The World Race - Jenny Ellis

Goodbye Q!

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It is the end of the World Race as we know it . . . .

so here is a video that helps capture our 11 month adventure!

Thank you, Sarah Olmstead, for your hard work in making it!

I will miss you!

MOVIE TIME, Romanian style!

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Yes, you may think Samantha Allen helps me with most everything, and it is true. Here is a video she put together for our FINAL month, month 11. There is footage from not only Romania but Austria and Hungary as well! ENJOY! :)

GO!!!! (A Rap about the GOSPEL)

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Here is another rap for ya'll!! Rap CAN be a ministry, and I want to see how God can use it for His glory!

GO

"GO, you gotta GO

You gotta, GO, g, GO

You gotta GO ye therefore to every nation

Preach the gospel to all creation

Start in Jerusalem, but don't just stay there

What about Judea? What about Samaria?

GO, you gotta GO

You gotta GO, g, GO

You gotta GO ye therefore and make disciples

It's written right there, smack dab in the Bible

Baptizing them in the name of the Trinity

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one God in three

The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few

Jesus first sent them out two by two

When Jesus calls you better be willing

If you are not, the results could be chilling

Don't you remember what happened to Jonah?

He ran the other way and was thrown overboard

When God calls, what should your response be?

You should say, "Here I am, send me!"

GO, you gotta GO

You gotta GO, g, GO

You gotta GO and preach the Word in and out of season

When asked to give account, you better have a reason

Correct, rebuke, encourage in love

The words will be given to you from above

You can't be lukewarm, you must be on fire

Spreading the good news should be your desire

How beautiful are the feet that will go

If you're not willing, how will they know?

GO, you gotta GO

You gotta GO, g, GO

You know you must be sent before you can preach

Then the world will hear and maybe believe

Then they may call on the name of the Lord

So, please, why don't you sharpen your sword?

You gotta GO, you gotta GO

You gotta GO, g, GO

You gotta live in a manner worthy of the gospel

Like in a way to rescue the lost from Hell

And after the spreading of the gospel is done

Then, only then, will the end come

The end is gonna come, you so better believe

The end is gonna come, won't you wake up and see?

The end is gonna come when you least expect

The end is 'round the corner . . . "

-Jenny Ellis

-Props to Carmen Record for filming and to Samantha Allen and Bethany Eason for the back-up dancing that I really didn't even know was going on. Ah-haha. :)

LOVE RAP . . . so check it out!

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"L-O-V-E

LOVE

What is LOVE?

What has LOVE got to do with it?

Why is it for LOVE we live?

God

God is LOVE

God has everything to do with it

In His LOVE we move and live

His LOVE is perfect, patient, and kind

It can't be explained by rhythm or rhyme

His perfect LOVE will cast away fear

LOVE that is real is always sincere

There's no record of wrongs when LOVE is present

Doesn't matter if you're king or queen of peasant

LOVE does not boast

LOVE is not proud

LOVE does the right thing no matter who's around

LOVE is harmonious, not envious, not rude

LOVE never sports a rotten attitude

LOVE delights in truth

It shuns away evil

LOVE from above in the real deal

Real LOVE trusts

Real LOVE protects

Real LOVE hopes

It never, ever quits

LOVE never fails

For LOVE is of God

Everyone who LOVES has been born of God and knows God

Whoever LOVES God must also LOVE his brother

Since God is LOVE, let us love one another

Whoever lives in LOVE lives in God and God in him

It is the greatest LOVE that overcame our sin

It was out of LOVE that Jesus gave His life

From the greatest LOVE came the ultimate sacrifice

With the shedding of blood, His LOVE was shed upon us

Now we can live in Him, and He can live in us

Without LOVE, life itself is meaningless

Without LOVE, you're hopeless, helpless, worthless

Without LOVE, you're nothing

Without LOVE, you'll die

When will you wake up and throw aside the lies?

It's not about what you do

It's about who lives in you

So, choose LOVE

Walk in LOVE today

Choose the LOVE who is the life, the truth, and the way

LOVE does matter

It has everything to do, do, doooooo

With the One who gives us life

And the One who brings us through."

-Jenny Ellis

I hope that all of you choose to live in the way of LOVE today!! :)

Thanks to Samantha Allen for taping and starting me out with a beat! ;)

A Life or Death Situation

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

This week, I had a teammate lose a close friend.

She has spent the past few days grieving, in a time of mourning for the loss.

My heart goes out to her. My heart goes out to her friends back at home. My heart goes out to all those people who faced a tragedy so unexpected.

Amidst the sadness, however, there is hope.

Her friend was a believer.

There may be mourning on earth, but there is great rejoicing in heaven.

There is a type of mourning, however, that brings complete grief in heaven AND on earth.

In Genesis 6:5-6, it is written, "The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."

The Lord was GRIEVED that he had made man on earth, and HIS HEART WAS FILLED WITH PAIN."

Now, most of us are quick to grieve when we lose someone to physical death.

It is natural.

We are devastated that we will not see our friend again while on this earth.

However, how many of us grieve because of sin?

How many of us grieve because we see a friend facing spiritual death?

Yes, we should mourn when someone dies.

BUT, we should mourn just as much when a friend as fallen away.

We should grieve when a friend has turned their back on the Living God.

Our hearts should be FILLED WITH PAIN.

Without Jesus, that friend is headed towards an eternity apart from Him.

Without Jesus, that friend is headed towards the lake of fire.

Doesn't that FILL YOUR HEART WITH PAIN????

If you are reading this, I want you to WAKE UP!!!

There is a battle going on, a battle that we cannot see.

We need to have our hearts in tune with the very heart of God.

We need to grieve over what grieves him.

And when we grieve, we will see just how important it is to FIGHT for our friends.

In Jude 22-23, it is written, "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

We are called to SNATCH people from the fire.

We are called to reach out and grab those that are hanging on by a thread, heading straight towards sure spiritual death.

We need to be aware of just HOW SERIOUS this battle is.

We cannot keep going through our lives working, eating, laughing, watching television, playing games, all the while FORGETTING that THERE IS A WAR GOING ON!

WAKE UP!!!

Honestly, WAKE UP!!

GRIEVE!!

Let your heart break for what breaks His.

FIGHT!!

Don't let a day go by without remembering the reality of eternity.

The people around us are either in the LIGHT or in the DARK.

They are either headed to HEAVEN or headed to HELL.

This is a life or death situation, folks!

WAKE UP!!!!!!

It IS worth it!

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Honestly, an eight or nine hour Vacation Bible School?? What were people thinking??

Isn't three hours long enough??

Who wants to have breakfast, lunch, AND dinner at the ministry site?

Was month 11 REALLY supposed to be the most tiring of the entire World Race??

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We were (and still are) in Romania, and it was day seven of the kid's summer program we

were running.

It was a Friday, and I WAS DONE!

I had already had it up to here with everything after the first day of ministry, but after

my birthday rest day, things had looked up.

But now, I was again at the end of my rope.

I WAS EXHAUSTED, DRAINED, and DEFEATED.

I was SICK of kids, SICK of kids not listening, SICK of kids trying to bully me, SICK of kids not understanding English, SICK of the heat, SICK of being in charge, and SICK of not having the chance to take a nap like everyone else had.

This was NOT fun!!

Don't get me wrong, there were moments of joy in the day, including when the kids listened intently to the gospel story and happily sang the "Dip" song.

But, I WAS DONE!

The end of camp barbeque was wrapping up, people were leaving, and I was going to take a nap.

I had only been laying down for a few seconds when little Mia popped her head in the door. Mia was a nine year old sweetheart that had only come to the camp for two days. She was VERY well behaved and sat by me any chance she could get. She read books to me and even took up my plate when I was done at meal time. She was one girl who really had started to win my heart.

Well, after coming in, Mia slowly walked over to my bed.

I could tell her lip was quivering.

"Mia, are you okay?"

Seconds later, she was bending over and squeezing me with all her might.

"Jenny, I love you."

And soon after that, the tears started to come.

They started to pour from her eyes and run down my arms.

For several minutes, she just held me, bawling.

And, since she was bawling, what do you think I did?

I started to cry too.

And as I cried, it was like the weight of the day just fell from my shoulders.

I was loved.

It wasn't about what I had done right or what I had done wrong.

This little girl loved me.

And if this little girl loved me, how much more did GOD love me?

After what seemed like an eternity, Mia started to walk away.

She went to a girl by the sink and asked her how to say something in English.

Running back to me, she looked intently into my eyes.

"Jenny, I love you, and I will love you ever." (I think she meant forever.)

She once again grabbed me so tightly and wouldn't let go.

All the while, the tears continued to flow.

When she finished hugging me, she said goodbye through her tears and started to walk away.

BUT, she wasn't finished.

She ran back, and the whole scenario occurred probably five more times.

"Jenny, I love you, and I will love you ever."

I decided to give this little girl a picture of me from my album so she could remember me.

She then decided to draw me a picture. She wrote her name next to the picture of her and had me write my name next to the picture of me.

Through it all, she continued to cry.

When she finally left, I was just in awe.

In TWO DAYS, God had used me to get ahold of that little girl's heart. He has used me

despite my lack of energy and my negative attitude.

If nothing else good came from the VBS, I now know that at least Mia was touched.

If no one else had felt the love of Jesus at that camp, at least Mia had.

IT WAS WORTH IT!

Despite the heat and the rowdy kids and the stress, IT WAS WORTH IT!

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You may be tired. You may be drained. You may wonder how on earth God can use you when you can't or don't even want to go on.

BUT HE CAN!!

Hold fast!

Look up!

He is working in His strength even when you don't think you have the strength to make it.

Keep shining for Jesus my friends! :)

Ukraine- Up Close and Personal!

Sun, 3 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Here is a movie my teammate, Samantha Allen, made about our month in Ukraine. I am SO GLAD to have a movie maker on my team! :)

Mulberry Kisses

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

She kissed my cheeks and spun me in a circle. She lifted me from the ground and held me in a long embrace. Yes, her cheeks, lips, and hands were covered in mulberry juice; yes, tons of people were walking by; and yes, I felt a bit awkward, but I just let her hold me. She was beaming, and I was not about to kill her joy.

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Let me take you back to about a week ago . . .

Our ministry was finished for the day, and I felt called to go "treasure hunting" for people to bless. So, after sitting in the park for a bit, I set out.

I met two different old ladies on the street and had the opportunity to buy food for them. When I first met the second lady, she had a huge smile and tried to hand ME money. (Oh, the joys of the language barrier!) But, after clearing things up, I had the chance to pray for her. I felt SO JOYFUL while doing so, and afterwards, she kept putting her hand to her heart. She looked SO HAPPY! She tried conversing with me in Russian, and I just listened. I knew for sure that I should go back and visit her! (I actually saw her both today and yesterday, so the follow up has been good!)

After meeting her, I ambled down the street. I came across an older man in a suit begging and decided to buy him food as well. However, after trying to give him a sweet-smelling roll, he would not take it. Could he not eat it or something?

I went all through the park trying to find SOMEONE to give it to. I could find no one! The closest guy I found would not take it and held out his wallet as if to tell me he had no money. (Once again, you have to love the language barrier!)

That is when I remembered the "pigeon lady." I could give it to her the next day on my run! She could eat it or use it to feed her pigeon friends!

Well, the next day came, and there was NO PIGEON LADY!

That is when I remembered an older man in a red jacket I saw most days on my run. He was always on a bench at the opposite end of the park. Yes, that is who I needed to find!

So, I took off down the path, the path to where the man sat each day.

Once I found the man, I handed him the roll, and he took it eagerly. It was then I noticed his wife was lying on his lap, asleep. I had never realized she was there! I told him, "Yesus lubit tiba," and I took off running. I am not sure why, but I knew I needed to revisit this couple. I needed to bring them a tract and more food. God wasn't through with my interaction with them.

So, over the course of this past week, I have rivisited them several times.

On Sunday, I brought them pastries on my run. I saw them both eating them as I ran by again, and it made me smile. That same night, I saw small pizzas for sale and bought them both one. I bought them for the following day, but when I found the woman had warmed them up, and I just had to give them to the couple immediately!

However, it would be the following three visits that would rock my world.

Monday: On the way back from Firststep, I wanted to visit my friends again but we only had so many keys. Carmen decided she would walk with me. I was excited for her to meet the old couple and hoped they would actually be there so she wouldn't walk all that way for nothing.

Well, the moment we arrived, the woman REJOICED to see us. Every other time I had come, she had been half asleep, but this time, she was very much awake! She grabbed Carmen and gave her a huge hug and several kisses and then did the same to me. We handed them the pastries I had purchased, said the food was from "Yesus," and gave them a tract. When the woman saw that tract, she rejoiced even more!! She dug in their bag and took out a mangled magazine. She turned it over and excitedly pointed to a picture of Jesus on the back. We asked if we could pray for them, and by the end, THEY WERE BOTH SOBBING. For the rest of the time, the man could only look down as he quietly cried. It nearly made me cry! It was as if Jesus had just reached down and ENGULFED the two of them in His love. We kept holding their hands, and the woman continued her kissing and hugging. We told her Jesus loved her and her husband and that she was beautiful ("ti creciba"), and each time we said something, it was like God was touching her heart all over again. I told her our names and that we were from America- Chicago and North Carolina (people know Chicago better than Illinois!). We found out their names were Alexander and Nyann. She took out a pen and piece of paper and had us write down our names. I added our emails too, even though they will probably never be able to use them. I told her today was Monday and we would come back Tuesday. She said, "I love you, thank you" in perfect English, we gave them one last hug, waved goodbye, and left.

Tuesday: This visit to my friend took three trips to the park to actually occur. In the morning, I attempted to bring them McDonald's on my run, but it was a failed attempt. I wanted to cry because there was NO WAY ice cream would last, and I had wanted this to be special.

After Firststep, I tried one more time to find them but failed. (Along the way, I had a chance to bless the old woman from the first day, a group of troubled boys (one was definitely high), a man selling art, and a woman wrapped in a blanket, so God did use that trip for something!)

At this point, I was wondering, were Nyann and Al angels?? :)

FINALLY, when evening was approaching, I found them. They were on a different bench this time. I handed them a bag of food and sat down beside them at Nyann's beckoning. When they saw the food was from the supermarket, Alexander tried to have her give it back for some reason, but I told them it was for them, from "Yesus." She pulled out a little magazine with women wearing a bunch of make-up on it. She said she had another and it was for me to keep. Then, she pulled out the tract I had given her on Monday and quietly read through the entire thing aloud, looking at me at some point or pointing back to the cover at others. It was if she was saying she agreed with the points and believed each one. After reading the tract, I told Nyann my age and asked hers. Adorably, she started counting on her fingers. I tried asking her if she has children, and I think she said she has two in Odessa. It was a good little encounter, and I LOVED how she pulled out the tract from the day before. I told them I would see them on Wednesday, gave them one last hug and handshake, and walked away.

Wednesday (Today): We were again returning from Firststep and I ran into the little old lady I met in my "Just BE" blog. I gave her a hug and her eyes were wide with joy.

I also ran into the woman I had already talked to twice and gave her a hug as well. Running across the street, I bought two, warm pastries for the both of them. BUT, when I returned, the second woman did not want one and the first lady was gone.

So, after searching to no avail for the first lady, I headed over to the park to bring the pastries to Nyann and Al. I had almost reached their bench when I saw a woman scooping mulberries off the ground to my right. "Nyann??" I asked. She stood up, smiled ENORMOUSLY, and pointed to where Alexander was. She walked down from where she was eating berries and gave me a huge hug and many kisses. There was mulberry juice ALL OVER her, and my first thought was "Oh no! My shirt!" But, I embraced it and walked with her to where Alexander lay asleep. She bent down to kiss him, and when he came to, he sat up. Nyann sat down and had me sit beside her, and I handed her the pastries. She handed one to Alexander and started chatting with me. I tried asking if Alexander could walk okay (he has a lot of trouble even moving from laying down to sitting up), and she thought I was talking about running. (She sees me run like every day!) She jumped up and started doing some hilarious exercise moves.

