That concept was hard enough for me to wrap my mind around when we started ministry in Cambodia.

And now, 30 days later, our month of ministry is now over.

That idea is even harder for me to comprehend.

Not only has our time in Cambodia flown by, but when I think back over this race, it seriously feels like I’ve only been gone a month.

I could not imagine a better way to finish our time of ministry.  We had an excellent placement this month.  We have been in Kampong Cham, one of the biggest cities in Cambodia teaching English.  Our contact was an incredible woman named Cecil, from the Philippines.  She works with YWAM and runs a Youth Development Center here.  She, along with five other amazing women, teach English every day to the students here, many of which are Buddhist and Muslim.  I really loved our time here.  My team got to teach English classes and give the girls a break.  This is my second time teaching English in Asia, and I fell in love with it all over again.  In January of 2009 I got to teach English in South Korea for a while.  I loved it so much, and I am so honored to be back in Asia teaching again.  I love forming relationships with the students, and helping them develop their English skills.  Because the Development Center is run by missionaries, English is just an entry-way into these student’s lives.  The teachers really strive to disciple and encourage the students to a faith in Jesus.  It was amazing to hear the Gospel presented to our students, and watch them really accept the truths of Jesus Christ.

We also got a chance to tour this beautiful city and spend time with the villagers here.  One day, Martha and I took our bikes to the river and just rode around.  We came upon a sweet little village made of cardboard and tin sheets.  Instantly we were accepted in and all of the children started posing for our cameras.  I am really going to miss being able to walk up to any community and be instantly accepted.

This month has been amazing to get to pour out into the people here.  It has been filled with lots of great times with my wonderful “Phene Girls” and has given us a chance to truly begin processing the end of this race.

…And did I mention we had BIKES this whole month

And now we are leaving tomorrow morning….We have just over a week left on the race.  The next few days will be filled with lots of reminiscing, tons of laughing, filled with memories, and certainly a lot of tears.  I am really going to miss this incredible group of people that the Lord has brought into my life.  I am so thankful for the wonderful experience.  And I am still in awe of all the amazing things I saw God do around the world this year
Thank you so much to all of you who supported me throughout this journey!  Not only has it been the missions trip of a lifetime, but I truly feel like it is a launching pad into my next step of ministry.  I want each of you to know that I would not be here today if it were not through all of your prayers and encouragement.  To my amazing supporters back home:  Thank you so much!  I hope you know how many lives you have changed this year (If not, then go back and read a few of my Africa blogs, and know that you are making a HUGE impact on the world).  I can’t wait to tell you all stories in person when I get home.  I am looking forward to lots of hugs, tons of quality time, and certainly endless amounts of Starbucks Coffee.

Until then, I am going to try to soak up these next 9 days as best as I can, and continually live in the moment – the amazing little moments that God gives us every day!

Our month in Vietnam came and went faster than I had wanted.  I still can’t get my mind around the fact that I will be home in 30 days.  I didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived in Vietnam.  My whole squad was stationed right in the middle of Tourist Central, Nam style.  Our hotel was situated between countless souvenir shops, bootleg movie stores, and restaurants promising the best “Western” cuisine.  Stepping out of the hotel I could see countless travelers, all loaded down with their backpacks searching for the next big adventure.  To take one step away from the Hotel meant I was willing to risk certain death because the only thing worse than the heat and humidity in Vietnam is the motorbikes.  To say that there are thousands of crazy motorists on the streets at all times, well that would be an understatement.  Just going across the street to get some water was like playing a giant game of Frogger with my life.  Not only were the streets filled with motorists, but add in countless vendors selling their latest catch, hundreds of peddlers selling odds and ends, flashing disco lights, endless carhorns, the constant smell of fish, and a temperature that always stayed above 100 degrees and you get the idea of what it was like walking of our hotel every morning.

Despite the business and constant sensory overload, I really enjoyed our month in Vietnam.  Vietnam is technically a closed country, which means it is illegal to evangelize.  It also means that it is illegal to gather together for any sort of meeting without the government’s approval.  So while is it technically not illegal to be a Christian, it is difficult for Christians to gather together for worship and share their faith with people.  There are some government approved churches in Vietnam, but these churches have to follow strict government protocol, and don’t leave much room for freedom.  These circumstances provided us with an array of different ministries.  I got the chance to go to the countryside and visit underground churches.  Here we did discipleship with the youth, encouraged the congregations, and shared our testimonies about what the Lord is doing all over the world.  I sat as I heard one pastor’s story of beginning his church at the age of 19.  At this time the government was great opposed to Christianity, and every time the government found out he had a convert, he had to work countless hours in the tiring heat for days on end without food.  The pastor said it was grueling work, but he smiled the whole time because he knew one of his little sheep had found their way home.  The commitment and devotion of these pastors absolutely humbled me and encouraged me to pray for the Underground Church all over the world.

