Posted in Allan by Marisa Banas on 9/1/2010
The music is thumping louder than normal in the conference room because the speaker is close enough to me that I can feel its vibration. The band is singing passionately about God entering our hearts and I see a bead of sweat fall from the lead singer's temple. I close my eyes and enter into the the place where I meet with God. I am aware that everyone is dancing and jumping all around me, but today I am in a different place. I feel weightless, like I am floating in a pool of peace. I stand still and the loud music is drowned out my silence. I feel this way because like the singer, my head has perspired beads of sweat in worship that have enabled me to overcome fear from my life. In this place, I am reminded once again of who I am. Unconditionally loved, fought for, worthy, royalty, desired by the Lord, highly favored, gifted.
As I stand there, my mind wanders to thoughts about how perfect God is. I think about his sincere love and I feel a sudden urge inside prompting me to tell Him that I want to be Holy like he is Holy. So I tell Him, "God, align me with the way you love. Align me with your Holiness." As usual, my words don't bring me the assurance that this is actually going to happen. So I take it a step further. I align my right hand over the center of my forehead and my left hand over my heart. As I put my hands in motion my faith builds as I command my heart and mind to align with Jesus' way. I can feel the alignment that my hands make and I feel in my Spirit that God has heard my prayer. I open my eyes. I am definitely in the smelly fruit cake side of the room. Very dirty (and smelly) World Racers are jumping all around me. They are wild. I wonder about how many of them are going to use the same vigor that they dance with out on the mission field.
When I worship, I do so until I feel like I know enough of God
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Posted in General Articles by Marisa Banas on 6/2/2010
Here is a copy of Jake's newest blog! Whody-hoot---We are almost married, and so--we now have combined support accounts! Yee Haw! Enjoy your read.
Coming
Soon: Marisa Rodriguez
Marisa and I
have had a wild ride of a year. As you probably already
know we got engaged while she was in Spain visiting the G-42 School. With
our wedding scheduled for August of this year, I have approximately 66
days, 3 hours and roughly 3 minutes until she is finally my wife! Not
that anyone is counting. In addition to our transition into
marriage, we have
another big change occurring. The World Race has decided to move our
Michigan office to our headquarters in Georgia. The move
is a welcomed one, and we are extremely excited to settle down in the
south once again. The
Engine: If You Haven’t Heard, This Is
Who We Are
We work with two of Adventures In Missions
programs, The
World Race (11 months, 11 countries) and Real Life (Up to 3
months, 1 country). With both programs the concept is to take people
who believe there is more to God and partner them with ministries who
are actually making a difference throughout the world. The teams travel
to countries like Haiti, Romania, West and East Africa, Israel, the
Philippines, China and Guatemala. In fact, we have over
500 contacts in 73 different countries. Each month
the teams come under the
leadership of a ministry that Adventures In Missions partners with, and
they do WHATEVER their contact needs. In any given month a team could be
building bathrooms for an orphanage, teaching sex slaves English,
addressing witchcraft issues, pulling orphans off the street, doing
pastor conferences, orphanage outreaches, praying for the sick etc. The
participants are stretched to the max as they live in tents, have a
year’s worth of belongings in a backpack and eat a basic diet. The
Steering Wheel: What We Do
Our
role in
this organization is on the business side. I am in charge
of the Logistics department which is directly involved with scouting out
and partnering with like-minded ministries all over the world. My
department also handles all of the budgets, transportation from country
to country, risk-management and emergency situations. Marisa’s
role is to assist our staff during training camps when the Racers come
in for their 2-week training before officially be launched. This
year we have our work cut our for us. The program has
tripled in size and will have 1,000 participants on the field this year. The Rear View
Mirror: What We Want To Leave Behind Us
Our
vision is simple. We believe
that God cares about the whole person--body, soul and Spirit. We want
to see people walking in God's Grace from little American towns to
Chengdu, China and we found a way to do it.
