I made this photo video of my time on the mission field for a recent talk I did and wanted to share it with all of my supporters. Thank you again for your faith-filled prayers and financial giving that reached countless people in the name of Jesus. Be blessed!
This is an awesome video that sums up much of Swaziland and what is going on there. July '08 squad members Stacey and Brian Alonzo put together this awesome video. Not a day goes by or a meal eaten that I don't think about these precious people and the struggles they face. Since my team and I have been there, so many projects have continued to progress and many more lives changed! Praise God! He is always faithful! And I am delighted to let you know that my brother and sister-in-law will be moving to Nosoko, Swaziland to continue on God's work come this August. Watch and be blessed...and above all, be encouraged and keep praying!
Despite utter and sheer exhaustion on our final flight home, we decided to make the most of it and have a tried and true World Race dance party! Before we knew it, two hours had gone by!
This is what I call... World Race Entertainment... Jan.'08 Style!!
It's been a month now of being back home and trying to gauge
this past month has been a little difficult.
HOME.
It's easy to pass off this last year of transformation as a
dream, and not take full responsibility and abide in obedience that is
required. Home reminds me a little bit of when we were in India (don't freak
out all you Jan. Racers). Here's why: India was delightfully difficult. The
circumstances made it very easy to "check out" and I found myself having to
find spiritual stimulation outside of my normal means. I remember expressing
this challenge in my prayer journal and distinctly hearing God say, "you are
blessed when you abide and obey." And He was right (He has a tendency to do
that).
Being in India the month prior to SE Asia was a blessing. The Lord empowered
and equipped me for the darkness of Thailand, the difficulties in Vietnam, and
to encourage the Cambodians.
So tying this all up again: sometimes at home it is easy to
lie to myself and not whole heartedly pursue the Kingdom every day. I need to
be on my knees in desperation for Him to be my every bated breath and not to
‘settle' by coming up with all kinds of excuses. I was listening to Nate Evan's
radio interview the other day, and in it he mentioned how being on the race was
a direct result of his prayers in college. The same was with me. Even when I
was in Peru (prior to the World Race), I kept praying, "Lord, there has to be
more out there, and I want it..." I look back on how He has faithfully answered
those prayers and brought me to a place of deep intimacy with Him. I never want
to stop praying dangerously, and fail to lose sight of His Kingdom purposes.
My challenge to you then is to set up accountability and
continue to pray dangerously. Quit making excuses and ‘settle' (I'm preaching
to myself here as well...) with anything less then Him fully. Let's get calluses
on our knees and continue to abide in obedience and bring Kingdom!!!
My Brother Capitan Palmer home today from Baghdad, Iraq. Home for good!! Praise the Lord!!
He left for Iraq when I left for Peru-it's good to both be home finally!!
This is an army of the LORD,
We have risen up.
We are skilled, practiced, prepared, and
anointed.
We are ready.
Do you hear us Satan?
It is the sound of our footsteps
coming down the hallways.
Is that your demons shrieking?
We are coming!
We are not tired, we are not weary.
Move Out! We are taking back our
homeland!
No longer can you lie to out
families, peers, and churches.
The bonds are breaking, the shackles
have cracked.
We are His army. His warriors.
The depressed are set free.
The self-mutilators are healed.
The broken are bound.
The lost are found.
We will not be stopped.
We cannot be stopped.
Our passion and desire has turned to
zeal.
We burn with righteousness.
Get out! You've been here to long!
We shall never settle.
We shall never give up.
We burn off mediocrity and pursue
excellence.
Mundane is no longer used to describe
us.
We are the united Army of the King.
His chosen, His warriors, His sons
and daughters.
And we will continue to stomp your
head until our heels are bruised!
We have risen up.
We are skilled, practiced, prepared,
and anointed.
We are going.
So move out!
Kim Daniels made this awesome video as a tribute to our year of life together. It's hard to sum it all up in one video, so this will have to suffice till I get home.
We leave for America tonight. I will see you soon!! Please continue to pray for us as we travel, and make the adjustments to home. Country 12! Thank you again for your investment in my life!!
Our squad was able to visit the ancient ruins of Ankor Wat
in northern Cambodia and have a time to rest from our months in Vietnam/Hong
Kong. We then headed to the country's capital of Phenom Phen. This city of 1.7
million is recovering from the terroristic and destructive years of the Khmer
Rouge.
