of them, any of those Hebrew “nothings” would’ve had the power to save their people from their troubles.

So God told Moses (one who couldn’t even speak well), “COME….and I will send you.” (3:10) First of all, “Come.” Come spend time with me. Come let me mold you and purify you and make you what you are not now. Come and let me make what is weak and lowly in the eyes of the world able to shame the wise. Come, let me purify you, let me make you, a murderer and a fugitive, into a deliverer. “Come…and I will SEND YOU.”

To be God’s vessel to a hurting nation, we don’t have to be much of anything, but we have to be willing, and we have to be purified. That’s what I believe has been happening among these pastors (future Moses’) these last three months – purification! When the sons of Sceva tried to destroy the works of the devil, they found out they couldn’t because the kingdom of darkness was still (maybe even just a little bit) inside of them. Jesus said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. While we live in this hurting world that’s been ravaged by the enemy, if we want to be deliverers, we must take a stand. We are either the world’s or we are God’s, but we can’t be both.

Together Cindy and the pastors wrote a new song, and the chorus goes like this:

“When the enemy comes in, God is raising up a standard again…

I am the STANDARD”

We soon found that in Portuguese the word “standard” translates as “banner.” “I am the banner.” In ancient times, when battles were fought and opposing armies would come out to meet one another, the most dedicated and valiant warriors would always come out on the front lines. This was obviously the most dangerous place in battle, but it was also a sign of their “by life or by death” dedication to their side. Those warriors would be the ones to carry large banners that represented the side they were fighting for. Never was there any question about which side they were on because of the large banners they were proudly waving around as they fought.

I believe that Jesus desires to come back soon and deliver his people out of this world just as in the days of Moses. Just like Pharaoh however, the enemy will always put up a fight to try to hold God’s children in bondage, and we must be ready and prepared, as it was said of David, to “be strong” and “fight the Lord’s battles.” Holiness, housing the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead inside of us, is our greatest weapon. (see 2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 6:14b) “If you wanna be a warrior…if you wanna save your people…if you wanna heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, bring good news to the poor, bring liberty to the captives, and bring the kingdom of heaven near (Mt. 10; Is. 62; Lk. 4:18-19), YOU MUST BE HOLY! No mixture! No more visiting witch doctors, even if it’s only one time. Jesus alone will you rely on. No more trying to be friends with the world and friends with God. You can’t have both. No more stealing, no more lying, no more anger and bitterness…the Lord Jesus will only dwell in clean hearts.”

Death couldn’t hold Jesus just BECAUSE He was so holy (He was raised according to the “Spirit of holiness” – Ro. 1)! The HOLY SPIRIT is HOLY! Completely “other- than”, set apart, separate, etc. Like him, we must be a people “outside the city walls” (Heb. 13:12) We must know friendship with the world is hatred toward God. What accord has Christ with Belial any way? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? As GOD has said: “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them…THEREFORE go OUT from their midst, and BE SEPARATE from them…” Then we know that the Lord will go before us and be our guard and victory. (2 Cor. 6; Is. 52)

Pray for these men as they are sent out into the villages of Mozambique. May God raise up Moses’ and young Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednegos among them that are willing to say, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have NO NEED to answer you…Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and HE will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will NOT BOW…” (Dan. 3:16-18) From this story I believe that there’s something even more beautiful than the three of them not being touched by the fire and that’s their ability to say, no matter what – we WILL NOT BOW. By life or by death, we WILL draw a line in the sand, “Choose this day whom we will serve,” and say it starts with me. I am the standard.

God has not forgotten about this continent or left it (as our beloved Leonardo DiCaprio would say in “Blood Diamond”!). He has “surely seen” and will “come down” once He finds the vessels that He can come through (Ex. 3:7-9). I believe the same is true of America too – He wants to come and save people out of their miseries, although they may look very different. The question of His coming isn’t a matter of God’s willingness, but it hinges upon us: Will we be willing to be a standard, set apart to holiness? Pray that new “banners” and “standards” would rise up from EVERY nation, tribe, and peoples of the world (for we know this battle won’t end until warriors from all arise; Rev. 7:9), and pray that these brothers in Christ may rock this country and destroy the works of the devil just as the disciples began to rock this world 2,000 years ago!

