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Recently returned from an amazing adventure and the close of a season, and it's a challenge and a motivation (to myself) to recap. A few pics and descriptions, and the rest of it discoverable for some, a mystery for most (and I'm ok with that). Inevitably bits and pieces will surface with time, a season overseas that became part of who I am. Laughter, tears, love, and fear, here's what's just happened...
For the past ~3months I've been with a team of 7 students and 1 co-leader on outreach throughout Asia Pacific with a YWAM Honolulu Discipleship training School. The Spirit of God is alive and moving in the nations. My team spent 1 month in Bali Indonesia, then went off the grid for 1 and a 1/2 months in Papua New Guinea. To top it all off, we had a bonus few days spent in Manila due to a surprise flight change on our way home (a God given divine glimpse and confirmation of a longstanding heart pull for the Philippines!).
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| Team Indo/PNG. Graduation 6/21/15. |
BALI, a Hindu island in the most populated Islamic nation on earth, a very interesting spiritual atmosphere. There we partnered with YWAM work already established. There is a group of ywamers on ground there, mostly local and some foreign, who are doing incredible things within the community. We came alongside them weekly;
-teaching English in slums
-visits to safehouse for sex trafficked children
-night street outreach to prostitutes
-soccer ministries
-orphanage help
-beach evangelistic events, and much more.
Humbling and an honor to do life alongside these. Many who have counted the cost of following Jesus in the face of persecution, and sacrifice. Worship and prayer meetings in public and secret that will be forever remembered. Their stories of conversion at the introduction of Jesus through dreams and visions proven true by the amazing fruit produced. These brothers and sisters, so bold and passionate about Jesus, and so welcoming to us in sharing with them in building of the kingdom of God.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA, a diverse tribal nation with much variety, over 800 languages, and a nation motto "the land of the unexpected", and that it was. This pioneer heart of mine thrived, stretched, blessed. We saw God show up and lead the way, every day. Our time was spent in the port cities of Lea and Moresby, the Highlands, and in villages off the map. God given divine bridge of contacts who fully received us and helped us along. YWAM has a growing presence in this nation with several bases, all of which we were able to touch and network with to different degrees. YWAM PNG is a whole another breed of strong, loving, and devoted believers. They are seeing favor and access within all spheres of this nation. Amidst much beauty, there are many things that make PNG a place to go with caution. PNG holds a history of high corruption, tribal wars, idol worship and witchcraft. The norms; domestic violence, gangs, polygamy, black magic, limited education, some of the lowest standard of healthcare in the world, and hardest of trekking terrain.
"Open Airs", something we became quickly acquainted with and saw quickly accumulate. A ministry style showing great effect in PNG. We came upon these evangelical outreach opportunities through connections set with contacts, and by random spontaneous asks. An unending invitation list to platforms such as schools of all levels, outdoor markets, factories, settlements, churches, and villages. Crowds of hundred and even thousands. We averaged about 3 a day. Many times physically and emotionally drained, but absolutely alive with every valued moment. So many salvations, healings, baptisms, baby dedications, more then we could count! We also had the chance to go into the prison system, and into a hospital, and share the love and power of Jesus! As well, to some degrees we were able to come alongside local YWAM training schools, interact with staff and students, and even teach some of our dances and skits. There is an open door for release of heaven and acceptance of the God of the Bible in this nation of PNG. The harvest is huge! (Matt 9:37-38) 
(I could tell of the time when PNG drug sellers took up an offering for my teams bus fair, or the exact moment when one of my students professed belief that God speaks, or the time we were caught in a police and thief crossfire in the jungle while protecting a half dozen barefoot PNG children, or all of our experiences driving across the highlands highway, or when we climbed a mountain with hiking back packs bigger then us in a lighting storm, or when we sat on a prison dorm room floor for hours with dozens of PNG women primarily doing time for murder. So many things I could tell of... Here's just one story of how amazing God is...)