One of my favorite ministries was going to the many different orphanages and children’s homes in Ho Chi Minh.  I got to hold tiny precious babies who were infected with HIV, dance and sing with children with mental disabilities, and love on kids who did not have a mother or father.  I absolutely loved getting to love on all of these precious ones.  One of my favorite memories was when I was playing with two boys who had mental disabilities.  We were walking through a Buddhist Temple and suddenly I had an idea.  I reached into my bag and pulled out my two cameras.  I placed one around each of their necks and they proceeded to dance and squeal as they spent the next hour taking pictures of every single thing they could.  I loved watching a passion of mine be able to touch other people’s lives.

Our month in Vietnam flew by like a Vietnamese motorist on a mission.  I am thankful for all of the time I got to spend there, and am blessed to have gotten to meet so many incredible individuals with unwavering passion for Christ admits a country devoted to a god made by man’s hands.
And now we’re on to Cambodia.

On to 30 more days of the Race.

On to one more big adventure before I get home.
Here’s to going out with a bang – Kingdom style.

Our African journey started back in December with our longest travel day yet.  Ashley Higgins made this hilarious video about our journey from the Middle East to Kenya.

Life in Africa can be a bit challenging at times to say the least…Team Mosaic made a video about all of the “lessons” we have had to learn since arriving here.

The Life of a World Racer from Nicole Marett on Vimeo.

While ministry in Africa at times can be difficult, more often than not they are the most rewarding experiences of our life. The video below is of a boy named Barak. He was a boy who my friend Birkleigh met on a bus and spoke with and who accepted Jesus!

jesus loves barack. from ashley higgins on Vimeo.

Ashley Higgins, videographer extraordinaire strikes again. She created this beautiful video about the lives of the precious people we have met in Africa.

brighter days. from ashley higgins on Vimeo.

After three successful months we are off to Asia!! Nicole Marett recorded our full day journey to get from Kenya to Thailand! Enjoy!

Travel Daze from Nicole Marett on Vimeo.

While I wouldn’t say that not seeing any snakes sums up my African experience…it sure does make me feel a whole lot better!  We have successfully finished our ministry in Africa and are currently in Bangkok, Thailand getting ready for three months of ministry in Southeast Asia.

So what can I say to sum up my three-month journey in Africa?  How could I even begin to sum up my incredible experiences on this wonderful continent?  I think the one word I would use would be Powerful.  I saw God power displayed in Africa like never before.

In Kenya, God broke my heart for the street kids – orphans who had no home and no hope.  Armed with a few hundred dollars that three of us girls raised (mostly donated by our wonderful Israeli mother, Tirza!) we set out to cloth and feed what we thought was going to be only about 15 children.  After a long and stressful trip to the grocery store, Martha, Ashley and I arrived at the church…along with about 50 children.  Knowing we had only purchased things for about a dozen of these precious children, we were at a loss on what to do.  So what would any good World Racer do in that situation?  Impromptu VBS!  Needless to say, God demonstrated his power and his love for the street kids as every single one of them went away with full hands.

As I reached Uganda I had no idea for the amazing month that I was in for. Uganda has been one of my favorite months on the race so far.  It was here that I became very away of the spiritual climates of places, and literally saw people operating under the worship of demons.  I watched God continually demonstrate his power as He set his children free!  One of my favorite memories was going into the schools, many of which were held outside under the trees for lack of buildings.  Here, as I presented the Gospel message, I watched as entire schools of children bowed their heads and accepted God as the Lord of their life.  Talk about powerful!

Arriving in Tanzania, I was exhausted to say the least.  We ran hard in Uganda, and saw God appear like never before.  The Lord displayed his power to me in a much different way this month.  We were blessed with wonderful contacts that provided us with a lot of time to rest and to spend time with God.  I learned what it means to truly rest in the Lord and to be quiet before him.  It was difficult for me at first to not be in 24/7 ministries, but the Lord spoke powerfully to me this month.  He spoke both to me, and through the incredible community around me.   I am so thankful that God provided me with time to rest in Him and learn to hear his voice more clearly, especially as we set out for our last leg of the Race.

