Sending Out Song

The day my team and I flew out, some of the people from our church came and prayed us out. They played this song as a sending out song. We've been singing it everywhere we go here. I wanted to share because the words are so great! Sorry that there is no official recording so this is the best I can get ya = )



Overcomers
by Abel Musuka

We are all more than conquerers
And we all possess power
To heal the sick, raise the dead,
Cause the blind to see
Set the captives free

We are all overcomers
Sin no longer has power
For we have captivated our thoughts
And have honored the cost
We have victory, his victory

Chorus:
And I see a people changing the nations,
Now rising up to take their place.
And I see an army, righteous and holy,
Filled with the spirit and not afraid.
They carry a banner, written Jehovah,
The lion of Judah, the king who reigns.
Christ the redeemer he is our master,
We've conqured all in Jesus name.

It's our time it's our hour
And we only grow stronger
We are pillars with anners that only fly higher
For His majesty

We are called by the FAther
He has granted us power
And he sees you and me as the bringers of peace
It's our destiny, our destiny.

We are the overcomers
WE are the overcomers
WE have overcome in JESUS NAME!!

An Evening Walk to the Hotel

A rickshaw lets me off a few blocks away saying it isn't allowed to go through that road (ah the ways they find to rip us off). As my friends and I walk down the street I pass two men urinating. Men are holding hands. They aren't gay. This is just culturally acceptable. In contrast it is not acceptable for couples to hold hands in public. Rumor has it that on Valentines Day they were arresting any couples (and I mean heterosexual) caught holding hands. I pass piles of rotting trash with swarms of flies around them. There are no trash cans on the street. At the end of the day people empty their trashcans onto the sidewalk. The sidewalk is formed out of blocks with the sewer running underneath. It appears that there have been too many earthquakes or something as all the blocks are pushed up like some upheaval has occurred. Therefore every once and a while you get a nice whif of sewer. As we continue down the street, I see a young boy whose legs are broken behind him forcing him onto his face begging. I hear the call for prayer blaring over the speakers like a tornado siren. Three and four year old girls follow us, tugging on our shirts and begging for money. Older girls hold sleeping infants also asking for money. The night sky is orange with smog and light pollution. There seem to be no traffic laws as cars honk and weave in and out around each other without any apparent boundaries. You dodge cars, following locals who you hope have a better idea of how not to get hit by a car. Street vendors call out trying to sell watches, fruit and hot roasted corn. I see a hunchback midget on a mini motorcycle. We round the corner to our hotel and head back to our room. There's a little piece of my time here. I hope it painted a picture : )

Beggars

The beggars here break my heart. Yesterday, me and the two girls I was with had a lot of trouble with beggars. One followed us 6 or so blocks INTO a restaurant. She didn't ask us for anything. She only smiled and twitched. I prayed for a binding of all evil spirits because I wasn't positive if she was possessed or not. The restaurant security ended up having to drag her out the back because she wouldn't leave. She smiled the entire way out. Later we were followed around by a woman and her precious little daughter. That one was rough because the little girl, who was at the very most one years old, was SO precious. She smiled and giggled like you wouldn't believe. We gave the little girl a toy and I bought them a bottled water. We aren't supposed to give them money because it will go back to a pimp, but so often we can't bear to give them nothing. This woman claimed she had been in a motorcycle accident which had messed up her left elbow. It was very scarred and couldn't straighten out. One of the girls in my group had gotten a word of knowledge for an elbow that morning so we prayed healing over her. Nothing happened while we were there but we are believing for healing at a later time! Her "husband" had no legs. It's really rough seeing so many maimed people. Many who you know have been maimed so they will bring in more money. We saw one little boy whose who chest had been burned. Another girl named Soni follows us every day. We've tried to share the Gospel with her but she doesn't speak English. It's so frustrating when we can't communicate with people! Beggars are both frustrating at times and heartbreaking. The locals are really hard on them. They yell at them and hit them. I also never know where their pimp is. I want to bring them hope and healing and freedom...

