Thank you for ALL of your support! I am so thankful for your amazing generosity! May the Lord continue to bless you in your giving and for your prayers!
Our time in Bagot was an unforgettable account of how Jesus can move in an immobilized community. During our stay, the Lord revealed truths, identities, and the true heart of a servant; Jesus moved BIG time...and NOT in the way my team expected.
While in Bagot, my team and I were heavily involved in working with the Bagot Church; working mainly with the youth and composing church services.
This is a little breakdown of our time spent in Bagot:
Monday: Boys' band practice/girls' bible study -This was an allotted time where Scott could minister to the young men in the community through music and Annie Rose, Denise, Kate, Krissy, and I could connect with the young girls on an intimate level.
Wednesday: Meeting/Service- A night where Pastor Peter and anyone else in the community could make announcements and it also became a time of worship. My team was asked to cultivate a performance of some sort (we usually sang worship songs) and then one team member would be asked to give a testimony and short sermon.
Friday:Youth night- My team would help gather ALL of the children in the community and then we transported them to a small water park where the kids could go swimming and eat a hot meal. The night would also consist of giving a sermon (which yours truly had the privilege to do) and some kind of performance; songs played a BIG role and so did a puppet show!
Sunday:Morning/Night Church Service- The services were ALL ON US! Every single one of us had to give a testimony and a sermon during one of these services. We would first start with a puppet show, and then worship, went straight into the sermon, and then finished with prayer.
The more my team entered into this government-owned community we started to fall in love with the people; especially the children. I, for one, realized that behind the lost faces there was a sense of hope. I discovered that behind each facade laid a warrior-I saw this in MANY of the children and in quite a few adults. Granted, it was still hard at times to minister to the people of Bagot and we usually went home DRAINED; but we learned a lot that month.
We found that Jesus REIGNS in the community of Bagot and HE longs for a relationship with every person living there. My team was able to witness a commissioning service for two of the women in the community who made the decision to become disciples for Christ. It was such an amazing moment and a real honor to be a part of.
My team also saw first-hand what a true servant is...the definition: David and Isabel (Our contacts)! They blew me away! This couple had an unconditional love for Bagot that goes unnoticed; which is a shame. David, a surgeon, would participate in EVERY Bagot ministry after doing surgery ALL day with little to no sleep. Isabel worked ALL day in ministry and then would provide transportation to most of the people who attended the church services. I still have NO idea how they have the energy to do this! I personally had three days off a week and felt like I was WORN down! The Lord has given both Isabel and David a supernatural strength-that is for sure!
The Lord worked through both my team and the people of Bagot. Through Jesus, we were able to breathe life into the upcoming generation that just wanted to be loved and heard. My team also gave a helping hand to the church and especially Isabel and David. We were able to pray for the lost, sick, and the believers in the community. To be honest, I feel like my team learned more from the people of Bagot then they learned from us. We learned that in every community, there is a source of light; no matter how dark the surrounding areas are, the Lord ALWAYS provides hope. We gained AWHOLE LOT freedom due to the frequent brokenness we all experienced over the month and discovered how much we really do have to offer to the world! We realized what love REALLY looks like-it is more than a hug, more than words...For:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, It keeps no records of wrongs. " -1 Corinthians 13:4
Even before walking into Bagot, my team jumped to strong conclusions about the aboriginal community; we were so quick to judge. The funny thing is, we received acceptance when that was the last thing we deserved. The people in the community LOVED us and wanted nothing more than to have a relationship with us.
Does this remind you of something???
Jesus also is LONGING for a relationship with ALL of HIS children, but human tendencies usually get in the way; we tend to love only what satisfies us.
So to answer the question of why here, why now?
God designated this time and place for us to GROW; to LOVE; to FIND OURSELVES; to be BROKEN; to FALL in LOVE with JESUS again; to FALL in LOVE with a community that goes unnoticed- a community that the outside world does not care about.
It is time to stand up...
My heart has been broken for this aboriginal community and I will forever remember them!
So my QUESTION for you is, will you help me spread the word about this Bagot community???
Please OBSERVE first (PRAY BIG)...and then you are free to ANSWER..
