So I am back in the states (for now at least) and it is quite bitter sweet to be home. I love my family and my friends but I also loved India. I didn't realize it while I was there, but now that I'm back it seems like I am a little out of place. I can talk about my experience with people but no one will really understand, with good reason, they weren't there. The only way anyone would truly understand is if they were walking with me and my teammates on a daily basis.

The spiritual warfare was intense over there, frankly too intense to describe. The enemy reveals himself in very obvious ways, ways not usually found in the states. Here he works with subtly. "Just do it." "It's really not that big of a deal." "Seriously, you're worried about this?" Deception is his craft. As believers, we know this. We know that he is the father of lies and he is here to steal, kill, and destroy. But here I don't think we are as sensitive to it as we should be. Here we are tricked and deceived on a daily basis, with little things. Little bits of our sinful nature that creep up like a cockroach to bits of food on the floor; quickly scurrying in with one goal, to steal what isn't his. The roach roams freely in the darkness knowing that he won't be found, because in the darkness we are blinded. In the darkness we are bits of food waiting to be swallowed. But when the light is turned on, darkness flees and so does the roach, for in the light, darkness cannot survive, and the enemy is exposed.

One thing I have realized since I have been home is the importance of the ability to realize the areas in my life that are footholds for the enemy. What am I getting lazy about that the enemy is preparing to pounce on? Where do I need to ask God to shine light? I have heard from my peers that when you ask God to reveal this to you, He does and you might be shocked by the outcome. Frankly, I would rather be shocked and moving toward repair, than blissfully ignorant, breaking more and more with every step.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalms 51:10

The blind will see.

My heart was broken the other day. We traveled to a village that we will call Chicken Parmesan for now. We met with a family that I may have mentioned before, but if not I will provide a quick summary.... The woman that lives here suffered the loss of her husband and now she lives with her 4 children and her mother-in-law who is blind. Well we were talking to this family and storying with them, telling them stories about healing. We asked them how we could lift them up and they began talking about how hard it has been since the husband passed. The blind woman's daughter was talking about her brothers tragic death and the blind woman began to sob. She was heart broken by the loss and she was searching for comfort and some sign that everything would be alright. Because His will is so sovereign, He provided the words she needed right then to give comfort and hope. As we were talking to her I glanced over at the widow. I saw emptiness in her eyes. She too was searching for something. She looked numb with grief. The picture of the blind woman sobbing and the empty eyes of the widow will be forever burned in my soul.

Today we traveled to the same village and again visited this family. But this time there was the sweet aroma of grief lifting and hearts being healed. The past couple times we visited the widows house she was not as welcoming as the rest of her family, with good reason. If I lost my husband tragically I wouldn't want random foreigners coming to my home either. But today when we walked in, she smiled. She looked happy and gave us hugs! I was astonished! We told them that today we were coming to lift them up and we would be back Tuesday to story. So we lifted them up and when we were finished the blind woman spoke the only English words she knew. She said "I love you." She said it several times and as she did she hugged us and touched our faces to get a mental picture of us. I was in tears.

He is so good.

Sowing seeds.

I am not quite sure how to start this entry. The Father has shown me so much this week that i cannot even begin to explain it all. But alas, i will try...

Sowing seeds can be rough sometimes. Monday we went to a village that had previously been very responsive to the stories that we told, but this week we got a very different response. The seed that we through out fell on soil that was too hard to break through. The seeds were just picked up but the birds as soon as they were spread. It was quite frustrating. We thought this family was ready, but we were wrong. So after leaving we were a bit discouraged.

Tuesday came and we traveled to a different village. As we storied with Rukshana' family and friends, they seemed to be listening but the enemy knew what was happening and the seeds that were sown were choked by weeds and thorn bushes. We faced a wave of adversity from one thorn in particular. While we were sharing at this house you could feel the presence of evil lurking all around like a tiger hungry for prey. We pleaded with the Father asking Him to break down the hold of the enemy on this place.