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhesrted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound..."
Isaiah 61:1

Please keep praying for the people here. God is good and continuing to show His faithfulness!!

We're Here!

Hi friends!!

We've reached the city in South Asia where we will be spending the next three weeks! We are loving it. There are so many new sites and sounds. It's super loud here. As one of the interns said, honking is their love language = ) But really... They ALWAYS honk no matter what time of day or if no one is in front of them. The people here are beautiful. It can be heartbreaking at times though, especially the children. They follow us and are so precious, but we know they don't get to keep the money. I just want to scoop them up and take them with me. Friends, God is already at work here! I am SO EXCITED to tell you that TODAY ALONE, my team members and I experienced 14 healings and 2 salvations. Isn't that AWESOME?! We're are overwhelmed. It is only our first day out on the streets!! We have 16 days to go! Can't tell you how excited we are to see God's kingdom come to earth.

We got to our hotel around 4:30 AM after around 50 hours of traveling. Needless to say we were exhausted but they have been giving us time to adjust which is very nice. So far no stomach problems! God's so good = )I've been thinking of so many things to say and now I can't remember any!! But hope this encourages you. Please keep praying and I'll keep updating!! Love you all!

2 Days

Chris read this verse in church today, and it just really resonated inside of me, particularly concerning India. I thought I'd share!

"My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.'" Haggai 2:5-9

This verse just gets me excited. I don't even know if I have anything else to say about it. God is shaking up the nations!! The glory is going to be greater than before! Also, the mention of treasures, silver and gold reminded me of a movie I watched recently. It's a documentary called "Finger of God." The two videos underneath are the first two parts of it. I'm warning you- It is VERY stretching, but try to have an open mind about it all. Why can't God work this way? When it comes down to it, what reason do we have to question? As Chris said today, never trusting what God is doing in other peoples lives only leaves you judgmental and miserable, and I've found that to be so true in my life. That's all for today. Enjoy the videos!

Ninety to Nothing

Wow... I'm straight up exhausted, but God is good. The South Asia team came over today.. Or at least the girls did. I had a blast with them. They are truly such a blessing. They're fun and uplifting. I couldn't ask for a better family for the time I'm overseas. I've been moving so fast the past few days. I'm not even sure what I've done!! Mom woke me up this morning to drive up to Guthrie where a girl from LA was having an estate sale. She had some super cute stuff that I was able to get for not much money at all. Anything ranging from antique/vintage linens to copper pots to a bed for my new house! This is it...



I'm pretty happy about it. There's just so much to get done before I go! Some of it is needless stress, I'm sure. I had a friend challenge me today to take an hour the day before I fly out, go out into the woods without any electronics or anything, and just BE. A great suggestion if you ask me. In fact, you can guarantee I'll be doing that very thing. I watched Slumdog Millionaire tonight. So much to take in... I'd seen it before, but it takes on a whole new meaning when you're preparing to go there. I can't wait to be there. Lord, use me! God just laid this verse on my heart...

"'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.' Then I said, 'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.' But the LORD said to me,
'Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD.' Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, 'Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms... to build and to plant.'" Jeremiah 1:5-10

One of Satan's favorite lies during times like these, is to tell me that I'm not doing a good enough job-- that I'm not capable of doing a good enough job and that I'll always fail. This verse has long been one that has meant something to me, but as I prepare for one of the most life-changing experiences, I know that He is speaking this over me. Pray for boldness and trust. He's consecrated me. He's set me apart. He's put His words in my mouth. He's sent me to build and to plant. Lord, may Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven...

Response to "Real Men Watch Chick Flicks"

So, my cousin Michael asked me to write a response to a blog post of his to explain what I meant by a comment I posted on his blog. His blog (http://findingmanhood.wordpress.com) comments on various aspects of what makes a man. One of his recent posts reads...

