Bon Voyage!

                    "I am blessed because God gave me life."

These are the words I read in my letter from my nine year old sponsor child. I was floored. Everyday I have something else to complain about. I'm tiered, I don't enjoy my job, Its cold, its hot, I'm not eating healthy, I'm bored, and the list goes on. The bottom line I think I'm not blessed enough by what I'm given. And there was this little girl who barely has enough to live on, works when other kids play, and lives in dirty conditions in Haiti considered herself blessed to be alive.This hit my heart. I thought of all the people my age I have know that have died, and how many times I hear of someone dying from something other than old age. I thought about how fragile our bodies are. 1 bullet from a gun could end my life. So many people die from accidents. That's something they weren't intentionally doing. Shoot, I've had the flu before and felt like I was going to die. I'm healthy, but my body doesn't recover from work outs quite as quickly as it did 4 years ago. Our lives are so fragile! All that is keeping these bodies going is a heart. And yet I have one that works really good. How blessed am I to have life?!  With a life you can do something! You can make a difference in the world, and make a mark on eternity! You can learn new things, and experience new things! You can love and be loved. With a life you can do ANYTHING!

So 2014 is about me not taking advantage of my life, but taking it by the reins and riding it hard to see where it take me. The journey that we go on this year will take me to an awesome place, but its the journey I'm going to really enjoy. I will savor every moment, even the unexpected obstacles. and challenges.

One thing I want to do is have more faith for things. 2013 I had very little faith. I believed almost nothing would happen unless I (or someone) caused it to happen. I didn't look to God for help, or believed much in his ability to do anything until I was desperate, and even than...I had pretty shaky faith. That sickens me. Because the fact is that with God anything IS possible, and I believe to be an active(real) Christian you have to continuously be looking for opportunities for God to shine his glory and his goodness! I want to be on HIS TEAM! I want to see signs and wonders following me around because I believe for them! I don't want to see things the way that most everyone else sees things in my life. They see things and are afraid. They see things and see a dead end. I want to see things like Jesus! With Jesus, there is no dead ends! There is ALWAYS possibilities! Even problems become opportunities! From now on I'm choosing to see things like Jesus. And to anyone who knows me I ask you to PLEASE help me with that when you get a chance. 2013 the devil stole my joy. 2014 I'm taking it back! Its time to life to the fullest!

Savannah's Guidline's to a Drama-Free Life

I recently picked up a copy of Seventeen magazine for the first time and discovered that its not such a bad influence on young girls as I was always lead to believe. It diffidently shares little of the mindset of Christ, and I wouldn't recommend it to my teenage girl, but the magazine actually has some pretty positive and empowering things in there for girls. I read and browsed through it for an hour, and inside I found messages shouting out to young teenage girls such as, be confidant! You are beautiful! You are unique! Pursue you're impossible dreams wholeheartedly because anything is possible! and if you haven't kissed anyone before, you're NOT the only one. 40% of girls your age have never been kissed. One article written by a young movie star, Chloe Grace Moretz, on Friendship Rules to Live By tells of all the rules and precautions she takes when choosing her friends and setting herself up for a drama free life. Being someone who sometimes feels like shes the only person in the world who has a drama-free life, and looking at the media and seeing nothing but drama, I was quite curious, as you may be, as to what she had to say. These are her rules:

• Pick people who make you better.
• Create cool friendship traditions
• Guys and Girls can be friends...but don't hook up with your BGF.
• Figure out you're deal breakers.
• Don't give second chances.
• Always stand up to bullies
• Sometimes secrets are okay.
• Make sure family comes first

 

At first these sounded great! And then I realized I have always had a drama-free life and I have never lived by any of these rules. I realized that all her rules do is kick the drama out rather than create a place where drama can not live or even come to in the first place. Her rules are all things that sound great to the world, but this is not at all what Jesus tells us is the best way. When love is the basis of your friendships drama wont even be able to enter your circle.
Here is Savannah and Jesus' version Chloe Grace Moretz friendship rules.

 

Pick people you can loveLooking back on all my friends I have ever had, I have never picked someone for what they could do for me. I've always picked friends who seemed to me like they needed a friend. I never go to the popular kids who its seems everyone likes, wanting to be their friend. I've always chosen the person who is by themselves. These are people whom I know will usually receive the love I give them, and most importantly the people who need someone to love them; the ones that need to know that they are loved.

"He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed"
Jesus - Luke 4:18

 

Guys and girls should always be friends...If you discover that you are in love with one, and feelings are mutual, hook up.Not as catchy as Chloe's version, but diffidently true. If you are looking for a serious relationship (in my opinion its dumb and immature to look for anything else), than you better be best friends before you get into a relationship. I've talked to so many girls who have told me how they don't know if they should get into a relationship or not with a certain guy, and they have only known each other for a couple months. I always tell them there is nothing wrong with being friends. Especially if you're not sure if you want to pursue a serious relationship with that person or not. Friends is actually a GREAT place to be. This is you're opportunity to simply get to know that person without any pressure or expectations that might come along with "being in a relationship". If you can simply be best friends with a guy for a good amount of time than maybe you could live the rest of you're life with him. If you can't do that, than don't even think about "being in a relationship". It wont end well.
I was friends with my boyfriend for 1.5years before we officially became "in a relationship", and even after that, nothing really changed, except we had an excuse to spend much more time together, and do more things for each other, and say cute romantic things to each other. We didn't even call each other "boyfriend" "girlfriend" for nearly the first two years, and even now we don't really like to do it. Because we're just friends. Even now after over 2 years of being in a relationship I can rejoicingly proclaim that Andrew is my best friend, and I wouldn't want to go on the adventures of this life with any other than him!  And this isn't something just me and Andrew share. I have seen and talked to and read about countless couples who claim they have married their best friend, and would prefer to call their husband for 40years their "best friend" rather than their husband. Guy friends are always a blessing, and if you get an eternal best friend out of one, so be it. Its an even bigger blessing!
Don't have deal breakers&always give second chances

Jesus always shows us unconditional love. His friends were liars, thieves, drunkards, prostitutes, tax-collectors, and stinky fisherman. He trusted a thief with money, and a betrayer with his heart and his life. No, things didn't end up to well for Jesus because of this...He got beaten, embarrassed, and crucified (to put it lightly), but in the end it was worth it. In the end the love which he loved his friends was stronger than their weaknesses, sin, and mistakes, and His love set them free. No you're not Jesus, but Jesus lives inside you, and the same love that saved and healed the whole world is inside of you're heart, and with that love anything is possible!
The bottom line: You're friendships aren't for you, its for them. If people have to come to you to be your friend on your terms, you will have some problems.

