Blog for the whole school

Hey everyone!
Because there is an awesome blog that is constantly getting updated with all kinds of updates from the school, I would love to share it with you!
Here is the link: http://portauprincedts.wordpress.com.
I hope you enjoy it!

Arrival day journal

Here we are on arrival day! Thank you God! Jesus this is so good! Thank you so much for bringing us all to Haiti for a time such as this! Thank you so much that you have fulfilled the words that you have spoken to me. Thank you that you said that I would come to Haiti with YWAM, and that I would lead a prayer movement starting in Haiti and going to America with a banner of intimacy and love. Jesus I thank you so much that you're so much more committed to me than I could ever be to you! I ask God that you would continue to give me such divine revelation about your will during this time Jesus! You're so good God! Father of glory would you show me even more the way that you love me and the way that you love these students. Thank you Jesus that every single student has been bought with a price, that you loved me even before I knew who you were, and you love them even before they love you. Thank you that they've come to this DTS and are here for such a time as this! Jesus its so exciting to be alive right now! Thank you so much that we could be the generation to which you return! Father I ask that you would continue to show us what's happening worldwide Jesus! God we want to get caught up in the global fiery movement of your spirit bringing the Church to greater levels of glory!

Father I thank you that we have been given such an amazing opportunity to disciple these amazing students, and I know that the staff is going to learn so much more in the process! God I ask that we would be filled with your spirit even more Jesus! Fill us up God with such an amazing encounter of your presence Jesus, show us the way of love, that we would die to ourselves every single day so that would be able to live in us! Jesus we really do love to be dead, because its then that we are truly alive! God make us alive by being dead!

Jesus thank you so much that you're so good! I thank you that there is none like you! I ask that above all that you would give us yourself! God we really do need to have dove's eyes for only you Jesus! I ask that you would help us Jesus just to be so fixed on you Jesus! God show us the way of love, show us what that looks like Jesus! Father of glory let us be so consumed with you above all else God! Let us be consumed by you Jesus! Lets us be consumed by your eyes of blazing fire! You are the one we want, you are the one we need, Jesus would you let us see more of who you are God! Thank you Jesus!

The Pursuit of intimacy

Life is all about intimacy with Jesus. God keeps teaching me that again and again. The reason we were created was for intimacy, and at the end of the age God will come and make his dwelling among men, and we will see him face to face!

God is doing something world-wide from what I've seen and heard. He is calling His bride to intimacy, to seek His face and His heart as our chief pursuit, our one thing like David said (Psalm 24:7): “One thing have I asked of the Lord... that I may dwell in the house of the Lord... to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” This is radically changing the way we do missions, and the way we live our lives. God is stirring many people to give a large majority of their time solely to seeking the Lord with prayer and fasting, and the results worldwide are amazing!

I've recently heard so many testimonies of people getting set free, delivered and saved as a result of prayer and fasting, worship and just flat out passion for the tangible presence of God. My friend was just telling me of a major awakening at Lee University because of lots of prayer and fasting, and the awakening resulted in many people turning to God in a greater way at the Christian university. She told me that students were so hungry for God that they wanted to come together and worship every single night!

On an outreach to Iceland, a Fire and Fragrance DTS outreach felt led to do 7 days of literally unbroken worship and intercession. As a result, there was a lesbian couple that came to the place where they were worshiping and both got so encountered by the love of God that they gave their hearts to Jesus right there!

In a Muslim country, there was another Fire and Fragrance team that did a few days of unbroken worship and intercession. As a result, about 4 of their Muslim friends came into the places of worship and encountered the Holy Spirit and became so excited that one of them gave their lives to Jesus right there on the spot!

Amazing things are happening when we make the manifest presence of God our primary pursuit, and biblically and historically God's presence and Holy Spirit are poured out when the church comes together for worship and prayer, seeking His face in unity, just like in the book of Acts.

So we are pressing into God for the fullness of His power to be displayed in this DTS, and I would love for you to join us! I also want to encourage you to grab your christian friends, find a time and place and just start engaging with the God that loves you so much that He died for you! We can see the glory of God cover the earth like the waters cover the see, and we really could see Jesus come back in our lifetime!

