Sunny and Winnie

Wow. I was so excited to hear about these girls! It's just another incredible reminder that the Gospel knows NO boundaries, NO limitations and has NO restrictions. Christ is not a respecter of persons and will go after all the nations. He uses unlimited means to reach people, including our very own Next conference! Who wants to go with me to China tomorrow? :)

Testimony from a new Chinese believer (from mainland China) at the NEXT conference:

After hearing about the return of Jesus for perhaps the first time in her life, she (Sunny) was praising and thanking God for opening her eyes to the hope of the future, forsaving her and giving her such a "glorious inheritance". She and her friend from Taiwan, Winnie (who was saved only a few months ago) were so excited about every meeting, and after each session they looked like they were glowing with the truth they had just heard. Winnie was so excited about each next day that she couldn't sleep at night.

Anyway - thinking about your "China " impression and the ripple effect that has come up in our prayers-this is exciting! A short while ago, Sunny's boyfriend, who is still in China, has become a believer through her phone calls to him. She returns there in two months time to face her family. They had said, "Whatever you do in America, DON'T become a Christian," before she left! We should continue to pray for her and expect God to do wonders.

Captive Life

Ok, so I know I'm not doing a good job keeping this up-to-date. But I've been super busy recently. I promise I will update about the bf...soon. ;)

For now, I found this poem I wrote, titled "Captive Life," when I was really struggling. It was a very difficult season of my life, one where I was much more apt to despair than to trust God. While writing it I remember wanting to leave it on a hopeless note, which is how I felt. But I couldn't. Knowing the Truth, I decided to end it like the Psalmist - believing in faith that there is One Who WILL lift us from the pit. I didn't see how back then...but now, His hand was all over me. Hallelujah!

Captive Life
Silently, quietly, it comes.

From where exactly, I do not know.

But it is there – from deep within;

The pain pushes, always pushes,

Begging for freedom.

And yet…

There is no freedom, no release.

As the silent screams erupt,

Suddenly I am drowning…gasping…drowning.

The pain has once again turned on me,

Becoming enemy–never friend,

And it pushes back inside

Squeezing through every pore and blocking

Sweet, precious air, until there is

None.

And then, just as I sink below –

Deep under the pitch-black sludge of agony,

The rain comes.

At first it seems my rescuer.

My starving mind gasps for the

Delicious thought that I will be saved.

But it is not to be.

The beguiling smile of the soothing downpour

Rips off its mask and pierces like

A thousand knives, sharpened to perfection.

As they stab my skin, driving me down,

All thoughts of sweet salvation are

Gone.

Realization sets in, dawning upon me,

As awareness settles over the prey

That soon

His predator will win and feast upon his kill.

Now emptiness–black, nothing, numbness–

Intoxicates as resignation falls upon me…

And I surrender.

One last breath and it will be done,

No more torture or despair

To endure, to bear.

But then…

The darkness that defined black itself

Was suddenly divided

As Light ruptured through

And began its liberation.

Gradually, gently, yet with all authority,

Light released me from the surrounding

Filth–the mire that had nearly got victory.

Lifted onto Solid Ground,

Hope is infused into each part –

Healing every wound, silencing screams…

Restoring to praise and tears now of joy.

(Psalm 42)

"i have been blind"

so, i know i haven't posted much lately. i have been busy. ::grin:: but. i just had to get you to read this post by Ali on her blog about her African Adventures...i have never met her but Carolyn McCulley linked to her blog a while ago and i've been hooked ever since. this girl is simply amazing. i want to be like her when i grow up.

Thursday, February 5. 2009
i have been blind

To “The Poor” : An apology, for I have been blind.

I have always come to you with my heart full of your suffering. I came with my guilt, all so carefully amassed over the years as I sat at my table and despised the abundance in front of me, knowing that you were going hungry. The eyes of your children, liquid black windows to souls I thought were haunted, haunted my dreams when I saw them from my sleep.

I thought it was right to come with my arms full of things, shirts and stickers and little plastic cups with handles. When I saw your need from across the ocean, my soul was stirred to bring you something to fill the void in your lives. I brought shoes to cover feet accustomed to feeling the warmth of the earth beneath their soles, cartoon character band-aids to cover wounds as deep as time.

I have always seen myself through what I thought were your eyes. I was a ministering angel, there to bless the masses, and your faces and stories swirled and mixed in my mind as I moved among you, touching and greeting and unseeing. If you asked me now to share your stories, I wouldn’t meet your eyes as I searched to call out your names.