It was at this point she grabbed me in a warm embrace and tried lifting me from the ground. Kissing me all over my cheeks, she would not let me go as she spun around, looking beautiful in her blue dress. I felt SUPER awkward, but I did not pull away. When Jesus came to this earth, he gave love and he also received love, so I could not push Nyann away.

When it came time to leave I told them I would see them on Thursday, gave them farewell hugs and handshakes, and traipsed away.

Out of all my moments on this World Race, I have never felt as loved or touched as I have by this couple. They live in a park with little more to their name then a bag filled with newspapers and advertisements, but they have joy. And even if we can't fully understand each other, God is doing something big through these encounters. He is blessing not only them but me and those I meet along the way. I started out despising this country, and now I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave Nyann and Al.

God has placed it upon my heart to feed them each day until we leave and to try and find them a New Testament to read as well. Please pray I can find a Bible to give them! My time here is short, but God can use me, "short time or long," to fulfill his good purposes.

Keep shining for Jesus, my friends!

Keep your eyes open, and BE LOVE to each person He puts into your path!

Grab the popcorn!

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"WOW . . . . . I feel like I'm watching a movie!!!"

Ilita looked at me with wide eyes, and I had to laugh. I had never before had this response when sharing the gospel and the truth of the Bible. Ten minutes earlier, I had been lying on the train bench exhausted and dizzy, and now I was on fire!!

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We were on a day trip to Moldova, a country that borders Ukraine, for Bethany's 25th birthday. I should have been a bit more excited, but transportation is the death of me. I just wanted to sleep and let the time on the train pass quickly.

But everything changed when Ilita approached me.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"What are you doing in Ukraine?"

I told her about myself and my trip around the world. She told me about herself, her job, her family, and her vacation with her mom to Odessa. I told her about the dump and all the different ministries I had experienced. I told her how I love to tell people about Jesus.

"Do you believe in Jesus?" I asked her.

She told me she remembers Him more in the hard times but forgets in the good times. She told me she doesn't necessarily believe in Jesus but in a higher power.

It was then that I started to share with her my experiences of the man who was blind but then could see and the woman who was paralyzed but then could move.

She was left in AWE.

AND, she relayed most of what I said to her mom in Romanian.

I told her how Jesus is a God of power and how He hears our prayers. He loves us so much and listens to all the requests we bring to Him.

"If God is so good, why does He let so many bad things happen?"

I told her about sin and how all these bad things came into the world. I told her how we are all sinners and that without Jesus, we deserve death. I told her about Satan and how he wants to lead as many astray as he can. I told her how he doesn't want us to have true life but wants us to rot in Hell with him.

"But what if I don't do bad things?"

I told her that even if she had only committed one small sin in her whole life, she was still a sinner. I told her that hatred was just as bad as murder and lust just as bad as actually sleeping with that person. I told her how sin is sin, and sin cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God.

I then went into the gospel story.

I don't remember half of what I said. It was like the words were just flowing.

That is when she said it: "WOW . . . . . I feel like I'm watching a movie!!!"

I had to kind of giggle.

"You remind me of one of those people. You know those people . . um I don't know the word?"

"You mean a preacher?" I questioned.

"Yeah!! A preacher!"

She told me that my words were powerful.

Inside, I just thanked Jesus.

She told me that she had Christian friends who now live in America. She said they had tried to tell her about Jesus before, but she never wanted to listen. She said she didn't think she committed sins and totally would tune them out.

But now, she was listening, TRULY LISTENING!

She said that she wasn't ready to accept Jesus, but she had heard that I had to say. She heard the truth, and she SOAKED it all in with awe and wonder.

I told her to think about all that I had said, and before we parted ways, we exchanged email addresses and took a picture together.

A seed was sown, and I pray that it is one day planted in her heart.

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No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, no matter how you are feeling, GOD CAN USE YOU!! He can bring people to you when you least expect it, and in His perfect timing, you will see hearts come alive!

Oh, and you may even see people respond to you like you are a live movie God has sent their way.

Grab the popcorn, friends, and keep shining for Jesus! :)

Oh what a TANGLED web!!

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And its warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

Now at once everything looks different

Now that I see you."

This is a song that has been stuck in my head for days, ever since I watched the movie, "Tangled," in Nepal. And although it may be from just a Disney movie, it has so much meaning.

Rapunzel is a beautiful princess, a princess with many talents, a princess with long, lovely hair that has healing powers. But, because of the special qualities of her hair, she has been stolen by an evil woman, who calls herself "Mother." This woman does not love Rapunzel. She merely wants to stay young by using the powers of Rapunzel's hair. So, Rapunzel is forced to live within a tall, dark tower. She can never leave. She can read and paint and practice candlemaking and ventriloqy, but she can NEVER leave. She is a princess, but she doesn't know that, for she has been deluded by a woman that tells her lies and makes her out to be worthless.

"Mother" is a woman that merely "masquerades as an angel of light." She calls Rapunzel "flower," says "I love you most," and acts like she is the loving mom bent on protecting her daughter. But, all the while, she is emotionally abusing the stolen princess, messing with her mind any chance she can find. She makes her feel like she isn't beautiful enough or smart enough. She makes fun of how she speaks and does not even attempt to build her up. She calls Rapunzel "dirty," "vague," "naive," and even "chubby." And although NONE of these descriptions are true, the lies keep Rapunzel trapped. She is afraid to leave and completely unsure of her capabilities. "Mother" is a woman who snuffs out any ray of light she can find, both literally and figuratively. She may pretend to be filled with light, but she herself is darkness.

Each year, on Rapunzel's birthday, there are lanterns set free into the air, lanterns set free in an attempt to find the lost princess. From high in her tower, Rapunzel can see these flickers of hope. Although they are far off, she can SEE the light. She KNOWS there is more.

And trapped within her tower, Rapunzel has had ENOUGH.

So with the help of a handsome rescuer, she finally does leave. She leaves, and she SEES the light. She SEES the lanterns for herself up close and personal, and she bursts into song.

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And its warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

Now at once everything looks different

Now that I see you."

And soon after, she comes to realize . . . . she is the lost princess!

Yes, Mother does come after her, but Rapunzel finally KNOWS who she is. AND, she finally knows WHOSE she is. She is a daughter of the King! She is a beautiful, talented, gifted princess who is of royal birth. She has strength to stand up to her enemy, "Mother." She firmly states, "For the rest of my life I will fight. I will never stop running from you!"

Are you like Rapunzel?

Have you had ENOUGH??

Have you had ENOUGH of the lies?

Have you had ENOUGH of the darkness?

Do you want to step out into the light?

Satan is a LOSER who wants to keep you trapped. He wants to keep you trapped with lies that you are worthless. He wants to keep you trapped doing seemingly good things. He wants to keep you trapped by fear of the unknown.

He KNOWS that as a child of the King, you have so much power. As a child of the King, you have the Holy Spirit living within you. Through the blood of Christ, you have been gifted with healing and life-bringing abilities that come only from above. Satan DOES NOT want you bringing this true life to those around you. That is the LAST THING he wants. He wants to drag as many people to hell with him as possible. He wants to keep the true princesses and princes trapped from doing what they were meant to do so that the light can be contained.

Satan is JUST like Mother. He may look beautiful on the outside, but really he is death itself. He may look like an angel of light, but he is really utter and complete darkness. He is the scum of the earth and deserves to be where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So, what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to let Satan stop you or are you going to step out into all that God has for you?

Are you going to BELIEVE there is more to life?

Are you going to BELIEVE you are a child of the King?

Are you going to BELIEVE you are good enough, strong enough, smart enough, and talented enough?

Are you going to BELIEVE you can do "all things through him who gives [you] strength?" (Philippians 4:13)

Are you going to BELIEVE that God desires for you to "drink from [His] river of delights?" (Psalm 36:8b)

Are you going to BELIEVE that Jesus came "that [you] may have life, and have it to the full?" (John 10:10b)

"If you [have confessed] with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU [ARE] SAVED!!!" (Romans 10:9) And if you are saved, you have the power of Christ WITHIN YOU!

BELIEVE IT!!

REALLY AND TRULY BELIEVE IT!!

Satan may fight and Satan may attack, but you have the upper hand!

There is one point in the movie, while waiting for the lanterns to lift into the sky, that Rapunzel asks, "What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be? And what if it is?"

You may be asking these very same questions, and I am asking you to STOP.

Just TRUST HIM!

Yes, it WILL be EVERYTHING you dreamed it would be and MORE.

God WILL "do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." (Ephesians 3:20)

He himself IS the "life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:19b)

When you step into the light, all the darkness will fade.

When you step into the light, you will FINALLY see the truth.

You will see "THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE." (John 14:6)

"And at last I see the light

And it's like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it's like the sky is new

And its warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

Now at once everything looks different

Now that I see YOU."

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"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible: This is why it is said: "Wake up sleeer, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." -Ephesians 5:8-16

Pump up the JAM!

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

WORLD RACE RESUME

Gardener- CHECK

Pooper Scooper- CHECK

Dish Washer- CHECK

Dramatist- CHECK

Painter- CHECK

Singer- CHECK

Prayer Walker- CHECK

English Teacher- CHECK

Preacher- CHECK

Evangelist- CHECK

Dancer- CHECK

Games Director- CHECK

Lauderer- CHECK

Story Teller- CHECK

Rapper- CHECK

Child Care Worker- CHECK

Mountain Climber- CHECK

As of yesterday, I have four more that I can add to the list:

1. strawberry smasher

2. scum collector

3. spoon licker

4. jam jar filler

CHECK, CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK!!

If you haven't yet guess, yesterday I had the lovely pleasure of making strawberry jam. YUM YUM! We were visiting Hope House, and this was the task of the day.

Hope House, which is a part of World Hope, is a safe house for teenage girls that have aged out of the orphan care system in Ukraine. It is a place they can live while they are going to college and finding their place in this world. It is a place in which they can sleep in a comfortable bed and eat AMAZING food each day (And believe me, the food is OUTSTANDING!!!! Let me tell you about some of the best spaghetti I have EVER consumed!). It is a place they can learn life skills, such as cooking. It is a place they can be protected from early pregnancies, forced prostitution, and death. It is a place they can learn about Jesus. It is a place of love and safety, a place of HOPE.

Located in Fontanka, on the outskirts of Odessa, Hope HOuse has a farm like setting. It is a place you can see the countryside stretching out and watch the sun as it rises and sets.

And because of the farm like setting, it is perfect for keeping chickens and . . . drumroll . . . . gardening! And what is grown in that garden? Corn, melons, cucumbers, potatoes, and . . . . . drumroll again . . . STRAWBERRIES!

Last week, we had the privelege of cleaning out the sludge in the basement and swimming in the Black Sea with the girls, but today was none other than a jam making party!

Throughout the course of the week, the goal was to make 200 jars of jam. At a total cost of $60, this jam is actually worth $1,000. It lasts the girls for the entire year and is truly delicious.

During the time we were there, we had the chance to make 46 jars, which Kerry estimated would be worth somewhere around $230 dollars. (Kerry is the incredible man from Canada that lives at Hope House and cares for all the girls. Whenever he is asked what he does for a living, he says, "I collect girls.")

Here were the steps to the process, not all of which I partook:

1. grow the strawberries

2. pick the strawberries

3. cut off the stems and soft, bad spots on the strawberries

4. smash the strawberries (this is where I had fun!!!)

5. put four and a half cups of strawberry slop into a pot

6. add a package of pectin slowly into the pot as you stir the mixture (all pectin donated free!!)

7. stir in two tablespoons of lemon juice

8. put the pot on the stove and turn on the heat

9. stir the jam until it comes to a boil

10. add seven cups of sugar and mix well (that's a whole lot of sugar, right?)

11. when it reaches a hard boil, stir for one minute

12. turn off the heat

13. skim off the scum from the top of the boiling jam and put it in a little bowl to save for later (this is the light pink stuff that is basically pure sugar and the stuff I got to lick off the spoon over and over again)

14. stir the jam for approximately two more minutes

15. grab a funnel and laddle the jam into jars using it (these jars should be sterilized in the oven first!)

16. four jars should be filled with jam

17. put the lids on the jars (this takes a strong person)

18. store the jars away or refrigerate what your want to soon eat

19. repeat the process

20. once finished, do dishes and clean

21. if along the way you need to clean by licking the jam off a utensil, DO SO!

22. BON APPETITE!!

There were many steps, but it was fun to be part of the process. And although I may have gone into a sugar coma from being the one responsible to lick the spoon and funnel every time before it needed to be recleaned (hard, right?), it was a good

Sometimes, ministry may look like scooping sickening sewage, and sometimes it may look like making scrumptious jam.

Whatever type of ministry you are involved in right now, SERVE WELL!

Whether it is dirty or delicious, serve with all your heart.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men." -Colossians 3:23

Just BE

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"When you can't tell them about Jesus, BE Jesus to them."

a mother from Firststep

I was sitting on the porch of our apartment the other day when this thought came to my mind. I had been struggling a bit as to what we are actually DOING here in Ukraine, and this just totally changed my thinking.

If you have been reading my blogs, I am sure you know my passion to tell the lost about Jesus. Well, here in Ukraine, most everyone seems to speak Russian. Nobody knows English. Even though we are in a place that looks so much like America and is filled with other white people (remember, we have been in Africa and Asia for the past nine months), it is NOT America. It was actually easier to converse with people in the remote villages of Rwanda than it is here. Yes, there are translators sometimes, but when there aren't any, what then? HOW can I tell them about Jesus? HOW can I even say ANYTHING to them?

But when this thought came to my mind, I realized I was limiting God. I do not have to SAY anything. My actions alone can point to Christ.

So how can I BE JESUS to those around me?

Is smiling at someone being Jesus to them?

Is buying someone food being Jesus to them?

Is eating with someone being Jesus to them?

Is playing a game with someone being Jesus to them?

Is just sitting with someone as they watch a movie being Jesus to them?

(I sure hope so because this is what we do at Firststep every day!)

All I know is that Jesus did say, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)

So, on Friday, I decided I needed to BE JESUS to an older woman that begs on the streets of Odessa. We pass her everyday on our way to Firststep, and she just kneels on the ground, arms outstretched, begging for help, begging for hope. Her eyes look so sad, so vacant. She NEEDS the love of Jesus. I just didn't know how to show that to her.

On the way to Firststep, I sped up a bit. I had to get to her. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I had to do something. I had already passed up this woman several times, and the Holy Spirit was DEFINITELY nudging me.

But, once I reached her, I still had no clue what to do. I had nothing to give her, no way to speak to her.

So, I passed her.

Once again, I walked right by.

"On the way back I will do something," I thought.

When the girls all decided to purchase team drinks, I asked if I could just keep my money instead of buying something. I saw some yummy pastries that were cheap, big, tasty looking, and probably filling. I would buy those for the woman on the way back.

While in Firststep, I also made sure to pick up a tract to give to the woman.

So, after hanging out with the homeless children at Firststep and taking a tract, I ran into the store to purchase the pastries.

With my pastries and tract in hand, I was on a mission!!

When I finally reached the woman, I reached down and handed her the pastries.

"She is going to be so happy!!" I thought.

But, what is the first thing she did?

She pointed to her teeth . . . . or lack of teeth.

COULD SEE EVEN EAT THE FOOD I HAD BOUGHT HER??

I then pulled out the tract.

"Yesus lubit teba." ("Jesus loves you!")

I pointed at the tract and pointed to the sky.

And what did she point at?

She pointed at her eyes.

COULD SHE EVEN SEE????

Oh brother, this could be a total disaster.

I opened the tract and pointed at the pictures, but once again she pointed at her eyes.

So, what do you do when your plans are a possible flop? You pray.

Placing my hand on her shoulder, I prayed for this woman.

And by the end, she really looked touched. She even signed herself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit style.

I knew she did not know what I had prayed, but I did know this: she knew that somebody cared.