Once we left we went to another house in the same village. We were begging that they Father's Spirit would poor over the house like a rushing waterfall, and He definitely did. We told them the story of creation and the story of disobedience and something clicked. The spirit was there in a mighty way. We shared and shared and shared. We explained who the Son was and how He sacrificed Himself for us and all of a sudden Meentar, the maternal leader of the family, said she felt a tugging on her heart and that she knew what she had to do. That day she chose to follow the Father! And it was not only her that decided. A woman who had never heard the story of the Son, or even heard His name, decided to believe and follow Him as well!!! What a day of spiritual roller coasters! We taught them how to talk to the Father and what it means to only follow Him and they understood and believed. It was incredible. The seed that was sown landed on fertile soil and it is growing as we speak. The buds of beautiful flowers are popping up in abundance and we can't wait to go back and share some more true stories with them.

Wednesday we went to different village than we did on Monday. This village is named Kakoda. There we met a family that at first seemed to be intrigued by the stories but we soon realized that they were more interested in learning about culture in America than learning about the Word. We tried every tactic to get the conversation back to Him but every time the enemy distracted them with the questions about what life is like were we live. It was more sad than frustrating because the Word of the Father is so much more important than what Americans do for fun. Sometimes when this happens, I want to just stand up and yell "IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT THE FATHER AND WHAT HE HAS DONE AND WHO HE IS! WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" So, yet again they seed fell on hard soil and was picked up and eaten by the life of an American. We finished that day with a sliver of hope that maybe another family will invite us in and let us share. We are hopeful because He grants us the desires of our hearts and we desire people who are ready to come to the Father.

Thursday we traveled back to the village we went to on Tuesday and this time we had people back home lifting this village up at the exact moment we arrived. We had our game faces on ready for the blows that the enemy would throw. We first went to Rukshana's house, the place where we faced a lot of adversity on Tuesday, and began storying. At first things were going okay and more and more people came to the house. Then the same thorn that choked the seed on Tuesday came back ready for a fight. So we storied and then asked if they had any questions. Almost immediately the thorn started to debate and refute everything that we said. She was very adamant in saying that we have our beliefs and they have theirs and we shouldn't be there. We continued asking questions to the family and she continued to debate. I looked to my right and standing at the door was a man who looked very very angry. All at once I felt the evil that had overtaken the thorn. The man met my gaze and I knew who it was. At that moment I began to talk to the Father and asked for His Spirit to intervene and choke the enemy. In a flash the man was gone and someone called the thorns name and she was gone. Suddenly I felt calm and peace had entered the house and in that moment I remembered the verse "What then shall we say? If our God is for us, who is against us?" Rukshana who had been listening intently to the story decided that she wanted to take us to another house so that we could story with a newly married woman. So we went, we storied and we lifted her up to the Father. You could see in her eyes that she was ready for the Word. We plan on going back next week to water the seed that the Father allowed us to plant. After that another woman, a friend of Rukshana's who followed us to the newly weds house, wanted us to go and meet another woman who was recently widowed. She has 4 small children and is worried about their well being. Her mother in law lives with her and she is blind. So we lifted them up and we plan to go back next week and story with them as well.

Finally we made it to Meentar's house and we checked on them to see how they are doing with their decision to follow the Father. They were worried because the enemy was whispering in their ears. They knew they wanted to follow the Father but they were just fighting the battle that we faced when we first decided to follow Him. We explained the presence of good and evil and we shared some words of encouragement and they are excited to hear more about the Father. We gave them copies of the Word and I can't wait to see what the Father does through this family.

Now back up to Tuesday night with me.... are you there? Good. We went to an authentic Indian wedding and it was an experience to say the least. There were about 400 people from different villages dancing and laughing but quickly the attention turned from the festivities of the wedding to the 5 Americans that just walked in. We were shuffled around from here to there meeting the whole family. It was an experience to say the least.

Well there you have it. I hope that you will be praying for these families and all that we are doing here for the Kingdom.

In His name.

He loves us. Oh how he loves us... all of us.

There is truly nothing like language. It is something that we all have but is different for everyone. Have you ever experienced hearing your favorite song in a different language? It is strange at first but you find yourself singing along in your native tongue. I experienced that today. We met today with some believers today at a school and the leaders started singing a popular song that I have heard a million times in the states. Hearing it in Hindi was incredible. I truly felt the Father there and moving in their language as well as mine. I got chills. When everything comes to an end and we all return to our Father, we are going to be united in Him. The language barrier will not be an issue. He understands all languages. He will be made famous in every tongue throughout the world. That is so exciting!

