…what the Lord is doing with the kids!

As I came back to Cairo after Christmas it was very impressed on my mind that this was the last semester with the kids that I’ve worked with for the last 3 and a half years. When I first met them they were cute little eight year olds that ran up as soon as you entered the room to give you a huge hug and now they are “too cool for school” sixth graders that try to act aloof but you know they are crying inside for attention. Oh, God so longs to satisfy them with Himself! Within these last couple weeks I have seen things play out before my eyes that we could only have faith to pray for these last years! Our Father is faithful to answer the prayers of very weak people.

 

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (I’ve been very challenged by this, Will His praise always be in my mouth??) My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad….

“Here is a basic rundown of what God has done so far with the kids in 2009:

– Sara and I prayed before we entered the elementary school for the first time after break. The moment that I walked through the classroom door a boy ran up to me asking me for a Bible! He said that he’s heard so much about what it say but that He wanted to read it for himself. I saw the hunger in his eyes! I was amazed in even those first moments!

– As soon as I stepped out of my car two days later I heard a shout from the second floor of the school, “Miss. Stacy, Miss. Stacy, do you have my Bible?!” I’ve never had that shouted out of a window before! I had to laugh and shout back yes and I heard a lot of excited shouts and jumping up and down! I have never seen anyone so excited for a Bible before. Wow.

 

– Since this boy asked for a Bible, other kids asked for Bibles and I got permission to ask every child in this classroom if they would like a Bible. On the second Monday back I walked into the school with a whole bag full of Bibles to hand out. The kids were almost running me down to get their Bible. Again, something I’ve never experienced here in Cairo. So, now every kid in the class either has brought a Bible they already owned to school or they’ve received one. There were two children that have never shown any interest (One girl professes to be of a different religion) even asked for Bibles! Again, wow!

– Every time that I’ve been at school, especially when I’m in that classroom, I’ve been asked to read from the Bible or I’ve had a very significant conversation with a child about God or the Bible. There was one day that I was able to read from the book of Jonah (Much of this interest in the Bible has started from things like the story of the 10 commandments that were in their social studies book! The Lord will use any open doors!) and then they asked questions for over an hour!

– The teacher in this classroom has really grown in her boldness about talking about the Lord and now she reads from her Bible in class. She’s had children asking for it and saying that it is okay if she does it. They’ve told her not to fear!

– I learned last week that now some of the kids in the class have started a Bible Study! (We’ve prayed so hard for the kids to rise to leadership!) I was really taken back by this one! Our God can really DO ANYTHING. They meet in the morning when they have reading time and talk about I think the book of John. One of the kids who have been in Bible Studies with us is a part of and he knows that he is suppose to be there helping to lead it!

– There is one boy that was given a Bible and a few days later he had read the first 12 chapters of the book of John. I sat on the floor with him for 45 minutes talking with him and the conversation again just amazed me. This child is really seeking God in a way I’ve never seen a child seek God. He said that he prays each time to learn truth. He is truly seeking God himself! He hasn’t been to church much. I saw that he took everything that he read literally and believed it. He believed all the miracles that Jesus did. He believes He is the light. He is fascinated by that. When I told him that many people in church don’t read the Bible like he has, he didn’t understand that. His insight humbled me.

Please pray for these kids to continually be seeking our Father. I truly know that it is the Holy Spirit leading all of this.

– We had two young women accept or recommit their lives to the Lord last week! It was renewed in me again that the great miracle is salvation!

 

“…Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” ~ Psalm 34:1-3

Please exalt the Lord’s name along with me and His faithfulness to the children, to us, and most of all to Himself and to what He has said He will do!

 

…waiting on my Father.

I’ve been on this “Waiting” kick lately. It’s not that I’ve chosen to wait, sometimes I have, but I’ve realized how much in my life, in my day to day life, that I’ve been waiting for. Much of my life actually consists of waiting! My Father has really spoken it into my mind, heart and spirit. I think I used to remind myself more often but it had kind of drifted away from my vocab and mind. These last years there has been much focus on believing and faith, buts as I read Hebrews 11:1 again, “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”, is not faith an active kind of waiting? Since I felt God speaking ” Waiting” to me, I picked up a devotional called “Waiting on God” by Andrew Murray. How much it has gotten me excited to wait! Right now instead of looking at waiting as a passive thing, I have seen how much it changes our hearts and the directions of our minds.

