And When He Comes

"...And when He comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. the lame will leap like a deet, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!" Is.35:5-6

One of the greatest joys of visiting in the village S is the welcome and daily greeting from a woman who is deaf! She is always one of the first to come and welcome us! She cannot hear or speak, but there is never any doubt about what she is saying or trying to communicate. "Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" Every morning she comes to greet and say "May G.d give you peace today!" During our time with the college team, my heart was tenderized toward her and Father began placing an urgency in my sp1r1t to find a way to tell her about J.s.s. Join me in praying for Father to unplug her ears and to open her mouth so she can sing for joy just as she spread joy each morning! 

Give thanks to Father for His continued work in the woman who once was p0ssessed by dem0ns, had excruciating headaches, and had lost her sight. She continues to believe, to f0ll0w, and to declare her love for J.s.s. She continues to live in freedom from the dem0ns. Her headaches have gone away. She says she is beginning to see a little light in her eyes. Please ask Father to bring complete healing to her body! He has already opened her sp1r1tual eyes, now ask Him to open her physical eyes. 

To Him be the gl0ry!

Free Time from the Fields

My heart jumped when I saw him. A large group of young f0ll0wers had gathered to w0rsh1p, give test1m0ny, and hear st0ries from Father's w0rd. There, leaning on a pole, was a young boy, M,  who always seems to be in the background. He seems to find a way to listen, to hear, to learn songs and st0ries about our Father.  The next day, as we sat in the shade during the heat of the day, M came to sit with us. The team began sharing a st0ry with him. At the end of the st0ry, he told us thank you and then said, I have to go back to the field. His parents had given him a break from planting in the field, and he came to be with those who could tell him more. This young boy is drawn to the st0ries from Father's word. He remembers them well and can always repeat them back to us, even months later. Please pr@y for M. Pr@y for Father to pave the way for him to find who he is seeking and for protection when he chooses to f0ll0w.

The Greatness of His Presence

"...and having chosen them them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory." Rom. 8:30

Have you ever just thought about the greatness of His Presence? The greatness of the gift of Himself our Father has given us? This weekend as I reflected on this quote a sense of awe came over me. As if it wasn't great enough to be chosen by our Father, He then called us by name to come to His side. As if it wasn't great enough to be chosen and called, He then gave us right standing with himself. As if it wasn't great enough to be chosen, called, and made right before our Father, HE GAVE US HIS GLORY, HIS PRESENCE, HIS VERY SELF!

As I prepared to speak to a group of f0ll0wers this weekend, I realized that our greatest pursuit is G.d's glory, His Presence. The crazy thing is that He gives it freely to us! He has chosen us, called us, made us right before Himself, so that we can have the greatest of His gifts...HIMSELF! I couldn't help but  be in awe by the ways He has allowed us to see His glory as we walk with Him and He accomplishes His plans and purposes through our lives.What a privilege to walk side by side with Him through the battles, the victories, the challenges, the joys, the sorrows, the everythings of this life! Take time to thank Him for His greatest gift!

The Joys and Challenges of the Journey

The journey to SC had great moments and not so great moments. The day before I left Texas I began running a fever. It was gone the next morning when I woke up and I felt normal. I proceeded with my plans to go to Louisiana. I had a great visit with the missions committee of Zoar Baptist Church. They have been supporters of HSI from the very beginning, and it was great to be able to meet with them to share how Father has been working. I enjoyed meeting each one and answering the questions they had about what Father is doing and the ways in which we work among the peoples of Mali. Please pray for them as they pray and seek to know if Father is calling them to send some teams to join us.
I continued my journey to SC the next day and my fever began to rise again. I found a good stopping place in Montgomery, AL and spent the afternoon and night resting in the hotel. I woke up with no fever and continued my journey onward. I made it to my parents lake house and decided to go on to the emergency room with a fair certainty that I had malaria. The test came back positive, so i have been taking the treatments and resting to regain my strength.Father has been so faithful to guide me and provide exactly the right people and places for me to be treated in the best possible way for malaria.
It has been a reminder that our journey with our Father is filled with joys and challenges. The best part is that He is with us in BOTH--the joys and the challenges!

Following Father...On the Road Again

Greetings friends and partners in the harvest!
There are still more details about our last trip, yet Father has not stopped working. That means the information to share with you continues to pile up all to the GLORY of our Father!! I need to let you know of these things, but more details from M@li will continue to be posted here.

Since our return from M@li, Father has continued to call out to us, "Follow Me!" He continues to move and lead us step by step into ALL that He has planned and promised! When I left M@li, I knew He had empowered me with faith and determination to believe Him for WHATEVER He says to do. He has been placing people, churches, and opportunities in my path that display His Oneness of heart and purpose among us. He is teaching me to use that Oneness of Heart and Purpose to guide my steps and to show me how to follow Him. I want to share with you some of the steps He has place before us and ask you to pr@y for each one.

