Final lap

Sorry it's been awhile guys. 

I've had a hard time thinking of things to write. I know that God still has things he wants to do in these last days here but it almost feels at times like he's done everything and now I'm just waiting to leave. Its a kind of hard place to be. I don't want to waste the time here or just coast spiritually speaking, but it's definitely been more chill and relaxed on my part the last few weeks. 

There has been a lot things going on which I'm not at liberty to talk about publicly. (That sounds pretty cool and top secret huh?) You can email me if you want more info, but I can't promise I'll respond because internet has been a precious rarity the last few weeks. 

I can say that I've really enjoyed getting closer to my housemates lately. It's of course mixed with irritation and the struggle of living in very close quarters with 10 other women. I've learned a lot about community, preferring others and even sharing as elementary as that sounds. But we've grown so close and it's definitely going to be hard saying goodbye to all these amazing women! We always joke that we are an unsocial house because we only hang out with each other and don't make friends outside of our house, but I've actually made some other friends too! Haha.

The question of the hour is what each person will be doing when we go home. My answer is usually that I have no idea. Although I do believe very strongly that God has things he's poured into me that he wants me to prong back and impart at home. I've struggled with how that's going to look and having fear that nothing will happen and I will fail in what he's called me to do, but my housemate gave me an encouraging word the other day that it's all the Holy Spirit, that I can do nothing and just carrying his presence, he will do what he wants to do. I know this, but it's such a necessary, daily reminder. That I can do nothing in my own strength. He will accomplish what he wants to accomplish through me if I am surrendered to him. (Which I'm trying to be!) surrender is one of the most painful, terrifying, and freeing things I've ever experienced.

I have a lot of mixed emotions about going home. I'm so ready and excited to go home. I miss my family more than I can express. And the birth of two amazing babies awaits me! But at the same time it's terrifying because I have no idea what I will be doing or where God will be taking me. Figuratively and literally. But I know he's good, I just pray that my ears are open to hear his voice! 

On a more practical note, we are working on a dance for graduation which I'm excited about! We actually have some amazing technical dancers so that will be fun. We are also teaching some of the young girls here and plan to perform a dance with them too. They are so sweet. I wish I got to know them sooner. 

I'm so grateful for this time I've had here. And I can't wait to get to Cambodia and see what God has for me there. I feel like this whole summer he's been filling me up and pouring into me and I'm hoping that Cambodia will be a time more of pouring out and growing in ministry and gifts of the spirit. I've been praying about possibly choreographing a solo dance to minister their if I have the opportunity, so prayers for that would be good:)

Short and sweet, don't have tons to say or much battery life left, but I guess I owed everyone an update and I had people asking. So there ya go! :)

Be blessed and I covet your prayers as always!! 

Here are some random pictures. Make up your own captions. Enjoy! :P

Mid-July happenings

Today is going to be mostly a photo blog. I've actually taken lots of pictures the last few days! Haha.

Ok, first order of business. Friday I went on "village immersion." As part of the Harvest school curriculum, they send students out in small groups one time to the villages to spend a day with a Mama (a woman connected with Iris, usually a widow) to be immersed in the culture and do everything they do in a day. They used to send people to spend a night, but for some reason the government will only permit us to spend the day now. I went with three other girls from my color group. We spent the day with a Mama from the church. We helped her wash some dishes, she wouldn't let us help her cook (she made us a delicious lunch). We spent most of the day sitting in the shade hanging out with her grandkids and other kids from the village. A woman who lived next door asked us to come and pray for her because she had pain in her head and felt some darkness in her home. Her daughter had also been having nightmares. After we prayed for her she said her head was better. Praise God! We had a great time hanging out and getting to know the people we stayed with that day and sharing and receiving God's love. We also took lots of fun pictures! ;)

Yesterday morning I had the great privilege of going to share Jesus' love in the garbage dump. It was such a crazy experience. For me it wasn't quite as shocking as I'm sure it was for some people, since I've been to the garbage dump in Guatemala which is like 10 (or more) times worse. It was heartbreaking to see the kids just hanging out in the dump and seeing people searching for some food or some scraps to sell. We were able to pray for some sick and injured people. Some we saw healed, some we didn't. That's always difficult, but I pray and believe they will all be healed. One amazing thing that happened was a young man came up to us and our translator told us he wanted us to pray for him because he was addicted to drugs and wanted to be free from it. Not sure how he felt or if he felt anything change, but I pray that God touches him and sets him free! As usual we had tons of kids following us everywhere. After awhile we had the kids sit down and we "had church." We sang some songs accompanied by a ukulele someone brought and we shared the gospel with them. We all took turns sharing bits and pieces of the gospel and our Mozambican friends translated. When we asked who wanted to receive Jesus, most, if not all of the hands went up and lwe led them in prayer laid hands on them and prayed for them to be filled with Jesus' love and the Holy Spirit. It was such a sweet time. Oh! I also got to hold a 2 week old baby who lived in the village next to the dump. He was so precious. I definitely hope to go back to the garbage dump. 

