A time of Rest

Madrid, Spain
We have been here for close to a week and have seen nothing but the two streets near us, the Ghana Embassy, the internet cafe and the grocery store. We have only ventured out to eat and to do what business we have had to. To say we were exhausted is putting it mildly. I don’t know that as a family I have ever seen us stay still for this long. We have done school work, read, watched movies, played games, taken baths, and slept. Then we slept some more.
We were all thrilled to see the bath tub when we arrived and it has been well used since we have been here. Our next big thrill was the washing machine…we smell a little nicer this week too. We also found popcorn at the grocery store and I think we have eaten about 15 bags. We keep seeing ads for American pizza, but have yet to find any….maybe tomorrow.

Sharing the bad with you too
The last 48 hours have been a spiritual battle for me. I have felt a heavy oppression and have been too weak to fight it. On Saturday, I emailed my precious prayer partners to ask for prayer. Within hours of sending the email I could feel their prayers. It is a powerful thing to know someone is standing before the Lord for you. This past year I have learned the importance of leaning on those in the family of faith when I am struggling. God intends for us to lean on one another. It is not always easy for me to share with others when I am in need, but I have learned that is what God wants and He will work through the prayers of others when I cannot fight the battle myself. I have also learned that bringing to light (telling someone) any darkness I am struggling with is like taking the ammunition out of Satan’s hand. There is a shift in the spiritual realm whenever I do this. Try it the next time you are struggling with something.
“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” I Corinthians 12: 14 & 27

The last two nights I have had the same dream and God has been dealing with me on some very deep issues. He has convicted me about some serious mistakes I have made and how I had allowed myself to be deceived, actually I should say how I deceived myself. If you are not familiar with the story of Balaam and Balak (Numbers 22), I encourage you to read it. It is a very unique and different scripture that deals with being disobedient to God’s word. I heard John Bevere preach on this several years ago. After hearing that sermon, I literally had a crisis of belief about the Lord, spent many weeks struggling with Him and came to a new and deeper relationship with the Lord as a result of that. This week I have been reading a book that discussed this same story. Again, God has taught me on a deep level about myself through this scripture.
I have also struggled with many negative thoughts. I have doubted everything in my life, my ability to raise my boys, complete this mission trip, hear God’s voice, manage my business, or be a decent friend. I have even questioned my salvation and Satan has been working overtime to bring me down. It seemed that every negative word ever spoken in my presence was going through my head. Intellectually I could see the craziness that I would even think these thoughts, yet spiritually I could not fight them. It has been years since I’ve had a struggle as difficult as these last two days.
Somewhere deep, deep inside I knew that Satan would only be working this hard to bring me down because he was afraid of the work we are doing. It is that little spark deep within my soul that kept me from losing all hope.
After much weeping, repenting and general prayer the oppression lifted this afternoon. It is not something I can even explain other than at one point I didn’t think I could go on and the next minute I knew we would be fine. It is the difference of being oppressed and God setting the captive free. I thank God for His goodness and faithfulness to provide me with sisters in Christ who stand beside me in prayer even from another continent and who fight a spiritual battle for me so He can set me free.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Thank you dear prayer partners! And thank you all who lift us in prayer.

A Memorial Day Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.

We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.

May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task.

Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

US flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day.

Observed by United States and US citizens everywhere.
Type: Federal (and most U.S. states)
Significance: Honors men and women who have died in military service
Date: Last Monday in May; 2008 date May 26, 2008; 2009 date May 25, 2009
Observances: visiting cemeteries
Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (in 2008 on May 26). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include casualties of any war or military action.

She haunts my thoughts...