I am not going to lie, I REALLY did not want to return to Bagot after our first experience we had. The thought of having to minister in such darkness made my hair stand up on end. I wanted to know why God intended my team to be in such a place-Why here, why now?
The second time we went to the community, we felt the same intensity we had felt the night before. This time, however, we got to see EVERYTHING; the people, stray dogs, trash build-up...you name it!
It would be our first day working with the Bagot Church, which seemed to be the only source of light in this community. The rectangular-blue building is located towards the front of the community and has no walls; an interesting perspective from an outsider looking in. The idea of the church having no walls was actually a blessing-it allowed the Bagot people to SEE the presence of the Lord come to life and became an open invitation to hear the gospel.
The first thing my team decided to do was to pray over the community-So, we did! Then my team split up into groups of three and walked around the community; letting the people know that church was being held that night. While we were gathering people for church, I could not help but notice the poverty and hopelessness around me-Jesus was nowhere to be found in the eyes of the people I came in contact with. This was the moment I realized that God had a purpose in mind for the aboriginals in this community; we were just clueless to what that was.
That night, Denise shared her testimony and we watched a video about the end times...people actually showed up! Part of me wondered if the reason why they went was because of the free food that was laid out; but then I stopped that thought in its tracks. I know from experience that Jesus works in mysterious ways and what works for some cultures, does not work for others. So for the rest of the night, I sat back and observed the people who surrounded me on either side.
Throughout the night, people asked for prayer through their drunken state-and prayed we did! Every time my team prayed over someone, I could feel the spiritual battle that was going on in each person...Jesus was fighting HARD for the souls of these aborigines; it was overwhelming.
What I found that night was that even though Satan reveals himself strongly to the aboriginals, Jesus could make himself more KNOWN to the lost and forgotten community.
So, how would Jesus make himself REAL to the people of Bagot???
What will the aboriginals take from their experience with us???
Walking into Bagot, I could instantly acknowledge the fact that this little aboriginal community was in major spiritual warfare; I could feel it shoot into my bloodstream at an intense speed. The first thing I thought was, "What is this month going to look like?" then I asked, "Why here, why now?" God answered these questions and revealed more.
Right before my team and I entered Bagot, we sat down with our contacts, Isabel and David and went over the history, culture, and spiritual atmosphere of the community we would be involved with.
This is some of what my team found out:
·Satan makes himself VERY real to the people of Bagot-known as the "rainbow serpent."
·Many members of the community take intense drugs in an attempt to push away boredom...that is what happens when you have life without purpose.
·There is a high suicide rate among the aboriginal community due to the combination of drugs, alcohol, and spiritual warfare.
·When a young man becomes a man, they are given a demon that will dwell with him for the rest of his life.
·There have been instances where young men have tried to take their lives due to their demon telling them to do so.
·Witchdoctors are common among the aboriginal community and are not taken lightly.
·People will actually listen more to a witchdoctor than a pastor.
·If a person wants to get revenge on someone, then they will search out a witchdoctor and place a curse on that person who "did them wrong." The curse usually always works...death is a pretty common denominator around the community of Bagot.
·The people living in the community have very little respect for the environment around them; they throw trash in anywhere they see fit.
·The aboriginal kids in the community have little to no respect for their peers-hitting, slapping, and name-calling is the norm.
·Many of the aboriginal homes are filled to the brim with people, which makes it impossible for all to sleep in one house; so some make their beds outside.
·There are more stray dogs lurking around the community than people-something we learned is to say, "Bless you" to the dogs if they happen to start getting out of control.
After this talk, our contacts took my entire team to Bagot in order for us to get a feel of the ministry sight...and feeling we had! The moment we entered Bagot, every single one of us experienced heaviness like nothing we have ever felt before. The whole time we were going through the government owned community, we were shuttled in the church's van; but we felt nothing close to safe. I literally felt the spiritual warfare all around me and started to feel a little claustrophobic.
As soon as we started to leave the community, we stopped to meet the Pastor of the Bagot Church-Pastor Peter. The moment I got out of the van, the environment slapped me in the face and all I could sense was that the Angels surrounding my group were working overtime-that is how HEAVY it truly was!