Yesterday all of us were invited to a wedding. The wedding was a American woman who was a former harvest student and a Mozambican man that had been raised in Iris by Heidi and Rolland. It was a beautiful wedding. We had a lot of fun "dressing up" (trying to at least). We are going through a water crisis so we aren't really allowed to use well water to shower, so we used water bottles, baby wipes, or bathed in the ocean and tried to clean up. I think we did pretty good for the circumstances. ;) My favorite part of the wedding was when the girl came down the aisle, she walked to Misty Edward's song "I will waste my life" which is a song that's kind of been "my song" for this summer and my life in general lately. It talks about leaving your mother and father and clinging to Jesus. I got chills, felt the Holy Spirit and almost started crying because the reality of that for her and her life was so heavy and yet so beautiful. She is giving up everything for the one she loves and the ONE she loves. It was a beautiful expression and example of love and sacrifice.

Another random subject is that I've been getting up early to spend time with Jesus and see the sunrise. I've actually really enjoyed it and found so much peace in it. It's actually quiet in the mornings! Haha. And the sunrises can't be beat. (Pictures don't do it justice at all though). 

Ok, I think that's all for now. Be blessed! And PLEASE pray for more water here. I don't even care about running water anymore, just an abundance of a water supply would be amazing. 

Pray for my hunger for Jesus to continue to grow and my intimacy with him to deepen. Pray that I am continually filled with more of the Holy Spirit and learn more each day how to listen and stay in tune with him.

Thanks! Much love! <3

Happy Americafrica day!

Happy 4th (6th) of July!

Got to celebrate last night with all the Americans (and some non-Americans) on base. It was a lot of fun! We all gathered behind our house under the baobab tree which is the usual hangout area. Some people had found hotdogs and cooked them over a little fire and were selling them for 15 mets (about 50 cents). Someone had set up speakers and had music playing. A bunch of people started dancing. We did all kinds of dancing from swing, to Christian rap to the Cupid shuffle. Everyone was sweaty and dust was flying everywhere but we had a blast. One house put on their headlamps, and random red, white and blue fabric, carrying brooms and random stuff, running through the compound yelling and singing. I guess it was a parade of sorts. Lol. My house and I took a bunch of fun pictures and we did a pyramid and some other stunts with a couple of my housemates who had been cheerleaders and me with my little acrobatic experience. I wonder what everyone from other countries thought of us crazy Americans. Haha. We know how to have fun, that's for sure. Before quiet hour hit, we sang Proud to be an American and our national anthem and then we prayed for our country. It was pretty moving thinking about America while in Africa and praying for revival. I think God has put our country on a lot of us americans' hearts. I long to see more revival and outbreak of the holy spirit in America! 

I was a little disappointed that I completely forgot to bring anything festive to wear for the 4th. Somehow I lost a pair of flip flops and my other pair got stolen in church (yes. Stolen. In church. Lol), so one of my housemates gave me this pair. Yay! Something patriotic. Lol. 

Friday nights there is a group now on base that makes pizzas and sells them to raise money to build houses for people. I don't know if it's just because it's in Africa, but it's some of the best pizza I've ever had. So I opted for pizza last night and my belly was so happy. 

Climbing the baobab trees is a form of entertainment for a lot of people on base. I have climbed one a couple times but I only made it up to the first branches and that was far enough for me. There's a guy who climbs to the top every day for his quiet time. (Which is such a great idea because it's so hard to get alone with God!) Yesterday he showed me his method of how he gets up there, the different places he steps and branches he holds. I made it about halfway up and my heart was pounding and I thought that was as far as I would go for the day, but after I sat there a few minutes and my nerves went down I knew I had to climb to the top since I had already made it that far. So I did. I'm not trying to test God or terrify anyone back home more than you're already scared for me. Haha. It was really fun. I felt like it was an analogy of what God is teaching all of us. About going into dangerous places and trusting him, being fearless and God taking us higher. I wish I had taken my phone up with me to get pictures of the view. Maybe next time if I do it again. It was amazing! I could see all around the base. The surrounding villages, the ocean, and everything! It also happened to be about sunset when I climbed up there so I got to watch the sunset from the top of the tree and it was incredible! God's glory is indescribable. 

Yeah.. That's me inside the pink circle. I felt like Rafiki. Haha. Don't worry, it's very sturdy. 

