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Friday, November 23, 2012

Amazon Jungle

 
Taylor M, Caroline, Natalie and Caitlin in the other boat going to a village a couple hours into the Amazon


 

Little church on the banks of the first village we went to.

The trail through the jungle to where we were staying
 

Ywam team let us join them. This is the kitchen area.

Moose!!! Cool guy from Canada.

Playing soccer with some of the locals

Our fishing expedition on the Amazon. Some of the guys went the night before to hunt crocodiles. They didnt find any. We caught three small fish for dinner.

 

The chief of the village we were staying at. He checkin his fish traps that he placed in the river.


Hiking to the next village after taking a quick boat ride.
 






The shower and bath area. One of the girls on the team did not time her bath very well and said hello to one of the villagers.


Natalie's sleeping spot
 

What a lovely group. I love the goodness of God. It is so fun to minister in places I would have never imagined when I was going to my first church back in the states. One of the nights we were ministering at night outside of a house and I just looked up at all the stars and shook my head. I thanked Him for making my life so special and adventurous.
 
 

Dance this tribe performed for us.

The chuch. This is how I love church!
 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



This our missionary journey that God birthed in Tanya and Jesse Gellatly in Mozambique, Africa almost two years ago. We had our one year anniversary on September 11th. We have, so far, traveled through 17 countries (not including the United States) and seen Jesus's love transfrom lives, churches, cities, and countries in the natural and in the Spirit.

This is most of our team in a restaraunt in the city of Arraial Do Cabo, Praia Do Forno. Left table: Stephen (U.S.), Aleeza (Australia), Kurt (Austrailia), Rose (U.S.), David (Columbia), Caroline (Brazil) with her little brother and mother and father, Kelly (Scotland), Brent (Cananda), Elizabeth (South Africa), Liz (England), Me, Roberta (U.S.) Right table: Josiah (Australia), Rachael (U.S.), Nicole (U.S.), Breck (U.S.), Taylor M (U.S.), Astrid (Germany), Natalie M. (Germany), Liney (Columbia), Katherine (U.S.), Amanda (U.S.), Kimmie (U.S.), Taylor L (U.S.) Jesse, Tanya, and little Zoe (U.S.) at the end of the table.


Rocinha.The biggest favela, shanty town, in Rio De Janeiro.


This is us causing a traffic jam in the favela, Rocinha in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. HELLO!!!! WERE HERE!!! Our vehicles were too long to make this turn and then we realized we needed to turn around because we passed our contact. Twenty minutes later, after stopping traffic both ways, except the motorcyclist, we were headed in the right direction.
 
The streets of Rocinha.
 
This is an article and video of the favela and Rio's desire to clean up the area for the olympics.
 
Going house to house praying, blessing and loving on people in the biggest garbage dump in Rio.

House in Rio's garbage dump.

Tanya and Marcus, our contact for the dump, praying for a lady in her house.

Blessing this lady in her house. Her daughter was one of the worst drug offenders in the garbage dump. She had a love encounter with Jesus that was so powerful that she gave her life to Jesus and stopped doing drugs. We had 10 people in her little house praying for her. It was really hot and I thought the floor would collapse. It didn't. She was definitely touched by the love of God.


This body of water is full of disease and needles from the hospital. Kids play near it and as you can see in it.

There are hundreds of pigs all over eating the trash.


 
They are closing this garbage dump because of the olympics. Rio's officials doesn't want the world to see this. They are giving some money to the over 5,000 people that live here. Marcus, our contact, says they aren't given any help on how to steward this money and lose it very quickly and are in the same predicament as before.
Sleeping on top of a building in Parada De Lucas favela in Rio.

We stayed at YWAM base in the favela, Parada De Lucas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the most dangerous favela in Rio. There are "security guards" for the drug lords on every corner and every entrance of the favela. They have an "unwritten law" that there is no stealing in the favela. If you steal they will cut your hand off or kill you. One day as I was walking through the favela, I saw a man with both his arm cut off. I prayed to God that He would grow back the arms and then later realized that this man had them cut off for stealing.The drug lords don't want the police called to the favela. They warn each other when police are near by shooting firecrackers in the air. When we were there this was easily happening 4 to 5 times a day. This is the audio of what we heard most nights and every morning as our alarm clock.
 
 
 We did a service on the streets, some childrens programs, a prayer walk around the favela, and a youth ministry. We also prayed for the regional drug lord of the community. A couple of days after we left, our contact Lazarus told us the security guards/drug lords were asking where we were. They missed us?! When you let the light of Jesus shine through you and love on people it changes the atmosphere of a community.
 
Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

As a team we took communion here.
 
 



 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Brazil

When I was filling out the application for Iris's Harvest School a couple of years ago, there was a section that asked what country was on your heart to be a missionary to. This question frustrated me because in my heart, at that time, my answer was none. I hadn't traveled much and no one country was calling me. I don't believe I put any country but before the school started, I felt the answer to that question was South America. When I got to Mozambique, about the second week in the school, I overheard a 18 year old girl say that she knew since she was 4 years old that she was to come to Africa. I remember shaking my head and walking away and saying to God that she knew at 4 years old that she was to come to Africa and that I'm almost 40, at the time, and have no clue to where you have called me. I heard God say ask me for a country, and Brazil was the first country to come to my heart.

When Jesse and Tanya Gellatly got up in front of the school, about the 4th week, to announce that God had called them to lead a team to preach and evangelize throughout South America. I knew right away why I heard South America before the school. It was the first of a couple of confirmations to go on the missionary journey. It's also one of the reasons that kept me from leaving the team/family in Central America when there was hardships for me. This missionary journey has had some interesting turns for me, one of which, was when I could barely walk for 10 weeks. I kept on looking to Brazil to keep me going. I knew there was something here for me.

In Uruguay, there was a lot of spiritual attack against me. One day I had had enough and was going to get an answer from Him no matter what. It was like I was holding onto His leg, spiritually, and not going to let go until I got my answer. I missed a meeting doing this and finally heard Him say, "you are on this team still to learn how to persevere and endure. You need to know how this feels and what it looks like. It will benefit you in the future." Not the easiest answer to digest but I understood what He was telling me. The attacks didn't stop but actually increased after this and I did not get much sleep during this time.

Before we divided our team to go into Brazil, I had heard God tell me to stay back. The team I was on stayed an extra week to wait for some people to get there visa's. In the Spirit one day during that week, I saw a slingshot in the Spirit. I was in the slingshot. He told me," I'm holding you back because I want you to go in to Brazil with momentum." I really don't know what it's going to look like for me here. I'm believing to hear Him with such a clarity that it launches me into my next part of my life, whether it's to continue on this trip through South America and the Caribbean Islands or go elsewhere I look forward to the journey. Blessings.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

From Hollywood to the end of the world Ushuaia

      This trip, for me, started in Hollywood California but for the team, it started in the state of Washington. I knew only a few of the people on this missionary journey. They had attented my school in Mozambique, Africa.  The rest of the team, which is what we were when we started but later became a family, is from different harvest school´s in Mozambique. I remember first going to the house where they were staying at and thinking this dream is coming true. For years, I remember talking to God, actually complaining, that I didn´t sew what I was reaping. I felt like I was like King David at the Adullum cave. I was in my cave, my apartment , and not liking it. I would tell Him that I wanted to do ministry or be married and and have a family or both but not want to be where I am now. I guess we all go to Adullum´s cave once in our life. I don´t want to go again, Jesus. So, here I was, walking into something I had been wanting for years. It was a Spiritual high I will not forget.
     It´s funny when you dream about something, which is what I did, when I had confirmation from God about this trip. I had nine months to dream about this trip and what God was going to do with me, the team, and the people He put in our path. He has really exceeded what I had dreamed. His way, His path for your life is always better than what you can dream.
     This family has had some growing pains but has always come back in unity with God and each other. For me, most of Central America and definitely Mexico, was about growing, unity, family, oneness,¨ what does love look like´´, and ´´going lower still´´ with each other and others. This trip and God was challenging us to die to self: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When you are constantly in community, it can bring those ugly things out of you that you easily can hide when alone or when you are not around the same people all the time. I kept on being challenged by God, when those fleshly things came out. I would try to reason with Him that they are defense mechanisms and that they are ok but knew that it was really selfishness or self-preservation. I would here, ¨die to self.¨ Daddy God would challenge me and say to me, ¨that the world believes that´s ok to do and the Christian world unfortunalely too¨ He would say, ´´you are not to be in either but be in the Kingdom of Heaven¨ I would here that and still do, that Kingdom people are suppose to be different and have a Kingdom mindset, and not a worldly or Christian world mindset. When you start walking in that you can love those that hate you or persecute you or mock you or talk bad about you. The sayings I learned at harvest school, ¨what does love look like¨ and ´lower still´´ so reflect what He wants us to do. We are to lay our life down totally and then Jesus can shine out of us brillantly.
     So, that was what was happening to me in Central America alongside ministering and seeing many miracles.One of our family members who jumped on in Columbia told us a prophesy that his mom had for the team. She said that Central America was like the birth pangs in a pregnancy while the baby is coming out. That the Panama Canal was like the birthing canal and that God had something new and big for us in South America. That prophesy really ministered to me and felt that it was God.
     We have been going south for eight months now, ´´lower still´´, ministering in churches, the streets, the jungle and living a lifestyle of 24\7 loving others. We are always on a treasure hunt to love and pray for people God puts in our path whether its at the gas station, supermarket, or just strolling down a sidewalk.
     When we got off the bus in Ushuaia, Argentina we had no place to stay and didnt know where to eat. We had a contact of a contact but could not confirm it because of no phone or internet access. We knew a guy that knew a guy at a Baptist Church. We just showed up because God told us to. Twenty-six or so of us just saying to each other that same familiar phrase and then laughing, ´´what are we doing right now.´´ God knows, but a lot of the time when you are being led by the Spirit you just take those steps of faith and believe that ´´God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.´´ We got off the bus at night, 8 pmish, and had decided to get some food somewhere when, the guy ,showed up at the bus dropoff. He said that his church was waiting for us and had HOUSING and FOOD ready for us!!!!! We received so much from this town and this church and their congregation. As much as we ministered to them they ministered more to us in hospitality. Everything was provided for us FREE!! As a family that is getting challenged finacially, free is good. Sometimes we don´t have gas money to leave an area and a lot of us have to really watch what we spend on food or go without. We were so humbled by God and our lovely brothers and sisters-in-Christ in Ushuaia, Argentina. Love them!!
     So now were are finally heading north. We are going to the Higher Places. The trip suddenly seemed short eventhough we have maybe 6 to 8 months more.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Easter Day

