MA Spring Break: Check!

My spectacular small group for the week!

The return flight from Vegas to Iowa was a lovely two and a half hour nap for me, I cannot speak for the hung over frat boys around me who spring breaked a little to hard however. And we begin re-entry, though it was not as difficult this time as compared to five months away from home with two of those months being in third world countries, there is still an initial shock when reflecting upon the week.

Thursday evening we had a commitment service for the group. The idea was to have a time of Holy Spirit led worship allowing the students a time to talk with God in reflection over the week and to decided where He should lead them next. After the night of worship, each of the 13 students could say they had heard the voice of God and had felt the Holy Spirit sometime during the week. It was beautiful, not simply because each of them were speaking with God, but they were also speaking with each other, student-to-student, the time became real. It is easy to rely on leaders, us crazy YWAM staff, their Bible teacher or the like, but to have built the community among their peers is different. In speaking to each other, they were soon encouraging each other, speaking the heart of the Father to each other, and reaffirming each others original design.

There were so many group photos taken this past week, yet
we were never able to get one of everybody looking at the
camera...

One of the convicting moments of the week was Friday morning when we gathered to go over highs and lows of the week. One of the boys said how amazing the week was, however he did not want to see the group clique up, rather reach others and hold each other accountable. It is so easy to be cliquey when others have not gone through the same experiences, I know because I have secluded myself on the basis of no one understanding, when in reality I did not allow them to understand.

This young man, a high school sophomore, was very wise. The community of Christ can only be built when we expand beyond our own walls. Jesus was not one to stay in the same town, nor did He tell His disciples to be stationary. Abraham, sometimes considered the first missionary, was commanded to go into the land God would show him once he began walking in blind obedience. Leviticus repeatedly says to take care of the aliens in the land for you, Israel, were once aliens. Our Ever Present Guide has marked the path before us, and it requires us to walks.

Even though the city lights shine bright for miles, we will
be the shining city on a hill.

Another comment that touched my heart was a late night conversation I was having with one of the DTS girls in the bathroom. This girl was telling me about another girl, with tears in her eyes she said, "She's my best friend." It caught me off guard, there was no reason to be all teary eyed about it. Then I realized the great love in her words. This was the kind of love that would die for each other, sacrificially giving up the last Dove chocolate and forgiving any grievance.

This is the community of Christ. To awaken the nations we are to find our best friend, go in twos with the Royal Priesthood supporting us and bring the children back to the table. Like the young man reminded our group, community is vital, however community can become an exclusive idol when we tell others they do not understand and turn our backs.

My gorgeous roommates!

The week was filled with 24 DTS girls who ate mass quantities of ice-cream and were excellent at sharing with me. These girls welcomed me into their week with arms wide, allowing me into their lives as I allowed them into mine. I shared a room with my old DTS roommates, only this time our room was not nearly as orderly as before, pretty much that was all my fault. 13 high schoolers and and their 3 leaders encouraged me with their faith. They had such a willingness to pray for strangers, pick up trash, wash dishes and live with so many girls (or at least I did not hear them complain...). MA partook in different evangelism tactics I did last fall, correctly stated, that I did with much disdain and not a positive attitude, yet this group climb the mountain with their arms wide open so to speak. The joy of the Living One inside of them shone brightly in our dark city. Their desire to ravish the nations with the love of our Abba was a reflection of the love of our Abba that so ravished their hearts.

Now it is back to bribing two year old to wear pants and having princess tea parties. Back to fresh fruit, my cats being my alarm clocks and long runs alone. This does not mean it is time to settle, no, there is no time to settle. Shortly now: go!

Vegas: MA Style

My welcoming package!

I arrived 5 days ago in Vegas to work with Mission Adventures. While it is different (being staff, other people living in my old room, sharing the place with 24 other girls), it was a rather natural feeling. I suppose it helps when within 5 minutes of being on base I was whisked away for Starbucks.

The past five days have been wonderful. I have bonded with the DTS girls during a hike Saturday afternoon, laughing over scars from raccoon bites, and worshiping with hearts surrender to our Abba. The MA group consists of 13 high school students from a Christian school in Oregon, two moms chaperons and the student's Bible teacher. With MA we have had lectures on evangelism, Free Prayer on Fremont street, washed dishes and played basketball together. One of the moms and I have gone on morning runs together; we have had heart felt conversations on life, raising children, youth and the church, and bared our testimonies before each other. She does no more than seven miles a day, she sacrificed for me and I upped my game for her. We have joyfully connected as well as shared groans over being tired and still having to "do stuff".

Free Prayer. Two girls praying for strangers!

Monday morning we had MA small group time after breakfast. My two girls show up, obviously tired, and with no idea where the two boys are. We began by reading James 2:17, neither girl is interested in digging deeper. Frustrated, I give up. "Okay, let's just go to the park," I say. We take a Frisbee, and shortly the boys join us at the park. I notice a mom with three daughters. "Okay, God, what do we do?" I pray, and He provides me with the words.

"What does James 2:17 say?" I ask. One of the girls rolls her eyes, "Faith without works is dead." "Correct," I respond, "and what are the two greatest commands Jesus gave?" Another eye roll and look of disgust, "Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself."

"Okay," I say, "go. Faith without works is dead. Love God. Love your neighbor. Go."

Intercession and worship at dusk overlooking Vegas

"What if they say no?" "What do we say?" "WHAT?" "Why?" are some of the responses I receive from these four teenagers. In reality, I was thinking all of those. But in that moment, I pulled up my pride pants, and showed them "it wasn't hard". Truthfully, I was worried the mom would think I was a pedophile and say no. God had other plans, the three girls were ecstatic to play with us!

Soon I saw another mom with her children. She sent her nine year old son to watch out for what looked like a 1 year old baby. The older boy put the baby on the slide. I gladly went over, picked up the baby and asked the boy if he wanted to play Frisbee. And he did!

This baby boy, Soldier, ripped my heart. He had dried vomit on his face, shirt and pants. His diaper was old and needed changing. His eyes did not smile. My heart ache for him knowing he was not being cared for as a prince should. I tried to pass him off to one of the girls and boys in my small group, but Soldier wanted me. As I spoke over him his true identity in Christ and prayed for him, I found each word stung my heart. We smiled, his toes were ticklish, he could walk if I held his hands, and oh how he loved to hold my hands, even when I was just holding him.

Frisbee in the park.

When it was time for us to leave, I gave him back to his mom, a prostitute and mother of seven
children ages one to eleven. Soldier's mom put him in his stroller, immediately he began to cry. I left the park to the screams of a baby. A little boy screaming out to be held, to be prayed for, to be told he is a child of God. My heart screamed for God to do something.

I do not understand why God did this. All those babies I held in India and Nepal, my heart hurts for them. Sometimes I wonder if I knew how much it was going to hurt, would still pick up the baby? Yes. Five minutes of praying over a child, five minutes of love, is worth the pain. Working for Him is excruciatingly hard sometimes. I often want to quit simply because it hurts. And I am reminded of the Abba who turned His face as His little boy cried out of Him. My selfish ambitions resulted in God's baby hanging bloodied on the cross. He never fails to bestow the love necessary in all circumstances.

Here is truth: God heals, God raises the dead, God provides. Go.