In Full Swing!

Where has the time gone?!

Incredible to think that it is now past 2 weeks here in Fiji. In one sense, it is incredible how much has happened, and in another way, how little I've actually done.

Much if this last week was working, grab a quick lunch, work until ~6pm, eat something for dinner, and then play volleyball. To that effect, I probably ought to explain: there has been a team from Toongabbie Church, Australia. This highschool team (15 including leaders) helped rebuild the sheep pin which was dying, or I ought to say: decomposing back to dirt. -- side note: it is, at least for this Coloradan, amazing how quickly things turn back to dirt around here. Either dirt, or growing other living organisms.. Take one walk past the dumpster and you need not guess how many thousands of maggots and other living things are in there (you can trust me on that as I looked in once... the things seen can not be unseen..)

But some really great things happened last week! On Wednesday night (family night) the Toongabbie team lead. They led with a time-tested youth game of balloon and string around the ankle (the goal of which is to pop other people's balloons whilst keeping your's unharmed), a skit on the parable of the master inviting guests to a feast (which concluded in giving out copious amounts of candy) and then they broke everyone into groups and shared their testimony's. This was my favorite part.

Testimony is a wonderful, yet distinctively unique way of expressing oneself to another. For anyone that may not be familiar: a testimony is the sharing of how Christ has impacted your life; or your 'life-story'. The two girls (9th and 10th grade) shared their testimony's by reading aloud what they had prepared before arriving to Fiji. Their quick and nervous speech reminding me of how I felt the first time I shared my testimony with someone else. Not dissimilar, I felt rushed and worried that what I was sharing was 'boring' and 'not very impressive'. What I know now, and from being a witness to these two girls testimony, is that their life-story's is that no matter the dispair and confussion you may be in before knowing Christ, it is only by His Grace that we come to know Him at all. What's more is that the amount of Grace we realize we've received after coming to Him only grows with the more we get to know Him.

The sermon this week was on Matthew 13:1-23 (the parable of the seed). The verse that I got 'hooked on' was verse 11:

Matthew 13:11 (TPT)
"He explained, “You’ve been given the intimate experience of insight into the hidden truths and mysteries of the realm of heaven’s kingdom, but they have not."

Specifically: the word "intimate". What is humbling to think here is the meaning of this word; from the TPT's footnotes is: "The Greek word musterion is found twenty-seven times in the New Testament and means “secrets” or “mysteries.” The mysteries of heaven’s kingdom realm are spiritual insights into the nature and ways of God". The intimacy here speaks to the nature of the way that God invites us into himself to know Him.

What other worldview/religion offers to know God? Many, if not most, allow one to obtain an akin-ness or form of  godliness, but not know God. And especially not to be in intimate knowledge and relationship!

This leads me to the summation of the past week: a better knowledge of the person, Jesus Christ. The single most profound mystery is that God, became flesh and came into the likeness of human form, died on our behalf, to not merely rid sin from our existence, but to restore the relationship that He made, and wanted, from the beginning.

That we may "know Him", what does this mean?  .. Well, I'd encourage you to read Romans chapter 6 and chapter 8. And on a different note, one of the promises of knowing Him (and what is said in the Bible about our relationship) can be found in Mark 16:!7. This Passage tells about laying on of hands to heal the sick--just like Jesus.

I had the privilege of sharing my testimony on Friday night with a family on campus--some of the founders of Homes of Hope Fiji. After the blessing of sharing testimony (much like some of the Toongabbie girls two nights prior) I had the opportunity to go over to my neighbours home and pray for healing for one of their daughters. Now before moving on, I want to give Glory where Glory is due, Jesus. But one of the things He is teaching me is also to be sensitive to Him and how He is moving. The amazing part about living with Jesus, and not for Him, is the active participation and involvement the He has in your life. One the way over to the house, I was asking Him what He wanted to do; and praying that ultimately His will be done. I felt that He was wanting to demonstrate Himself through another family member.