And even if the pastries were never eaten and the tract was never read, I had BEEN JESUS to her.

Throughout the streets of Odessa, there are many beggars and orphans. There are many people that need the love of Christ. Now that I have realized it isn't just about TELLING people about Jesus, I want to make sure my eyes are open so that I can BE JESUS to as many of them as I can before my time is up.

There is one woman in a long black dress I always see after we pass the mall. She walks around in a huff, swearing under her breath, and there are bruises under her eyes.

How can I BE JESUS to her? Can I buy her flowers or ice cream and give her a hug to show someone cares?

There is another woman who likes to feed the pigeons that I always see when I run through the park. Every time I run by, she looks vehemently at me and yells something in Russian, probably to leave and not make her pigeons fly away with my footsteps.

How can I BE JESUS to her? Can I buy her food for her pigeons or a treat that she can eat? Can I sit by her and show her she is loved?

There is a girl at Firststep that I see most days we are there. She has many cuts on her arms due to many hopeless nights filled with alcohol and cutting.

How can I BE JESUS to her? Can I sit by her each day at lunch and draw her a picture to show her I care?

There is a boy at Firststep that I see each day, and he never speaks and never wears a shirt. He has a big scar on his side because he had a kidney removed to make money.

How can I BE JESUS to him? Can I sit by him when we watch movies and pray for full healing of his body?

How can I BE JESUS to these people?

Wherever you go, whatever you do, you can BE JESUS in this dark world!

It isn't just about the words you say. It it about what you do.

Keep shining with the light of the true light, my friends! :)

Nepal in motion!!

Sun, 5 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Here is another video my squadmate Sarah Olmstead made for your viewing pleasure! I just hope this one works in America!!!

India Video . . . NOW IT WORKS!! :)

Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Here is a video my amazing squadmate, Sarah Olmstead, made about our time in Bangalore, India. Our team was with her's for the month of April. ENJOY!

Everybody Dance Now!!!

Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

For all you dance lovers out there, here is the little something my past team, Team Eleutheroo, and Team Kindle put together for an all squad dance off. We weren't always together, and we weren't all the best of dancers, but it is some funny stuff!!! Oh, and P.S.- We WON the dance off! Yeah, baby! Laugh, and once more . . . . ENJOY! :)

Grandmother Hijacking

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Mountaintop Experience: Take Two

So, it was another partial free day.

And this time, the lovely Carmen was going to join me in a hike up the mountain.

We had two goals:

1. to reach the top of the mountain

2. to look for opportunities to minister to people

Well, we were only about a half hour into our journey when we ran smack dab into goal number two.

We were passing the leper colony and saw a woman sitting outside. She had a huge smile on her face, and we decided to pray for her.

Very soon, we had drawn a crowd.

It was a perfect opportunity to pray for more of the lepers and to share the gospel.

AND, since our whole group would be visiting the colony later in the day for a little church service, it was a perfect opportunity to invite them to come.

Once we had finished sharing, we found out one of the men in the crowd was a believer. He worked in the hospital and took care of those inflicted with leprosy in the colony. We also found that two of the men had grown up in Christian families but were not saved themselves. At the end, both of them were contemplating if they should choose Jesus.

After praying that these two men would soon see the light, we decided to continue our trek.

However, we were just as we were about to leave, a little old lady approached us.

Her name was Bibi.

She was speaking in Nepali and kept pointing to her throat. She went on and on, and we had no idea what she was saying, but we decided to pray for her throat anyways.

We prayed and were about to move on, but it was clear BIbi was not content with staying put. She grabbed onto my shirt and started to walk in the direction we were headed.  I walked slowly as she hobbled along by my side.

As we walked, she kept pointing to her throat and saying, "monilla" (something like that), but we did not really know what she wanted.

As we were walking up a steep, rocky hill, we approached young men doing construction on the path.

"Hey, that is my grandmother!!" one cried out.

Oh, okay, this must be where she lived.

But, even if it was, she was NOT stopping.

I tried asking her several times where she was going, but she could not understand.

So, we kept on walking with her by our side.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if we would really make it anywhere near the top of the mountain at this pace.

Could we go any slower??

But then, I also thought that by walking with this woman, we could be Jesus to her. By walking with this woman, we could show her love. It didn't matter if we could understand her or not.

Maybe we were supposed to "carry" this woman up the mountain like Stanley Yelnats was supposed to carry Madame Zarone up the mountain in the movie "Holes." :)

Soon, Carmen had grabbed her other hand, and we were now an ambling trio.

I soon decided that, as we walked, we should sing.

So, together, Carmen and I broke out into "Our God," "This is the Day," "How He Loves," "Jesus Loves Me," "Dip," "My God is So Big," and other random praise songs.

During, "How He Loves," we changed the words to, "He loves you, oh how he loves you . . . " and would point to her when we said "you." She would smile so big each time.

It was the same with "Jesus Loves Me." It became, "Jesus Loves You."

Oh, and when we finished the "Dip" song, she was TOTALLY cracking up!

Many people were stopping, staring, and laughing at us.

We were definitely a sight to see!

At one point, Bibi stopped and pointed to my water bottle.  She must be thirsty.

"Should I try pouring some into her mouth?" Carmen asked, picking up her own water bottle.

Well, before she could do that, Bibi held out one of her hands, cupping it so that water could be poured in it. Carmen slowly poured in the water, and Bibi lapped it up eagerly.  Boy, was she thirsty!

As we continued on, we tried asking several people where Bibi was headed.  Most could not speak English, but some said that she wanted to find a doctor for her throat. Others said she was hungry. Another gave her some money.

After walking with Bibi for nearly an hour (which was probably only a mile), we reached a little town . . . if you could call it that.

We tried to buy her food, but she didn't want any.

We tried to buy her water, but she didn't want any of that either.

What she wanted was a coke!!

And did she ever guzzle it!

After she had finished drinking, we decided to carry on with our journey. Bibi had reached the town and should be okay, right?

As we walked away, I felt bad.

I felt like we were leaving behind a little, lost puppy dog.

It reminded me of the time we were on a biketrip by Lake Superior and had a dog follow us for nearly 18 miles. We were afraid it would be hit by a car, so we had a gas station tie it up so it could no longer follow us. As we left, I remember it barking crazily, like we had broken its heart.

I felt the same way now.

"Are you sure we are doing the right thing?" I asked Carmen.

"Yeah, I think so."

It was when I glanced back and saw Bibi slowly following after that I really wondered if we were doing the right thing.

But, soon, she had stopped by a man next to his motorbike and was asking for money.

Okay, maybe it was okay to leave.

So, we continued our trek.

It took some time, but soon we reached the top.

It was BEAUTIFUL!!!

With Andrew, we hadn't reached the actual top, but this time we did.

AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!

We could see the valleys and clouds and green hills in all directions.

Who could ever look at this and NOT believe there is a creator???

After looking around in wonder for a few minutes and taking some pictures, it was time to head down.

As I said earlier, we were ministering at the leper colony later in the day, so we only had a little bit of time to actually enjoy the mountain.

We hiked, took a crazy bus that drove much too close to the edge, hiked some more, and were soon at the leper colony once more.

But before we reached it, we once again passed the group of men doing construction.

"WHERE IS MY GRANDMOTHER???"  one asked.

"Um . . . . she didn't come back?"

"No."

OH GREAT!!!

We were now guilty of hijacking a grandmother!!!!

Just the crime I always wanted to commit!

After a little more conversation though, we found out she often wanders around by herself. AND, one hinted she may have been a little tipsy at the time.  The guys were also laughing, so it assured me our little Bibi would be okay.

Once we arrived at the colony, I ran into one of the men we had prayed for earlier to soon come to Jesus. He said that, after we had prayed for him, he had felt SO GOOD all day.  That really made me smile!!

Our trip up and down the mountain had been truly eventful.  We had met our goals, and enjoyed each and every moment. Filled with joy, laughter, and beauty, it had been another "mountaintop experience!"

GOD IS GOOD!

Keep walking like Jesus, my friends!!! :)

"As you go, preach the message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." -Matthew 10:7-8

"SInce we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." -Galatias 5:25

"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.." -I John 2:6

Mountaintop Experience!

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Jenny, would you like to go hiking?"

Um, is that even a question?

WOULD I EVER!!

It was our off day and most everyone had gone into town for shopping, pizza, and internet, except for me and a couple others. I didn't want to sit in a coffee shop all day, especially when I didn't even have a computer. So, instead, I read, took a nap, and was thinking about going outside for a bit.

That is when Andrew, our squad leader, walked into the room.

"Jenny, would you like to go hiking?"

Just yesterday, his foot had been throbbing, but now it was not. Now, it was healed. After a lot of prayer from someone at home, he had woken up with no pain. PRAISE JESUS!!

So, what is the first thing any active person chooses to do the day after pain goes away?

Climb a mountain of course!!

So, after Andrew had made us some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and purchased some bananas, we took off for the hills. We did not know how to get to the top of our so-called mountain, but we were up for an adventure.

Without hardly any directions, we found our way. We passed some crazy, cool temples and beautiful scenery. We took gravel and paved roads for most of the journey and were all the while searching for a path that would take us to the top. Finally, I spotted a group of goats trotting down the hill. There was our way! So, we turned off the road and headed up into the unknown. After a quick lunch amidst the pine needles, we contnued our hike. It was a bit steep and slippery and we were huffing and puffing, but it was BEAUTIFUL!

After climbing for a bit, we happened across a resort/restaurant at the top of one of the hills.

We didn't have any idea there would even be anything other than trees up here, so it was a surprise. It was so pretty and actually open to visitors on Saturday and Sunday. There was an amazing outlook, and from it we could see all of the Kathmandu valley. We took pictures, enjoyed milkshakes, and spent time reading our Bibles.

While reading, I was struck mostly by these two verses:

"On this mountain he will destroy the SHROUD that enfolds all peoples, the SHEET that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever." -Isaiah 25:27

"Even to this day when Moses is read, a VEIL covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the VEIL is taken away . . . And we, who with UNVEILED faces all refect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit." -2 Corinthians 3:15-16, 18

From the mountain, I could see a valley covered in haze, a valley where things were not clearly seen. But, I know, when Jesus returns, the haze will leave and things will be seen for what they really are. The shroud, the sheet, the veil will be lifted, and God will reveal himself to everyone. Down below, many of these people were living with a veil covering their eyes and their hearts. Back at home, many of my friends are also living under this same shroud. And as I read, my prayer was that the people I loved would no longer live with this veil. My prayer was that their eyes would be opened to God and His great love for them.

A little over an hour had passed, and we decided it was now time to go. The mountaintop experience was over. However, Instead of taking the little path, we found a wider, rockier road that had a more gradual grade because of the switchbacks.

I was asking Andrew all about his search for Christ and what he had thought of the other religions he had studied. We were in the midst of this very interesting discussion when we came across a woman walking along with her four goats. We said hello to one another, and she asked where we lived. She introduced herself as Krishna, and we told her a little about ourselves.

It was during this that I felt urged to ask her if we could pray for her for anything. She thought for a bit and said she would like prayer. She wanted to become a tour guide and had an interview the next day so that she could be in a course that would allow her to fulfill her dream.

We prayed for her, and afterwards, she went a little deeper with us. She told us, two years back, she had been really sick and had been hospitalized. She had almost died!! She said that hardly anyone went to visit her. The only people that visited were her sister and Christians that would come to pray over her. I asked her if she had ever been healed when they prayed, and she said that yes, a believer had prayed over her and all pain went away.

But today, she said she was once again suffering from a headache and slight fever. So, we asked once more if we could pray for her. She said yes.

During this time, another woman happened upon us, and it was Krishna's aunt, who, surprise, surprise, was a Christian. We asked if she would also like to lay hands on Krishna, and she agreed.

So, we prayed once more, and by the end Krishna's headache had left completely.

I told her if she knew who had healed her, and she said "Jesus."

I asked her what she believed, and she said was searching. It was funny because I had just been talking to Andrew about his search for Christ, and here was another woman in the same situation.

I told her that the same God who had healed her today was the same God that had healed in the hospital. I told her how much Jesus loves her and went into the gospel story--the story of redemption and freedom.

By the end, Andrew asked her if she would like to receive Jesus into her life.

SHE SAID YES!!

So, we prayed the prayer of salvation with her.

I told her the angels were rejoicing in heaven for her decision.

Afterwards, we prayed for the Holy Spirit to completely fill her.

By the end, she said she felt so happy.

By the end, she knew Jesus now had a place in her life.

And by the end, she told us that we needed to continue our "globalization," that we needed to continue to go into all the world and tell everyone about Jesus.

We encouraged her to attend a church with her aunt and to find a Bible.

Andrew showed her where it says in the Bible that she is now a new creation.

I turned to the verse I had read on the mountain and showed her how now the veil had been lifted from her heart and she would now be the radiance of Christ.

I told her that when she becomes a tour guide, she wouldn't just lead them to new places. She would lead them to Christ.

We exchanged email addresses.

And then, we took some pictures together.

And you know where we took some of these pictures??? (This is the CRAZY part!)

We took pictures with her in the EXACT SPOT she had taken a picture with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton 16 years ago.

How weird is that???

She said that Mrs. Clinton had given her email address to her, and Krishna sent her several messages. However, the once first lady didn't respond. I told Krishna we would not do that to her. We would respond! (Lol.)

Soon, we were off sprinting to catch a bus and our time with Krishna came to an end.

We were both ON FIRE from our experience!

One day earlier, I had been believing the lie I was not an effective evangelist, and through this unexpected meeting, I saw the lie for what it was worth . . . NOTHING!

We took the bus halfway back and walked the rest of the way.

As we finished our hike, the sun was falling behind the hills.

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY!

If I had gone to Tamil with everyone else, this hike would never have happened.

If Andrew's foot had stil been in pain, we never would have ventured into the hills.

And if we hadn't taken a new way down the mountain, we would never have met this beautiful woman, who was so ready to receive Jesus.

Jesus is working.

He is working here in Nepal.

And He is working ALL OVER the world!

BE BOLD!

BE HIS LIGHT!!

Don't keep sitting at home.

Don't be stagnant.

Climb that mountain to seek Him out.

And, after seeking Him, don't just stay on the mountain, but be willing to come down and radiate that light to others!

There is a world waiting for the veil to be lifted from their hearts!

There is a world waiting to see the light of life!

SHINE ON, MY FRIENDS!!! :)

Julie is her name

Sun, 8 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We stepped out of the rickshaw on the way to McDonald's . . . . . .

AND THERE SHE WAS.

Our goal had been to merely eat ice cream and make a memory as a team.

But then . . . we met the true purpose of our make a memory day.

She was holding out her hand, begging for money.

She was probably only five years old.

Adorned in a tattered red shirt and torn yellow skirt, she looked up at us, begging for help.

Now if you know the streets of India, you know there are MANY beggars. Many look extremely poor. Many are crippled. And many are children.

Now, you also probably know you can't just give them money because it could go to someone or something else.

But, you CAN buy them food.

I was just about to ask if we could take her with us to get ice cream when Aimee took her by the hand and asked her to come with us.

Leading her up to the counter, Aimee bought her a happy meal and an ice cream cone.

Aimee helped her open her nuggets and dipping sauce and did everything a good mommy would do to help her little child. It was so adorable.

This little girl looked so happy as she sat down with us to eat, an ice cream cone in one hand and a chicken nugget in the other.

As she ate, we made silly faces at each other, smiled at her, took pictures together, and tried to make conversation. However, she did not understand what we were trying to say.

I asked her what her name was and said, "My name is Jenny."

She responded with, "My name is Jenny."

It was clear she did not understand English.

We decided to give her a name.

We decided that name would be JULIE.

Julie scarfed down the food in front of her, and soon, she was playing with the surfer barbie that came with her happy meal. She combed the hair of the little doll, and used this same little comb to try and brush her own hair. At one point in time, she even tried to feed her doll some of the melted ice cream left in her cup. It was so cute watching her try to be a little mommy for this little doll.