Steps we are taking with Him:
Meeting with the HS1 Board Tuesday at 5:30pm (Texas time)
0akbrook C C plans and prepares to send a team in January 2010 to find their place in Father's plan 
Downsvi11e B C begins partnership with HS1 and is seeking to know which people group Father is preparing for them to serve among; praying about Father's timing to send first team
Visi0n of F@ith Church-- a current partnering church and also seeking to know how they can be involved in the completion of R@dio K@ntigiy@ and the specifics and development of the work Father is doing through HS1 in Mali
KeyL1fe Flwship embraces what Father is doing in M@li and partners with Him and HS1 in the development of His mission through HS1.
Z0ar B C--a current partnering ch.rch with HS1; meeting together with the missi0n committee to share what Father has been doing, future work and development of HS1 in M@li, and discussing the opportunities for their further involvement
H1ghP01nt Flwship--a current partnering church among the P@n@ people; meeting together to talk about the latest developments and what the future looks like in the work among the P@n@
F B C W@taug@--a current partnering ch.rch, making plans to meet together to share what Father has been doing and the future of His mission through HS1
C@ther1ne McGr@dy--planning, preparing/training, and raising funds to go and serve in Mali through HS1 to begin establishing an ongoing presence among the peoples Father is calling us to serve and to develop the mission of HS1 there
Establishing a mission base in Mali--preparing, planning and raising funds to purchase a vehicle and provide a house/mission base through which to fulfill Father's work
Continue developing the ministry of HS1 in the United States and establishing how that will be carried out both here and in M@li
Daily seeking and searching, watching and waiting for His revelation of Oneness of heart and purpose among those who cross our path

I will be on the road again for the next couple of weeks from Texas to SC and back.  I will be meeting with churches and individuals all along the way. C@ther1ne McGr@dy and I will also be meeting together to plan and prepare for her journey of service in M@li.

Please pr@y for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to follow!
Please pr@y for wisdom and discernment about the development of Father's work.
Please pr@y for Father's provision for ALL that He has planned--especially for the support needed for C@ther1ne McGr@dy and the set up of our work in M@li.
Please pr@y for the  HS1 Board as we seek to be obedient and faithful to ALL that Father is revealing, asking, and leading us to do.
Please p@y for those churches and individuals Father is calling to follow Him into the next steps of His work with us in M@li.
Please pray as Father leads you...we want what HE wants...even if we don't know about it yet!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your part in His plan!
His s@lty serv@nt...
l0ri

Doors Wide Open

Throughout our time in the village of S, we continually saw Father opening the doors for His work among the P@n@ people. He is calling out more and more to seek Him, follow in His ways, and begin their journey on the Highway of Holiness. He spoke clearly to several team members about His desire for them to join Him as servants among the P@n@. He revealed His thoughts and plans as we sought to prepare for the future of growing His followers. One way He revealed His plans came when the chief visited us one evening. He came to tell us he had talked with the elders of the village and they had agreed to give a piece of land to the ch.rch of S. He invited us to go out with him the next afternoon to look and agree on a piece of land. We went out and chose a safe and permanent place for followers to wOrsh1p, fellowship, share stories from Father's word, and meet the needs of the P@n@ people. That afternoon the temporary cornerstones for the property that will belong to the ch.rch of S were set by the two young men who boldly chose to be the first to follow the way of J.s.s. What a joy to pr@y together and sing songs of pr@ise to our Father for the work He is doing!! The doors are wide open for Father's work among the P@n@. The ch.rch is being developed and His Word is impacting the people. The best part is the Chief Cornerstone has already been set--J.s.s Chr1st!

Give me the News

"Give me the news" is one of the questions you frequently hear in Mali as you go to visit and greet people in the village. They want to know what you have come to give them or tell them. Many times you can just say "I've come to greet you" and they are satisfied. One afternoon,the new follower, old Jen, came to visit us. She sat with us and joked with us as she always does. She loves to laugh and play together. Then she said, "Give me the news." We joked some more, then again she said, "Give me the news." After doing this several times, Yaya said, I can tell her a story. So he began telling her the story of the Lost Son. Old Jen listened intently and became very involved in the story. She expressed her disbelief that the son asked his father for his inheritance before the father died. This is a terrible thing in her culture and should never be done. The story went on and she continued to understand the news. Normally we ask questions at the end of the story to make sure the listener understood the truths from the story. Well, Old Jen took over. She began asking each team member one by one, "Give me the news." One by one we each shared with her the things we liked and understood from the story. This not only pleased her, but allowed her to add her own thoughts about the story. Father used this time with Old Jen to grow her in f@ith and understanding as well as teach us new ways to give out HIS news to those we meet along the way.