The World Race - Melina Orengo

Africa...12 years later : )

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I was attending my youth group meeting, one night when I was 17 years old, and God spoke to me. He told me I would be going to Africa one day. After that night, I never though too much about it, because I wasn't used to hearing from God. Or realizing that when I did hear from Him, that it was actually God speaking. I stopped attending youth group and once I hit college, my life was full of very bad choices. So it's so neat to me that 12 years later....I'm going to Africa! God is so good, He is faithful, and He keeps His promises. I'm excited not just to see what He has for me there, but to see what He has for our whole squad. I fully believe our squad is going to experience some amazing things that have yet to take place on this race. It's going to be an amazing 3 months!

Train Ride Video

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this video of the 24-hour train ride from Danang to Saigon, Vietnam

20/20 Vision

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On the first day of m-nistry in V-etnam, we went to visit a woman who opens her home to street children. While the street kids were playing outside, this woman would knee down with her two sons and pr-y. Her sons are 7 and 11 years old. The family would always pr-y with their front door open, so the street kids started noticing what they were doing. Eventually the kids from outside wanted to come in the house, so she opened up her home to them. Now they come for a few hours a day and she gives them snacks, they pr-y together, she teaches them w-rship songs, and she teaches them about the B-ble. She never asks them to come, they just show up everyday. She is such a sweet woman and her passion for Chr-st is like a raging fire.

There was another woman there the day we visited. She was very quiet so we just assumed she was one of the teachers. After getting to know her, it turns out this woman is an undrground p-stor. She travels to the most remote villages in the north of V-etnam and teaches them about J-sus. These villages are where most of the perscution against Chr-stians take place. She says she goes to these places, completely lead by the H-ly Spir-t. She will ask the H-ly Spir-t who she should pr-y for and He leads her to people who need heal-ng. The people she pr-ys for get he-led immediately and they spread the word about her to the other villagers. Next thing she knows, many people come to her for pr-yer and she is able to lead them to Chri-t by sharing the g-spel with them. She is a mighty, brave warrior for the L-rd.

After she told me this story, Justine said to me, "You should have her pray for your eyes." I have been saying out loud tha G-d will heal my eyes in Africa, but Justine was telling me why wait, have Him heal them now. I have worn glasses since the 9^th grade and without them, I can barely see anything. Why live with this, if G-d the Heal-r and He created our bodies to work in perfect order? I asked her to pr-y fr my eyes, and when she did I could feel the H-ly Spir-t moving. In that moment G-d told me to throw my glasses away....so I did! The next five days I couldn't see a thing, and I remember G-d telling me that He would lead me blindly, all I needd to do was take hold of His hand and trust Him.

After those 5 days, I started to get a little frustrated....I don't understand, I believe He can heal me with all of my heart....I have the faith, so why I am I still not he-led? My fellow teammates told me it was important to sow the he-ling of my eyes, and it was funny how G-d gave me ample opportunities to pr-y for the healing of other people's eyes. The first person I pr-yed for was a blind man who was poor and was trying to raise his children. The second person I pr-yed for was my friend, Hun's aunt, who was diagnosed with throat cancer. She had a stroke and it damaged her eyes, but not permanently in J-sus name : ), and the third person I pr-yed for was a woman who has such bad cataracts she was completely blind, and there were white scales over her eyes. I believe he-ling is manifesting in these people, just as it is manifesting in me, but I still had that question lingering in my head....Father, is there something I still haven't done? Are you waiting for me? Am I not trusting enough or having enough faith?

Yesterday, we met up with the woman who opens her home to street children, and she asked me about my eyes. I told her I had sowed he-ling into other people, and I am still believing G-d will heal me in His timing. She looked at me and said everytime she pr-ys for the healing of others, they get he-led. She showed me the verse in the B-ble where it says that you are saved when you believe it in your heart AND confess it with your mouth. She told me to give thanks to G-d for he-ling, outloud, everyday. This was an answer to my question, because I haven't been doing that. I have been asking, asking, asking, and not thanking G-d for the victory and he-ling He has already given me. Justine showed me in the B-ble, how Jonah thanked G-d outloud for the delivernace He had given him, even though Jonah was still in the belly of the fish, and in the next chapter the fish spews Jonah out. G-d is faithful and He always delivers, but I need to thank Him for what is unseen, because after all that's was faith really is.