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“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in YOUR name!” And he said to the, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. BEHOLD [aka- can you SEE?!] I have given you AUTHORITY to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, and NOTHING shall hurt you…” (Lk. 10:17-19)

“And nothing will be impossible for you…” (Mt. 17:20)

I Have No Other Food. . .

But he answered, " It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that comes from the mouth of God…" (Mt. 4:4)

One of the things I love about being in this school is that we live in the same environment as the children and pastors, which also means we eat all of our meals with them. Experiencing life the way they do has taught me a lot about hunger. Jesus is HERE in this place and He takes care of His children and He takes care of us and we are all blessed to eat three meals a day. However, rice and beans and an active lifestyle means that our "fullness" will only last from meal to meal and not much longer. Every morning I wake up at 5 (from the roosters' "cock-a-doodle-doo ", not an alarm!) and head up to the prayer hut for my "spiritual bread". Despite my blessed rice and beans the night before, every morning my stomach is hungry. Breakfast, a roll of bread and sweet tea, is ready anywhere between 6:45-7:30, but we know it 's ready by the sound of the gong.

The first week I was here, Lori and I kept missing breakfast because we didn 't hear the gong. We assumed the gong would be loud, and we wouldn't miss it wherever we are on base, but this was not the case. And

I 've learned when I miss breakfast or any meal … worship is so much more difficult, loving kids is more draining, communicating with pastors is more frustrating, and my spirit is so much weaker. It 's a simple principle: No food = no strength! No food = no fruit! I've learned that I can 't afford to miss a meal, because like these children and pastors, I don 't have any other food in my cupboards. If I miss a meal, I can't just run to Handy Andy for a pizza (sorry to those who don 't understand Taylor lingo) or to McDonald' s to get something. Because I have no other food, I've worked hard to train my ears to hear the gong wherever it sounds throughout the base.

By now I've discovered that there is only one sure way to avoid missing breakfast. It 's to go to the dining hall, the place where the bread is baked and the gong sounds, and sit outside the gate and wait. I see children doing that in the mornings, and sometimes when I am especially hungry, I go down and join them. Yesterday morning was one of those mornings, but before I headed down to wait outside the dining room, I read Mt. 4:4. Jesus explained to me, "Valerie, if you were truly LIVING by my every word …if you had nothing else to eat…no other mode of survival and no plan B, you would treat my words as you do as this bread you get every morning. " Even before the bread is ready, the kids and I will go and sit and watch the oven until bread comes out. We know we need it, we know we can 't make it through the day without it, and because we have nothing else – we sit and wait.

God can speak to us when we' re not listening or waiting (a verse popping to mind, a song on the radio, etc. can "feed " us/catch us by surprise) and sometimes I can hear the gong wherever I am on base. But how much more can God feed us and nourish our souls if, because we choose to have no other food, we go and sit before Him and (just like we watch the oven until bread comes out), we watch His very mouth until words come out. His words are the only way to live. His promises are the only ones that are true. His food is truly organic – if we live be His words, we will need not fear eating chemicals or toxins that may produce cancer, illnesses, etc. It 's a fact that if we drink even a little of the water here, sickness will be the result. It 's also a fact that if we Christians drink the water of the world, even a little bit, in addition to our John 7 living water, we will get sick. That sickness, however, may look more like depression, cutting, pornography addictions, sexual immorality - you know the list could continue! - and I believe that these sicknesses are as evident in the Western world as ecoli, dysentery, cholera etc. is in the Third World, and I believe that they are often far worse.

