Four countries. Three continents. Two languages. One God.

For years, I've been thinking about becoming fluent in Spanish. I mean, lets face it, the U.S. is fast becoming a bilingual nation.

Only we're not. Because I can't hold my own in a conversation where Espanol reigns supreme.

Well, except if the talk revolves around me saying my name. counting to 10. or asking where the bathroom is. (Okay, so it's not that bad. but close enough.)

After three years of high school Spanish, I came away with a hatred for conjugating verbs and not much else. Being that verbs are pret-ty crucial in using complete sentences, you can imagine my sorry excuse for communicating.

Except for the TEN DAYS that I went to Mexico as a teenager.

Submersing myself in the culture, my brain clicked into gear. And I was able to actually converse with the natives!! WooHoo for me, eh?

But that's the deal, you know? If you actually live in an atmosphere where you have to speak the language, you learn it. Period.

So where am I going with this, you ask?

To three other countries to be exact. Two being Spanish speaking countries. One being a spiritually explosive environment where you have opportunity to live outside of your comfort zone. residing with and ministering to people in Mombasa, Africa.


I'm talking 'bout the Kainos Training Program.

A 9 month-long program. "Four countries. Three continents. Two languages. One God."

An intensive training program geared towards going deeper into the Heart of God. stepping out and putting that understanding into action as you minister to others. learning to hear the voice of God in your life. and studying the Spanish language. ...So Hello! you can actually *speak* to those people you're ministering to! ;)

If you are a young adult who would like to look into this program, email me at GvnJCmyALL @ AOL dot com.

I'll put you in contact with the director, our good friend "Uncle John" (our girls' name for him, not ours. *grin*) He'll answer whatever questions you have and tell you all the things my piddly blog could never cover.

And just to give you a head's up...this guy challenges me and my hub like no one ever has. He thinks completely outside the box. "Box? What box?"

If you know someone who would be interested...pah-lease send them this link! Because this program a rare mix of intimate time away with the Lord, intensive ministry, and hardcore Spanish learnin' with other young adults.

The next 9-month session starts in August (I think).

There's so so so much more I could say. But for now just check out the video below!!!!!

*NOTE: there are other videos called "Kainos" that will come up after you've watched the video below, but they are not associated with our church's program.

Defining the meaning of Sold-Out. For my kids' sake.

"She's one of those radical Christians. She's so spiritually minded that she's no earthy good, you know?"

Excuse me? Are you stinkin' kidding me!? She's a radical, spiritually minded Christian? ...you mean as opposed to some other kind?

As in the kind of Christians that just hold fast to the title, but not the person of Jesus? the politically correct, and therefore socially safe, kind that have no faith. hold no power. and see no breakthrough?

Are those the other type of "Christians" that you speak of? Just wanting to be clear here. You know, so I can intelligently follow along with your pathetic line of reasoning.

I'm sorry but comments like these enrage me.

Actually, I take that back. I'm not sorry. I think we, as a nation, are where we are today because of too many "sorry" Christians.

Christians who apologize for not being tolerant enough. who apologize for not embracing everyone's ridiculous notions of right and wrong... or the lack thereof.

Christians who apologize for keeping other Believers accountable to the Truth. Christians who, ultimately, allow themselves to be silenced from speaking the Name of Jesus, resigned to allow the "Majority" make the new and improved rules of conduct.

I'm not sorry. But I am mad.

Because it's mindsets like these (that are even in the Church) that can make the "radical" Believer feel like they need to just hop off the mothership and get a grip on reality.

"Earth to Christian. Do you read me?"


Uh...? Totally correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that the only thing that's going to be of "Earthly good" is if we get our minds set on the things of the Spirit. So we can pull down Heaven into this realm.

Does "...Your Kingdom come...on earth as it is in heaven..." ring a bell?

One thing that I decided this week is that I refuse to raise "American Christians". Children who grow up thinking lukewarm is the norm.

