kere deshe

So we are at Kere Deshe right now, right on the Sea of Galilee.  This morning I and some others from Souled Out Chicago got baptized in it by Josh Polanco and Mr. Ed.  I was baptized when I was 13, but then I fell away from the Lord and haven't been baptized since I came back.  It was really beautiful and magical, especially when the sky opened up and the dove descended on me and a loud voice from heaven proclaimed......oh wait.  That didn't happen. 

Anyway, the camp for the Isreli believing youth has been going on for a few days now.  Last night we had some major breakthrough (finally....the first few days were a little rocky).  Our team is becoming more unified.  A few nights ago one I was talking with one of the girls in my room about surrender.  She said she knew there were things she was supposed to surrender to God, but she just didn't feel like it so she would do it later.  I felt like God was starting to open her heart to it though.  We all fell asleep and then a little later she woke up screaming and said that she saw a demon in the room and it was coming up to grab her.  She was pretty hysterical.  We told her that without surrendering her old life to God, there were still open doors in her life for the devil to attack her.  Needless to say, she prayed and surrendered to the Lord.   God is putting such a love in my heart for these girls!  When I first got here I was somewhat indifferent to them, but I am starting to see them through God's eyes so they are becoming more and more precious to me. 

Today we are leaving Kere Deshe and traveling to Jerusalem.  Our ministry tool here is dancing and art projects.  Sometimes it doesn't feel like ministry, but the beauty of it is that God can use anything that is surrendered to him.  The last two days we have preformed at special needs centers- they love to dance with us.  It's sweet.

I'll update with pictures when I have a chance.  If I told you I would send you a postcard but haven't yet, it's because I haven't been able to buy postage yet.  Hopefully I will have the opportunity soon. 

Be blessed friends.  May God seal your hearts with his love.  Be strong!

shalom.

I am in Israel, writing from the Basler's apartment in Bet Zayit.  The trip has been going well so far.  We just finished up the One Thing conference, which was really good.  I had trouble getting into it at first, but by the end the spirit really fell on me.  You can watch the conference on God TV- i recommend watching Heidi Baker.  She is so...eccentric.  But I really like her.  She is a beautiful woman. 

One of the most awesome things that happened is this girl named Eliana (she used to go to Souled Out, but moved to Israel) was dancing on the first night and she sprained her ankle really badly.  It was incredibly swollen, and she had to get it wrapped.  We saw her the next morning walking around on crutches.  Anyway, we had a healing session later that day, they prayed for her ankle, and she got healed!  I have never actually seen a healing before, but the swelling went down completely, she could immediately walk on it.  It was incredible.  Later that night, I saw her dancing in worship- both ankles the same size and no pain.  Isn't that awesome?

Anyway, I will try to post pictures soon.  I can look out the window right now and see the mountain that John the Baptist roamed on when he was in the wilderness.  We saw the wailing wall, the old city.  It is so surreal to experience these things. 

I hope you all are doing well back in the states. Keep me updated on your lives while I'm gone. 

Love!

I leave for Israel in three days! I cannot believe it is almost here.  Everybody keeps asking me the same question- "Are you scared?"

Heck no I'm not scared!  I'm so pumped. Jesus literally walked in this place thousands of years ago.  Literally.  That blows my mind.  And I know God is protecting me, so no worries.  I'll be cool.

On anther note, I have an awesome story.  So recently I determined to start trusting and relying on God just to get in the habit of it- even in areas where I could depend on myself.  The Israel trip is costing about $3000, much of which I have saved up from working, but some is from fundrasing.  For about the last six months, I have been wanting a digital camera, but I have put off buying one because I didn't want to spend the money on it.  Then once I found out I was going to Israel I really didn't want to spend the money on it.  But I also didn't want to lug my big SLR camera around, you know?  So I told God, "God, it would be really awesome if you would provide a digital camera for me to use, or excess money for me to buy one or something.  But if not, I'm just happy to be going to Israel and thank you."  Anyway, to make a long story short, not only has god provided the  money for my trip, but yesterday my professor told me to stop by his office because he had something to give me before I left.  I was thinking he wanted to make a donation to my trip.  But guess what-- He gave me a digital camera!  He didn't even know that I had been wanting one!  I hadn't said anything to him about it.  God just put it on his heart to give to me. 

Isn't that awesome?  I didn't need this camera, I just wanted it.  God provided it just to bless me.  Isn't he wonderful?  Then today I was telling this story to someone and mentioned that I had almost all the money I needed to go, I only needed about $200 more.  Then when I got home tonight there was a letter from a donor with a check for..guess how much?  $200!  That's right.  Perfect.  Thanks God. 

Anyway, hopefully I can update when I am in Israel.  I should be back towards the end of July.  Please keep us in your prayers, as there are possible upcoming war conflicts.  Also, our team really needs to be unified, and I don't feel like we are there yet.

It's late. I work tomorrow. 

Love to all of you!

I am so hungry for God.  And I feel like this hunger is almost looked down upon by some in the church, but I couldn't care in the least. 

Haha.  Nothing matters besides him.  I don't care! Nothing else matters! Go ahead, anybody, say I'm foolish for spending my life on this.  I don't care!  "The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God."  My Jesus, the sweetness of my life....ah! He is my life, I don't have a breath without him. 

I'm not saying that I don't care about what's going on in the world right now- I do!  But I am saying that it really does just pale in comparison to him.  I feel like my love for the Lord has made me unpopular to some- people at random dislike me, some even hate me for no reason.  And I just don't care!  Haha!  I almost feel crazy because this doesn't make sense with human understanding, but if anything my joy in Jesus is spurred on by these rejections.  It just makes me realize how much he is worth fighting for. Call me crazy, call me stupid, call me uncool, whatever you want.  Misunderstand me.  Ha! It doesn't matter.  Nothing can touch me when my God holds me near.  He makes me more joyous every second I spend with him.  Every moment in his presence is a moment more precious than any reputation or praise or treasure this world could offer.  This world is fading and pershing, but I am entering into eternal life.  That is something to shout about!  That is something to be joyous about, to dance in the streets about! 

Come on guys, get stirred up.  Let's bring this joy, the powerful kingdom of God on earth!  Let's be bold and confident in our God.  He is mighty!  Let's not be held back anymore by little foxes in the gardens.  Let's be completely his, let's give our entire hearts to him in devotion.  Let's be the church he is waiting for, to help make his dreams come true. (sorry if that sounds cheesy, but I mean it).  Actually, I don't care if it sounds cheesy.  Let's get past what's cool and not cool to something higher.  Let's enter in together.  If you call him your god, his kingdom is supposed to come on earth through you!  Christ in you is the hope of glory.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry, to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell-- no scheme of man,

can ever pluck me from His hand,

till he returns or calls me home.

Here in the power of Christ I stand"

-In Christ Alone, Hymn.

Goodnight friends.  I love you. God loves you.  You are so precious to him.

*sarah abigail*

p.s.- I am going to Israel this summmer!

Try and read this as though you are reading it for the first time:

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ- yes, to know the power of his reurrection and participation in his sufferiengs, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow attaining to the ressurection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thign I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." -Paul

Amen.  Isn't that beautiful? Forget what is behind- forget your failures and messups, your accomplishments and qualifications- forget what is behind and strain forward to what is ahead, which is our hope and reward in Christ.  Put your hand on the plow and don't look back.  I needed to hear that today.