Here’s a recap of my journey so far… Email style. 😉
The Dominican Republic…
We're here!!!!
Great and easy trip into the country! 🙂 Praise!!!!
My team's ministry project this month is to minister to a local Pastor and his wife and two children. He has a little girl that's six and a little boy that's seven. His little boy has Aspergers, a form of autism. A big part of our service to them is to pour into them and serve in their home anyway we can, ex. cooking, cleaning, watching and teaching the children. Loving on them whom loves on others. We will also partner with the pastor to assist him in any ministry projects he's doing. We will be living in a house and have a shower and Internet. A really sweet deal from the Lord for our first month out! A nice transition from home, it feels. 🙂
Please pray for:
1. My team's, Team Dunamisses, relationships with the family.
2. My team's relationships with each other.
3. My team building relationships for the Kingdom in the community.
"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Ephesians 4:1-2
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Psalm 143:10
Team Dunamisses comes from the Greek word Dunamis meaning power. Being a group of women, we added the -misses at the end. 😉
We are speaking power over our team and look forward to how God is going to show up through us!
Much love,
Monica
Greetings!!!
Well, I've been in the Dominican Republic for almost three weeks now, and it's been awesome! God has put us in an area where there is still darkness, but there is so much hope. I constantly see butterflies floating and soaring in the air. It's been so great being in a country founded on God. A great area and community to minister to, but to also get ministered by. (I'm pretty sure that last sentence has all kinds of grammar wrongs, but I'm going with it.) The host family and church family that God has put us in are remarkable. God has done amazing things in this community over the last 13 years through our host couple, the pastor and his wife, and He has used them to build up a generation here that has and is changing and growing this Azua community for the Kingdom. We have been able to reap from the fruits of their labor and plant new seeds for God to grow. It has been incredible getting to minister to the pastor, his wife, and his church through prayer and fellowship. I feel my team and i got a mirror image of what that looks like last night. Last week, three of us girls had a family member pass away all within a couple days. So Friday night my team went to the YWAM facility, that is on the beach and has an incredible view, and we worshiped from the rooftops and had some time to be quiet and reflect. As the sun started to set, we saw Raul along with his family and the rest of the church family arrive. They were supposed to have a Bible reading event in the local park, so we were surprised to see them. Once they were all on the rooftop with us, Raul spoke, "We are a family, the body of Christ, so we could not go preach the Bible knowing that you are hurting. When you hurt, we hurt. When you rejoice, we rejoice. We want to pray for you and hug you." The whole church then proceeded to circle around us and lay hands on us. We seven girls circled up and held hands and looked at each other, and I thought, "This is what the Body looks like." They prayed over us and poured words of love and encouragement and wisdom and hope into us. We prayed prayers of thanksgiving and remembrance. I was thankful that in reading Maw-maw's obituary that i was reminded of how much she loved her family and loved animals, and how that showed me how i'm like her and carrying her heritage. What a fantastic way of the Lord showing us that this journey is not just about us shining His light to others, but also about Him shining His light and love through others on us. It is truly a relationship, and it requires others to happen. I'm learning SO much about community, and to be honest, it hasn't been easy, but it's worth it! I feel God is growing my heart for marriage, because I truly feel married to this group of girls. Like it or not, we're in it to win it and we're in it together. God is teaching me so much about dependence on Him and dependence on others. We are not meant to walk out life alone, but in the American society, we're taught to be independent and almost to a fault. Strength can be the new weakness. God is teaching me about vulnerability, about being honest, and about giving myself grace. I give grace out easily, but not for myself. I think a lot of us are that way. There's a balance. I've really enjoyed these past two weeks. September is the month for the Bible here in the DR. We've been going into public schools talking about how the Bible has changed our lives, we had a Jesus parade, march, and festival Monday night (which is a part of the tradition here for the month of the Bible), and last night we did a prayer walk through the streets praying against alcoholism and drug abuse in honor of one of my teammates friends that died a year ago Tuesday of a heroine overdose. Tomorrow's my birthday, also the Day of the Bible in the DR. It'll be fun to experience that. Birthday recognition here has something to do with flour, water, and eggs. And that's not in the form of something baked. yikes!