We
tend to get the
kind of people that hear a whisper in their hearts that there is more to
God. They come from all denominations, Baptist,
Presbyterian, Non-Denominational, Penecostal-"You name it, we’ve got
them. At training camp we are up front in telling them
that the whisper is true, there is more. At that point we
equip them, give them a safe environment to investigate God and send
them out to some of the hardest most devastated places in the world. Our
hope is
that through their investigation of God’s capabilities, they will become
the answer to prayers that are prayed from people all over the world.
And when they return back to their homes, churches and workplaces after
their travels they will take what they learned and continue to be a
influence with their faith and inspiration for others in their own
community. Gas
Tank: What We Need $25,000 gets
us through the year beautifully! That amount is broken
down to $2,083 a month. To do this we
need
monthly and one-time supporters who want to be credited with the same
things we are doing. A few years
ago Marisa was doing a
photo session of a couple and their baby. At the end of
the shoot the husband asked her what she wanted to do with her life. After
sharing her heart for missions the guy told her, “When you are ready to
go, give us a call so that we can support you.” Marisa
turned to him and said stupidly, “Oh, so you can be part of my prayer
team.” The guy said, “I always pray better when I have
money on it.” We can’t wait
to partner with more people with this kind of tenacity, get’r done
mentality and love for the Lord. In the next two months we
will be making phone calls and sending support letters and the chances
are good that you will get one. We would be honored if you prayerfully
consider financially supporting us.
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Posted in Allan by Marisa Banas on 1/23/2010
Ha! Jake and I are having a blast. We are bouncing back and forth between his work and my work, trying to figure out how to serve each other and the people we are here for. We both have an understanding that several people have made financial investments in us so that we can be your hands and your feet in the nations--and we take that responsibility very seriously.
Together we are doing so many various things, so I thought the best way to let you know what YOU are doing in the nations is to give you snapshots of our day.
8:00--8:30am:
We invited our Muslim cab driver in for breakfast before a very long day of errands all over town and an evening trip to Eldorette.
8:30-1:00pm
Ha! We took 4 sick kids from the Challenge Farm to a clinic. Packed in the backseat was Allan sitting on my lap, Ester who we prayed/prophesied over for freedom from her past trauma with all of the Challenge staff members the day before, Cleophas, a good looking 16 year old who was deathly afraid of needles, and Peter, the Farm's newest arrival who was taken off the streets a week earlier. Peter's story is a funny one. The staff did an outreach to all of the street kids in Kitale, invited them over to the Farm for food, showers and some activities. Peter attended the event and when it was time for the kids to leave Peter refused to go. The director, Grace told him that he had to go back that night, but if he was really serious about changing his life and getting off the streets, he had to bring himself back the next day. Early in the morning Peter returned, was fed, clothed and enrolled in school.
Several AWESOME things happened during the hours of waiting:
1.) Ester who hadn't spoken to anyone for quite awhile had a breakthrough. She laughed. I can't remember what we were doing, but something made her break her silence with laughter and from that point on we talked all afternoon.
2.) Poor Peter has a really bad leg infection that might require x-rays next week. The doctor is afraid the infection has gone to his bone. He also has severe malaria which was causing his high fever. He was one sick puppy. (If anyone would like to pay for the rest of his medical needs, the cost would be about $30.00. You can donate online via the challengefarm-kenya.org website.) On a lighter note, once the doc gave him some injections he was in much better spirits and we were able to limp into town to get him some school and play shoes.
3.) Clephas was hilarious. We should have prayed deliverance over his fear before we left. Jake spent about an hour trying to talk him through the fear before he pretty much had to force him to receive the shots. At one point I had all the children in the crowded waiting room and all of the sudden we saw Cleophas run through the room, out the door, down the alley and into the main square area. Following right behind him was my 5 foot 5 boyfriend who was half his size trying to catch him. A couple of men in town thought that Jake was chasing him because Clephas stole something from him so they started to chase him as well. Jake then had to break up a potential fight, bring the kid back which took lots of coaxing and then get him to let the nurse put in an IV drip. HI-Larious! By the end of the day Jake and Cleophas had a pretty close bond and they were able to spend some quality time together just talking about life.