So, what am I waiting for?

I’m waiting for Jesus to come back.

I’m waiting to see Him face to face.

I’m waiting for the government to be on Jesus’ shoulders!

I’m waiting for the place He has prepared for me.

I’m waitng to see heaven come to earth.

I’m waiting to see answers.

I’m waiting to see hearts change.

I’m waiting to see salvation for so many.

I’m waiting to see all nations, tribes and tongues bow before our Father!

I’m waiting for the waste places to be built up!

I’m waiting for the captives to be set free!

I’m waiting for the church to know who they are and to live like it!

I’m waiting for complete healing.

I’m waiting for the past to not hurt so much.

I’m waiting for freedom.

I’m waiting for unity between believers.

I’m waiting to see peace in people’s lives.

I’m waiting for what I hope for!

I’m waiting for the unseen.

I’m waiting for eternity.

I’m waiting for what He has promised.

I’m waiting for what I know is to come in my life, and others.

I’m waiting for Cairo to be rebuilt, to be a city of refuge etc (so much!!!)

I’m waiting to see light in dark places!

I’m waiting for holiness, righteousness and purity.

I’m waiting to reign with Him.

I’m waiting to see this generation rise up and lead! (I’m seeing the beginnings of it!)

I’m waiting to see the “greatest story ever told” to unfold….

(I will end here but oh, there are so many more!)

What are you waiting for?? Who are you waiting for??

When we’re waiting, we know that we are waiting for someone or something. We wait for someone to pick us up. We wait for Christmas. We wait because we know they are coming. We don’t just wait to wait with no promise at the end of our waiting. Now, it may feel like that sometimes. I know I do because I forget who or what I’m actually waiting for. It has been a long time. My mind is not on the hope I have of the fulfillment of the waiting, it is more focused on grumbling that I have to wait! BUT, friends, with most of our waiting, as with my list above, we are waiting for the movement of our Father. We are really waiting for Him when it comes down to it. It is good to know what we are waiting for isn’t it? It is good to know that what we are waiting for will come, will happen and that our waiting is not in vain. Because its not. We have the victory, we know who wins.

He promises to come back. He promises to hear us when we call to Him. He promises to answer. He promises that He will never leave us.

As my devotional keeps reminding me, My soul wait thou only upon God! 

 

Be still and know that I am God.

– Psalm 46:10 

 

“Blessed are all they that wait for Him” – Isaiah 30:18

…we’ve moved.

You have not heard from me in a while!  Basically, we had vacation at the end of August and most of our September has been full of finishing what we can downstairs in the house we’re moving into as a ministry and packing and moving out of the center we’ve set up base for more than three years.  We’ve also tried to keep up with our regular ministry as much as possible. Whew!  What a month!  Its very much an ending of one season and entering into a new season kind of time.  I thought I would share this article we put in the Cairo newspaper recently.  We’ve had a lot of chuckles over the years over how the community tries to understand who we are and what we do.  We have a hard enough time putting it into words ourselves!  We know this move will take a while for people to get used to here…this is why this article was written.

Two Rivers Ministries Are Moving to 321 26th Street. Open House on October 4, 2008.

by: Stacy Ciha

During the last couple of weeks in August we heard that there were rumors floating around about us in Cairo. We have little spies that heard them (I am just kidding of course!). These rumors were around the fact that we, all those ladies and one gentleman that hang around the old St. Joe building, moved. Well, we didn’t actually move then. We were visiting our families who have given us up for most of the months of the year. We are now back. We are not moving out of Cairo, but we are moving to another location. We will not be moving to the old junior high school, but our computer lab will be. The computer lab should be reopening mid October and you can expect to hear more about that in the coming weeks. We will be moving to a house that we have been fixing up for the last three years. This house is at 321 26th Street and although it will not be completely done, this will be where you can find us coming October 1st. September 30th will be our last day at 421 Cross Street.