Madrid, Spain
We stepped into the crowd and suddenly there was a lot of activity around us. The cab driver was doing his best to protect the boys and myself from the throng of locals trying to get money.
She was a young woman in Muslim dress. She held in one hand a bunch of flowers and a bundle in the crook of her arm like a baby. It was too small to be a baby, or so I thought. “One pound”, she repeated the price of the flowers over and over to me and motioned toward the bundle with sad eyes. The cab driver shooed her away, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the bundle. The boys went with the driver and began to get in the car. I followed the woman and reached for the bundle.
She opened the wrapping and inside was the tiniest baby I’ve ever seen. It was dark outside and I couldn’t see her well, but she moved ever so gently and yawned.
These words went through my mind, “Gold nor silver do I have, but what I have…”, I placed my hands on the infants head and whispered a blessing over her. I looked at the mom and reached out to her cheek. I quietly spoke a blessing over her too. She spoke back to me but I did not understand what she said. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a 10 pound Egyptian note and handed it to her.
I turned and got in the cab, checked on the boys and put my seatbelt on. Then I turned to look at the woman. She had walked over to a parked car with four men inside. She handed the money to them and I saw her laugh. When she turned she saw that I was watching and quickly kissed her child. As we drove off I looked at the men in the car.
My heart was hurting. I asked the cab driver what she did with the money and he gave a couple of vague options. The cab had a deafening silence in it and I knew it hurt his heart too.
It has been almost a week since this happened, but I can’t stop thinking about this woman and her infant. I continually lift them to the Lord in prayer. I pray too for the men in the car. I don’t know what is going on, but my spirit knows it is not of the Lord.
There are other words that continue to pop into my head when I think of this mother, “There but for the grace of God, go I.”…I am convicted daily in my need to lay prostrate before the Lord and praise Him that He has provided for our needs. That I do not have to beg on a street corner or sell my body or my child’s body to feed us. I can’t stand in judgment of this woman, because I do not know what has happened in her life. I know only to lift her and the infant to the Lord for His protection.
Please pray for all the mothers of this world who need help to care for their children. Pray they will seek the Lord for their covering.

My dear friend, Kristy

Prayers for a friend from afar...
Madrid, Spain
We have been gone from the U.S. for almost a month, but today it seems longer. I learned yesterday that a very dear friend of mine from home has suffered a stroke. Kristy is a mom of three boys very similar in age to mine. Our families are close and I leaned on Kristy a lot to get ready for this trip. She has been an exceptional friend to me and now when she needs me, I am not there. It is frustrating to me to be so far away. I know the only thing I can do is lift her and her family in prayer. We serve a mighty God. I have to trust that God will minister to her since I cannot. This is a huge leap of faith for me. I ask Him to provide for her and her family in supernatural ways, to heal her miraculously, to provide strength for her and her family. I pray that He will make His presence known to them.
I say and write the words, but my heart is still heavy.

May I share about Kristy? She is a vivacious and energetic woman. She teaches aerobics and she seems to always be active. She is Catholic and has an infilling of the Holy Spirit that would rival some of the most devout Charismatics. She loves the Lord and He loves her. She is a devoted mom and wife and I learn constantly from her in watching her life. She is joyful and fun to be around. She has a servant’s heart. I miss her!
Please pray for Kristy and her family.

Witnessing with colored bracelets

The bracelets are such a blessing. The kids love them and they work with young and old alike. Even the parents want one!May I share with you what we say?
*Gold: Reminds me of Heaven…the Bible says the streets of Heaven are paved with gold…God lives in Heaven and wants all of us there with Him..... I plan on skipping down those streets of gold…you want to skip with me, don't you?

*Black: Reminds me of sin…in Romans the Bible tells us we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God….when we sin we can’t be near to God!

*Red: Reminds me of the blood of Jesus….see God loves us soooooooo much that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ to earth to die for our sin so we can be forgiven.

*White: reminds me that when I ask Jesus to forgive me of my sin and ask Him to come live in my heart, then Jesus washes us white as snow.

*Blue: reminds me of the Holy Spirit….when we accept Jesus as the son of God and ask Him into our heart, then the Holy Spirit comes to live in us….the Bible tells us His sheep know His voice…and the Holy Spirit will tell us the direction God wants for us

*Green: reminds me of growing….like green grass…..that when we read our Bible, go to church, pray and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit….we grow in the Lord.