God was so present and powerful in Africa.  I saw him perform many miracles and melt countless hearts with his love…hearts including my own.  I watched as things I had only read about happened right in front of my eyes…. things that I always hoped were possible, but never believed could happen in my life.  God is so powerful and so loving!!  I am now in Asia trying to shift gears and get acclimated to an entirely new culture, but I still find myself rejoicing over the wonderful things God did in Africa, and looking forward to the incredible things he will do in Asia!

The house we are living in has no power, so they are the clearest I have ever seen them.

It’s nighttime and most of my team is already asleep.

Trying to unwind, I decide to wash my feet.

As I take the wash bucket, I begin to clean off layer after layer of street dirt.

Dirt as red as Georgia clay.

It is a peaceful night and I am at rest after a very hard day of ministry.

No sleep.  Fear.  Power.  Healings.  Demons.  Muslims.  Opposition.  Freedom.  Salvations.

This month has been the hardest yet, but also the most rewarding.

As I look at the dust I begin to wonder.  Maybe the dust is not simply dust at all.  Maybe it is so much more…

As I study my feet I begin to think of all of the steps I have taken on the journe

y so far.

Step one – Ireland.  Back to Dublin.

Leaving home. Surfing.  No turning back.  Kids ministry.  Healing on the street. Danielle’s leg growing.  My team.

Step two – Romania.  Living with the Gypsies.  Painting Pape’s House.  Alex.  The Mud Village.  Caroling for Christ.  Catching a vision.  Apple Picking.  Swimming in the lake.  The Funeral.

Step three – Croatia.  Back to Hungary. Painting the church.  Prophecy over the youth.  Tasha.  ATL with Danielle and Lauren.  Train rides.  Preaching for the first time.  Communion on top of a mountain.

Step four – Turkey.  The 10/40 widow.  God calling me to the Muslim world.  Least evangelized country.  Dancing.  Ephesus.  Roof top worship.  Tea and Jesus movie.  The carpet shop.  Aydin.  Greece.  Olive grove mountain.  No one worships Artemis anymore.  Photography.

Step five – Israel.  Back for the third time.  Tirza and her beautiful children.  Desert.  Shabbat.  Hanukkah.  Leading tours.  Jerusalem.  Christmas away from home.  Petra.  The pyramids.  God growing a vision for ministry in the Middle East.  Abandonment.

Step six – Kenya.  Africa for the first time.  New Years.  Orphanage.  The street boys.  Bishop Emmanuel.  The poverty.  The children. Leading Muslims to Jesus.  The Hospital visits.  Melissa.  Worshipping on top of the mountain.  Door to door evangelism.  The VBS.  Bibles. Preaching for the first time.

The Simple Life.

Step seven – Uganda.  Intense spiritual warfare. The dark house.

Witchdoctor.  Sleepless nights.  Crusades.  Miraculous healings.  Leading.  The Bush.  Hours of hut evangelism.  Teaching in schools.  Preaching.  Deliverance.  Over 500 salvations.

And now…Four more steps.

Four more steps for God to be preached to the nations.

Four more steps until this trip is complete.

Four more steps until the next leg of my journey.

Four more steps for my feet to be covered in dust.

Four more steps for my feet to be like one man, whose feet were so covered in dust, that a woman knelt down and washed them with her tears and her hair.

The dust will be long washed off my feet, and the memories will grow dim at times, yet the impact will remain.

For I am forever covered in the dust of my Rabbi.

It was the end of a very long week for us.  I had been leading a team of 12 in the bush and our ministry lasted about 13 hours a day.  It was our last night before a day off and we were all exhausted.  “Just a few more hours” I thought to myself.  We turned the Jesus Film on and expected to have a few hours of rest until prayer time at the end.  However, within moments of sitting down for the first time that day, Pastor Godfrey came and said that there was a woman who wanted prayer.  She had what looked like a growth on her abdomen that was causing her a lot of pain.  We asked if she was a Christian and she said the only way she would accept Jesus was if he healed her right then.  “Ok, here we go” us prayer warriors thought.

So we began praying for healing and expecting God to heal her instantly.  It seemed perfectly appropriate.  After the prayer, she said her pain had gone down, but since it was not a complete healing she would not accept Jesus.  Slightly dejected, we watched her get up and go on her way.  Not thinking much after that moment, I went about packing up my stuff and loading the van.