Read the rest here.

Let me off…

Let me off
Of this merry-go-round -
This ride of choice,
This ride of force.
It rarely stops,
Gaining speed instead,
And challenges all
To keep up with
Its incessant,
Ceaseless
Unremitting
Relentless
Speed towards…what?
Towards more
Of what does not satisfy.
More of this
And more of that.
Leaving each
Fully
Unsatisfied.

Let me off
So that I may do
What I was called.
Let me off
And I will walk instead.
Let me off
And I can help,
Lend a hand
Or feed the hungry.
Let me off
And I can learn
To speak with those
Who cannot hear.
Let me off
And I will take the time
To listen to the mother
Who feels her only option
Is to murder
The child that she created.

Let me off
And I will give
Living Water
To those with parched
And thirsty souls.
Let me off…

Shi Hua

Pathetic...

it is 12:30pm and i am hungry. i am hungry because i wanted to fast and pray for the persecuted church today. it has only been a few short hours since i've eaten, really, and i am so distracted. i thought i would remind myself of what i've heard their life is like vs. mine.

...they endure mocking for their faith. i work at a church.
...they endure beatings for their faith. i never do.
...they worship in secret. i worship with hundreds of other believers.
...they live every day as if it could be their last. i live every day fighting worry over what my future holds.
...they go hungry in prison. i eat whenever i want.
...they are sent to prison for speaking the name of Jesus. i sometimes feel embarrassed about praying in public before i eat.

oh, that i would have their perspective! God, make me more like them - they truly look like Your Son. stop my tongue from complaining over trivial matters. give me endurance to run the race. and God, please give them courage, faith, assurance of Your love, peace and joy in the midst of their trials. help them to endure the unimaginable to which You have called them. but free them from prisons, save their captors, build up Your church! i look forward to That Day when all the waiting armies in heaven are given the word to go forth and fight the enemy. hasten the day, Lord!!

for all of you who are wearing your "pray for china" bracelets, i was at disney a few weeks ago and a young girl from china was working at one of the rides where i asked a question. she saw my bracelet, read the chinese writings and asked me what that was for. when i explained it to her, she thanked me. she thanked me!

okay, back to work...i'm not so hungry anymore...

Fun ways to get involved with Yes2Marriage!!!!

Hey friends!

We're on the home stretch! Polls are saying we’re at 57% or 59% which means we’re close but it could STILL go either way!!

I was on a conference call tonight with John Stemberger, Nathan Dunn and others around the state. I came away with a few projects that I need your help on. Here goes:

- We just found out that Sarah Palin will be at Fantasy of Flight in Lakeland on Saturday, November 1st!! The doors open at 9am but people will be in line as early as 7am. We’re asking for volunteers to be there that early if possible (or whenever you can be there) and pass out fliers to the (tens of?) thousands who are expected to turn out!! The volunteers are then welcome to stay for the program (print out free tickets to get in at: Florida.JohnMcCain.com). Volunteers are free to leave whenever but we will also be passing signs out at the end of the event. Let me know if you plan to attend! Please note: The event – if you choose to stay – may end around 1…ish. J Bring coolers and water bottles, dress weather-appropriate and wear comfy shoes.

- On Sunday afternoon supporters all over Orange and Seminole counties will be participating in the “Yes2Marriage Caravan.” The purpose is to travel to several different locations, picking up cars and people from each, and end at Metro Life Church with a press conference! This will be HUGE for the campaign. We’ll start at Metro (leaving around 2pm) and head to Eastland Baptist Church, then to First Baptist of Orlando, then to First Baptist Church of Central Florida and end up back at Metro with news coverage (around 5pm)!! (See the route here.) If you’d like to participate, let me know. And don’t forget to decorate your car!! We would love for all the vehicles to look as if the driver(s) just got married with streamers and phrases written on the windows (Yes2Marriage!, Just Voted, One Man & One Woman, etc) and decked out with Yes2Marriage signs. See you Sunday!

- Last, we are putting together a list of the eight precincts in Seminole and Orange County with the largest turnout history for us to target on Election Day. Our goal would be for Metro to take two precincts each and cover them with sign wavers for the entire day. If you’d like to sign up for a two-hour slot at a precinct with high turnout, please let me know!!

Also, don’t forget that you’re invited to First Baptist Church of Central Florida (NOT First Baptist of Orlando) for the statewide Watch Party on Tuesday night, November 4th.

Finally…pray! Let’s be in prayer for everyone and this whole issue!