Also, the bracelet glows in the dark and that is to remind us that God is always with us and He is our light against any darkness…just lean on Him!

That is it in a nutshell…. There is more, of course. You can see why we like the colors….it really helps the kids when they tell us the Gospel back.

Gratitude List from Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain

Things we have a new appreciation for:
· Public bathrooms that have paper towels and hand soap
· Sleep
· That we don’t have to sleep on the street
· Playtime
· That we know God
· Sheets that are relatively new
· That cars and airplanes are available to us for travel
· Christian fellowship and the prayers of others for us
· A loving family
· Bellies that digest food properly
· Food and drinks
· Wireless internet that works
· People in foreign countries who have learned English and help us
· Our house
· My poor sense of smell
· Friends back home
· New friends we are meeting
· Clean feet
· That I am able to feed and care for my children
· Being young (Harrison’s)
· Plentiful toilet paper
· My own permanent drawer and dresser
· Silly games to keep us in a good mood when tempers are short

King Tut Hostel, Cairo, Egypt

Egypt is 15% Christian and 85% Muslim. As we have traveled the streets of Cairo we have prayed for the people of this country. I have many questions for the Lord about this area of the world. I continue to lift these questions to my God, so I can better understand the Muslim faith and how to be a stronger witness to them. God has put on my heart a longing for more Muslims to know Christ. I don’t understand how to get through to them, but I know He does. Please pray with me for God to open many eyes to the truth and to draw this people closer to Him.

"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:38

Reid’s fever returned stronger last night. He has been very sick. We attempted to go see the Pyramids, and just barely did. Reid was so ill he was fighting the need to vomit the whole trip there and back. We didn’t even try for a camel ride. Bless Hatcher and Harrison, they did not complain once…just did what they could to help their sick brother.
We have stayed in the Hostel mostly due to the fact that Reid has been sick. I had hoped to go buy some Bibles and give them out, but we haven’t.
Last night Reid seemed better and we went to a dinner cruise on the Nile. They had an Egyptian dancer called Sofi Dancing. The man twirls around non-stop….I thought I would fall over just watching him. It was fun and very entertaining.
Our cab driver was Awan. I love witnessing to taxi drivers, you have a captive audience and they can’t leave. : )
He listened politely as I shared the Gospel and kindly said he doesn’t believe in Jesus. I asked if we could pray for him and he said yes. (I am learning that Muslims are very open to Christians praying for them because they recognize that Jesus healed many). I asked what we could ask God to do for him and he didn’t have an answer.
As our wonderful God has done many times before on this trip, He put in my heart what to say. I asked if we could pray for he and his wife to be blessed with children. When I suggested this, he looked at me incredulously and said ok. I could tell we had hit a nerve.
So the boys and I prayed….he listened intently and I know God touched his heart.
One other incredible point God is teaching me on this trip. The hearts of many are touched when a child prays. Often when I ask someone if we can pray, they say ok but when they realize the children are going to pray it seems to take on a new meaning for them. They tune in more, they often weep and I can sense a difference in their spirits. It is like they are opening their hearts more because the children are praying.
If you are a parent of young children, encourage them to lay hands on others and pray and watch how God will deepen their faith….and the faith of others. Remember, children model the behavior they see. So be bold to pray for others yourself, it is an incredible blessing that you don’t want to miss. When I first started praying regularly for people, I was amazed at how thrilled people were when I offered to pray. You too will be surprised how hungry people are for your prayers.
Please pray for our cab driver…Awan and his wife. Stand in agreement with us that God will bless them with children, that He will draw them close to Him and open their eyes so they will know the truth about Jesus.
God will richly bless you for your prayers for others.

Reflections from the King Tut Hostel in Cairo

Rich Christians in an age of Hunger
The title says it all. The book is by Ronald J. Sider and I began reading it several months ago. It is a powerful book and the first chapter alone radically changed my view on the poor. My heart has been pierced and the Holy Spirit continues to convict me. There is and has been a stirring in my soul since I first started this book. From the book…. 34,000 children still die daily of starvation and preventable disease, and 1.3 billion people, worldwide, remain in abject poverty
Please join me in praying for the poor and praying for God to teach His people (Lord, please start with me.) to care for the needy.