Prayers:
1. We are reading the Bible in the local park on Friday. A few of us, including me, are reading a chapter in Spanish. Prayers for supernatural linguistics and energy! We are doing Bible readings for four hours.
2. Prayers against spiritual attacks for my team. Prayers against bug bites, headaches, illness, stomach issues, fatigue, weak ankles and fire ants in the house. Prayers of protection over our feet especially. Our feet have been getting attacked through bug bites and swollen ankles and blisters. We put our sandals of peace on everyday, along with the rest of our armor, and we refuse to let the enemy steal our peace!
3. We leave for Haiti on Monday. Haiti is a very different country than the DR. Where the DR is based on Christianity (only country with a Bible on the flag), Haiti has a foundation of witchcraft and voodoo. Just to give you a picture, that earthquake that did so much damage in Haiti was not felt in most of the DR. God has done much healing and reconciliation in Haiti, in particular in reconciling these two countries that exist on the same island. Much witchcraft and voodoo has been broken and Jesus is starting to reign! Praise! We are going to be standing on the shoulders of many Christians past work in Haiti, but probably still experiencing more darkness there than we have here. I am so thankful the Lord placed us in the DR first. I feel He has used it as a sweet transition from home to experience His hope in a place that once had none, to build us up for where we are going beyond this sweet place. We will be working with two other all female teams. Prayers over our work in Haiti, my team's transition there, and us living and working with two other teams.
Word:
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Haiti…
I am paying for internet at a local internet store so this is going to be short. Hey and much love!!! I miss you all. I posted an update on my facebook page if you want to check that out.
Prayers over my house. There are three girl teams in my house this month and God is doing a lot of inner healing. My team feels like this month is a lot about us ministering to one another.
We can sense deeper spiritual battles here. We are “warrior princesses” and do not fear the darkness around us, but we are finding ourselves having to pray a lot! Pray for health and wellness over all the girls. My team in not experiencing many health problems but other teams' girls are. I am doing great! Praise the Lord!
There is a spirit of learned helplessness here, and it’s heavy. You can tell that there have been many mission trips here where the people have been given a lot of material things, but not a lot of empowerment to tap into the power of Jesus for themselves. We are the opposite. Having nothing to offer them but God. God is moving so much in that, and I am learning more and more the power in the verse, “Riches and gold I have not, but what I have I give you freely.” It’s been awesome to see God move in that.
Pray our hearts stay tender and that we not get frustrated with this mentality of helplessness. We’ve been praying over it and already seeing a shift in the people we see daily. Praise!
Big hugs! Haiti makes me miss home.
I love ya’ll!
Monica
Hey!
I miss home but Jesus ministers to me every morning and comforts me.
You may have heard about some squadmates’ things being stolen out of their house, so I wanted to let you know that my team and I are healthy and safe. We have a fort around our house, physically and spiritually. We have been doing a lot of prayer ministry. Had a man healed of cancer, dark spirits broken off a house, and traveled to the epicenter of the earthquake to claim the land of Haiti for God’s Kingdom. Electricity and water are sporadic and there’s no internet at the house. Amazing view from the rooftop though. We worship on the rooftop often.
Big hugs and lots of love, Monica
Hey Team.
Need some healing prayers. Another set of girls in the house are not feeling well. Fever and headaches and stomach issues, and this includes me. I’m not as bad, just a headache yesterday, but continual stomach issues today. So prayers of health and wellness over my teams, our house, and me! Thank you!!!
Okay, prayer warriors.