I want my children to know that there is life outside of our little corner of the planet. That there are Christians around the world risking humiliation, torture, and death. just so they can praise Jesus and embrace the title of Christian.

instead of casually throwing it around like it's some club where you piously pay your weekly dues by sitting on a pew.

Richard Wurmbrand, in his book, "Tortured for Christ" says:

"It must be understood that there are no nominal, halfhearted, lukewarm Christians in Russia or China. The price Christians pay is far too great. The next point to remember is that persecution has always produced a better Christian- a witnessing Christian, a soul-winning Christian. communist persecution has backfired and produced serious, dedicated Christians such as are rarely seen in free lands. These people cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian and not want to win every soul they meet."

I want my girls to understand this from the get-go. to intercede for our Christian Siblings who are risking everything to lift up the name of Jesus.

I don't want them to take for granted that we have a hundred Bibles at our finger tips. and a church on every corner. and worship music on the radio.

I want them to understand that we are in a battle. whether we see it in this realm/land (yet) or not, it's there. They need to know this. so they can be equipped. so they can be BOTH spiritually minded and of earthly good.

You know, like Jesus was.

*****
If you are interested...you can get a kid-friendly newsletter version of Voice of the Martyrs. For free.

I just signed up today so I don't know what all it includes. But I do know that the Voice of the Martyrs newsletters (adult versions) we've received come with maps outlining the nations where Christians are considered illegal. or endangered.

Those maps will hang above our map of the world. on the wall of our dining room. so my girls are reminded to pray for them daily. as am I.

http://www.persecution.com/

http://www.kidsofcourage.com/

The Dead Raised...

This is a testimony from an old YWAM friend, Lubens. Because my computer is in the process of being rebuilt, I can't scan in a picture of him. Do you ywam-blogger-friends remember him?

I'm going to set the stage before using his words....

Lubens, a Native Haitian, was leading a SST (Season of Service and Training...a ywam summer "camp"geared towards middle- and high-schoolers) to Jacmel, Haiti. The first morning they were in Jacmel, a man came to Lubens asking him for help.

The man was a witch doctor.

His wife was extremely sick, having been cursed by another witch doctor. This man had done everything he could...seen all sorts of doctors, spent all of his money. But nothing worked. Feeling great shame that he could not heal his own wife, he left his town to move to the town of Jacmel.

And now, he was asking Lubens to drive him to the hospital. But Lubens felt the Lord tell him "No." Not understanding, Lubens could only obey. An hour later, the man came back. "My wife is worse. You are the only people in the village with a vehicle, can you please help me?" Lubens desperately wanted to help the man, but the Lord, again, said a resounding "NO."

In Luben's words (via a newsletter):

Later that morning, the students were scheduled to go into the neighborhoods to pray and give out Bibles. One particular group of students entered a house where they found a woman who they thought was "merely sleeping." She looked very sick so they began to pray for her healing so that she would be able to know God.

Never noticing that she wasn't breathing.

As they prayed, she opened her eyes and the students began to share with her the love God has for her. And she chose, in that moment, to receive God has her Savior. While they were talking and praying for her, her husband had returned home and stood behind the door just watching...

The students left and returned to share with us what they thought had happened: That they had prayed for a sick woman and God healed her. They proceeded to explain that they had invited the couple to the church service that evening.

That night the husband came, wanting to share with the students what had really happened. ...and I (Lubens) was amazed to see that it was the same man that asked me for a ride that morning!! The ride that the Lord had clearly said for me not to give. The man began to share:

"When I saw the three of you teenagers praying for people across the street from my house, I didn't realize that you could do something like 'this'. When you reached my house, I called to tell you not to enter. But I guess you didn't hear me.

When you entered, there was a forth person who followed behind you. He was very tall and had wings. And light just flowed all over him. I couldn't get my mind straight and for a moment thought that he was one of the spirits that I used to worship. But then I just knew that there was something different about him.