4.) While Jake was bonding with Cleophas, I was in awe of the children as I watched them minister to 10-15 people in the waiting room. I had made a photo album for Allan that was like a scrapbook of the whole process of him being taken off the streets. For some reason we had it with us and it didn't take long for people to ask to look at it. One lady in particular looked at it 4 different times and made sure that all the newcomers took a look. When they turned to the picture of Allan in his street clothes the people were shocked to see his change. They asked Allan and Ester questions and when I asked for an interpretation the lady said, "the children are ministering to me. Look at what God has done with their lives." I'm not exactly sure what the kids said to them, but they were in awe of the actual change that they saw.
1:00-5:00pm
 Jake and I took Allan and our muslim driver to lunch and then to a museum. He absolutely loves to learn. He stayed close to the tour guides side and asked a bazillion and one questions. I loved watching him learn. We then stopped in town to buy some shoes, socks and underware. We then took Allan back to the Farm and had to say goodbye.
5:00-8:00pm
Dinner with our Muslim driver It is very uncommon for a driver to be able to eat with the people he is working for. But we spend so much time in vehicles with lots of opportunities to share and just be friends, so we like to invest there. We then traveled to Eldorette
8:00-10:00pm
 We met up with a World Race (amazing) team staying at Patrick's house. (Patrick was one of my ministry contacts last year.) Jake and I had a blast talking with the teams, telling stories and absolutely loving that I didn't have to eat what they had for dinner. Here is a picture of their dinner:
10:00-10:30-
Our car got stalled and the WR boys had to help push us out of the village:
11:00-on
Instead of staying at a guesthouse, we were invited to stay at David's house. He was the "angel" that helped us make the final contact with the Challenge Farm last year. He has also been watching over Dorothy who I ministered to last year. We had some time to laugh with him and then we prayed some serious prayers over him.
(ha--nice hair Jake!)
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Posted in Allan by Marisa Banas on 1/21/2010
Ha! Okay, this might be the stupidest idea butttttt.....
I minstered with Q-Tip's yesterday. The idea started with the street man who was shoving his ear in my face asking me to fix it. This is gross, but imagine the grossest funk coming out of his ears--it was nasty. So I thought, hey, these kids sleep on the dusty cement ground and pick through a dump to eat, their ears have to be nasty. So I went to the store and spent 30 cents on a couple hundred Q-tips and I walked the streets in search of some dirty-eared boys.
It didn't take long to find them. We sat on old tires and I asked them a bunch of questions while they scooped mc-nasty stuff from their ears. About 8 of them stayed with me and several others wandered in to get a Q-tip and then back out to beg for some money. Most of the teen boys spoke English, and I noticed that the younger ones (around 8 or so) kinda hid behind them. The teen with one eye missing gave me the most information about life on the streets.
They sleep on the floors of shops that have closed for the nights, under 2 verandas in town, and under cars on the street. After the two main African meal times, the kids rummage through trash bins hoping for a scrap of food. They have one outfit because if they had another it would be stolen. They own nothing except the old whisky bottle filled with goey orange glue that they use to get high on. I asked him to tell me the story of the 8 year old named James that hadn't said a word the whole time. A few years ago both of his parents died of AIDS. He had been on the streets ever since. I had to put my sunglasses on so the boys wouldn't see me cry. I looked at James' face and it looked just like Allan's the day before I took him off the streets. Like a boy that needed an advocate-someone to make something happen for him. Many of the boys, especially the older ones are hard, but not this child. He looked like a little boy that fell off his bike and just wanted his mama to hold him. As I searched his eyes I could see that he hadn't had any glue, but he looked exhausted from not eating and he moved around like I do when I fast for a few days. I could literally see his hunger. I normally don't do this, but I grabbed his hand and walked him to a vendor that sold us some food. He didn't ask me for more, or money or anything else. He just said thank you by touching his heart and raising his hand to me. There was no smile, no life in him, just a desperately sad and in need child. Ahhh--why God?