The first week we were in Phenom Phen was a week of
holidays. Consequently, we were unable to work with our contacts during that
time, and in reality it worked out well because our squad had not been together
for our ministry time in South East Asia. We were able to worship together, spend
time in the Word together, encourage each other, and laugh a lot (we had
squad-wide Olympics!). It was really awesome to use that week to build up the
body. The following week, we were able to go to the slums, spend time at an
AIDS orphanage, and go to house cell-groups and share. Our time in Cambodia was
brief, but very good. I was able to spend most of my week sharing in the house
groups and encouraging new believers. I spent a Saturday morning in the slums
washing children's hair, clipping nails, and just overall hygiene. It is ALWAYS
a blessing to serve!!
GREAT NEWS!! I AM FULLY SUPPORTED AND WILL HAVE A REIMBURSEMENT COMING BACK!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL INVESTMENT IN MY LIFE!!
Yeah, I ate some. In fact, I felt like I needed to eat my money's worth (those of you frugal like myself can appreciate that). However, I just couldn't stomach eating the entire plate.....
I have $318 to raise until I am fully supported!! Thank you all so much!! God bless you tremendously!!
There are times in life where you just can't believe that you are where you are. That happened several times for me while in Vietnam. One such time, I was sitting in a coffee shop with Caroline and a Vietnamese named Deborah (name changed for protection). She was telling us her testimony and about life in the persecuted church. Sometimes I am taken back to the New Testament of Paul and others, whose purpose was to encourage the persecuted church to keep going.
A registered church in Vietnam
As I sat there, I knew I was sitting with a rare warrior for the Lord. She beamed Jesus. Literally. Like Moses, when he spent time with the Lord on Mount Sinai and came down and glowed, she clearly spent tons of time in the presence of the Lord. She understood Him in ways that I had not, and knew Him so intimately. Her foundation was unshakeable and no trial could waiver her faith. She understood the seriousness of her calling, and never wasted time.
She met her husband (who was days away from becoming a Buddhist monk) 8 or 9 years ago and has one son. They help run the underground church in Vietnam. They have had to move 7 times in the last 7 years because of persecution from the government. Their desire is to train up leaders for the house churches. They do this at night and during secret times so that the government cannot stop them. And during persecution, the church is flourishing. James 1 talks about how trials bring life. So the trial of suffering as a body is bringing about life. One hundred fold. The masses are ready for change. They are ready for answers. They are ready for their souls to be fed. Not by statues or chants, not by clearing the mind, but for something deeper. They long to be swept along into the movement of radicals who bring about change by love. Who do not operate out of fear, but are more concerned with others then themselves. They long to join the vision of change. They want to be apart of the history in the making, they are dreaming once again of new foundations, of a new nation, a new world in which life bursts forth from every seam. The church here on the outside looks small, but once in you realize the depth and seriousness of the believers, you realize it is a war in which they have already won. And the devil knows it. He is screaming because he knows his time is coming to an end quickly, and that the Church in which he has done all that he can to stop, is flourishing. It's funny; you would think that he would learn that trials and suffering ALWAYS produces life.
A Catholic church in downtown Ho Chi Minh
Deborah's story was one of many trials. She grew up very poor, and with parents who abused her. She sold vegetables at a local market while attending school, to help provide finances for her family. From the outside, her story is very typical in poor areas. You find this everywhere. But, one day, a Christian lady came to her home and shared the gospel with her. From that night on, she was baptized in the Holy Spirit, and her life changed dramatically. Because of one lady's love for the Lord, Deborah's life was radicalized and in turn, hundreds of lives are being radicalized. Never forget your impact for the Lord. Never. Pray for the persecuted church in Vietnam, that it may continue to explode despite persecution, and that finances would come in so that any one who wants to receive training in the church may have the opportunity. And please use your love for the Lord to radicalize our generation.
One of the ministries in Vietnam was feeding, holding, loving, and prophesying/praying for abandoned/orphaned babies. I loved them all and affectionately named them all 'Baby Zoolander', here are some pics of them, I tried to get them to make the Zoolander face, but you know how it goes with babies....