Jesse "soaking" during our Easter service in the house on the beach that God blessed us with.

Easter dinner

Ben and Kurt


Liney and myself on Easter day. Liney met up with us in Cartagena, Columbia  and joined the group officially when we were leaving for Ecuador. She is going to Harvest school 16 in June. Shes's an amazing girl.

House on the beach in Chile that we were at for Easter

My place of sleep, "New Wine", for most of the Latin America trip

View from inside the house


Saturday, March 17, 2012

Eleven days in the city of Pachacutec

     Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui ( or Pachacutec). He was the ninth Sapa of the Kingdom of Cusco, which he transformed into the empire Tawantinsuyu, or the Inca Empire. Most archaeologists now believe that the famous Inca site of Machu Picchu was built as an estate for Pachacuti.

Statue of Pachacuti,
     In Quechua, Pachacutiq means "He who shakes the earth". During his reign, Cuzco grew from a hamlet into an empire that could compete with, and eventually overtake, the Chimú. He began an era of conquest that, within three generations, expanded the Inca dominion from the valley of Cuzco to nearly the whole of western South America.
     Pachacuti is considered as something of a national hero in modern Peru.
    The city I stayed in for eleven days bears his name. The family that I stayed with, the Cruz's, told me that the city and land was given to the poor, mostly the Quechua speaking peoople, about 10 years ago by one of the past presidents. It has few paved roads and most of the buildings are not vey well built but the people are really kind.
     God really placed me in a good home with people who have the love of Jesus in them. I needed someone, anyone to "stop for the one" which was me this time. Sometimes you need people to be able to discern that you are not only physically hurting but that you are emotionally drained because of the pain and really can't think well or make quick decisions. The Cruz family, especially Pator Marin, Pastor Cruz, and his daughter Luz had and have this discernment and took care of me .It wasn't easy at first because of the language problem but because of the love of Jesus in them I'm doing much better physically.
     Two years ago I prayed to God to humble me. He has continuosly been doing that and I'm grateful for it. The process is not always easy, rarely, but if you obey and incline your ear to Him it always the best. Blessing, thanks for your support.

Pastor Carlos and his wife.They took care of  me when my back and leg was really hurting me.

Luz, Pastor Carlos's daughter.

Samuel, Luz's boyfriend, was a great help to me in Pachacutec because he spoke english. He is called to Israel. He is a really interesting guy. I'm glad I got to hang out with him. He is a messianic Jew. He is going to take me to a Jewish restaraunt in Lima this next week.
Streets of Pachacutec

"Festival of dance". I would later find out that it was a dance to each one of their gods. They had very colorful outfits. This was right in front of Pastor Carlos's house. It was on my second to last day in Pachacutec
Quachua indigenous girls practicing before the festival
Inside Pastor Carlos's house.