Posted in Thailand by Elizabeth Nettleton on 5/1/2012
Think about it, what are you willing to give?
On the World Race, we don't have much.
We tend to hoard things, especially toilet paper.
We tend to not share it well. If it's not team stuff, than no one knows about it. If it is team stuff, we don't share with other teams without expecting payment.
I started thinking about how we ask others to donate towards our support accounts but we hesitate to lend money towards a teammate in need.
We haven't worked in months.
We have lost cards.
Wallets have been stolen.
ATMs have eaten our cards.
Things we couldn't do anything about.
It is a blessing from God that we have the money we have.
It is God's money, he is the one who tells us what to do with it.
God is the provider. We ALL know that.
I know I am writing this as if I am only talking to World Racers but to the people who aren't on this trip, you can benefit this as well.
If you take the time think about it, you probably know someone who is in need at this particular time. I'm not just talking about money.
Someone might just need someone to encourage them.
Someone might need someone to spend time with them.
To come and help clean up their house.
For you to lend something such as a land mower, paint, car, a bed, etc.
For you to give them shelter, clothes, food, time, or money.
Whatever it is, you should be readily equipped to serve.
Rather be openhanded and freely lend whatever he needs. Give generously to him and
do without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all
your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:8,10
You should be able to give even if it is something small.
it is something.
Any amount is important.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for god loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Don't worry if it is used.
Don't worry what others will think....in general, stop worrying about others.
God is the one you should be looking up to for approval.
Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God? or am i trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
I can get prideful in this and feel like I have a good handle on this but I can always do better. I can always give more. I need to give in abundance.
I know it is hard to give time especially when you have a hectic schedule and/or your month is spiritually challenging.
When you have hit that wall. The wall where you think can go another step. Say another word. You just want to stop. You're DONE.
I hit that wall Saturday.
I was done trying to change these women's hearts.
I was done with having my word questioned...or that is how I received it.
I was done with trying to have team time because we hadn't had it all month because of dates.
I was done with the thought of team changes.
I am done fighting the lie that I am not going to have a constant person in the same physical place I am. With becoming an expert on friendships via the web. I want to be able to go have tea with someone.
I am done with struggling in community. In close community.
I am still fighting wanting to be done.
I spent the day by myself.
It was healthy and needed.
I didn't spend as much time in the Word or with God as I should have.
I sat in a huge room that only a few times, girls were in there. It was sweet!
On the world race, you hardly ever get actual, legit alone time so when you get it; you soak it in.
Some of the feedback I got this morning was don't pack up early. Don't just stop. Don't be done. God was speaking through these women. I didn't want to do feedback. I was done doing team stuff. We were only a team for one month and we have month 8 debrief where teams will change. This month was man-istry which is where all the men are on one team for a month and then all the women get split into teams.
Let God have control of your money.
Let God have control of your time.
Let God have control of your emotions.
Let God have control of your space.
Let God have control of your stuff.
LET GOD USE YOU IN ABUNDANCE
Give more than what is asked of you.
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Posted in Thailand by Elizabeth Nettleton on 4/21/2012
Yes, I shaved my head. Yes, I did spend a month in Rwanda and a month in Uganda with a different team. Yes, I am in Thailand on a new team. But that isn't what I am going to blog about.
What's the use anyway? I know a lot of people view this but does anyone actually read it? If so, please comment. I don't get much communication with non world racers.
To be honest, this is the reason I haven't blogged about what I do. I came on this thing to do God's work so that others can enter His kingdom but I aslo came on this thing so that God could completely change my life.
On my way to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, God start speaking to me. He started to woo me.
The next day, he did it again. He wrote me two love letters in two days! I've never gotten a love letter before.
When I set aside time for him, he wrote me a love letter each day. I have five.
I've missed out on eight love letters. Not the point.
I would like to share the second one he wrote me.
My beloved,
I see you. You aren't yourself. What's up? What are you thinking? Tell me. Let me remind you of something, Beautiful. I love you. I will always love you. You can't do anything to make me stop loving you. Don't worry about others and their relationship with me. Focus on just us. I have so much to tell you!
I have blessed you with this race, this pilgramage. You've been able to get connected with many different ares of ministries in different parts of the world. People back home could benefit from this.
