Kingdom Tales

A Donkey's Tale

2011-08-03T08:01:00.003+09:30

Many of you know I was held up a about 4 months ago, and after that experience I knew God was teaching me so much through that and even after it. (For an account of the actual hold-up, please email me and I will send it.)

After some time of seeking Him and asking what was next, I woke up one morning with this thought:

"Be the donkey. "

Huh?

"Be the donkey"

It seemed clear that God was saying something but I couldn't quite figure out what He meant.

As I went though the day and wondered what in the world...
humble as a....? Do the work of a....? As stable and plodding as a a...? Stubborn as a...? I studied donkeys on line, I went all over the internet wondering what the Spirit was saying.

I realized none of this had to do with what the Spirit was saying and I thought then of Balaam's donkey. Yes, yes...if God can use that, He can surely use this ignorant woman to speak through... that must be what He meant.

The thought did not leave me for days. "Be the donkey."

We were preparing to go to Cuba, a place that moves my spirit to the core. We collected the equipment that would be packed into 33 suitcases we knew we may not be able to get through. At that time we were reading about the American man who took one suitcase with him with a forbidden piece of equipment and is now the guest of the Cuban government in a jail for 15 years. It was sobering, but we had no doubt we were to go and take all the equipment. As I prayed for wisdom, discernment and safety and asked Him what my part in this trip was: "Be the donkey," came the answer.

One of the members of our staff, Chuy, Margarita's father, is elderly and he had an attack and fell and we had to rush him to the hospital. He was there several days and one Sunday morning, quite early, I was asked to take the car to the hospital to pick up his wife, as she had taken care of him during the night at the downtown clinic.

It is highly unusual for me to have the car at all. And to be driving it downtown on a Sunday morning around 7 am, alone? A first since arriving in San Cristobal.

As I drove through downtown area, it was packed! There were people everywhere, on the sidewalks, in the streets. "How odd," I thought, " I wonder what was going on."

As I drove on I noticed they were all carrying green plant-like things. Tall, small, big and bulky, some braided wreaths. I realized they were palm branches, and they were everywhere, in every hand. People going back and forth, rushing to mass with long palms in their arms. I rolled down the windows and I could hear church bells ringing. Palms brushed my car as vendors offered to sell me some.

Of course. Palm Sunday in Mexico.

As I slowly drove through the people and the palms I was transported to that day so long ago, Jesus riding through Jerusalem. People in town for the passover caught a glimpse of him.

"Who started it?" I wondered, " Who said it first? Who grabbed his cloak and threw it on the ground for His little donkey to step on and yelled "Hosannah!" knowing the Messiah had come? Who grabbed a baby blanket and put it down, knowing the Messiah was coming through? Who used his cloak? did the same thing? Who was the first to think " "I have nothing! Oh wait, here's a palm!"

As I slowly drove down the street and watched the people it was easy for me to picture our precious Jesus, on the little donkey, riding through the city with the throngs around him laying down their palms and yelling joyfully .... the sadness He must have felt knowing they didn't really know who He was, or understand His Kingdom. The profound knowing that they would turn on him in just a few days and scream "Crucify Him! " I pictured Him loving them with a love only He knows, a love that only God is capable of, a love that is all-powerful and welcomes the weakness of man into His arms. He was all God so He knew what was coming, He was all man so he could not have welcomed the thought of the cross. As I turned and got on another street and I away from the crowds I had tears in my eyes as I imagined Him saying to Himself "They are worth it."

I couldn't shake that picture from my mind and that night as I pulled out my Bible and journal.

When the now familiar thought came to my mind, "Be the donkey." I understood.

"Carry me, Bonnie. Take me where I want to go. You may never have to say a word. Balaam's donkey did, but you may never have to." I understood that when the "Hosanna's" ring out and when the palms cover the ground, they are not for me, they are for Him. The suffering that's coming is not for me, He will take it on. There are parts of the world where no one knows Him, there are homes that He has never been invited to enter. Wherever I go, wherever He sends me, I take Him... and He does the rest.