We started to pray with the Pastor and the moment my team and I opened our mouths to pray, things started to happen around us. We all faced each other in a circle, closed our eyes, and held hands-our hearts were pounding out of our chests. There was a spirit lingering all around our prayer circle that was not of God, but it was obvious Jesus was present in our midst for I felt completely safe where we were standing. It was as though there was a light shining down on us from above and a shield that surrounded each one of us. The louder our prayers got it became obvious that there was a battle brewing. As soon as one of my team members starting praying over the community, a large group of dogs surrounded us and started barking and growling. For the duration of that prayer, I prayed for protection over my team and myself; and sure enough, the more I prayed the dogs disappeared. (Later that night at feedback, my entire team talked about our experience and learned that we all started to pray at the same time for a hand of protection to come upon us-See God does listen to EVERY prayer!)
Right when the prayer ended we jumped...okay... maybe leaped into the car and went back to the YWAM base we were living at for the duration of our stay.
That was our introduction to Bagot.
The rest of our time in the little aboriginal community was just as interesting...
I cannot believe we are already in Australia! It seems like just yesterday my team and I stepped foot in the Auckland airport; now we are in the Australian outback working in our new ministry.
January came and went, but the memories that were made will be forever engraved in my mind
While in New Zealand, we helped with the preparation of the Jubilee Celebration and the Call 2 All Conference. Jubilee was the 50th year celebration of YWMA in which people from around the globe came to pay their respect to the organization that has helped so any lives come to Christ. Call 2 All was a conference based on the premise of finishing the Great Commission to make disciples out of ALL nations. For these two events, the World Race decided to pair my group with three others, (Glo, 91, Arete) due to the caliber of each function. During both the events, the four of us groups helped with the behind the scenes venues, such as: Ushering, parking, kids ministry, security, and so on. The biggest job we had was making sure that a world map the size of half of a football field got put out every night. The map was so incredible to see laid out; especially when people would start praying and interceding on behalf of a country. One of the most rewarding opportunities was being able to pray over the crowd at Call 2 All-it was incredibly humbling to see people give their lives fully over to Christ.
I will forever be grateful for the experiences I have received from my time in New Zealand. I thank God for the two events, for the people we met, our contacts, the House of Prayer, the ones we prayed over, the friends we made, and for the other three groups involved in this ministry. The Lord truly blessed me and to him I give all the glory!
Well goodbye New Zealand and hello Australia!
But first, here is a little keep-sake from my time in New Zealand! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
As I stood watching the youth of New Zealand praise Jesus at Call 2 All, I could not help but to think about the youth of America and how starving they are for acceptance-how desperate they are to be loved. The truth is the youth of New Zealand are in a deep depression that only God can heal. The young girls wear barely anything in order to gain the acceptance of their peers and the approval of the young men in their community. Both young men and women binge drink just to get drunk and consider their lives to be one big party; it is plain to see that Jesus is not present in these teens' lives. On top of that, New Zealand has the highest suicide rate in the world-the youth leading that epidemic. It broke my heart to hear those statistics and I came to the unnerving idea that if a revival does not happen soon in the U.S., then the youth of America will begin to experience the side effects of New Zealand. Already the youth of America is in dire need of a Savior; of Jesus Christ himself.
Right before leaving on this incredible journey, I used to pick up my little sister from school and saw first-hand how crucial it is to spread the love of Christ. Almost every young girl at my sister's school was wearing revealing clothing, had a large amount of make-up on, kept close to the young boys, and wore colored bracelets all the way up their arms. A quick update to the parentals: plastic-colored bracelets symbolize different sexual acts and are also known to have MANY different representations in the RAVE world. The first thought that came to my mind was, "Do they even know what those bracelets stand for?" Then it hit me that they probably do; and that is much more frightening to think about. The young boys showed close to no respect and thought it entertaining to re-create violence in every which direction. The boys wore clothes that are WAY too big for them and added more decoration to their attire when the middle finger would fly into the air.
The question to ask ourselves is, "Why are the youth today acting out in such a way that ultimately kills them?"
