Ukraine was a month full of crazy experiences: spiritual warfare, dancing, crying, and growing! God is actively working in my heart and has blessed us immensely with ministry conacts/accomodations. Don't get me wrong, comfortable does not mean complacent! I may not have used my tent yet, but God is growing me like crazy (plus it's only the beginning of month 3)!! In my last blog, I expounded on some of the difficulties of the Race and living in community. I didn't want to stop at that one because I want y'all to know I'm having a ton of fun and growing in more ways than I could imagine!
In general, the rest of the world is more open to spiritual warfare than the United States. God is definitely easing us into that mentality, and it began in Ukraine. We were staying with a wonderful missionary family from Texas (woo woo!). When their house, Beth-El, is finished, it will be a sort of oasis for Jews returning to Israel and other missionaries. Therefore, a lot of our ministry had us working on the third floor of their house getting it ready so they can move into it before winter.
A couple of people on our teams had experienced a "presence" on the third floor of the house. This manifested itself in different ways, but basically it sounded like someone was walking around/making loud noises. I had never experienced anything like this before and even though I believed them, I just brushed it off. One of the last nights before we left, three other girls from my team and myself were in a room on the third floor practicing soaking prayer. We had been up there about an hour and a half and were sharing with each other what God spoke to us during prayer. All of a sudden, all four of us heard a loud crash! I thought it was the ladder falling (there were no stairs built yet so we climbed up a ladder to get to the third floor) but the others thought it something smaller. We kept talking but then three out of the four of us physically felt footsteps, as if someone was walking around. Okay so I'm officially freaked out! Thank God for my teammates! One went to turn on the lights while another started rebuking it in Jesus' name. Once we hit the ladder to climb down to the second floor, it was like entering a different atmosphere!
It's hard to explain this presence in words while being a world away from you. What I can tell you though is that it wasn't from God. Its presence brought on such a spirit of fear and was contained to the third floor after the sun went down. I would just encourage you to be open to what is going on in the spiritual realm, even in the United States! Through this experience I began to learn the power of Jesus' name. At debrief, my World Race dad, Papa Deon said, "There is such power in AJesus' name. You don't need to scream it; all you need to do is say it." Amen!
Also, I am still $900 away from my October 1st deadline and $5,400 away from my total goal. October 1st is approaching quickly! I need your help to make it! Share my blogs, tell others about this journey, hold a fundraiser event in my honor, or send financial support!! I can not tell you how much of a blessing any of those would be!
Grace and Peace,