 

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them."

Jesus - Luke 6:32

"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Jesus - Luke 7:47

Always love bullies
I honestly don't really have any experience with this, so the only thing I will say here is what Jesus said.
"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:36

Always be there - no matter what

Everybody needs friends who will not choose themselves over their friendship. Everyone needs a friend they can count on. Everyone needs friends where if they are in trouble, have a problem, or they need help, that friend will do anything within their power to be there for them, and help them as best they can. YOU CAN BE THAT FRIEND! Its easy! And the fact is if your heart is to be there for them and not at all for yourself, your friend will know it. They will always trust you, it will be much harder (if not impossible) for them to get mad at you, and you will rarely ever fight. How could you when your first priority is to be there for them?

‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Jesus - Mark 12:31

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." A disciple of Jesus - 1 John 3:16

 

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." A disciple of Jesus - Romans 12:10

 

The bottom line is love. The only reason that drama ever happens is because someone wasn't loving. Someone was being selfish and thinking of themselves before their friends and family. You have to come to a place where even if you poor your heart out for someone and get NOTHING in return from them, you are still going to love them, and be there for them. Of course I wouldn't recommend such a relationship (but that's between you and God), but to have that mindset where you don't expect anything from that person, and what's on the front burner of your mind and your heart is to benefit your friend's life no matter what, is the place you want to get to. That's called un-conditional-drama-free love. And its easy when Jesus - the name of that love - is inside your heart.

"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Disiple of Jesus - Romans 12:18

 

The Adventure Framework - Summer 2013

 I have long postponed this blog, and now to my regret, for there is much to tell. Most of the time I dont even know whats going on in this adventure I'm in, so I've not know how to tell of it. But let me at least give you the framework. :)

To begin, I will speak of Andrew and I's adventure to the UK! It was a grand adventure, indeed. We came back with many more memories to cherish, a couple a pints in our bellies, a new found patriotism, and tired bodies. We saw many awesome sights throughout Scotland and Ireland, experienced the culture and the amazing history. We ventured to Loch Ness in Scotland, rode the Underground in London during rush hour, kissed the Blarney Stone in Southern Ireland, and climbed to the top of Crough Patrick in the north of

Ireland. We met many awesome people, talked to sheep, saw many beautiful and amazing sights...including the Cliffs of Moher(some of the tallest sea-side cliffs in the world), Ben Nevis(tallest mountain in Scotland), and the rolling green hills of Ireland.
Some firsts we had was hitch-hiking("thumbing". as the locals called it), staying at hostels and B&Bs, and driving on the left side of the road.

Overall, it was a rewarding experience that helped us broaden our horizons and perspective on our lives. We came to the overwhelming realization that we LOVE the USA! and are very proud citizens. Not to say that the UK was bad, because we enjoyed it very much, but as far as living somewhere (as far as our experiences have led us so far), no place can compare to the USA. :) We have a lot more to offer here.

Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto, CA

And now that we're back, we've been working our butts off! Andrew has been working on marketing for his house-flipping company and the company they are partnered with, and I have been working for the past month. I got a full time position as a PBX Operator/Front Desk Clerk at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto, CA. Its been challenging but fun for me. Probably the most challenging part is learning to communicate and relay information with the guests in a professional manor. This is the complete opposite of what I learned at Winter Park. We were taught to be polite, but laid back, friendly, and real. One thing I'm learning, though is that I can be all that in a professional manor. But its challenging for me. Especially when the guests are uptight and demanding, and don't speak good English - if any. However, as far as jobs go, this one is the most perfect one for me. I fit in well with the position and the people I work with. They are all so amazing and beautiful people, and a pleasure to work with and work for.

The apartment I was to get didn't end up working out after all, so I've had no choice than to move in to Andrew's parent's house, where he and his family live, for the presant. Its been fun, although a little strange because, except when I am working we are with each other all the time. And I wonder "is this the 'wild' adventure that God told me about?" Cause I would certainly believe it if it was! Its been a lot of fun. We've diffidently had our challenges, but we've worked them out, and its been fun! Its strange because it feels like we're married only we've never have sex (omg, I just said the "s" word in my blog!). That's something I really want everyone to know, though. Most people assume that if you live together that you're also sleeping together, and I want to let you all know that that is something we both really want to save for marriage. Its been hard, especially now that it seems we're married in every other way, but its not even an option for us because we've made up our minds that that's not an option. [MORE ON THIS IN BLOGS TO COME]

I'm considering taking a few classes at Foothill community collage in the Fall. I have applied and been excepted. I would be taking writing, drawing, and watercolor classes if I did.

This is the frame work for my current adventure. :)

And in the midst of all this, love is fighting for my attention and my heart....

WPA: Part 6 The Long Awaited End and a New Beginning

"I'm going to take you on the wildest adventure you've ever seen!"

These were the first words I heard this morning while still in that place between asleep and awake. I turned my head a little surprised to hear the voice of my father so clearly. The clearest I've heard it in months. Today I leave Winter Park, CO and go back to California and my very best friend. I already found an apartment to rent, and begun a job search.

My plane doesn't leave Denver airport until 9pm tonight, and the wait throughout this day is agonizing. I caught a ride with a friend who had a dentist appointment in Denver earlier today, and arrived at the airport 3hrs early. The plane couldn't arrive early enough...

In retrospect, This Winter Park Adventure was a very good experience for me. I learned soo much about work, customer service, and people. Because of this I gained much more confidence in myself and my abilities as a worker. I've gained more independence, and I've enjoyed the freedom that comes with having money. haha I met some great people, and got the privilege of loving them, and serving them all season. These are all the good things, but all in all it was very hard. It was hard to be away from Andrew, and all my family and friends. Most of the time I felt alone although surrounded by hundreds of people. It was hard to be in the cold and the snow for 6 full months. It was hard to be surrounded by people who's greatest love and priority was alcohol and weed. I was hard to work my job full time for 6mnths. It was hard to be stuck in an 8mile stretch of slight civilization for 6mths. I left once on a 5hr adventure with one of my managers. We went to Walmart and Qudoba about 1.5hrs away. That was such a big deal for me!! :D It was hard to hear the voice of God. It was hard to listen for it. Most of the time I was exhausted from working so much.