Standing with you,

Jennifer Lightfoot

Constitution Smuggling...DENIED!

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are now only seven days away from the end of Election Day. This time next week Florida will be a different state. What will this look like? Only the Lord knows right now.

But what we do know is that we can help. We can do our part! We can get the word out about this amendment!! We can NOT allow for "constitution smuggling" as Benny Phillips so aptly put it on Sunday morning! What has been foundational since the beginning of time, instituted by God as a picture of His relationship with the church, is not to be tampered with or allowed to crumble at the mercy of society's fickle dictation.

Like me, getting involved seemed overwhelming...more so, I'm sure, to any moms who are reading this! But even if it's prayer, that is huge. The gay activists are pulling all the stops! Your prayers are so needed!!! And, if you have a few minutes, could you make phone calls to friends to recruit them? If you have an hour, could you make calls through the phone bank? If you have a few hours, could you wave a sign at an intersection with your kiddos or make a delivery for supplies? If you are able to vote early, could you wave a sign at your precinct on Election Day?

There are many ways to help out!!! I would love to hear from you if the Lord lays it on your heart to get involved (I know you're all involved in so many things already and I greatly respect you for what you're doing!!!).

I remember waving Pro-Life signs on the side of I-4 when I was 10...what a powerful picture to see families at intersections or polls and waving "Yes2Marriage" signs!!!! Let's fight together...and for some reason I now feel like singing. =)

What Harm Can It Do?

Wow. Take just a couple minutes to read this short article entitled "What Harm Would 'Same Sex' Marriage Do?". Takes it to a whole new level, doesn't it??

We still desperately need help getting the word out. Please let me know if you'd like to get involved!

08-08-08, Part 2

ONE WORLD. ONE DREAM. The theme of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I just finished watching last night's opening ceremony which cost $300 million – 10% more than the opening ceremony in Atlanta. I found this horribly sad when most of the 1.3 billion Chinese barely eke out a survival on $2 a day. That amount could have supported 86% of the population for a day...or supported almost 2 million people for a year. That's pretty staggering!

All that is to say, the ceremony was incredible. I watched most of it with my jaw hanging. The precision, timing, sheer numbers of cast...it amazed me and fascinated me. There were no markings on the stage/floor. Each member knew exactly where to go and when during their performance - each one lasting probably 8-10 minutes. Great attention was given to minute details. The part of me that loves performing wanted to know all the little details - backstage and front. :o) And every single performer seemed to have their own in-ears! I don't even want to think about that. Makes me sick. :o) So, here are a few stats, along with a brief overview, that I picked up during the evening:

2008 drummers opened the show pounding away perfectly synchronized ancient drums. The drums lit up forming gigantic numbers to countdown to the beginning of the ceremony – in both Chinese characters and Roman numerals. How many countless hours were they required to work each day to reach this amazing performance???

Throughout the ceremony, there were different "scenes" portraying both Chinese history and modern culture. There were many forms of "opposites" displayed, popular in Chinese art such as light and dark, loud and soft, etc.

The first scene, a giant scroll was rolled back over one of the world's largest LED screens while dancers performed with modern expression one of the most ancient style of painting: using their bodies as brushes. The canvas was massive and at the end of the scene was lifted off the ground and suspended from the air. It would later be used during the Parade of the Nations...

One of the most amazing scenes that totally blew my mind was a literal sea of boxes that moved up and down in the floor to create wind (Confucius said the virtuous leader can pass across his subjects with the ease of the wind). Up and down the boxes moved giving the idea of water drops on a pond, creating the symbol for "harmony" and other amazing movements. At the end, a Chinese man popped out of each box - no machines, no computers! You would have to see it to believe it...although I did and I still don't. It's ridiculous how incredible that was...

Aside from the massive amounts of seating (91,000 people), the gi-normous LED screen on the floor of the stadium, there was a scrim that ran the length of the "Bird's Nest." It was a quarter of a mile in length and throughout the evening, images were displayed all around the rim of the stadium on these screens - like massive movie theatres! The Bird's Nest took 50 some months to build. I wonder what all the people who are now out of a job are doing? Now that the Olympic Kingdom is built...but I digress...

Moving into the modern scene, Lang Lang a 26 year old pop-pianist was accompanied by Li Musi a 7 year old who had been playing for a year. Surrounding the two at the white grand were another 2008 performers dressed in neon green. About seven days earlier, the director of the ceremony did not like their costumes which were, at the time, black. He ordered new costumes... a week before the show for 2008 performers!...and three days later they were ready.

