My first experience with the concept of fasting was just before Training Camp for the June 07 World Race. We were asked to fast for 10 days and it just about killed me. I chose to do a Daniel fast and I thought it seemed crazy to only eat fruits, veggies and grains for 10 days. Those 10 days I fantasized more about sugar, complex carbs and good ole processed foods more than God. I think it was probably the opposite of what fasting was supposed to accomplish.
As the 07 World Race continued we fasted on a few occasions and I grew in knowledge about the benefits of fasting and even found it to draw me closer to God-the intended purpose! I can't say I ever enjoyed fasting, but I did come to see the benefits.
The October 08 squad also started the race with a fast and it is a practice we do often as a squad. Corporate fasting has a spiritual depth to it that is indescribable and the heavens are moved when we all join together in this type of worship.
Jesus says in Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." I think this is His reminder for us to seek His face together.
For some time down I have felt that I have not been diligent enough with all of you to ask you to join me in prayer. I have not invited you to join me enough. I am constantly reminded that I am not out here alone, but I think I can do a better job inviting you to actually partner with what God is doing here and at home.
I have so many who I know are praying for me and with me and I want to be more intentional with requests and see if we can't shake the heavens together more often.
To that end, I want to ask you to join me in some prayer and fasting. Many know that Mom has been battling cancer for some time and have watched as God made promises to our family about her healing. At this moment we are not seeing those promises come to fruition in the natural and I feel the need to ask you to shake heaven with us to see the physical manifestation of this healing.
I take God at His Word and His Word says this about illness and healing:
Psalm 103:3 "He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."
Matthew 4:23 "Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere about the Good News of the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease."
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows...but He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our inequities. The punishment that brought peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed!"
Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord."
John15:7 "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you."
We must line ourselves up with the truth of God's word and declare it with our mouths. As I told my family last week we can choose to trust in the words of man (or doctors) OR with the words of God.
We choose to believe God's word.
To that end, the Lord has put on my heart that I should fast each week on the day that my mom has chemo treatment. I am asking that you would join me in this endeavor, either by praying for me or joining me in the fast. I BELIEVE that Mom has already been healed in Jesus' name and we just need to seek the Lord's face for the physical manifestation of the healing.
If you feel the Lord asking you to join me and are unsure about fasting I would implore you to search the Scriptures. Over and over throughout the Bible we have examples of faithful people who have petitioned God and humbled themselves before Him. Ask him what His word says about fasting. I will also be happy to chat with you about it as well; just be patient as I may be slow to receive email.
Most of all I just want to invite you to share with me as heaven invades earth through this healing.
Many of you will remember a blog I posted a few months ago about a little boy that touched many hearts in the Philippines. Michael Angelo's story unfortunately is replicated throughout the world and we have encountered many more Michael Angelo's since October. As we travel we bless them, pray for them and love on them. We do our best to be Jesus to them.
It is easy at times to be overwhelmed by the constant need and to trust that we are doing Jesus' best in all situations. I just talked to my squad this week about the importance of only being about our Father's business. Everywhere we look there are needs, but we only need to ask the Father where He is working and join him there; we refuse to be crippled and silenced by the constant need.
In John 5:19 Jesus says "I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He only does what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does." If Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing, than how much more do we need to be following this example?
I was reminded this month that this lifestyle I am leading is about so much more than just the World Race. God's perspective is so much wider than the small little lens that I am looking through. The blog about Michael Angelo touched hearts everywhere and one of those hearts was of my best friend. Sarah has one of the most compassionate hearts of anyone I have ever met and I was not surprised to get her email saying she wanted to do something to help. It is not the first time that the people we have encountered have broken hearts and moved us to compassion.
In this particular case Sarah and her family were so moved that they decided to forego Christmas for themselves and instead provide Christmas for Michael Angelo and his family. More than just Christmas they provided food, clothing, household items, school fees, and a future source of income for the family.