When it was time for us to move on, she decided to follow us. Many of the girls wanted to shop, which is definitely not up my alley, so I latched on to Julie's hand and walked with her through the store as the rest browsed through the clothing. She wanted to touch everything. Funny thing was, the first thing she made a beeline for was the wallets. In her plastic bag, she carried a little wallet of her own, but it was worn and tattered. There was hardly money at all in it either. It was sad to see that at the age of five, money was her main priority. I KNEW she was bringing this back to someone else too, probably someone that cared nothing for the little girl.

She also was very fond of looking at the hair ties. I decided to buy her a little purple set with flowers. After buying them, I put them in her hair. She was so proud of them and wanted all the girls to see.

As we waited for the girls to try on clothes, we sat outside of the dressing room. We counted the doors together, "1, 2, 3, 4 . . . ," and I tried to keep her from looking under them.

At one point, we were playing a sort of hide and seek from each other too, which was fun.

One of the hardest parts was when little Julie saw Aimee ahead of her. "Mommy," she said, as she pointed to her.

It broke my heart that we had only spent a little bit of time with this girl and shown her only a little bit of love, and already she looked to one of us as her "mommy." It made me want to cry.

The girls continued to shop, and as we waited by the outside of the door, Julie was suddenly entranced by something.

Ahead of her, the elevator was moving up and down, and she pointed to it excitedly.

I decided to take her for a little ride. We went up to the fifth floor and back down. She was quite enthralled by it all.

She wanted to ride the escalators as well, but it was time to go.

When we headed back outside, she waved goodbye and took off jogging down the sidewalk, off to do more begging.

It was hard to watch her go.

I just wanted to take her with us.

However, that would not be the end to our time with Julie.

After leaving Subway (man, it sounds like all we do is eat), a couple of the girls wanted to grab a coffee. As soon as we started to cross the road, we heard a little voice cry out to us. It was Julie!! She raced towards us, doll and wallet and one of the hair ties in her hand. I was SO HAPPY to see her again! She was in the process of putting one of her new hair ties in the hair of her dollie so they could be twins. I took her hand, and we walked together behind the other girls.

At one point, she took off to beg one lady for money, but then she came back.

As the girls waited for their coffee, she had us take pictures of her doll and her with her doll. It was like a little photo shoot.

This went on until a security man chased her away.

Somewhere amidst all of this, Aimee said something to us that cut me to the heart. "You do know that what we are doing will only make her happy today. You do know that when she is older, she will probably be forced into sex trafficking. And once she is used up, she will probably die an early death" (not exact wording, but something like that).

It was all so harsh but so true.

When it was time to go for good, I gave Julie a hug. I stepped into the rickshaw, and she was still reaching for my hand. And as we pulled away, she ran after us.

AND as we pulled away from our little Julie, I decided this:

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to keep walking the streets of this world.

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to be forced to beg for money.

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to be forced into sex by men too strong for them to fight back.

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to die an early death.

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to never know what LOVE is.

I do NOT want little girls like Julie to never know the LOVE of Jesus.

Since that day, I have again started to wonder where God is calling me after the race. What is happening to girls like Julie is NOT okay!! The God of the whole universe does NOT think it is okay either!

At debrief, a girl name Ashley talked about several opportunities after the race. One of them was a mission initiative to Mombai, India. The goal would be to start a program to take children off the street. The goal would be to save children from a life of trafficking where it is very prevalent. This would include 6 months of training and one and a half years of ministry before a new team would take over.

Not only that, but on our bus ride to Nepal, Amy Duncan told me of an idea her and another guy on our squad, Jared Messenger, have. They want to save children from trafficking right in America, in the streets of Cincinnati. There is a family with a huge home that wants to give it up for ministry, and that could be where the children could stay. They even have 20 acres of land, a swimming pool, and a basketball court. It could be a place of healing and restoration.

I am not sure if God is calling me to either of these, but both are amazing options. All I know is that there is injustice in this world, and it MUST be fought.

As it is written in Isaiah 58:6-8, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."

It's ANU day!

Sun, 8 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

When we met Anu, she was lying in a bed, immobile.

She had fallen from the second story of her home seven months before and was paralyzed from the middle of her abdomen to the bottom of her toes.

Her legs and feet were cold, and her face was without a smile.

A once model, Anu and her husband Lal were called to be missionaries.

But, then she had her fall.

Now, all Anu could do was lie in bed all day, and Lal had to stay by her side most of the day to take care of her.

Well, since we believe that our God is a God of healing, a God that can move the mountains, heal the sick, and raise the dead, we prayed for Anu. We prayed that God would restore this woman to full health.

And after praying, God showed up in a BIG way! Anu, who had never had any feeling from her abdomen down, was regaining feeling in her legs. She was also moving her feet little by little. We sat her up and also tried standing her up. She was still lacking the strength to do this on her own, but we believed full healing was coming. God WAS healing her.

In the pit of my stomach, I KNEW that by her birthday and wedding anniversary, May 18th, she would be up walking and dancing.

Several days later, we decided to pay Anu and Lal another visit. Upon entering her room though, I saw no one in the bed. WHERE WAS SHE??

Then, I looked ahead of me and saw her sitting against the wall. She had a supportive harness on her waist.

We sat and talked with her and Lal. Lal said there had been more improvements since we had last come. She was eating more and was MUCH happier. It was as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The craziest thing was that in her sleep, her legs were moving around all by themselves as if she was running. It is like God was doing the physical therapy as she rested! Oh, and as we sat and talked, she moved her legs to sit Indian style. I know some 30 year olds that have trouble sitting like that! Another really cool part of this meeting was when Sandy took out some bright pink fingernail polish and painted Anu's toenails. Anu looked so happy!

A couple days later, we visited again, and after praying, Anu received feeling in her abdominal area for the first time in 7 months. She felt as if someone touched her side.

That same day, Anu's sister brought us up to their roof. While we were up there, Lal picked up a little owl from a nest that was attached the roof. He told me to take a picture. Well, as soon as I went to take a picture, the owl darted out of his hands and flew straight into a brick building about 50 feet away. Then, it fell straight to the ground, as if dead. It was like a movie! I thought FOR SURE it was dead or paralyzed! It was not moving at all. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.

JD went down to check on it, and after almost stepping on it, he picked it up. The little guy was okay!! I thought FOR SURE it was dead, but it was not. It was very much alive!

This little owl was like Anu. She fell from a building, and the doctors thought was was paralyzed, either for good or for a long amount of time. BUT, she is no longer paralyzed!!! She is regaining movement and strength and flexibility, and WE BELIEVE, one day soon, she will fly!!

I love you MOM!!!

Sun, 8 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

My momma is better than yours

She has only high Scrabble scores

Her cooking is rocking

Energy is non-stopping

And from her heart love only pours!!

MOM, I love you sooooooo much!!

Here is a video for your special day! :)

From sarees to shout outs

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

From the moment we stepped off the plane in Chennai, India, Ashley knew we would not be there all month. We had no idea she felt this way at the time, but in a couple of days, it was clear that her intuition was correct.

Our first week in India was rough for our team. Between Kelly going home and not knowing if we should stay or leave, there was a lot of tension. At first, when the talk of leaving began, I was TOTALLY opposed. I felt like leaving would be like quitting, and if there is one thing I cannot stand, it is having to quit something. I also love preaching, which is what we were supposed to do all month. Not only that, but I LOVED the kids at the church, and I felt like leaving would hurt them and ruin any further chances of showing love to them.

However, I too would soon agree that we needed to leave. I actually had a dream that confirmed our need to go and to go SOON. I prayed that God would show me what to do before I took a quick post-run nap one day, and within just a few minutes of napping, God had given me a dream. Unbeknownst to me, Ashley had actually prayed that one of us would have a dream and Amy had prayed that I, Jenny, would hear from the Lord over what to do next.

So, now that the team was in agreement on our need to leave, we decided to pray over where we should go. (And obviously, all through this we were waiting on our squad leaders and AIM staff to approve of our decision. :))

During the first time we prayed, I kept sensing we needed to group up and join another team. The words "two is better than one" were also in my head. I was hoping our team could just ATL the month by ourselves, so grouping up was not what I was hoping for. But, we were asking God what we needed to do, so we had to listen to His voice, not our own.

During the second time we prayed, I saw a picture of big, green, juicy grapes in my mind. I had no idea what that was about. I also heard "two is better than one" repeating in my mind. After we prayed, I once again shared how I thought we needed to join another team and then added in, "Oh, and for some reason I saw grapes." Well, at that, Michelle piped up and said that she had prayed that if we were to join Laura's team at YWAM that one of us would see or hear something involving fruit. If we were supposed to go somewhere else, she prayed that one of us would see or hear something about vegetables. It was a funny prayer, but it was answered!

After deciding we needed to leave and join Laura's team if at all possible, we prayed about WHEN we should leave. Many of us felt that the need to leave was URGENT. Amy also soon had a dream confirming that we needed to GET OUT of there.

So, on the Sunday of our first week in Chennai, we packed up our bags into two auto rickshaws and headed out. We stayed at a hostile in the city until we were told we could join Laura's team in Bangalore. Those two days were crazy, yet memorable (I can tell you more later), and when we could finally leave, we were STOKED.

At first, when we arrived in Bangalore, I was not sure if we made the right decision. I was feeling guilty in a way for leaving our contacts. And, even though I LOVED Laura's hilarious and fun bunch of people, I also missed being with just my team.

But, very soon, it was clear that this was where we belonged.

Bangalore was a SUPER (the Indians would say SUPA) cool place!

During one of the first days there, we went to a mall with the other team. At first, I was bummed because it you know me, you know I HATE shopping with a passion. But, soon the day would head in a much better direction!! While many of my teammates were bowling or shopping or doing who knows what, I joined JD, Jared, and Andrew to do some ministry. We had the chance to preach to and pray over a group of Indian boys and men hanging around the outside of the mall. At first, there were only a few, but soon, the group grew to quite a few people. Most of the men could not speak English, but the boys helped translate for us. The boys themselves did not know Jesus, but they acted as a vessel to preach His word to others. It was clear the cops wanted us to leave because they kept moving us further and further away from the mall, but that didn't stop us. Throughout our time, we saw several men healed of back pain and had the chance to bring the message of Jesus in a place it isn't readily heard or accepted.

Not only was Bangalore SUPER cool for the fact I had the chance to evangelize with the guys that one day at the mall, but it also rocked in that we had many opportunities to love on the children of India. I was tired most of the time we were in Bangalore, but as soon as I was around those children, my energy would return in a crazy way.

We worked with a group of younger, handicapped children one day at a park, under a pavilion. They were predominantly either of the Hindu or Muslim belief, but we had the chance to bring Jesus to them and their mothers. We loved on them, sang songs with them, performed a skit for them about David and Goliath, did a craft with them, and prayed over their ailments. Praying over them was probably my favorite part of the day!

We also had the chance to visit an Indian school and do a day of VBS for the 100 children there. We sang with them, did a skit on the story of Daniel and the lion's den, ate snacks, taught them about the importance of trusting in the one, true God, and played a game I LOVE to play back at home with the youth group- Chicken, Cowboy, Conqueror!

In addition to that, we had a day to love on a group of HIV infected and affected kids with World Vision. I was really excited because I support two kids at home through World Vision and have run two marathons for their organization. Not only that, but to love on the kids who are often rejected by society is what I had been looking forward to for some time. We sang a bunch of fun songs, performed our two skits on David and Daniel, ate some delicious Indian food, played games, prayed with them, and DANCED! The dancing part was the best part of the whole day!!! The kids looked so joyful, and it was the perfect way for them to let loose. Oh, and Jared was cracking EVERYONE up with his hilarious dance moves!! I had a blast conversing with a bunch of the 10-14 year old girls throughout my time with them as well. Because the kids were so vibrant and had so much energy, it was hard to remember that they may not live to see adulthood, but that is the truth of the matter. But, for as long as they are alive, they need to be shown as much love as possible. Their lives may be cut short, but if they love Jesus, there WILL come a day when all that pain will be washed away.

During our time in Bangalore, we also had the chance to do a three day VBS with another group of children, many of which were orphans. We chose to center the VBS around the theme THE ARMOR OF GOD. We sang songs, played wild games (I wiped out once with one of the girls on my back in Chicken, Cowboy, Conqueror!), memorized verses, acted out three different skits (threw in a new one about Gideon), had discussions with them about the stories, showed them a way to remember each part of the armor, and had the chance to share the gospel message with them twice. On the first day, one boy, age 14, decided to give His life to Christ. No one else stood up, but he took a stand and prayed to receive Jesus. On the last day, a group of younger boys accepted Christ as well. I am not sure if all of them were genuine, but there were a couple that definitely meant it, and for that, I was very excited!!! Oh, we also had the chance to hold adorable 16 day old puppies right by the church! Awwww!!!

Not only did I love the day of evangelism and working with children, but I loved the DANCING! Just like in Rwanda and Uganda, dancing brought moments of needed joy. Whether practicing our dance with Laura's team, dancing to the "Sheila" song with the HIV kids, dancing to "Undignified" at the VBS (some of the little kids were like seriously break dancing), or learning belly dancing (yes, belly dancing) at the women's get together, it was all so much fun!! Back in high school, I would have hated all of that, but now I love it! It is so freeing!

As I write this, many things are coming and have come to a close. Not only is this blog ending, but my time in India and time with my team has also come to an end. We only have three more months left in this race, but with changes will come many more challenges that will make it seem like we have only begun.

So, since my time with my old team has come to an end, here is a shout out to my girls, to my girls on team Eleutheroo!

Carmen, thank you for always listening to me, loving me, and letting me sit on your lap during auto rides. You will always be a part of my freedom story. I am STOKED we will still be on the same team!!

Amy, thanks for challenging me to grow and helping me to do just that. Oh, and thanks for being a part of the one-eyed gang with me. Haha.

Michelle, thanks for your wisdom and your wit. I love how you can now crack my kind of jokes. Oh, and your funny facial expressions will always remind me of my sister, Katie!

Ashley, thanks for always laughing, sometimes at me but mostly with me! :) You are a JOY bringer! I will always remember Uganda.

Oh, and Kelly, even if you aren't on our team anymore, thanks for always being so sweet. I miss your amazing laugh and "Ricky shake." I hope I can come to your wedding!

Our team name meant freedom, and SO MUCH freedom came during our time together! We were freed from fears and insecurities and things of the past. Even in this last month, I was freed of something I never thought I was still bound by! And it is all because of you lovely ladies! Don't ever forget our time together! It was frustrating and hard at times, but it was also stupendously fun and exciting too! I will never forget the mix up of hot chocolate and hot dogs, the packed bus ride to Nyagatare, hiding in a hotel room, freak outs from moving doorknobs and broken guitar strings and doors that wouldn't open in the morning, riding with four people crammed together on a motorbike in the dark , knocking over a guitar in the "Everything" skit on the same stage Obama once spoke on, witnessing our Pastor Joseph's life being saved, sewing together stocking made out of "Same Same" shirts, breaking our three day fast with a pizza feast, watching Pastor Caleb protect us from the drunk man, Nerts madness on the roof with Laura's team, parading around in sarees and umbrellas in the hot sun, watching the stars twinkle in Garissa, hilarious games of truth or dare, moments of sleepwalking anger (Oh, Ashley!), doing donuts in the tuk tuk, crowd surfing from the bunk beds, and so much more! You girls rock my socks off!!

For the rest of you readers, keep shining for Jesus!! Keep listening to His voice. If He tells you to go somewhere or do something, DO IT!! He is always speaking, you just have to listen. What He tells you to do might not make sense at first, but in the long run, it will all be for the best!

PUNCHING FEAR IN THE FACE!

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

FEAR.

It is a dirty four letter word that has consumed me most of my life.

Well, you know what I did about THAT over the course of the past several days??

I punched fear RIGHT IN THE FACE!!!