The Chinese invented the kite (Beijing means City of Kites) and in one of the next scenes, 9 year old Xiu Chiao Yung flew high above the crowd's head. She was beautiful.

Next, 2008 new performers (none of the 15,000 performers were EVER repeats - imagine directing and rehearsing, costuming and communicating...wow!) surrounded a group of school children to contrast the current global warming and the effects and burden it will have on the next generation. 2008 men doing Tai Chi with exact precision, running in rows backwards and forwards...the choreography was ridiculously incredible.

One of the most amazing, and one that made me cry, was when the Chinese "astronauts" began floating in the air as a globe emerge from the floor. All around the globe were dancers who began to run, walking, leap, flip...but sideways, and upside down! Eight months of training were needed for them to be able to do this! Atop the globe was a pop singer in China and Sarah Brightman - they sang "You and Me." During the song, thousands more performers surrounded the globe and all at once lifted umbrellas with a picture of a different child's face on each one - so precious (that's the part that I cried at - I know, I know. :o)...

On to the Parade of Nations...I think this is a fascinating portion and I watched almost all of the nations march through. Part of me just couldn't help wondering if I would stand beside them before the Throne, along with every tribe and tongue. Some of the nations have one athlete and some have upwards of 400 athletes. Watching Cuba walk was very interesting...

Eighty-seven of the 204 nations participating have never had a medal winner of ANY kind. Can you imagine? Some of these poor, small countries (whose population was not even as great as the number of people gathered in the STADIUM) continue to participate year after year...I know my mom wants to give everyone a medal, right? :o)

Finally, the torch. One of the Chinese medal-winners (the last of eight torch-bearers) was hoisted into the air and "ran" the length of the scrim! Pretty unbelievable. When he reached the starting point, he lit the torch. Ridiculously amazing fireworks went off and it was altogether an incredible torch-lighting. Yes, it was really good.

Off to an amazing start...now I just have to catch up on the games. Still, my heart breaks for this people as we are all watching the clash of politics and pride and their intense efforts to gain the approval and place of leadership with the rest of the world. To what cost? Time will tell...for now, we are praying!

(photo courtesy of The Official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.)

08-08-08

Tonight it begins. The 2008 Olympics begin in Beijing, China. The eye of the world is upon this nation and will be watching it closely...carefully. And China knows this. For quite some time they have been preparing - and not just their athletes. They have been whitewashing, cleaning and constructing all for the sake of impressing the world (Matthew 23:25-28). But in the midst of this, our Christian brothers and sisters have suffered and most likely will continue as China seeks to shut down many churches, their leaders and members.

And so it is our privilege to intercede for them. I encourage you to watch the Olympics with a prayerful heart. Pray that the real triumph for China is not their coveted gold medals to display in a glass case but SOULS SAVED! What a privilege it will be to stand in heaven alongside the individuals we pray for! Individuals who may be beaten for their faith, taunted for their beliefs and killed for the One they serve. On that day I want to thank each one!!!

Matthew 5:43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 5:10-12: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

If you haven't seen this already, you can order a very inexpensive reminder here.

China's Stolen Children

I have intended to blog about this for quite some time. The plight of the children in China continues to break my heart. Here in America, with our advanced technology and our wealth, we daily kill children for the sake of convenience. In China, this is a lifestyle the government has enforced upon the people. With a generation now grown up of largely men, women are being stolen from surrounding countries due to the shortage of women resulting from the 'One Child Policy'. Incredibly, China has just announced its renewal of this foolish policy for another 10 years. This policy puts incredible pressure upon couples to give birth to boys because of the great value China's culture gives to men. Without a son, an older couple has no financial security. So, when a couple finds out they are having a girl, often times the girl is aborted so they can try for a boy. If a couple decides they want to have more than one child, the government requires the couple to pay for that ability which is something most cannot afford. Girls are given to orphanages, aborted, left to die...horrible. And all for the sake of controlling the population. Yet with the renewal of this policy a new generation of teen boys will grow up to find there are few girls available to marry. So very sad!

Recently I saw this video on Carolyn McCulley's blog. It documents how children are stolen from their parents and sold to other 'parents'. Please take a few minutes to watch it.

China's Stolen Children


How can people be so sick? How can a government continue to enforce such impossible requirements on their people - in a way forcing them to act in ways that otherwise would be so detestable to them? Please pray for this people. Pray for our Christian sisters and brothers. Pray for them as the whole country is in the spotlight as the host for the 2008 Olympics. I can't wait until the Lord enables me to visit this people and to bring home a little girl. :o) Until then, I pray...