What a privilege, to take Him where He wants to go, to 'be the donkey' that carries the Master. A task not reserved solely for me.... anyone who loves Him can and take Him to unreached byways of Cuba, the villages of Chiapas, or the unreached jungles of their job or their neighborhood.

Anyone one of us can be His donkey, we just have to be willing to carry Him wherever life takes us. And that is all He asks of us "Take me wherever you go." He will do the rest.

Dancing toward the Kingdom

2010-08-04T07:45:00.006+09:30

The Bible says that the enemy will be overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! As I read that the Old Testament says that there is power in the telling and retelling of what God has done in our lives, He has put in me a hunger to know people’s stories. As I asked people in Cuba to tell their stories, I became aware of the one fact: It seems- I know how amazing this is- it seems that the Holy Spirit was a missionary in Cuba in the 90’s! He seemed to go and find the people to bring them to the feet of Jesus!

I don’t want to talk politics…. I am in fear of putting people in danger so many times there are pictures I cannot show or there will be blurred faces. But the Cuban people feel like the world has forgotten them… let me share with you their stories so you can see that God knows right where they are and He is seeking them out!

We were at a small church one Sunday in Cuba. The amazing, fast-moving, jubilant Cuban music started and an older lady at the front started dancing. She never stopped dancing, clapping for as long as the music continued in the sweltering church. For over 2 hours, there was joy in her face and she moved and danced all over the church in her special, private kind of worship.

After the church service ended I went up to her- I couldn’t wait to hug her! I looked into her twinkling eyes and I asked her name… She told me and we grinned at each other. I said, “I love your dancing! I love your joy!”

“Yo bailé hasta los pies de Cristo,” She said in that clipped, speedy way the Cubans have of speaking Spanish. ("I danced all the way to the feet of Jesus!")

“Cuénteme!” I smiled, “Tell me!”

Here she is with a young man she has brought with her to Jesus

“It was 1998,” She told me, “I was on my way to a dance. In Cuba we celebrate the Fiesta de Santa Bárbara on Dec 3rd. I knew there would be music and dancing and lots and lots of rum. My husband had left me several years before. I had supported my children on my own. I had no man and no joy and no life. My elderly mother liked to see me happy and pretty and I was all dressed up and I knew I looked goooood!” her blue eyes twinkled. “I went by my mother’s so she could see me and I smiled big and danced her through the living room so she would see how happy I was. The only times she ever saw me smile was when I was on my way to a dance- excited about meeting the men, drinking the rum and dancing the night away. I tucked a blanket around her legs and said goodnight and I left. I remember hearing the music from the street party and dancing toward it. I got to this small intersection up here and I clearly remember turning right, towards the dance. But the next thing I knew I was sitting on the front bench of this very church. I don’t know how I got here but the people told me later I danced all the way down the aisle as they were singing hymns! Bet they didn’t know what to do with me! “ She winked.

“A man stood up at the front and began to talk about a someone called Jesus. I couldn’t sit still! I jumped up and said “ Who needs a man? They all leave!”
The man at the front answered, “He says He will never leave you nor forsake you!’
“Yeah, but he’s probably a liar!” I yelled.
The man answered “He is not a man that he should lie!"
“What can he give me?’ I asked,
“Hope," The man, answered, "Abundant life, and best of all- eternal life with Him."
"If you can get me some hope, a real life, I want some of that!" I yelled out.The man (the pastor of the church, I later learned) laughed and said "Get on up here!"

Counseling at one of the campaigns

I ran to the front and knelt down and prayed to accept Jesus. I have been walking with Him, singing with Him and dancing for Him since that very moment. My life is full of joy, and hope. That very night my mother accepted Him also when I went home and told her- she died soon after that. Jesus let me dance all the way to this place and to His feet and I will never stop thanking Him!”

I wish I could convey the joy in her step, the twinkle in her eye and the hope in her heart. “Hope is not something my people have a lot of," She said, “But Jesus knows no borders- when no one else could or would come, He took me by the hand and danced me all the way to Him.”

And they dance together still.

Tales from other places...

2010-07-24T09:32:00.001+09:30

Cuba….