God gave us words of knowledge about what’s going on in our house. One of our girls has the gift of sensitivity to the workings of darkness. She saw a woman in a tree close to our house, and after seeing the woman, she got visions of chants and curses being spoken over our house. Some of the girls have also heard someone walking in front of our gate and doing what sounds like chanting, as well as, our neighbor (and owner of our house) has seen some unfamiliar faces around our house. We know that the witch doctors and voodoo priests know that we are here, for we have been working in Carrefour for a couple of weeks now, and have come across one or two. Two of the girls on my team offered to pray for one and he told them, “No, our prayers won’t match up.” As he crossed the street, they prayed for him anyway. J
So, prayers to bind darkness and curses and chants, and prayers to loose blessings and healing and the light of Christ over this house and in this city Carrefour. It’s my first time dealing in the knowledge of these things, and I am so grateful that greater is He that is in us!!!! After learning about what has been coming against us, we’ve had a better idea of what to pray against. Girls are already feeling better! Praise the Lord!!! One of the biggest lessons that God has shown me through all this is that the best weapon to fight darkness with is LOVE, because that’s one thing evil and darkness does not understand. The darkness understands anger and frustration, so we have been asking God to minister to us and fill us with the spirit of love. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Good morning family!
We are out of Carrefour and in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for debrief. The hurricane has kept us in Haiti longer than planned, but all is well and good! We leave Haiti on the 31st to go to the DR to fly to Miami then to LA, from LA to Hong Kong and then on to Bangkok, Thailand! That’s a five-day “travel day” which is our most intense travel for our whole Race and includes a lot of flying. This is going to be hard on our bodies and mental states, so lots of prayer over that! My team’s ministry next month is working with a ministry that works to prevent children from going into sex trafficking. For now, we have a time of rest and reset as a squad as we shake off the hard month we’ve had. God has given us an amazing place to stay for the next few days to rest and worship and fellowship!
I love you and miss you!
Hey Team!
Prayers for us to get out of Haiti. Hurricane Sandy has caused flooding and one of our bridges to leave the country has been washed out. Prayers that God will get that bridge built in time or else we’ll be walking across a knee-to-waist high river. Welcome to the World Race! Lol!
Thailand and Malaysia…
Merry Christmas season!
I miss you all so much! I apologize immensely for not getting an email to you last month. It surely wasn't because we didn't need prayer nor because God didn't have much to say. He did. 🙂 Internet has not been consistent these past two months. Though I haven't been in communication, you have been on my heart and mind tremendously.
First, thank you for all of your prayers while we were in Haiti. Crazy month, learned a lot. Fought darkness in unbelievable ways! That month we saw healing from sickness and from demons. And praise be to God for answering prayers and fixing that bridge so we didn't have to walk across a river to get out of Haiti!
Last month, Thailand, we worked with an organization that works in the prevention of keeping children out of being sold into the sex industry. I got to play with lots of kiddos; I loved it! Beautiful ministry, awesome kids, amazing work that God is doing! I also really loved the Thai culture and the Thai food… about 5 pounds worth of love. Totally worth it! ;D
My squad had big changes at the end of the month. My team leader from Team Dunamisses, Becky, was called up to squad leader, a lot of teams were changed up, one guy went home, and one of our married couples went home. By their own choice, felt led to go home. My teammates all stayed together, minus Becky, plus two, Kirby and Shelli. We are now team "Just Love." Our motto, "we can over-complicate it, God calls us to "just love". I looooove Kirby and Shelli, they are true gifts to us and I love my new team. I feel myself being more my goofy self in this team, which is good for the soul. 😉 Probably also has a lot to do with the honeymoon phase being over. Lol.
We also had a route change. Malaysia instead of Cambodia, but we're pretty sure we are still going to Cambodia. So far, we love Malaysia…and the Indian food!
My team and I are now in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A very westernized BIG city! We have been staying in a hostel the past week, talking to and getting to know backpackers that are coming through here. Ministering as we feel led, and ministering to folks on the street and in the surrounding restaurants as we feel led. Malaysia is primarily Muslim, so it is illegal to proselytize. We are free to share our beliefs if asked, and God has set up many divine appointments for us. We have had many opportunities to share and pray. I love hostels, so I have thrived here! It has been a lot of fun getting to know the folks here in the city. So sweet. We've also been prayer walking the area. One of my prayer focuses has been for God to close a nearby brothel and claim for the Kingdom the women's hearts that work there and the men's hearts that are being serviced there. When I walk by this place, it makes me so immensely sad… as it should I guess. But it affects me in the way that I don't feel the darkness, I feel the emptiness and sadness of the broken and hurt lives there.