All of a sudden this went from a posted blog
to KINGDOM manifesting itself on earth.
This went from one more poor family we encountered
to JESUS showing up in the dumps of Manila.
This went from reading a story about how God was working
to actually BEING the story of God working.
This was one family being Jesus to another family.
This was Sarah being aware of where her Father was working and joining Him.
Just a quick note and prayer request from Uganda! All
teams made it safely into Uganda yesterday after a long, bumpy, dusty
bus ride--TIA, right??
6 Teams are currently in
Kampala the capital city of Uganda and enjoying a day of church with
our local contacts. We made a quick decision to hold the teams back
from traveling for at least a day while we recover from some illness.
A crazy flu swept through almost the entire squad this past week at
debrief and we want to give everyone time to recover. Please pray for
a quick recovery in Jesus' name for our squad.
Internet and electricity are a little on the low
side for the next few weeks, so please bear with us until we can update
again. I am heading into Northern Uganda for a few weeks with 4 teams
and will return at the end of the month. We expect to be living in
huts and ministering in the local villages and could not be more
excited. We really feel that the Lord is on the cusp of a really big
move in this war-torn country.
Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement. I have so much to share and look forward to being in touch soon!
He loves us, oh how he loves us. He loves us, oh how he loves us.
This is the anthem of one of my favorite songs in this season of my life. Kim Walker captures exactly what my heart feels.
So often I think that we go about our daily business and fail to realize or comprehend how much our Heavenly Father loves us. As I go from Africa to America I see people in both places who so desperately need to hear that their Father loves them. If we could grasp how high, wide, and deep His love for us is we could solve a lot of the world's problems.
Sometimes His love for us is so obvious that it brings me to my knees. Yesterday I had one of the most hellacious travel days in the history of travel days; and that was just getting from Columbus to JFK. That was before 30 hours of travel started.
When I was finally on board headed to Amsterdam I couldn't help but to cry. The kind of cry that makes the passengers around me notice. I have left home countless number of times, but for some reason it took all my willpower to get on the plane in Columbus. (In fact, they were offering a $400 voucher for people willing to bump flights and I was VERY tempted.) I woke up sick yesterday morning and that combined with a lot of other factors led me to just be tired. Tired of flights, tired of layovers, tired of jetlag and tired of culture shock.
As I sat and tried to compose myself huddled in the corner of the window seat I begged God for an encounter. I begged him to make His presence tangible, real, and loving. I begged him for an angel to come and minister to me and love on me.
I woke up in Amsterdam and stumbled down the walkway trying to orient myself to whichever time zone I had woken up to. I quickly checked my email and lo and behold he was sending an angel!
I had briefly "chatted" online with a friend of Sean's a few weeks back. Gepke was a friend and sister in the Lord he had met in Lakeland and continued to work with in Colorado. She had finished her time in CO and was conveniently living in Amsterdam. Sean had told her I was laying over for a while (9hours!) in Amsterdam and she emailed me with a plan to see the city!
I all but ran through immigration and met her at the train station. Little did either of us realize what a gift from God our time would be. She took me downtown and through the infamous Red Light district and we grabbed a warm drink at a fabulous Christian coffee shop. On the outside it was a few hours with a new friend, but to my spirit it was God's tangible way of saying "I LOVE YOU." It was the answer to the cry of my heart and a refreshment that can't be put to words.
God wants to love all of us this way. In tangible, real encounters with us. Have you cried out to Him for an encounter lately? Have you looked for Him in the small ways that He loves you every day?
He loves us, oh how he loves us.
Thank you Jesus for loving me today. Thank you for being the healing salve on my broken heart and sending an angel just for me. I love you too!
Christmas at home was absolutely wonderful. Thank you all for your prayers for safe travel and family fun. I hop a plane (or 3) bound for Africa tomorrow afternoon to return to my "other" family. I would appreciate the prayers once again as I head for my other home. I am looking at about 48 hours of travel to get back and I would be lying if I said there wasn't a little bit of dread in all that travel.