UPDATE: Did you know you can actually write to a prisoner in China? It's so incredibly simple, it's ridiculous! The Voice of the Martyrs has put this together to make it easy for us to encourage, even if we don't know the language. I can write to Li Mei who has been imprisoned for almost a year (she has endured beatings and torture for showing the JESUS film) and let her know I am praying for her - thousands of miles away. If you're interested, click here www.prisoneralert.com and find out how you can also send a letter to someone who is truly suffering for their faith in Christ.

Do you still need to get saved?

Wow. This is an outstanding video. It gave me goosebumps. It's totally convicting, challenging and humbling. Check it out. It might be the best four minutes of your day...

P.S. To 'shush' the music from my slide show below, click the volume button at the bottom of it.

Scaring Todd...

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen! The long-awaited video (or sound clip) of Mindy, Steph and Jordan scaring Todd as he goes up to 'la placa'. It occured about 5:15 am on Monday morning. We tried all week to get him back for his donut-charade while we girls were sleeping. Revenge wasn't as sweet for me as more sleep (no surprise!) so I wasn't there...If you've ever scared Todd, you know it's GREAT! :o)

Trip Update - The Quotables

So, a trip is not a trip without the quotable moments. Unfortunately, there's no way to explain most of these, so it's mainly a laugh for the team. :o) Team, feel free to add all those I've forgotten to write down!

1. Adding 'o' to the end of every word to make it Spanish (i.e. what's the Spanish word for hell? Hell-o!)
2. 'Porque luis?'
3. 'Chupa-chupa'!
4. 'Spooning' with Mindy (it's just a joke, y'all! ;o)
5. Jorge Luis: What's the question?
6. Eric: Den Mother
7. 'My camera batteries just died!'
8. Freaky Boy
9. Door slamming shut all the time!
10. Abot having to stop to go to the bathroom the whole way home and wanting to use a water bottle!!!!!
11. No mirror in the bathroom – and Jorge stealing mine!
12. 'Nando, eres Nando'
13. Suicidal
14. Umbrella - ella - ella
15. Naming people 'Johnny Depp', 'Ben Afleck' and 'Angelina Jolie'
16. 'Did you know Helen Keller had a dog?'
17. ‘Que? Que es esto?!?!'
18. Vamos a la placa!!!!!!

Also, I must end with our verses for the week. Pino prepared these great devotionals for us that consisted of going through parts of the verses each day and seeking to apply the truths found in them. He asked us to memorize it and quote it to someone on Monday. Well, I forgot to quote it, so here it is (with a tad bit of help :o): Tito 2:11-14, "Porque la gracia de Dios se ha manifestado para salvacion a todos los hombres, enseñandonos que renunciando a la impiedad y a los deseos mundanos, vivamos en este siglo sobria, justa y piadosamente, aguardando la esperanza bienaventurada y la manifestacion de nuestro gran Dios y Salvador Jesucristo, quien se dio a si mismo por nosotros para redimirnos de toda iniquidad y purificar para si un pueblo propio, celoso de buenas obras."

These two dozen or so pictures are some that didn’t make it into earlier slide shows. The last bunch is a series called ‘Faces’. Jordan took them of all of us on the last day. :o) Enjoy!

P.S. Thank you all for checking out these updates and being patient with me as I try to get each one posted! I have so enjoyed reading your comments (and deleting those that mention places we do not mention :o). Thanks for rejoicing with me, praying for us and celebrating all that God is doing! I am so grateful for the opportunity…

Dios te bendiga!

Trip Update 8

Monday morning we woke up....early. Mindy and Steph surprised Todd on 'La Placa' but I was too sleepy to go with them (surprise, surprise!). After our last morning up there, watching the sun rise and having quiet time (and an interesting round of 'That 70s Show' :o), we headed back down to finish packing. When the bus arrived, we took pictures, said goodbye and climbed on. Pino had us journal about our time there while we drove to our first stop. Just outside the city is a little restaurant with one of the most amazing views I've ever seen. Stopping here has been one of the highlights of past trips and this was no different. The food was great and the piña coladas (without alcohol!) were yummy, too! :o)

We got back on the bus and broke into small groups to discuss what we had just journaled about and what God had done over the past week. This was great! Among other things, the guys took some time to thank the girls for their modesty and we girls spent some time thanking them for their leadership and desire to protect us as well as their own hearts. Before we knew it, we'd arrived in the city we would depart from. We got to walk around for a little while and take some pictures, I got a book of poetry at this little book shop (btw, I LOVE book stores and old books :o). We ate lunch at a little restaurant with a patio and a FAN! Hallelujah for fans! And there was a peacock in the courtyard!