Thank you so much for your prayers and may God bless you in the pursuit of Him.

Fire and Fragrance

In the past year God has really been giving me such a paradigm shift that I just have to share. Especially during my DTS last April in Kona, God has shown me that He is so much more concerned about us being in love with Him and making Him a priority than He is about me doing good spiritual things.

He has been teaching me that really the first commandment is first for many reasons. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, and we're so consumed with loving Him, we will do anything with joy! We won't do good things for the praise and attention of man, to show off to everyone around us, we won't do good things because we're getting guilt tripped by other people. We will obey God and do what He wants simply because we love to make God happy! We love to please God and bring Him glory!

When we make our priority to be in love with God, everything that Jesus modeled for us to do simply flows out of our love for God. He said in John 14 that if will love Him we will obey His commands. He said in John 15 that if we abide in Him and His love we will bear much fruit, and that will give the Father much glory! This is good news, that the key to being an effective witness to the world and giving God glory is to be in love with Him!

Back in the garden, it all started with love and relationship. God created man on the 6th day, and then on the 7th day He rested, just to be with man. He said about all the other creation it is good, but about man He said they are very good, even before Adam started working. And later, when Jesus is coming out of Jordan river, having been baptized by John, the Holy Spirit comes and the Father says, so everyone can hear, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”(Matthew 3:17). Even before Jesus did any ministry, the Father was already pleased with Him! He made the Father happy just because of who He was and because of who God is!

Because we're united with Jesus through his death and resurrection, and we've been given His righteousness, we look like Jesus! Of course, we are only realizing that more and more everyday! That means that because of what Jesus has done, and simply because we have faith and repentance, the Father is pleased with us, even before we do any ministry! And at the end of this age, Jesus will come back to the planet and He will make His dwelling among us (Revelations 21:3). Its all about relationship!

And another paradigm shift that God has given me is that we're not making more workers who will make more workers, who simply perform, work and do the right things. We're making more people who will be with Jesus, who will love Him first and foremost, and then they will do anything He wants! And so actually my goal as a missionary is to connect people to Jesus, to love Him and adore Him.

So to connect people to Himself, God has really been giving me a heart for the house of prayer. Jesus said "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” I really believe that God is calling His bride to greater intimacy with Him, I've seen it happening in my life and am hearing about it worldwide. God is birthing a movement of prayer and worship like never before! There are so many more 24/7 prayer ministries on the earth than there has ever been! How this looks practically is a lifestyle of prayer and fasting, bible study, worship and intercession with a community of like minded people, and an overflow of outreach fueled by the power and love of God, where more disciples in turn fall radically in love with God, and the cycle continues forever.

Right now I am a part of a community that really carries those values called Fire and Fragrance. Headed up by Andy Byrd, Fire and Fragrance runs the prayer room on campus, as well as several DTS's over the past years with many more to come.

To give you more vision and insight, here is a video with Andy Byrd himself:

Jesus is alive, in my life and in Haiti!

To be completely honest, I've been struggling. Mostly just struggling with my faith, as the attacks from the enemy come more and more as I near my departure for Haiti. Some days I wonder if there really is a God, or maybe everyone is just making this up. But every single time I begin to wonder, I begin to doubt, I seek out the truth that I've discovered again and again so many times: Jesus is alive!

I thank God that even in my unbelief and weakness He still loves, even when I question His existence after He has does so much for me! I thank God that we are able to seek out the truth, to question Him, because in the seeking and the questioning we will find Him. And I find that very reassuring. Especially today, when we celebrate His resurrection all the world, I'm reminded again that just when it seems that Satan has had the final say, and darkness has won, Jesus Christ will always win. He will always overcome. He did it about 1980 years ago, He's doing it today, and he will eventually have the final victory when Satan goes into the fiery lake of burning sulfur along with everyone else who has ever partnered with Him.

Jesus is capable of overcoming the enemy in any situation. He'll overcome in our finances. He'll overcome in our health. He'll help us overcome in times of suffering and persecution. He'll help us stand strong to the very end. He'll help us love Him more. And one of my favorite things to think about: He'll overcome Satan in the land of Haiti!

