So today, Simon and Steven, the local directors for YWAM Soroti, were here at the Amecet base and they were looking “smart”. Now when I arrived to Uganda, I thought that looking smart meant that I looked intelligent, however here, its means to look handsome/beautiful and virtually anyone who dresses up in nice clothes “looks smart”. So I asked Simon and Steve what the occasion was for being dressed up, and they said that they were headed to a traditional marriage.
Here came the next question, what is a traditional marriage here in Uganda? In a traditional marriage, the groom and his family are introduced to society along with the bride’s family, while the bride is kept locked up in a house near by. They go into a meeting room and they bargain for hours on the price of the bride, that’s right, the price of the bride. So while this seemed like some sort of legalized slavery, I asked what the going rate was for a bride which led to a whole separate shock. “About seven cows,” was the answer. “Seven cows? You mean they buy the bride with cows?” This was their concept of a dowry. Steve saw my shocked look and said “well not only cows, there are goats, and camels, and donkeys…” and so on and so on as he listed the different animals that were considered dowry worthy.
They continued to explain that once the groom and his family had settled on the number of cows/livestock wanted for the bride, then the bride and groom were given permission to marry. Sometimes, however, they never settle on the number, and there is no wedding. “But they marry for love?” I injected. “Of course, Apapero.” (Apapero is my new Ateso name which I am convinced means crazy muzungu, but they assure me it means friendly one.) His assurance gave me some sort of peace of mind, then chuckling, he looked back at me and asked “Apapero, so, how many cows are you worth?”
Well dad? How many cows? I am hoping you say that you wouldn’t settle for less than ten camels, but hey – that’s your bargain.
Till next time,
Wondering about her worth in cows,
Lauren
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
"But You Will Make Me Strong Again."
I don’t really know where to begin. I feel like I have written and rewritten this and yet cannot find the words, the reasoning, that I want to give. These last few days I feel like I have woven my way in and out of sadness and joy, pain and comfort, confusion and certainty.
You know a year ago, if I had been in the place that I am in now, I don’t think I would understand, because my world back then consisted of only black and white. God has been adding gray tones and throwing me off what I thought was the only truth about Him. He says “who knows the mind of God, or who has ever instructed Him?” I haven’t. I used to like to fit God into a box that I could understand, but God has broken that box. I’ve been limiting him. Because you see when God is in a box, he is predictable, he is understandable, but outside of a box he is dangerous, he is too far beyond us. Like C.S. Lewis wrote depicting the Jesus character in his beloved “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”, Jesus Christ isn’t safe – he is a roaring lion – but He is good, and He is the King.
I don’t understand his ways. I don’t. I have only begun to scratch the surface, and I think God reminds me of that by bringing me into times of brokenness. In those moments, all I have is Him. It leads me to the throne of grace, to sit before the king, and ask him, and inquire of his being and all that he is.
God has brought me back into one of those times. Two nights ago, one of our babies died. Her name was Margaret and she was three months old. Margaret was a Down syndrome baby and was two months premature. She came to Amecet the day of her birth when her mother died, but she never took to the treatment we gave her, and after the first two months she stopped eating on her own. We began feeding her through a tube, but Margaret never progressed. Last week, Margaret got pneumonia and her little lungs couldn’t handle the stress. We put her on oxygen, but her body wasn’t adjusting and her little heart couldn’t cope with the trauma.
I stayed up with her all night while Els, the director of Amecet, was in and out. Her heart beat was very irregular and at two o’clock in the morning, her heart stopped. Margaret fell asleep and didn’t wake up. I’ve never experienced death that close before. I know that Margaret is in Jesus’ arms right now. She doesn’t have Down syndrome anymore and she doesn’t have pain anymore. I know that Jesus saw her in her pain and said “You’ve endured enough, come home,” and I know that he is good.
But her death broke me. It broke many of the staff’s heart. It broke her father’s heart – she was his only daughter, his only family left. I don’t understand that. I am still working through this. It brought me back to the throne of grace, back into a place where I am pressing into Him. I am weak now, I am broken, but I am not destroyed. Like the psalmist wrote, “You have shown me many troubles of all kinds. But you will make me strong again. And you will bring me up again from deep in the earth.” Psalm 71:20
Learning brokenness,
Pressing into Him,
Lauren
You know a year ago, if I had been in the place that I am in now, I don’t think I would understand, because my world back then consisted of only black and white. God has been adding gray tones and throwing me off what I thought was the only truth about Him. He says “who knows the mind of God, or who has ever instructed Him?” I haven’t. I used to like to fit God into a box that I could understand, but God has broken that box. I’ve been limiting him. Because you see when God is in a box, he is predictable, he is understandable, but outside of a box he is dangerous, he is too far beyond us. Like C.S. Lewis wrote depicting the Jesus character in his beloved “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”, Jesus Christ isn’t safe – he is a roaring lion – but He is good, and He is the King.
I don’t understand his ways. I don’t. I have only begun to scratch the surface, and I think God reminds me of that by bringing me into times of brokenness. In those moments, all I have is Him. It leads me to the throne of grace, to sit before the king, and ask him, and inquire of his being and all that he is.
God has brought me back into one of those times. Two nights ago, one of our babies died. Her name was Margaret and she was three months old. Margaret was a Down syndrome baby and was two months premature. She came to Amecet the day of her birth when her mother died, but she never took to the treatment we gave her, and after the first two months she stopped eating on her own. We began feeding her through a tube, but Margaret never progressed. Last week, Margaret got pneumonia and her little lungs couldn’t handle the stress. We put her on oxygen, but her body wasn’t adjusting and her little heart couldn’t cope with the trauma.
I stayed up with her all night while Els, the director of Amecet, was in and out. Her heart beat was very irregular and at two o’clock in the morning, her heart stopped. Margaret fell asleep and didn’t wake up. I’ve never experienced death that close before. I know that Margaret is in Jesus’ arms right now. She doesn’t have Down syndrome anymore and she doesn’t have pain anymore. I know that Jesus saw her in her pain and said “You’ve endured enough, come home,” and I know that he is good.
But her death broke me. It broke many of the staff’s heart. It broke her father’s heart – she was his only daughter, his only family left. I don’t understand that. I am still working through this. It brought me back to the throne of grace, back into a place where I am pressing into Him. I am weak now, I am broken, but I am not destroyed. Like the psalmist wrote, “You have shown me many troubles of all kinds. But you will make me strong again. And you will bring me up again from deep in the earth.” Psalm 71:20
Learning brokenness,
Pressing into Him,
Lauren
Monday, June 16, 2008
This is for the Glory of God
Family and Friends,
I thought I would update you on the matter I asked you to pray for last week: Dennis. He has had a unrelenting fever for months and after laying hands on him and rebuking the fever, it left him. He also was vomiting up most of his tube fed food and after declaring deliverance, he stopped vomiting. He has been feverless and has not vomited in over five consecutive days! Praise the Lord.
Then on Saturday night three other girls and I laid our hands on him and prayed. God showed up in a beautiful way and one of the girls just prayed that a spirit of hope would rest upon Dennis and that we, as his intercessors, would live in a spirit of praise despite the outcome. The next evening, Els, the base director, placed a bowl of rice and meat before Dennis, as she usually does, hoping for a change, and Dennis picked up a piece of meat and began to eat. Dennis hasn’t eaten without a tube in over four months! How great is our God.
We are still praying for complete healing and I would encourage you to continue bringing Dennis before the throne of grace, but I just wanted to encourage you and point you to the author of life and the healer of all, Jesus Christ. I was so encouraged and I wanted to thank you all for standing with me and for declaring healing over this young boy. God has healed him and it is so beautiful to see him sit and play and smile with the other children. Praise the Lord!
Thank you Lord that this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified by it. John 11:4
I thought I would update you on the matter I asked you to pray for last week: Dennis. He has had a unrelenting fever for months and after laying hands on him and rebuking the fever, it left him. He also was vomiting up most of his tube fed food and after declaring deliverance, he stopped vomiting. He has been feverless and has not vomited in over five consecutive days! Praise the Lord.
Then on Saturday night three other girls and I laid our hands on him and prayed. God showed up in a beautiful way and one of the girls just prayed that a spirit of hope would rest upon Dennis and that we, as his intercessors, would live in a spirit of praise despite the outcome. The next evening, Els, the base director, placed a bowl of rice and meat before Dennis, as she usually does, hoping for a change, and Dennis picked up a piece of meat and began to eat. Dennis hasn’t eaten without a tube in over four months! How great is our God.
We are still praying for complete healing and I would encourage you to continue bringing Dennis before the throne of grace, but I just wanted to encourage you and point you to the author of life and the healer of all, Jesus Christ. I was so encouraged and I wanted to thank you all for standing with me and for declaring healing over this young boy. God has healed him and it is so beautiful to see him sit and play and smile with the other children. Praise the Lord!