We arrived at the airport, got checked in, went through customs, security and then went upstairs to eat (see a pattern here? I think we constantly ate! :o). Then we boarded the plane and landed back in Miami. Wow! Amazing to be home! What a difference and culture shock! Again, you can feel it in the air and sense it all around you. It's pretty amazing! We had a fairly difficult time getting through customs, but everyone eventually made it through (even Miguelito :o).

The O-town team headed to pick up our van (praying it would be available this time!) and made plans to meet everyone (minus the Pinos :o( at Outback. See, we had decided several days ago that we just couldn't go anywhere else but Outback when we got home. So after an incredibly delicious steak and my favorit-est blue-cheese-chopped salad, we started for HOME. The ride home was pretty hilarious. I'll never forget Abot and the bottle, Ton and almost falling asleep, and a few other things. :o) Poor Juanita, she was sick at this point and slept most of the ride home. We pulled into the church parking lot at exactly midnight! I was impressed. My awesome dad had come to pick me up, so we all said goodbye and went home. I fell into bed and slept and slept and slept.

To summarize my thoughts on this particular trip: it was the most exhausting trip but the one I came home being the most spiritually refreshed. Team, what do you think?

By the way, THANK YOU to all of you who prayed for us and those of you who contributed to my trip financially. Pete, John, Snodgrass, Steve & Genie, Grandmother & Granddaddy - this would not have been possible without you! God specifically used you and your generosity to allow me to make this trip, experience what I did and serve the way I was able to. You have blown me away and I am humbled by your examples of generosity. So thank you!

Team, I am so grateful for our time together and the memories we made. It was an incredible joy to be with each of you, to get to know you, to become better friends with you, to serve alongside of you, to worship with you, to laugh with you and to sweat with you. :o) Thank you for the way you've served me by pointing out to me my sin and by also encouraging me. It was such a privilege to share those nine days with you all!!!

Last update on the Caribbean: quotables from the trip. :o)

Trip Update 7

Sunday morning we woke up a little later but had a service with just our team (they had cancelled church due to the activities of the night before and the conference that week). It was amazing! It was one of those experiences that stick out to you forever, the kind that are high on your list of sweet times of fellowship with God's people and Himself. We worshipped and Ton shared a word he'd received for EACH individual on our trip. It was amazing and I was just overwhelmed by the goodness of God to convict, forgive, refresh, and fill me. I didn't want it to end!

But when the pastors came in, we had the opportunity to hear how the week had affected them and how they saw the attendees being affected. It was so exciting to see how God had literally broken through and caused the people to 'catch the pastors vision'! Pino reminded us that we were literally witnessing a historical moment for the church! Wow!

That afternoon, we went on another walk through the city and prayed for the people as we passed homes. We ate lunch at the restaurant at the top of the 'mountain' and I actually saw the view from the cliff this time - breathtaking! I did, however, fear for Abot and Steph's lives as they sat down on the edge... :o) And Abot had a great story with that thar cliff.

We started to hurry home so we could prepare for the "booger-boy's" surprise party! The family had had a couple of piggies prepared for our dinner that night (unfortunately we didn't get to witness the slaughter this time - most interesting if you ask me!). We decorated, blew up balloons and put together party favors. When he arrived, we yelled surprise and blew the little blow-thingies (what the heck are they called?). He was so cute!

We got to serve them again (there were about 50 of us altogether - family, friends, etc) and did an assembly line to get the plates together and to them. After dinner, we played lots of games like 'The Cup Game' and taught them 'The Animal Game'. It was so funny to watch them try to 'send' the animal on to someone else! We also played some 'Foyer Volleyball'. If you don't know what this is, you play with a balloon in the foyer and use your shoes as the line between the two courts. Pretty cool, huh? :o)

After everyone left, we cleaned up, headed to our rooms and packed up. It was hard to believe we left the next day!!!!

Trip Update 6

Saturday morning we slept in until...8:30! Woohoo! (By the way, if Todd ever knocks on your door with doughnuts, tell him to go away! ...and then go find the doughnuts cuz they were darn good! :o) We were able to relax a bit that morning. Todd and the guys were working on a song, Pino went on some 'errands' all day, and Abot, Jordan, Mindy worked on Abot's song. I listened, gave my two cents, and journaled. It was so nice to relax like that!

