So I realize that I have promised you my testimony really soon. The good news is that I'm working on it, the bad news...it's not quite finished. It's hard for me to sit down and write it without crying, therefore....I've been taking breaks and doing it in sections.
Thanks to the amazing Kendra Duty I'll be creating a DVD of my pictures, with much of her help, to music and who know what else will be on there. You will definetly be getting one of these if you donated for to trip...however, even if you didn't, I'd love to give you one so you can see how God is at work in Zambia.
I'd also love to talk with ANYONE about my time in Zambia. Or share ALL my pictures, which is the grand total of 1167. Anything, I'd love to tell you about it!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
a few pictures from my trip
I have over 1000 pictures, so here are a few..because I know a lot of you are eagerly awaiting them!!!
Back in the States
Well, it's Tuesday. I realize that I got back to the States on Friday...however I just haven't had time to update this thing.
I'm currently working on my testimony, that I'll post on here, because I want the world to know what God is doing in Africa.
I'll just say that I can't go a moment without thinking about my 13 girls that wedged their way into my heart.
When I look at my watch, I find myself counting forward 7 hours to see what time it is in Zambia, and I try to see what they're doing.
My heart is in Zambia...those children stole it. I didn't want to come home, had I not had to come back to school and work, I would have stayed the rest of the summer. Zambia is better than Texas.
Next summer cannot come soon enough. Although I was ready to see all my friends and family in Texas, if there was a plane tomorrow that I could get on, I'd be on it.
How wonderful it was to truly get to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It was such a beautiful picture of what we are called to be.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Muli Bwangi
Let me just tell you, this is a mini post compared to what I will post when I get home. However, I want to tell you all something.
I have been in Zambia, as most of you know, woring with orphaned children due to AIDS. Sometimes double or triple orphans. It's terrible. Zambia is a dark place. We served over 650 orhpans this past week, they are serving and telling over 7,000 this summer about Jesus.
I had no idea what to expect. And, I never expected what I got.
The first day, they just start clinging to your heart. I had 13 girls, between the ages of 10-13, and the stories they told me about their homelife and what happens to them, is just horrible.
This is satan's playground. The satanism and the witchcraft and medicine men over here are ridiculous- they are everywhere.
I had girls tell me things from how they are beaten by their caregivers, for no reason. To having the most horrific nightmares, girls seeing their moms, who are dead, standing there, trying to force them to drink blood - that's witchcraft. A girl who was raped 3 times when she was 5 because her stepfather thought it would cure him of AIDS. She told her mom and her mom didn't care. She told her grandfather and the man was arrested and died in jail.
The disparity here is unreal. These girls walked into my life, I had no clue who they were, and I found myself crying for them, EVERY night, asking the Lord to give me their pain, wake me up when they have bad dreams, asking Him for His heart for them.
In America, we dont' see the witchcraft or the satanism. It's everywhere here. They power of prayer is incredible. Allan had a boy in his group who was 10 years old. He had been brought into satanism and was used as a weapon to kill other people. He had demons inside of him. He could not say the word Jesus or God without hissing or having convulsions. They prayed over him numerous times for great lengths of time and the demon was released. As they were praying the boy just started hissing "you're killing me, you're killing me" but it was the demon saying that. Not the boy.
God is at work here. We have been His hands and feet. Breaking the kids chains for them, telling them how much they ARE loved, accepted, secure, signifigant and victorious in Jesus.
I'll be posting my testimony soon after I return home. This is just a glimpse of what I've experienced. These 13 girls stole my heart, the fact that I know what they have to go home to, absolutely kills me. But all I can do is pray. They had tears in their eyes when they boarded the busses on Friday - I just could nothign but cry.
I may update again while we're here at Victoria Falls, I may not. But either way, I'll update a week from today for sure.
I love you all and miss you all so much!!
I have been in Zambia, as most of you know, woring with orphaned children due to AIDS. Sometimes double or triple orphans. It's terrible. Zambia is a dark place. We served over 650 orhpans this past week, they are serving and telling over 7,000 this summer about Jesus.
I had no idea what to expect. And, I never expected what I got.
The first day, they just start clinging to your heart. I had 13 girls, between the ages of 10-13, and the stories they told me about their homelife and what happens to them, is just horrible.
This is satan's playground. The satanism and the witchcraft and medicine men over here are ridiculous- they are everywhere.
I had girls tell me things from how they are beaten by their caregivers, for no reason. To having the most horrific nightmares, girls seeing their moms, who are dead, standing there, trying to force them to drink blood - that's witchcraft. A girl who was raped 3 times when she was 5 because her stepfather thought it would cure him of AIDS. She told her mom and her mom didn't care. She told her grandfather and the man was arrested and died in jail.
The disparity here is unreal. These girls walked into my life, I had no clue who they were, and I found myself crying for them, EVERY night, asking the Lord to give me their pain, wake me up when they have bad dreams, asking Him for His heart for them.