So although most of the time I can say I was rather unhappy, and would never choose to do this adventure again...I gained very valuable experience I'm not sure I would have gained anywhere else.

But with Papa about to take me on this new adventure...there is excitement in my bones! Who knows what is around the corner?? All I know that it will be full of good things, because God, He loves me, and he'll be with me. :) In fact its already started. The apartment I got is a 1bed, 1bath, 5room apartment in Santa Clara, CA for $500 a month including utilities. On top of that the landlord loves Jesus, and shes giving me a month of free rent. Also I got free airfare to Scotland, and Ireland, and will also be going to England. I leave with Andrew on Friday. We are very excited for this adventure, and look forward to see what sort of surprises he has for us there. These gifts we will use fully for him. :) We will follow his heart. :D

Let the new wild adventure begin!:D

WPA Part 5: Seasons/Adventures

I was awakened this beautiful last day of February 2013 by the memories of summer. The memory of green grass, and brightly colored flowers. Of running outside with no burden of shoes or extra layers of warmth to put on. How nice it will be to simply slip on my TOMS again, and not have to sit down and lace up my boots every time I want to go somewhere! To not be cold for months...to have the hot feel of the sunrays all over my skin...to go to the ocean and actually be refreshed by cold water. Oh, summer, you're nearly here!

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this full-on winter as best I can. Today and tomorrow are my days off. Today I went snowboarding and ice skating until my ankles hurt, and I plan to do that again tomorrow. Its blizzarding outside right now with some of the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen! Tomorrow will be a good day to ride! I can ice skate for free on the village pond here, and I try to do that as often as I can, since I enjoy it so much. I'm trying to practice and learn as much as I can. So that's really exciting for me.
Also I have been practicing watercolor, and slowly improving at that, I think.  I started a story this past summer, and have been trying to work on that as often as I can. I am very excited about where it is going, and I hope to finish it by this time next year. Hopefully by then I will have mastered watercolor as well, and will be able to illustrate it!

Tomorrow is the beginning of Money March! Because of how the weeks play out in March I will be getting 3 pay checks this month instead of 2! I'm sure this works out for most everyone out there who gets paid every other week. This will allow me to save a lil' more money for my next adventure!!

My next adventure will be to the UK! I'm so excited about this because I've never been to Europe. Andrew and I will be spending 3 weeks there in May. We fly into Edinburgh, Scotland and spend 3-4 days there before taking a train down to London where we will meet up with Andrew's parents and their friends. We will spend 3 days there before flying to Dublin with them. From there we will spend two weeks traveling all over southern and eastern Ireland by bus and train, seeing the sights! Its a short adventure, but I'm convinced it will be worth every dollar I'm saving!
After the UK adventure I will be moving back to California, getting a job, and gaining more skills :)
However, the ironic thing is is that I will not get to see spring in Colorado or California. Instead I will be spending my Spring in Scotland, England, and Ireland. :) eeeee!

Sometimes its hard to live in the moment here. Sometimes I don't really want to pursue relationships with people here, because I know I'll most likely never see them again after two months. I already love them, and being in closer relationship can only mean my heart will break even more when I have to leave. Sometimes I don't know what to do. I suppose Jesus would love with his whole heart, because he is not self-seeking. I'm the same way. I'm not here for myself. I cant be. I died, and am alive only in Christ. I cant forget that anything is possible in Christ Jesus, and in his amazing flawless love. If I remember that I cant give up on anything, and will give my whole heart to everything!

Just a heads up. I want to put together a fun/ministry trip within the next year and a half. It would look like road tripping to the South/Eastern states, and all through them, seeing the sights, and preaching the gospel as we go. We would go where ever God puts on our hearts, preaching continuously the gospel of Jesus Christ. :)

WPA Part 4: Christmas Comes to Everyone

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

It hasn't at all felt like Christmas to me, probably due to the fact that I am away from home, family, and close friends, and to the fact that I am working so much including Christmas day. But tonight I joined in on the holiday festivities at the resort, and now it seems Christmas is finally here! :D Winter Park had their annual torchlight parade tonight and it was magnificent! Absolutely b-e-a-utiful! There were probably about 50 skiers and snowboarders that zigzagged in a line slowly down one of the slopes carrying flares in each of their hands. "NOEL" was lit up in flares in the middle of the slope, Christmas music was being played, and throughout the whole show fireworks were being set off continually from the top of the mountain. It was Beautiful! Directly after there was a non-denominational Christmas service in one of the buildings, and I got to go pass out free water to people, and wish them a Merry Christmas! Then I got to worship Jesus with them all. It was so beautifully wonderful! Tonight it hit my heart. Its Christmas time! Its the time to celebrate love! :D

I have been missing everyone so much, and I have a feeling its only going to get worse, but I've been trying to keep focused, and to see all the amazing blessings and opportunities that I have right in front of me. This is truly an awesome opportunity and experience! And the people here are amazing! and its my privilege to serve them, love them, and be here for and with them.

I turned 21 on the 12 month, 21st day, in the 12th year, also known by the Mayans as the day of apocalypse. It was a great day. I didn't work, and I didn't get drunk. :) I got presents in the mail, hung out with friends, got paid, went shopping, skyped with my mom, and talked to the mam of my dreams on the phone. Oh. And I drank a bit. Found out I'm a lil' odd. I like drinking alcohol for the taste of it, not for the side-effects. Most people, I suppose, drink it for the side-effects, and don't care about the taste. Both of my bosses bought me a drink, a friend bought me a bottle of wine, and a lady high out of her mind, bought me a shot. I love the freedom I have in the law to drink and buy alcohol, and the freedom I have in Christ to not let it influence me. Its good to be 21.

One thing, I crave to see a person 150% surrendered to Christ. I've always had someone to run with, and wow! what a blessing that is! It can be hard to be without my brothers and sisters continuously. I suppose that I will have to be that person until I find or create them. I was born to be that person and nothing else, I already know, will satisfy me. But when no one else around you is, and you are working 40+ hours a week at a job that physically wares you out, and you only get a chance two days a week to actually do what you are passionate about, its easy to forget who you are really working for. Bottom line I end up unsatisfied. I did not come to CO just to work a job, yet that feels like my life right now. As if that is all I was created for. But my heart tells me different. My heart has seen soooo much better! and it cant forget! It knows that it was created to directly love another's heart, and to be shared, and to not be hidden! I am created to live passionately for Jesus, and nothing else!