Then Mindy and I left to go help decorate for the birthday party of our friend there who was turning 15. We spent a few hours decorating and then headed home to get ready for the party. We were also going to spend the afternoon pampering our friend with a manicure, pedicure and doing her make-up. I was totally unprepared for what it would look like. I had anticipated a nice relaxing afternoon, gently massaging her feet and hands, slowly painting her nails and deliberating over which colors to use for eye shadow. What it looked like was a sweaty mass of girls rushing to be ready by 7:00...we started at about 5:30! Now you and I both know that you cannot fit all that into an hour and a half. And we didn't. We fit it in to about three. It was still the fastest I've ever worked and I think the reason it actually worked was because one girl was doing her hair, one was doing her make-up, one was doing her toes and one was doing her nails....did I mention that all took place at the same time? No wonder my hands were shaking as I was doing the french mani!!!! Ay de mi! :o)

Then we had to figure out how to get dressed in the midst of that (by the way, never wear a tank top that someone else has worn already on the trip - it doesn't make for a pleasant evening :o). All in all, we ran about 45 minutes late. I was a mess and totally not relaxed but stressed out and chose to laugh instead of crying. I'm so glad I did because it only got more...interesting. We climbed into the same cargo truck from the day before with a bunch of the people already in there (another note to self: know what to wear when climbing into a cargo truck, right Juanita? We had an interesting time!! :o). After waiting for yet more people, we finally were on our way. When we arrived, Ton climbed down and began counting to see how many cattle, I mean people, were packed in there. There were 61 of us! Yes, we were shocked. This was quickly replaced by terror at the swarms of mosquitoes that greeted us at the party. Fortunately we had all forgotten our bug spray (a bummer since I usually carry it to most parties I go to). :o)

We sat down and the evening began (Ody, GREAT job on the decorations, my friend!!!!). The parents honored her, her brother honored her...grandparents, friends...it was amazing! She sang a song in English which blew us away, rededicated her life to Christ. Everything was so God-honoring! Mindy had had the idea that we would each take a letter of her name and honor her with a description of a characteristic of her life. Mine was 'L' for 'Luz' (or 'light'). Juanita graciously had translated my few sentences so that I could read it without translation. I think the whole thing turned out well and I hope she was blessed by our desire to honor her.

Then the dancing began! Abot and Steph taught me and Juanita how to salsa and Carice reminded us that it 'happens' without thinking about it. Thanks, Carice! ;o) I can't remember being so sweaty, so dressed up and having so much fun! The whole evening was amazing!!! We rode back on the same truck (in TWO shifts, though, thank the Lord!) and ate the yummy rice pudding that I had missed at dinner! :o). Then it was time for bed!

Trip Update 5

Friday morning we had breakfast with the people and then headed off to walk through and pray for the city as we walked up a small mountain (no joke!). On the way, we visited a seminary where one of the pastors went and where his son was married. It was so neat to be there to see their history, as well as hear the history of the seminary. Very different from our Pastors' College. Al has great plans for this place. :o) While we were there, one of the professors gave us a tour and then sang for us an American folk song - very hilarious. We stopped in at the Chapel where Al read a few verses and Todd led us in spontaneous worship. Again, I'm always amazed by the fact that I can worship God anytime, anywhere. I love it!

We continued our walk, munching on fresh coconut!, and reached the top where we got more ice cream and big bottles of water (water gets drunk quickly by our team! :o). This place wasn't there when we visited last time and it was extremely oriented to foreigners. The view was absolutely incredible and just left me in awe of all our God has created. After resting, we headed towards 'the ruins' which are in the process of being rebuilt! I think it used to be a Catholic shrine and now it's being fixed up. Eric got to talk to a music teacher who was traveling with her friends. The woman was having a clarinet lesson with the friend's daughter out in the open under the blue sky and surrounded by the huge green hills and trees. What a place to have a lesson!

We got back from our walk, ate lunch and had the opportunity to go swimming!!! We packed up, slathered on sunscreen and climbed into a big cargo truck. Nice. As we drove, we picked up (running!) members of the church and headed to a beach outside the city. We thought we might be able to snorkel as well (hello! the Caribbean! oh wow!), but that didn't work out. It was still amazing and Al was so awesome to work that out for us - a surprise for the team! We enjoyed a couple hours swimming and dodging Fire Coral (Coral de fuego) and stepping on lovely bits of sharp rock. Then Jorge found a nasty dog that he named Jessica or something and tried to find a way to water it. It was pretty hilarious watching him. Does anyone have pictures? :o) On the way back, we stopped to pick up - you guessed it! - more water. When we arrived home, they held a ceremony in my honor to present me with my first Diet Coke of the trip. It was wooonderful! :o)

Dinner was delayed until 8 pm because they had run out of gas, couldn't get more and had to cook over charcoal. Unbelievable. I cannot imagine not being able to run to the store and pick up what I need! So, as soon as we were done with dinner, Melinda and I watched the girls from the church practice a dance for the party the next evening.