In America, we dont' see the witchcraft or the satanism. It's everywhere here. They power of prayer is incredible. Allan had a boy in his group who was 10 years old. He had been brought into satanism and was used as a weapon to kill other people. He had demons inside of him. He could not say the word Jesus or God without hissing or having convulsions. They prayed over him numerous times for great lengths of time and the demon was released. As they were praying the boy just started hissing "you're killing me, you're killing me" but it was the demon saying that. Not the boy.
God is at work here. We have been His hands and feet. Breaking the kids chains for them, telling them how much they ARE loved, accepted, secure, signifigant and victorious in Jesus.
I'll be posting my testimony soon after I return home. This is just a glimpse of what I've experienced. These 13 girls stole my heart, the fact that I know what they have to go home to, absolutely kills me. But all I can do is pray. They had tears in their eyes when they boarded the busses on Friday - I just could nothign but cry.
I may update again while we're here at Victoria Falls, I may not. But either way, I'll update a week from today for sure.
I love you all and miss you all so much!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Camp LIFE
So the theme for Camp LIFE in Zambia is "Freedom In Christ."
These are our verses:
Who I am in Christ
I am Loved:
*John 3:16 - I am loved by God.
John 15:9 - I am loved by Jesus.
Romans 5:8 - I am loved no matter what I do.
1 John 4:18 - I have no fear because I am loved.
I am Accepted:
*John 1:12 - I am God's Child
John 15:15 - I am Chrit's Friend
Romans 5:1 - I have been justified
Ephesians 1:1 - I am a saint
I am Secure:
*Romans 8:38-39 - I cannot be separated from His Love
Romans 8:1-2 - I am forever free from condemnation.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - I am established, annointed and sealed.
Colossians 3:3 - I am hidden with Christ in God
I am Signifigant:
*John 15:16 - I have been chosen & appointed
Matthew 5:13-14 - I am the light of the world.
Acts 1:8 - I am a personal witness of Jesus
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - I am an Ambassador of Truth
I am Victorious:
*1 Corinthians 15:57 - I am victorious over sin and death
Romans 8:37 - I am more than a conqueror in Him
2 Corinthians 2:14 - I am walking in triumph.
1 John 5:4 - I have overcome the world.
************************
While preparing for this and going over all these verses, it was such a good reminder for me. A reminder for how true all this is for us, and how wonderful it is.
I love you ALL. and will miss you all! I will post on Sunday the 24th and July 1. Zambia is 7 hours ahead.
I cannot wait to share with you all that will happen! I'll also bring lots of pictures back, but I'm sure you already knew that!!
These are our verses:
Who I am in Christ
I am Loved:
*John 3:16 - I am loved by God.
John 15:9 - I am loved by Jesus.
Romans 5:8 - I am loved no matter what I do.
1 John 4:18 - I have no fear because I am loved.
I am Accepted:
*John 1:12 - I am God's Child
John 15:15 - I am Chrit's Friend
Romans 5:1 - I have been justified
Ephesians 1:1 - I am a saint
I am Secure:
*Romans 8:38-39 - I cannot be separated from His Love
Romans 8:1-2 - I am forever free from condemnation.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - I am established, annointed and sealed.
Colossians 3:3 - I am hidden with Christ in God
I am Signifigant:
*John 15:16 - I have been chosen & appointed
Matthew 5:13-14 - I am the light of the world.
Acts 1:8 - I am a personal witness of Jesus
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - I am an Ambassador of Truth
I am Victorious:
*1 Corinthians 15:57 - I am victorious over sin and death
Romans 8:37 - I am more than a conqueror in Him
2 Corinthians 2:14 - I am walking in triumph.
1 John 5:4 - I have overcome the world.
************************
While preparing for this and going over all these verses, it was such a good reminder for me. A reminder for how true all this is for us, and how wonderful it is.
I love you ALL. and will miss you all! I will post on Sunday the 24th and July 1. Zambia is 7 hours ahead.
I cannot wait to share with you all that will happen! I'll also bring lots of pictures back, but I'm sure you already knew that!!
one more day
So, tomorrow, I leave for Zambia. I couldn't be any more thankful and excited.
Thankful for getting to go and share with these children about how amazing God is and how He will love them and protect them and how they are ACCEPTED AS IS in Him.
Thankful for how much He is going to change me in this process, change me into who i am in Him. Thankful that I'll never be the same again.
Throughout this entire process of preparing to go to Zambia, HE has only continued to bless me. Giving me abundant fellowship during the week, full of people who are transparent, who know we are sinful, who knows that we are not perfect, but we come together and bear each others burdens and we're a family - there for one another. He's teaching me a lot about fellowship, and how important it is...and how you really! cannot do anything on your own.
Philippians 2:1-4 says...
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Thankful for getting to go and share with these children about how amazing God is and how He will love them and protect them and how they are ACCEPTED AS IS in Him.
Thankful for how much He is going to change me in this process, change me into who i am in Him. Thankful that I'll never be the same again.
Throughout this entire process of preparing to go to Zambia, HE has only continued to bless me. Giving me abundant fellowship during the week, full of people who are transparent, who know we are sinful, who knows that we are not perfect, but we come together and bear each others burdens and we're a family - there for one another. He's teaching me a lot about fellowship, and how important it is...and how you really! cannot do anything on your own.
Philippians 2:1-4 says...
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
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