Prayer and Thanksgiving Update #2 !!

I have so much to be thankful for!

Natalie just went back home last week from a 10 day visit to Costa Rica. We had amazing quality time together, having girl talk, reflecting on the DTS classes, and getting out on the weekends for some fun adventures around the country. I thank God for the precious sister-bonding that we had!

I also am so thankful for the 12 DTS students that I have been getting to know better, become true friends with, and see God working in their lives in truly amazing ways. I am leading a small group of 6 students as well as meeting with 5 girls for one-on-one time every week to mentor and pray for them. Each week I see God reveal his truth in their lives and come to personally touch many of them in a new, deeper way. We have had amazing speakers in this school and we have already covered the subjects of, hearing God’s voice, the nature and character of God, worship, the Kingdom of God, and inner healing. The past week of inner healing was especially key in the lives of both students and staff as we let God go into those deep places in our hearts and allow him to be our great healer who softens our hearts, trades our lies for his truth, breaks our chains, and fills our every emptiness. After last week, I see that everyone has a greater hunger for God’s truth and a greater thirst for intimacy with him. God has perfectly positioned our hearts for next week’s subject: Intimacy with God (and spiritual warfare).

I want to praise God because I haven’t had any stomach pain in 2 whole weeks which is a huge change from being in pain every day for about 3 weeks straight! This was a huge thing for me to trust him with because I really didn’t know what was causing the pain, but in that time he was asking me to give my burdens over to him and as I did he gave me a peace in my heart that he is in control and he would heal me. Only days later he totally took away all of my pain and it has not returned since. This really makes me think: how often to we carry burdens that we don’t need to carry because we are not trusting God? I know I was challenged with this and I think that we all need to be reminded time and time again that we have a good shepherd taking care of us; he is our perfect father whose gave his beloved son Jesus to become our sin, shame, and every our burden and to overcome all those things by dieing on the cross and raising 3 days later. I know you all know that, but are you really living it? Do you trust God each day with your worries, struggles, and pain? I am learning to this more each day. Do not give up believing in prayer because even when you think God is not listening or responding he is working in ways beyond you imagination because he loves you so much and knows what is the very best for you!

Please Pray!

1. Pray this week of classes on Intimacy with God and Spiritual Warfare that God will give each person a greater hunger to seek a deeper intimacy with him and that he will whisper his love to each persons heart and also use the speaker to be his voice. Pray that as I am translating, I would be empowered by the Holy Spirit make the message clear. Pray for decrement, understanding, and special protection as we enter into the subject of spiritual warfare.
2. Pray for the following week that we week be taking to do a mini-local-outreach. Pray for guidance as we still haven’t determined the exact location, but that we will be able to God and show God’s love just where it is needed in just the way that it needs to be shown. Pray for several of our students and staff who still need funds to do this week of outreach.
3. Pray that God would speak to the other DTS staff and I about our main outreach location for the last 2 months of the school. We are pretty sure that the outreach will be here in Costa Rica so we can continue with the momentum of all that God is already doing here, but we are asking God to confirm this or to speak to us very clearly if he wants us to go somewhere else. Even if we say in Costa Rica we need to determine what locations in the country are we to go to and what kind of ministry will we be doing (keeping in mind that this is a Compassion focus DTS).

Thank you and may you be showered in God’s grace and peace!