So many people's god here is alcohol and marijuana. That's their life, and that's all they can talk about. But my God is Jesus, the God of love, and that's all I want to talk about. Hes my life and loving is all this heart wants to do. But few people want to listen to my heart, and its easy to not even try, and act like everyone else: guarded, and half-way fake. As if none of us have hearts.
But as always, I know God is up to something. I'm just trusting that he will put doors in front of me when they open, and praying that I will go through them. I'm reminded that God is soo much bigger than me, and he often does things that I don't even know about.

I'm prepared to have an awesome week seeing things from Papa's perspective. :)

WPA Part 3: The Job

I started work this week. I work at the resort's food court known as Moffat Market. I'm working the pizza station, the Mexican food station, and the hotdog station. Sometimes entirely by myself. It was both the longest, and the shortest week ever. I worked everyday. They sent me home early one day because they didn't want me to go into overtime. Despite, I believe I'll still be going an hour or two into overtime. My feet hurt, its a battle to keep my body hydrated, and I live on the party floor so its a fight to get to sleep almost every night, but I still love being here. I love my job, most days. I've discovered its my passion to help people and love them that drives me to work hard, and to do my very best. It makes me come alive! Also, I have AMAZING managers and supervisors and because they value me it automatically makes me want to work my best for them. The place that I work could easily be a stressful environment. There is so many little things that make a big difference in the success of the business, and there are a lot of people working together to see that it all gets done. But even though my managers might be stressed, most of the time I cant tell. They never put the stress on you. They genuially  value you as a person, and want you to enjoy yourself and have fun. I have fun by making them smile by doing my job with excellence. Its really fun to make them smile. Today my boss said to me, " Savannah, we're lucky we found you." It makes me feel really good, knowing that I'm helping them out so much. :) Its also been really fun encouraging my coworkers; letting them know they are doing a great job and that I appreciate them and that they work with me; helping me out to help others out and bring a smile to their faces.

I'm learning a lot about working hard, and that management that is written into my DNA is coming alive. One thing I really like about working here is that the instructions you receive from your managers are really basic and undetailed. I like this because it empowers you to think for yourself, and figure it out on your own. Its teaching me how to manage myself better and make my own decisions to how I can best help the team out. I believe this is preparing me for the day when I have to manage a business one day.



The board I did in the coffee shop.

The other day I was told to "draw a picture" of the pizza table with all the pizza ingredients in it. So I took 10 mins, got my creative mind goin', and drew out all the mushrooms, and Pepporoni's, and olives,ect. It was a little bit more detail than what they needed, but I knew they'd appreciate it. 5 mins after I turned it into my supervisor, another manager approaches me asking me if I'd like to come in the next morning (my day off) to write and draw on their huge chalkboard in the coffee shop. In exchange they'd give me breakfast. I excepted. The next day I got to use my mad drawing skillz, and handwriting skills, to make the most beautiful board in Winter Park. :) Every one of my managers individually came in to look at it and was very impressed, each one saying that they'd give me something for my hard work. It ended up taking me 4.5hrs to complete the board. My boss asked me if I wanted to go over to Doc's Roadhouse (another one of his restaurants) and do their chalk boards over there. I was having so much fun, I was thrilled to say yes. So they put me on the clock for the whole day, and sent me over to Doc's saying to take as much time as I needed. I did 4 small chalk boards over there in 3.5hrs. AND two of them I was allowed to do WHATEVER I wanted as log as it had something to do with Doc's! So I got to be all creative and really impressed the manager there. She gave me a free dinner: salmon patties with lemon and capers. SO good! That ended up being a 9hr day. Now she wants me to come and do another one in exchange for another meal. I'm thinking, "am I the only creative person working here who is confident enough to go all out there, and make something amazing for our 1000's of daily guests?" 

One thing that has really stood out to me while being here is the confidence I have. Everyone here have so many insecurities. All different ages. Multiple times I'll be talking to a 26 or 27yr old and realize, "wow. This person has been in this world 6yrs longer than I have, and they still have no idea who they are or what they were made for." They have nothing to put their confidence in. But how could they? They don't know Jesus. And I know that I would never have the confidence and security that I have if I didn't know Jesus, because he is my foundation, my identity, my security, and my confidence. Without him, I would be just as insecure and selfish as they are, or most likely worse. I wouldn't be in Colorado right now, I know that much. It makes me so sad that the solution to all their problems is so simple, and I know the answer, and they are so desperate for it, yet they don't see the simple solution when its presented to them. They would never believe that Jesus is that answer unless they experience him themselves. This makes me realize how much humbling it takes a person to turn to Jesus. And oh, what a beautiful thing when that happens!

I met a Christian girl who works at the resort and lives in the same building as I do! She is amazing, and has already been a great encouragement to me. She is also my ride to church on Sunday. It has been really nice to worship God with fellow believers.

Through everything the one thing that I got to remember is that God is my team mate and I must ask him for help in everything. I can't try to do things on my own. That is when I get burned out.


As a side note: I got my board and boots in the mail yesterday. Hope to hit the slopes on Monday! :D

WPA Part 2: The Mission

Its my second day in Colorado. The shock of my brand new life here in Colorado is gone. By the grace of God, this shabby shared hotel room 3,000ft above sea-level in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded and filled with people who are living for that moment they can strap their ski's or board to their feet, already feels like home to me. A peace that paces my understanding ignites a fire of passion and excitement in me as I realize God has strategically placed me in this sphere of influence. I am filled with excitement as I realize, this is my first real missions trip!

Five o' clock comes around and everyone on my floor start congregating in the hall with beers in their hands.A giant speaker gets pulled out into the hall and soon music is blaring so that you cant escape it. Everyone is talking, and laughing, and every other word is a cuss word. People are going outside to smoke every so often. Its a party.
I stand out like a star in the heavens. I don't drink, smoke, or cuss. I know who I am, I am confident enough to not even notice peer pressure let alone resist it, and confident enough to be honest. I am one Spirit with Christ, and confident in Him and the life he has spoken into my heart.