Margarita Looking out over Havana

I remember many years ago, probably around 1965, my parents, my brother and I were walking on the beach, in the evening in the state of Veracruz where we lived. As it began to get dark my dad picked me up and pointed toward the northeast, over the water, and said “Over there is a little island. They sure are in trouble. I pray for them every day.” “What’s wrong?” I asked. “They need Jesus, “he said. Like all of us- they need Jesus. Lord willing, before I die, I want to take Jesus to Cuba.”

He was never able to do that. But he prayed for Cuba frequently and I believe that prayer never left his heart.And I... I'm the one who got to go! Such unmerited, undeserved favor!

Trash pick up

I can hardly believe I had the privilege of being there, of getting to know so many people and yes, of sharing Jesus with the people of Cuba. I want to tell you some of the stories. They won’t be political. They will just be people-stories. Stories of what Christ has done in the lives of people who feel the word has forgotten them.

But God… God has not abandoned them!

We honored our promise to the US to not be tourists- the last day, of training, we got to briefly drive by a beach and we got to take a quick look...

I’m sharing Cuba pictures with you… next I’ll share some stories.

Entering the Kingdom

2010-04-15T10:48:00.002+09:30

Kingdom Kids Christmas, is the name of the project.
So why in the world am I talking about it in April??
Because God is STILL working through what has happened last December. Those backpacks are STILL opening doors, people are still coming to Jesus through their message!
Let me tell you some of the stories…but first, what happened and how this year started.

This is a dream that began in Michele’s heart 10 years ago, to provide 60 children a paper bag with toys, cookies and candy for Christmas. It has now grown into 20,000 backpacks and changed lives!!

This year’s impact began in December and continues to this day!! The reports are in: 57,000 people heard the message of salvation because of the KKC backpacks this year! 8,290 children and their parents accepted Jesus as their savior!

I can write and write and write…. But I think every picture will tell stories I am unable to voice- such is their impact! So I will show you pictures and will begin to share with you a few of the testimonies!

From Mpio de Huixtan:
...there was a family that was expelled from Ejido Lazaro Cárdenas, Municipality of Huixtan. They left with their children- 4 girls and 1 boy. Several families had the option of leaving their belief in Christ or being expelled from their village. This one family chose Christ, and they were told to leave with only the clothes they had on. When they received the backpacks they were very happy. They say there is no doubt that God cares for His own. They are living in a shelter we have made for them for now. They but they have been a faithful example of the faith that they have in God.

From Nuevo Guadalupe:
Some of the children who had registered for backpacks had to walk one hour each way to receive them. They didn’t arrive alone; they came with their parents and another girl with her grandmother. They all heard the message of salvation and they all accepted Christ as savior. The entire group has invited us to come to their village to begin worship services in their home.

From Iglesia del Nazareno:
Alexis is 9 years old, his father died of alcoholism. His mother lives but she is an alcoholic. She didn’t want her children to go to church. Alexis came and accepted the Lord, and now he has returned with his older sister and 3 younger brothers and sisters. He says that even though they live in someone’s patio in a cardboard home, he is happy because he is new in Christ. We are certain that he will soon bring his mother with him to church, for the glory of God.

We have hundreds of pictures and testimonies... it is very difficult to match up the pictures to the testimonies because some of them come from the villages and the pastors are unable to send us pictures- but also there is severe persecution in this area and sometimes we must be careful.

And Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near

2010-03-27T12:57:00.006+09:30

I must, simply must, share some of the sights of the Kingdom Kids project. I had never been able to be here at this time of the year, though I had helped to raise money to support it in the US. What a privilege I have been given, not only to have a front-row seat but to be a part of this move of God!

The first step of the process is that pastors have to come to bring us a list of the children for whom they want backpacks. We set aside 3 days for them to come, we told them we would open the doors at 10. The first day we opened the doors and looked out and the line went on...
and on...
and on..
….and on.
They came in and we went over lists with them…
One by one,
by one
by one.
By 6 pm when we closed down, we had requests for over 38,000 backpacks. And we still had pastors knocking at the doors.