The reason: The youth of today NEED JESUS! The youth of today NEED to know that they are LOVED, not only by our creator, but also by US! The youth NEED to feel like they are being heard- We need not to just listen to them, but to actually HEAR them! The youth of today know more than we give them credit for and are in constant battle with peer pressure and their own minds. They are in desperate need to realize that Jesus is here to save them-to cover them with a hedge of protection. The youth especially need to know that they have a purpose-that Jesus has a mighty plan for each one of their lives. We NEED to stand up and disciple the next generation so that they may rise up and make disciple out of ALL nations.
I am not saying that this is going to be easy; let's face it, working with the youth can be one of the most rigorous responsibilities but it is imperative that this generation stands up for them. The truth is, they do not listen nor do they feel like they need any help; but what they are not making known is that they are crying out for help-they are LONGING for it. When I was in high school, I was extremely depressed-I had an eating disorder, I was a feminist, and I was suicidal (not to mention all the other things I had on my plate at the time). The reason why I came to Christ, was because of a few girls my age NEVER gave up on me; they loved me for WHO I WAS! That is the key: WE NEED TO LOVE THE YOUTH REGARDLESS OF WHAT SINS THEY ARE COMMITTING IN THEIR LIVES-For weren't we all sinners at one point? Through my past struggles I have FALLIN' IN LOVE WITH JESUS and now dream of one day, having my own organization to spread the love of Christ to the youth of America. However, we NEED more people to step out in faith and fearless make known the gospel to the youth of the world.
So Let us stand up and fight for our youth and let's not forget how important they truly are; for they hold the promise of tomorrow.
Prayer: A spiritual communion with God as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.
Prayer is a deep conversation with God that ignites a power greater than we can ever imagine. Whether it is a small-heartfelt prayer or a big "impossible" one, the Lord listens diligently to all of HIS children's pleas. It is incredible how God shows up each time a prayer is being sung outward or inward; it is overwhelming to think that God hears ALL prayers and answers each one. The one detail people often overlook or disregard is the fact that God's holy and cunning abilities do not permit our great Lord to grant every petition under the sun. Our loving savior only answers prayers the best way HE knows how-for God's wisdom is greater than we could ever imagine. Jesus knows our deepest needs and will ALWAYS provide for those necessities; we just need to
learn to NOT worry!
The Lord truly blessed me while in New Zealand, for he brought my group to IHOP (International House of Prayer) which is a four hour prayer service. There are quite a few IHOP's around the world that actually take place in a 24 hour period. It is evident that the Holy Spirit resides in each one of these prayer houses-I can only speak for myself, but the presence of the Lord over-powered any negative thought and gave me the opportunity to fall before the throne.
The House of Prayer had two different parts: the first two hours was the devotional phase in which each person was allowed intimate time with Jesus. This was the time where each person could have quiet prayer time, journaling, and/or bible reading. The second part was intercession where people could pray over the city, nation, loved ones, and one another. The one event that was prayed over the most was Call 2 All - A conference based on the premise of finishing the Great Commission to make disciples out of ALL nations. The people who attended IHOP that week interceded for the lives of all the nations that would participate in the event so that individuals could be saved through Christ Jesus; and that they were!
Call 2 All was a true testimony about what can happen when Christ followers come together to pray for every nation under Heaven. It was like an explosion of God's love and mercy overflowing like the cup of life that Jesus, himself, keeps filling for those who live for HIM. Lives were changed forever during that conference, in due part, because of the power of prayer that was spoken over the event itself. Our God must be generous and loving, for why else would He instill in every person the most powerful form of healing? Prayer heals ALL things for Jesus dwells in the heart of every believer-and the heart is where the healing first takes place.
Prayer is imperative in my life; I notice a significant difference when I have that time with God and when I try to figure things out myself. Just this week, I have struggled with not praying the "right" prayers (the ones to say "YES" too) and found myself more broken then I would like to admit. However, God DID listen to my prayers and wove me back together like a heart surgeon would do for his patient. When I visited the House of Prayer and experienced the revival that would be Call 2 All, I learned that the only way for God to truly show up in my prayers is to just say, "YES" and to give Jesus ALL the glory. I also realized that in order to see a difference, I needed to give more of myself to the community around me, in order to receive the gifts that the Lord had planned for my life. Well it just so happened that God did show up; and in the biggest way possible. I have gained the freedom needed to move into the next chapter of my life. Through prayer, Jesus has showed me that I am WORTHY, TREASURED, RESPECTED, and LOVED- not only by our Lord, but also by the people God has surrounded me with. Jesus is MY answer to prayer; HE is present at ALL times and loves me for who I am.