Who exactly are “we”? Well, that does seem to be a popular question! That is a question that we often ask ourselves and when people ask me I am often not sure which “me” you will identify with. We know that you wonder about us. What should you call us? Over the years we have been called “the people at the old St. Joe school”, Kid’s Club, Youthworks, the youth group, Two Rivers, foster children (although many of us look really young we are all over the age of 25) Youth Enterprise, Youthworkers, Tribe of Judah, Tillmans and gang and those people that walk and pray. Whew, that was a mouthful! People have also thought that we lived at the center. To clear that misconception up, we have never lived at the center. We actually live together between two different houses in town. We have had many groups stay at the center when they visit so this is probably where this misunderstanding could have been created. We don’t blame you for thinking this because many people have come in and out of that brick building over the years! We will also not be living at this new house that we are moving into, this house will be for you as much as it is for us.

Seriously now, we are simply a group of people that love the Lord and are trying to be obedient to Him. God told us to come to Cairo, so we came. He has told us to stay, so we’ve stayed. “Officially” you can call us prayer missionaries. We would even rather have you call us friends. Over the last couple of years we have changed from an organization to more of a family, with prayer always being at our core. We started throwing the word family around and really that is the best word to describe us. As a family it even seems fitting that now we are moving to this house. Slowly, people have been added to our numbers and we count them each as family where we desire to live in community like the early church in Acts. We are a work in progress. We don’t take offense at the confusion over what to call us. We care less that you know our name and more that you know the name of Jesus. It is His name that we want to exalt and not our own. In our new location we are simply calling it the Cairo House of Prayer. It is a house. We will be praying in it. It is for all of you and not just us. We are not exclusive because Jesus was not exclusive. It is a place where we hope you can come to meet with and worship your Father. One such time is on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. when we have a time of prayer and worship each week.

 

We thank you for the many names that you’ve given us over the years. We just thank you that you have welcomed us no matter what you’ve called us. I do hope the mystery of who we are is solved. If not, it is okay.

 

J We are okay being nameless as long as we point you to Jesus. Please do come and visit us. 

…Snapshots from the Summer

(These snapshots are the inside of my head type.  And hopefully the inside of your head will understand…)

The days of walking into worship at the beginning of every week and meeting new people from around the country has ended.  You honestly get really used to not knowing people’s names.  In other words, summer has ended in Cairo.  We’ve had our break.  And now we’re back for another year, our fourth one together to be exact.  Before I can begin this new year though, I need to go back and share more from the summer with you.  There are always those moments where you stop and you know that something just happened that you KNOW you did not do and that it was purely God moving.  It is those moments or what I like to call snapshots that I want to share with you…

 

1. Snapshots of UNITY.

…WITH YOUTHWORKS STAFF.  There was such unity in heart and vision with the YW staff and us this summer.  It started from day one.  God gave them a heart for Cairo and prayer from the very beginning.  There were so many times this summer that I had to stand back in amazement because this unity had not taken any work to create and really they didn’t feel like YW staff to me but brother and sisters in Christ on a common mission.  This was a taste of unity like I had experienced before, we pray for it all the time and it was refreshing!

…WITH TIGERET METHODIST.  It was wonderful to have another church support YW along with us in town.  They understand YW and our heart in a way that hasn’t happened locally before!

…WITH HANNAH’S HOUSE.  We didn’t have a lot of YW groups there this summer but I saw unity through my staff as we worked like never before to finish it.  One time that does stick out in my mind when we did have a group there for only 20 minutes and the amount of work and joy they had during that time was more than we could have ever imagined!

           

1. Snapshots of PRAYER JOURNEYS.

…One local church.  We had one pastor in town ask us to pray at her church.  Even though the air-conditioning chose to go out that day, it was such a privilege to pray and agree with this pastor.  God truly led this time.

…Thebes.   An adult leader had a desire to pray over this nearby town and invited us to come with her once she found out that we were a prayer ministry.  Kristy actually owns some land here now!  It is hard to explain in words how significant this time was but just believe me that it was!

…Pastor Jordan.  We actually ended up going to his church 3 times this summer with YW which is very unusual.  During one of these times there was a youth that had actually come to Cairo and his church three summers before and this had radically changed him and he got to thank Pastor Jordan.