I've faced a fare amount of challenges since being here, already. Everything from not having enough money to eat (I'm good now), to staying encouraged, to knowing how to handle drunk people. I am continually going back and forth between being incredibly excited about what God is doing and going to do this winter, to wondering what the heck I am doing here in this culture so different from what I have ever known, and so different from my home, Heaven. Yet it is so good for me to be here! I feel like I'm finally out of my box, and free to be the person I was called to be. Like a soldier going from the boot camp to the battlefield. Everything in me tells me I was made for this!

I just realized last night that I asked to be here. Five months ago I was in California asking God to take me out of my comfort zone into the super dark places so that he could shine really bright in me.  I asked him to put me in with the drunks and the prostitutes, and the people who don't know love. Places where I would have to trust him with my life, and rely on him to help me, cause Lord knows I have no clue how to help people that have been so screwed up. All I know is they need Jesus' love.
 And look at me now. He took me here.

So you see even though its challenging sometimes, I'm so happy to be here. I'd much rather be here amongst these drunkards and sinners and be a lil' unsure, uncomfortable, and sometimes fighting to be myself, than in California or Montana, comfortable, among family, bored, and continually having to remind myself why I'm alive. Here I am continually reminded why I'm alive, because this is why I'm alive. To pull people out of the hell we were all in once, by the life of Christ that is in me. I was made for this, and God has diffidently given me a grace to be here amongst these people.

That being said I would appreciate all the prayers, advice, and encouragement you could give.
I need family here. I know they're out there, so pray that I meet them soon.

To my family all around the world(you know who you are) I love and miss you very much!

Winter Park Adventure(WPA) Part 1: The Lowdown

The new adventure has begun! This will be my 6th day here in Winter Park, CO, and it has most certainly proved to be an adventure! When I was waiting for the shuttle at Denver Airport to take me to Winter Park, there was a girl there also waiting. So I said "hi" and found out that she also is going to Winter Park to work for the winter. So we kept talking, and it turns out shes staying at the same place that I'm staying. When we got to the Lodge (where we were staying) we found out we were in the same room! Over the next couple days we found out that we are working in the same place in the park. Her name is Eve and she is amazing. Truly I believe that she is the best room mate that I could have gotten. She doesn't drink too much, she hates smoking, shes got a level head, and she's a lot of fun to be around.

I'm staying in the employee housing wing of the Winter Park Mountain Lodge, which is a hotel. The rooms are decent, even though we don't have a kitchen, only a microwave, and mini fridge. We have a good sized bathroom, with a shower, and, since yesterday, hot water. I assure you, a cold shower at 3,000ft above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, is a high price to pay to be clean. Many people on my floor didn't take a shower for 4 or 5 days. >_< Our rent will be a lil' less this month.

Also being at a 3,000ft elevation the air is extremely thin and dry. It can be hard to get to sleep at night because the air is so dry it hurts to breath. Many mornings I've woken up with blood in my nose.Walking 20yrds on flat ground leaves you huffing and puffing, and worked up to a sweat. They say that 7out of 10 people get elevation sickness, which looks like diarrhea, stomach aches, and throwing up. Thankfully no one on my floor has go it.

I had my first general orientation on Tuesday, and my 2end orientation for Moffat Market tomorrow, and that's when I learn all the details of my schedule and my specific job. The Moffat Market is a food court, so I'll either be a cashier or doing food-prep. Eve and I went to check it out, and it looks like its going to be a really fun place to work.

I also got applied for a second job working the evening shift as a server at the restaurant inside the lodge I'm staying at. I've been told to go see the manager this weekend and she'll tell me my hours...people tell me that means..I'm HIRED! lol So that will be really fun. I'll be starting the beginning of next week.

One of the main questions I've been getting: Is there a lot of snow? There are only patches of snow right now, and its been t-shirt weather the past couple of days. This is not a good thing seeing as the park is suppose to open on Wednesday. However, there is hope. We are expecting a blizzard this weekend, and Jesus is Lord. :)
Everyone here is extremely friendly. Many people know me as being very friendly, but the people here have caught me off guard by how friendly they are, and in truth at first it made me feel uncomfortable. lol But I have let this place take me outside of my box and teach me how to be just as friendly. Winter Park Resort is known for being Colorado's Favorite, and Friendliest. A couple years ago they were in competition with other ski resorts in CO to see who could be the friendliest according to the guests, and 4 out of 4 times this resort won. :)

While there is no snow, literally the only things for people to do is hike, skateboard,and drink. Winter Park is a tiny town with a liquor store or a pub literally on every corner. Like Sonics in Oklahoma or Starbucks in California or a Ponderosa in Montana. So it seems like everyone here are alcoholics or at least love to party. I stick out like a star in the heavens. :) To the glory of God.

With our work still not begun most people have been quite bored. Eve, struggling between her shyness and her boredom, put this sign on our door:

click to enlarge

 

Lol. She cracks me up.

Some Simplicity from a Detailed Loving God

To the people around the world who love and care about me: I have 9 more days in MT. Thats a week and two days. :) I can hardly wait for the adventures that await me on the other side. I will be thoroughly enjoying a long awaited visit to California, lasting 1.5weeks (*big happy sigh*) before I head to Colorado to hibernate for the winter at Winter Park Ski Resort. I'll be working in the food&beverage department there until April. :D I have no idea what my big ol' Papa has for me there, but I know It'll be rediculously good. Already he has worked out what I had thought was impossible or hard in order get me there.  



This picture was taken yesterday@Winter Park Ski Resort, CO. 

Three months ago when I had been asking Papa what I'd do after my time in Montana was up (He had told me I'd only be there 4mnths), I was talking to my friend, Katie, about it and she said, "Savannah, you should just move to Colorado." I had joked about moving to CO before because the Silicon Valley is a rediculous place for a career-less person to live because the cost of living is so high. So when Katie said that I should move to CO I laughed, knowing that she wasnt serious, but in that moment I also heard that fimiliar voice say, "Seriously, Savannah. What if you did move to Colorado?" So answering him I said, "Well, I have no money, and no job, so even if I did manage to somehow get there, I would have no way to pay for an apartment. I have only about 2more months in MT, and I dont know who would want to hire me for only two months. I dont know anyone in Colorado that I could room with. I dont have a car that I could take there to get to a job if I were able to aquire one in CO. I have no idea how me moving to Colorado would be possible right now, but from the pictures I've seen I bet Colorado would be a nice place to live." However, dispite all this, I felt peace about moving there, and Papa, said "Go for it! You focus on the big things, I'll work out the details." So I took a big breath and said, "Ok, Papa, if you want me to move to Colorado in 2 months I trust you to make it happen. I'll persue it until it happens." So thats where it started.