Please enjoy some of my favorite pictures from Kenya. Makes all the travel worth it :)
Joel and some new friends. In typical African style we waited on the side of the road for a few hours for our bus to come by. As a large group of Mzungus (white people) we attracted some curious looks.
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to work we go. Nothing quite like this fashion statement!
The bikes have mud flaps. How cool is that? This one made me smile.
Margaret is an amazing woman. She runs a store named Banana Leaves of Hope and employs widows to create Africa crafts. I think the World Racers single-handily kept her in business this month.
One thing we say around my house is that family is everything. I am remembering and missing my WR family. I would not be the same without my year spent with these wonderful people. We had some absolutely hilarious moments amidst our Christmas away from home last year and I will never forget it!
I am blessed beyond belief to have been able to spend the holidays with these awesome people. I miss you all dearly! Merry Christmas!
You only have to look maybe 2 pages into the Bible and the word GENERATION is mentioned.
There were wicked generations, faithful generations, and a whole lot more wicked generations. Basically the entire Old Testament reveals generation after generation of people who sought their own way and yet the Lord continued to bless them and chase them down. Story of my life it seems, and probably yours too if you are honest.
God has been trying since the beginning of time to reveal HIs love for us and turn our hearts back to Him. I believe that WE are the generation who are going to turn the tide. WE are the generation that is finally going to get the keys to the Kingdom back from Satan. WE are going to be the generation that cares for the orphan and the widow. WE are going to be the generation!
But I was reminded last week that it comes with a price. And it is a price that has been paid by many that have gone before us.
I had the distinct honor of sitting at a "kitchen table", of sorts, with Dr. and Mrs. Barnes. It is a common WR theme that the best learning, the best community, and the best authenticity happen at the kitchen table. Kitchen table discussions have shaped and molded the course of my life over the past 2 years, so I jumped at the chance to sit at the kitchen table with 2 of the most influential people in the life of the World Race.
Dr. & Mrs. Barnes are the parents of WR founder Seth Barnes. They just "happened" to be in Kenya staying not 100 yards from the Bible College where the Oct team was spending a week of debrief. God has a way of connecting the dots and I found myself at lunch with this amazing couple. Most of us are familiar with Grandparents that spend their golden years in Florida, or on the golf course, or maybe on a golf course in Florida. Either way, it is the common American retirement destination. Dr. & Mrs. Barnes choose otherwise and spend their "snowbird" winter months serving at a hospital in Kijabe, Kenya. Both are in their seventies and spend their days serving others on the other side of the World. What an example!
They laughed as they told embarassing stories of young Seth and what made them decide to send him on his first mission trip as a teenager. Little did they know then the path that their decision would lead to in so many lives.
As I sat and listened I grew increasingly humbled at the life these two servants have lead and how it has deeply impacted my own life. I often marvel at the sacrifice of my own parents and grandparents, but very rarely do I get to put my arms around someone not in my family line and thank them for their generational blessing.
Their steps of obedience to God's word some 30 years ago have led me to Africa, Asia, Central America and beyond. Their steps of obedience allow me to live this amazing life. Their steps of obedience are going to wake up a generation.
I walked away with tears in my eyes and a sense of soberness. Lunch with these two special people opened my eyes and showed me a renewed sense of responsibility. Decisions that I make now will impact generations to come. My obedience to the Lord today has the ability to impact so many lives besides my own.
Thank you Dr. & Mrs. Barnes for the true example that you are to all of us out here. God Bless you.
Life in Africa is anything but boring and this week in Mbita, Kenya was no exception. I was praying for healings, manifestations of the Spirit and some real "bush" life. I got all that and so much more.
Paul says it best in Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is in work within us." He did so much more than I could have hoped for and He gets all the glory.