One man I met with, I will never forget. I asked him where he was from and he told me a village I had never heard of. I asked him how far it was and he told me he had to take the “Nissan” (the mountain villages’ form of public transportation) at 2 in the morning in order to be able to get to the next town, and then take a bus to the next town, to get a minivan to our town. He arrived by 7 am top our doors- he wanted to be in line because he was afraid we would run out of backpacks.

When I saw him it was 2:45 in the afternoon!

When I saw his list I was gulping back tears. He was asking for 24 backpacks. He was willing to travel over and wait in line for over 12 hours to get 24 backpacks for the children in his church! (Would I have done that? I wondered?)

He anxiously asked me if he had made it, if he was going to get them. When I said “Yes, ” he asked how much he had to pay. When I told him "Nothing, they are free for you." He began to weep and we cried together.

I knew as I sat there looking at his tiny handwritten little sheet, that the Kingdom of heaven was near. We do so little with so much…. Here, they do so much with so little.
To you all who prayed, or came to help, or gave- thank you!

I want you to see pictures of the days the pastors came back to pick up their filled backpacks- 18,000 of them. You have never seen such joy!

These backpacks open doors to places where there is utter darkness- where the light of Christ has not been seen. They open doors to villages where we had never been allowed before, and they make their way into homes where there is no hope- all the while proclaiming in bright yellow, red and blue: Cristo me Ama (Christ loves me).

They are loaded up with pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, erasers, cookies, a doll, a truck- but they have something else as well: a message of hope. You see, when each backpack is handed out the children who receive it- and many times- their parents as well, get to hear that Jesus loves them, that He died on the cross for them- that they are special to the God of the universe and that He has the greatest gift of all for them: eternal life with Him.

You. You made this possible. We are so very grateful. So moved. So thankful to God for the vision and to you for making it happen.

Next, I want to tell you about the children…

I can’t wait to tell you about them!

Catching up with the Kingdom....

2010-03-21T14:22:00.007+09:30

"The problem with blogs," People told me, "Is that the people writing them lose interest and then stop writing. Obviously, the people reading them, quit looking for a new post. There zillions of blogs lying dormant in blog-heaven."

“Well, not mine!” I thought! “I am so excited about what God is doing, I WILL use my blog to stay in touch and people from all over the place will read it to be excited with me about what God is doing wherever He sends me, through-out the world!”

Well. Here I am. Five months after my last entry, desperately wondering what in the world happened.

(By the way, I’m grinning from ear to ear as well because so many of you have told me: “Are you EVER going to write in it again???”)Thanks for noticing my absence…. And thanks for your prayers as God has been working and we have been huffing and puffing to keep UP!!

Personal notes- let me get them out of the way and then we are back to what in the world God is doing to further His kingdom and fulfill His purpose from my little point of view!

I went San Antonio for 1 month- thank you to all of you who received me in your homes, churches, Sunday School classes, at your tables in a restaurant or sat with me on the floor as I shared about what God is doing in Chiapas, Mexico! ( I still owe profuse apologies to Ann Rutherford because the day we were going to meet I was tired and took something (like Red Bull?) to keep me awake and…. When you add that massive caffeine to my already wired state of mind about the miracles and joy I am a part of….well. Needless to say, my friend from Virginia probably had no idea what loco steam roller blasted through her hotel room chattering 100 miles an hour about the people, the passion, the persecution and the purpose of what God is doing here. Let’s do it again Ann… without the Red Bull!)

I had to turn around to go back to San Antonio a few days after arriving in Chiapas, because it was determined that I should sell my home. Blessedly, the ministry paid to fly me back. I will sum up the wonderful story of God’s provision and miracles with these words: God sold my home.

But there was also the realization that I have joined a fellowship of which many people I admire are a part: That little group of people who has more invested in heaven than on earth. What had been a blessing for a season could have become a burden- and now it is gone. Placed into the hands of a wonderful Christian couple for whom it is a blessing.

What an awesome God we serve!

I am reminded of Jesus’ wordsin Matthew 6: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And now…. Let me tell you some Kingdom Tales….

(to be continued, very soon!)

"For of Such is the Kingdom..."