I just thought I would share that with you.

In His name.

Namaste!!

Finally, a few minutes to sit down and write. It feels so good. So i am finally here and i love it. we are in he city of Meerut which is in the state Uttar Pradesh. So far we have been trained and sent out to our respective villages. This village is quite different than Dehli in that it has a lot more neighborhood areas. and they are beautiful. the place we are staying has monkeys that roam freely on the roof tops of houses. It is crazy but i love it. since i have been in Meerut we have traveled to 3 different villages surround Meerut. when i say traveled i don't mean just by bus. We have ridden rickshaws, bull carts (a cart that is usually used to carry large goods and crops that is literally pulled by a cow, buffalo or bull), tractors, buses, autos (basically a rickshaw that holds more people and is gas powered), the back of a truck with a canopy and wooden slats for sitting, and mostly by our own 2 feet! Our first day out exploring, we walked about 5 miles in over 100 degree weather. The next day was about the same. Today we were lucky and only walked about 2 or 3. Despite the hot weather and the dust, i love it. I have not had this feeling of joy and excitement since i was in Peru. I would not choose to be anywhere else this summer. The beach can not compare to the true beauty of India. The Indian people are so welcoming and loving. Every family that invited us in while we were traveling through the villages gave us a place to rest, gave us water and food, and allowed us to explore their lives. They let us tell them stories and were very receptive. I can not wait to travel more and tell more stories. It humbles me to see their faces light up when we tell them the stories and they understand and apply them to their own life. This summer i will be working with the same 2- 4 villages every week. The families are getting to know us on a personal level and we are getting to know them. My partners and I are getting along nicely and our supervisors are amazing. I am so thankful for them.

I hope that I can update my blog again soon. Here are some ways you can lift me and my teammates up:

Our health: each of us have been sick at least twice.
The people of India that we are meeting, specifically Pushpa, Beena, Meenir, Washu, and Kushi.


I love all of you and I miss you.

Dead Bodies, Strike, LUCHO!!!!

questionable title....

so since my last post and since i arrived on Tuesday morning from Lima, again, a lot has happened...

the other night (Wednesday to be exact) we had a church service like we usually do. so we are sitting there and after like 15 minutes it ends. we were like "what the crap?" so we ask Julio what was going on and he says that there is someone that is goes to the church who has kind of fallen off the wagon and we were going to have the rest of the service and there house. so we were like ok that's pretty cool of them. well we walked through the plaza and down to the persons house. there we about 35 people in an area smaller than a 2 car garage. so we, being Americans, were told to sit on the best seats in the area. as we proceed to the front of there area we see a casket. A CASKET!!! our train of thought was "JULIO! YOU LIED! HOW ARE YOU GONNA TELL US WE ARE GOING TO SOMEBODY´S HOUSE AND NOT EVEN MENTION THAT THEY ARE DEAD! THERE IS A DEAD BODY JULIO! YOU COULD HAVE WARNED US!!!" we were freaking out. 1) because we had to sit literally a foot away from it, 2) we had to sing trading my sorrows for the 4804759q873598734th time and 3) did i mention the casket was OPEN!!!! that was a tough night. as soon as the service was over we shook hands, kissed cheeks, and PEACED OUT...

it was a strange night to say the least...

Thursday we planned to go to molino which is the next village over, to visit the pastor. well Anibal our fabulous translator (who encouraged us to use our Spanish more then he actually translates. we love him.) suggested we walk. it was only 3 miles and it is down the mountain so it wasn´t hard. well we decided to take a short cut which cuts the walking time in half. so we proceed down abut a million dirt steps that were literally cut out of the mountain. and let my tell you... walking down a mountain is just as hard sometimes and it is to walk up! once we got to the bottom we had to walk back up the other side which was hard as crap and then we walked back down to the river that runs between the mountains. it was so beautiful! if i wasn´t using a public computer i would upload the photos but i am so i can´t. it was a great day!

so Friday....