Thank you Lord that this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified by it. John 11:4
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Family, Friends, and Fellow Warriors,
I am calling us to battle, a battle of prayer, that is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and kingdoms of darkness. There is a young boy here at Amecet, where I am working, named Dennis. Dennis is our sickest child here and is constantly on the edge of death. I have been praying for a while about Dennis and I was reminded the other day by my mom that sometimes in order to bring healing and restoration, fasting and prayer need to be involved. My heart is so heavy for him. He is HIV+, he has Tuberculosis, and a lung disease, he is no longer eating on his own, but is constantly living off of tube feeding and several medications a day. He has had fever almost consistantly for four months and he is only a year and seven months old. He cannot walk, or crawl. He does not talk but most of the time is moaning with pain or screaming with pain.
I have a feeling as well that this isnt just about his health. A lot of hexes and curses and withcraft are going on here in Uganda, and I am pretty sure that a spiritual force is over him, convincing him not to eat and causing him to continually vomit up the tube-fed food. It's killing him. I am asking you all, as fellow believers, to take up the sword of the spirit and go into battle with me for Dennis. I have been reading a book recently called 'The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God' and it quotes the book of Acts saying 'Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus' (Acts 4:29-30). So, let us speak out God's word with great boldnes and ask God to stretch out his hand to heal.
This week, I am going to be fasting praying and on Saturday, a group from the YWAM base in Soroti are coming together to lay hands on Dennis and pray over him. I am asking all who are willing and able to stand with me and fast and pray on Saturday, and declare Dennis' healing in the Name of Jesus Christ. Expect God to move in a mighty way. I am attaching a sheet of scriptures to pray out over Dennis.
Let's use the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, to rebuke his fever, and denounce all spiritual strongholds, and declare healing over this baby. The scriptures are written in a fashion for prayers and can be found in the book 'The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God', by Joy Lamb. Please be praying!
Standing in His truth,
Lauren Conrad
Healing Scriptures
Thank you Lord that you have promised to pardon all our iniquities and to heal all our diseases. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 103:3
Thank you Lord that You will heal those who are sick and say to them, ‘the Kingdom of God has come neat to you.’ In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:9
Thank you Lord that at this very time you will cure those people of disease and afflictions and evil spirits and you will grant sight to those who are blind. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 7:21
Thank you Lord that this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified by it. In the name of Jesus Christ.
John 11:4
Thank you Lord that you will bring them health and you will cure them, and reveal unto them an abundance of peace and truth. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 33:6
Heal them O Lord, and they will be healed, save them and they will be saved. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 17:14
Thank you Lord that you will feel compassion for them and heal those who are sick. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 14:14
Oh Lord my God, Thank you that they cried out to you for help, and you healed them. O Lord you have brought their soul from Sheol (death). You have kept them alive that they should not go down to the pit. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 30:2-3
Thank you Lord that you sent your Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 107:20
Thank you Lord that you will have compassion on the afflicted. In the name of Jesus.
Isaiah 49:13
Thank you Lord that we being to you many who are demon possessed: and you will cast out the spirits with a word and heal all those who are ill, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying ‘He himself took their infirmities and carried away their diseases.’ In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 8:16-17
Thank you Lord that you will sustain them upon their sickbed. In their illness you will restore them to heath. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 41:3
Thank you Lord that the power of the Lord is present for Jesus to perform healing. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 5:17
Thank you Lord that when you stand over them and rebuke the fever it will leave them. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 4:39
Thank you Lord that those who believe in you, the works that you did, they shall do also and even greater works than what Jesus did they shall do, because you are with the father and whatever they ask in your name, that will you do, that the father may be glorified in the son. In the name of Jesus Christ.
John 14:11-14
Thank you Lord that you have told us that this is the sign of believers. That they lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Mark 16:18
Thank you Lord that the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. In the name of Jesus Christ.
James 5:15
Thank you Lord that you will heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among these people. Thank you Lord that we, as intercessors, will bring to you all who are ill, taken with various diseases and pains, and you will heal them. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 4:23-24
Thank you Lord that you will anoint us with the Holy Spirit and with power, and we will go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil; for you are with us. In the name of Jesus Christ.
2 Kings 20:5
Thank you Lord that all things they ask in prayer, believing, they shall receive. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 21:22
Thank you Lord that you will say to the dead “get up!” And the dead will sit up and begin to talk. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 7:14- 15
Thank you Lord that you are the God who performs miracles; thank you that you display your power among the people. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 77:14
Thank you Lord that you have promised to pardon all our iniquities and to heal all our diseases. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 103:3
Thank you Lord that You will heal those who are sick and say to them, ‘the Kingdom of God has come neat to you.’ In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:9
Thank you Lord that at this very time you will cure those people of disease and afflictions and evil spirits and you will grant sight to those who are blind. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 7:21
Thank you Lord that this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified by it. In the name of Jesus Christ.
John 11:4
Thank you Lord that you will bring them health and you will cure them, and reveal unto them an abundance of peace and truth. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 33:6
Heal them O Lord, and they will be healed, save them and they will be saved. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 17:14
Thank you Lord that you will feel compassion for them and heal those who are sick. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 14:14
Oh Lord my God, Thank you that they cried out to you for help, and you healed them. O Lord you have brought their soul from Sheol (death). You have kept them alive that they should not go down to the pit. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 30:2-3
Thank you Lord that you sent your Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 107:20
Thank you Lord that you will have compassion on the afflicted. In the name of Jesus.
Isaiah 49:13
Thank you Lord that we being to you many who are demon possessed: and you will cast out the spirits with a word and heal all those who are ill, in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled saying ‘He himself took their infirmities and carried away their diseases.’ In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 8:16-17
Thank you Lord that you will sustain them upon their sickbed. In their illness you will restore them to heath. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 41:3
Thank you Lord that the power of the Lord is present for Jesus to perform healing. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 5:17
Thank you Lord that when you stand over them and rebuke the fever it will leave them. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 4:39
Thank you Lord that those who believe in you, the works that you did, they shall do also and even greater works than what Jesus did they shall do, because you are with the father and whatever they ask in your name, that will you do, that the father may be glorified in the son. In the name of Jesus Christ.
John 14:11-14
Thank you Lord that you have told us that this is the sign of believers. That they lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Mark 16:18
Thank you Lord that the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. In the name of Jesus Christ.
James 5:15
Thank you Lord that you will heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among these people. Thank you Lord that we, as intercessors, will bring to you all who are ill, taken with various diseases and pains, and you will heal them. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 4:23-24
Thank you Lord that you will anoint us with the Holy Spirit and with power, and we will go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil; for you are with us. In the name of Jesus Christ.
2 Kings 20:5
Thank you Lord that all things they ask in prayer, believing, they shall receive. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 21:22
Thank you Lord that you will say to the dead “get up!” And the dead will sit up and begin to talk. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Luke 7:14- 15
Thank you Lord that you are the God who performs miracles; thank you that you display your power among the people. In the name of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 77:14
Friday, June 6, 2008
You Are Loved
African worship is beautiful. There is dancing, and shouting and singing. There is no holding back in African worship and I know God delights in it. It is just beautiful to Him, and I have been enjoying it as well. But as you can imagine, sometimes I just need intimate quiet times of worship as well. I love to dance, I love to shout, I love to sing at the top of my lungs, but I love to sit, and I love to feel God’s presence in an intimate way as well. African believers know very well how to enter into His courts with thanksgiving and praise, but there isn’t much of “being still and knowing that He is God,” if you know what I mean.
The other day, I went to service held at the YWAM Soroti base, and we were praising God. There was a young woman that began to praise God in Ateso, and I had no clue what she was saying. In my other adventures in Latin America, I could figure out the words, but here I am left in the dark. So I just began to pray that God would show me how to praise him in the midst of a language barrier and cultural barrier as well. I was determined to praise him whether I felt like it or not, so I just sought his heart. Meanwhile the African people were jumping and singing and dancing and reveling in God. One older woman waddled up to me and shouted in my ear “God, he loves me, He really loves me”. I am sure you have experienced the Holy Spirit move, but I had never experienced him move so powerfully before. It was as if Jesus Christ walked into the room and put arms around me and said, “Lauren, I love you, I really love you.” I just stood there and tears poured out of my eyes. It was as if the hard shell around my heart was torn down and love, intimate, passionate, pursuing love, was spoken right to it. I must have looked silly. Little muzungu crying at an Ateso song, but in that moment God reminded me, as he so often does, that he loves me.
