Alrighty,
Here’s the dealio. The Lord did some amazing work over the past six months in my heart, in the hearts of my squad, Gap Y, and in the hearts of our ministries. I have collected testimonies from each team on the squad and will be posting them to share just a glimpse of how the Lord moved, not just through me, but through the squad’s eyes as a whole and through the ministries they worked with. To my supporters, I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of this walk with Gap Y, and to see the movement of the Lord’s Spirit through them all first-hand. Thank you for you obedience in giving, your prayers, and your support! I love you all so so much!
Team Arise was a lively, joyful group of Spirit-filled ladies who brought lift and perspective and laughter in endless measure to Gap Y. Here are some of their testimonies of what the Lord did on the field 🙂
“I personally didn’t witness floods coming to Christ, or miraculous healings upon healings, or nations bowing down to Jesus. The Lord took me on a path different than I thought He would, showing me things I didn’t think I needed. And that was a beautiful path seeing more and more of Him that opened up my eyes in ways I couldn’t explain. A testimony, that for a long time I didn’t qualify as one, didn’t think was big enough to be one, or straight up didn’t let myself admit to, was the perspective change I had towards community when I was placed in one that challenged, pursued and loved me. Not because they had to, but because my community loved our Father so much that they loved His daughter despite of every reason they had not to. Even though I didn’t deserve it. I used to think my brokenness unqualified me to be a part of a community who could love me. Now I know community, Godly community, is a bunch of broken people who love each other because that Love is the glue that keeps them together. A perspective change was the biggest testimony I experienced in myself. And because of that perspective change, I now know how to love people the way Jesus loves them, and I can now fully do what Jesus calls me to do. I didn’t realize I needed a change of perspective, but ever since I had that one, it’s changed everything for me.”
-Miranda Fox
“On our layover in New York, me and a few others went to Times Square. It is about an hour away from the airport we were at. So we took a taxi there and back. On the way back, we got in a taxi. But about five minutes into the ride, we decided to get out, for we wanted to try the subway. But we quickly realized we wouldn’t be able to figure out the subway situation and how to use it to get back to the airport. So we then got another taxi. The driver of this taxi was a man from around the places we had been in Southeast Asia. He was also Muslim. He started to talk about his religion and how he thinks it is a lot of work and he doesn’t have a lot of time to do it all, etc. So my friend and I were then able to share the gospel with him and even tell him our own personal testimonies. He had a lot of questions and it was a really great conversation. My friend had an urge to bring an extra bible just in case, and it happened to be his birthday that day. So we got to give him the bible as a present, and this bible has John 3:16 in his native language written in the front. We told him to read that verse and even the chapter of John, and it was really cool because his name was John. Lastly, before he dropped us off, we were able to pray over him and his business and asked that he would experience God and finally understand, which is something he had been talking about a lot. It was really great and God-ordained, because we happened to bring the extra Bible, get out of the first taxi and end up in his, and his name was John (of all things) and it was his birthday. Not to mention HE started the conversation about religion (God knew we needed a little push after that 10 hour flight, lol.) God is so good!“
-Grace Johnson
“There was this one night in Southeast Asia, me and my team were sitting in the roof talking about how we had all been struggling and were kind of in a dry season. So then we prayed. We prayed for everyone’s struggles and conflicts and we gave them to the Lord, wanting only more of Him. Lastly we prayed for a tsunami to flood this dry season. The next day God’s humor showed up because it rained almost all day. As well as his faithfulness because that next day we all heard and felt newness in what we were reading and were refreshed. God is so good!”
-Abby Neu
“There was a time when my squad and I were going to this church multiple times a week for kids ministry, and it was always so discouraging. We usually didn’t know until right before hand so we would have to make up stuff to do on the spot. It felt like we weren’t doing anybody any good. And personally, I felt like a failure because it seemed as though I was useless. I needed some encouragement that day, and the Lord knew exactly how to give it to me! There was a little girl who came up to me and sat in my lap; she just smiled and laughed so much! She began to play with my hair and we were laughing with one another. It was such a sweet time! Then it came time for the kids to go out and play games. As we went out of the children’s church area to the field the little girl grabbed my hand, smiled at me and ran! She made sure we were side by side during the games and never quit smiling the whole way through! That little girl will never know how much she blessed me that day! She literally lit up my entire day and reminded me that there is joy and purpose in anything!!! I thank God so much for that sweet moment He gifted me with!”
-Natasha Raines
“Something that the Lord has taught me through out the Race was that if you ask for a opportunity to share the Gospel or pray over someone he will help you and put someone in your way that need prayer. Our first ministry day was activation Monday. Although it may seem like a small step it was something big for me. For that ministry day, we would head out to the community to get to know the people, pray over them, share the Gospel, and more. So my team and I went out and I really felt a pull to go to the left of where we were dropped off which then it turned out to be a bus stop. While I was sitting there I felt an urge to pray over this guy. I told my team mates and they felt the same thing. So Grace and I said hi to him but he completely ignored us. Then I began to pray and I was like, ‘Lord please put someone here that will open up to us and that I can pray over for. Use my ability to speak Spanish to talk with the people and be able to connect with them.’ So then a women came along and I just said Hi, then she said hi back. I asked if she was okay, she then said ‘honestly, I am good but going through a lot of things.’ She then opened up about her issues and what she was going through. I asked if I could pray for her and she said yes. We proceeded to talk for about an hour. She told me her life story and what she has been through. It was definitely a great experience and took me out of my comfort zone. It was big for me because I have never prayed over a stranger before. It was a step of obedience that I have never taken before.”