           A week later I was hired at The Wilderness Club as a housekeeper. They only needed someone for 2 months. A little bit after that I ran into an aquaintance, who had no idea I wanted to go to CO, tell me about her daughter who worked at a National Park all summer and they payed for her room and board, and that I should look for an opportunity like that. I not only took her advise because of the free room and board, but also because a couple weeks earlier Katie, my family, and I went to Glacier National Park, met a worker there off-duty, who told us all about working there, and we talked about how much fun it would be to work in a place like that. This is not anything I've seriously considered before, and so I knew that it popping up twice like that out of nowhere probably was not a coincidence. I googled job opportunities at National Parks in Colorado, and found out that they all are only open during the summer, but that ski resorts are looking for employees for the winter season. I jumped on it and applied to 5 different positions. 4 of those were at a resort in Steamboat Springs, CO, and 1 was at Winter Park, CO. Who would have thought that the only one who was interested was the one in Winter Park? It was the easiest job I ever got. They don't give free housing, but they provide it for cheep, and provide free transportation. I'll be working in the park's food court, doing food prep, and casheir. My supervisor told me that basically all I have to do is smile all the time, act like everyone is my best friend, love on them, and serve them with excelence. So excited I get paid to be me.
         A couple things I was concerned about, however, was the fact that I didnt have any brothers or sisters in Christ there. At least not that I knew of. But I knew that is something God could easily bring me, and prayed for that. I also felt sad that I would not be able to come home for Christmas, and was worried I would have no family to spend Christmas with. When my family and I went to Oklahoma, for my neice's birth, however, I made some beautiful discoveries. Friends of my sister who are real Christians who know love, and the full gospel of Jesus Christ, go to Winter Park frequently in the winter, and their 2 children whome I've met and love, are going to a ministry school about 45mins from the park, and a branch of that ministry is 3miles from the park. Not only that but its a ministry about loving people, one-on-one descipleship, empowering people with who they are and what Christ has given them, and having the Holy Spirit teach people Himself. I hope that I will be able to conect with the people there and possibly volenteer there. Not only that, but the 2 children who are near my age, will be going to Winter Park to go skiing frequently with the school they are in. Not only that, but I found out that the whole family will be spending Christmas at Winter Park, and they invited me to spend Christmas with them! :D Isnt that amazing! Papa is so good. He makes things so simple for us. All we have to do is focus on our dreams; focus on the big stuff, and Papa will work out the details perfectly. :)

While being here in Montana I've gotten the opportunity to let my heart heal from a lot of crap, and get the relationship with God back that I once had. Its been super healthy, and now the Spirit inside me is itching to love on every person I see again. So stoked I get to go out into this world, and be Jesus to people! LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN! :D 

Where Did All Your Posts Go??

If anyone was wondering where all my posts from the past year and a half went....I deleated them. lol At the time I thought I was simply deleating drafts, but I later foundout that I had deleated nearly all my posts. :'( So I apoligize, and if anyone knows how I could get them back, that would be amazing. :)

The Effects of Love

When we love or encounter love, we come alive, because thats what we were made for. And, in fact, people who love, they do so because they know that they are loved.

Love brings out the best in people. Love brings out who we really are. Thats why people always say a girl looks most beautiful when shes in love. She's just being who she really is.

Perfect love casts out all fear so when people are loved unconditionally (perfect love) it makes the fear people have nonsensical. Just like a body pushes out waste, and anything that it doesn't need, or is a danger to the body, a person's spirit will push out fear in the face of love. Love makes fear of being 'you' nonsensical. Not that fear is the only thing keeping people from being who they were created to be, but love diffidently helps brings people into their full potential.

With that being said...what you do or how you are when you have been loving or being loved, is probably what you were made to do, or how you were made to be.

Have you ever seen someone in love who is angry, sad, fearful, or bored?

hhmmmm....

Maybe we were never made for any of that stuff. Of course there is good anger and sadness, but if you are angry or sad for any reason other than love, you were not made for it. For example if you are angry because people are making other people believing lies, than that is good. You love people, and don't want them to be oppressed. If you are angry because Tommy doesn't have any money so you have to pay for his dinner....you were not made for that kind of anger. Anger is there to tell you when something is wrong. It's either going to be something around you, or something in you. But you were never made to be angry outside of love, and thats why you never see anyone in love angry.

Same with sadness and fear. You were never made for it.

From the time I encountered God, and for the first time knew his pure, and genuine love for me, many people have asked me if I am high, drunk, or if they could 'have some', not understanding the reason I act the way I do. Wouldn't you appear high, too if you were able to be the person you were created to be? If you knew how much God loved you, you'd appear to be high on life, too. Why? because your fear would be gone, and you'd be able to be who God created you to be: glorious! [Jhn 17:22] You'll be happy and hopeful for seemingly no reason, and often times against reason. People's first conclusion to this is drugs, but really, its just the effects of love.

Passages Related to This Topic:

1 Jhn 5:7-19

Jhn 17:20-26

Of Passion, Identity, and Freedom

What are you willing to do to set people free?

Are you willing to put down your fears, and take the freedom and the identity God has given you seriously?

Because when you do this, when you believe who God has said you are, and kick fear to the curb, you will see the people around you set free.

I've often heard it said that it is impossible for a Christian to live without passion. When I hear the word 'passionate' I think of a person at a mic yelling, pacing, and speaking with strong conviction. I think of worship leaders singing and playing and pouring out their heart to God. Both these picture are pictures of people with passion, however, my view is changing so that I don't see the actions(yelling, singing, pacing, crying) as the passion as much as the reason why they do the actions. The reason why the actions come is because they are pouring out their heart. They are pouring out who they are.

You will never see a passionate person being fake. What makes a passionate person passionate is how real they are. If you want to be passionate all you have to do is be yourself. Don't try to be like that one passionate guy you saw...just be you. Passionate people are just being themselves to the fullest. They are just showing the world who they are. You don't have to be loud, on a stage, talented, or the center of attention. Just be you wherever you are. It is, however, easy for a passionate person to become the center of attention, because people are attracted to people who are real.

but...passionate people are not afraid to show the world who they are.