After the service God just kept on speaking to me, and he really laid it on my heart to write about it. I am convinced that we don’t understand his love. I know I don’t. He is wildly in love with each and every one of us. He is intimately involved and engaged in our lives. Paul said that nothing could separate us from his love. Nothing. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Savior” (Romans 8 8:38-39).
I wish I could look each of you in the eyes and just tell you “He is radically in love with you. No one has ever or can ever love you as he does. His love is relentless. He is crazy about you and no one can take that away. No sin, no failure can ever make him love you less. No achievement, no greatness can ever make him love you more. He is so in love with you.” Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, is wildly, passionately, relentlessly, in love with you. He thinks about you constantly. He never leaves your side. He is right there with you.
Even after writing this, I don’t understand, but I know that He will continue to reveal it to me and to you. My words and my writing cannot express his love for you, it is merely a poor reflection of the reality of his pure love for you. But take joy in the fact that you are loved without bound or limit, that the God of the universe is so intimately involved in your life that he created you and knows everything about you. No one has ever or will ever love you like he does.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about the love of God moving us to action. "The only lasting freedom from self-consciousness comes from a profound awareness that God loves me as I am, not as I should be. He loves me beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity. He loves me in the morning sun and the evening rain without caution, regret, boundary, limit, or breaking point; that no matter what I do, He cannot stop loving me. When I am really in conscious communion with the reality of the wild, passionate, relentless, stubborn, pursuing, tender love of God in Jesus Christ for me, then it’s not what I’ve got to or I must or I should or I ought; suddenly I want to change because I know how deeply I am loved.” Brennan Manning
In His Loving Hands,
Lauren
The other day, I went to service held at the YWAM Soroti base, and we were praising God. There was a young woman that began to praise God in Ateso, and I had no clue what she was saying. In my other adventures in Latin America, I could figure out the words, but here I am left in the dark. So I just began to pray that God would show me how to praise him in the midst of a language barrier and cultural barrier as well. I was determined to praise him whether I felt like it or not, so I just sought his heart. Meanwhile the African people were jumping and singing and dancing and reveling in God. One older woman waddled up to me and shouted in my ear “God, he loves me, He really loves me”. I am sure you have experienced the Holy Spirit move, but I had never experienced him move so powerfully before. It was as if Jesus Christ walked into the room and put arms around me and said, “Lauren, I love you, I really love you.” I just stood there and tears poured out of my eyes. It was as if the hard shell around my heart was torn down and love, intimate, passionate, pursuing love, was spoken right to it. I must have looked silly. Little muzungu crying at an Ateso song, but in that moment God reminded me, as he so often does, that he loves me.
After the service God just kept on speaking to me, and he really laid it on my heart to write about it. I am convinced that we don’t understand his love. I know I don’t. He is wildly in love with each and every one of us. He is intimately involved and engaged in our lives. Paul said that nothing could separate us from his love. Nothing. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Savior” (Romans 8 8:38-39).
I wish I could look each of you in the eyes and just tell you “He is radically in love with you. No one has ever or can ever love you as he does. His love is relentless. He is crazy about you and no one can take that away. No sin, no failure can ever make him love you less. No achievement, no greatness can ever make him love you more. He is so in love with you.” Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, is wildly, passionately, relentlessly, in love with you. He thinks about you constantly. He never leaves your side. He is right there with you.
Even after writing this, I don’t understand, but I know that He will continue to reveal it to me and to you. My words and my writing cannot express his love for you, it is merely a poor reflection of the reality of his pure love for you. But take joy in the fact that you are loved without bound or limit, that the God of the universe is so intimately involved in your life that he created you and knows everything about you. No one has ever or will ever love you like he does.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about the love of God moving us to action. "The only lasting freedom from self-consciousness comes from a profound awareness that God loves me as I am, not as I should be. He loves me beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity. He loves me in the morning sun and the evening rain without caution, regret, boundary, limit, or breaking point; that no matter what I do, He cannot stop loving me. When I am really in conscious communion with the reality of the wild, passionate, relentless, stubborn, pursuing, tender love of God in Jesus Christ for me, then it’s not what I’ve got to or I must or I should or I ought; suddenly I want to change because I know how deeply I am loved.” Brennan Manning
In His Loving Hands,
Lauren
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Some of the "new" loves of my life
Here are some of the children that I have digital images of so far. There are 17 here in the shelter, but I figured I would post some pictures so that you can have a face to pray for. Double click on the picture to enlarge it and the names are at the bottom! Enjoy the new loves of my life.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Amecet N'ainapakin
Here is a recent picture of the beautiful people I have been working with, or at least most of them that is. The three other muzungus (white people) are now leaving me, returing to Holland but I hear more are coming to help out with the children.
Also I thought I would update you on my malaria condition. I am MUCH better!!! Thankyou so much for your prayers. I am still tired easily, but no other symptoms...its as if I never had it. Isnt God good?
Blessings!
,
Monday, May 26, 2008
We are NOT destroyed!
"And we know that in ALL things God works for the GOOD of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purposes." - Romans 8:28
I just want to declare this as truth to all of us. We are not in this battle alone. He promised He would NEVER leave or forsake us. We are in the center of HIS strong hands and He is working for our good. I think that writing this out write now is just a reminder to me as well as an encouragement to you. I found out this morning after being really sick last night that I am in the beginning stages of malaria. And I say this not to gain sympathy but to remind us that we are not alone. I have been working through this idea the last hour and God has been reminding me of his faithfulness through emails and encouragements that I received today. He just kept saying "Lauren, you are more than a conqueror through me." And I want to declare that to you as well. You are more than a conqueror through Him who LOVED you. I don't know each person's situation, I don't know who will read this blog, but God does. He knows your name. He knows every hair on your head, and He is so in love with you. Be encouraged. He has never and will never leave you. He is walking with you in this rough spot.
One of my best friends, and my youth pastor, Angela, wrote me today and said it perfectly "Try to enjoy it even in the tough times. Remember Romans 5:1-11 - allow everything that is hard to develop perseverance in you, perseverance - character, and character - hope. And hope will never disappoint us!!" (Hope you don't mind me using that Ang!) We might be hard pressed on every side, but we are NOT CRUSHED. We might be perplexed, but we are NOT IN DESPAIR. We might be persecuted, but we are NOT ABANDONED. We might be struck down, but in the NAME OF JESUS - WE ARE NOT DESTROYED. Declare this. It is truth. I am working on declaring it myself now. You are not alone - remember this.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may STRENGTHEN you with power through his Spirit in your INNER being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in LOVE, may have POWER, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to KNOW this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be FILLED to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work WITHIN us, to him be GLORY in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:16-21)
In HIS STRONG hands,
Lauren
I just want to declare this as truth to all of us. We are not in this battle alone. He promised He would NEVER leave or forsake us. We are in the center of HIS strong hands and He is working for our good. I think that writing this out write now is just a reminder to me as well as an encouragement to you. I found out this morning after being really sick last night that I am in the beginning stages of malaria. And I say this not to gain sympathy but to remind us that we are not alone. I have been working through this idea the last hour and God has been reminding me of his faithfulness through emails and encouragements that I received today. He just kept saying "Lauren, you are more than a conqueror through me." And I want to declare that to you as well. You are more than a conqueror through Him who LOVED you. I don't know each person's situation, I don't know who will read this blog, but God does. He knows your name. He knows every hair on your head, and He is so in love with you. Be encouraged. He has never and will never leave you. He is walking with you in this rough spot.
One of my best friends, and my youth pastor, Angela, wrote me today and said it perfectly "Try to enjoy it even in the tough times. Remember Romans 5:1-11 - allow everything that is hard to develop perseverance in you, perseverance - character, and character - hope. And hope will never disappoint us!!" (Hope you don't mind me using that Ang!) We might be hard pressed on every side, but we are NOT CRUSHED. We might be perplexed, but we are NOT IN DESPAIR. We might be persecuted, but we are NOT ABANDONED. We might be struck down, but in the NAME OF JESUS - WE ARE NOT DESTROYED. Declare this. It is truth. I am working on declaring it myself now. You are not alone - remember this.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may STRENGTHEN you with power through his Spirit in your INNER being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in LOVE, may have POWER, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to KNOW this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be FILLED to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work WITHIN us, to him be GLORY in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:16-21)
In HIS STRONG hands,
Lauren
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Sipi Falls
Sipi Falls! Today I went with a group from the YWAM Soroti base to Sipi Falls- a region bordering Kenya- and saw the majesty of Uganda. It was a much needed day off and God really gave me rest and reminded me of his amazing character and his unending love. It was a day just to rest in his arms.
I have finished my first week at Amecet and God has been teaching me and blessing me so greatly with those beautiful babies. Thankyou for praying for Dennis and Angela. Angela is now eating by herself and is eating a lot more! Dennis' fever left him and he is now smiling regularly.