A real man is willing to see a chick flick with his wife and/or his daughter.
He realizes that just because he’s a real man, it doesn’t mean he can’t sit down with the woman he loves or the daughter who adores him and enjoy an activity that they like from time to time.
A real man doesn’t complain about watching the chick flick either. I’m not saying he has to be enthusiastic about it, but he does show a genuine appreciation to be spending time with the important women in his life.
Now, like all great axioms, this characteristic of a real man does come with a caveat of sorts. While a real man is willing to see a chick flick with his wife and/or daughter, it is OK for him to not be willing to see the same chick flick with a woman who is merely his girlfriend.
In fact, it is recommended that he NOT see a chick flick with a woman who is not either A) wearing a wedding ring that he purchased or B) the product of his relationship with the woman who is wearing a wedding ring that he purchased (see scenario A above).
A man who sees a chick flick with a woman who he has not yet made a lifetime commitment to is treading on thin ice. There are just some things in life that are best reserved for the sacred bonds of marriage.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with chick flicks, once a man starts sitting down to watch them with a woman who he has not yet committed his life to, he is on a slippery slope. If he’s not careful, it won’t be long before he’s wearing a mud mask facial, getting a pedicure, while a petite woman in a white smock waxes his upper lip… all the while daydreaming about the next opportunity he’ll have to tune in for a Lifetime movie.
So… the next time your wife or daughter wants you to go a see chick flick, if you want to be a real man, just do it. Not only will you get to enjoy quality time with someone who is very important to you, but (selfishly) you’ll also be accruing points for the next time you want to take her to a football game, the bowling alley, or a remote stream for a little trout fishing.
Along those same lines, the next time a woman who you have yet to take the vows of holy matrimony with suggests that the two of you watch a chick flick together, you’ll be doing yourself and the relationship a favor if you kindly (remember, a real man is kind) but firmly decline. To preserve diplomacy in the relationship, you might even trying following with an offer to try an activity together that’s a little more gender neutral. Something like skeet shooting, or bowling, or trout fishing.

There are parts of this I agree with and others that I don't. Now granted, I know that the whole post is peppered with sarcasm, but here are my thoughts regardless. First, I must say that he didn't take it where I expected him to. I agree that it is good to do things that the other wants to do. Love puts others' desires before its own. Plus, as he mentioned, what goes around, comes around. But chick flicks are a category all of their own. A category, which I might add, I would never want to share with my dad no matter how much I adore him as I wouldn't feel comfortable watching it with him. Chick flicks are an interesting genre. I've heard them called pornography for women, and I have to say that I see the validity in the accusation. They give girls false ideas of what a relationship will look like emotionally, which, as we all know, is the where the female is prone to struggle. However, perhaps some girls can stay away from the mindset that love will actually play out like a chick flick, yet still, are chick flicks healthy to watch? As a single, 19 year old girl, I've recently cut back on the amount of chick flicks I watch. They just don't promote a healthy mindset for me. They cause me to live in the future instead of today. And I'm not even getting into the sexual aspects of chick flicks. That's a whole OTHER ballpark-- one that should probably be addressed but I don't know how I feel about doing it over a blog.
Now I come to the topic of boyfriends watching chick flicks with their girlfriends. This is where the blog took an unexpected turn. When Michael called it "a slippery slope," I agreed. Watching a chick flick while dating could be considered a bad idea. Like he said, perhaps not inherently bad, but definitely a slippery slope. What kind of mindset and environment does a chick flick create? It's no secret that some boys use chick flicks for this very purpose. Those who are more respectable, may not be intending on this, but it can definitely create an atmosphere of vulnerability. So boys, I suppose it depends what sludge puddle you're more afraid of sliding into. I highly doubt that watching a chick flick is going to result in your girlfriend expecting you to take a spa day with her so I wouldn't be worried about that. The bigger concern is whether you are going to lead in protecting your relationship. Are you going to encourage vulnerability or try to strengthen the purity of a relationship? Perhaps that is the slippery slope an unmarried, yet taken, guy should be more worried about...
As for those who are married, while watching a chick flick with your wife may be thoughtful, try doing little things to make her feel like she is living in a chick flick (in a non-cheesy preferable). I can guarantee it will mean more in the end, and grow your relationship more... Not to mention that then you can skip the movie all together!