This week has been a great week. I feel like God brought me out of whatever funk I was in last week. Thank you for praying. He is so good! 

He is constantly working in my heart. He's changing me and I'm so grateful. I haven't gotten any answers necessarily for my future or "calling" but he has given me more rest in the unknown and continues to show me who I am and what he has called me to even if it's not spelled out in a way I can understand.

Wednesday night church this week was crazy. We were supposed to have a guest speaker but their flight was delayed or something and they didn't make it. So Heidi had a visiting team do a fire tunnel (everyone lined up like a tunnel praying for fire and the Holy Spirit over people as they walk through). I was really excited where normally I'd be anxious and preparing myself for disappointment because I actually believe now that the Holy Spirit can touch me in a physical and tangible way. Not that he has to, but I believed and felt that night that he would. In worship before that, I had been praying and crying out to God telling him how hungry I was for him. I really haven't experienced spiritual hunger like this before. I've told Jesus so many times that I just want EVERYTHING he has for me. 

The line for the fire tunnel was super long because of course everyone wants a touch from the Holy Spirit. I was towards the end of the line so while I waited I just kept worshipping and praying and expecting. After some people had gone through they started making another tunnel so that people could get through faster. I went through the first one. As I went through I could feel the Holy Spirit. It wasn't anything crazy, but I felt his presence on me. It's always interesting because as you walk through as different people lay hands on you and pray different things you can feel the Holy Spirit more strongly from different people. After I went though the first tunnel I decided to go through the second one. Why not?! I told Jesus I wanted everything. And I was so hungry. I just wanted more of his presence. As I went through the second tunnel I felt the Holy Spirit even stronger in my body. As I walked through there were times I fell to my knees under his power, times I laughed or twitched or prayed in tongues, I don't even remember it all that detailed. It's so hard to explain how it felt. He touches everyone differently. What I felt was his love, presence and holiness. It's crazy to be able to feel the love and fear of God at the same time but I am learning more and more how paradoxical our God is. And it's a good thing! We will never understand him fully until heaven. The more we know him, the more we realize we don't know. 

Along with touching me personally, God has been showing me more how real his power is inside of me and how he can use me to touch others. I had an experience after the fire tunnel where I laid a hand on my friend's back (not even really trying to pray for her) she started manifesting the Holy Spirit and we both ended up on our knees. Later she told me she felt intense fire when I laid my hand on her and she kept telling me that I don't realize what I carry and what's inside of me. I definitely don't, because I DID NOT expect that to happen, nor has it ever happened to me before. Which makes it alll the more obvious that it's all him and not me! He's been confirming that and speaking to me about how he will use me. It's crazy humbling. Like why a Holy God would use me, I don't know! But I'm so excited to see what else he will do. 

An aspect that God has been hilighting about himself to me is his holiness and the fear of God. I could write a lot about it, but I have understood the fear of God in a way I never have before. And let me just say it's powerful and causes me to want to be like Jesus more than ever. As I've been reading the word I keep realizing more and more how seriously God takes obedience and righteousness. No, we don't need to be afraid of God, but we should love him and his presence so much that we fear doing anything that would put any kind of walls or blockage between us and his presence.

Sometimes in the afternoons I'll go to hang out with kids at the playground and soccer field on base. Mostly they are kids from the surrounding villages, not kids that live on base. I don't usually take my phone because the kids can be very grabby and pushy at times, but I took it today because I wanted some pictures. And it worked out great because there were only a few kids out. So here ya go:)

As we enter into week six I feel time speeding up. I'm really starting to feel like it's going to be over in the blink of an eye. Please pray that I will use the time to the maximum and allow God to accomplish everything he wants to in and through me. I don't want to miss anything. God has shown me to be really careful not to let pride creep in in any way. I don't feel like it has much, but I want to be very careful and watch for that. It's one of the first things that can creep in after God has done anything good in or through you. And I sure don't want it too. I want to always be humble. So that would be something to pray for. 

Praise God I've been healthy now for quite awhile. There have been a few people on base who have been seriously ill, so please keep everyone's health in prayer. 

As my hunger for Jesus grows, pray that it would continue to increase and increase and that I wouldn't go backwards but keep going forward. Please pray that I would seriously begin preparing my heart and praying for my trip to Cambodia. Pray that he would speak to me about what he wants to do there and how he wants to use me. 

Pray that he would continue to soften my heart to the people around me. My biggest prayer is that I would come home a completely different person than I left and that I would live differently because of it. 

Here's a random picture of me carrying water on my head. Today I managed to carry my bucket of laundry with no hands. :) 

Thanks everyone, I couldn't do it without your prayers!!!!