Monday, May 19, 2008
"Auntie Lauren"
Auntie Lauren. I have never been an aunt and I know I am not the aunt of these little children here, but when I hear little Esther look at me and utter Auntie Lauren, my heart just breaks. It is one of the sweetest names I have ever been able to call my own. Today was my second day working with the children here at Amecet and it is wonderful and difficult all in the same breath.
There are two babies, Dennis and Angela, who are both really sick right now. They aren’t taking any of the food given to them even when they are tube fed and haven’t progressed from their sick state even with the medicine. Sometimes you feel helpless because there is nothing you can do to ease their pain, and it feels like you are just watching them die. I don’t know how to deal with that yet, and I have a feeling I never will. It breaks your heart and there is no real answer as to why it is happening to them.
Other times, I get to just hold and feed little ones that are getting stronger by the day. There is one little boy named Godfred and I am sure there has never been a baby as sweet or as beautiful as him. His smile really could melt a thousand hearts all at once. Or other times Esther, who is just learning to walk and talk, toddles up to me lays her head on my lap and just repeats over and over, auntie Lauren. Nothing is as sweet.
I guess you could say I am learning a lot right now about pain and brokenness. I don’t really know where God is leading me, but He has me in this place to teach me. I am beginning to understand the lyrics to “Blessed be Your Name” where it states, “You give and take away, still I will say, blessed be your name.”
Please be praying hard for Dennis and Angela when you have the chance. We aren’t sure how much longer they will be with us.
There are two babies, Dennis and Angela, who are both really sick right now. They aren’t taking any of the food given to them even when they are tube fed and haven’t progressed from their sick state even with the medicine. Sometimes you feel helpless because there is nothing you can do to ease their pain, and it feels like you are just watching them die. I don’t know how to deal with that yet, and I have a feeling I never will. It breaks your heart and there is no real answer as to why it is happening to them.
Other times, I get to just hold and feed little ones that are getting stronger by the day. There is one little boy named Godfred and I am sure there has never been a baby as sweet or as beautiful as him. His smile really could melt a thousand hearts all at once. Or other times Esther, who is just learning to walk and talk, toddles up to me lays her head on my lap and just repeats over and over, auntie Lauren. Nothing is as sweet.
I guess you could say I am learning a lot right now about pain and brokenness. I don’t really know where God is leading me, but He has me in this place to teach me. I am beginning to understand the lyrics to “Blessed be Your Name” where it states, “You give and take away, still I will say, blessed be your name.”
Please be praying hard for Dennis and Angela when you have the chance. We aren’t sure how much longer they will be with us.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
From Gringo to Muzungu (May 17)
Yesterday, after having spent a week and a half with Dr. Krabbendam, a retired professor at my college, I made a long journey to Soroti to begin my work with Amecet n’ainapakin. We left that afternoon around 1pm and didn’t arrive to Soroti until 8:30pm.
I made my journey with a beautiful Ugandan woman named Kristin who Dr. K called his daughter. This was one of the biggest blessings. We made our way through the dirty overpopulated streets of Kampala passing child beggars and street venders to the “bus station”.
Muzungu, my new name, meaning white person, was yelled from right and left. I tend to stand out here. At the bus station, hundreds of busses were standing but inches from one another while people squeezed through the surrounding area. I held onto Kristin’s hand for dear life, knowing that if I lost her, I would be completely lost and alone. I don’t think I have felt so dependant on anyone in quite a long time.
We made our way to our bus of choice and were shoved in like cattle along with luggage and other passengers. Then somehow the driver maneuvered out of the tightly packed station and onto the tightly packed streets. I don’t understand how more people do not die in the streets of Kampala. People move by foot, bike, motorcycle, car, bus, and there is no room anywhere. We actually saw quite a few accidents on our way to Soroti, but God went with Kristin and I and covered our bus.
Along the way, we were bombarded by hundreds of merchants at every stop, selling any and every type of necessity, including live chickens, which one passenger bought and successfully used my feet as a storage area – that was interesting.
After making our way to Soroti to the Amecet base, we were in for a little bump in our travels. I haven’t had any opportunity to use a phone, find internet, or contact Amecet whatsoever. So once we arrived late at night we stood outside the gate for about 15 minutes knocking until Els, the base director, answered. She hadn’t been expecting me until the following day and she was really busy trying to nurse one of the baby boys that she thought she might loose that night. So Kristin offered to take me back to her house to stay. We began walking, then called a borde (a man driving a bike with a seat on the back for passengers), successfully mounted, and made our way to a bus stop.
After waiting for a bus we got on and made our way back to Kumi and arrived at Kristin’s house around midnight. Her family had made preparations for a meal since we hadn’t eaten since that morning and we ate. I ate something however that made me hallucinate that night and wake up vomiting and extremely sick to my stomache.
Looking back on it though, I count every circumstance as a blessing – I know it sounds weird, but I was with a woman that I had gotten to know and who called herself my mother, her husband was a pediatrition who was able to prescribe me something for food poisoning, and I was able to sleep and get all of the food out of my system before making my way to Amecet and trying to help with the children. God is so good.
I know my mom would be happy to hear that Kristin really cared for me and nursed me back to health before I arrived at Amecet this night. Right now, I am writing this by lamp light due to the town’s electricity shut down and am about to go to sleep before my first day caring for the babies. I met them briefly tonight and my heart is already broken and completely in love.
Please be praying for my complete healing and praise the Lord for his rich blessings so far. I miss you all very much but I know that I am right in the place I need to be.
I made my journey with a beautiful Ugandan woman named Kristin who Dr. K called his daughter. This was one of the biggest blessings. We made our way through the dirty overpopulated streets of Kampala passing child beggars and street venders to the “bus station”.
Muzungu, my new name, meaning white person, was yelled from right and left. I tend to stand out here. At the bus station, hundreds of busses were standing but inches from one another while people squeezed through the surrounding area. I held onto Kristin’s hand for dear life, knowing that if I lost her, I would be completely lost and alone. I don’t think I have felt so dependant on anyone in quite a long time.
We made our way to our bus of choice and were shoved in like cattle along with luggage and other passengers. Then somehow the driver maneuvered out of the tightly packed station and onto the tightly packed streets. I don’t understand how more people do not die in the streets of Kampala. People move by foot, bike, motorcycle, car, bus, and there is no room anywhere. We actually saw quite a few accidents on our way to Soroti, but God went with Kristin and I and covered our bus.
Along the way, we were bombarded by hundreds of merchants at every stop, selling any and every type of necessity, including live chickens, which one passenger bought and successfully used my feet as a storage area – that was interesting.
After making our way to Soroti to the Amecet base, we were in for a little bump in our travels. I haven’t had any opportunity to use a phone, find internet, or contact Amecet whatsoever. So once we arrived late at night we stood outside the gate for about 15 minutes knocking until Els, the base director, answered. She hadn’t been expecting me until the following day and she was really busy trying to nurse one of the baby boys that she thought she might loose that night. So Kristin offered to take me back to her house to stay. We began walking, then called a borde (a man driving a bike with a seat on the back for passengers), successfully mounted, and made our way to a bus stop.
After waiting for a bus we got on and made our way back to Kumi and arrived at Kristin’s house around midnight. Her family had made preparations for a meal since we hadn’t eaten since that morning and we ate. I ate something however that made me hallucinate that night and wake up vomiting and extremely sick to my stomache.
Looking back on it though, I count every circumstance as a blessing – I know it sounds weird, but I was with a woman that I had gotten to know and who called herself my mother, her husband was a pediatrition who was able to prescribe me something for food poisoning, and I was able to sleep and get all of the food out of my system before making my way to Amecet and trying to help with the children. God is so good.
I know my mom would be happy to hear that Kristin really cared for me and nursed me back to health before I arrived at Amecet this night. Right now, I am writing this by lamp light due to the town’s electricity shut down and am about to go to sleep before my first day caring for the babies. I met them briefly tonight and my heart is already broken and completely in love.
Please be praying for my complete healing and praise the Lord for his rich blessings so far. I miss you all very much but I know that I am right in the place I need to be.
Pain (May 14)
How do we come close to understanding pain? I have never experienced pain if I begin to compare myself with the faces and stories of the people of Uganda. One set of sorrowful eyes looked deeply into mine tonight and just began to scratch the surface the life he had led. “Suffering, suffering, suffering,” he uttered as his eyes looked away from me.
Charles began to speak to me as I sat down with him. He smiled widely and put his arm around me while his other hand held tightly to an AK-47. It seemed so surreal. He began telling me about his sister who had six children. She was a single mother and had just died five days before. “I want cry, but sometimes I cannot find the tears,” he muttered as he recounted the new found responsibilities that came with her death. Now he was responsible for caring for not only his own two children but the six children of his sister. He looked out at the stars as he wondered how his salary as a guard would pay for food and schooling for all eight children.