Daniel and his three friends obviously knew what it meant to live only by God 's bread and living water when they chose not to defile themselves with the king' s food. I've been so impressed by the fact that they gave up privileges of royalty because they wanted to be set apart and holy for God. The world would have called them idiots and said, "There' s nothing wrong with enjoying the palaces while you're here. Don 't be extreme, you're giving up something SO GREAT! " Maybe they did, but I believe that they gained something even greater. There' s been a phrase traveling through our worship sessions that keeps sticking with me: "God will give the Spirit without MEASURE to a people without MIXTURE. "

May Jesus give us the courage to be people without mixture! May we choose to eat no other food, but the food He gives! And may we always be as smart, hungry, and persistent as these children I see every morning, knowing that we can 't live TRUE life and life to the full without out it.

"I see it day after day …The HUNGRY ones always get fed…" – Heidi Baker

"BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled "!

– Jesus Christ -

Fishing in Deep Waters. . .

10.22.07

Each student is divided into a "color" team of about 12 people. Each team is scheduled to feed the village kids on different days and spend ONE weekend going on outreach in the African "bush bush!" Yep – waaaaaayyyy out there where kids cry when they see you because they 've never seen a white person! My blue team was the first scheduled for outreach. I was pumped – I've never really been camping before, but I said, latrines, bring it on - in the name of Jesus I am more than a conquerer!!!

Friday afternoon we got packed up, prayed up, and settled into the back of a flatbed truck – our team of 12 and about 15 of the African pastors. The village we were spending Friday night and Saturday morning in was "3 hours away" we were told. In Africa ….no one really knows how far "3 hours away " is considering we drove through the city first…picked up some more people ….the pastors were saying "Hi", greeting everyone on the way …picked up a few more people to give them rides all throughout the trip….we 're pretty sure that "3 hours" in Africa might only be 30 miles away! Haha, the " 3 hour" trip ended up taking 5 (once again …maybe 50 miles away, we're not sure), but I was absolutely LOVING it. (Funny …they warned us that we would have to die to our "time-orientated" Western culture and adapt to seeing time as more flexible …I seem to have no problem with this;)

When we got to the village, it was almost dark so we set up the Jesus film, and the African pastors gave a salvation message at the end. Two of us "internationals " gave our testimonies, and then the people were asked to raise their hands if they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior. Because I had been watching the people 's serious expressions in this Muslim village, I was absolutely shocked when I saw nearly every single person raise their hand and repeat a prayer of salvation. Afterwards, we invited those that were sick & those struggling with alcoholic/other addictions to come forward for prayer. We got to pray over people for a few hours (I was loving my life!) and once again, it seemed as everyone was just desperate for a touch from God. We ended (OF COURSE …this is Africa!) with dancing/worshipping/celebrating. The next morning we performed a wedding and took a 3 mile hike to baptize about 50 of the people who made decisions. The Africans did most of the baptizing and we got to form a prayer line, and I got to pray over every single wet head as they came out of the river (yeah ….way cool).

That night we headed to another village and repeated Jesus film/testimonies, etc. Once again, I was amazed to see nearly every hand raised up and people kneeling down on the ground to ask Jesus to save them from their sins. Maybe it was my lack of faith, but I couldn 't get over just how many people were hungry for God. Often I 've felt like in the West people really don't want you to pray for them …they feel offended …or want to be independent. At first it made me think of fishing. I think of how the disciples " toiled all night" trying to catch fish in a certain area, but then when Jesus moved them to different waters – there, the fish were biting! (Lk. 5:5) I said "Lord, I feel like you've moved me into the deep waters. " However, later that night, when we were talking about all the decisions for Christ/healings, etc. one of my teammates said "In America, they would say yes too….for prayer, for accepting Jesus …if we just asked them." That made me reevaluate what I perceive to be true and what really is truth. Maybe the co-worker or friend that I perceive wants to be left alone or "independent " really is longing for the gospel and for the body of Christ – and maybe they need it just as much as these people even though they 're not as needy and hungry looking on the outside. Jesus SAID the harvest is plentiful and the people are ripe, we just must "look around "! May He give us the strength to begin seeing not with just our natural eyes but with spiritual eyes (for we live NOT by what is seen but by what is unseen) to see the harvest that He himself promises is truly around us.