My driver took me from the streets to the Farm where I became like a PTA mom in Allan's classroom. My eyes wandered the room reasearching each child. One of his classmates was just taken off the streets a week ago. He is still having side effects from getting off the glue, and his body still looks like it has been scared from environment. The girl next to him was as cute as a button and I chose not to think about a litte girl so precious rummaging through a dump. My mind bounced back and forth, reflecting on the children I had just seen, then bouncing back to the kids all aggresively raising their hands to be the first one to answer the teacher's question. I was witnessing miracles. All 14 of them were rescued and given hope and a real life. WOW!
I have spent considerable time on the Farm and I am in awe of how much it is run like a real home. Allan has a "Father" which is one of the male teachers that spends individual time with him. His teacher, Mary, is extremely involved in his life and includes a lot of character training in her lessons. Every worker, including security guards and groundskeepers have a role in the childrens lives. And the kids are prayed for individually for freedom from their pasts. They eat 2 big meals a day, which is normal for Africa, they all go to school, and most of all the love level is that of Christs. I couldn't have picked a better place for the little boy who has changed my life.
Please, if you want to financially give support somewhere but you don't know who to trust, please donate to the Challenge Farm
challenge-kenya.com. I promise you that by giving your support, you are changing the lives of little kids like James that have lost hope.
I tried to upload pictures but it didn't work. I will get some up on my next blog--hopefully!
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Posted in Allan by Marisa Banas on 1/19/2010
I only have like 5 mintues to write, so I will do something a little more detailed later.
I arrived at the Challenge Farm late yesterday afternoon after traveling for most of the day. I was upstairs in the office talking with the director the children went to find Allan. As I walked down the stairs through a dark hall to get to the outside area I saw a huge flash of some pearly white teeth grinning at me. It was Allan.
His smile radiated all the way through me and I sighed a sense of relief when I could see that he was genuinely happy--and healthy. He is still a twig, but he has filled out quite nicely.
I have spent the past two days getting reports, sitting in and helping out in the classroom and on Friday I will take him to the doctor and out for a day of fun around the town.
This afternoon I am finding myself in genuine awe. This morning I went to town to buy groceries. I did most of the shopping from my car. In other words, I open my window and the produce vendors come to me. At one point I had 8 salesmen and 4 street kids all shoving their hands and produce through the window. When I sent the salesmen away, the street kids remained. Taking huge sniffs of glue I watched as an 8 year old drifted off into lala-glueland while one of the older guys kept shoving his ear at me and asking me to fix it. When the 8 year old asked me for money I denied him. Instead I told him to go back to the home that he ran away from because the people loved him there and missed him. He started to cry.
We pulled away and went to the farm. I sat beside Allan in his classroom that was filled with 14 other 12-13 year old x-street kids. The children, now all off glue are like my younger cousins. Lively, enegetic, intelligent and jus kids--such a contrast from the shoeless child I saw earlier in the market.
In the classroom I kept thinking, how in the world did I get Allan off the street? How did he get to be #4 in his class, how did he get to play in a school yard without danger and eat from a bowl that fills him up. My feelings of gratitude to the Lord are enormous. Because I know that I only facilitated what God was doing in taking him off the streets, I am absolutely in awe of Jesus' love for children that are unseen.
Wow.
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Posted in General Articles by Marisa Banas on 1/7/2010
A whisper is heard and a dream is cast into the heart of a man. The God that is unseen speaks, and the man responds. Orphanages fill with children. Ministry schools are built. Sex slaves have a home that is safe. Administrative work happens to get an organization to where they need to be. And the promises of heaven are brought to the earth one life at a time.