-Ruby Herrera-Pulido
“The Lord is so funny. He’s taught me a lot while we were overseas. He made it very clear that he loves me and that things will work out I just have to trust him. That I have no control over 95% of the things that go on in my life and when I try to gain control things get messy and I have to go back and clean up the mess I’ve made while he lovingly reminds me that it will be okay. He still loves me when I’m being a brat lol. The Lord taught me that he is in every country all over the world, even the most hidden remote parts. He has shown me his beauty in people, mountains, music and so much more. He continually answers a prayer that I prayed before my “fall”. I prayed for true friends that I could count on, that would truly love me, and they just keep on coming. My sweet besties I’ve made over the past 3 years and my AMAZING Arise babies, I’m mind blown every time I think about it. He has shown me that he is faithful in that way. This may sound silly but the lesson I’m most thankful for is that I can rely completely on him, no man will ever be able to satisfy. Only Jesus. It’s always been him. I know I’ll meet my lover boy/ strong spiritual leader someday. The Lord will be the very center of our relationship. It will be beautiful, but right now, its a Deven and Jesus party and I couldn’t be more content.”
-Deven Jackson
“GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS!! A testimony of God’s faithfulness and how he used this man to strengthen my relationship with Him: As I’ve been on this journey I have made it my goal to make my faith my own and seek understanding in what has been the “questions of my faith”. While I was in Thailand I had an intriguing conversation with someone who was atheist. We sat around a camp fire and discussed the differences in what we believed, it was incredible. One thing he said struck me hard and put me in my pondering mode for weeks on after, he said “you aren’t going to like hearing this, but you are only a Christian because you are from America. That’s just what Americans believe, if you were from Thailand you would be Buddhist, or from India you would be Hindu. They all do the same thing, you just picked that one because you are from the states.” I didn’t know how to respond to this and I instantly began to seek wisdom and discernment on this- I called friends, googled, watched sermons and prayed, nothing really gave me a response that seemed to fill the void of understanding. Until in one video Jonathan Pokluda said this “No one who has studied religions would ever say ‘all the religions are right and you can just select one’ because if that was the case you should just pick Christianity, it is the easiest, Christ died FOR US, but one is right the others have to be wrong, and in studying Christianity you would convert yourself by what you find.” I decided this was the closest thing to an answer I would probably receive to my question on this side of Heaven, so I tried to take that and move on, but I would still inwardly cringe when I thought of the comment about my Christian faith being only a result of where I was raised. UNTIL this past month! When God radically used Luke from Malaysia to put all my anxious doubts to rest. About two weeks ago, we had a church service where they announced it was :uke’s birthday and they had him walk to the front of the church, where they asked for a volunteer to pray over him, I instantly volunteered, I had a strange pull towards this sweet man and wanted to bless him! After I prayed over him and everyone told him happy birthday and we left church and I asked the woman I am staying with about Luke. She told me he is still semi new to the church and he used to worship a different god. A statue god. I silently thanked God for his conversion and went on with my day. Two days later we had a prayer meeting at the church and were split into many small groups to pray over the community and the church’s needs. I was placed with Luke!!! Before we prayed he explained that his English wasn’t very good. We prayed and had a little time left over, so I decided to ask about his testimony. In Malaysia it is illegal to openly evangelize and I was curious to know who the brave soldier was that brought Luke the good news without fear of persecution. “Where you born into a Christian family?” I asked, already knowing my answer. Luke chuckled “ohhhh no. I was not. Not too long ago I was a different religion. I followed a different god. I was very dedicated for 40 years serving a god who wasn’t real.” Me: “oh my goodness! That’s wild! Who told you about Jesus?” Luke: No one. Well, I guess God did! Me: Yes but who explained Christianity to you? Luke, in PERFECT ENGLISH: No one. I was a priest of a different religion, the highest up you could be, well-respected in the community of the other people who worshipped this god. But I was not at peace. I was stressed. I worked every single day for years and deep inside I knew it was doing nothing. No one knew but I was struggling. I decided I would figure out a new religion that would bring me true joy, and I studied, at one book store I found a Bible and decided to study it, I realized Christianity is the easiest religion so I thought I was secretly look into it, but once I did God showed me who He was. I could no longer serve other gods. He died for me. I am His son now. I have the freedom I was looking for in Him! I had tears in my eyes as I realized God sent me a real life human to be the answer to my impossible question. HE SEEKS AFTER US. All we have to do is take a little initiative and HE FINDS US. He doesn’t leave us where we were, no matter where we were born or what we’ve done or what we used to believe. HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO US. Luke has now been attending a Christian Church for 2 years and his wife and daughter have grown to love the Lord. They are faithful members and I am BLESSED to call them all my brothers and sisters in Christ. Praise the God who answers even our toughest questions! P.S. Luke’s name has been changed to keep him anonymous :)”
-Hanna Wilson
TEAM ARISE
From left to right: Natasha Raines, Miranda Fox, Grace Johnson, Hanna Wilson, Abby Neu, Ruby Herrera-Pulido, and Deven Jackson.