2009-10-22T09:21:00.016+09:30

I am excited to see what God is doing in the mountain villages and towns of Chiapas, Mexico! In the US we seem to do so little with so much...here I see them do so much, with so very little!

Soon after I got to San Cristobal, we had what Harvest Evangelistic calls VBS of a Lifetime. Volunteers from outlying towns come to help us put together materials that HEA and Rebecca Archer of Arrow International Ministry have been working on, praying over, collecting, buying, cutting and preparing for over a year. Over 250 pastors and their childrens' leaders gathered together under the HEA roof and they learned how to use the materials at the Vacation Bible Schools they would be holding all through the summer.

We handed out material for 25,000 children, and the results are in: Over 10,180 children and moms and dads were saved!

I have had the privilege of being at several of these VBS’ and now that the testimonies have come in, I couldn’t wait to share some of them with you!

There is the teacher that shared with us about Osvaldo...they call him "El Pelos". "He comes every year," they told us, "but he fights with all the children and he always steals the offerings. This year none of the teachers wanted to invite him, so we decided to pray for him right after your seminar. We prayed in agreement and then we invited him to come. The first day of VBS he gave His heart to Jesus and it was a joy to see him be a model student this year! We watched as he would go forward to pray at the altar every day with reverence."

When little Cristina learned in "Promesas, Promesas!" that God keeps His promises, she was excited! She had lived with her grandmother all her life, and she wanted to meet her mother. She asked the teachers if they would pray with her, and they all gathered and prayed for Cristina to met her mom. A few days later, Cristina's Mother came to the village to meet her daughter! All the family was amazed, but not Cristina, she knows He keeps His promises, and He promised to answer prayer. Now she is praying for her entire family to accept Jesus as she has done.

“Memito is a tiny 5 – year old and he got up at 4 every morning to milk the cows so he could be at VBS. He never missed a day.”

“The parents came to closing day, 79 accepted the Lord as their savior and now we have started a new church in this tiny village.”

“Gabriel’s neighbors were not allowed to go to VBS so he made a puppet with his own materials and money, and every day he taught his 7 neighbors the lessons and shared his crafts with them. All 7 children accepted the Lord as their savior! Gabriel is 7 years old.”

“There were gypsies camped nearby and they all came to VBS. All the men accepted Jesus and they all made sure their children came every day. After VBS they have continued to come faithfully to our church.”

From a church deep in the mountains: “Carmita is 4 years old and her father is an alcoholic. She accepted the Lord as her savior together with her sister Josefina, who is 6. After Carmita and Josefina accepted the Lord as their savior, they begged their parents to come with them to VBS. They got up very early in the morning, and the girls gathered firewood for the day so that the parents would agree to go come with them. They walked a long way, but when their parents heard the Bible stories, they also accepted the Lord as their savior. Now the whole family comes together to the church services, and they are a great testimony to the community and to their relatives.”

What a joy to be here to pack the bags, sort the crayons, weigh the glitter and wrap the candy for 25,000 children to hear about Jesus! Even as I write this Rebecca of Arrow International Ministry is writing the lessons for next year and plans are being made to continue to preach His precious message of salvation in places where no one has heard that salvation is free and available to all who believe!

Our current project is Kingdom Kids Christmas- we will hand out 20,000 backpacks with toys and school supplies to children who have so little- sharing not only the kindness Jesus preached, but the message of salvation. Please pray for this huge project, and if you can share this video with everyone you know, you'll also be helping to further the gospel in the villages of the jungles and mountains of Chiapas, Mexico!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SgXCjGLpMY

For more info regarding Kingdom Kids please go to:
www.harvestevangelistic.org

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

Your Kingdom Come

2009-10-04T06:45:00.008+09:30

When I first arrived in Chiapas last June, Margarita was praying for Agusto’s wife, Elizabeth, who was feeling a little under the weather. I joined in, we all did. Agusto is one of the film Evangelism workers. We got on the bus and traveled about 2 ½ hours to pray for her. As I laid hands on her the thought came to me “She will be called an oak of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of my splendor. “ “Oh, God is going to heal her!” I thought. I shared this with her, and we prayed with joy.