He looked back at me and I could only see the brokenness that I hadn’t seen before. I just sat and listened as he spoke. He began to ramble about his past and my eyes just focused on his face.
“Bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet…” he just kept repeating the word until silence settled upon him. “I lost my parents,” he said “when I finished P3,” what we might call 4th grade. The rebel troops had come into his tribe while he was gone at school and shot all of the parents in the tribe. When he came home he said that the houses of the community had burned down with all the dead bodies within and then a group of his friends were taken from that place. “If your mouth wanted to smile, they would cut your mouth and if your ears wanted to hear they would cut your ears. They just cut, cut, cut.” He described this horror and showed me some of his scars. He didn’t tell me how he had gotten away, but he sat for a while until he began to speak again.
I wish I could say that this story is an exception to the other people I have met, but it is not. Brokenness is all around me.
Charles began to speak to me as I sat down with him. He smiled widely and put his arm around me while his other hand held tightly to an AK-47. It seemed so surreal. He began telling me about his sister who had six children. She was a single mother and had just died five days before. “I want cry, but sometimes I cannot find the tears,” he muttered as he recounted the new found responsibilities that came with her death. Now he was responsible for caring for not only his own two children but the six children of his sister. He looked out at the stars as he wondered how his salary as a guard would pay for food and schooling for all eight children.
He looked back at me and I could only see the brokenness that I hadn’t seen before. I just sat and listened as he spoke. He began to ramble about his past and my eyes just focused on his face.
“Bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet, bullet…” he just kept repeating the word until silence settled upon him. “I lost my parents,” he said “when I finished P3,” what we might call 4th grade. The rebel troops had come into his tribe while he was gone at school and shot all of the parents in the tribe. When he came home he said that the houses of the community had burned down with all the dead bodies within and then a group of his friends were taken from that place. “If your mouth wanted to smile, they would cut your mouth and if your ears wanted to hear they would cut your ears. They just cut, cut, cut.” He described this horror and showed me some of his scars. He didn’t tell me how he had gotten away, but he sat for a while until he began to speak again.
I wish I could say that this story is an exception to the other people I have met, but it is not. Brokenness is all around me.
Beg For This Nation (May 12)
This past week I have been staying with a group in Kampala, being discipled by Dr. Krabbendam and reaching out into the community by doing door-to-door evangelism while working with the churches. This is a very receptive culture and many accepted Christ as their Savior. However, while it is receptive, there are several lies that are confusing the new believers and the non-believers. Islam and Mormonism along with churches that are practicing human sacrifice and that the enemy has corrupted really confuse the Ugandan people. Pray that God would invade this situation and bring his light and his truth. Pray that eyes would be opened.
I love the song “You Said”- it has been such a promise to me as I see the way in which Satan is trying to confuse. He is the father of lies – is he not? The song says:
You said ask and I’ll give the nations to you, Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart. Distant shores and the islands will see your light as it rises on us.
Please beg God for the nation of Uganda and that His light would illuminate all the half-truths and lies in which Satan is entangling those around us.
I love the song “You Said”- it has been such a promise to me as I see the way in which Satan is trying to confuse. He is the father of lies – is he not? The song says:
You said ask and I’ll give the nations to you, Oh Lord, that’s the cry of my heart. Distant shores and the islands will see your light as it rises on us.
Please beg God for the nation of Uganda and that His light would illuminate all the half-truths and lies in which Satan is entangling those around us.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Here We Go AGAIN!!!!
Family and Friends!
I am so sorry not to have written in such a long time. Once I found out that Uganda was for sure, studies really started hitting me along with preparation for the trip and now, three days before I leave, I am writing you!
I have a couple AMAZING stories to share in which God really blessed me in one of the most complex parts of my trip: travel. As many of you know and have been experiencing gas prices have gone up....exponentially. I am a little overwhelmed as I am sure you are along with our fellow friends in the airline business. Needless to say: the ticket costs a fortune. That is taking up most of the $3000 that I was raising. Problem number two: whether the price of the ticket was expensive or not, I would have been traveling alone for a very long time as a single white woman, and that was not the safest thing... (lets just say my parents weren't to keen on the idea).
So our amazing God decided to just put his hand in as an intervention and provide radically for me. First HE PROVIDED THE FUNDS!!!! Then, to top it off, there was a team from Covenant College, led by Dr. Krabbendam, that was going to Uganda at the same time I was. So, after a fifteen minute meeting with Dr. Krabbendam and an exciting phone call with my mom, I decided to travel with the team headed to Uganda. I was still needing to somehow drive north about 6 hours after the flight, and Dr. Krabbendam knew an individual from the town I am going to and asked them to come pick me up and take me. This is not some small task - this is a HUGE miracle.
These are just a couple of ways in which God has provided a way and is pushing me toward Uganda. I know and have been made aware of the many dangers I face, but I KNOW that my God has brought me this far, and He will NEVER leave me. He will NEVER let me down. He is my PROTECTION and SHIELD and I am trusting in Him.
Please, please, please, please be in prayer as I head out. I know I am going to need these prayers. Remember that the prayer of a righteous man is both POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE. Your prayers are powerful and effective and I know that as the body of Christ, we can reach out and touch the heart of God as we intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ. So PLEASE, add me to your prayer list this summer.
I will be doing my best to keep you all up to date with pictures of the little babies I will be working with and with stories of how amazing our God is!!! I am SOOO excited to be able to go. Thankyou for coming along side of me and supporting me through your words, through your money and through your prayers.
God bless,
Standing in HIS grace,
Conquered by HIS love,
Lauren Conrad
I am so sorry not to have written in such a long time. Once I found out that Uganda was for sure, studies really started hitting me along with preparation for the trip and now, three days before I leave, I am writing you!
I have a couple AMAZING stories to share in which God really blessed me in one of the most complex parts of my trip: travel. As many of you know and have been experiencing gas prices have gone up....exponentially. I am a little overwhelmed as I am sure you are along with our fellow friends in the airline business. Needless to say: the ticket costs a fortune. That is taking up most of the $3000 that I was raising. Problem number two: whether the price of the ticket was expensive or not, I would have been traveling alone for a very long time as a single white woman, and that was not the safest thing... (lets just say my parents weren't to keen on the idea).
So our amazing God decided to just put his hand in as an intervention and provide radically for me. First HE PROVIDED THE FUNDS!!!! Then, to top it off, there was a team from Covenant College, led by Dr. Krabbendam, that was going to Uganda at the same time I was. So, after a fifteen minute meeting with Dr. Krabbendam and an exciting phone call with my mom, I decided to travel with the team headed to Uganda. I was still needing to somehow drive north about 6 hours after the flight, and Dr. Krabbendam knew an individual from the town I am going to and asked them to come pick me up and take me. This is not some small task - this is a HUGE miracle.
These are just a couple of ways in which God has provided a way and is pushing me toward Uganda. I know and have been made aware of the many dangers I face, but I KNOW that my God has brought me this far, and He will NEVER leave me. He will NEVER let me down. He is my PROTECTION and SHIELD and I am trusting in Him.
Please, please, please, please be in prayer as I head out. I know I am going to need these prayers. Remember that the prayer of a righteous man is both POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE. Your prayers are powerful and effective and I know that as the body of Christ, we can reach out and touch the heart of God as we intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ. So PLEASE, add me to your prayer list this summer.
I will be doing my best to keep you all up to date with pictures of the little babies I will be working with and with stories of how amazing our God is!!! I am SOOO excited to be able to go. Thankyou for coming along side of me and supporting me through your words, through your money and through your prayers.
God bless,
Standing in HIS grace,
Conquered by HIS love,
Lauren Conrad
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Destination: Soroti, Uganda
I am not sure how many continue to check this blog site, but I am now planning a new trip, and this one is not to the jungles of Panama, the deserts of Mexico, or the poverty of Colombia. No, this time, my heart has been called to Uganda. This summer, within the first week of May, I am heading out to Soroti, Uganda, to work with a Y.W.A.M. base in one of their projects called Amecet n'ainapakin, which means shelter of peace. I will be working with children both infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Currently I am in the process of raising funds, and am excited to see how God is going to provide. He has never failed. The averaged price of this trip is $3,000 dollars. I will be living on the Y.W.A.M. base for two and a half months serving there. Please prayerfully consider walking beside me and supporting me as I take another leap of faith into the heart of Africa to love and care for these babies.