----------------------------------------------------

When I heard that our squad was going to raft the Nile River, I thought NO WAY! I had read a blog about a girl who rafted the Nile during the World Race and saw her life flash before her eyes. She thought she was going to drown!! I did NOT want to come that close to death . . . . not because of rafting. Why take an unneccessary risk? I did NOT want to drown!

Well, when I found out everyone was going, I figured I had better go too. I was VERY scared, but I didn't want to miss out.

So, on Saturday, our squad headed out to Jinja, Uganda to raft the mighty Nile. Now, I have been rafting before with the family, but that was like a category two or three. THIS was a category five.

Once we arrived at Adrift rafting, we took off our shoes, picked out a life vest, helmet, and oar, chose our teams and headed down a steep and muddy incline to the river.

My team--TEAM MEATBALL!!!

Well, before even reaching the raft, I slipped and tumbled down part of that muddy path. I tried to get back up, but kept sliding down. EVERYONE was laughing!! I wasn't even to the raft yet, and I was already covered in mud and was bleeding from several places on both of my legs. GREAT! This was looking promising. Who knows what kind of infection I could possibly get from those open cuts!

Once we were in the raft, our guide, Paul, led us through several drills. One of them was practicing a flip on the raft. We all scooted to one side, and after a countdown, we flipped, and the whole raft came down on top of us. After swimming madly out from under the boat, we had to flip the boat again so it was rightside up.

We weren't even to the rapids yet, and I was TERRIFIED!

When we were all back in the boat, we started to paddle. We could all hear a very loud roar. It was the first rapid. And not only was this the first rapid, it was a level five rapid AND it contained a 16 foot waterfall.

I looked to the shore and DESPERATELY wished I was not here.

Where is the nearest exit????

As we approached the waterfall, I screamed out, "JESUS, SAVE ME!!!!!"

Well, fortunately for me, we didn't paddle hard enough while approaching the rapid, so we missed the waterfall. THANK GOODNESS!! Everyone was pretty upset about that because you only have one shot to make it or else you miss out on the experience. I, however, was RELIEVED! Hallelujiah!

I'm the one in the yellow helmet and blue shirt near the back of the raft!

We paddled for a bit longer and came to the next rapid.

It was a level four.

Oh, just a level four, I should be fine!!

Well, this rapid was NOT as friendly to me.

We hit a wave sideways and the boat FLIPPED!

I was on the upper side of the raft, and when I saw we were vertical, I FREAKED!!

The guide tried to grab me but could not reach me.

I, along with most on my raft, ended up under the boat. I frantically searched for the outside but could not find it fast enough. When I finally found it, I was breathing all crazy like and choked on some water. You are told to be peaceful when the boat flips and to NOT freak out, but I do not know how that is possible!!

I grabbed onto the boat and held on for dear life.

When we finally got to shore, my legs were so wobbly I could hardly stand. We were also missing three girls from our boat.

No one knew where Cassie was.

My first thought was, SHE MUST BE DEAD!! (Yep, my first inclination is to think the worst!)

But, thankfully she wasn't.

Luckily, we were ALL okay.

We continued to raft, rapid after rapid, but luckily for me, we did not flip. There was one rapid where almost everyone fell out, but I held on VERY tightly and stayed in the raft.

It had been six rapids since we had last flipped, and we were on to our last and final rapid. Oh please, let us make it through this one safely!! I KNEW our guide would try to flip us but I was sure hoping he would fail.

Well, HE DIDN'T!

We hit a huge wave and were lifted, once again, vertically. This time, I was on the bottom side. Tiffany was rocketed from her side of the raft on top of me, and the whole boat came crashing down on top of me as well. I was under the boat once again!!!

The boat was bouncing up and down in the waves and kept hitting me in the head. I could not get out!!

When I finally got out, the raft was following me, and I was getting hit with wave after wave. I was swallowing water hard and hyperventilating like a maniac. I finally saw a kayak near me and grabbed on. He yelled at me to get off though and swim to a nearby raft. When I made it there, I held on tight.

I was still hyperventilating.

Once we were through the rapids, I, along with Samantha and Cassie floated down the river. I was still breathing hard, but FINALLY felt safe. The rapids were over.

When we finally reached the end of our journey, I could hardly walk. I was emotionally and physically drained. I was just as tired and out of it as I am after a long race!! I was at the last of my nerves for sure!

In two days, the rest of my squad was going bungee jumping but not me!! NO WAY! Not ever. This rafting insanity was enough.

WHAT A DAY!!

------------------------------------------------

So, two days later, most of us headed back out to Jinja for some bungee jumping. Most were going to jump, and I was going to watch. I had planned to originally stay back and relax but decided to go instead. I WAS JUST GOING TO WATCH!

OR WAS I??

I was starting to wonder if maybe I should do this?

I spent most of the busride talking to Jennilee, and she told me she was doing this to conquer her fear. For her, this was going to be spiritual.

I started to wonder if maybe I needed to do this to conquer fear as well.

Somebody HAD prophesied over me in Kenya about stepping up to an edge and jumping into the unknown.

Well, when we arrived at the bungee location, I had made up my mind. I was going to do this!! Yes, I wavered a bit when everyone was lining up to get weighed and to pay the fee, but I signed up anyways.

My heart was racing.

I thought I was going to vomit?

What in the world was I doing?

JENNY ELLIS DOES NOT DO THIS KIND OF STUFF!!

When it was time for me to make my way up to the tower, I was ever so jittery. I climbed up the many steps with Tiffany and watched as several other teammates made the jump. I danced around and loosened up like I was running a race. Except this was not a race. This was MUCH WORSE!

I was going to jump off a 145 foot tower with merely a towel and strap wrapped around my ankles!

When it was my turn, I walked hesitantly to the chair where they would bind my feet. I sat down, and fear overcame me with such an intensity. My heart started racing even faster, and I started to tear up a bit.

I asked question after question, making sure this was really safe. It turned out no one had ever died at this bungee spot. AND, the two carribeaners around my feet could hold 10,000 pounds in total. I should be safe.

When they were done tying my feet, I was told to hop closer to the edge.

WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING??

I warily started to hop towards the edge . . . . or was it my doom?

When I was fairly close, I had to duck under a cord and grab onto a bar above me. (Yeah, it wasn't even really a bar. I couldn't even wrap my fingers around it.)

Once my hands were on the bar, a man helped me waddle forward until my toes were dangling over the edge.

"Don't look down!!" he said. "Just look ahead!"

I looked out ahead of me, but I could still see below me.

I had to close my eyes!!

"Wave at the camera."

My eyes were still shut and I gave a half-hearted, fearful wave.

"Wave at everyone else!"

I gave another small wave.

"Now, bring your arms down."

I did, and I briefly opened my eyes.

As soon as I did, my legs started to wobble crazily. I might fall off the edge before I can even jump!

I quickly shut my eyes again. And, I quickly grabbed back onto the bar.

"Jesus, save me. Jesus, save me." I kept stammering.

"Are you ready?" a man asked.

"Um, can I do my own countdown first?" I asked, voice trembling.

"Sure."

I proceeded to countdown from 25, my age, in my head, VERY SLOWLY!

When I finally finished, I stalled a little bit more.

"JESUS, SAVE ME!!!!"

"Do you want us to hold your arms and let go of you so you don't have to jump?"

"NO. I will jump." I said, voice still trembling.

All this while, my eyes were still shut.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Three . . . two . . . one . . . BUNGEE!!!"

I threw myself belly flop style into the air.

I was falling, falling, falling . . . . .

It wasn't until the cord whipped me back into the air that I let out an ear piercing scream.

"AAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!"

I opened my eyes and could see the water and the trees swirling around me.

I was spinning like a maniac.

I could hear my squadmates cheering me on.

"YEAH, JENNY!!!!!"

The blood was rushing to my head.

My hands were numb.

HOLY MOLY!!

When I was finally lowered right above the boat, they handed me an oar to grab onto.

I was still quite disoriented, so they pulled me down with their hands instead.

I sprawled myself out on the floor as if I was dead.

They asked me if I was okay and brought me to shore.

When I stepped out of the boat, I was still shaking all over. The men in the boat waited by the shore for some time to make sure I was okay.

I was.

I was still shaking, but I WAS ALIVE!!!

I CONQUERED MY FEAR!!!

I PUNCHED FEAR RIGHT IN THE FACE!!!

I stepped off the ledge into the unknown.

I stepped out, and because I did, my life will never be the same!!

Topsy Turvy

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Not much will change in the 11 months you are gone."

HA!

Someone told me this before I left for the World Race. They said things would change for me while on the trip, but things at home would probably virtually be unchanged by the time I returned.

Well, since I and others on my squad have left home, so much has happened, and our world's at home have been rocked.

Pets have died.

Friends have died.

Friends have run away from home.

Friends have turned away from the Lord.

Hearts have been broken.

Disasters have hit.

I have had my share of happinesses and heartaches. I have received information that has made me jump for joy and information that has left me in tears.

These past two days, I have been dealing with the latter, and it is just so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I am so far away from those I love.

So much has changed, and I know that, for me, things will be different when I return home. My little sister will be off to college a couple weeks after returning, which will be huge. I will miss my little sister so much, and I have already had to miss her for long enough. I also have NO IDEA what job will await me. I don't know if I will coach or teach or substitute or tutor or volunteer or preach or ride my bike around America or return overseas or . . . . . . ..??? I have no idea which friendships will be the same and which will be different.

And I don't WANT things to be completely different.

I don't WANT things to completely change while I am away.

But, I am not the ultimate planner. GOD IS!!!

I want my friendships to be the same. I want to be around those I love that I have been gone from for so long.

But, WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

The other day, a preacher gave me a prophecy, and it rocked my world a bit. He said that I have the gift of wisdom and will be anointed with the gift of revelation. He said I will see into people's lives and be better able to reach them. And he said that once this happens, I will become an even more powerful preacher. He said I will become an international preacher. I will be like a Joyce Meyers (If anyone knows who that is, PLEASE enlighten me). He said they will turn on their televisions, and BOOM, there I will be.

Okay, yeah. That would be awesome. I LOVE public speaking! I LOVE to preach! That would be a huge platform to be given to reach the world. I mean, honestly, that would be like a dream come true.

But at the same time, I miss my family. I don't want to be traveling all around for the rest of my life. I want to be able to get attached to people and to a place and not have to pick up and leave every week or month.

This preacher also said that as God uses me, Satan will attack even harder. He said Satan will bring guys into my life that say they are men of God and that they love me, but they really don't. All these will come before the right man comes.

Well, great! That sounds lovely. Just what I want. Just the way I would love to be attacked.

But, it isn't about what I want at all, is it? It is about what God wants.

If it takes everything being turned all topsy turvy, I guess I will have to take it.

If it takes moving me around the world for the rest of my life, bring it on.

AND, EVEN If it takes being attacked spiritually, so be it.

I know I need to test every prophecy and see what God has to say about it, but it has just given me something to think about.

Could God REALLY use me in such a big way?

Could this World Race only be the start of big changes coming my way rather than just a little intermission in my ordinary life?

Can I really hold up even when everything here in Kampala and at home in Illinois appears to be utter chaos?

Can I really be okay when the future looks so uncertain?

YES. I CAN. AND I WILL.

With God by my side, "ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE," even when the world appears to be a mess.

For those of you at home, I MISS YOU SO MUCH!

I know times are rough.

I know many of you have gone through times that have caused your hearts to break.

But DO NOT LOSE HEART!

GOD IS THERE!!

He is a forgiving, loving, faithful, and POWERFUL God. No matter what we do or where we go or what happens to us, HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US!!

And now, for a passage my family and I would memorize and recite on all of our biketrips, a passage that brought us through the toughest days and kept our focus on the one in control of our journey:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you--the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." -Psalm 121

God shows off . . . . AGAIN!

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I love it how God drops opportunities for evangelism and prayer into my lap sometimes.

Three days ago was one of those days.

It was Saturday, the day before the main church service, and instead of doing house to house evangelism, we were reminding those we had spoken to the previous two days to come to church.

We were only supposed to be gone for about 20 minutes.

It was only meant to be follow up.

So, Tender, my Ugandan translator, and I headed out into the community of Nateete, Uganda, ready for this short session.

We reminded several women about the service and were about to walk to the next place when we came across Tender's little sister, Amena. We had just led Tender's mother, Jen, to the Lord a couple days earlier, so I took a chance and asked if Amena believed in Jesus. Tender told me that no, her sister did not believe. She was a Muslim.

"You can preach to her," Tender told me.

So, I shared with her the gospel story, and by the end, she wanted to receive Jesus as her savior.

Wow, this is EXCITING!! It isn't often a Muslim wants to come to the Lord!!

We prayed with Amena, and by the end, her face just looked brighter.

After talking a bit more to her, we started to walk away, and I asked Tender if Amena had a Bible. She said she did not, so I asked her if we could get her one. That turned out to be a definite yes!

So, we turned around, and Tender told her sister we would bring her a Bible next time we visited.

You should have seen the look of pure joy that spread across her face!!! She ran over to us, said "thank you," and gave us the HUGEST smile! She was SOOOO HAPPY!!!

Well, no more than ten seconds later, a woman and her children approached us. By way of Tender, I found out the woman wanted us to pray for her son. He was seven years old and had a problem with his eyes. His eyes had a lot of pain, and he could not see very well.

Leaning down, I asked if he believed God could heal him. He said, "yes." I placed my hand over his eyes and prayed. I prayed that he would not only be healed physically but healed spiritually as well.

After praying, I asked if he felt any better, and he said he was okay. THERE WAS NO MORE PAIN!!

THEN, I found out, through his mother, that this little boy also wanted to receive Jesus.

Wow, this is EXCITING!! It isn't often a child wants to receive the Lord in the days of our house to house ministry. AND, it was really awesome how fast my prayer had come true. He had been healed physically and now wanted to be healed spiritually too! He wanted to make the decision to pass from death to life, which is the GREATEST decision anyone can ever make!

We prayed with the boy to receieve Jesus and invited the family to church.

After reminding two other women about church, I noticed another little boy that had a weird looking eye. His whole demeanor was odd. He seemed sad and confused, like something just was not right. Tender told me he lived in a house where witchcraft was practiced, so I decided to pray for him. As I did, he closed his eyes tightly and shook a bit. By the end, he had a HUGE smile! Had he just been set free of a demon? I was not sure, but it was clear some type of spiritual battle had just been going on inside of that boy.

GOD IS GOOD!

Even in the times you aren't looking for something, HE SHOWS UP and comes to you!

This Sunday, the little boy whose eyes had been healed came to church. It was so exciting to see him there with his mother and brother and to know God was making a difference in their lives. He kept looking at me with his newly healed eyes, and I could barely contain my joy. Pastor Joseph even told me that before we came to church, the boy had shared with the whole congregation what God had done for him. Wow!! Even on Monday, this little boy showed up during house to house. He grabbed onto my hand and followed Tender and I to several houses. Even when we met up with the rest of our team after ministry, he returned to stand by my side. I had the chance to talk with him a bit, give him a banana, and just be Jesus to him. I almost wonder if that is how Jesus and His disciples felt? The sick would be healed, and they would follow Jesus and his crew wherever they went.

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son to Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

So, they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." IMMEDIATELY HE RECIEVED HIS SIGHT AND FOLLOWED JESUS ALONG THE ROAD." -Mark 10:46-52

Like the blind man, this little boy experienced the healing power of God firsthand. His life was changed and because of that, he wants to follow us wherever we go!!!

Since we have been in Uganda, I have had the chance to lead nine different people to Christ.

The man with the hat received Christ. He said he is willing to give up his old lifestyle for Jesus.

Tender's mom, Jen, became a Christian last week!!

These two women, Betty and Tulo, accepted Jesus last week as well.

This woman was saved during the church service when I preached on patience!

This man wanted us to pray for him to give up smoking! Well, he didn't just throw his cigarette into the ditch while we spoke to him, but he also received Jesus!! He is truly a NEW MAN! :)

Fiona came to Jesus on Monday! :)

Our team as a whole has had the opportunity to lead nearly 50 people to the Lord!!!!