Wednesday morning found me at the hospital praying with patients of varying ages and diagnosis'. The team was partnering with local Pastors and we spent time bedside with patient after patient. Hospital ministry is some of my favorite and I cherish spreading joy and smiles with each patient. As I have mentioned in other blogs, hospitals in 3rd World countries leave a LOT to be desired and this one is no exception. All of the beds were full in the Women's Ward and as I walked out of the room I came across a young teenage girl named Lucy laying on the cement outside the room. Her mom was watching close by and welcomed our prayers.
I knelt down on the ground with her and gently asked her name and if it was ok for me to lay hands on her. She silently nodded a reply and I began to pray. The Pastor was translating for me and I softly told her how much Jesus loved her and that He was able and willing to heal her. Again she nodded and I continued. As I asked the Holy Spirit for direction in prayer I had the strong impression that she had had some curses spoken over her. It is common in Kenya for many people to consult witchdoctors and I had the Pastor ask her mom if she had ever been exposed to this type of evil. Mom confirmed that she had in fact visited and been treated by a witchdoctor previously. I continued to intercede as he translated for me.
"In the name of Jesus, we break off any curse spoken over you and call your body back under the complete authority of Jesus Christ..." Just as we were getting rolling I was interrupted by someone behind me. I swivel around on my knees and there is a white woman yelling in a language I don't understand. She suddenly switched to English and I began to understand something spiritual was happening.
Pastor Samuel turned to me as if to say "Do you understand what is happening here?" and I gave him my nod and quietly continued to pray and rebuke the enemy. The more I prayed the more she yelled. She went on and on about how we were confusing the people and there was no such thing such as witches and satan. I refused to give her my attention and prayed and prayed. We knelt there for what felt like hours, but in reality it was all so fast. It was evident that she was either manifesting something demonic or practiced some kind of witchcraft herself. Just as quickly as she arrived she disappeared. No one saw where she went and she has not been seen since. Interesting that she turned up only when I mentioned witchcraft.
We focused on Lucy and began to see some relief in her eyes. Thank you Jesus for your protection and blood that covers us completely in all things.
The next day we returned to find Lucy divinely healed and being discharged from the hospital! We promptly threw a little party with cokes and mendozi (african doughnuts). There is a chance that Jesus managed to pay her hospital bill as well and provide some physical relief as well as spiritual relief to their situation. :) I love it when He does that!
I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love
Even more then I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you
I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light beams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams
Many a night I have laid in bed and dreamed of things like cold weather, warm yummy coffee drinks, and that inviting candle glow that surround the Christmas season. This is the 2nd year in a row I have missed the holiday season and it has definitely been in my dreams.
When I broached the subject of going on the Race a second time with my family they were completely supportive, with one rule :"You will be home for Christmas!" I promised I would try and packed up my backpack one more time. Throughout the Fall it became increasingly clear that trying to fly home twice in 2 months was not only cost-prohibitive but just plain crazy. When I was home in October for a family wedding the jetlag and re-entry were confirmation that it was too tough to try and go back and forth. I played Santa in October and promised to be home next year.
I returned to China with the squad and nagging thoughts entered my mind with "honor your mother and father" being the main line of thinking. Things on the cancer front with mom have not been so good here lately and I knew that more than anything she wanted me home for Christmas. At the same time yet another trans-continental flight and all the fun that comes with traveling to the States was on the bottom of my Christmas list; not to mention the responsibility that I feel towards my squad. I continued to pray and seek counsel. The Lord confirmed 3 times my need to go and the final straw was a cheap plane ticket!
All that being said I board a plane tonight at 11PM bound for Ohio! I have LONG layovers in both Amsterdam and JFK and will arrive Tuesday night about 10PM.
I am thrilled to be able to celebrate with family and friends and am pretty excited about Christmas cookies, cold weather, lots of laughs and Santa!! Along with all the excitement if you guys could pray on a couple of fronts it would be awesome:
**No cancer in Jesus' name!
**Safe, non-eventful, travel and supernatural rest as I fly
**Easy transition. There is no way to describe what it is like to go from the African bush to America at Christmas. I get the shakes just thinking about it. grace, grace, grace...