Blessings In Christ
In HIS hands,
Lauren Conrad
Blessings In Christ
In HIS hands,
Lauren Conrad
Thursday, October 4, 2007
La Jungla: Embera Tribe
On Thursday, September 19th, our team went into the jungle to work with the embera, one of the many indigenous tribes here in Panama. The roots of the embera people venture back before the first pioneers in the Americas. Missionaries and people from the Peace Core have been making progress with this people for years and just recently, within the past year and a half, they have installed electricity and clean drinking water for the people. The people still live in huts that are constructed of wood and palm leaves. All of the houses are raised off the ground by about five to eight feet due to flooding and animals.
Thursday we gathered our things, planning to stay at the village for five days, and headed to a river about an hour and a half drive from the YWAM Panama base. Once we arrived at the river, we all got out of the van, covered our back-packs in plastic, and boarded boats that were similar to long canoes. The boat was powered by a motor and directed by two men by long rods. Panama is just entering its rainy season, and so the river is still shallow to some extent and often, with the weight of our luggage and our selves, we would jump out of the boat and push the boat upstream. (Quick side note: the man that was directing our boat was one of the characters in the movie “At the End of the Spear”). After an hour and a half in the boat, we finally arrived at the embera community. We were greeted by awkward looks and many, many children.
After arriving, we were all given a place to stay. The boys got their own hut to sleep in but the two girls, Erin and I, were sent to live with a family. According to tradition, the embera women bare their chest in public. At first this was a bit of a challenge, but God gave us grace and by the end of our time there it was more normal. The first day our team played with the children and got to know the village, but by the second day we began our work. The girls were given the job of preparing the palms to cover and make more roofing while the men of the team were sent to repair a path. The following day the men went on a two hour hike up a mountain and helped the embera men haul down a new canoe. The people had spent two weeks forming the canoe out of a large tree and without our help; the people said it can take up to four days to haul one canoe down the mountain side. These boats are huge and the guys were working on pushing this boat down for 12 hours. God really protected them and blessed their labor. The girls and I went to another near-by village and worked with the children.
The evening when the guys got back from hauling the boat, we had a meeting. The night before, on Friday, we came together for a time of intercession and we sought God’s heart and what he desired of us there in the embera community. So on Saturdays meeting, our leader brought us together to remind us of what God had shown us in visions three months before in intercession. God had given us a word and an image. The word spoke of the tremendous need for boats and the vision had been a boat without a sail. God reminded us of our purpose. The embera people were in great need of new boats and these boats didn’t have sails. So we decided to stay a day longer than scheduled and bring down the second boat.
We all rested most of Sunday. The work the guys had done opened the embera people to a new level with us, giving us an opportunity to speak about the love of God. So that Sunday we also had a program including worship, a testimony, dramas, and a message. The people were so open and we were able to pray over the children, the sick and the community as a whole.
After bringing down the second boat on Monday, we had a feast, and prepared to leave on Tuesday. Before we left, we bought some of the goods the women of the village made to sell. We loaded our things and right as we were boarding a huge rainstorm came and lasted the whole time we were on the water, but God was so faithful. He protected us and held us in the palm of his hand.
Thursday we gathered our things, planning to stay at the village for five days, and headed to a river about an hour and a half drive from the YWAM Panama base. Once we arrived at the river, we all got out of the van, covered our back-packs in plastic, and boarded boats that were similar to long canoes. The boat was powered by a motor and directed by two men by long rods. Panama is just entering its rainy season, and so the river is still shallow to some extent and often, with the weight of our luggage and our selves, we would jump out of the boat and push the boat upstream. (Quick side note: the man that was directing our boat was one of the characters in the movie “At the End of the Spear”). After an hour and a half in the boat, we finally arrived at the embera community. We were greeted by awkward looks and many, many children.
After arriving, we were all given a place to stay. The boys got their own hut to sleep in but the two girls, Erin and I, were sent to live with a family. According to tradition, the embera women bare their chest in public. At first this was a bit of a challenge, but God gave us grace and by the end of our time there it was more normal. The first day our team played with the children and got to know the village, but by the second day we began our work. The girls were given the job of preparing the palms to cover and make more roofing while the men of the team were sent to repair a path. The following day the men went on a two hour hike up a mountain and helped the embera men haul down a new canoe. The people had spent two weeks forming the canoe out of a large tree and without our help; the people said it can take up to four days to haul one canoe down the mountain side. These boats are huge and the guys were working on pushing this boat down for 12 hours. God really protected them and blessed their labor. The girls and I went to another near-by village and worked with the children.
The evening when the guys got back from hauling the boat, we had a meeting. The night before, on Friday, we came together for a time of intercession and we sought God’s heart and what he desired of us there in the embera community. So on Saturdays meeting, our leader brought us together to remind us of what God had shown us in visions three months before in intercession. God had given us a word and an image. The word spoke of the tremendous need for boats and the vision had been a boat without a sail. God reminded us of our purpose. The embera people were in great need of new boats and these boats didn’t have sails. So we decided to stay a day longer than scheduled and bring down the second boat.
We all rested most of Sunday. The work the guys had done opened the embera people to a new level with us, giving us an opportunity to speak about the love of God. So that Sunday we also had a program including worship, a testimony, dramas, and a message. The people were so open and we were able to pray over the children, the sick and the community as a whole.
After bringing down the second boat on Monday, we had a feast, and prepared to leave on Tuesday. Before we left, we bought some of the goods the women of the village made to sell. We loaded our things and right as we were boarding a huge rainstorm came and lasted the whole time we were on the water, but God was so faithful. He protected us and held us in the palm of his hand.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Well, here I am having just finished our first phase in outreach to Tecate, Mexico, and I can honestly say that we saw the hand of God at work. We stayed in Tecate for two weeks and began pioneering a new base for Youth With a Mission. Before we left on outreach, our team had a week filled with intercession prayer for our outreach in Tecate, Panama, and Colombia. In our times of intercession one of our team mates mentioned that there were several satanic camps that were working both in the city and in the out skirts of Tecate. Having this information, our team entered Tecate prepared for spiritual warfare. The stronghold that Satan had in Tecate was visible, and when we entered the city, it was as if light and darkness collided.
Our first week in Tecate was spent sleeping in a church, working with youth along with intercity evangelism. It was amazing how quickly the youth and our team bonded. We were really blessed to have formed such strong relationships with them. Our intercity evangelism consisted of going to hospitals, parks, and other public places where we would share our testimonies, do dramas, and share the hope of Christ to the surrounding communities. Everytime we had one of these evangelistic outreaches in the city, there were always people watching and waiting to hear what we had to say. Often the people would ask for prayer, and it was beautiful to see the team work in untiy as we were able to cover them, their families, and their concerns in prayer.
Towards the end of our first week in Tecate we led a program for three nights with the church we were staying with. We picked a specific park where we would lead worship, play with children, present the gospel and do dramas three nights in a row. God showed up, but not without Satan wanting to destroy things as well. One of the nights we had such a massive turn out of children, but we also had every type of technical problem. First the lights went out and we were only functioning on flashlights. We decided to start the program in faith and the church began to lead worship. I heard so clearly from the Lord that I was to go out into the dark and start dancing, proclaiming light into the city of Tecate. So I went and before I knew it there were at least 40 children dancing by my side, and within 10 minutes, the lights came on. Then we had trouble with music for our dramas, our team came together and started praying with passion and declaring God's truth, resisting Satan and declaring that he must flee. The sound began to work. We covered everything that night in prayer and God really showed up, bringing an even greater multitude the following night.
These are the things we saw and light was brought into the city of Tecate. There are many other stories from my team mates as to how God worked. Please continue praying for our team as we head out on Sunday to Panama. I will do my best to keep you all updated, seeing as there very few opportunites to get on the computer. God bless
Prayer Requests:
1. Unity
2. God's preparation for the people we come in contact with
3. HEALTH
4. safety
5. a deep passion for Christ to grow within each of us.
Our first week in Tecate was spent sleeping in a church, working with youth along with intercity evangelism. It was amazing how quickly the youth and our team bonded. We were really blessed to have formed such strong relationships with them. Our intercity evangelism consisted of going to hospitals, parks, and other public places where we would share our testimonies, do dramas, and share the hope of Christ to the surrounding communities. Everytime we had one of these evangelistic outreaches in the city, there were always people watching and waiting to hear what we had to say. Often the people would ask for prayer, and it was beautiful to see the team work in untiy as we were able to cover them, their families, and their concerns in prayer.