…Prayer Walks.  These were encouraging times for staff as we saw teens pray like they’ve never prayed before, things that the Lord has spoken to us were confirmed through visitors and saw you Lord divinely set up these times such as praying for the superintendant and then he walks up!

 

1. Snapshots of BREAKTHROUGH.

…June 29, 2008.  Dishon (The Kid’s Club staff) spoke at Tigeret Methodist Church.  The pastor was going to be gone and asked him to speak in his place.  This was probably the first time a black man, an African actually, probably spoke from their pulpit.

…Kids Club.  It was amazing to see these mostly black kids of Cairo being invited into this mainly white church all summer!  One day as we were praying there, we saw peace signs put up as we were praying for peace.  The place quieted down as soon as we started praying.

…Thursdays.  Most Thursdays were powerful days in where I God moving.  Maybe I was just more aware on that day, I’m not sure!

 

 

1. Snapshots of CHILDREN.

…Three boys joined us for worship at the projects one Friday night.  They stayed the whole time, although part of it may have been that a watermelon that was also there may have been calling their names.  At any rate at the end of the night they wanted to come up with their “band” to freestyle.  We told them that it had to be about Jesus, God etc.  What came from these mouths of babes was a call for righteous, holy living…which had to be from the Lord.

 

…Each week we went to one of the Projects on Tuesday afternoons to do some type of service.  Each week there was a different group of kiddos.  One week we had kids from one family come and write and draw prayers in chalk at every corner around the projects.  God led them beyond their years in their prayers and it was amazing to see color around this usually dismal environment.

 

…Hali, the girl that I mentor from outside of town, grew to love reading and libraries when at the beginning of the summer she did not like reading!

 

…Devin and Bryce, two seventh graders helped out with Kid’s Club the whole summer.  It was amazing to see them rise to leadership.

 

…There were girls that were visiting their grandma down the street from me that would ride their bikes back and forth during summer night and often knock on our doors.  They came over one night telling me about a guy that they heard had been shot.  I asked one of the girls that I knew the best to pray and each of the girls prayed from their hearts.

 

       5. RANDOM snapshots.

                       …Strays…we had many stray animals meander their way to each of    our houses this summer.  The white house had an orange cat takeover of cats living on their porch and one that was welcomed inside.  At my house we had the cutest stray ever named Honey stay with us for a few weeks.  My “fondest” memory was Honey pooping out an Oscar Meyer Weiner wrapper as my team started praying for me!

 

And I know those were not the only ways that God moved in Cairo this summer.  These are only some snapshots.  Oh, may we have our eyes open to really see our Father in our everyday lives.  I know that I don’t always want to only see in part…

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

…living in “Narnian time”.

Edmund (In Prince Caspian) says, “Well, don’t you see? You know that, however long we seemed to have lived in Narnia, when we got back through the wardrobe it seemed to have taken no time at all? And that means that once you’re out of Narnia you have no idea how Narnian time is going. Why shouln’t hundreds of year have gone past in Narnia while only one year has passed for us in England?”

Someone recently described time in missionary life as similar to Narnian time. I would have to agree. This completely describes how life/ministry has been the past few months. It really only feels like a couple days since the beginning of April when I was anticipating a weekend trip to Colfax, Il and the half-marathon that was coming up, but no, it has been two months! I have not been able to predict life, each week has its new surprises, or new visitors that throws the idea of having a “normal routine” out of the window. I have also had surprise times of travel that has taken me out of Cairo more than I expected. I love this and at the same time I still struggle with constant change.

Over and over I have to return to that A. God is in control and not me. B. God never leaves me. C. God has not promised that we will not have any struggles in life but HE IS GOOD AND FAITHFUL. Is He ever! He never changes and He never makes mistakes. D. I need to let go of me and my plans for HIS. “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” Matthew 10:37-39 These are the basics. We’ve heard them over and over again. There is a difference though in simply knowing them and allowing them to become the truth that you live. I want what I read in the Word to be the truth that I believe, know and live. My prayer is for a completely renewed mind. I know that I need it…how about you?!