Please be in prayer for the lives that God has had us share with, the backpackers and the locals and the deaf workers at the local Y's laundry service-precious people!
I have to share this story. We have had our laundry done twice this week and it's a group of 7 of us all at one time, so they have gotten to know us. Today, while there, I was wondering, "Lord, how do we share with them, they're deaf." And I heard, "Just be you and your light will shine." And then, one of the ladies (all the workers are deaf) looks at me and picks up a calendar and points to Christmas and then points to me as if asking me if I'm a Christian. I say yes and nod my head, and she points up toward the sky to God and then makes a gesture away from her face to resemble light coming from her face and points toward Kirby and I, as if saying she can see the light coming from our faces. It was awesome!!! Question asked, and question answered. I could feel myself beaming with delight from her observation.
We are leaving in the morning headed to a smaller city, Tanjong Malim, to help a church with their Christmas ministry. We'll be meeting local university students to invite them to the programs, doing door to door caroling and evangelism and invitations to the Christmas programs, as well as helping with the children's Christmas play! Could this month be any better!!! 😉 I love Jesus' birthday!
I am especially thankful for the great month God has planned for my team since we will be away from home this season. Missing you at Christmas already!
Prayers for Kuala Lumpur, and over our new city and our ministry there.
Prayers for my new team and for the squad and all the newly formed teams.
Prayers for the new squad leaders.
Prayers for my 3 squad-mates that have returned home.
Last, but certainly not least, God has been talking to me heavily about marriage in relation to my special someone back home. Prayers over this journey God has us on individually and together. God has brought us closer despite the distance, and He is using this to bring us closer to Him as individuals and as a couple. This is truly a new place for me. I am excited to see where God takes us!
Wishing I could reach through the Internet and give you a hug!!!!
I love you and could not do this without you!
Thank you.
Monica
"7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
1 John 4:7-11
Cambodia…
Blessings Team!!!
I pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year! 2013, man, am I excited for what this year holds!!! I know that crazy stuff is going on all over the world and in the states, but God is good all the time, He is in control, and His peace and hope and love He gives us to abide in so we can rest in Him remaining always hopeful in what He is doing.
We are in Cambodia this month and the Cambodians are such beautiful people. I seriously want to adopt an Asian baby! 😉 They are so precious.
We visited the genocide museum and the killing fields here in the capital today. It is so hard to believe that this happened during my generation. Pol pot and the Khmer Rouge killed a whole generation, 1 out of 4 people here, many who would be my age today. Sin is so ugly and evil is so horrifically cruel that my mind and soul have a hard time processing the truth of its existence in what it can do. Seeing this reminds me how precious people and life are and how we are placed where we are by God and for Him. It reminds me not to take anything for granted, it helps me understand people on a deeper level, and it reminds me why I choose to follow Jesus Christ and the hope and redemption and beauty He brings. My worldview is being greatly expanded.
We are going to be working with a YWAM / United of Nations base, teaching English and possibly computer classes. I am super excited to teach! We may also be doing some house to house evangelism.
Prayers:
-For the Cambodian people and the suffering their country went through in the 70's, and for the effects that still has on them today. Healing for this nation.
-For the truth of Jesus Christ here. The main religions are Buddhism and Hinduism.
-For our team, our ministry, our teaching, and our relationships with our contacts.
-For me, mainly, for God to be my strength in my weakness of blogging. I want to do it more consistently, but it is not my go-to, so I don't follow through with the blogs that stir in my head to write. I know it is my main tool of communication for my supporters so I want to be more consistent with it. I am also going to be doing more fasting this month and possibly also a day of silence once a week this month. This is something that I have been feeling a pull to do to grow more in listening, but I feel it may be hard for me, so prayers over this as well.
Thank you so much for walking this journey with me.
Much love,
Monica
Next to come…
Finishing up Cambodia then… Africa.