Towards the end of our first week in Tecate we led a program for three nights with the church we were staying with. We picked a specific park where we would lead worship, play with children, present the gospel and do dramas three nights in a row. God showed up, but not without Satan wanting to destroy things as well. One of the nights we had such a massive turn out of children, but we also had every type of technical problem. First the lights went out and we were only functioning on flashlights. We decided to start the program in faith and the church began to lead worship. I heard so clearly from the Lord that I was to go out into the dark and start dancing, proclaiming light into the city of Tecate. So I went and before I knew it there were at least 40 children dancing by my side, and within 10 minutes, the lights came on. Then we had trouble with music for our dramas, our team came together and started praying with passion and declaring God's truth, resisting Satan and declaring that he must flee. The sound began to work. We covered everything that night in prayer and God really showed up, bringing an even greater multitude the following night.
These are the things we saw and light was brought into the city of Tecate. There are many other stories from my team mates as to how God worked. Please continue praying for our team as we head out on Sunday to Panama. I will do my best to keep you all updated, seeing as there very few opportunites to get on the computer. God bless
Prayer Requests:
1. Unity
2. God's preparation for the people we come in contact with
3. HEALTH
4. safety
5. a deep passion for Christ to grow within each of us.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Niko - Surrender, Sacrifice, and Servanthood
NIKO
In Greek, the word ‘niko’ means overcome, and that is what my team set out to do in the mountains surrounding the city of Ensenada, Mexico, last week. All eleven of us packed and were sent out into the wilderness for three and a half days. Here was our packing list:
· Three shirts
· One pair of pants and one pair of shorts
· Underwear/ socks
· Toothbrush
· Sleeping bag
· Flashlight
· Towel
· Bathing suit
· Bowl and silverware
· Bible
That’s it, meaning no deodorant, no toothpaste, no shampoo or soap. Our leaders checked our bags and made sure none of us were cheating, drove us to our destination, grouped us into teams (side note: I was the only girl on my team) and told us head south west. Our team did some quick directional thinking, without any instruments to guide us, and began hiking into the mountains. Approximately thirty minutes later, we arrived to our first of many destinations. There we picked up our food that was to last us for 3 days and got further instructions. This is what they gave a team of five for food:
· Nine pieces of bread
· Five cans of beans
· Five small cans of tuna
· Powdered milk
· Small bag of trail mix
· Small bag of granola
This food was meant to last us for three days, and I was on a team of men, I had no idea how we were going to stretch the food over that many days, but I continually asked God to provide. As a side note, remember that none of us knew what to expect, we only heard that this was going to be ‘hell’ from girls who had done it before. Before we set out I made a deal with myself, “I am not going to complain, and I am going to overcome this, to prove everyone wrong.” Maybe I had the wrong motivations, but I was determined none the less.
Back to the story: In the next set of directions we received, we were told to go east. They gave us a compass finally and we set out in the direction east. Carrying large backpacks, we moved rather quickly our first day, but at one point, my team verged from the correct path. Although we had one person who knew the way on our team, they weren’t allowed to tell us when we strayed. So our team walked for an hour and half in the wrong direction. We ran out of water and the one with the worst sense of direction on the team, me, kept on saying, “I think we should turn around”. But the others were men and they knew what they were doing. Finally they decided that we should turn around and after a while, we were back on the right trail and arrived exhausted and late to our destination.
The guys had already eaten all of the bread and a can of beans, and I was really concerned. If this was merely our first day, and we had already eaten that much, I didn’t know what we would do the next days when we were more tired and more hungry. But, God provides for our needs, and this is a beautiful thing. I told the guys that we probably shouldn’t eat any more food for that day, and they all agreed. So we were planning to go to bed hungry. But then our team leaders pulled out a box, and said, “We’re having chicken to night. The only thing is, you have to catch and kill it.” They opened the box and four skinny chickens jumped out and began running all over the place. That night I had been chosen to be team leader and the guys thought it was appropriate that the ‘team leader’ kill the chicken. So we caught the chicken and had a demonstration of how to kill a chicken. The leaders handed me a dull knife, and I killed my first, and only, chicken. I am never doing that again even if I am about to die. We then preceded to remove the feathers, skin, and internal organs of the chicken, and finally we cooked it.
So God provided us dinner, and we didn’t get semolina like we had a different time, praise the Lord. After speaking on sacrifice and having worship, we all went to bed. In the middle of the night, the sound of a horn woke us up, and we were told to pack. We put all our belongings into our bags, and then the leaders told us to start hiking east, once again. It was about 2:30 a.m. when we began our trek with flashlights. I had blisters all over my feet by that time, and the blisters started bleeding about an hour into our hike. We had no idea where we were going; it was such an example of blind faith. We could barely see in front of us, or where the edge of the path was. The only hope that we ever had was the headlights of our cars in the far off distance, but even then we couldn’t find a path that led to the cars. We were hiking for about two and a half hours into the night when finally we arrived at the cars. We passed out from exhaustion and slept until about 8:00 a.m.
That morning, we were once again given directions. We hiked for seven hours up a mountain and we were all in so much pain. We were hungry, tired, sun burnt, some of us had sores on our feet, but we kept pressing on. Once we arrived at the location, most of us simply fell asleep on rocks, anywhere where there was shade. My team had eaten all of the granola that morning along with most of the trail mix. We had two cans of tuna for lunch and a can of beans. So we had about three cans of beans left for that night and for the next day.
Our leaders then led us to the ocean and told us to bathe. The water here in Ensenada is much colder than it is at home, and in this particular area, the water was like ice. We all went into this rocky area where we were beaten about by the waves and we tried to bathe. This was so difficult, but after, we were at least clean from the packed on dirt and sweat of two days hiking. That night God provided once again with food. We had hot soup and then we went to sleep under the stars. I cannot describe how beautiful it was at night. There was no civilization near by and thus there were no lights. The stars were brilliantly bright and the moon just glowed. It was the brightest moon I had ever seen.
The next morning we woke around 6 a.m. and started to prepare for another day of hiking. I was so sore. My feet were cut and torn and my legs were tired. I remember just being so desperate. I prayed, “Lord, I cannot walk anymore. I made a commitment that I would not complain, but I just ask that you would carry through today. I can not walk any farther.” Once we got up and had packed some of our things, Erin and I began to look for a place to go to the restroom, out of sight. Once we moved off of our tarp, where we were sleeping we found a dead tarantula as big as my hand out-stretched. I about had a heart attack. I could not believe that I had been sleeping that close to a spider with fangs. At least it was dead, I kept reminding myself. Erin and I kept walking and found a place, and not more than two seconds later, I spotted a living one. I freaked out. Evidently the place we were camping at was full of theses hairy, nasty spiders. It gives a whole new meaning to “Good night, sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Oh yes, tarantulas, my newest fear.
Once Erin and I made our way back to our group, we heard our next set of directions. We were going to stay with a family in the colonias for one and a half days to be servants. We were driven to different colonias to the poorer parts and with one other person, we lived with the family. Erin and I were paired together and put with a family where we helped to clean dishes, care for the kids, clean their floors, and learn how to make tortillas (now we can officially marry, hah!). God really taught us humility and adaptability. I cannot express how blessed we were to go through this growing experience. We experienced dependence on Christ, unity as a team, and the reality of life in Mexico. God opened our eyes and taught us through experience. I love the verse in 2 Corinthians where Paul wrote about his ‘thorn in the flesh’. God spoke to him, saying “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness,” and God’s power was definitely made perfect in our weaknesses throughout niko. God gave us grace to complete this task and provided in many ways as we ventured through the mountains of Ensenada and lived among the local families.
In Greek, the word ‘niko’ means overcome, and that is what my team set out to do in the mountains surrounding the city of Ensenada, Mexico, last week. All eleven of us packed and were sent out into the wilderness for three and a half days. Here was our packing list:
· Three shirts
· One pair of pants and one pair of shorts
· Underwear/ socks
· Toothbrush
· Sleeping bag
· Flashlight
· Towel
· Bathing suit
· Bowl and silverware
· Bible
That’s it, meaning no deodorant, no toothpaste, no shampoo or soap. Our leaders checked our bags and made sure none of us were cheating, drove us to our destination, grouped us into teams (side note: I was the only girl on my team) and told us head south west. Our team did some quick directional thinking, without any instruments to guide us, and began hiking into the mountains. Approximately thirty minutes later, we arrived to our first of many destinations. There we picked up our food that was to last us for 3 days and got further instructions. This is what they gave a team of five for food:
· Nine pieces of bread
· Five cans of beans
· Five small cans of tuna
· Powdered milk
· Small bag of trail mix
· Small bag of granola
This food was meant to last us for three days, and I was on a team of men, I had no idea how we were going to stretch the food over that many days, but I continually asked God to provide. As a side note, remember that none of us knew what to expect, we only heard that this was going to be ‘hell’ from girls who had done it before. Before we set out I made a deal with myself, “I am not going to complain, and I am going to overcome this, to prove everyone wrong.” Maybe I had the wrong motivations, but I was determined none the less.