Let this love overflow onto your teammates, your family, your squadmates, the women you are to be ministering to this month, and the people around you. i will constantly fill you up. Continue to spend time with me and worship me.
I'm excited to write to you, my love, daily. Try to embrace the mess this month. Beautiful things come from messy places. Choose me. Don't fall back into numbness. Don't spend too much time by yourself. You will need time to process and to hear from me.
Your lover
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Posted in Thailand by Elizabeth Nettleton on 4/10/2012
is a blog written by my new and wonderful teammate Carly Crookston about some of the things we will be encountering this month.... We need your help, so please read and do what you can to help us.
How much?
How much is she worth?
How much money would you be willing to pay to hang out with your waitress for the night? Five dollars? Ten dollars? More? Less?
What if she was your best friend? What if she was your little sister? What if she was your daughter? What if she was your wife?
How much then?
Take a walk with me. We're in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It's nearly midnight, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of it -- the lights flicker and glow enticingly, the music blares, the streets pulse with all of the people on them. We walk into a bar, slide into a booth and a young woman comes to take our order. To call her a young woman might be a little bit generous -- she can't be much older than eighteen. She's pretty, the way that all of the women here are pretty with their fine bone structure and round cheeks and sweet smiles. Can you see her? Who does she look like?
To me, she looks like my little sister Shelby. She looks like my best friend Jess. She looks like my younger cousins, Allie and Ginny and especially Paige. Could this have been Paige? What if she hadn't have been adopted from South Korea when she was a baby -- would she be standing at a table like this somewhere, taking drink orders and preparing for whatever would be happening later that night?
If you read this blog, chances are that you know me. You've probably talked with me or spent time with me at some point… After reading these posts for the past seven months, you surely know what I've been experiencing and learning lately. So what if it was me? What if I was the girl “waiting tables” at these bars and I was tired? What if I was tired of my life, but I had no other options? Would you help me?
If you read this blog, chances are that I know you. And after being blessed by your generosity and support thus far, I know that you would help me. To many of you, I am your friend, your sister, your daughter -- or at least, I could be. You wouldn't pass by me when I was desperate. I know that you wouldn't.
So let's not pass by these women when they are desperate. Let's not pass by the young girls stuck in these bars. Let's not walk past them, most of whom are not here by their own design. Close your eyes and see your little girl, your best friend, your only sister, exploited and alone. What are you going to do about it?
My team and I are partnering with Lighthouse in Action ministries this month. We're walking those streets, sitting in those bars, talking with those girls and our goal is to be Jesus. We're not walking in with Bibles, preaching a message of condemnation or anger. We're walking in to be girlfriends. We're trying to get to know these girls, to build relationships. The program director made it very clear: we're not a SWAT team running in to grab the women. We're farmers -- we're planting seeds, watering them, and maybe even harvesting a couple if the season is right.
How do we do that specifically? Our ministry this month centers around two of my favorite things -- praying and dating. Every day and every night, some part of our team will be in the prayer room, interceding for this country and the women that we meet. Then we spend two days and two nights a week in bars, getting to know the girls and inviting them out on dates. We want to take them to lunch, to the movies, to get our nails done -- the regular things girlfriends do with one another. Ministry this month is deeply relational. Success is not counted in how many women we personally pull out of the bar scene; it's about the depth and quality of friendships made.
But I need your help. My team needs your help. We have to pay to buy ourselves [non-alcoholic] drinks in every bar we go -- even the ones we go in just to pray. We have to pay to buy the women drinks and the price doubles. I'm hoping to get to the point where I can offer to pay a girl's bar fee, pay to take her out of there for the night. Then on any of the dates we have, we're paying for the women. But all of this requires cash, something that runs pretty short after seven months around the world. My team and I are trying to raise some money so that we can treat these women. We want to make some real, quality friendships -- friendships where we aren't trying to get anything out of them, but just showing them the love of Jesus through our lives.
If you would be willing to partner with us on this, you can deposit money into my teammate Brittany Gray's checking account [account number: 748597630 at Chase bank]. Any money that we have left over after the end of the month will be given to this ministry; a prominent bar is closing at the end of April and the director has a vision for a rehabilitation program, where the women can come to learn about Jesus, but also to learn practical job skills. The four-month program costs about $1,000 dollars per woman, so any money that we do not use “dating” the girls will go directly towards that project.