They are not afraid of people thinking they are weird, because they are who they are, and they wont change that to please other people. They wont change to make others feel more comfortable. They wont change to blend in. They know there is no one else like them, and they don't expect to blend in. They are who they are and they wont be anybody else.

Rebellion? Strong headed? Arrogant? Rude? Selfish? Perhaps, without God. But when Jesus is the center of who you are, you discover who you were created to be, and you loose all fear of being that person. That is when you start setting people free.

Since Jesus is in the core of who we are, when we be who we are we give people a taste of Jesus. We give them a taste of selfless love, and we bring out the best in them. We bring out what they were created to be like.

See, if you conform to what people expected of you, or would like of you, you are not being yourself, and you are not helping those people. You are under the bondage of what other people think, and are not allowing yourself to be free to be you. In turn, you change nothing. Those people get what they expect(which usually is nothing that will stick out of a crowd), their lives are completely uninterrupted, and there is no change in their lives. They would never see outside their world. BUT if you decide to be you no matter what, you would wake people up from their normal expected life, and give them a taste of the same freedom that you have. To be themselves. This why people follow passionate people. They are real, they are confident, there is no one else like them, and it is easy to be themselves around them.

I've heard it said, "God knows who you are, the angels know who you are, the devil knows who you are, and the creation knows who you are. The only one who doesn't know who you are is you!" Rom 8:21-22 says that all creation is groaning for the sons of God to be revealed. If us walking in our identity will set the creation free, how much more will it set people in bondage free?

So read what Jesus and the disciples have said about you and the reality we live in with Christ (all throughout the New Testament) talk with God, and when you've discovered who you are, be that person, and set people free. And if you already know who you are...awesome! Be that person no matter what! Don't let fear stop you!

Here is a link to my friend's blog, in which he goes into detail of discovering who you are.

http://kcwalsh.blogspot.com/2010/10/who-are-you.html

The Fire In My Heart

Hi friends!

I'm back in San Jose, and I find I'm being much more productive because there is a fire in my heart. Its been burning there for a while now, but its too bright to ignore anymore. It started out not as a fire at all, but as a piece of wood. Slowly it began to get more wood, and then some pine cones, and paper, and then one day, hardly without me knowing, it was lit

on fire. God keeps feeding it and it keeps getting bigger and brighter, and now everyday I can safely say, "this is the hottest its ever been."

I'm going to share with you what this fire is, and I give this revelation to you in this analogy, because I know that those who know me will say its old news and I've gotten it before. It is old news, but in many ways it is new, because God keeps showing me more, and giving me a clearer vision for it. Also, I have to say that although its burning in me, this fire is nothing special. It is a fire God builds in everybody.

My fire is to befriend 'sinners' and give them whatever they need that I have.

When I was in Montana for the holidays, I came to the frightening realization that I had no idea how to act around non-believers. Why? because from the time I left MT. to half way through my visit back to MT( 4 months), I had not hung out with anybody but Christians. Sure I had gone on the streets and to the hospitals to pray for and heal non-believers, but I never actually spent time with them, and just hung out with them like a friend. You see Jesus wasn't known as the 'healer of sinners' or 'the miracle worker of sinners', He was known as 'the friend of sinners'. A friend is someone who sticks around. They are someone who comes to your house just to talk or share a meal. They are the ones you call when you are in trouble. They are the ones you can really trust, and the ones who trust you.

That is what Jesus was, and that is what I want to be. I long to disciple people. I long to give them what I have, because I know thats what they need. This is what I was made for: To love people to life.

I realized that I had been Christian hopping and even surrounding myself with "yes men". This is not healthy, because I was born to change the world, and how can I do that when I'm surrounded by people who don't need me. I have something to give, and am

continuously around people who don't need what I have. I want to connect with people who need what I have to give; what I am burning to give. Not many people. Two or three would satisfy this fire for now. Two or three people whose lives will be completely transformed.

This fire is burning so hot within' me that when I am in a setting in which I am surrounded by fellow Christians (whom I love) I find myself grossly unsatisfied. I have a need to give away this joy and love I've been given so freely.

The problem I have right now is how to befriend a 'sinner' in San Jose without going to school or having a job or a car. I have thought of many ideas, some more practical than others, but nothing that seems very workable. At this point I am seriously contemplating getting a job. However, since I don't have a car it might be kind of hard, but who said it had to be easy? If anyone has any ideas PLEASE share!

Much love to you all!

The God of all Hope..

"Hope is the joyful anticipation of good. Any area of our lives that doesn't have hope is possessed by a lie."

The first part of this quote by Bill Johnson is probably the best definition of hope that I've ever heard, and the second part is something that has encouraged me, and at the same time I have questioned if its really true. But by what the Bible says and my own experience, Its been proven that this is quite true. If there is anything in my life that I do not look at with joyful anticipation, then I am believing a lie.

Earlier today, I had very little hope at all. There was no real love in my heart for most of the people I was around, I didn't want to change the world, I didn't want to love people, and all I wanted to do were things that would make me feel comfortable. This was the result of not continually renewing my mind. All of these things show that I didn't have hope, and that I was believing lies. The Bible says that the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as our self [Matt 22:39]. We can not do this without hope. I was remembering earlier today when I looked at a person, I did not look at them with joyful anticipation of good. I did not look at them with hope. My mindset at that time was possessed by a lie that people don't really matter, and I am powerless to help them, and what will happen in their lives will happen. It said, whatever problems they have I'm probably right in there with them. Those are the lies that took away my hope for people and for myself. This is just one example.

I once heard my friend, Dennis Bontrager say, "Everyone wants hope. That's why Obama is president." and as I took a look at the Bible, I soon realized that the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is hope. Over and over again in the gospels hope is encouraged, and in many cases the word "hope" is even used in the place of "Jesus":

"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews."~ Acts 26:6-7 [emphasis added]

Hope, rejoicing and 'looking forward' to what is to come is continually encouraged throughout the New Testament. I think I've often looked at this as simply 'encouragement', and never realized that to the authors of those books, 'hope' was quite tangible. Hope isn't just to think better about your rotten circumstances, but it is an actually reality. We can joyfully anticipate good in every area of our lives because "anything is possible for him who believes," [Mark 9:23], and as Paul so clearly puts it,

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." [Acts 15:13] [emphasis added]

We should have joyful anticipation of good wherever we go, whatever we do, and whomever we encounter. If we don't we are believing a lie and need to renew our minds.