From the Word:
His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth. Job 20:10

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. Proverbs 28:27

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Mark 10:21

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:33

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind…Luke 14:13

Travelling from Jerusalem to Cairo

By: Gloria Gault Geary
I have a new appreciation for Moses. For nearly 12 hours we rode through desert. If it wasn’t flat and sand, it was mountainous and rock and sand. All day I kept thinking, “What was he thinking wondering out in this?” He must have been a desperate man to leave the Pharaoh’s palace and to wonder in the desert. No place to stop for water and food. It was hard enough for us to find a place to stop; we literally went hours without seeing anything but wilderness.
It reminds me that sometimes God takes us through desperate times to prepare us for His perfect will for us. What if Moses had not braved the desert? What if he had chosen to stay with the easy life of being the Pharaoh’s son? It was only because he ventured out that he was able to see the burning bush and experience the deep relationship he had with the Lord.

Top Security
The security today was more than I have ever seen. We went through two check points coming out of Israel, then two check points going into Egypt. From there we walked through two gates where they checked our passports again. Then we loaded the bus. The bus was then inspected (it was from Egypt) and we drove through two more stops where we had to show our passports again. At the last stop two security guards got on the bus with us, complete with guns. It was at this point that I thought maybe I should have prayed more about the decision to take the bus instead of fly.
For the next 7 hours we went through probably ten more police stops…. I lost count there were so many.
We arrived past midnight (two hours late) in Cairo, but gratefully our hostel had sent someone to pick us up. Cairo was very much awake and active at this hour of the night….shops still open. We were happy to see our Cairo home and get some rest.
Reid has a fever. Please pray for health for all of us.

Reid's fever finally broke after hours of nightmares and restlessness. God is good!

The Prayer Warriors Arrive

Jesus House of Prayer in Jericho
After the Muslim women and children left, I sat on the front porch with several of the Jesus House volunteers asking them about their ministry. I asked if I could pray for them and we began praying. My heart was heavy for them. I don’t remember all that I prayed, but do remember asking God to provide more help for them. When I said amen, I turned to see an entire bus load of people walking up to the house. “ Wow,” I thought “that was a quick answer”!
This bus load of people was from Kingdom Faith Church in the U.K. and they live outside London. They were traveling around the Holy land visiting different ministries. The visitors came into the Jesus House and listened to the volunteers tell about the ministries and the needs they have.
Then the visitors began praying. The presence of the Lord entered the room and I sat and just absorbed. I knew God was pouring out His blessings on this team through the faithful and powerful prayers of these visitors. How wonderful to be with a group of believers who understand the power of prayer. I quietly joined them in praying. It was a joy to be with them.

God Speaks
At one point an elder of the church began prophesying over the volunteer team. I couldn’t hear all he was saying, but just continued to pray quietly. Suddenly this man was beside me and began prophesying over me.
I have had many prophesies spoken over me in the last couple of years and many have been helpful and a source of encouragement. This prophesy was different. I felt as if God Himself was speaking directly to me. The first words this man spoke to me were in direct response to a prayer I had just lifted to the Lord. His words went to the depth of my soul and I began weeping. He then began to answer almost every prayer I had been lifting to God in the last week. With each sentence I wept more. I was so touched that God would speak so directly to me! It was the most tender moment I have ever experienced with the Lord. Things I had begged for an answer on, He answered. I couldn’t stop crying. God had touched my heart in a deeper place than ever before. It made me love Him all the more. I love the touch of the Lord.
If you are not familiar with the gifts of the Spirit, I encourage you to ask God to show His gifts to you. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways to show the love of the Lord to us, but we must be open to His Spirit.
…"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Hebrews 3:15
“And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.” Luke 12:10