As you were praying, he stood watching. And when one of you asked God to give my wife another chance, he looked at me. Then walking to my wife lying on the bed, he touched her and she opened her eyes.

When I saw that , I wasn't sure if I was happy or scared. I just feel dumb with shock as I watched you talk and pray with her. I just couldn't believe that she was alive again."

All of us listening were shocked ourselves, as we had thought she was only sick. And here he was saying that she had died HOURS before the students had come to his house. In fact, he had been out looking for people to help carry her to the morgue.

One of the students (a 15 year old) summed it up when he said "If I had had any idea that she was dead, I never would have entered the house. But God used us anyway!!"

Lubens goes on to say:
Many times it hurts when we need to turn someone away because God said to do so. But what we need to know is that our little wisdom is not the same as our Father's. He has the big picture. And it is only He who sees all things and knows best how to order our steps. Jesus knew that by doing God's will it would be the best for everyone.

In John 11:4 when Jesus heard about Lazarus's illness, his response was: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, that God's Son may be glorified through it."

Lazarus died and four days later, Jesus raised him from the dead. Verse 40 caught my attention when Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

The degree that we believe God is the degree we will see His glory through our lives."

.......

The story goes on. But I just wanted to share that part because it impacted me greatly. You read stories like this in the Bible, but rarely get to hear them from a friend. And the fact that God used these young people...teens were just wanting to pray that someone receive an understanding of the love of God...blesses my heart to no end.

Lord, may we all have that innocent trust in You to show your love in dark places. We don't need to always understand the details...we just need to embrace the fact that You love. And you've called us to, simply, share that love.

...even to the witch doctors.

Africa-a heart after God

Some of my mission-minded, albeit adventure-seeking friends leave for Africa in a few days. They'll be gone for 2 weeks...ministering to, serving, and praying for the African people. In some ways, I envy them that. The ability to just pick up and take off. To take Jesus and his practical ministry of healing to the world. Something not so easily done when married...with children.

Don't get me wrong. It is completely POSSIBLE. I spent a year with YWAM (youth with a mission) watching families go around the world together. the children being VERY involved in the ministry part of things. So I know it's possible. It's just not very EASY to leave the country. Anyway...I digress.

AFRICA.

The word alone stirs up a passion in my husband. And a curiousity for me. He has gone twice. For weeks...or months at a time. I only have a vision. A literal one. One that I saw YEARS before I ever met Jet. And I was so random that it stuck with me. I don't remember where I was when I had the vision...only the vivid image remains: I was sitting in the sands/dirts of Africa. Playing with a small, very dark, African child. And I was much much older. I'm thinking late 50's, 60's?

When I met Jet, he was thinking very seriously about moving full-time to Africa. Obviously meeting ME put a wrench in those plans. :) But the fact that his heart was for Africa and I had this random, not-attached-to-anything vision about Africa...well, I took notice.

And so...here we are, another trip to Africa without our little clan. One day I'm pretty sure that we'll head out there as a family. But for now, my heart (and most definitely the heart of my husband) goes with the team...as they set out to hold up the hands of those ministering in the bush-bush.

Looking at the pictures of Jet's trip...I can see why he loves the African church. They are hungry for the things of God.

They will walk for HOURS...sometimes barefoot...to hear God's Word preached. They will sit for another 2 HOURS in the HOT sun to learn of God's ways. Without complaining! Their worship is LOUD and joyous and WILD. :) Their churches are not all made-up with lots of color or padded seats. Because they come, not to be entertained. But to be forever changed.
They happily jump in to the mirky, dirty, ICY (an understatement) waters to be baptized because to remain outside of the water is like remaining outside of God's plan for them.

Their hearts are rich. Though their lives are poor. I love that. They obviously have something that we, as the American church, sometimes lack. Perspective. Heavenly treasures. Joy in the sufferings.

Maybe some of the African church should come here to minister that spirit to us. More, Lord!