So there we are, sitting in the booth. The pretty girl's name is Nam and she's ready to take our order. What will you have? Coca-cola? A cocktail? Maybe the girl herself?
How much?
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Read more of Carly's blogs @ http://carlycrookston.theworldrace.org/
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Posted in Fundraising by Elizabeth Nettleton on 3/2/2012
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7
In 3 days, I need $3,300 or I am coming home in 5 days.
I know God has more growth for me on this trip.
He has so much more to do through me.
This is small change to Him.
‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there might be food in my house. “Test me in this.” Says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’ Malachi 3:10
I know a lot of people would love to see me right now.
And I would love to see them as well.
But that isn’t God’s plan.
I have more places to see.
I have more people to meet.
I have more things to do
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
If 33 people give $100, I will be fully funded.
If 100 people give $33, I will be fully funded.
"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:11-12
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Posted in Fundraising by Elizabeth Nettleton on 2/13/2012
Sorry that I haven’t update yall on what I have been doing ministry wise but here is a summary of what I have done for the past 6 months. Thank you so much supporters for getting me this far. You’ve read in my previous blogs about what God has done in me personally and my teams and now you know what ministry looked like. God has done amazing things these 6 months and He will do more in the next 5 months. Whether that be out the U.S. or at home but I’d love it to be in Uganda, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and some other Asian country that God leads us to. God isn’t done with me yet.
I’m in need of some assistance. I need your help and I need it now. I need prayer. I need money to be in my account in 17 days.
I know that God has the money and knows the people that are going to give and how much they are going to give. I trust that the money is going to come in abundantly. I have faith that God won’t send me home.
I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to upload pictures of my journey yet but decent internet is hard to find. Please forgive. That is the next thing I am working on.
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RADIANT-Carly Crookston[team leader], Amanda Stoesz, Kelsey Amann, Angel Borthwick, and Katlyn Head
Romania-September 2011
My team, RADIANT, and another team stayed in Dragensti where we worked with Hope Church. During the first two weeks, we went and handed out invitations which usually meant putting it in their fence door. The invitations were for the dedication/opening of the church. We helped prepare the church in any way possible such as scraping paint off window seals, doors, and the floor. We also helped clean up the area where the kids would play. We cleaned out the shed where they keep wood to burn to keep warm during the winters. A lot of the wood seemed like scraps that we would never use. The church was completed while we were there and a week long program was planned. Each day was for different people; one day for women, one for men, one for children, one for youth, and we had a daylong conference.
Hope Church works and lives in community or at least they did for us. We got to know and fall in love with six families and a few other individuals from the church.
There was a big gypsy population where we were. We got to minister to three gypsy children throughout the month. It was a little hard because one of them stole something from someone on another world race team so the church members wanted to keep us safe. We also wanted to show God’s love so we decided to buy clothes, toiletries, and some food for them. They were so grateful and held onto us when we hugged them.
We did some ATL, ask the Lord, on some days. The main thing we did was pick up trash alongside the main road where we lived and where Hope Church was. Our grocery store was on the same road which was about a 15 minute walk from our house. Our contact and the pastor, Raul, did the same when he first came to Dragensti. Raul was the first Christian and the Orthodox Catholics did not want him there starting a church. They told him there wouldn’t be a Christian church in that town. It is now in the middle of the town being a beacon of hope and light in the community.
Transantria-October 2011
RADIANT was alone this month in an unrecognized country between Moldova and Ukraine. We still had to get visas and show our passports every time we went into the country. We lived in the church with our translator for the month. All six of us women slept in one room on five mattresses. Unlike most of the other teams, we had heat, running water, shower with hot water, western toilets, and internet. Our ministry was playing with kids in the afternoon during the week, few house visits, women’s group, and weekly bonfires. Two teenage brothers connected with two of our teammates and became team brothers. They spent as much time as they could with us. They ate meals with us, hung out on our rest days, and did ministry with us sometimes. We cleaned out a man’s apartment that he moved into a little bit before because his children decided that couldn’t take care of him anymore. This apartment had a fire about 10 years ago and hadn’t been cleaned up yet. We also cleaned out Michael’s house that had been his parents but he doesn’t live there all of the time because in the winters, it is hard. He usually sleeps in the church, we don’t if it is the church we were staying in or not. We cleaned up his house, fixed his yard, and spent time with him. Michael always has a smile on and carries so much joy.