Back to the story: In the next set of directions we received, we were told to go east. They gave us a compass finally and we set out in the direction east. Carrying large backpacks, we moved rather quickly our first day, but at one point, my team verged from the correct path. Although we had one person who knew the way on our team, they weren’t allowed to tell us when we strayed. So our team walked for an hour and half in the wrong direction. We ran out of water and the one with the worst sense of direction on the team, me, kept on saying, “I think we should turn around”. But the others were men and they knew what they were doing. Finally they decided that we should turn around and after a while, we were back on the right trail and arrived exhausted and late to our destination.
The guys had already eaten all of the bread and a can of beans, and I was really concerned. If this was merely our first day, and we had already eaten that much, I didn’t know what we would do the next days when we were more tired and more hungry. But, God provides for our needs, and this is a beautiful thing. I told the guys that we probably shouldn’t eat any more food for that day, and they all agreed. So we were planning to go to bed hungry. But then our team leaders pulled out a box, and said, “We’re having chicken to night. The only thing is, you have to catch and kill it.” They opened the box and four skinny chickens jumped out and began running all over the place. That night I had been chosen to be team leader and the guys thought it was appropriate that the ‘team leader’ kill the chicken. So we caught the chicken and had a demonstration of how to kill a chicken. The leaders handed me a dull knife, and I killed my first, and only, chicken. I am never doing that again even if I am about to die. We then preceded to remove the feathers, skin, and internal organs of the chicken, and finally we cooked it.
So God provided us dinner, and we didn’t get semolina like we had a different time, praise the Lord. After speaking on sacrifice and having worship, we all went to bed. In the middle of the night, the sound of a horn woke us up, and we were told to pack. We put all our belongings into our bags, and then the leaders told us to start hiking east, once again. It was about 2:30 a.m. when we began our trek with flashlights. I had blisters all over my feet by that time, and the blisters started bleeding about an hour into our hike. We had no idea where we were going; it was such an example of blind faith. We could barely see in front of us, or where the edge of the path was. The only hope that we ever had was the headlights of our cars in the far off distance, but even then we couldn’t find a path that led to the cars. We were hiking for about two and a half hours into the night when finally we arrived at the cars. We passed out from exhaustion and slept until about 8:00 a.m.
That morning, we were once again given directions. We hiked for seven hours up a mountain and we were all in so much pain. We were hungry, tired, sun burnt, some of us had sores on our feet, but we kept pressing on. Once we arrived at the location, most of us simply fell asleep on rocks, anywhere where there was shade. My team had eaten all of the granola that morning along with most of the trail mix. We had two cans of tuna for lunch and a can of beans. So we had about three cans of beans left for that night and for the next day.
Our leaders then led us to the ocean and told us to bathe. The water here in Ensenada is much colder than it is at home, and in this particular area, the water was like ice. We all went into this rocky area where we were beaten about by the waves and we tried to bathe. This was so difficult, but after, we were at least clean from the packed on dirt and sweat of two days hiking. That night God provided once again with food. We had hot soup and then we went to sleep under the stars. I cannot describe how beautiful it was at night. There was no civilization near by and thus there were no lights. The stars were brilliantly bright and the moon just glowed. It was the brightest moon I had ever seen.
The next morning we woke around 6 a.m. and started to prepare for another day of hiking. I was so sore. My feet were cut and torn and my legs were tired. I remember just being so desperate. I prayed, “Lord, I cannot walk anymore. I made a commitment that I would not complain, but I just ask that you would carry through today. I can not walk any farther.” Once we got up and had packed some of our things, Erin and I began to look for a place to go to the restroom, out of sight. Once we moved off of our tarp, where we were sleeping we found a dead tarantula as big as my hand out-stretched. I about had a heart attack. I could not believe that I had been sleeping that close to a spider with fangs. At least it was dead, I kept reminding myself. Erin and I kept walking and found a place, and not more than two seconds later, I spotted a living one. I freaked out. Evidently the place we were camping at was full of theses hairy, nasty spiders. It gives a whole new meaning to “Good night, sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite.” Oh yes, tarantulas, my newest fear.
Once Erin and I made our way back to our group, we heard our next set of directions. We were going to stay with a family in the colonias for one and a half days to be servants. We were driven to different colonias to the poorer parts and with one other person, we lived with the family. Erin and I were paired together and put with a family where we helped to clean dishes, care for the kids, clean their floors, and learn how to make tortillas (now we can officially marry, hah!). God really taught us humility and adaptability. I cannot express how blessed we were to go through this growing experience. We experienced dependence on Christ, unity as a team, and the reality of life in Mexico. God opened our eyes and taught us through experience. I love the verse in 2 Corinthians where Paul wrote about his ‘thorn in the flesh’. God spoke to him, saying “ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness,” and God’s power was definitely made perfect in our weaknesses throughout niko. God gave us grace to complete this task and provided in many ways as we ventured through the mountains of Ensenada and lived among the local families.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Homes of Hope:
Here in YWAM San Diego/Baja, there is a program called Casas de Esperanza, or Homes of Hope. This program provides homes to some of the poorest here in Ensenada and Tijuana, Mexico. Our team of eleven were given the opportunity to build a home of hope for a family. Our family that we built for was the Villavivencio Moran Family.
Family Information:
Luis, the husband, is 27 years old and is a field worker, picking cucumbers for a living and his salary was about $10 a day. His wife, Rosa, was also a field worker and made approximately the same amount as her husband. They had two young boys, Axel (6 years old) and Jose (4 years old), and the husbands parents were living with them as well.
Previous Living Conditions:
Luis and Rosa had small home made of scrap wood. The floor was a mud floor and there was one single bed. The shower was a simple structure made covered with a small tarp and they lacked a toilet.
Our Part:
Our team worked for two days constructing a house for this family and God provided in a miraculous way. Now the family has electricity, a firmer roof, a concrete floor and more space to live.
The Blessing:
I feel that God gives each of us an opportunity to walk out our faith in practical ways. This was one of the most amazing times for me, not only did we speak of the love of God, but we demonstrated it by providing for this family’s need.
Here in YWAM San Diego/Baja, there is a program called Casas de Esperanza, or Homes of Hope. This program provides homes to some of the poorest here in Ensenada and Tijuana, Mexico. Our team of eleven were given the opportunity to build a home of hope for a family. Our family that we built for was the Villavivencio Moran Family.
Family Information:
Luis, the husband, is 27 years old and is a field worker, picking cucumbers for a living and his salary was about $10 a day. His wife, Rosa, was also a field worker and made approximately the same amount as her husband. They had two young boys, Axel (6 years old) and Jose (4 years old), and the husbands parents were living with them as well.
Previous Living Conditions:
Luis and Rosa had small home made of scrap wood. The floor was a mud floor and there was one single bed. The shower was a simple structure made covered with a small tarp and they lacked a toilet.
Our Part:
Our team worked for two days constructing a house for this family and God provided in a miraculous way. Now the family has electricity, a firmer roof, a concrete floor and more space to live.
The Blessing:
I feel that God gives each of us an opportunity to walk out our faith in practical ways. This was one of the most amazing times for me, not only did we speak of the love of God, but we demonstrated it by providing for this family’s need.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Panama and Colombia
So here I am in my new 'home' in Ensenada, Mexico. I have officially been here for over two months and the Lord has been doing such amazing things. My team is made up of people from four different countries(Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States)and we represent three different languages(French, English and Spanish). Although we have different characteristics and different backgrounds, we have come together, and have united for one purpose, TO KNOW CHRIST, and TO MAKE HIM KNOWN TO THE NATIONS. These past few months have been a time to unify and to grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. We have been in discipleship training and on the 2nd of September, we are going out into the nations to bring to the hope of Christ to a world in need. Destination: Colombia and Panama. All eleven team members including three leaders are walking in FAITH and venturing out into the unknown. However, in order to go, our team has to raise $27,500. Often in teams, the leaders give each person and specific amount to raise, however the funds are much harder to raise for certain people, so we as a team decided to take on the burdens of those in need. With this mentality, we have been striving to meet our goal. We have finally raised $12,500, and this is a huge blessing from the Lord, but I want to encourage each and every one of you to pray and see if there is a way for you to help our team reach out to the people of Panama and Colombia.If there is a possibility that you or another in your family is willing and able to help send us to Panama and Colombia, please make out your checks to Youth With a Mission. These checks are tax-deductible and we can send you a receipt. Then, please send the check to this address:
YWAM San Diego/Baja
Lauren Conrad(DTS)
100th West 35th Street Suite C
National City, CA. 91950
National City, CA. 91950
Thankyou so much for your generosity and giving others the ability to minister
WALKING BY FAITH
Lauren Conrad
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