So please enjoy this short movie about Haiti, and remember that country in your prayers, because Jesus is capable of completely overcoming the darkness in the land!

An exciting change of direction!

Hey friends, family and faithful supporters! It has been an exciting week here at the University of the Nations! God has been stirring in my spirit for some time now to go to Haiti, and I was really hoping I would be able to go with the April Call2All DTS (Discipleship Training School). When it looked like that might not happen, I began to seek the Lord on what His plan was.

I felt like I was to go to this DTS in Port-au-Prince this summer, and long story short I told my leaders what I was feeling, talked to my parents and got felt it was right every step of the way. My previous leader released me and my new leader accepted me, and God worked out everything completely! So while I'm not staffing the entire school, I will still be involved in the Call2All DTS in some way while I'm here. My primary role will be leading worship at the base as well as working in student services, helping students apply to schools.

The DTS I'm now staffing is going to be in Port-au-Prince Haiti! It is an incredible honor to be a part of, as it is the first one that YWAM has done in Port-au-Prince. It will be 5 months long, from June 11th- November 12th. We have an amazing staff, with both Haitians and “foreigners.” We are believing God for 50 students, both Haitians and international. The theme of this school will be to partner with God in making Haiti a blessing not a curse among the nations. If you're interested in taking this school, we would love to have you as a student! God will surely make a way and supply the finances if that is His will!

So I will need to be in Haiti by May 20th, with a school start date of June 11th. I would much appreciate much prayers for myself and the school, as well as for the nation. Another prayer point is the presidential election that is happening today. Lets agree with God's heart for this nation to see it transformed! Remember God uses our prayers to change the course of history! Thank you all so much for all of the love and support that you guys give me!

For more information check out the website: Haiti DTS

I hope you also enjoy this video that will give you a better picture of what the school will be like.

Why do we pray?

Recently I heard a teaching that really challenged and encouraged me, and I just had to share it with everyone!
This is from Daniel Lim, who is from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOP-KC), which is famous for their prayer and focus on intimacy with Jesus. He was talking about prayer, and he asked us all a question, why so we pray?

He listed a few different reasons of why we pray:

1. We have a need (someone is sick, we need a car, house, food)
2. We have work/ministry to do
3. The enemy is fighting against us, and we have to do spiritual warfare
4. We want to see the lost saved
5. We want revival to come in our area

These are all great reasons to pray, of course! Each reason that I listed is completely biblical, and Jesus and Paul encourage us to pray for everything!

However, one day there will no more need, no more work, no more spiritual warfare! Do we still need to come before Jesus? What then is the reason to come to Jesus?

And this is simple, yet profound: when every demon is bound, there is no more work to be done, no more sickness or pain, Jesus is the reason to come to Jesus.

Jesus is the reason to come to Jesus!

He said that prayer is not a means to an end, prayer is the end. The final destination of every christian is going to be an ongoing worship meeting in heaven. What a glorious day that will be!

So in a world that is so driven by works and getting things done, what do we need practically to truly be with Jesus just to be with Him? What can we have so that we're not always thinking about what we need to do, but just loving being Jesus?

We need the knowledge of God. We need to know that Jesus desires to be with us.  Jesus prayed in John 17   ²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (NIV, emphasis added)

And I really believe that if we see God not as someone who just wants us to serve Him, but also to be with Him, it will radically transform our view of prayer! When we truly realize that God loves us not because of what we do, but because of the way He is, we will WANT TO PRAY instead of having to pray.

If you're having trouble loving your prayer times, and feeling more like its more of a duty, than anything something you like to do, here is something you could pray that I believe could be a spark to your prayer life.

Father who loves me, thank you so much that you loved me so much that you sent your son on a mission out of glorious heaven down to earth. Thank you that you love me even before I love you. And Jesus, even before I did anything for you, you died for me. Thank you Jesus that like a shepherd after a lost sheep you're pursuing me with your love, like a bridegroom chases after His bride. Holy Spirit, thank you that you, the infinite, all powerful God, are dwelling inside of me, and I am your temple. God, thank you for love, and you want to be with me where I am. I ask that you would help me to know your love and your delight in me even more. Thank you Jesus, in your name amen.