As of September 1st I will have been in Cairo for three years. As I walked into the sixth grade graduation last week everything felt so familiar. The air had that “end of school” feeling but it was something more. Over the last week with another school year ending and another Youthworks staff arriving I have realized it is this “Cairo cycle of life” (kind of like Circle of Life from the Lion King!) that I’ve adjusted to. At least that is what I will call it. I have seen almost three complete years of life here in Cairo. I have gotten used to the rhythm of this community. I have never been in a community this long or been so involved to have experienced this. I really appreciate being a part of this community. There is much that we are calling on God to transform (It can be hard to not be so adjusted to life here that we accept things that are not God’s best and we do NOT want to do that), there is much that is not according to His Word here, there are incredibly difficult parts of living here but it is still a privilege in my mind (Oh, God, allow me to remember this on the difficult days!) to be here and to even now feel accepted as a part of the community.

I am thankful for this season in life.

…evidence of your uprising at Uprising!

God is indeed moving. 

I can easily say that to you, but then you ask, how do you know He is moving Stacy?

I am seeing the evidence before my eyes.

Every Friday we meet at 6:00 to share a meal together and then we have a time of worship and prayer (And no, we’re not a church…we get asked this many times!  We are simply believers who want to unite people in prayer before our King.)  We have done this for most of the time that I have lived in Cairo.  We call it Uprising.  The first year it was basically us.  Then, we had our one faithful community member that joined us (If it wasn’t for him, we may have stopped and that was not what we were supposed to do!)  We asked many times, “Why are we doing this?!”  We went back many times to the vision behind it, to bring people together, a place for people to meet God who may not be going to a church etc.  After probably two years we began to have more of a regular group, with new people each week and children that joined us.  We have slowly seen God grow it into what He wanted it to be.  And we probably still have no clue!

On a recent Friday we were over at the housing projects where we meet one Friday a month and I went to pick up some kids who wanted to come.  As we walked up to the building I heard everyone singing “Trading my Sorrows”.  How amazing it was to hear the sound of worship float in the area of this often dark place!  As we walked up the stairs I expected to see many children as this is who we usually have join us here.  I was surprised to see that this week we actually had more adults!  As I joined in worship I couldn’t help but laugh in joy!  These adults that joined us are ones that have recently gained victory in some way!  One has become sober after years of addiction.  One has just won a many year process of gaining custody of her daughter.  One has just begun to walk the road of healing from addiction and has brought his family with him.

This is all by your hand Father.

You are really doing it!

And this is only the beginning…

 

To read more and see pictures, check out my friend Sara’s blog at: http://gerberdaisy.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/uprising/

…let the rain come!

           I heard the following song yesterday morning.  I have been hitting repeat on this one since then.  My friends, listen to the new Christian music that is coming out.   It is not merely music, but the heartbeat of our Father and what He desires to do on the earth.  He speaks through the arts.             

           This song speaks of where our heart is.  We have been waiting in Cairo.  This is a place that often feels like a desert.  It kind of looks like one, but it is more than that.  We often feel like we are like the Israelites, waiting, just waiting to get to the Promised Land that we know the Lord wants to bring the people of Cairo to.  As it turned 2008 I sensed for my life and for Cairo that it would be a year of “new beginnings”.  It turns out that 40 years ago was the height of the civil rights movement in our country and in Cairo.  Martin Luther King was killed in 1968, forty years ago.  Throughout scripture God moves in 40 year time periods.  Our address at our center is actually 2008 Martin Luther King Drive!           

            There has been a new steadfastness and perseverance in my spirit.  I now know for sure that I will not leave this “desert” until I see the rain.  I do not know how much of God’s harvest I will see in this city, but I know I will see the beginning.  We are waiting.  I am waiting.  The rain of God that I am talking about will open hearts to Him.  His Holy Spirit wants to dwell here.  The rain will till the soil here.  God will bring His people to the Promised Land.  Are we ready?  I am.  We are.           

           It just so happens that it is raining ice right now as I type this…odd, or is it?!  