So, after sitting in a circle in the middle of their room, I opened with a short praying thanking the Father for being present and accomplishing all that was in His heart. I then simply asked who of the three other family members wanted most to see a miracle. The sister was most emphatic, and thus the decision was made. :). She laid her hand on the swollen eye and led with a simple, and direct prayer. When finished, I felt compelled to say (not out of fear) that often the Lord answers in ways we might not anticipate.

I felt that we weren't done however, and thus prayed and asked if anyone else felt led to do/say anything else. I meanwhile felt that I had a portion of a prophetic word/picture---which is often how it starts, because I'm pretty sure that the Lord knows that if I had the whole picture at one time (before I start talking) I would make a mess of it trying to get it all out; so it works out better when I don't have it all at once, as it requires some faith to start talking without full knowledge of what you're talking about. Perhaps that is helpful for someone reading this now?   .. the word for her spoke very directly about some of the inner turmoil and anxiety she had been facing recently--safe to say, things that I would have had no way of knowing naturally in just my humanistic mind. The profound moment (for me) came when what stood out to me were the colors of the picture (the color pink and blue). And although simple, it had extreme signifigance to the individual. As a very artistic family, they have pressed into asking God about colors, and their meaning/significance. So, the best part for me? I learned something from the word I received! Pink: leading, and gentleness of the Holy Spirit. Blue: the Holy Spirit. The important part for the recipient: it was about a pink boat with blue sails. "leading" in gentleness, and the power from the "Holy Spirit". Hard to top that for a night doing anything else! It was SO encouraging and amazing to be apart of seeing 1) a daughter encounter the heart of the Father and 2) a United family seeking the Father together, and growing in boldness, strength and hunger.

My encouragement to every believer here: read Mark 16:17; practice!  .. believe me when I say that the Father is only needing a willing vessel! You do not need to have a profound testimony, a special 'gifting' or hear the booking voice in the sky: "Go unto this people and sayeth!". You merely need to step out in faith and see what God does! And do reply below, or drop me an email, I DO NOT get tired of hearing God-stories, or, your testimony.

Prayer points:
1) Residents.
3) Staff. Some do not know Christ, and some need to experience Him in real and tangible ways, so that they can share their life-story's.
3) Rain! - Fiji is still largely in need of rain, including, our campus!
4) Time! But seriously, that the Lord uses time to allow the staff and crews to maximize their efforts.
5) Spiritual covering over the campus. Another word, for another person last week, was about the 'play-ground' that is the covering that Christ gives to us; in a large way, I have felt that is a covering here at Homes of Hope. I feel it every time I go off, or on campus, the Spiritual climate is something that enables safety for these young mothers.
6) Found out today that another young mother will be arriving (emergency situation) on the campus in the next 24 hours. What these girls (most all under 18) have experienced is beyond appalling, it is sickening.
7) The inner-life counselors. These women do all the counseling with the girls, to say that they hear, and process baggage is an understatement.

Made it this far, and wondering what happened to the daughter?? Glad you asked! While her swelling was starting to subside some the next morning, she and her mum went to an eye doctor (received very little help there.. 'welcome to Fiji!'), and then went to a couple medicine shops in search for an oral antibiotic. Turns out (and excuse me all you actually medical people out there..), she had a three combination staff infection (or something like that) in her eye. After nearly giving up on the antibiotic, found out later, it is not commonly carried anywhere in Fiji, they prayed and decided to go into one more location; you can probably guess.. but they had one subscription left! An eye doctor Sunday (from their church) heard about the subscription and was shocked that it was here in Fiji, as they hadn't actually ever seem it before.    ... So, the conclusion, should we be seeing the miracle immediately? Or can God use it, and modern medicine? The answer: both. And a lot of collateral faith through it all. :)

Thank you for reading, the very lengthy post! Blessings! Vinaka!