Lessons Learned on a 24-hr. Train Ride

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our team rode a train from Danang to Saigon. Our seats were basically a wooden park bench, without any cushion, that should have only fit 2 people on each side. The train was completely over-booked and some people who purchased tickets had no place to sit. The workers eventually brought out little plastic chairs and crammed 6-8 people in a space of 4. The bathrooms were hideous, the sinks outside of the bathroom were full of puke, and there were roaches crawling around our feet. Not the most comfortable situation for a 24 hour ride, but G-d used it to teach me many things.

One, as Paul said there will be times of abundance and times of want, but it is important to be content in every situation. How do you find contentment in a time like this? The answer is to pr-y, pr-y, pr-y and dwell on the positive rather than the negative. Kelsi helped us with this, by recording us saying why a 24 hour train ride was worth it (video to come). Although I have been in a spiritual desert lately, I was able to read a lot of the Word and G-d spoke to me like crazy. My B-ble looks like a college student's notes after a lecture. There are so many words written in the margin and things underlined. I read 1st, 2nd and 3^rd John and learned that G-d only really asks us to do one thing. Yes we need to love Him, and by loving Him, we obey Him. So what has He asked of us? To love others the way He loves us. As long as we are doing that one thing, we are in right standing with G-d, and there is no need to strive or have self-condemnation. This was a very big revelation for me.

Two, Josh was missing for quite some time. When he finally came back to our seats, he told us that someone he was talking to, had decided to commit their life to Chr-st. How awesome is that, Josh lead his first person to Chr-st in a closed country, where it is illegal to evangelize. This totally made the trip 100% worth it : )

Three, we got to see the reason why G-d is close to the poor, and the kingdom of heaven is theirs. There were people sleeping under tables and in the aisles of the train. They never once, got angry, complained, or treated each other unfairly. Instead, they shared their floor space, and allowed people to put their legs or feet on them, just so they would be more comfortable. Even though these people were strangers. There wasn't much food to go around, but they still shared whatever they had with us and with others. They even gave Justine and I some money so we could buy a plate of food to share, because we didn't have enough. Talk about the love of Chri-t radiating from these people, and who knows how many of them, if any, were believers. It makes me think of how poorly, as a believer, I have treated those in need around me, when I was back in the states. I pray that when I go home I go out of my way to take care of those around me, strangers or not. They are all G-d's creation, and He said whatever we do for these least of these, we have done for Him.

As much as I went stir-crazy on that train ride, I wouldn't change it, because it is in those moments when I learn so much from God and really see Him move. For that, I am thankful : )

How far will you go to bless others?

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In Cambodia, it was pr-phesied over me that I would be going through the desert and at the end of the desert, I would reach a kingdom. So far, the "desert" has been an amazing place. This was not at all what I was anticipating. To be honest, I was expecting the worst. I was full of fear, even though I shouldn't have been. Why, because G-d always protects His children. He is mighty to save and He promised that no harm would befall the righteous. So what exactly was I afraid of?

V-etnam has been quite an amazing place. I love the way the people here embrace you like you were their long lost relative. They truly treat us as brothers and sisters in Chr-st. Their generosity is beyond anything I have ever experienced in the states.

My new sister Hun, she is V-etnamese but currently lives in Australia, has quit her job to come and take care of her aun,t who is battling throat cancer. We had two days off between m-nistries, and she was so touched by the m-ssion we are doing, that she invited us to go to the beach, all-expenses paid. We traveled 8 hours by bus to a famous beach town called Nha Trang.

While I was in Florida, before the race, I had gone to a V-etnamese restaurant with my sister. While we were eating, there was a huge, beautiful painting next to our table. It really caught my attention. The painting was of mountains surrounding a turquoise blue ocean, V-etnamese people were in canoes floating on the water. On the bus trip to Nha Trang, I woke up at 6 a.m. and looked out the window. I saw the exact painting I had seen in Florida right before my eyes.