Friday we were scheduled to go to the local college and sing and preach the gospel. we were only given 15 minutes and it was REALLY risky because the government here is run mostly by catholic leadership and they REALLY don´t evangelists coming in and telling the truth!!! so we went and it was absolutely amazing. there were about 25 college students there and Sarah and i sang and one of the guys from the church preached. he was preaching about the youth of the country believing the lies of the enemy. what he was saying was really dangerous because the catholics have such a strong hold over Peru. for us to go into a government ruled establishment was bold and exciting. i really felt like God was there and was speaking through David. it was AWESOME!

later that day we went "fishing" in the river near panao with some of the young guys that work at the pananaria (bakery) that we always go to. well we did about 5 minutes of fishing and hiked for about 3 and a half hours. it was the hardest thing i have ever done but i don´t regret it. i had so much fun. one of the guys name was Lucho and he kept disappearing and then reappearing out of the trees! it was hilarious.

after dinner we went to the Internet cafe to check email and stuff like that and we got an email from boots holder the missionary we are working for down here and he said "you guys need to be back in Lima before the strike. be in Lima on the 6th." we where like WHAT!!! THAT'S TOMORROW!!! weren´t scheduled to leave until Tuesday and we had planned a Saturday night church service and 2 days worth of vacation bible school! we were freaking out. well apparently the miners are striking and they are closing off all roads that lead to and from Lima and it is scheduled to start on either Sunday or Tuesday. so we had to peace out early. and that sucks. but we were excited to see everyone again. but it is bad because if the strike is still going on the 10th then we won´t be able to go to the jungle. and that would be AWFUL!!!

pray that the strike ends SOON

pray that the teams get to Lima safely

pray that josh and justin got the email because they are an hour away from any contact to the outside world.

i hope everyone had an awesome 4th!!!

love love. (i now have over 600 pictures. be excited.)

the half way point.

so i have been in peru for.... 3 weeks and 2 days. it really doesn't seem like it has been that long. but really its not that long if you really think about it...

so right now i am at the mission house in Lima for our break. We go back on monday.

can i just say right now that we have been blessed? can i? ok...

WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED!

let me tell you why...

first... we have been getting along pretty well with out a translator but it is hard to develope relationships with people without really knowing what they are saying. so last week kegan's church was in panao and they brought along 2 translators. it was awesome because we could communicate more effectivly and we could just understand better. we asked one of the translators if he would stay with us for the rest of the time we are going to be in the villages and PRAISE JESUS he said he would. so monday when we leave he will be with us.

second... we have a place to lay our head at night. despite the fact that there are chickens and pigs right outside our window that make noise all night long. that is ok because we have a bed and a sort of hot shower with the hot water heater on the shower head and if you touch it then you get electricuted but if you don't touch it and you don't get to close to the shower head then you are fine! its just like a normal shower. ish...

third... we are working with a church that is awesome! they are keeping us busy all the time and we are so thankful!!! the language barrier is somewhat tough to get through but that is ok!! we are managing! they love to take us to the square and play the guitar and have me and sarah sing all types of worship songs in english and spanish. and we have sung trading my sorrows about 20000000 times. but that is ok! we love it.

there are so many ways God has blessed us but i can't think of anymore right now!!! so anyway...

lets see... what else...

oh sarah's wallet got stolen. we were at a mcdonalds here in Lima and this guy sat directly behind us in the nearly empty restaurant. well he sat behind us and took her wallet out of her purse that was hanging on the back of her seat and calmly walked off. so we were like sarah check your purse and she did and it was opened and her wallet was gone. so sarah and kegan run out of the restaurant and catch the guy. the guys had the wallet wrapped us in a news paper. so kegan, who is a big guy, grabs the guys shoulder and we take him to the security guard that was really close by. well then he had to call the police and then we had to find one that spoke english so then after that we all went down to the police station. we were there for about 3 hours while sarah and the guy got questioned. we even met some british girls that got some of there junk stolen! that was cool! so finally sarah came out with a huge smile on her face and we were like "what happened?" and she said "HE GOT ARRESTED!!!" and we were like "YES!". so my partner got somebody arrested. SHE IS HARDCORE! i love her! it was a very exciting day.

honestly i don't know what i would do without sarah! she is another one of my blessings!!! she is so awesome!!! straight from God. anyway...

i have over 400 pictures and so many funny stories that i have to tell you all!!! oh man. good times.

anyway i must go! love love and double love with door knobs!!!