That night I stayed up talking with Egues, our translator between us and the pastors. I wanted to ask him questions about the follow-up for the new believers. They 've set up a church there but I was mainly wanting to know about the Bible situation. I kept coming back to "How many of these peoples will get Bibles?". . . "Does this person have a Bible"…. "Is it Portuguese or Makua?", etc. He finally just looked at me and said, "Valerie, they can' t read!" 10% or maybe 15% are able to read in the whole village. Once again, I was frustrated because I KNEW that with my head, but I was in denial. I simply could NOT imagine a believer not having their own Bible when it has been such a special part of my life. "How will they grow? " I asked. Egues was obviously not as worried as I was. "In America, it 's different. Here, we have to experience God in different ways. " Yes, we eventually want these people to read, yes, we eventually want them to have Bibles, but until then, Egues reminded me that they have a relationship – one that is real, living, and still wonderful. One that produces love and joy in people that is not forced or fabricated.

Eventually I got Egues to tell me his story. He was born out of wedlock, his parents both ditched him, and he was one of the street children in the capital city in the south. He lived with the cruelest of kids – always hungry, going through garbage, and stealing for food. At 7 years old he had a dream one night and God appeared to him and said, "Before you were in the womb, I knew you …I set you apart" (sound familiar?). In the dream God also told him that He was sending someone to rescue him tomorrow. The next day, Heidi found him and he and a few other boys were one of their first orphans. 12 years later …Egues is 19 and by the way he lives, he teaches me about love, righteousness, and integrity, and I see so clearly the spirit of the living God oozing out of him in his every move. Although he has a Bible (his favorite book is Jeremiah, by the way), he knows that it all started and it all ends with a relationship. And this is what I 'm learning… there's more to knowing God & growing in your walk than knowing His Word. Obviously Abraham knew that. David knew that. Jacob knew that. They didn 't have " the Bible" or 15-minute devotional books like we do today, but I don 't think they would've traded what they had for the world.

I'll never forget 3 years ago when I was in a service in Ireland, and I heard a woman of God who I admired very much say to us college students, "Don' t stress about the papers…don 't stress about money or life or what you will do when you get back home. Stress about the fact that maybe YOU DON 'T KNOW GOD the way you should - - and the way you COULD." Somehow that struck something in me, and I realized then that if there were more realms of knowing God, walking with Him and becoming intimate with Him than what I am experiencing, it 's of utmost importance that I find them. And not only find them (they are all over the Bible!), but I must enter into them. How did Enoch "walk with God and was no more? " How did Moses feel when talking face to face with God as a friend and how did John find God on the island of Patmos? I know these people were men, like James says of Elijah, "just like us" and the way that they knew God was undoubtedly what compelled them to become the people they eventually became.

Have you ever heard the sound of a man wailing because suddenly he was blind but now he can see? Have you ever seen a woman praying with authority & feeding the poor in Africa, her face " never covered in shame", because God met her and set her free while working in the pornography industry in America?

I've seen both of these things in the last two days. And I believe I 'm seeing and learning again what the gospel really is, what it really does. There is nothing more powerful than it. In the words of my friends here "HALLELUJAH" ! that this journey with this incredible lover and pursuer called JESUS will never end and only get sweeter and sweeter.

Love looks like something. . .

Funny how one week can sometimes feel like 40 years, right?! I feel like my heart has been on a constant up and down roller coaster, and while I have many exciting things to share, I pray that these updates will be a blessing to you.

Lori (friend from TU) and I were 2 of the first handful of students to get here, so our first few days were spent settling in, going to town, and making friends with some of the kids. Naturally, we were drawn first to three of them that spoke English really well and enjoyed going to the beach and the city with them, trying to learn more about their culture, etc. It absolutely amazes me how I still can 't seem to grasp that I am NOT in the developed world anymore ….and these people – who love Jesus and in so many ways seem just like me – haven' t known life the way I have.

