The Presence of the Lord... Homeless Shelter!

Last night was... too many things to put into words. 

I and a group of about 6 other missionaries went to a homeless shelter here in the city. This homeless shelter was amazing... people line up outside of this government funded shelter each afternoon. They receive a number... women and elders are accepted first. The shelter accepts 102 people each night. When the people enter, they shower, get clean pajamas, and are assigned to a room. In the rooms there are bunk beds, sheets, pillows... it is such a clean place. 

We went to help serve dinner and to minister to these people. (Starting next week, we are going to take all of the left over food from the base to donate to the shelter).

I know most people have horrible thoughts about the homeless, thinking that they are just lazy or bad people.... nothing is further from the truth. 

The others were serving dinner and I felt like God was leading me to go talk to the women who were waiting to eat (they eat by room number so that there are not too many people eating at the same time). I went into room number 15 which was occupied only by women. 

I walked into the room and the 6 women in there sat up in their beds. They were beautiful. They exchanged glances and then one finally asked, “Are you an angle”? (I assumed it was because I was blonde). They then began to tell me that I was gorgeous... but the reason they asked that was because they felt the presence of the Lord with me. They all had goose bumps. I was immediately awestruck with God’s awesome-ness.... He promises to go with us; but these women could feel it and smell it. Wow... God is good.

I began to talk with the women who immediately opened up to me. It was obvious that they were desperate to talk to someone. Two of them told me that they had been praying so hard lately and then God sent himself through me. I was just so amazed at how good God is even in the small things. We had prayed earlier this week about where to go to do ministry that night, and God had told us to go there. 

They all told me that they were struggling with ‘deep, profound’ sadness. My heart turned inside of me. 

Dayana, 33 years old, was absolutely gorgeous. We began to talk and she just poured everything out... she had been waiting for a moment such as this for 13 years she told me.... wow God. She left her house when she was 13 when her father tried to kill her (he was a violent alcoholic). She had nowhere to go and thus began her long journey. She lived with one family for a while but the man was very violent as well; she showed me her ear which had been split all the way in half from his abuse. She had four children who were living with her ex-husband. I’m not sure what happened with her ex-husband, but it was extremely traumatic. She was desperate now... living on the streets. When she first went onto the streets, it was because of alcohol. Alcohol had been her way to escape the pain, but had cost her everything. She has now been sober for 8 months... and just found out that she is pregnant. My mind was screaming, these are the people Jesus came to save!!!!  She was desperate... in need of a savior. She knew God and she knew Jesus, but just had wandered off. 

I began to intercede in prayer in my spirit, and then God took over. Things began to come out of my mouth that I didn’t even know, as tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t believe that I knew those things about her life, which I didn’t, but God sure did. We talked for hours. I spoke words of truth to her, encouraged her, and declared words of God over her life. Words of truth. And I truly do believe in Dayana. I could feel God’s heart for her.... He gave me an image of her sitting on the street alone and scared; and he had a string tied to her heart, tugging and pulling her closer. He obviously didn’t cause this situation, but was determined to use it to draw her close (even so determined that he sent us there to minister to her). He wanted her heart so desperately, just like he wants all of our hearts. 

I began to pray for her... but before I warned her that I couldn’t pray in Spanish very well because my spirit still talks to God in English. She said that was fine! Another girl, Laura, from my missionary team how now entered this room to see what was going on. I placed my hands on her and could literally feel how heavy the presence of the Lord was in this room. I open my mouth and out came this passionate prayer in perfect Spanish; a prayer that spoke right to her heart; a prayer that had Laura’s chin on the floor. When I finished after 15 minutes, Dayana looked up with tears streaming down her face. I knew that that was the Holy Spirit. 

When I experience something like that, there are no words to describe what I feel... complete amazement at God, fear from how HUGE and powerful He is, but absolutely in love with His goodness, very humble, very little, but filled!

She truly wants to get off of the streets and get her life back. She gave me a ring to remember her with and to pray for her. When I left last night, all of the women in the room had peace and hope... how precious is hope. Thank you God... where the presence of the Lord is there is Freedom! 

I am going back to visit and continue to minister at this place. I can’t wait to see what God does! These people just need someone to believe in them and speak truth of their value over them. 

The owner was a man who lived on the streets for 15 years... he is now working at this government funded shelter. He has a wife and children, a house, a life... He KNOWS that it was God who took him off of the streets. However, he is looking for a relationship with God. Wow! Praise the Lord! 

TEAM Video! :) & 2 HUGE works of God!

Here is the link to my Limon team video! We will have another video soon! We made this one quickly so that we could inform our friends and family as soon as possible!  Hope you like it! 