About an hour later, Pastor found me and said that I must pray for someone else.  He said there was a woman who wanted to become a Christian.  (See, here in Africa, people just walk up to us on the streets and confess their sins.  It really is quick inexplicable).  When he brought me to the woman, it turns out it was the same woman from our prayer hours before!  Even though she was not totally healed, she decided to give her life to Jesus.  I led her in the prayer to commit her life to Jesus, with Pastor Godfrey translating.  When we finished praying, the other women present started breaking out in yells and cheers.  I was filled with joy as well, but this celebration was deeper than normal salvations.  I asked the pastor what was going on and he said that the woman was his sister!  His sister had just accepted Christ and her whole family was surrounding me celebrating!

Martha heard the commotion and joined us as we began dancing in the backyard and the old African mama’s began yelling “Iasou Mulungi! Iasou Mulungi!”  “God is good! God is good!”  It was such a beautiful celebration.  I could see Jesus joining with the angels as his one lost sheep came home.

When the commotion started, Abraham, the pastor’s 12-year-old son came running around the corner and jumped into his Aunt’s arms. He had a smile so big it took up his entire face.  His father told us that for the past few days Abraham had been trying to get his aunt to come speak with us because he knew that if she just came, she would accept Jesus.  She had continually told the boy that she would not go speak with the white people, however today God had different plans!!  It was the faith of this precious 12-year-old that planted the seed in his aunt, which God watered right in front of our eyes!!

I praise the Lord to be part of his wonderful celebration as the lost come home!!

God is SO good!

Iasou Mulungi!

They met for the first time in the Atlanta, Georgia airport back in May 2009. Matt Patch, Austin Anglea and Dan Snyder: instant brothers with much in common. After training camp the three of them had dreams and visions of the Lord using them together. Even though they’d talked about it with each other, none really knew what it could possibly look like.

In November 2009, Matt, Dan and Austin were baptized together in the Jordan River by their brother, Aaron Bruner.  As they prepared for the baptisms, they reminisced about the dreams and visions the Lord had given them and how He was going to use the three of them in His Kingdom to do huge things (read Aaron’s blog about it here).

It’s now Feb. 26, 2010, and the three have gathered in Jinja, Uganda.

Austin was in town purchasing bus tickets for his team as Dan and Matt took a boda boda, or a motorcycle taxi, into town to do some work on the Internet.

Little did they know that God was about to use these three transformed men–one a former teacher/coach, another a former realtor, and the other a former cop–in a mighty way. Just one to three years ago they were living for themselves, living the American Dream, the party life. Today they were living for the Kingdom.

As Matt and Dan rode towards the town of Jinja on the back of the boda bodas, they saw a man surrounded by a group of people, laying on the ground to the left of the road.  As the bodas slowed, the man, who was covered in blood, came to his feet. He’d obviously been hit by a car or thrown off of a boda, but seemed OK. The drivers kept moving.

As the boda bodas came around a slight bend in the road, Matt and Dan noticed a motorcycle laying there. Its pieces were strewn across the road. As the bodas slowed, a young girl of about 7 years old came into view. She was wearing a pink dress and her face and arms were covered in blood, but she at least was standing.

But just past her, a group of about 15 people were surrounding something else on the road. The boda bodas stopped in front of the group and a small boy, also about 7 years old, came into view. His body was laying in the middle of the road.

He was lifeless.

“He’s dead,” they thought.

A man shaked the boy, trying to bring him back to life, but he lay limp.

Dan and Matt pushed through the crowd to get to the boy who had a four inch bleeding bulge on his forehead. His mouth and ear was spilling blood.

Matt prayed as Dan looked around for a ride to get the boy to the hospital.

It was then that Austin arrived on another boda boda that was coming from the other direction. Austin jumped off of the motorcycle and immediately ran to the boy.

“The kid’s dead,” Dan told him.

Dan told Austin that someone in the crowd was willing to take the boy to the hospital. The two of them and another man carried the lifeless boy’s body to the car.

“Do you feel a pulse or see him breathing?” Dan asked Austin.

Austin stopped his prayer mid-sentence, looked up, and simply responded, “No.”

As they lay the boy in the backseat of the car, Austin pulled his sweatshirt off and put it under the boy’s head. As he did this, the boy’s chest started to rise and fall.