Love

Its been said many time by Christians everywhere, "Lord, I want to know you more." Let me tell you you will not know him more by telling him such things. If you truly desire to know the heart of God, then get out into the places where un-churched people are, because according to the Bible, and my own experience, this is where the heart of God is.

It is continuously recorded that Jesus hung out with the "tax collectors and sinners". Let me just tell you straight up that he wouldn't of hung out

there if he didn't like it. In fact when Jesus was questioned why he did this he said, "Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick" [Matt 9:12] Jesus obviously loved to go out of his way, and even ruin his own reputation to love on those who had not known love: those rejected by any of the "righteous" of the day. Who knew that righteousness was actually love and grace to those who don't deserve it?

People.

The people that Jesus died for look very different from each other.

They are of all different races and religions. Their skin could be any color. They are far from perfect people. You see them on the street corner, or at the grocery store. They are hotel managers, landlords, alcoholics, and abusive fathers. They are CEOs, and slum dogs. They are the people you see in the magazines, and even your own family. They are every person. Even you and I.

That is where you will find the heart of God.

This is where all his passions and desires are. Every hope and dream is for those people. Every thought he has, every decision he makes, every act he does is for them. He even allowed his own son to die that they might live. All of his dreams are for them. And WE are his dreams!!

It all started with a sneeze. In the household I live in it has been realized that we are already blessed since Jesus died for us, and that saying "bless you" will not make you more blessed. Rather we declare into each other's lives specific blessings. Usually money. So with this sneeze, It was declared that I'd be given $15,000. I responded that I if I was given $15,000 I would have no idea what I'd do with so much money, and quickly realized that that was probably why I wasn't given it. With the help of a friend, I soon realized I didn't know what I'd do with even $10. The first things that came to my mind was the ticket I need to go to India for my sister's wedding, and the ticket to go to South Africa for a missions trip, and the rest I'd just put in the bank for my living expenses.

When I asked other people what they would do with $15,000, some knew exactly what they would do, and others were not quite so sure, but all of them would use it for the good of other people. I was ashamed as my selfishness was disclosed. I had always thought that if God gave you money that it was for yourself. However, now I understand that I am a dream of God, and God dreams for the good of people. So if you have a need and God gives you money, than use it for the need first. That is okay. But then take the leftovers and fulfill a dream of God with it! Weather that means paying someone's car payment, or building an orphanage to transform hundreds of lives, use the money you have to help other people.

This is also necessary in EVERY area of our lives. I began to realize throughout my day how much I hold back from people, and how much I'd rather give to myself. Jesus said, "greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." [John 15:13] He also said, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."[Matt 10:39]

sake

–noun

1. cause

2.purpose or end

If you lay down your life for your friends you will actually find your life because Jesus' cause, purpose, and end is love.

As 1Cor 13 so clearly states, you can do plenty of good deeds and good works, but if your motivation isnt love, than its pointless. You can disciple people, heal people, hug people, pray etc. but if you are only doing it to make yourself look good, or make yourself famous, then its meaningless. You must do it for the good of other people.

From now on I am dedicating my life to live for other people before myself. I live to make other people great. I live to make other people happy. I live to get other people to dream, and to dream big, because anything is possible with love, and He lives inside me.

Whats up with me in California.

As many of you know, I left Eureka, to go to the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, Ca. It was an exciting move, and I made many good friends, but it wasn’t long before I realized that the school was not what I wanted. All I wanted was a raw and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, unhindered and not influenced by religion, or a need to perform. I realized I couldn’t get that in Redding, so I moved in with Sue Ellen and Dennis in San Jose, California. Just so you all know, I prayed a lot about this before I made the decision and got the counseling of several different people as well. Now I’m having the time of my life just perusing the heart of God!

In my short life I’ve discovered by my own experience and by the word of God, that one of God’s favorite things to do is love on people who don’t know his love. So we often go to the mall and show people the love of God. We especially enjoy loving on and building relationships with the employees and managers so we not only give them an encounter with God, but can come back and teach them what to do with that encounter as well.

The other day we went to the mall, and we were going from shop to shop talking to the managers and employees, and telling them that if they need healing or a miracle in their lives to come down to the food court, because that’s were our church meets (we got permission from the mall to do this). One of the stores we went into was a shoe store, and the manager asked that we wait until he wasn’t busy and pray for him. So we wait awhile. While we were waiting we talked to an employee. We ended up sitting him down on a chair, having him put his legs out so we could see if they were the same size. The left leg was about an inch shorter than the right. One of the guys I was with said, “left leg grow out.” And it grew out instantly. The guy’s friend insisted it was a trick, so we sat the guy down again, and asked him if he wanted to be taller. He said yes, so we commanded each leg individually to grow out, and they did. About an inch each. The friend didn’t really know what to say to that.

We got tiered of waiting, so we left, and found a Mexican guy who was walking with a cane. He couldn’t speak much English, but he communicated that he had pain in nearly every joint in his body. So after we prayed, his wife took his cane from him, and he started to walk. He turns around and says, “bueno, muy bueno.” I will never forget the look on his face. It was the look you only see when people are encountered by love. I asked if anyone else in his family needed prayer. His wife had back pain. So I told the pain to go, and commanded the back to be healed, and it was, and the lady’s eyes were filled with tears. Her grand daughter (the only one who spoke English), translated that her grandma had felt something come over her when I prayed. It was the Holy Ghost. We all gave praise to Jesus, gave hugs goodbye, and went on our way. We watched the littlest granddaughter dance away with her grandfather’s cane, and big smiles on everyone’s face.

It was amazing for me to see that even though we couldn’t have a conversation with them, we could communicate to them the love of Jesus, and the goodness of God. I know we changed their lives, and we didn’t even have to speak their language, because no matter our ethnicity, religion, language, background, we were all made for the same thing: the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

We returned to the shoe shop and the manager nearly yells at us for leaving. He insisted again we stay until we can pray for him. So we did. He wanted us to pray for his son who had a broken leg, and for his business. He didn’t consider himself a Christian, but he certainly believed. We prayed, and even though we didn’t see instant change, I know we will hear good news next time we see him. He was deeply touched, and I know we had just met another brother in Christ.

There are many other similar stories. People are frequently being saved and added into the kingdom! Its amazing that this is what we get to be apart of. I feel like a matchmaker. All I do is hook people up with Jesus.

I'll try and post more about whats going on everyday.