Five of these people were Muslims!!

AND, this is only in FOUR days of ministry!!

I know it is not about the numbers, but it is just incredible to me what God is doing.

It is CLEAR He is working.

And because He is working, Satan is busy trying to attack.

Many of us have felt nauseous, dizzy, and overly exhausted ever since we arrived.

I have also felt that deep fear try and grab ahold of me two nights ago while I was trying to sleep.

BUT, OUR GOD IS GREATER!!

He IS working!

He is healing people physically and spiritually.

The country of Uganda is being touched and so is my team.

YESU YEBAZIBWE!!! (Praise the Lord!!!)

All because of a GREEN DRESS!!

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"You should give away that green dress."

No.

Why should I?

My other team said the green dress was pretty.

I like that dress.

I have worn that dress FOREVER!!!

And, who are you to tell me what to do?

You just want to change me.

You just want to change my appearance.

You don't REALLY care about the act of the GIVING.

Do you know how many of my clothes at home I have already given away?

I am already planning to give away some tee-shirts to a girl from Faith Center.

This is my missionary dress.

I need this dress when we have to dress nice.

I AM NOT GIVING THIS DRESS AWAY!

These were all thoughts going through my head last week during a discussion with the girls on my team. And, to tell you the truth, I was a bit hurt and angered by it all. I am a giving person, and I felt like my previous giving was just not seen as enough. If God called me to give the dress away, I would, but as of right now, I didn't feel that call.

-------------------------------------------------

THREE DAYS LATER.

It is Sunday morning, and my friend Dita arrives for our morning run. He can only run for a little bit, however, because he has to help set up chairs at church. We take off like two rockets and run for about 9 minutes until we arrive at Faith Center. We walk to the front of the church, and lo and behold, there are two lumps laying under two different blankets. Who could these lumps be?? Dita shakes them awake, and they slowly pull back their blankets. One is a girl who has written me and the team several letters asking for support. This was the girl I was planning on giving the tee-shirts too. The second girl is a bit younger and is one I had talked to while at the baptism. It turns out they are sisters and sleep here each night. Now, this isn't an enclosed church. It is basically a unfinished tin barn with a roof and a few tin slabs on two of the sides. They were basically sleeping outside all alone--two girls with no one to look out for them in the darkness.

That is when it hit me.

"You should give away that green dress . . . . for these girls."

Dita and I ran back home, I took a quick shower, and then I asked Doreen, one of the house girls, to walk with me to church.

Upon arriving, the girls were nowhere to be seen. Caleb said they were getting ready for church and would be back shortly.

I waited and waited.

I helped set up all the chairs for church.

I waited some more.

But, they never came.

So, I gave the clothes to Caleb and asked if he could give them to the girls when they came.

I walked back home to wait for the time in which church would start.

Well, in that time, I felt like once again I needed to give something away--my blue capris. So, I placed them in my bag to bring to church.

About one hour later, it was time for church. It was our last day to attend, and I would have the chance to share my testimony. I was going to speak on fear and how I am starting to feel set free from it.

As we were walking to church, there were dark clouds in the distance. It looked like rain was coming.

When we entered church, I tried to look for the girls but couldn't see them anywhere.

Well, we hadn't been at church for long before a HUGE wind came. Dust was blowing everywhere, the trees were bending, and it started to lightning and thunder. The wind blew so hard that I jumped at one point.

"Do not fear," the Uganda pastor seated next to me said.

Funny . . . . . fear is EXACTLY what I had planned to speak about at the service.

The wind continued to blow, and it started to pour. The tarps that covered the "overflow" section were coming untied, and the people sitting in that section were starting to get REALLY wet. They all headed over to the main section with us. We were all standing up, and it was PACKED!!

I was surrounded by children, and fortunately, one of those children was a girl who slept at the church, so I had the chance to give her my capris. She looked SO HAPPY!!! I tried to ask if she had received the tee-shirts and dress but I couldn't really understand her response.

So, as I was saying, it was VERY WINDY, VERY RAINY, and now we were all packed in one place.

And then, the microphones went out. How would anyone hear what was being said now?

So, while the power was out and the wind was blowing and the rain was coming down full force, we started to dance. The dance team was singing and dancing while facing the audience, and back in the corner, I started to do my own dance moves for the kids surrounding me. We were jammed together, and no matter what move I would do, they would follow.

Soon, the power for the sound system came back on, but the wind and rain were still too loud for anyone to hear.

So, we continued to dance.

We ended up dancing for nearly an hour and a half, and I was sweating up a storm. I was having a BLAST!!!

And the funny thing was, being in a tin barn with lightning didn't even faze me.

Caleb went to the front of church and said he had a short testimony to share. He spoke for awhile, and I wondered when I was going to have the chance to speak. I really wanted to speak now, especially since I now had a perfect introduction thanks to the recent storm.

At the end of Caleb's talk, he asked if anyone in the audience was in need of new shoes. One girl came forward, and he asked if anyone in the audience would be willing to buy her any. A lady stood up, and it was decided the shoes would be bought on Thursday.

Following that, Caleb started to speak again. He looked back at me, and I heard my name somewhere in the midst of the Kinyarwanda. I picked up my Bible and warily stood up. Was I going to share my testimony/mini sermon now? Next to me, I saw a woman going back into the corner. She was picking up two bags. Wait . . . . these were the two bags containing the clothes for the girls. What was going on? I thought I was preaching.

Caleb called up the two girls I had seen that morning, and the woman had me bring the bags to them.

I gave them the bags in front of the whole church, and they were SO HAPPY!!

And after I sat down, Caleb asked if anyone in the audience wanted to give them money for new shoes.

One by one, various people came forward and gave them their gifts.

Following that, Caleb said they had a gift for me. They would give it to me the following day.

WHAT? WHY? I just wanted to give a gift without anyone knowing. I didn't want my deed to be trumpeted from the front of the church. I had not given to be rewarded.

Caleb also said that now, I wasn't going to speak in this church service, but I was going to speak in the conference instead later in the day.

AND, I didn't get to speak for just 20 minutes. I could have 30!

REALLY?? That was AWESOME news! There are like 2,000 people at that conference! I LOVE to preach, and this was going to be an INCREDIBLE opportunity!!

Man, the simple act of giving away the green dress was reaping amazing results!!

Not only did these girls receive the clothes I had given them, but they had also received money for new shoes. AND, now because of the giving, he was giving me a chance to preach at the conference to thousands of Rwandans!

Not only that, but this act of giving was leading me to desire to give even more. I had wanted to give away only some tee-shirts, but upon giving the green dress, I had also felt called to give away capris. And now, I felt like I needed to give away even more!

When we went home, I took out another tee-shirt, two pairs of socks, a princess puzzle from a girl in Cambodia, and pair of nice shorts Kelly had given me. I put them all in my bag. Whoever God led me to give them to, I would give them to at the conference.

So, later in the day, in front of a couple thousand people, I had the chance to preach. I shared from my life, from my heart, and from the word. I shared how fear has held me captive most of my life and how I would often take control of situations to not be as afraid. I spoke on my eating issue and how being set free of that set me free of many fears and led me to Africa. I spoke on how I was afraid of so much still in Kenya and how I memorized Pslam 91 to help me through. I also shared how now, in Rwanda, I have no longer been afraid of the dark or of demons or even of storms. I shared from Mark 5, how the demons pleaded with Jesus and were afraid of Him, and how I therefore should not be afraid of them. I have Jesus living within me! He is greater and stronger and mightier, and we have no need to fear. Right around this point, Amy walked up and told me, " you have one minute." Although I still felt God calling me to say more, I wrapped it up, prayed for the crowd, and went back to my seat. It was quite an experience. God put a huge opportunity in my lap and brought me so much joy through it.

By the end of the conference, I had also been able to give away all of the other items I had brought to give away. I know for sure the puzzle had brightened the day of two little girls, and the clothes were a blessing to another older girl and younger boy.

AND, to top it all off, we went back and had a two hour dance party with our Rwandan friends!! WHAT A DAY!!!! IT WAS THE BEST RWANDAN DAY!!! :)

"God LOVES a cheerful giver!"

Give cheerfully from what he has given you, and your cheerfulness to give will only increase!

And, what does it say about a cheerful heart?

A cheerful heart is like good medicine." -Proverbs 17:22

"A cheerful heart has a continual feast." -Proverbs 15:15b

So, do not give out of reluctance. Do not give because you feel you have to. Give because you want to. Give because it is your desire. Give because that is what we are called to do!! GIVE CHEERFULLY!

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." -2 Corinthians 9:7

KEEP SHINING FOR JESUS, MY FRIENDS!!!

Rwandan TOP 20!!!

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

RWANDA

IS

AWESOME!!!

I just LOVE this place!

I love the adults, the children, the church, the ministry, the food, the weather, the scenery . . . EVERYTHING!!!

AND, since I love so much about this place and have SO many stories to tell, I have decided to make a list of the top 20 memories I have thus far from this country. Yes, this blog is long, but I hope you take the time to read it!! These stories may make you laugh!   They may make you cry! Whatever they do, ENJOY THEM!!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. We are in Kigali, Rwanda, on our first day in the country, but we want to be in Nyagatare. It has already been a long two days of traveling from Kenya, and all we have left is a two to three hour bus ride. Sounds like nothing after a 29 hour bus ride, two border crossings, and random walks all over town, right? WRONG! We are driven to the small bus (or is it a matatu?) that we will take, and we see that all the seats are already full. Hmmm. Is this really the bus we are going to take? We have seven people, including out contact Caleb, who has ridden out to escort us, and each of us Americans has a 40-50 pound big backpack, a 10-20 pound smaller backpack, and other random items. There is NO WAY we are going to fit. Well, NEVER say NEVER because they find a way to fit us. They cram our packs into the bus and press down the mobile aisle seats on top of them. We sit two to a seat in the aisle, and they place all of our other packs, tents, and random junk that has fallen from our bags in our laps. There is NO leg room whatsoever, I am trying to sit on two different seats that are at two different heights, and Carmen's legs are pressed into her chest. She is on the verge of crying because the position she is in hurts. Not only that, but there are some people sitting by the teammates behind me that are getting angry for how close their stuff is to them. One guy says they will have to pay if their stuff touches him. We all think we will lose our minds! But, God brings us through, and we make it to our location in one piece. Yesu Ishimwe! (Praise Jesus!)



2. So, Caleb, our contact, is a very tall Rwandan. He is six feet, seven inches tall and has the stride of a giraffe. I love to walk with him because his long legs allow him to walk fast, like me. :) Sometimes, he tries to take the largest strides he possibly can to see if I can keep up. My teammates laugh hysterically at us because there he is, gliding across the ground with his LONG, LONG legs, and there I am moving my much shorter legs as fast as humanly possible just to keep up with his gigantic strides. It is hilarious to have speed walking competitions like that, and for anyone who knows me, the fast walking lifts my spirits. :)

3. I have my own running group here in Rwanda, and it is ever-changing. :) At first, a 21 year old girl named Wimana, who works here at our house, tried running with me. She ran in a blouse, skirt, and flip flops. However, she was limping the next day, so I offered her my Keens. Who would EVER want to run in flip flops? Well, she has only joined me one other time, but she is now a good friend. We say hi to each other, scare each other, and try to converse with the limited French, English, and Kenyawanda we know. :) After that, a man named Frank, who is an usher at our church, tried running with me. He arrived at our doorstep in dress shoes and pants. He was huffing and puffing by the end and said I needed to find a new partner. So, for awhile, Carmen and Kelly ran with me instead. It was nice to have some Americans join me. :) On the last day Carmen ran with me, we picked up a guy named Dita, age 18, along the way. I raced back and forth between him and Carmen, and boy, WAS THIS GUY FAST! Ever since that day, he has showed up on my doorstep EVERY morning without fail to run with me. Yes, he has to stop sometimes because his endurance is lacking, but I finally have someone FAST to run with on this trip! Two days ago, we gained the two other boys, Innocence, who is 10, and Kenneth, who is 15, and now we are like a team. All of them go to Faith Center, the church we attend, which is cool. They run at sporadic paces and speed up whenever someone is watching, as guys often do, and it cracks me up! Innocence said the other day, "we want you to practice us." Haha. I LOVE IT! So, the group has been ever-changing, but it has been one of my favorite parts of being in Rwanda. OH, and it is also AWESOME when the little kids making their way to school join us randomly for parts of the run.


                                                                     Dita and Innocence

4. Well, while I am still on the running theme, here is a funny story for you. So, I am walking with Tito and try to say "I love running" in Kenyawanda. He looks at me with a very strange look and corrects me. According to him, the way I was pronouncing the word "running" completely changed the meaning. Instead of saying, "I love running," I had said, "I love diarrhea!" EWWWWW!!!!

5. One night, Carmen, Michelle, and I all wake up to the scariest screaming on the face of the planet. It sounds like someone is either possessed or on the verge of a massacre--like something straight from the pit of Hell!! After a few minutes of the insanity, Carmen starts praying, and it stops almost immediately. Thank goodness. But, THEN, Michelle says she has to go to the bathroom, which is of course outside in the darkness. NOW? Are you kidding me? Right after THAT? Well . . . . I guess I kind of need to use the bathroom too. Too much Rwandan tea before bed is never a good idea! We are so scared . . . Well, at least I AM! So, we both go out into the darkness. Standing up to my fear, I step out into the night. And nothing bad happens. The next day, it turns out NO ONE else heard it. It really didn't make sense HOW that didn't awake them. Caleb says it may have been a man with mental problems or meningitis. I guess we will never know. BUT, I do know this. I NEVER want to hear that again!!

6. So, our toilet is a mud hole outside in a little "shed." One day, I am taking care of business, and I look out the crack in the door. Wow, that is kind of a big crack! I see four kids making eye contact with me and smiling at me from behind the fence. OH, GREAT!! They can see me! How embarrassing is that? I leave the bathroom and head back to the house, feeling stupid. I tell the girls in my room. Then suddenly, I am like, maybe I should ask them if they know Jesus! So, I go back out and talk to the four kids on the other side of the fence. They have limited English, but we have a good time talking, AND it turns out they all know the Lord. Now, everyday, we meet each other by the fence, and I ask how their days have been and we smile at one another. And, this is all because they saw me while I was in the toilet . . . ah-hahaha.



7. It is our second day of evangelism, and we come to a house with several people working outside. We approach them, and we find they are open to us sharing with them. I tell them the gospel story, and they all seem to understand. However, they want to know about the time Christ will reign on earth, the new heaven, and the new earth, and how it all fits together. This is a difficult topic to cover, but I turn with them to Revelation 20 and 21 and, with God's help, try to be as thorough as possible in answering their questions. As this time of reading and discussion ensues, the group enlarges to about 30 adults and children. By the end, FIVE MEN are READY to receive Jesus. HOW EXCITING!!! After we pray together, one of the men, Innocent, says, "I AM A NEW MAN!" What a great day!

8. On that same day of house to house, our translator, Tito, takes us down to the river. After looking at the muddy water and the cows and saying hello to the half-dressed men, he says we will take a shortcut. Now, this "shortcut" heads in the opposite direction of where we are staying. I try to question how it is shorter, but it is useless. So, we leave the river, walk through a crowd of longhorns, and head off in the opposite direction. We are in the middle of nowhere. All we see are fields and roaming cows. Well, suddenly, I hear a groan from Michelle. Her flip flop is broken . . . .and there is no way to fix it. She tries clomping along and says she is fine, but Tito just will not let it go. He offers her his shoes, but she refuses. Once we hit a road with some houses, he runs to the first one he sees. He talks to a woman for awhile and comes running back with a pair of white shoes with a bit of a heal. Michelle tries them on, and they do not fit. He runs back, and to our amazement, the woman takes the shoes off of her very feet and hands them to Tito. Tito returns, and they fit perfectly. WHAT GENEROSITY! Wow, we were blown away. The woman was willing to give up the shoes on her very feet for a stranger. Isn't that a perfect example of what Jesus would do??