He was breathing.

The prayers for the boy continued as Dan, Matt and Austin climbed back on boda bodas. Matt and Dan rode to the hospital to pray over the boy again. The doctor on duty said the hospital didn’t have the necessary medicine to stop the bleeding and swelling in the boy’s head.

Matt and Dan decided they’d have to buy the medicine. They ran across the street and bought some, ran back, and gave it to the doctor.

They prayed again.

Meanwhile, Austin hopped back on his boda boda along with the boy’s friend and the driver on a mission to find the boy’s parents. They drove along back roads, through clothes hanging on lines, and finally arrived in the boy’s village. His parents weren’t home, but they managed to find neighbors who agreed to tell the boy’s parents about the emergency.

A few hours later, Dan and Matt were at the hospital again to pray for the boy once more. They found him, his mother, and his close family friend there. They were told the boy, Trevor, and his sister, Precious, were both hit by a boda boda.

And they both survived.

The family is Christian and the family friend who was there is a pastor. Dan and Matt explained what had happened, that Trevor hadn’t been breathing when they’d first arrived, but that his breathing came back after they started praying for him.

As they prayed for him again, Trevor began to move his fingers and his eyes started to flutter. His mother, Sarah, thanked God and thanked them for praying for her son.

They promised to keep Trevor and Precious in their prayers, and walked away knowing they’d experienced the miraculous ability of the Lord and prayer.

Austin:
I remember becoming irritated as it was taking a ridiculous amount of time to buy the tickets for the team. But it was no accident for it was the Lord delaying me for what was soon to happen!  After my time spent in town I headed back on the motorcycle taxi.  I looked ahead and saw a crowd of people and as soon as we pulled up close I saw Dan in the middle taking charge of the situation, and by the look on his face I knew something was wrong. I tapped my driver and told him to stop, I needed off!  I remember seeing the boy laying in the middle of the road saturated in blood, Dan looked at me and said, “he’s dead.”  Going up to the boy he was lifeless, as his eyes were open but glazed over, he surely looked dead. There was a man there trying to massage his chest trying to get his heart working. Not knowing what else to do, I put a hand on the boy and began to pray in the Spirit as Dan figured out a car to put the kid in…….we carried Trevor to the car while all three of us continued to pray and then the car pulled off to take the boy to the hospital. As quick as that, it was done…..riding back home on the taxi after we went and told the people in the boy’s village, I began to cry thinking about the whole situation, but then I began to think how God aligned the three of us in order to be there for that boy, and I began to rejoice!  God has a plan for that boy and he wanted him to live, and how grateful the three of us are to be a part of what God wanted done that day.

Matt:
Once we pulled up I was scared, shocked, and felt useless. I was looking at a lifeless child. A million things started to create a wall in my mind. Then God busted through all of the feelings and said, “hold on, I’m bigger than that… pray.” So, I did. I walked away from today realizing that being in God’s will is just that… being. I can’t do anything. However, in Christ I can do everything. All I have to do is “be”. Did I raise the dead today? No. I witnessed the beautiful gift of life that was being stolen given back. Glory be to God. How wonderful and amazing He is to let us be a part of His plan, His miracles… His son Trevor’s life.

Dan:
once we pulled up and i saw trevor i thought without a doubt that he was dead…just the way he was laying on the pavement, i could tell.  as i got closer and saw his forehead, the blood coming from his ear and mouth and his half opened, glazed over eyes…i just knew he was dead.  in retrospect though, i have no idea if he was dead.  to be honest, i thought about praying but quickly replaced that thought with, “i’ve gotta get him to the hospital” and started working to find a driver to get him there.  i looked over at matty and saw him praying on the side of the road…and then out of nowhere austy showed up…to think of all the different variables that went into the three of us being there at that exact moment…it’s unbelievable.  anyways, i didn’t think about praying again until i heard austin praying as we carried trevor to the car.  i immediately started praying and a few seconds later, after all three of us were praying, trevor started breathing.  i didn’t realize it as it was happening but god put the three of us in this situation for a purpose…he had aligned it…it blows my mind…three different guys…all doing different things amongst the chaos to help this boy…trusting our god…praying with all that we had…and trevor lived.  i know we didn’t act any differently then most people would’ve but the lord put the three of us there for a purpose…to experience his miracles and the indescribable power of prayer…and trevor lived…that’s the kind of god i am willing to give my life to.