While at the beach, we got to ride a banana boat, took a boat to a remote island, took a glass bottom ride to see the coral reef in the ocean, swam in the middle of the bluest ocean, and went down a water slide in the middle of the sea. We were completely pampered and blessed by the Most High God.

Why would a complete stranger go through all the trouble of blessing us so much? She is the daughter of a p-stor. Her father pre-ched in the city but was forced by the g-vernment to move to the countryside to p-stor a church. During that time, he did not receive a salary, but had to support his family solely by the food that was given to him by the villagers. Sometimes there was no food. They lived in this village for 7 years, and his daughter begged and pleaded to leave and find a better life. However, her father decided to be obedient to the L-rd and he said he would stay as long as G-d needed him to. They suffered a lot, and the g-vernment would tell them, deny your G-d and we will pay you lots of money, give you a good job, and food. They refused and persevered. After many years, G-d opened the door for the family to go to A-stralia and p-stor a church there.

Now they have a life full of provision, and Hun says the reason why G-d allowed them to go through that suffering, was so they could experience the suffering of the mountain people first-hand. So they could always have them on their heart and remember their need. Anytime she encounters people who are doing all they can to share the g-spel, she will do whatever she can to bless them, and at any cost. This angel is racking up tremendous blessings in he-ven. I hope to be as generous as she is and bless my brothers and sisters in Chr-st the way she does. I pray that G-d would continue to bl-ss her ten-fold and make her invisible to her enemies in J-sus name.

Daily Life in a Cambodian Village

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this video that Kelsi made....it's a great representation of our life last month : )

Great News

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

My friend Two from Thailand, just emailed me to let me know he is moving to Bangkok in April. He got a new job working for the office of a bakery, so he will no longer be working in the bars. God is so good! This makes me want to shout for joy! : )

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that I will be going into a closed country tomorrow, and they do check all of our emails. I won't be able to disclose any information about where I am or what I am doing. So I may not be blogging this month unless absolutely necessary. If you send me an email please do not mention the country that I am in or ask about my assignment. If you need to write something about it, please leave out a letter or two so the email search will not be able to pick up on it.

Thank you for understanding and for all of your prayers and support. Love you all...God bless you!

Kampuchia

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I apologize for not writing a blog in over a month. Our team was in a remote village in the middle of Cambodia. We were 3 hours away from the closest city and the only place where internet was available. To get to this village we took a van, a bus, a ferry, and then a truck. The church we stayed in looked like a huge treehouse. There were spiders as big as my fists, rats, huge beetles, and geckos, so I was having a very difficult time adjusting my first week. After lots of prayer, God adjusted my heart and began to embrace the Cambodiam village lifestyle. These people are absolutely amazing!! I have never met such a generous, loving, kind, gentle group of people. I learned so much from them. They pour out love on you...they are a physical, tangible, living example of Christ's love for us, and how we are to love one another. I praise God for stringing my hearts to theirs and allowing me to love them the way He has. He is using this people group in MIGHTY ways, and they are bringing the Heavenly Kingdom to the earth.

While we were there, we prayed for an elderly woman who had really bad shakes in her hands and arms, most likely from Parkinsons Disease. She asked if we would pray for her. She came to the church EVERY morning for 16 days! Each day she revealed more of how the Lord was healing her. First, she could not walk to the church without stopping to rest and she walked with a large stick. She also has been taking sleeping medication for the past 4 years. The shakes and nerve damage in her arms and hands were so bad, she couldn't even lift her pillow. She also said that she would see and evil spirit in her house, and she was afraid of it. During the course of these 16 days, she no longer used her walking stick, she no longer stopped to take breaks during walking, the evil spirit had left her house, she stopped taking her sleeping medication and has slept completely fine, the pain in her knees went away, and her hands straightened out. She said she was finally able to do housework. It was such an incredible thing to see...the POWER of prayer and the POWER of God's hand. I feel so blessed to be a part of it, and it has taken my faith to a whole new level. I praise God for this month in Cambodia, I feel like I have grown so much!