The second day we went into the city, Lori and I bought cuppalanas with the help of our friend Stevie. We paid 200 Met for them …I thought it was a great buy. That night, when I found out how much money that would be to Stevie (= $8 US) & that we bought it with his help, I couldn 't help it but cry myself to sleep and I said,

"Lord, I will never do that again." The next day some of us were on the beach and they showed us a hotel (super nice) and said "Rich, rich, rich people stay there". We asked "Americans? Westerners?" They said,

"Yes." And we could see them coming in …it looked so out of place in the midst of the surrounding villages. They said "Rich, rich people stay there – it costs 1,000 Mets!! " I'll never forget the look on their faces when they said 1,000 Mets! Quickly Lori & I looked at each other and realized …that' s $40. Lori said, "In AMERICA …that's not that much. " "That 's not that much guys for a hotel." But they didn 't get it. They didn't understand and I don 't think they ever will. My heart screamed those first few days, "How do you explain it?!!! " What costs me NOTHING (dinner out, a taxi, etc.) costs them so much.

I think Jesus would tell me the same is true in the kingdom. How do you explain ….what costs me nothing (grace, forgiveness, the eternal hope and joy I have in him) costs SO MUCH in heaven 's exchange rate. I asked him before this trip to show me- like Paul said – the "fellowship of his sufferings "! Like Paul said, "I wanna know "! I wanna know Jesus, how much the cross really has cost you…And I hear Him say, "Yes, you still don 't get it…you still don 't get it." "You were ransomed…not with perishable things such as SILVER or GOLD, but with the precious blood of the lamb " (1 Pet. 1:19). And there is no currency high enough for this. No exchange rate equal to the value of the blood of the lamb that was shed for you and for me.

Tuesday the 16^th was our first day of class. We have worship/teaching time in the tent until lunch and free time in the afternoon. We are free to plug in where we feel called …helping with the babies, playing soccer with the kids, feeding the hungry village kids, etc, or to get rest ourselves. As class progresses, we have more guest speakers/movies at night to attend. There are about 80 of us Holy Given students from 16 different countries (my house mates are all English and insist that I will learn not only Portuguese but also "proper" English!), and on Mondays and Fridays we are in class together with about 50 African pastors who are in their 4^th year of the Bible training school here.

Our first day, Heidi gave what she called her "life message " – the Good Samaritan. Why is it that the stories that are the simplest and most preached are sometimes that hardest to live? Many times we want to love the thousands, spread the gospel to the nations …but like the Levite and priest, we forget to love the one that is right there in front of our face. And love – the greatest commandment... to love Him and others – is not just theoretical. "Love looks like something. " I've already noticed a tendency in myself to just want to love on and hold the "cute" or "lovable " kids here – the ones without sores, without scabies, etc. – but this Samaritan man would not have fallen into that category. "He had no tithe " as Heidi would say, nothing to give and certainly was probably not beautiful to look at. Never once did Jesus stop himself from touching "the untouchables " of society…never once did he worry about keeping kids away to keep himself from germs, scabies, etc. "You might not want to hug me right now, " Heidi said, "because I have ringworm and scabies "! But that doesn't stop the staff/this place from taking in the sick and orphaned. "When you are taking care of someone with Malaria " (as all the African pastors know), they WILL vomit all over you." Love is messy, I 'm learning, but I guess the cross would also testify to that.

When Heidi explained that they put us together in class with the 4th year Afriican pastors so that we may learn from one another, she did something I will never forget. She asked us all as a class who owned 60 cents. We were all kind of confused at first & looking around at each other, but eventually all of us westerners raised our hands to say that we did have 60 cents. And then the question was repeated in Portuguese for the pastors. Not a single pastor sitting with us raised their hand. She explained that it may seem crazy in the world 's eyes to put us together …it seems as if we are so different, have nothing in common. You would think they would want to beg from us but rather, they allow us to eat first in line, teach us how to dance in church, and pray for us all the time! "They may not have 60 cents, " Heidi said, "but they have extremely important skills that you need to learn. " These men amaze me. Indeed, they have the riches of heaven, the joy of the Lord, and as they care for their flocks all over Africa – take in the sick and the dying – they KNOW that it is more blessed to give than to receive. They KNOW what it cost the Lamb to redeem them from a sinful, futile life and give them eternal hope and their hearts are forever burning for it. They KNOW how much Jesus bought them for …they know they have His Presence … and because of that, they know they are rich. They have seen God perform the miraculous, and they know that He is the same God of the Bible. I am so blessed to learn from and with these men.