I began to find out about her. She was 26, married since the age of 14, not at all unusual among the Tzeltals. She and Agusto have 5 beautiful children. She loves the Lord with a passion and she told Him she wants her life to bring Him glory. She and the children were planning on going with Agusto to the jungle to preach to the Chol Indians during the month of August. She couldn’t wait to get better to do all this.

As the weeks went on, we kept hearing news that didn’t sound good. She felt worse. She and her husband has gone to Dr. after Dr. and she was growing weaker. We went to pray for her a couple more times, again I heard in my Spirit “She will be called an oak of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of my splendor. “ Oh, she will be healed! I was excited, and I kept sharing that with her. I held her hand, looked into her eyes, and we smiled knowing healing was coming. She told me how she met her husband, then how she met her Lord. What an amazing spirit this woman has!

She went to a hospital in the town of Villahermosa and we drove 3-4 hours each way to pray for her and to encourage her. She was in pain, wasting away, but excited and waiting for healing. “When He heals me,” She said, “ I will never stop praising His name and talking about Him!” And then the diagnosis came. Cancer. Not long to live. No chemo, too late. Too advanced. The Dr. recommended she go home to die.

But… did I not hear? Did we not pray? Can you not heal her, Father? Does your word not say ‘What is impossible for man is possible for God’, ‘Heal me oh lord, and I will be healed’ ‘Come boldly into the throne of grace..” Oh, we have prayed! With her, and away from her. We have people praying in the Philippines and Africa, Mexico, Paraguay, Argentina and the US- people of faith. Doubtless, you have received emails from me asking for prayer!

Yesterday was her 27th birthday. She is now on medication so she doesn’t have the searing pain, and she can walk all by herself. We took her a cake and had “mole” and sang Happy Birthday to her. She looks radiant, now that she feels better. But how she feels is not how she is. The cancer is invading her entire body, the tumors are growing, and even protruding. She is peaceful, she is ready to go home.

She says she will never stop praising her wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If He heals her, she will praise Him on earth. If He doesn’t, she will praise Him in heaven. I thought as she spoke, “She is beautiful! She is truly radiant! She is, already, displaying His splendor!” She has a treasured cloth bag hanging by her bed. It is full of the things she has collected to have buried with her. Pictures of her babies. Her husband. Her mama. A worn, tattered Bible.

We laid hands on her, and we prayed. I personally prayed, again, “Father, heal her.” And as I prayed that prayer, the thought came to me “Pray the way I taught you to pray.” As we drove home yesterday day I kept pondering… “Pray the way I taught you…” What did He mean? What is He referring to?

Oh no, not that! Not that particular prayer! How did He teach us to pray? He said, when you pray, pray like this: “Your will be done, here on this little planet, exactly the same as it in done heaven….” Just like He taught.

I believe He can heal. I believe He will withhold no good thing from those whose walk is upright, I believe that the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and He delivers them….

…..but what do I do with a God that doesn’t heal? What do I do when I can’t explain what Jesus is doing? Will I remain true when He doesn’t stop a tragedy?

A good friend reminded me of John the Baptist. There he was, believing. Waiting. He announced the Messiah, then was arrested and waited in prison for Him to come save him. He sent out word to Jesus “Where are you? Are you who I thought you were?" and Jesus answered, “I’m busy healing the sick , raising the dead" (my paraphrase) “See what I’m doing.” And then He adds, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” I thought of this, stunned.

Will I continue to cling to Him when His answer to my fervent prayer is “No!”?Can I still love and believe Him when He seems cold, aloof and uncaring?

Will I choose to love and obey Him when I don’t understand Him?

Oh, my spirit has been heavy as I have wrestled with this. “Yes, I do believe you, but why don’t you….?”

And finally, tonight: I will. I will always believe in you, Father, even when I don’t understand. I know you are kind and fair and just, merciful and full of grace, even when I don’t think I see it.