I am one out of billions of people who for centuries have heard the whisper and heeded the call. Like all the rest, I walk in faith knowing that my Creator who called me will provide all that I need for the journey He has called me to.
I have raised support for various mission trips four times in my life. Each time has been dramatically different. Sometimes 10K came in 10 days and other times a dime didn't come in for months and 1 check given at the last minute paid the bill. What I have noticed is that my journey through raising the funds and the faith that is built during that time directly builds the faith that I need for the particular mission that I am on.
I am freaking out excited about what has been built within me while I have raised support for this season's call. I've spent the last two weeks making phone calls and following up on mailed letters. The conversations that I have had are amazing. Here are a few snid-bits of the convos...
"When I was 19 years old I told God how much I wanted to give towards missions by the time I was 26. Well, I'm 26..."
"We want our business to be able to sew seeds into what God is doing in the world. It is our joy to give."
"My wife and I have been praying about giving towards missions and then we got your letter..."
It means something to me when the people that support me are using faith to live, provide for me and believe that it truly is God's heart to see his promises fulfilled in his children's lives all over the world. The support that I have received through prayer and funding has been an absolute miracle to me. I get to know the character and love of my Father in extreme ways when I literally depend on him for food. I get to provide for those I minister to because people provide for me. It's humbling and amazing all at the same time.
Thank YOU, THANK you, THANK YOU!
Here is the update on what is still needed:
-$350 for Africa ( I leave next Wednesday)
-$2,500 for the rest of the trips...Airfare, overseas housing and food.
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Posted in Allan by Marisa Banas on 12/27/2009
I have finally arrived in Port Huron. Jake and I packed my car to the brim---I even had to wear a lampshade on my head for a little bit. I will spend a week or so getting adjusted and then on January 13th Jake and I will travel to Kitale, Kenya where we will serve at the Challenge Farm, the orphanage where we brought Allen last year. I will then meet the Hindes towards the end of the month to work alongside of them.
To prepare for the trip to the Challenge Farm I scoured through several months of Newsletters from the director, Cheri Thompson. I sat on the couch crying, laughing and throwing my laptop in Jake's lap to show him pictures of the kids and to tell him their stories.
(paraphrased)
 "Joseph thinks he is 11 or 12 and his parents passed away several years prior. He was with his older brother on the street when one day, they accidentally became separated. Joseph thought that he would die. He spent the next two years begging and sniffing glue to help take away the sorrow and hunger pains---all by himself. One day Emma (the Challenge Farms social worker) and his brother found him in the streets. His brother said, 'I feel like I am Joseph in the Bible. I have gone ahead and prepared this place for us.' Both boys are currently living at the farm, going to school and they eat decent food every single day."
OMG! Can you believe it? Real lives, real changes! This is one story---but there are 103 children at the farm and each one has their own journey that they have had to walk. In a couple of weeks Jake and I are going to be there, we are going to serve in anyway that we can and we would like to help Cheri financially so that she can continue to care for these children. (She almost had to close her doors in July because the recession had cut their support so much that there wasn't enough money for food.) God has blessed them significantly and they have had everything that they needed at the end of the day. I want to be a part of bringing in what they desperately need, so I would like to extend an opportunity for you to join me.
If you would like to give a tax-deductible donation you can do so by going to the Challenge Farm website.
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Posted in General Articles by Marisa Banas on 12/15/2009
In two weeks I will be moving to Michigan to obey God's whispers. I have no idea what it is going to look like or what I am going to be doing exactly, but I know I've heard his voice and I am choosing to obey.
 My tickets for Africa have been purchased and I will leave for Kenya on January 13th and be there until February 4th. Jake and I will be spend the first two weeks in Kitale at the Challenge Farm where we brought my little guy Allen last year (a kid I pulled off the streets while I was on the race last year). I will be doing the mama thing with Allen, taking him to the doctor, evaluating his education status and having lots of fun with him. Jake and I are also going to help the director, Cheri complete several projects that she has going on. At the end of the two weeks we are going to travel to a different part of Kenya with Onesimus (the World Race's main East Africa contact) where Jake will be building relationships in an unreached area. After that mission is completed Jake will return to the states and I will meet up with Kathy Hindes to assist her with two back to back debriefs in Nairobe. ...dang, my life is awesome!