9. I am randomly sitting out of the porch one day, and a child walks up. I find out the child's name is DANIELLE. So, we start to have a conversation, and partway through, the child says my white skin in beautiful. I reply with, "YOU are beautiful!" I say it several times, and after saying it, I am met with this response, "I am handsome." That is when it hits me . . . . . "Wait is your name DANIEL?" "Yes." WHAT? This was a boy? OH NO! I felt like an idiot. I was SURE he had said "Danielle," and I guess I just assumed that is what I heard since he was wearing a shirt with the word "girls" on it. Oh, you have to love the language barrier!

10. That same day, I have the chance to talk to Daniel's sister, Lydia, on the porch. Well, it turns out she had been listening to me preach to the five men that were saved earlier in the day. You never know WHO is listening here, which is pretty awesome! She picks up the Bible sitting there and turns to Revelation 20 and 21, right where I had been preaching. What a good memory she has! I later find out she is first position in her class, AND, when I ask what she wants to be when she grows up, she said, "the president of Rwanda." What ambition!

11. One day, I am sitting out on the porch AGAIN, journaling and talking to God, and three men walk up. We say hello to one another, I ask what their names are, and then, as I usually do, I ask if they know Jesus. Only one of them is a Christian, and he says the other two, Ezi and Immanuel, do not know Jesus. BUT, he says they WANT to know about Jesus. He says I can tell them about Jesus right then and there. So, I proceed to share the gospel with them, as the believing man translates for me. At the end, BOTH of them want to receive Jesus, so I pray for them and then with them. They are both SO HAPPY! I invite them to church, and they are off on their way. Talk about the lost coming right to my doorstep! That opportunity fell right in my lap! WOW!

12. One afternoon, we head farther out into the bush to preach at a church that is meeting outside of a house. We are almost there when I see an adorable looking girl, possibly around the age of three. She smiles hugely at me and runs quickly to meet me. I give her a high five, and she is still smiling a BIG smile, but then I shake her hand. She looks at me with HUGE, SCARED eyes and runs away as fast as as she can to hide behind her mother. She is crying and looks terrified. I know, we are scary "musungos"--white people. We are always frightening small children with our presence!

13. One night, Caleb asks if any of us want to go for an evening walk to visit various people in need of prayer. I am in! Well, at one of the stops, we pray over a couple that wants to have a baby, and for me, this is EXTREMELY awkward. I hardly know what is going on until partway through because almost everything that is said is in Kenyawanda. I can make out a few words here and there, and the motions help, but that makes it even MORE AWKWARD. We pray over them, and when we leave I feel compelled to say something to the woman, and so I do: "God will bless you like He blessed Hannah in the Bible!" I pray that God blesses those words because I know I wouldn't say them on my own!

14. We all dress up in crazy Rwandan outfits, which look like curtains, for a wedding out in the bush. Once we are ready to go, we start to walk, and after about a half mile, a car pulls up. Caleb tells everyone to get in besides me. "Jenny can walk." Amy can't fit either, so the three of us are stuck with walking. Well, about a quarter mile later, three motorbikes pull up. Um . . . . who are THOSE for? "Get on!" our contact says. WHAT?? No way. What happened to the car? Why couldn't Ashley or Kelly or someone else who LIKES to ride those things be here instead of me? I am NOT riding a motorbike. I am NOT riding a motorbike without a helmet. (I don't even ride a bicycle in my neighborhood without a helmet!) I am NOT riding a motorbike in a dress. He tells us to sit sideways, but I refuse. If I have to do this, I am facing forward. So, I get on, freaking out on the inside, and we ride to the bus stop. It is my first time ever on a motorbike, and I am in a crazy curtain-looking dress with the hugest look of fear on my face. It had to be a sight to see. As soon as we arrive at the bus stop, all of my teammates are laughing at the situation. Well, I guess God wants to set me free of fear, and if that takes putting me in situations I am a bit scared of, SO BE IT!

15. One of my FAVORITE things about Rwanda is the fact we have the chance to preach all the time. Faith Center Church has a service every night, and since we have arrived, I have preached six sermons--one on love being the greatest gift, one on friendship, one on God's plan, one on comparison, one on Peter, and one on prayer. However, out of all of them, there is one that really sticks out--the one on God's plan. This is the sermon where I share the story of how my heart was broken and how God used that situation to bring me to the exact place I am today. I am open and vulnerable and share that although God's plan may be a mystery to us, He is guiding our steps. We may try to fight Him or run away, but if He wants us to do something, He will use whatever it takes to bring us where He wants us to be, even if it takes breaking our hearts. At the end, I ask anyone who wants prayer--anyone who wants to give their plans and control over to the Lord--to come forward. I really don't know what I am asking, but soon, eight people are kneeling down in the front of the church. I am not sure if they just want prayer or want to to be saved. Well, it turns out, they want to be born again. So, in the front of the church, they all give their lives to Christ. There hasn't been a big response to many other sermons, but in the one where I shared my biggest hurt, God used my vulnerability to reach other broken hearts. That time in my life was depressing and hard, but it if hadn't happened, those eight people may not have given their lives to Jesus!



16. It is nighttime, and my team is sitting in the living room chatting. Suddenly, we hear talking outside, and Ashley says someone is at the door. For some odd reason, as if I know something just is not right, I push back the curtain before opening the door. It was someone I did not know. For some reason, I still open the door, and it turns out there is something just not right with this man. It is clear he is a bit tipsy, and it looks like he is holding a little bag of alcohol. He tries to push himself into the house, but I push him back. All I can dumbly ask is, "Do you have a name?" Kellen, the pastor's wife, comes and tries to take care of the situation, but he continues to sit outside the door and on the random ledges of the porch windows. At one point, it is clear he is on the other side of the curtain, and I am standing right next to it, looking at his silouette. Well, suddenly, someone whips the curtain back, and I DIVE headlong to the floor. I am just too terrified to see his eyes staring right into mine. Kellen calls Caleb, who is at church, and he literally COMES RUNNING! He has the translator and Ugandan pastor with him. Caleb THROWS the man to the ground. The man keeps trying to get back up, but the men keep pushing him down. Wow, our men are sure ready to protect us!! Kellen keeps beckoning for us to look out the window at what is happening, and Michelle takes some "paparazzi" shots. Soon, security comes and takes him away. What a funny, yet creepy, time!

17. One day, Caleb says we are going to the hospital to pray for people. He heard God telling him that is where we should go the night before. Amy, Michelle, and I enter the first room, and right off the bat, we have the chance to lead one girl named Olivia, age 18, to Christ. We walk to another room, which is FILLED with sick people, and I am drawn immediately to pray for a girl with a huge, swollen stomach. She is emaciated, her eyes are vacant, and she looks close to death's door. The woman with her says the doctors do not know what is wrong, and she will be taken to a hospital in Kenya soon. We pray for awhile, but when it is time to move on, I am just not ready to leave. I continue to pray for her. Nothing happens though. When we leave, Amy asks me to pray for her stomach. Apparently, it started to hurt a lot when we had entered the last room. I pray over her, and the pain leaves. I am not sure if these pains came because that is where the girl we prayed over had pain, but all I know is that some type of warfare was occurring in that hospital. The girl with the swollen stomach was not healed, but I will continue to pray!!

18. One night before service, I notice there are about ten children waiting on the front porch. I recognize some from church, some from door to door evangelism, and some from morning runs. Many of these are the children are the ones Carmen taught random dances to earlier. I sit down with them and ask their names. We talk a bit, and then I ask if any of them would like to play a game. They are in!! I take them to the wet dirt in front of the house, and I circle them up. I try to teach them Ninja, but it is super hard with the language barrier. The girl who seems to understand it the best, oddly enough, is the one who is only four years old. By the end, the only thing they are all trying to do is hit me. It is hilarious!! I also play a little Simon Says with them, but soon it is time for church. Oh, how I love this place! Little kids just COME to us!

19. It is a cold, chilly, rainy Sunday--it has been raining for at least six hours straight. I am wearing a tee-shirt, longsleeve, and raincoat but wish I had on a sweatshirt too. We are all sitting in church, which meets outside under a tin roof, and we are waiting for the service to start. I look back and see a little girl wearing just a little tee-shirt and shorts. She is shivering and shaking and rubs her arms to keep warm. "Give her your raincoat to wear," I hear in my thoughts. But . . . . I am freezing. I contemplate what to do and then just decide to do the right thing. I get up, walk back to the little girl, take my raincoat off, and proceed to put it on her. It is HUGE on her, but at least it is warm. I fix the arms so they aren't hanging down awkwardly and zip it up for her. I walk back to my seat and sit down. "Where did you go?" asks one of my teammates. I tell them, and one pipes up and says, "You know you might never get that back, don't you?" Hmmm. I guess I hadn't thought of that. I just assumed I would go to her after the service, after it had warmed up, and take it back. Worry starts to creep in. But then, I realize, does it really matter if I get it back? If this little girl really has nothing else to keep warm with, I should be happy to give up a nice, new, raincoat for her. I have a chance to be Jesus to this girl. "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . .I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." -Matthew 25:35-36, 40. Well, it turns out that the little girl gives the jacket back to me after the service, so there was no need to worry. And you know what else? During the time without the raincoat, I was actually WARMER than I had been while wearing it. How weird is that? When God calls you to do something, be it big or small, listen to Him. He WILL take care of you through it all, even if it is in a small way. :)

20. So, we are in church that same rainy day, and amidst all the words in languages I don't know, my mind starts to wander. I am thinking about using my camera afterwards to take a picture with my morning running buddies, which of course, are all boys. But then, I hear some words in English coming from the pulpit. The Pastor says this: "When a man loves a woman, the first thing they do is take a photo together." Wait a minute . . . scratch that idea! I don't want to give my friends any WRONG ideas. Soon, the service ends, and no more than one minute later, my running friend, Dita, approaches me. My other little running friend, Innocent, is by his side. Dita says "photo" and points to himself and me. Oh no! What does this mean? Innocent helps translate and says that Dita wants to take a photo together. I warily take out my camera and give it to Innocent so he can snap a shot. I have never felt so awkward. What does this mean?? OH BROTHER!!


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WELL, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE STORIES!!!! :)

IF YOU MADE IT TO THE END, WAY TO BE! (Hehehehe.)

HAVE AN EXCELLENT DAY!!

This is where the HEALING BEGINS!!

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I AM BLOWN AWAY!!

Honestly, I AM IN AWE!

I have heard it all my life, but until this week I guess I never really realized the TOTAL TRUTH behind it.

PRAYER WORKS!!!

PRAYER WORKS IN MIGHTY WAYS!

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Last Saturday, which I can now say is quite possibly my favorite day on the race thus far, we had the chance to go to a medical camp in Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa. We have lived next to this slum ALL month, and FINALLY we had the chance to go there.

We arrived at the site of the clinic, and many of my teammates were assigned jobs of sorting and handing out medicine, BUT Ezekiel asked me if I would want to do something else. He asked me if I would want to evangelize and pray for the people waiting to receive the medicine.

COUNT ME IN!!!

He grabbed a bag of wordless bracelets, and after I had taken some, I approached the Kenyans waiting in line one by one. I asked them what was wrong physically, if they knew Jesus, and if I could pray for them.

At first, there wasn't much happening . . . . . . . .

But . . . .

THEN . . . .

The healing BEGAN!

And I don't just mean one or two people were healed, I mean a BUNCH of people experienced the healing power of God!

I prayed over a girl in a green sweater named Diana who had an awful toothache, and by the end of the prayer, the pain was slim to none.

I prayed over a joyous girl in a red dress named Gloria who had a fever and chest pain, and by the end, her fever was no more. I had my hand on her head as I prayed and felt the heat dwindle. It was awesome!!

I prayed over a woman named Emily who had been injured by a stick a year back. It had stabbed her in the leg and left her with pain in her leg and hip, lack of circulation to her foot, and a blood clot. I probably prayed six times for her, but by the end, her hip and leg pain were gone, she had circulation to her foot, AND her blood clot was a bit smaller. She also got up and walked quite well for someone her age!

I prayed over another woman with Tricia, and although I do not remember her name, her leg hurt. She could only walk by limping, and she was in pain. After praying several times, the pain had pretty much subsided and she could walk quite well.

I prayed over a little girl who did not feel well, and by the end she was smiling a little and felt much better.

I prayed over a woman in a blue dress named Carolina. She had stomach pains, and after I prayed, the pains had moved to her chest. I prayed again, and although the pain was still there, change was occurring.

I prayed over a man named Paul, who was a definite believer. He was having a hard time breathing, and when I prayed, he started fealing a tiny bit better. When seeing the doctor, he found out he had asthma. He told me he KNEW healing was happening. He may not have been healed then, but he knew, healing was coming!

However, there was one woman who no matter HOW MANY times I prayed, nothing would happen. Her name was Mary, and a few of us prayed for her SEVERAL times. Her fingers and legs were swollen and in pain. She had been sick a year back and still had many physical ailments because of it. We prayed and prayed to no avail.

Mary was not healed . . . . not during that day at least.

BUT, even though she was personally not healed, that is NOT the end of the story involving the prayers over Mary.

Half an hour after praying for Mary, a woman by the name of Furnace came up to me. I had talked to her earlier but hadn't yet had the chance to pray over her. I asked her how her back was and she said it was all better.

"Wait," I said, "I didn't pray for you yet. You are saying you are healed? When did that happen?"

"My back was healed while you were praying for Mary."

WHAT????

My mouth must have dropped all the way to the floor. While we were praying over Mary, FURNACE was healed?? WOAH! It almost reminded me of the Bible times, when the disciples would walk by and people would be healed.

This woman, must have a strong faith.

"Now, I want you to pray for my sister," Furnace stated.

Well, at that time, I was in the middle of praying for another woman, but first chance I had, I found her sister. Her sister, who I think her name was Janet, had knee pain and ankle pain. (She is the one in the white shirt.) When I started praying, her pain level was at a ten, but after praying several times, her pain went from a ten to an eight to a four to a zero. By the end she was up and walking quite strong!

As the line of those waiting to see the doctor dwindled, we were running out of people to pray over. But I was ON FIRE!! I just wanted to pray for any person I could find. I searched for people waiting to leave and ended up finding those who had been overlooked.

One man that I met during this time was named Charles. (He is the one weaing the white shirt.) My new friend Paul placed his hand upon him as well as we prayed. He was at the clinic because of his lower back. I prayed over him once, and afterwards asked how it was feeling. He said there was no more pain. Actually, he said that a coolness had flooded through his back while I was praying. Woah . . . . the Holy Spirit continued to do His work!

Soon, it was time to go, but it was crazy just how fast the six hours went by! Praying for people is invigorating. It is powerful! It is something we should do MUCH MORE OFTEN!

AND, it wasn't just me who had seen healing that day. Ashley and Amy had also seen big miracles. One boy was healed of bronchitis, another of stomach pains, another of blindness in his left eye, and another had close to full healing in his neck.

In addition to that, it wasn't just physical healing I had seen. I had also seen spiritual healing. At one point in time, a group of children flocked around me to receive bracelets, and I had the chance to share the gospel with all of them. One boy named George had asked if he could know more about Jesus, and it led to a HUGE CROWD of children listening to me preach the good news. George prayed the prayer of salvation, and I am very sure he meant it. Many of the other children prayed the prayer too, but I am not sure how many actually knew what they were doing. Either way, the more little kids can hear about Jesus at a young age, THE BETTER!!

Although the camp was over, I have still been BLOWN AWAY by other prayers being answered this past week.

On Sunday, we drove to Garissa, a town plagued by drought. They haven't seen rain in days. While in the bus, I prayed for some time that God would bring rain and heal the land. AND, what ended up happening that night after dinner? Rain came and lightning filled the sky. One of Ezekiel's friends even said to him that we had brought the rain. In the land of famine, God had shown up!

And THEN, yesterday, I received several messages on facebook that showed me ONCE AGAIN just how BIG God is. I have been praying fervently for a family back home, and the breakthroughs that have happened these past few days leave me in AWE! I am caught between wanting to break into song and dance or cry. I could harldy sleep last night I was so excited!!!