I challenge you to pray! Whether how tiny or large the prayer may be, I urge you to be in relationship with Christ for the reward will be more than you could EVER imagine! So go ahead...I DARE you!
Jesus is already revealing himself in ways like never before
So here I am...sitting in a crowded hallway, listening to music, and writing this here blog in one of the most beautiful places on the planet- New Zealand! It is so crazy to think that I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand only 8 days ago; it seems like I have been here for two months! However, Jesus is already revealing himself in ways like never before! God is going to do great things this year, not only through me, but also through my team! I am excited to see what HE does!
He has anointed me
So let's play catch up! I landed in Auckland, New Zealand on January 4th which was REALLY weird because I missed a whole day of my life (Note: New Zealand is a day ahead of the U.S.) It was so good to see my squad again. I missed them so much and it was nice to know that they missed me too! Hahaha! The week of launch was so different from training camp but I still happened to learn more about my team and myself. I am not going to lie, I have had a problem admitting that I have a certain gift...like "who am I to have that gift" is the question that ran through my head over and over again. The Lord, however, revealed that gift to me ALL week. I know better not to argue with God for HE knows my heart and mind better than I do! The Lord is truly an amazing God-He is constantly reminding me that I am a treasure and worthy of SO much! I have so much power in my hands that he has anointed me with, that it would be a shame to waste it.
Call 2 All
I am excited to tell you that I am officially on the mission field! My group, along with three others, are part of the Jubilee celebration and Call 2 All which are two huge events that help spread the love of Christ! I am helping with administrative work and labor in order for both shows to take place! My team and I were actually able to help lay out a football field-sized map of the world today that cost $7,000! It is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! I will let you know how both of the events turned out in my next blog. I can only imagine what the Lord is going to do during this event; but I declare that lives WILL BE CHANGED! I am so thankful that I get to be part of this experience! How amazing is our God???
I made it! I am officially in the most beautiful country in the WORLD-New Zealand! It is so surreal that I am actually going on this race; that I will be spreading the gospel of Christ to 11 different countries. God has so many plans for not only me, but for my entire squad. I am excited to see how HE uses each of us! For the next week or so, my squad and I will have the opportunity to have hands on training and will be able to explore the culture of New Zealand! Thanks to all the people who have and continue to support me on this mission; I have a feeling that Jesus will do GREAT things on this journey! I will be updating my blogs quite frequently so please keep coming back! Also, if you would like an email stating that I have updated my blog click on "Update Alerts" located on the left-hand side. <-- P.S. Dad! I got here in ONE piece! No worries! And to my family...I LOVE YOU! :)
possible for all to sleep in one house; so some make their beds outside.
t completely safe where we were standing. It was as though there was a light shining down on us from above and a shield that surrounded each one of us. The louder our prayers got it became obvious that there was a battle brewing. As soon as one of my team members starting praying over the community, a large group of dogs surrounded us and started barking and growling. For the duration of that prayer, I prayed for protection over my team and myself; and sure enough, the more I prayed the dogs disappeared. (Later that night at feedback, my entire team talked about our experience and learned that we all started to pray at the same time for a hand of protection to come upon us-See God does listen to EVERY prayer!)
I made it! I am officially in the most beautiful country in the WORLD-New Zealand! It is so surreal that I am actually going on this race; that I will be spreading the gospel of Christ to 11 different countries. God has so many plans for not only me, but for my entire squad. I am excited to see how HE uses each of us! For the next week or so, my squad and I will have the opportunity to have hands on training and will be able to explore the culture of New Zealand! Thanks to all the people who have and continue to support me on this mission; I have a feeling that Jesus will do GREAT things on this journey! I will be updating my blogs quite frequently so please keep coming back! Also, if you would like an email stating that I have updated my blog click on "Update Alerts" located on the left-hand side. <-- P.S. Dad! I got here in ONE piece! No worries! And to my family...I LOVE YOU! :)