Plans are still being worked and reworked for the following months. Although the first leg of this journey is primarily devoted to  taking care of my responsibilities with Allen, my heart is for Kathy. It takes guts, faith and a whole lot of patience to run this ship called The World Race. Among many other things, Michael and Kathy are responsible for sending out 300+ Racers who are real people, with real problems and consequently these Racers have real faith and have been sent by God to influence the world. Their job is tough and they continually find themselves on their knees before the Lord. I couldn't think of anyone better to learn from and serve in this season.
The Hindes' are humble people with a huge responsibility, a big calling and they have been successful in helping people know Grace and their true identity in Christ. All of those things combined make them a huge target for the devil. It's an honor for me to walk next to Kathy and help deflect some of those arrows with my shield.
Thank you so much to everyone who is financially and prayerfully supporting me. I can assure you that as we all work together to fulfill the Lord's prayer of "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" we are doing just that.
To give support online, you can do so by going to www.marisabanas.org. Thanks so much!
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Posted in General Articles by Marisa Banas on 10/26/2009
It has been almost two months since returning from my race, and I have about two more months before I begin the next journey. I will be traveling for  another year working with my coaches, Michael and Kathy Hindes, specifically with Kathy. The Lord has spoken a very clear word to me to partner with her, do what she is doing and bring the promises of God to the people that cross our paths.
Also, I'm moving to Michigan! I will be living in this house along with a bunch of the World Race staff members. I am coming under the ministry that Michael and Kathy started many years ago called Cross Current Ministries. They are also the directors of the World Race program, so we will spend the majority of the year working with World Racers.
I am raising funds again, about $20,000 for the entire year and I need the majority of it by January! To financially support please do the following:
(All donations are tax deductible.)
Online with Paypal- crosscurrentministries@gmail.com
Mail Check to:
Cross Current Church Attn: Joey McGinnis
4864 Lapeer Road
Kimball, MI 48074
**Please write my name in the For section of the check.
In the meantime...I am recouperating from the previous journey. My body is still adjusting to American cuisine, and rejoicing over my bed. I saw a lot of things this past year including people living in and through situations that are beyond horrible. While I was on the field I handled situations as they came, but most often I was not able to process the sadness of the 12 year old being forced to have sex 15 times a day, or the 5 year old on the street that I had to push away from me when I got on the bus to take Allen home. It may sound terrible, but I am really filled with an increased sense of happiness for those whose lives were dramatically changed by the work that God did through me.
And one of the other best parts of my sabbatical is my temporary job as a nanny for the most genuinely sweet, adorable four year old in all of Kenosha, and his amazing two sisters when they come home from school. He gives me so much revelation about the simplicity of God and how He is just fascinated by us--it's astounding. He is the perfect embodiment of healing and restoration for me at this time! Thank you God for my little man, Jack!
Okay...I'm gonna do the mommy thing here--
Jack and I were driving on a rainy day and there was so much peace in the car. I had some worship music and he was humming along in the background and copying the words, "All I want is you, Lord." I caught his eye in my rear view mirror and he said, "I love you, Risa." Ohh my gosh! I think I melted right into my seat. I think about how fascinated I am to see him learn and think, grow and just be him--and it gives me so much courage to believe God looks at me in the same way--even when I am not producing anything, being anyone special or doing anything grand. So cool!
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Posted in General Articles by Marisa Banas on 10/5/2009
I copied the following blog from Tara Reed, an I-squad racer who fell two stories and broke her pelvis while in Romania last week.
YOU'VE GOT TO READ THIS!!!