Feb. 28

Because both Matt and Austin are now traveling to Tanzania, Dan goes to the hospital alone. As he walked through the courtyard of the hospital, he spots Joshua, Sarah and Trevor laying on a mat in the grass.

Trevor is doing a lot better and is expected to be released in only a couple of days. He’d been able to walk outside all by himself, but was still in a lot of pain. And although he’s been able to eat and drink, the doctors think there may be something wrong with his jaw since he’s only able to open it a little.

Joshua said that the man he had seen up the street on the day of the accident was the driver of the motorcycle. The crowd had found Trevor dead, so they’d begun beating the driver so he had run away. The man was later arrested and caned by the police for killing Trevor.

When the police started asking where Trevor’s body was, the crowd told them they didn’t know because some Mzungus (white people) had taken him away in a car. They found Trevor at the hospital.

Alive.

Dan found out that Trevor’s sister, Precious, had been the only one the locals had decided to take to the hospital since Trevor was dead.

She and her brother had been walking hand in hand from school when they were hit by the motorcycle. She’s been released from the hospital and is resting at home.

As Dan is talking to Joshua, Trevor wakes up and sits up on his own strength, but doesn’t respond to Dan– only drools.

Dan prays for Trevor once again and tells Joshua that he’ll be back in the morning, before he leaves for Tanzania.

Does God punish children for the sins for their fathers?

Does this Deuteronomy passage speak only to the Israelites of the Old Testament?  Or is there some string of truth for the world today?

While we were going evangelizing a few days ago, a 10-year-old girl named Flo approached me.  She asked me to pray for her baby brother.  Thinking she simply wanted me to pray blessings over him, I easily agreed.  However, I was not prepared for what I experienced next.  Flo brought me to her one-year-old brother who was completely covered in open soars.  Our translator said that the child was afflicted by an advanced case of AIDS.  With tears filling my eyes, I laid hands on this precious life and prayed my hardest for an instant healing for the boy.  I knew he did not have long to live.  After praying, Flo asked me to go pray for her house.

When we arrived at the hut, Flo’s mother was sitting under a rundown hut, smoking a pipe and cutting vegetables.  When I saw her it was like I ran into a brick wall.  I knew instantly that the spirit of witchcraft had a huge hold over this household.  I began speaking to Flo’s mother with my normal evangelism opening. “Hi, we are from the States, we believe in Jesus and that is why we are hear.”  She instantly interrupted me and said she did not want to hear anything about Jesus, but we could pray for her kinds, that was all.  Ignoring that remark, I told the woman that we would pray in the name of Jesus for healing and explained that He is the only true power on Heaven and Earth.  I told her that Jesus loved her so much and wanted to set her free.  She quickly responded that she was demon possessed and that she worshiped demons.  She said she did not want to be free and she certainly didn’t want Jesus.  Then she told us again to pray for her kids.

I watched as hopeful little Flo placed her hands on her baby brother and joined us for praying for his healing.  I could feel the desperation in the girl.  She was desperate for an act of God.  Even though we were filled with faith, the Lord chose not to heal instantly in that moment.  I prayed for Flo and told her that she was completely loved by God.  I encouraged her to keep faith in Jesus, despite having two parents who worshipped demons.  I left the house wondering if I could have done more to encourage Flo and heal the little boy.

As I prayed I felt the Lord reveal to me that this poor child’s affliction was directly related to his mother’s practices in witchcraft.  I don’t know if she placed a curse on him, or if it was simply tied in the spiritual, but I did feel like the boy would only be healed once his mother had left her demonization practices.  This caused great distress in my mind.  Could a little baby boy really be punished for the sins of his parents?  Isn’t God merciful?  Doesn’t God want all of his children to be free?

Later that night, we showed the Jesus Film in the middle of the town.  As I sat down to pray, a small girl came up to me and asked if I would teach her songs about the love of Jesus.  Even though it was dark, I was able to recognize Flo’s hopeful eyes.  I sat and sang with her for hours as I encouraged and prayed for this powerful Christian warrior.  Even though I did not see her whole family set free, I know that Flo is going to be a powerful witness to her parents.  I am standing on faith that her little brother will be healed, and both of her parents will be set free.  I believe God is in the business of freeing people, and it is his desire to have all people come to him.

Even though I don’t have a theology worked out for a demon-possessed mother, and a baby boy dying of AIDS – I do know that God is good, he is just and he is loving – and it is in that truth that I put my trust.