Nepal-November 2011
RADIANT was again alone this month and had an amazing contact. His name is Megh and we stayed with his family. We stayed in their son’s room for the month while he slept at a cousin’s house close by. They were working on an addition to the house so that more world racers can come. It is a going to be a whole another house with bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, and a bathroom. One world racer got donations to provide hot water. Megh is also planning to get wifi for his house even though are internet cafes with in a 5 minute walk. This month having Thanksgiving could have been hard with us being so far away from family. God gave us a family and I finally saw my teammates as sisters. Megh was such a great father and Ama was the best. Subash is 20 and differently acted like a brother. We spent all day preparing a feast and our squad leaders joined us. Christy, squad leader, made oreo pie for dessert. We had chicken instead of turkey, dressing/stuffing, cooked vegetables, mashed potatoes, and rolls. We then played a game that Kelsey, one of my teammates, plays on holidays. It was telephone on paper.
Since Megh was working on the addition of the house, ministry was a little on the slim side this month. We folded many tracts; handed them out to everyone we came across when the tracts were in our possession. We went to two different schools one week where we taught English, health, business, and were able to openly talk about Jesus. You heard right, we got to talk about JESUS in a public school. I loved being able to play with them, hear their national anthem and other songs, watch them dance, and take pictures of them. I’m definitely not cut out to be a teacher. I got to go into children Sunday school every Sunday where I either shared my testimony or a story in my life. I tried teaching songs but I realized that I didn’t know enough words or emotions to any but “Father Abraham” which just took me five minutes to remember the title because I haven’t sung it since.
Team LIMITLESS-Gary Lee [team leader], Peter Owens, Angela Harvey, Ashley Holcomb, and KayLynn Love
India-December 2011
LIMITLESS was alone this month village hopping. Village hopping for us was going house to house and praying for the families and then having a service at the night where we pray over people again after. We stayed at one church and would travel to a different each day then come back. We usually left around 2PM and not get back until at least midnight. This first night, we prayed over a house that had a heavy presence of evil spirits. I felt heavy but have never been exposed to evil spirits. Before India, I don’t know how I would answer the question, “Do you believe in demons or evil spirits?” We prayed for a range of different things from blessings to healings to casting out demons. We saw people who haven’t walked in years without a cane walk without pain. We saw demons manifest and then with God’s power, casted them out. Ministry this month was spiritually draining but God gave us strength and never gave us too much.
Kenya-month 4 debrief-late December 2011/early January 2012
Five AIM staff came from America to deliver some teaching and spoke life into us. Peter felt the he needed to go home in hopes of recovering from his depression that came back. We released Christy and Phillip, our original squad leaders, to return home and welcomed Rachel and Christian who are our new squad leaders.
Tanzania-January 2012
Team LIMITLESS was paired with team BAMPH where our ministry was mainly evangelizing. We did door-to-door in the mornings then speaking at a university or a church at night. We split into groups for most of the door-to-doors except one morning. One of our translators, Rachel, lets God direct her to which houses or people we need to talk to. God sets up great divine appointments. We walked into the courtyard of a house and talked to a man that was standing outside. We ask if there anyone who is sick and/needs prayer. We are led into the house, walked down a hallway feeling heavy but not saying a word, then into the room where the man who needed prayer. He needed prayer for his knees. We pray but feel like a dark presence. We start speaking out things we are feeling and asking questions to try to figure out more. We finally found out about the woman who saw an evil spirit and said something about having sex with the spirit. We start praying for the woman where a demon manifests and throws us all around with supernatural strength. We soon realize that the man is evil and needed to get him out of the room. It takes a while to so but is done. We continued to pray for the spirit to flee and realized that there was more than one demon. Once we got all of them out, the woman was able to accept Jesus into her heart.