Bible Distribution

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, And the Word was God."   John 1:1

 This past Saturday, we as a YWAM base handed out over 1,600 bibles in a town in Costa Rica. We are working with a project that has the objective of placing a bible in every one of the 1.3 million homes in Costa Rica.

We have seen amazing things as we go door to door ministering to people and offering them a free bible. 

This Saturday, our team saw some crazy things.... one of the most radical things was a life-saving encounter. After going to one house and meeting with a lady, she asked the 2 missionaries to go to her sister's house and give her a bible. They followed the woman to the sister's house where they found the girl in a dark room in bed.

Earlier that day, the girl had tried to hang herself and was found dangling by her older sister. The missionaries were able to speak words of truth into this girl, pray for her, and led her as she accepted Christ as her Lord. They then connected her with a local church to help her in this long journey ahead! Praise God! He saves!

It is amazingly powerful to see the word of God change lives. And by going to these people's houses, we are able to watch it happen quickly! 

*The team of women from a local church that went with my group! We try to always include the local churches to try and create unity in the faith!*

Freedom Street Church

'Freedom Street' is the prostitute ministry that I am working with (that I have written about a few times before). On Sunday, we help a church service for the prostitutes in the ministry coffee house. 

This Sunday, two male prostitutes gave their lives to Christ. When one of the male missionaries asked the man, "will we see you in your usual spot this week?", the man replied, "I will never go back there again. My life is forever changed."

It is only through the power and promises of Jesus that these two guys found the strength to get off of the streets. These two guys were victims of exploitation. This process has been a long process to even get to this point... but it's not over yet. These men are still in need of a miracle as they seek (fearing for their safety) to escape from this life of exploitation. 

Please be praying for a miracle. 

But, there are no words to describe the feeling to see two prostitutes who finally find their identity and 'worth' in Christ Jesus. To describe the state of my soul just in knowing that they have turned their lives around. 

These two men who have been abused, exploited, unloved, and lost in some of the world's darkest places; have encountered the life changing light and love of Christ. 

MISSION: Limon!

In April, I will be going to Limon, Costa Rica to help pioneer a new YWAM base and new ministries. God made it abundantly clear that I am to be part of the small team that is going to Limon. This part of the country is so “dark” spiritually. The spiritual pressure/heaviness and oppression in this area is SO heavy! This is just one of the reasons that many missionaries don’t want to work in this area. It is also the most dangerous place in Costa Rica. It is a port town where drugs and people are trafficked in; it's an international port so people from around the world are brought here and live here. God revealed to us that this port town would be the perfect place to reach the nations. 

The town we will be in is neglected and forgotten by Costa Rica, they are the rejects that Costa Rica does not want to claim as part of their country or as part of their people. But, they are not forgotten by God. There are a lot of people there who are still in bondage to pain and hurt from the oppression that their families faced when they were brought over from Africa as slaves; they hold onto idols, pain, anger, resentment, hate, and evil spirits. These things are blocking them from the love of God. 

So, I am so excited to be asked by Rasta (the leader) and God to help pioneer this base and the ministries there... from youth outreach through daily ministry, to human trafficking work, and community development! 

One of the cool things is their is a skate park on the base where hundreds of kids already come to skate each afternoon... it will now be used as not just a skate park, but a skate ministry. We will be bringing SUPER FAMOUS professional skaters to come and teach the kids and then share God with them! I can't wait to see God create a radical change in this area through breaking these chains that have been holding these people down and overwhelm them with the love of God. Whew! I can't wait to see which ministries are birthed there! My heart is overjoyed to think of what is in store there and I am so thrilled to serve there! I know a lot of lives will be radically changed as they encounter the truth and freedom of Jesus! 

The next month in addition to training classes, “survival school”, and the regular ministries that I am involved with; I will be preparing for this outreach and new ministry in Limon. The more I think and pray about this place, the more excited the holy spirit inside of me gets. 

Just as God had a specific way to bring us all into a loving relationship with Him, He has a very specific way of reaching these people in Limon. I believe that before we know the love and power of God, we were all living in some sort of bondage... pain, loneliness, slavery to sin, bitterness, insecurity, hopelessness. etc.  Although the people of Limon have been forgotten by everyone, God did not forget. And He is sending an answer. God is faithful and merciful. 

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. 31 So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.” Ezekiel 22:30-31

God called out to see if there was anyone to stand in the gap and take Him there.. take His love there... we ARE the body of Christ here... and we are answering the call. 

Please be praying in advance! 

We will obviously need financial provisions as missionaries; as well as finances to support the ministry.

We also need A LOT of guidance from God because this is HIS ministry and HIS dream from HIS heart! :) 

Prayers for safety and protection!