Through human tears, I am now able to wholeheartedly pray as You have taught us:
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

Sharing His Kingdom

2009-08-29T13:44:00.004+09:30

I got an email today from a friend. She wrote “I am doing good, just in awe of the life you are living. Still do not think I could, especially the physical part, I would have to take up an exercise program. I do feel however that when my job ends here I will move towards the life that is more fulfilling than the one I am leading now. “

It has been running through my spirit all day. What DOES it take to serve God? I love what I am doing, but am I making my friend and others think if you can’t leave the country and hike a mountain you are not significant to the Kingdom of God?

We did hike a mountain, or some very large hills. I think of it dying my way up rather than making my way up the mountain. We were motivated- we had loads of supplies to bring to three widows whose husbands were killed for preaching the gospel. We also had a campaign planned in the church- we brought puppets, and we brought hope. We are taking His Kingdom to the people,” I thought.

We made our way up there and we prayed for the widows, who are still active in the church. Then we made our way to the church. I sat down under a tree near the shade-grown coffee next to a lady and tried to speak with her- I know about 5 words in Tzletal and I was determined to use them all. Your blouse is beautiful, “ I said. She smiled and said “Thank you.” “Did you embroider it?” She nodded. “How long does it take to make a blouse like this? “ Three months,” she answered. I was stunned “Three months? Not three weeks?” She laughed, and we counted up to 90 together…90 days. I knew they sold the blouses when they went down the mountain for $150 pesos- about $13. A while later I was doing something else and she came back to me with a translator.. He told me she wanted to run home, two hills away, and put on her old blouse so she could give me hers- I said "No, no thank you but no, I can’t let her do that!" Through the translator she explained "You don't understand, I have this one and one other! I have two! Who needs two blouses? I want to give this one to you!”

A couple of night later we were ministering to the Lacandone Indians. It was late and there was a woman sitting in front of us who had two little ones. One was wrapped up in her shawl; the other was on her lap. She kept moving like she was uncomfortable. Missy, who came down with the Lubbock group, was sitting next to me and she asked “Do you think she would give me her baby to hold?” “I whispered back “Probably not.” A couple of minutes later I thought “Why not ask her?” I stood and leaned over her and said “She wants to help with your baby, would that be ok?” She nodded gratefully, and Missy took her baby. Soon the invitation came, and I had to leave the area to minister to women who had come forward. When I went back to our seat I found Missy deep in prayer for the baby- and his Mom standing up front with a counselor! When she came back I hugged her and asked “Why did you go up front?” She smiled shyly. “Did you accept the Lord as your Savior?” She nodded “Yes, yes, I did. I’m so happy.”

What does it take to bring the Kingdom to someone? Sometimes it takes leaving your home. And dying your way up a mountain, yes.

But others?

Other times it means giving away your blouse to a stranger because you have two.

Or holding a baby for someone so that she can be free to make a decision that will change her life.

You don’t have to travel the world, or hike, or get sweaty or go deal with snakes to take the Kingdom to others. The Bible- the absolute word on His Kingdom- says “Blessed are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”

My answer to my friend who wrote me and to you who are thinking, “ I love what she’s doing, but I could never do that!” is: You don’t have to do! Share His word, share His Kingdom, share His love with everyone you know wherever you are- start where you are, and keep going! “When we offer ourselves as instruments for God’s purpose, we create opportunities for others to experience God through us.”* There is no feeling like that in the world.

I’m wondering…how can you make yourself available to His Kingdom this very day, right where you are?

Who can you touch in Jesus’ name?

Whose baby can YOU hold?

*e.r.mcmanus.

Lessons from a Pack Trip in the Sierra

2009-08-16T13:35:00.003+09:30

A few days ago we packed up a mountain to take supplies to 3 widows and to take some of God’s kingdom to a remote village called “Kantajtic”. We went with a combined mission team from Lubbock and Oklahoma City- an amazing group of people with a true servant’s heart. More about this amazing week later.

The Bible teaches that God wastes nothing of our lives- He saves every tear, takes our mourning and turns it to oil of gladness, our ashes He turns to beauty, He takes up the rags of our despair and he sews them into a garment of praise. Frankly, the 3 hours up and the 1 hour going down these mountains were, for me, 4 of the most physically challenging hours of my life. I want to share with you the lessons He taught me through that excruciating, blessed, awesome day. It’s very possible that you are on a climb of your own, dealing with your own mountains. I pray the lessons He taught me will help you on your climb.