New team: New Heights-Kyle Markel [team leader], Spencer Adams, Vanessa Butler, Jenna Malinen, Emily Harr, Kaitlyn Allen, and KayLynn
Rwanda-February 2012
We are only here for two and half weeks and do almost the same ministry as in Tanzania. We give devotions Monday-Friday to women and boy at the sewing school in the church building. We then go in two groups to do door-to-door ministry. We then have a break until 5:30PM where we go preach to the congregation. We have Saturdays off and most of our team decided to go see a soccer game that day. We got there a couple of hours early so we first watch the game that was on the big screen then walked across the street to get some drinks and a snack. We also got to the genocide memorial one afternoon which was heartbreaking. We watched Hotel Rwanda that next day. Probably wasn’t the best idea but we did.
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Posted in Rwanda by Elizabeth Nettleton on 2/10/2012
Let’s go back to month 3 mini debrief in Nepal where RADIANT became no more and where LIMITLESS was introduced. We spent 30 minutes with Jesus trying to release our old team before we found out who our new teammates would be. I probably spent 10 minutes in my bible and journaling then God told me to dance. So I danced in the small square of grass that I choose to spend my time. People stared but I didn’t care. God gave me peace and joy in the moment and I knew that my next team was going to be a perfect fit for me. I saw people starting to gather at the center so I went and then found out we needed to wait a little longer. Finally the time came and then there was a line and I waited. Phillip then motioned me to go ahead so I did and found out that Christian and Rachel were our new squad leaders. YAY! Got the envelope but waited until I found a spot to sit and chill and process if needed. I opened and read the names and was extremely joyful. I have talked to these individuals a few times but not a lot. When I felt like Gary, my team leader had enough time and saw others finding people and their new teams; I ran up and hugged him. I embraced him and the new team. Team LIMITLESS consisted of Gary Lee, Peter Owens, Angela Harvey, Ashley Holcomb, and KayLynn Love.
India was a hard long, spiritually draining month but it was good to hear each other’s testimonies. We knew how each other functioned in ministry and we went deep with each other. We headed to Kenya for month 4 debrief. At the end of the first day, we sit day as a team where Peter lays out everything and drops the bomb that he is going home. We all break down and it becomes a cry fest. I spend the next day wanting to spill and wanting to go to people but couldn’t because I was honoring Peter since he hadn’t told the whole squad yet. He was waiting on AIM’s go ahead on it. I should have went to God first and spilled to him but no I wanted to handle it all on my own and then wanted to go to someone else. It wasn’t until that night when I talked to Gary that I surrendered everything to God. I couldn’t have done anything different in India and that I was carrying burdens that weren’t mine. The next day, I felt complete peace about everything. I ended up avoiding Peter for the rest of the time during Kenya because I am used to people leavin. I know how to handle change especially when it means people leaving.
Tanzania wasn’t the greatest month. We weren’t operating in who God called us to be individually. We resorted back to reacting unhealthy in different situations. It took us two weeks to realize that was the problem. We began to have change for maybe a few days then something happened. 9 out 11 people were sick and we were exhausted. Some of us got frustrated when we went to the doctor that only tested for malaria. We thought we were making all of it up and wasted money on a doctor and medicine that was crap. Conflict aroused and stayed around until the end of the month into travel day.
Stephanie’s team, who we were paired with last month, and our team traveled 20 hours from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza to meet up with the whole squad to travel to Rwanda. On the bus, I found out that our team was meeting with Christian and Rachel at 5:40AM then with whole squad around 5:50AM. Got into Mwanza around 1AM. The next morning, we’re sitting in Rachel’s room where we found out that we are getting split up. Mixed emotions around the room. KayLynn and I are on the same team which is Kyle’s team. Kyle’s original team of 6 is now 8 which consist of Spencer Adams, Vanessa Butler, Jenna Malinen, Kaitlyn Allen, Emily Harr.
We’ve only had three days together but this is a healthy team. This is a team of worshippers because one reason is that there are four guitars and a drum on the team. The women come together each week for us to be able to share things that may not be healthy or people may not be comfortable bringing to guys but need to be talked about. They want to see God do crazy things like perform miracles, cast out demons, raise people from the dead, and see the lame walk. KayLynn and I might have seen some of these things but I am definitely would love for this team see all of the things done. God showed how much bigger He is. How much more He can do. Our new team name Is New Heights. I tell you about my team members in my next blog.