The First Week . . .

Well, today is a special day because not only am I ending my first week here, but I get to celebrate my first birthday SIESTA in Africa!! Although I am still without my lost luggage (yet it seems everyday Jesus is multiplying the things I didn't realize that I packed in my carry-on!), there are so many praises to share! Lori and I had a great stay in Johannesburg and arrived here safely and in great spirits! My body has adjusted quickly to the time difference and the food. Thanks so much for your prayers!!! I am feeling the shield!

The first few days in particular, nothing around me was really sinking in. Everything just looked like the movies or documentaries about Africa that I've seen. It's almost as if I couldn't believe that everything was real - and really how I had pictured and imagined it to be. But it's almost as if I haven't been able to connect the head knowledge I have stored up about (the statistics, etc.) with the people around me. When my friend Lori (from TU!) and I were talking to some of the guys yesterday, we kept being surprised to find out they've never been out of this region, or don't even know about other African nations. One of my friends Stevie really liked my necklace. He's 25 and has been to school and knows English really well, so naturally I assumed that when I told him it was from Ireland, I thought he would be excited. But he's never heard of Ireland.

Lori and I have made 3 faithful friends - Stevie, Abdul , and Abebo - even though they're 14,15, and 25, they look sooo much younger. They're ministry kids so they know Jesus - you can SEE the Spirit radiating from them! They stand out so much in the midst of the village kids. They've been singing Happy Bday in Portuguese to me all day and yesterday we all went to the beach and they keep giving us Portuguese lessons! I'm sooo desperate to learn this language. They walked us in to town and helped Lori and I out a lot with translations, keeping me from walking in front of motorcycles/bikes (haha - Erin Tobias! SEE there is someone to take your place :) I'm enjoying their friendship and all they are teaching us (esp. Port. worship songs) and they are fun to be around because they are so in love with Jesus, but at the same time, because of the language barrier, I'm still not exactly sure where they sleep at night (some only eat meals at the orphanage...where they get their shoes, etc. I did find out from Abdul today that his mom kicked him and his sister out of the house when he told her he asked Jesus in his heart. But he told me not to worry about his mom because Jesus will take care of her and him and his brothers and sisters because he prays to Jesus. He seems so confident that his mother will come to know the Lord. And I will pray for his mom too! The orphanage teaches the kids not to beg from us Americans or others, but to ask JESUS - pray to Jesus they say and He will provide all their needs.

Every morning Lori and get up at 5 (the rooster actually wakes me up!!! haha- the village is alive and kickin' at sunrise) and go to the prayer tent. I was telling Jesus the other day...eating dinner with the kids can be so overwhelming. They bring in kids from the village that DO beg, and we are taught to be bold with them, to ask to be friends first, because we don't want them to remember us or become dependent upon us but on the Lord. But it's so hard when they're all talking about you in a different language....and all around you. I told Jesus I think the phrase "like a sheep among wolves" has a new meaning to me. That's how I feel sometimes. Very overwhelmed. I want wisdom, and I want to know Portuguese very badly. But at the same time, today He was reminding me about Jn. 15. He SAID if I ABIDE IN HIM I will bear MUCH FRUIT....not "If I learn to speak Portuguese....I will bear much fruit." Not...."If I become cool and can learn African lingo....I will bear much fruit." NO - if I abide in Him! And as much as I want to learn those things, I've always clung to the fact that He says I can love Taylor, I can love my friends, I can love my family and church, the most by just making sure I am sooo connected to Him!!! Because my connectedness to Him is what will bless other people. Like Jn. 1 when John the Baptist said I AM NOT the Christ....I know in my own strength I can't be anyone's savior or helper...but I have to stay connected to the vine. And He says that His Holy Spirit is enough to teach me all things....ALL things....ALL things.... so I believe it. Please pray for me not to lose that perspective and to spend MOST / ALL of my effort staying connected to Him! Because only HE is able to love and bless the people I am around that I want to bless so much!!!