1. Don’t go alone- take a guide who has been there before. The One ahead of you knows the way, make sure you follow and stay on the right path.

2. Take small steps. You have longer legs and feel like it would be easier to take larger steps- the One you’re following knows you must take small steps, because it’s the only way you’ll make it.

3. You feel like you can’t breathe; like you’re not going to make it- you want to give up and go back. Take heart: He’s taking you places you have never been before- places you could never go without Him. Keep going.

4. Don’t look up at the top of the mountain- keep your eyes on the footprints of the One you are following. If you do in a moment of weakness look up- don’t let fear tell you how big that mountain is. Tell the mountain how big your God is!

5. That man ahead of you who is telling you this is the last of the steep climbs- He’s probably lying; the God who tells you no matter how many steep climbs there are ahead, He will get you through them- He is Truth. Listen to Him.

6. God really does inhabit the praises of His people. When you can’t breathe- praise. When you can’t see- praise. When you think you can’t go on- keep praising. He is there- and He will show up and give you the strength to keep going.

7. What feels excruciating to you may not be as hard for others. Stop comparing yourself and keep going. They may be 30 years younger or 30 lbs lighter. When God called YOU to this mountain He knew you weren't a Russian gymnast- and yet He has promised to fulfill His purpose through you.

8. When you get to the top, stop for a moment. Look back in wonder and thanksgiving and admire the incredible view. Few people ever get the chance to hear the birds sing this way, to experience this kind of view, to feel that fragrance laden-breeze upon their face. Bask in His presence and…. look forward again- because there is always another mountain.

But the One who got you this far is ready….. and waiting. And the view from that next mountain awaits you.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like....

2009-08-09T09:28:00.002+09:30

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard….. “

...so begins a story in Matthew 20 about a man who hired people early in the morning to work for him. And then later in the day he went back for more, and again later, for more. Even at the 11^th hour, he went back for more. At the end of the day he paid the all for a fll day’s wage. But the people who had worked all day were upset because he paid the ones who began to work late in the day the same amount as he paid those who began to work early! They were paid what he promised, but the thought it was unfair that the workers who came later were also paid that amount. The landowner answered: 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

God called me to ministry when I was 17 and I said “No.” I didn’t want to be in the jungles, I didn’t want to live by ‘faith’. I wanted to have ‘nice things’ and I wanted to be a ‘normal’ Christian.

How thankful I am that like the landowner, God returned later in the day and called me again- he gave me another chance to work for Him.

And I get a full measure of blessing, of joy, of abundant living.

Unmerited.

Undeserved.

A perfect picture of grace.

This week, we get to seek His kingdom in many different places! We have a group from the US here, and we will keep them- and us- busy! We are going to a state prison, we are going to a refugee village, we are packing up into the ‘sierra” as the jungles around here are called, to take food and supplies and some of His kingdom to 5 widows. We will be doing VBS and ministering to Lacandone Indians- people who still hunt with home-made bows and arrows and for whom the Kingdom of heaven is still either unknown or a dream they have no idea is available to them.

I can’t wait to see what God will do…

I cherish your prayers! When we return I will be back here to share with you the glimpses of His Kingdom we have seen along the way.

Kingdom heroes...

2009-08-07T14:18:00.001+09:30

One of my heroes of God's Kingdom is Manuel. He used to get drunk and party with his friends. When he met Jesus all that changed and he began to preach to all his friends. They hated that! One night they got together and attacked him with machetes, they cut off his arm, cut his face up, and left him for dead. God spared his life- he is one of the HEA native church planters- he alone has planted over 25 churches! With the help of a wonderful family, we were able to supply him with an artificial left arm. Shown in this picture are Manuel and I, along with Michele McLanahan- another Kingdom hero! more about her later!

Why a blog?

2009-08-07T13:10:00.000+09:30

This blog is not about me- it's about God, and His Kingdom, and what He's doing on this earth. The Bible says "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." This blog is about that, seeking His Kingdom and sharing where it's found!

Thanks for stopping by.... catch glimpses of His Kingdom with me!