In the town of Bungoma, Kenya, there are many churches.

In those churches there are many pews.

In those pews there are many Christians.

In those Christians there are very passionate hearts.

But in those hands, there are no Bibles.

The church in Bungoma is alive and well, but unfortunately, they lack resources to get Bibles into the very eager hands.  When we were doing house-to-house evangelism, I asked the pastor if there was any way we could get Bibles to the people that just accepted Christ.  One of my biggest fears is leading someone to the Lord, and then leaving them with a serious lack of discipleship.  In the much quoted Great Commission, Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations – not just converts.  So we set out to undertake the Bibles for Bungoma project.  Our contact knew of a Bible distributor in the area and told us that each Bible would cost around $8.  For two cups of Starbucks, we could make an eternal impact in the lives of Christians around the world.  So we began to rally our resources.  I am still amazed at the way the Lord moved so quickly and greatly.  In a matter of four days, three girls had raised almost $2,000!  That money bought over 190 Bibles and discipleship manuals for the wonderful people of Bungoma!!  The Lord never ceases to amaze me.

The wonderful part about this whole story is that all we did was simply put ourselves in a place of asking questions and letting the Lord respond.  I asked if Bibles were available, and God found a way to get them to Kenya.  We asked our friends, families and supporters if they wanted to invest in God’s Kingdom, and the Lord moved mightily!!  He is just so good!!  I will never forget the joy on the faces of the people who got to hold their very own Bible, in their own language.  They truly were in love with the Living Word.  I want to thank many of you who contributed to this project and rejoice that in a matter of a week, almost two thousand dollars were raised and the Bibles were distributed into the hands that desperately needed them.

Thank you for sewing into the Kingdom, and helping us disciple the nations.

** As quickly as the Bibles got to Bungoma, they were gone almost as quickly.  There is still a great need there, as well as all over Kenya and Eastern Africa, for Bibles.  If you are interested in investing $10 for the Kingdom, please contact me at JenniferLeeMitchell@gmail.com and we can get a Bible into the hands of those who need it!!  Thank you so much!

We walked up to the school and I opted to teach the older students for an hour.  We began by singing some praise songs in English, and then the students sang to us in Ugandan.  It was then that an older girl, about my size, in the front row started stepping out…I thought she was going to dance…when she suddenly collapsed on the ground…right in front of me.  Thinking she had fainted, I quickly ran to her and tried to lift her into a sitting position.  It was then that the headmaster said over my shoulder, “Pray for her, she needs deliverance.”  “What?!” I thought in my head… “We are in the middle of a school, in the middle of the day, in the middle of me being exhausted…what the heck are we going to deliver?!”  I allowed those thoughts to go through my head for about half a second before I lifted this beautiful 110-pound girl in my arms.  Martha, Lauren Williamson and I took the girl, Kadogo, under a nearby tree and began praying.  As I lay the unconscious girl on the grass I was instantly filled with compassion for this girl who was in desperate need of freedom.  I looked into her eyes, and I saw tears streaming down her face.  The teachers told me that she was demon possessed and needed deliverance.  The first thing I thought was, “I am not equipped for this.  What the heck am I supposed to pray?”  But pray I did.  We were determined to see this precious girl free.  I began to speak to the spirits of worry and fear and witchcraft and tell them to leave, and surprisingly, they did.  Kadogo went from trembling and calling to her dead ancestors to silently weeping.

Martha asked if she could say the name of Jesus, but she still could not.  So we kept praying.  We learned that she was not a Christian, and when we asked if she wanted to accept Jesus, she nodded her head.  Even though she was unable to speak, I led Kadogo in the sinner’s prayer.  I prayed as hard as I could for this precious life.  I quoted every scripture I could about freedom and new life – It was all I knew how to do.  Amazingly, at the end of the prayer, Kadogo was able to say “Jesus”.  I heard her whisper it over and over again.  She was free!!  All three of us were in utter amazement of the Lord’s good work.  God used an attack of the enemy to not only free one of his children, but give her eternal life.  God set her free!!  It was such a beautiful moment.  Still in shock that God cast demons out through us, Martha, Lauren and I could only pray and praise God for the amazing work that he did that day.  God put me in a situation where I had no idea what to do, and he again used my weakness to do miracles.  He never ceases to amaze me.  I praise Him for being so good!  He loves his children and he desires to set the captives free.

Praise God we are free.

We are free indeed.