It all happened so fast. One moment, I was sitting on the 2nd
floor balcony having my time with God, the next moment, I was falling
helplessly towards the pavement in Bucharest, Romania. I hit the
ground. As I lay there gasping for air, all I could do was call out the
name of Jesus. I heard people yelling my name, and I told them I
couldn't breathe or move. After lying in agonizing pain for about 25
minutes, the ambulance arrived and people gathered around. They
stabilized me and put me in the ambulance, while my team was calling
out prayers for me. My teammates followed me in a taxi, while in the
ambulance I was crying out to God to take the pain away and let me walk
again. I then realized that I could move my arms and legs, and I
thanked the Lord. He had saved me from head injuries, paralysis, and
even death. As they wheeled me in to the Emergency Room, it seemed
like 13 doctors and assistants surrounded me, all speaking "Romanian"
to me in loud voices as fast as possible. One doctor said in broken
English, "We take off your clothes now", then looking at the pain in my face, he said, "we cut off your clothes now."
On the way to x-rays, one of the doctors asked if I was a
Christian. I told him "yes", and asked him if he was a Christian. He
said "yes". I said, "Isn't it great to know that God loves you and you
can feel His love?" He said, "God doesn't love me." I explained to him
how he is God's child and that God does love him, and then I prayed
with him. (We have found that although over 90% in Romania claim to
be Orthodox Christians, many have never experienced God's love).
After x-rays and ct scans, I found myself in a large open room with
many other patients and doctors. The man in the bed next to me screamed
out in pain, saying "stop!!!please don't!!!" The doctors were having to
re-set his arm. As the doctors walked away, he was whimpering in
"gypsy". I began singing to him the only song in "gypsy" that I
know, "Nadeek tu", which says that we are all the same in God's eyes
and he loves us. The man settled down and fell asleep.
After many conversations, prayers, and pain medication, I was
admitted into the hospital. Damaris, Tiffany, Heather, and Scottie
stayed with me in the hospital all night. I didn't receive any more
pain meds that night, but the girls prayed and read Scripture over me
all night. The Dr. came in and explained that I had fractured my pelvis
and it was separated and would require surgery. He told me that within
three months I would be able to sit up in my bed, and would gradually
improve. We continued to pray and sing songs to God, as other team
members came and left, but God surrounded the room with his presence
and peace.
"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell
God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will
experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His
peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ
Jesus." -Philippians 4:6
God made this familiar verse truly come alive in my life.
As news leaked out, people began praying all around the
world. My mother and friend headed out from Phoenix to be with me. The
rest of my I-Squad had to leave for Turkey, and the decision was made
for Dan and Becky to stay with me. What a beautiful ministry it has
been! It has been incredible to have them there to comfort me and help
me in so many ways. Dan & Becky spent one night in the hospital bed
next to me and assisted in duties such as bed pan duty, holding hands
during shots, making sure the bathroom was clean, talking with the
Doctors, and more. We spent most of our time praying for each other,
and praying over other people in the hospital, and making cards for
others in the hospital. It was incredible to see each of us have our
own ministry with different people in the hospital yet still love on
each other as family.
On Monday, the Doctor took another x-ray and this time the results
showed four minor fractures, but it was no longer necessary to have
surgery! God again shows himself faithful and He is the great healer!
God made my favorite Psalm come alive.
"I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my Savior. My God is my rock, in whom I find
protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of
safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me
from my enemies. The ropes of death entangled me; the floods of
destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress, I cried out to the
Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his santuary;
my cry to him reached my ears...He reached down from heaven and rescued
me; he drew me out of deep waters...He led me to a place of safety; he
rescued me because he delights in me...You light a lamp for me. The
Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush any
army; with my God I can scale any wall. God's way is perfect . All
the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield to all who look to him
for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a
solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way
perfect. The Lord lives! Praise to my rock! May the God of my
salvation be exalted! -Psalm 18:1-6, 16, 19, 28-32, 46
God is a great God and I trust Him.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
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