GOD IS GOOD . . . . . ALL THE TIME!!!

Put on your "dancing shoes," for GOD IS GOOD!!

Pray continuously because you have direct access to a Heavenly Father who is ALWAYS listening and who HEARS your prayers!

DO NOT GIVE UP!

Keep praying!

Sometimes, God answers prayers immediately.

Sometimes, God answers prayers quite soon.

But SOMETIMES, God answers our prayers over time.

Regardless, GOD HAS GOOD GIFTS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM!

He is listening and is ready to shower you with His love.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" -Matthew 7:9-11

I'm FAST but do I FAST????

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I am not called to fast . . . . .

It is not a good idea for me to fast . . . .

It is not the right time for me to fast. . .

I am pretty sure I said ALL of these statements two weeks ago while on a run with a fellow Q-squader.

And guess what??

Within a week of saying all those things, I felt called to do the very thing I have NEVER felt called to do.

Within a week of knowing I was not ready, I was finally ready.

I was in a Wednesday night service when suddenly I KNEW I had to do this. I had to fast for a hurting friend at home. God CAN work miracles and perform healing, but He wants to see my desperation and my sincerity. He wants to see my FAITH at work. He wants me to CALL to Him with all my heart, not nonchalantly ask Him something in a whisper. He wants me to come to Him, abandoning all else that may hinder.

Think about it. What did Esther do before she approached the King? She FASTED. What were the people in Joel's day supposed to do as they cried out to the Lord? They were supposed to "declare a holy FAST; call a sacred assembly." -Joel 1:14a. "Even now, declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with FASTING and weeping and mourning."" -Joel 2:12.

Now, I know anyone reading this from my old PLJ team is probably thinking, "WHO IS THIS?? THIS CANNOT BE JENNY?" And yes, previously on this trip, I said I was NOT a faster, not from food at least. I have had past issues with food, and I did not want to make that flare up again. Also, I would feel bad turning down food as a missionary while I was in a state of fasting. In addition to that, I had never felt called to fast because I never had anything specific in mind to FERVENTLY FIGHT for in prayer.

But now, it was different. I needed to interceed and to do so in a way totally out of the box for me.

So, one week ago, I fasted for the first time, for one day, drinking only water. Yes, by the time it hit 6:00, I was basically passed out from exhaustion, but it was amazing to see how much time I had to pray and focus on the Lord during the times I wasn't eating or running or taking a shower because I had run. Not only that, but there were times I was super tired, and as soon as I started to pray or tell Kenyans about Jesus, my energy was FULLY restored. On that day, I saw two Kenyans come to Christ (one is pictured below), and by preaching to them and praying over them, Jesus returned my energy in FULL.

Then, a few days later, my team decided to partake in a three day fast.

Now, one day was enough!! Right? After one day, I was SHOT. After one day, I was tired for like three more days. How in the world could I do this?

But once again, I KNEW I needed to fully abandon myself to God. I STILL longed for my friend to be healed and for her family to be restored and for several other people I knew to be set free of various ailments and chains that held them bound.

So, I joined my team. I fasted from food, drinks other than water, running, AND the internet. I wanted to make sure that I stripped EVERYTHING from my life that may come before God, not just food, and just PRAY, READ THE BIBLE, LISTEN TO GOD, SHARE THE GOSPEL, and PRAY some more. I wanted to put my whole self in to praying HARD for those back at home who need it desperately.

Yes, IT WAS HARD!

Yes, there were times I honestly thought I would collapse.

Yes, there were times I was SICK of walking all over town when not eating.

Yes, there were times I wondered why on earth I would subject myself to this mental and physical insanity.

Yes, there were times that all I could do was count down the hours to the moment we would break the fast with a pizza feast.

During it though, this is what I saw. Each time I seriously prayed, my energy returned. Each time I shared the gospel, my energy skyrocketed. AND, each time I was involved in some presentation revolving around the message of Jesus, my energy was restored. I always wondered how I would make it through those times of sharing, but God always made a way. I always wondered how it was medically possible to function without food, but when it is for the Lord, He will BE your supply!

However, during the times I lost focus, my thoughts took a QUICK downhill spiral. I honestly felt Satan just sneak right in and try to take a foothold in any way he could, whether by putting the thought in my head that I need to weigh less or the thought that I am not effective in sharing the gospel. Each is VERY detrimental to my goal and a downright lie! And the first lie is the main reason I have kept far away from fasting for such a long time.

Through it all, I needed to remember, "FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS!!!!!!"

God CAN speak if you are willing to listen.

God CAN bring healing if you are willing to pray with perseverance and persistence.

God CAN do the miraculous when you are willing to FULLY rely on Him.

God CAN work through you if you are willing to become weak before Him.

GOD CAN EVEN WHEN YOU CAN'T!!!!!

And for the friend I fasted for, God IS bringing healing to her and her family. I see that light at the end of the tunnel. I KNOW my God can heal and rescue and restore. GOD IS GREAT!!! HE IS GREATER THAN ALL!!!

Do not think I write this to boast. I write this as a testimony that God can work. God CAN work through stubborn people like me who have been so unwilling to change for so long. He CAN use you in ways you once thought impossible due to past cirumstances. LET HIM USE YOU! LET HIM CHANGE YOU!!! When you are ready, He is more than ready to dive on in with you!!

"My grace is sufficient for you, for MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persectuions, in difficulties. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEARY, and INCREASES THE POWER OF THE WEAK. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. They will soar on weings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:28-31

I once was BLIND but now I SEE!!!!

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Do you believe God can perform miracles?

Do you REALLY believe our God still makes the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise?

OR, do you think miracles are only found in the Bible and no longer happen today?

Well, I am here to tell you, OUR GOD IS A GOD OF HEALING!

OUR GOD STILL WORKS IN MIGHTY WAYS!

Three days ago, I went out to evangelize door to door with my teammate, Amy Heiser. We prayed that God would give us a divine appointment and lead us to those people He wanted us to speak to. We were told to knock on the gates and go from house to house, but when no one answered at the first few doors, we quickly changed our strategy. We decided just to talk to people along the road. After a good conversation with two men (which I will write about in a different blog), we approached a man picking up garbage along the side of the road.

This man's name was Alfonse, and upon talking to him, we learned he was blind in his right eye. He had lost all sight nine months ago when a thorn stabbed him in the eye. I immediately asked if we could pray for him to regain his vision, and he said "no." So, Amy and I proceeded to talk to him about Jesus and if he had ever made a decision to follow Christ. The conversation was confusing because, at times, he made it seem like the way to heaven is through good deeds, but at others he made it seem like it was all about believing in Jesus and His death and resurrection. I felt like we were going in circles, probably due to the language barrier, but by the end, we were pretty confident, just not completely certain, he too was a believer.

After talking to Alfonse, we again asked if we could pray for his eye. This time he said "yes."

Before we prayed, he could see NOTHING out of his right eye.

So, we prayed for him a first time. Amy placed her hand over his injured eye, and we commanded the darkness to leave his eye and prayed adamantly that his vision would be restored.

After we prayed, we asked if he could see. He said that he could see a little light, which was an improvement.

We decided to pray again, this time inviting Pastor Ezekiel and Michelle to pray with us. I placed my hand upon his eye, and by the end of that prayer session, he said he could now make out shadows.

Ezekiel and Michelle left, but Amy and I STILL were not satisfied. We STILL felt we needed to pray. So, laying our hands on his eye together, we prayed a third time. Afterwards, he said he could see a little bit better, but still he could only make out shadows and light. He could not see color or make out the exact form of an object.

While we were praying the third time, Amy had heard God speak to her, saying, "IT IS DONE." She knew that even though Alfonse had not yet been fully healed, he WOULD be sometime in the near future.

Alfonse told us that AS SOON as he was healed, he would email us. I wrote out our emails and thought I had given them to him.

Well, yesterday, I looked in my Bible and saw that no, I had not given him the email addresses. Oh no! How could he tell us if he had been healed?

This morning, I was in the sitting room at the church and suddenly heard a commotion in the other room. There was joyous screaming. Amy came RUNNING into the room, practically leaping for joy, screaming, "HE CAN SEE!!!!! ALFONSE CAN SEE!!!!"

As it turned out, Alfonse had come to the gate of the church and had given the doorkeeper a message for us. When he had woken up this morning, HIS VISION HAD BEEN FULLY RESTORED!!!! Three days after praying for this man, HE CAN NOW SEE! THE BLIND MAN CAN SEE!!

And true to his word, he came to tell us AS SOON as the healing occurred.

He had also given us a little note addressed to "Emmy & Jenny." It contained his name, "Alfonse!" and a phone number to contact him. We tried calling the number, and a lady who only knows Swahili answered. It was a struggle, but with the help of some Kenyan friends, we were able to say what needed to be said. We are hoping to meet with Alfonse on Sunday to just talk with him, rejoice with him, and fellowship with our friend!

Before this healing, I had known that healing was possible, but I felt like it would never happen for someone I had prayed over. In Malaysia, my team prayed for soooooo many people to be healed, and no one ever was. I always wondered if maybe we needed the spiritual gift of healing for it to happen. I always wondered if maybe I or someone on our team just did not have enough faith. Even this morning, we were hearing testimonies of other teams and healings they had seen in Kenya, and I was wondering, "Why is no one we pray for ever healed?"

But several minutes later, that ALL changed.

THE BLIND MAN CAN SEE!

OUR GOD IS WORKING!

He is at work in our team. He is at work in Kenya. AND He is at work ALL over the world.

If he can work miracles here, DO NOT DOUBT He can work a miracle wherever you are.

Pray. Pray PERSISTENTLY. Pray with PERSEVERANCE. Pray with AUTHORITY!

What happened in Jesus's day, STILL happens today!

What Jesus told John the Baptist's disciples, I proclaim to you as well!

"Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: THE BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, those who have leposy are cured, the dear hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." -Luke 7:22

BE ENCOURAGED!

BE REJUVINATED!

PRAISE THE LORD, for HE IS GOOD! :)

The Talker BEWARE

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

If you don't know me, you may think I am the quietest girl around.

Those of you who REALLY know me, know this just ISN'T TRUE!

I love to talk. Ever since I was little, my parents could not get me to stop yapping.

I would talk to ask questions.
I would talk to get to know people.
I would talk to have conversations with people both real and imaginary.
I would talk to prove a point.
I would talk to argue.
I would talk to defend myself and others.
I would talk to entertain.
I would tlak to teach my dolls, my sisters, and my neigbors.
I would talk to practice memory verses aloud.
I would talk to practice lines for church musicals aloud.
I would talk to tell people about Jesus.
I would talk to compare myself to others.
I would talk to figure out a problem.
I would talk to look good for the video camera.
I would talk to fill silences.
I would EVEN talk to hear myself talk.

You get the picture.

I LOVED TO TALK!

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The other day, a friend was describing someone she considered incredibly ANNOYING. According to her, this girl had frizzy hair, asked a bajillion questions, AND she argued with everything. "You would say the sky was blue, and she would say, no, it is green. She was the most annoying girl, EVER!"

Somewhere amidst her description, I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach. Was she talking about me? First off, my hair is incredibly frizzy. Not only that, but I ask a lot of questions . . . . . I mean seriously . . . . I really ask a lot of questions. I have been given the "Most Inquisitive" award before AND nicknamed "Question Girl" on one or two occasions. Not only that, but my dad use to say that whole blue/green sky comment about me. Am I annoying too? Oh crud . . .

Well, it turned out she was NOT talking about me . . . phew . . . but even still, it got me to thinking. DO I TALK TOO MUCH?? Am I really TOO argumentative??

The sermon in church two Sundays ago was about being fruitful and quite a few of the verses felt like a direct hit. (Quite a few of these were not directly mentioned during the service, but I read over them as the preacher spoke.)

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is STUPID." -Proverbs 12:1

"The way of a FOOL seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. A FOOL shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult." -Proverbs 12:15-15

The hardest part of this trip so far has been listening to advice. I ALWAYS think I am right . . . ALWAYS . . . and I automatically shrink back anytime someone mentions a flaw they see in me. I just automatically want to stick up for myself. Does this make me a FOOL? Does this make me STUPID? What if I actually AM RIGHT?

In addition to this, EVERYTHING I have been reading in the Bible lately seems to do with listening to others, listening to advice, and wisely choosing words that are spoken. Every other verse in Proverbs seems to deal with it, and Ecclesiastes 5 is big on it as well. Even in Ezekiel, there is an emphasis on listening- on Ezekiel listening to God and on a people that will not listen and will suffer because of it.

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning." -Proverbs 1:5a

"The wise in heart accepts commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin." -Proverbs 10:8

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise." -Proverbs 10:19

"A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of a fool blurts out folly." -Proverbs 12:23

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly comes to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3

"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." -Proverbs 13:10

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words." -Ecclesiastes 5:2-3

"Do not let your mouth lead you into sin." -Ecclesiastes 5:6a

"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore STAND IN AWE OF GOD." -Ecclesiastes 5:7

"The more the words the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" -Ecclesiastes 6:11

Over the past 48 hours, our squad, Q SQUAD, has been undergoing a time of prayer and fasting. We each had two one hour time slots where we needed to spend the time praying for the squad, our teams, and people back at home. We were also supposed to choose SOMETHING to fast from, whether food, the internet, etc. As of Monday morning, I still had NO IDEA what to fast from. I couldn't fast from running. I had to figure out how many miles it was to the giraffe farm for the team. I couldn't very well fast from eating then because I needed to eat if I ran AND I still don't think I am ready mentally or psychologically to mess with food.

I had the verse "Let you words be few . . . STAND IN AWE OF GOD" in my head right upon waking up. Hmmmmmm . . . . . in Malaysia, a teammate had fasted from speaking to better listen to God. Maybe I could do that. So, upon leaving my bed, I decided that my fast would be from speaking. I confirmed the thought when I saw that the verse for the day in my "Traveling Light" book, "I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty: I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world." -Psalm 27:4-5. Could I do it? Would I feel silly or dumb? What could I do if I was asked questions? I DID decide to speak when the gospel needed to be shared, but other than that, I would be SILENT!

So, for the past two days, I have been as quiet as a mouse. Other than the about three accidental times I spoke or the times I was sharing the gospel, my mouth was ZIPPED!

What were the hardest parts of not being able to use my voice?

For one, I could not defend myself. I was accused of getting someone's computer wet this morning, which I had no idea I had done, and I could say NOTHING. All I could do was make a dumbfounded face.

Also, it was VERY frustrating to not be able to sing. I LOVE worshipping God through song. I LOVE JUST belting it out. I LOVE helping the team with the words. They even asked me to just break the fast for a moment just to sing, but I couldn't.

In addition to that, it was incredibly hard to not be able to encourage people verbally. Luckily, I love writing letters, so I still had that, but I felt in a way helpless, in a way useless.

It was difficult to not be able to share stories as well. I love to chime in with my own tales when others are sharing, but I couldn't do that either. I couldn't do much of anything!

What I came to realize is this, there is a place for talking, and a place for silence. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven . . . a time to be silent and a time to speak." -Ecclesiates 3:1, 7b

Due to the fact I couldn't defend myself, I think it was much easier to let the issues blow over.

Due to the fact I couldn't chime in with my own stories, I actually HEARD what the others were saying rather than preparing my own speial.

There is a time when it is okay to defend someone, but there is also a time when starting up a defense will only bring more trouble.

There is a time when telling a story is needed, but there is a time when it really isn't necessary.

Through my experience, I now see that the times I REALLY STILL desire to open my mouth are these:

1. when sharing the gospel (whether in big groups or one-on-one)
2. when talking with those who need Jesus
2. when having conversations about the Bible
3. when encouraging someone
4. when greeting people
5. when singing to the Lord
6. when praying

God has given us mouths for a reason, and when we open them, whatever words come forth should be for HIS GLORY.

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God." -I Peter 4:11a