“Oh, I’m waiting in this desert, just waiting for the rain.  Oh, but I won’t leave this desert until I see the rain.  And I’m waiting in the wilderness of promises yet fulfilled.  Oh, but I won’t leave this wilderness until I see the rain.  I’m waiting for the rain.  Oh, I’m waiting for the rainI’m just waiting for the rain.  Oh, I’m waiting for the rain.  For I have heard the story told of a prophet who prophetized.  Of the rain that would come in the middle of a drought of a sign of the rain to come.  And though years have come and years of gone.  We’re still waiting for the rain.  Oh, but I can see the clouds gathering now.  Are you ready, are you ready for the rain?  Open up the heavens and let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.  Open the heavens and let it rain, let it rain, let it rain“ “Let it rain God, let it rain…let it rain…”  

 -Misty Edwards (unplugged cd, for those that are not familiar with Misty, check her out, God truly speaks through her music.  Much of it is of the time we are in right now.)  

^“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
   as the spring rains that water the earth.”–           Hosea 6:3 

“…for waters break forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert;  The burning sand shall become a pool, And the thirsty ground springs of water…And a highway shall be there, And it shall be called the Way of Holiness;  The unclean shall not pass over it.It shall belong to those who walk on the way;  Even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; They shall not be found there, But the redeemed shall walk there.And the ransomed of the Lord shall returnAnd come to Zion with singing; Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; They shall obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”–           Isaiah 35:6b-10 (you should really read ALL of it!)

(A friend e-mailed this scripture to me a couple weeks ago saying that it is encouraging to people in a “desert”.  That morning, we had just been praying for the redeemed in Cairo!)  

…God DOES provide.

When Christmas break came, I was ready to go.   (Yes, I still refer to it as “Christmas Break” as if I’m still in school!)

I needed a break…but why, I wondered?  My “job” compared to many could seem not very demanding in its day to day responsibilities.  These days I mostly aide other teachers at the schools, lead and help lead bible studies, hang out with children and pray.  Prayer has come to be very demanding in my eyes (it is a different kind of demanding), there is never really an end to what needs to be interceded for, agreed with and declared to our Father.  The more wisdom and revelation we receive, the more we understand what and how we need to pray. 

I think I needed a break though because since we’ve come back in the Fall it has been a new, intense season of trust, and of faith.  It has been a new season of faith in one of the hardest areas for me and many: in finances.  With no planned paycheck coming in, it puts a person in a new place in their view of their money.  I know I’ve needed to be in this place.  It is another area to be completely surrendered to my Father.  I have said I want to seek God’s Kingdom FIRST.  So, I have heard Him asking me, will you seek me first even with your money or lack thereof?  Will you trust me?

 While we were driving back from Chicago on New Years Day there were hours of what I refer to as “Whiteouts”.  The wind was strong and was blowing the already existing snow on the ground all around my car causing me not being able to see in the distance, only right in front of my windshield.  I could not help but see this as an illustration of faith.  I could not see, but I chose to keep driving, trusting that it would be clear soon.  I could not lean on my own understanding.  As I trusted, sure enough, in a few minutes, it all became clear and I could see all around me.  Just as I got used to that clarity, the whiteout surrounded my car again, and I had to trust again.  I knew though from past experience that it would soon become clear again.  My path would be made straight as I acknowledged Him.

This is also true for me in my faith for my finaces.  I have not seen clearly, and the way that God would provide seemed pretty foggy to me.  I did not know how He would!  There were many times over break that I confessed to family and friends that I KNEW God would provide.  I think I was declaring that to them as much to myself to raise my belief!  He has truly provided for me so far, so I knew He would continue to.  I may not always have everything I want, but I always have want I need, and many times many other wonderful surprizes.  So, I needed to not lean to my own understanding and continue on despite the “fogginess” to asknowledge Him in all of my ways.

Well, on the night of January 1st I arrived back in Cairo and I looked over the couple of checks and envelopes that had been handed to me within the last couple of days.   When I counted them up I was surprised to find out that I had the full amount and even a little more for what I needed for the month of January!  It was right on time too!  From the last Saturday as I sat praying and preparing for what I would speak to the men’s group at my dad’s church to that very evening as I was handed a check, God had provided.  It was fully His doing!  I praise Him!  I had not even fully started asking for support yet because I had not felt that God said to.  As I had been praying I heard Him saying to wait on Him, and to share what He is doing and that He would provide.  So, this is what I’m doing.  Thank you for those that were obedient to giving as God led them.  You are a part of this, a part of God’s work in Cairo just as much as I am.  This is exciting.!  It is exactly what I needed to feel confirmed that I am truly where God wants me to be and to be encouraged to have faith for my finaces.   Please continue to pray with me as I am stepping out in this way.

