Intense Two Weeks

Exhausting. Exhilarating. Overwhelming. Amazing!
Those are just four words that would describe these past two weeks. As some of you know I was busy helping host a team of 27 Americans with ministry in one of the townships called Masi. And it definitely fit each one of those words.
It was a solid two weeks of going non-stop. With the exception of three days we were in Masi from 10am till 4-5pm. The team was split into teams of 3-4 which I would join in with. We spent our time walking around the wetlands of Masi. The wetlands are the unofficial squatter camps of that area. The poorest live there in shacks no bigger and sometimes smaller than your bedroom.
Each team had their area of it that they would walk around meeting people. Yes, it sounds like door to door evangelism, which they do here, but for us it was different. From the very beginning the Holy Spirit was with us and we could feel it. We immediately found people that were open to us and others in great need open to prayer. As tired as we got, we saw miracles happening everyday. People who hadn’t had jobs in months were getting two jobs in a week and others that had been kept from getting jobs from their sicknesses were healed. My favorite stories were of the people that received healing and then would be so excited they would then lead us all over the wetlands to pray for family members and friends. We were always being drawn out of our comfort zone. Such as one day we began the day with worship and prayer as normal but continued it for six hours! During that time we walked to two different houses on opposite sides of Masi to pray for families that the team had met. All the time carrying guitars and singing as we went. It was quite the scene that none of us had ever seen before but it also had effects that none of us had seen before either. So many people came to us with questions, requests that we make a stop to pray for them as well, and many were touched by Jesus. It was a day none of us will forget and definitely one that was not of our idea.

What can I say after staying away from my blog for so long? God is still moving in my life, bringing up things that I need to learn but mostly helping me walk out the things I have learned so far.
One major thing is not walking in the fear of man but in the fear of God. A few weeks ago a couple from Pretoria, who are a real father and mother in the Lord, prayed me through identifying that strong hold in my life and starting to walk free of it. I was a huge people pleaser. Always wanting to look good in others eyes, never wanting to let others down, and certainly never wanting to walk in a way that would cause conflict. The couple prayed with me until I could remember the exact moment that certain spirit took root in my life and how it effected me. It was so overwhelming. I didn’t even fully realize how big it was until I started to walk in that freedom. It weighted me down and controlled what I did and said in such a huge way. Trying to live up to what I thought people expect of me and then to they way people live their own life just gets to be to much at one point. You can’t be who God really created you to be and you can’t walk in that freedom that He has waiting for you. It really does hold so much back from you. I wish I could say that it has been easy but that would not be true. But it is the hardship that makes it so much more a God thing. Everyday I am faced with the temptation to give into the fear of man but when I resist it, it is afterwards that I feel the freedom washing over me! Walking in a way that pleases God is more amazing than I thought! It gives me so much joy, peace, and refreshing!
And that is probably what I can narrow down everything I have learned up to this point. God is doing such amazing things in my life and in the lives of those people up in Red Hill and it all revolves around having Him the center of our life. Nothing in between us, nothing holding us back from the power that He gives us. When we realize what holds us back from Him and get rid of it you will be unstoppable. The whole power of the Holy Spirit that is inside of you will be seen on a whole new scale. Of course we have access to that power right now and it is always there for us to see but imagine more. Being closer to God in such an intimate way that there is nothing standing there waiting to be taken care of. Clear access to His throne, His Power, His Glory! All of that indwelling in you, in your very being just waiting for you to want badly enough to share it. I can only picture this in my imagination but I want to see it become real in my life, in the lives of the people I am around and the ones that I disciple.

Touched by the Holy Spirit

When was the last time I posted? I can’t even remember. These past weeks have been so hectic. I haven’t even been at the place I live except to sleep. I don’t know why I do this to myself but the amazing thing is that God works through it and is teaching me to change.
This past week was so amazing for me and the pivotal point for my time so far. I go to the classes of the church planting school so that I can keep updated with my team and also I take all that I can get. I especially wanted to be there for this week though. We had a Scottish teacher this week talking about the Holy Spirit. He was one of my favorite teachers last year and I knew it would be even better this year. I was right. The first day of his teaching we had prophecies and amazing ministry time. I don’t want to say that it doesn’t happen any other time because it does. But he is very gifted in bringing out the gifts of the Holy Spirit in people and drawing the people out that aren’t used to it or are scared of it. So, that is how the week that God ministered to me began.
I didn’t know it but I had really let things build up on my heart day after day instead of going to God everyday and off loading to Him. It builds up so quickly especially when it concerns my walk with God. You can let the littlest thing in and right away you feel its effects on your walk. Well, come Thursday night I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I cried my entire ride home (only about 10 minutes) then sat in my car for about 40 minutes. So, for close to an hour I sat crying out to God and letting it all come out. I was honest and opened up my heart to Him. I had no idea how He was going to respond. It confirms so much to me how much God really loves us. God has a heart for the nations and for all peoples to worship Him but more importantly He wants to take care of our hearts. He wants us to go out and serve Him but more important than that He wants our hearts to be right with Him. He cares so much for the littlest things in our lives and that makes Him such a good God. He spoke so personally to me that night but the best was yet to come. The next day was focused on the prophetic gifting and through seven different people God confirmed to me everything He had spoken to me personally plus more. I have never been so touched in my life! In two days God not only broke down disappointments, hurts, and grudges that had been building up around me but then put me to higher place than I was before. He is Amazing! It is such an exciting place to be. God is making the direction He is taking me in more clear and He is preparing me in the ministry that He wants to catapult me into. I have so much to learn but then again that is what I came here for. I knew God had things He wanted me to learn and gain from the people here and already it has been such a rich time. I am so excited to see where God points to next and how He does it. Just looking into my past I can see how present He was through it all so looking into the future is even better. The words I received that day were so incredible to me and if you want to hear more about them let me know. I can write you a personal e-mail telling you all about them. So, thank you to all of you who have been praying for me because God is really answering prayers. He is taking me far beyond anything I thought would happen!