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Posted in Tanzania by Elizabeth Nettleton on 1/20/2012
Living in constant community with legit Christians is pretty sick. In the world race culture, you are NEVER alone. You might get a room in the house where you can escape but you can’t walk around in your mess without someone noticing and trying to get it out of you. You hold onto nothing. You become tired and worn out by trying to do what you used to do when you going through stuff. For me, it was shutting down. When any other emotion but happiness/joy came, I suppressed and went numb.
I went completely numb. I never let anyone in so there was no one to notice my crap and to call me out on it. I felt like I had no one to hold me accountable but I made it that way. I built a wall and it was strong wall. I thought I let God break it down but I only let him have some of it and then I would just build it right back up. The thing is that half the time, when I was going through something and people try to crack the wall but I didn’t allow it. I couldn’t because I could let people share their mess with me and I would listen. Maybe give some advice but I didn’t feel important. I felt like my past hurts would all come falling out on whoever decided to stay around. Every time I got close to cracking, they’d leave and be gone. Our relationship would consist of emails, facebook chat, and skype. I only started skyping this past year. It is hard to show emotion on text. It really wasn’t about if someone would stay to listen, it was that I didn’t even know what had happened to me in the past. Because when I suppressed feelings, I suppressed the memories and thoughts as well.
I apologize for my feelings all the time. Having feelings seem like baggage. Stuff I don’t want to carry but I have ended up carrying so much other baggage but not feelings. I’m tired of carrying baggage. I want freedom. I want to be able to express myself.
So what happens when you let God have all of you?
All of your time.
All of your thoughts.
All of your emotions.
All of your heart.
All of the people in your life.
Your job.
Your money.
Your education.
Your relationships.
I’m not entirely sure of the answer but I trust what God has for me is far better than I could ever dream or try to do. He has already some crazy things in my life in the past four and half months while on this race. I know there has to be more for me to learn and for God to show me.
But for God to show me these things, I need to be able to keep going and to stay on this race. I am still in need of support. My next deadline is March 1st and I am in need of $4,500. If I don't have this money in my account, I will have to go home. Please pray about supporting me finanically. i know some of you have said that you would like to put money into my bank account so if you would still like to, please email me. My email address is emnettleton@gmail.com
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Posted in General Posts by Elizabeth Nettleton on 1/8/2012
She is a mighty woman of God. She is a fighter. She is a lover. She is humble. She is a worshipper. Her voice shakes the ground. She is a listener. She loves adventure. This girl has beastin skills on the board. This girl's joy is contagious. She has so much more than this but it could take a while to list everything and then you might stop reading. And I know there is more that I've haven't even gotten to see yet.
Whenever she is around, I feel myself gravitate towards her because I want to hear her worship. I want to her speak wisdom. I want to hear her stories. I've only gottten to see her on travel days but those are my favorite for that reason.
It's insane the people God put on A squad. We're all different and in any other setting, it wouldn't work. That's the great thing about the world race culture, a community of diverse people can come together to love, pray, and fight for each other. To be heartbroken when one is not with us.
Why am I telling you about just on my squad mates? Because she needs you. She is at home and not with us but despately wants to. We are not complete without her. She needs about $750 in her support account and a plane ticket. The plane ticket costs around $800ish. She also needs a medical clearance so please be in prayer for that. Prayer is SO important! Go read her blog:www.sarahgraley.theworldrace.org
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Posted in India by Elizabeth Nettleton on 12/22/2011
I have many blogs that needed to be written. One about my new team, ones describing what a day looks like in each country, and maybe one about Christmas. This one is hopefully going to be on what I have been doing in India. I say hopefully because I have tried several times to write blogs about my ministry each month but ended talking about what God has done in me. I know it is important to write about that as well but I know you want to know what I am doing in these countries. So here we go.