Friends, God does provide.   So, trust Him.

…”let the children come to me”.

For the past couple of summers as I’ve worked with the children in Cairo this verse will not leave me.  Jesus says in Luke 18:16-17, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”  God wants His children.  We are seeing that more and more here.  God is moving in the children!   He truly is.  Within these last couple of months we have had children bring bibles to school regularly to read during their reading time, and then talk to other children about what they are reading.  Children have been asking for a bible.  We had a girl accept Christ during the middle of a worship service and she immediately began speaking in tongues, this was just between her and Jesus, she told us afterwards, not really sure what happened!  Children are more ready to truly study the bible as we’ve seen in  a children’s bible study we’ve had the last couple of weeks.

 It is the children who are ready to hear.

It is the children who are ready to receive and walk out their faith.

It is because the children are ready that God is moving in them.

“…and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6)

The following is what my friend Melissa, a Cairo fifth grade teacher, wrote about one day a couple weeks ago in her classroom.  Remember this is at a public school…

“Ebenezer. December 5, 2007. Bennett prayer.  Stacy prayed for specific things, for specific breakthrough to happen, that God would release things in the school and classroom.  Melissa and Stacy prayed that God’s power would be evident in the classroom. 

The morning at school was surprisingly decent, mood-wise and attitude-wise.   In the afternoon, when Sara came in, the atmosphere began to change.  Students began to get a little more rowdy, began to argue with each other, had a hard time working with each other in teams.  Basically, things weren’t going too well. Melissa takes kids to Gym. 

Meanwhile in the classroom, Sara prays for the atmosphere to change, for God to move and switch things around, where there was loudness for there to be quiet, where there was chaos there to be order.  For peace.  For the Spirit to come. [Enter Holy Spirit…ha ha ha…Spirit was already there ;o)] . 

Dominique and Keenan were beginning to get at each other downstairs on their way back from Gym, they were told they couldn’t come back the next day.  Melissa determined from their attitude that silent reading wasn’t going to happen, so on the way back to the classroom she changed the lesson plan.  Melissa grabbed the Chanukah reading that Ms. Case had given her a copy of earlier that morning.  The class read through the reading.  Keenan asked if the Jewish believed in God.  Melissa explained that they do believe in God but unlike Christians don’t believe in Jesus. Then Dominique raised his hand and asked, “How can they believe in God if they don’t believe in Jesus?”  Then Melissa explained that the Jews were waiting for someone to save them, but did not believe Jesus was that person.  Then Dominique raised his hand again and stated, “I don’t get it.” Melissa asked them, “Okay, who was Jesus, what did He do?”D: He died on a cross.M: Why did He die?D +(several other kids in the class): For our sins.(Carmissa: for our sins….I go to church)M: The Jews believe that he was just another person dying, not dying for our sins for purpose of everlasting life. Do you understand?  D: Not really.M: Think about it.K: Why did they whip Jesus, like in that movie Passion of the Christ, cause it was all gross and stuff? Melissa explained that back at that time they used to hang people and whip them because they had committed a crime.  They used to do it publicly, mockingly, to set an example to others to not do the same thing.   D: (raising hand again) I still don’t understand how they believed in God and not in Jesus. Sara explains how the Jews were waiting for a King.  And how the Old Testament gave them clues to what a King would be like.  But they expected a King with riches and power, Jesus came humble and poor, so they didn’t recognize Him as a King. Sha’da begins to explain a movie she saw about Jesus.Shantasia explains about another movie she saw about Jesus.  She said it was really sad when Jesus died.Davina shares how Jesus died with nails in hand.  The class discussed how they were real nails in His hands.  Discussion bounced between kids and different things they remembered about movies about Jesus or church experience.  Dazhane shares about Tribe of Judah (This is a children’s program we’ve had.) and a time when they did a lesson about blood on the doorpost and how it was icky and she didn’t want to touch it.  Melissa tells the students that the bell is about to ring, and they needed to do their jobs, but that she would love to continue this conversation as they did their jobs.  