So some prayer requests 'til next time....

* ABIDING in Christ, that "rivers of living water" & the HOLY SPIRIT will touch people around me!

* Supernatural help in learning Portuguese!!!

* Boldness/ wisdom with kids

Thank you guys for reading! I love you ALL with the love of CHRIST!!!! Please keep these kids in your prayers!

Valerie

The Very Beginning...

The day is officially here and very soon I will be boarding my flight on the way to Africa! Jesus has been stirring in me the desire to work in this nation for quite some time now, but only now am I truly able to see how perfect His timing has been in everything.

This morning I'm getting on a plane - not by myself - but rather with a huge entourage and backing of prayer support and encouragement from the body of Christ. I have been completely astounded and amazed this last week by seeing friends and family truly be the hands of feet of Jesus to me. I feel so loved and so provided for - truly, my cup is "running over". And I pray that the joy, love, and peace I feel right now will only run over into this African nation.

In these next two months, I'm going to try my hardest to keep this blog current because I truly feel like this is your trip too! Thank you all for the encouragement and love you have shown me...

More updates to come!
Blessings to you all!!!


For the Prayer Warriors...

~ Prayer Requests For the Next Few Months ~

FAITH

The one thing that impressed Jesus the most and got him most excited during His time on Earth was faith. He was appalled yet thrilled by the faith of the Roman centurion, the Syrophoenician woman, and basically anyone who actually believed that He was who He said He was and could do what He said He could do. And so it is with all relationships…a wife could never hurt her husband more than by saying after he loved her or made a promise to her “I don’t believe you.”

I know the promises. This person that I love parted the Red Sea, He raised the dead, He fed the 5,000 and He’s told me that if I believed in Him I could move mountains and do the works that He has done and “greater.” He’s said that He will never let the righteous go hungry and He will never forsake those who love Him. I feel as if there’s been a trend in my heart recently to doubt His goodness and to doubt His promises and I do not want to grieve His heart by continuing to walk down that road. Please pray that I will trust His Word, what He has said, and not what I see in situations with my physical eyes. Pray that I will give to the Africans a big, big God and show them by the way I live my life, trusting and not fearing and doubting, that truly “no one who hopes in Him will ever be put to shame.”

(Verses to Pray: Heb. 11:6/ Lk. 18:8/ Heb. 10:38/ Acts 14:9/ Jn. 14:12/ Is. 7:9/ Eph. 3:20/ Mt. 7:20/ Heb. 10:38/ 2 Tim. 1:7)


WISDOM

Paul said that because we had the Spirit of God in us, we could know the thoughts of God, have the mind of Christ, and therefore walk as He walked on this Earth. Jesus said that He only did whatever He saw the Father doing and said what He heard the Father say. Please pray that as I interact with the children, the African pastors, and my peers around me I will learn how to be so “in step” with the Spirit that they see only Him and not me. Pray that I will be able to discern His will and where He is leading me each day during the next few months and in my future in general.

(Verses to Pray: Eph 1:17/ Cor. 2:11-16/ Prov. 2:4-5/ Jer. 33:3/ 1 Cor. 2:5/ Gen.18:17, 22-23/ Job 33:33)


LOVE & STRENGTH

I’ve already been warned that due to the nature of working with the children and living on the base, if I do not ensure time alone with Jesus in the secret place, I will lose my strength and passion quickly. I’m planning on getting up at 5am every morning and heading to the prayer tent before each day starts. Please pray that I have the strength to get up every morning even when I am tired and possible physically weak. Please pray for me to fall deeper in love with Him, because only love is strong enough to keep me motivated in my pursuit of Him.

(Verses to Pray: SOS. 8:6-7/ Prov. 16:26/ Phil. 1:9/ 2 Sam. 22:40/ 1 Cor. 13:8/ Jude 1:21/ Rom. 12:1/ 1 Chron. 29:12/ Mk. 12:30/ 2 Cor. 5:14/ Judg. 5:31/ Is. 40:31)