**My 2nd family: the OCTOBER WORLD RACERS. It breaks my heart to leave them again and I will miss them so much. Pray they celebrate with each other and enjoy every minute of their special Christmas this year. I'll be back soon with lots of goodies! Love you guys!!
**Pray that we honor Jesus this season. It is not about long flights, Christmas cookies, or gifts--this day is the reason I am doing what I am doing. I want to honor Him as much in America as I do in Africa.
It has been awhile since I have let my blog-osphere friends have a peek inside my mind and I am honestly not sure what is lurking around up here, so consider yourself duly warned. Writing is cathartic for me sometimes and seeing as how I can't sleep we will give this a whirl.
24 hours ago I climbed through my mosquito net and laid my head down on my gross travel pillow in a teeny, tiny bottom bunk in a cabin in the bush. I was hot, sweaty, dirty, and covered in bug bites and tired as all get out. Tired from walking 2 miles one way to a dingy little hospital to lay my hands on precious Kenyan people who believe in a Jesus who heals. Tired from dancing like a madwoman at a youth rally attended by over 150+ teenagers who believe in a Jesus that saves. Tired from simply living a lifestyle that some would say is madness. It was a good tired. A "thank you Jesus" kind of tired.
Tonight I am laying in a pretty fabulous bed in a gorgeous guesthouse. I washed most of the week's worth of dirt off in a bathtub! (Gasp! Who knew that could it could be so glorious to be clean!) And I am still tired. The kind of tired where I could sleep for a week and turn over to sleep for another week. But, I can't sleep. I lay down and this is all I see:
I have been trying to shake it off for a few hours and nothing can erase those faces from my mind.
While I am out there doing "ministry" it doesn't really seem to phase me. I see hurting people, struggling people, desperate people on a daily basis and I still manage to do my thing. I pray for them, I bless them in Jesus' name, I believe with them, I listen to them and I love them. Seems easy enough. I am being obedient. I am doing what Jesus told me to do. I am living Matthew 10. I LOVE my life.
But. (You knew there was a but coming...)
Then I hop a plane and find myself in Nairobi with great food, great company, comfy beds and hot showers. And it hits me like a freight train.
The faces. The dirt.
The longing in their eyes. The heat.
The tattered clothes. The bugs.
The pain just beneath the smile. The cold water shower.
To that end, I want to ask you to join me in some prayer and fasting. Many know that Mom has been battling cancer for some time and have watched as God made promises to our family about her healing. At this moment we are not seeing those promises come to fruition in the natural and I feel the need to ask you to shake heaven with us to see the physical manifestation of this healing. 
It is easy at times to be overwhelmed by the constant need and to trust that we are doing Jesus' best in all situations. I just talked to my squad this week about the importance of only being about our Father's business. Everywhere we look there are needs, but we only need to ask the Father where He is working and join him there; we refuse to be crippled and silenced by the constant need..JPG)
It is not the first time that the people we have encountered have broken hearts and moved us to compassion. 
So often I think that we go about our daily business and fail to realize or comprehend how much our Heavenly Father loves us. As I go from Africa to America I see people in both places who so desperately need to hear that their Father loves them. If we could grasp how high, wide, and deep His love for us is we could solve a lot of the world's problems.
Dr. & Mrs. Barnes are the parents of WR founder Seth Barnes. They just "happened" to be in Kenya staying not 100 yards from the Bible College where the Oct team was spending a week of debrief. God has a way of connecting the dots and I found myself at lunch with this amazing couple. Most of us are familiar with Grandparents that spend their golden years in Florida, or on the golf course, or maybe on a golf course in Florida. Either way, it is the common American retirement destination. Dr. & Mrs. Barnes choose otherwise and spend their "snowbird" winter months serving at a hospital in Kijabe, Kenya. Both are in their seventies and spend their days serving others on the other side of the World. What an example!