 Dominique says to Melissa that this could be their community circle time (This is a time when all the kids and Melissa sit in a circle and their each asked how they are feeling during a day or are asked a question).   M: Yes! This is an awesome community circle time! Children clean. And conversation about God continued. Sara tells Dominique he asks good questions.  He asks again why the Jews didn’t believe.  Sara tries to explain again about prophecy in the Old Testament and the pride of the priests, helping him see that Jesus was a threat to the power of the Jewish priests.    Keenan’s job was to clean off the board, then he wrote “I love Jesus” on the board.  Then Shantasia went up to the board, erase “I”, Keenan got mad.  And she replaced it with “We all” And Keenan was satisfied.   (During this entire time there was order and peace, the class was not out of control or loud at all) Other students went to the board and began to writes praised to God, including “Jesus is da man”. 

Class ends.  Students leave. Sara and Melissa do a happy dance, praise God, and pray. 

Amen Lord.   Amen.”

Right after this some of her children came to our bible study ready to talk about what they were just talking about in school.  School had prepared them for a bible study!  This was on the first Wednesday that we started again to have a regular time to pray at this school.  The next Wednesday they had another conversation about God in the classroom.  Today, Melissa is allowing Sara to share the gospel with the whole class since there have been so many questions.  She is sharing the “historical perspective” of course! 😉  God paves a way for His Word to go forth…

We give Him all the praise for all that has been taking place!  Please pray with us for the children of Cairo.

…no victory is insignificant.

A couple weeks ago I had a day I have been meaning to share with you.  It was a difficult day, in a very intense way, mixed with God’s faithfulness.   I saw clearly how God gave me, my team, victory.  They were small victories, but THEY WERE NOT INSIGNIFICANT.  

Throughout the day there was a real thread of revelation, of connection, with the Father woven together.  Thank you Lord.  Even in the pain, and annoyance before the victory you were with me, with us.

It was intense in how I saw distinctly  how the enemy prowls, lies, brings fear, discouragement, and truly does everything  to try to stop the Lord’s plans in our lives and in Cairo.  It is not fair!  He does frustruate me.  This day I saw how at times the enemy has stolen in my life (especially in the area of relationships) , in friends in the community and in my family in Cairo.  

I saw a friend who is taking new steps in her relationship with the Lord being obviously attacked.  As she talked about all the troubles that she has gone through the last couple weeks all that came to my mind that it was because of this new commitment she has made to read the Word.  We were going to start our bible study that very day.  I heard”Resist Him and He will flee”.  This is a promise from the Lord.  It says in James 4:7, ” Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  This is the truth and not the lies that Satan feeds us.  Satan will flee and God will have the ultimate victory.  “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57  It is because of that we know He will give us the power to stand firm.  We are to stand firm.

As I stood firm in this day, it was then that I saw the small victories. 

They were so significant in my eyes.  They are significant to YOU.

I saw this friend soften as time went on, to move from her stance of anger, to one of peace.  We were able to talk.  She shared that she had read the first three chapters of John, the book we are reading together.  The afternoon ended in laughter.  The next week we did indeed begin our bible study.  VICTORY.

We were also beginning a new bible study with older children that afternoon(The fact that all this attack surrounds a time where we are entering into more study of the Word in the community is no consequence.).  There was some discouragement beforehand.  We prayed.  We ended up having three children who really engaged in Psalm 27.  They discussed.  Together we yelled in the dark of our gym with only one candle as our light, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life, whom shall I be afraid?”  You have given us authority to speak to the darkness!  You are the light we are to focus on.  VICTORY.

I see how you gave me wisdom.  YOU lit my spirit to pray, to resist the enemy, to pray with power, and to have faith.  You really are growing us to be watchmen(Isaiah 62).  I am privelaged to be a part.  You are saying over and over to really be on our knees, to really cover everything in prayer as we are stepping into more of these “more targeted” areas of bible study and dicipleship.  I thank you for the encouragement, for the training only you can provide admidst these circumstances, and for the warning of not to forget that it is within you is the power and strength I need to persevere.  And I will persevere.  VICTORY.

You want to move.

You stir us to move.

You want to move HERE.

Your LIGHT is here to cast out all the darkness.

VICTORY is imminent.