I’m in India this month and ministering with India Christian Ministries [ICM] which has two main ministries that world races teams get involved in. One is Sarah’s Covenant Home which is a government home for special needs children. The other one is what my team and one other team is doing. We are village hopping praying house to house and then have a meeting each night. We usually start our day by leaving Darsi, where we live, around 2 and don’t get back til around midnight. At the beginning of this month, we prayed a lot for a blessings and small healings. Healings like for fevers, headaches, and other body pains. Any healing is major and all the glory goes to God. I don’t think I have fully processed that anyone has actually been healed by us praying. Even when a man walks without his cane when he hasn’t been able to for 4 years. Or when a woman can reach her toes when she had a back brace on and was in great pain before we prayed. These people had faith that Jesus could heal them and that wasn’t us praying or laying our hands on them. If I was in any kind of pain back home then I would have just taken an ibuprofen or gone to the doctor to be prescribed some meds before going to God. I do that with a lot of things in my life.
When I am going through a struggle, I try to handle it on my own. I try to conquer the enemy. I grow tired and weary from fighting but I continue to fight until I can go no longer. Until I’m on my knees in tears. God is there the whole time stretching His hand out for me to take hold of. For Him to protect me and become my shield. When I am on empty, I finally let God in and fill me up. Even after I tried doing things my way, God will always come to my rescue. He will be my comforter, my provider, my refuge, and my shelter among others.
Something that I knew happened on the race and other places but I wasn’t ready for was to cast out demons. We prayed over a demon possessed house earlier this month and felt peace and that the house was cleared of any evil spirits. Though God’s all mighty power last night we casted out two demons from two people. I haven’t fully processed that yet. Because if I believe that it was demons that made them do things they did then that means I believe that demons exist. That demons are in people today in all nations. My idea of Satan’s tricks just expanded which scares the crap out of me.
I don’t usually remember my dreams but some days this month; I have been able to remember bits and pieces. I don’t want to remember them because they’re usually not happy, cheerful ones. I’ve been fine with not remembering any of my dreams. Not really sure why, maybe it’s because I knew that dreams usually are about things you have had in the back of your mind but haven’t really let yourself go to. A place of unprocessed thoughts.
I feel like this is getting jumbled up so I am going finish up this blog. This is what I have been doing for the past two weeks. God has blessed us by showing us just how big and powerful He is. The more awesome thing is that He is more powerful and way bigger. I can’t wait to see what other ways He is going to blow my mind.
Pray for my team as this is mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically draining. Spiritual darkness looms heavily around us in a lot of the villages. The crazy outrageous thing is that God is LIMITLESS.
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Posted in India by Elizabeth Nettleton on 12/16/2011
There has been so much heartache in this squad. We have had a lot thrown at us. Even before we left the country. Family members, who are lost, have cancer, have a death in the family or really close family friend, and had other health issues. A lot of us have had to put our faith and trust in God to test when it came to support deadlines. We still do. We have had three squad mates choose to go home. We have a squad mate get really sick and is at home getting medical attention. We have fought spiritual darkness. We have fought extreme home sickness.
Living in a community like this has made it where we feel each other’s pain. Our squad has had a different experience than a lot of other squads in the sense of how much we have met up. We have met up at the end of each month as well as in the middle of month two. We know each and every one on the squad. We care for each other. Our heart breaks when we find out bad news of squad mates’ families and friends.
God has blessed us with how close we’ve become. We didn’t know each other five months ago. We’ve become prayer warriors for each other. For each other’s families. For each other’s friends. For whatever anyone needs. We prefer each other insanely well. We fight for each other. We desire to go deep with each other.
I, with other squad mates, cried with a squad mate who found some bad news last night. We prayed over her. We hung onto her. We tried to comfort her. God has placed us all together for a reason. We may not know what that reason is right now but there is big one. I am thankful for the people God placed on this squad. I am thankful for what God has shown me throughout these heartaches. I know there are going to be more. I know that Satan is going to try to whisper lies to us when we are most vulnerable. That is when we will seek out our squad mates. That is when we will be on our faces crying out to God and waiting for direction.
I didn’t sleep well at all last night. I didn’t fall asleep til around 4:30AM and woke up around 8ish. Then again I wasn’t sleepy while reading blogs until 3 then I reflected in my journal til I couldn’t keep my eyes up. I couldn’t stop thinking about the squad and all of the battles we have fought. God brought me back to the day of my dad’s stroke. That is what I was reflecting on last night because I thought I hadn’t let myself process through all of that. I just wrote about part of that day. Just up to the part where we left our house to go to the emergency room.
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