Then we took a quick walk (dodging HUGE crabs in the gutters!) to a restaurant inside a castle - literally! It was time for them to close, but they let us in and shut the doors. It looked like a prison but they served up great french frieds, shrimp (bleh!) and sodas. :o) That was a lot of fun and a place I'd never been before. Next door was some lovely (ahem) karaoke and dancing. :o)

That night Mindy and I talked way late (like 3:30!!) and prayed the two newlywed lizards who showed up in our room would decide it was too cold and head back outside.

Trip Update 4

Sorry for the long break! We were in the middle of our Worship Conference ‘Glorify’. Back to the updates...

Thursday began pretty similar, but one of the pastors addressed the conference regarding dancing before the Lord and how we need to base our opinions off of what Scripture has to say about this. And then he danced. It was hilarious! It kinda reminded me of C.J.'s plate-spinning demonstration or of Josh Harris' kick-boxing demo (remember that, Medana? ;o). Then one of the members of the church gave us all a gift to commemorate our time there. That was a huge sacrifice on his part!!

Afterwards, Pino spoke...and I actually understood most of it! :o) And it was amazing because it confirmed the word the Lord had given me that morning during my quiet time. I love when He does that!!! Following that, Todd read Sproul's "The Priest Who Wore Dirty Clothes" in Spanish and had everyone sit around him on the floor. It was amazing!!!! Again, I understood most of what was read, which was such a blessing! The Spirit of God began to move during this story that was written for children (Sproul's ministry had Miguel's wife translate the story and may be publishing it soon!). As tears filled my eyes, I watched as men moved from sitting to kneeling with their faces on the ground. Most everyone was crying, some weeping, as the Gospel was told through this story. Todd did a wonderful job in telling it and his passion for the Gospel was clear as well. Needless to say, it was hard to move on to lunch after that!

That afternoon, we rested and FINALLY got to serve the people dinner!! They had been serving us and having us eat first. So we were able to convince them it would be our privilege to serve THEM on our last night with them. I love being able to do that! Thanks, Al! :o)

That night, Todd encouraged us to sit with someone we didn't know...with much fear I obeyed (no comments from the peanut gallery! ;o). I thought it might be a very silent interaction with the other person because of the language barrier - thank God for smiles! Ha! After sitting for a while in silence, I remembered the pictures I had brought along to show some of the people. I had pictures of some of the previous team members who couldn't make it, including baby Joey's picture. Taraleigh was pregnant in Cuba and the ladies especially enjoyed seeing him - almost two years later! Anyway, I pulled the pictures out and had a great conversation with them...in Spanish!!! Woohoo! :o) It turns out that Danny has stayed with this couple before. They were very precious and I'm so grateful for that interaction.

During worship, there was ministry time for the young married couples. It’s pretty amazing, because some of them have gotten married since I first met them four years ago! We also sang ‘Breathe On Us’ from Metro’s new Glorify CD. Among others, Abot and I played violin on this song which was so much fun! Unfortunately we didn’t get to play that night, but it was still cool to sing it in Spanish!!!!

Afterwards, Ton and Al called a meeting of our team up on ‘la placa’. We spent some time praying for what God had done, for the people and for what He would do in the days remaining there. Ton had worked it out so that we each had a card from someone back home! How cool was that? Thanks, mom! :o)

It was a great end to a great conference. For those of you who don’t know me very well, I like control. A lot. :o) Even more, I like knowing what’s happening and not being surprised by things. I like planning and seeing what was planned happen. Needless to say, being spontaneous and flexible is not one of my strong points. God was clearly working on that this trip (though events did not occur simply to make me flexible, I know :o). It was amazing to see the grace supplied by Him to be able to ‘go with the flow’ and not be stressed out. There were times that I didn’t do so well, but there were also other times where I knew that the Spirit was giving me the grace to respond correctly. I am so grateful for that! I am grateful to see Him at work and to know that He IS changing me. I just might start being more flexible…maybe. :o)

So, until tomorrow (hopefully!), enjoy these pics and the video…