Story of the Rock Idols
I had a dream ~13yrs ago when I was a student in YWAM LA, a dream of newspapers scrolling before me and one coming into view that said "Papua New Guinea" with two vivid small stacked rock idols.
Beginning of this yr when I was asked where I felt led to lead a team I remembered this dream and was released to pioneer a new outreach location there, which is an incredible story within itself. However it was not until the night before our last day of ministry in PNG that this dream in it's entirety came.
I was informed of a village we were invited to go to the following day (which would be our last day in PNG) who had for generations worshiped some sort of idols that tormented their people. In recent months this village had called in many different religious leaders of all sorts to cast out the death that these idols caused on their village. There was said to be strong powers and black magic in these idols, and that anyone that had came against it died in accidents directly after interaction with these idol gods, and that nothing had prosper for the people of this village for generations, the people were terrified of these idols. This village had heard of YWAM from interaction of previous teams over time passing by. They asked us if we were willing to come and take the idols.
The whole village gathered on a sunny afternoon in there center gathering area. Alongside two other YWAM teams (from New Zealand, and Australia) which just so happened to be doing outreach in the same area of Mount Hagen (God's divine orchestration) we joined together in presenting the gospel through skits, dance, testimonies, and a message from the Bible.
I was informed of a village we were invited to go to the following day (which would be our last day in PNG) who had for generations worshiped some sort of idols that tormented their people. In recent months this village had called in many different religious leaders of all sorts to cast out the death that these idols caused on their village. There was said to be strong powers and black magic in these idols, and that anyone that had came against it died in accidents directly after interaction with these idol gods, and that nothing had prosper for the people of this village for generations, the people were terrified of these idols. This village had heard of YWAM from interaction of previous teams over time passing by. They asked us if we were willing to come and take the idols.
The whole village gathered on a sunny afternoon in there center gathering area. Alongside two other YWAM teams (from New Zealand, and Australia) which just so happened to be doing outreach in the same area of Mount Hagen (God's divine orchestration) we joined together in presenting the gospel through skits, dance, testimonies, and a message from the Bible.
Then I stepped forward to wrap up our time, tell of my dream, and pray for deliverance.
At that very moment a thick mist rolled in covered the village, everything was silent and a bit eerie but beautiful and extraordinarily breathtaking at the same time. A remarkable weather change, and the rain came. Slight panic broke out amongst the village people, I could feel and see a great fear. Somehow everything inside of me knew this was God's tangible presence manifested, and declared it. They stayed, a few ran to grab umbrellas but returned quickly. I told them that there is one true God over all, and He causes the rain. That the rain cleanses, and brings new life. They listened. I read out Isaiah 61:1-4, what the prophets, and Jesus spoke out, and declared it.
Then the old men, chief and elders of the village, with tears and rain pouring down their faces, brought a large rice sack and poured out the rocks in the center of the circle, the idols. The exact shaped and colored rocks that had been in my dream ~13yrs prior. Words can't describe what i felt that very moment. We led the village in prayers of repentance for all the worship and blood sacrifices made to these rocks for generations. We prayed for the invitation of the Holy Spirit of the one true God to come and take over. We cast out demons in Jesus name, we poured oil over these rocks, and with handfuls of oil anointed every person of the village, representation of the new covering. That whole village chose Jesus as their Lord that day, healing broke out. We saw the lame walk, and blind eyes see. I can confidently say that what was greater then any supernatural event of weather patterns or even physical healing that happened that day, was the freedom of dozens of souls into the family of God -an impact for eternity. The kingdom of God advanced. We drove away with that bag of rocks, taken to be smashed and scattered. Our YWAM PNG brothers and sisters near by, will be continuing followup and the road of discipleship with this village. I know that IF not again in this lifetime, I'll be seeing that village in heaven. All glory to God!
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| PNG |
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| BALI |
Thanks for your support, prayers are greatly appreciated, and financial partnership makes this kind of world impact possible! (see the sidebar, or contact me directly, for more info)
Where we go and what we do.
*Acts 1:8
*Matthew 10:7-8