Our next stop is to V--tnam. It is a closed country, so I won't be able to discuss any details about our assignment. God has been speaking to me loud and clear that I will be facing a VERY LARGE trial during this time, but I know that I know that I know, God is taking me through it and I will make it out victorious. He has shown me the end result, and it is beyond my wildest dreams. Please, Please, Please pray for me without ceasing this month. I need warriors behind me. I pray right now in the Name of Jesus, My Savior, My Rock, and My Redeemer, that I will have supernatural confidence, boldness, strength, and protection. That His holy, warring angels would be encamped around me on every side and that I am sealed in the blood He spilled on the cross for my life. I praise you God....and I will be obedient.

All I Can Do Is Trust

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The night after New Year's Eve, I went to hang out with TWO and he wasn't there. So Jordan and I decided to go to the Dragonfly Bar. I bumped into Da and two other girls that I have said hi to many times. We purchased their time and took them to McDonalds. Then we went and lit lanterns across the street in the square. We all said a silent prayer before we let the lantern go. After wards we walked in the market. The girls stopped to look at some earrings and Jordan and I said pick out a pair we will buy them for you. They said no we are going to buy them for you. Jordan started to cry...we were both so touched...we didn't need to know how grateful they were that we took them out that night, that gesture said it all. Tonight I passed Ning, on of the "girls" ( he's really a ladyboy), as I was walking with TWO to go get some dinner, he grabbed my hand and said "Stay, Stay"....my heart just broke. I wanted to be there with him so bad, but I just purchased TWO's time. I told him I would be back, and after dinner I went back but did not see him there : ( I saw Da and invited them back to the coffee shop, so I'm praying they will show up before we leave for Cambodia.

On another note: Last night I passed by Two on the way to the night market. It's Sunday so none of the girls wanted to go to the bars. It was supposed to be our rest day. I knew that last night was the night I had to give TWO the words God had given me for him. So I pulled him aside and said I was praying to my God for you, and He gave me some words, I wrote them in a letter. It's in Thai so hopefully you understand it. He seemed really nonchalant about it, so I walked away feeling very peaceful. Then tonight I purchased his time, and he seemed really hesistent to even leave with me. I purchased his friend's time too, to make him feel a little more comfortable. We went to dinner and played UNO, he seemed to have a good time, but I felt a major disconnect. He seemed to be keeping me at arms length. Justine said that means the letter got to him. Which I know is a good thing, its just hard to stomach him pushing me away. I asked him for his email so I could send him the pictures of us, and he said I will give it you tomorrow. We will both give each other what we need to give each other tomorrow. He started to open up about working at the bar as we walked back, and then next thing I know we were there. I asked him if he wanted to keep walking so we could talk and he said no he just wanted to stay at the bar. I felt a little hurt, but I know God is in control. Maybe God is allowing this to happen so it will be easier to say goodbye. All I can do is surrender this situation to my Heavenly Father. I trust You Lord.

Update: The next night (1/5/10) I went and said my goodbyes. It was very difficult, but I prayed and asked God to help me surrender everything that happened this month. He made it a lot easier than I thought, but it was still so hard to say goodbye to Two. He completely crumbled. Lord, I did what you asked me too Father. I loved him, showed him his worth, and shared you with him. All I can do now is trust....trust that he is in your hands, and that you won't stop until His heart is Yours. I love you Jesus and I praise you for using me to bring light to such a dark place. We are now in Cambodia...we made it safely praise God. We are resting for two days and then the day after tomorrow, we will be traveling to a village where we will spending the next month. Thank you for continually keeping us in your prayers : ) God bless you!

Reconciliation

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you my Heavenly Husband, for forgiving me even though I have wronged you and offended you so badly. I put your Son on that cross, I brought him to shame, and despite that you loved me, forgave me, and saved me. Thank you for sending me Jesus, the One who provides perfect peace and joy. I am so grateful for your love : ) Thank you that you always take us back, despite how "bad" we've been. I am nothing apart from You God. I can't do this on my own- I need you. I need everything about you.

Speaking life over TWO:

Thank you Father for loving him the way you love the Israelites. Thank you that you will always take him back and welcome him with open arms. Thank you that he will return to you Lord. Thank you that he will seek you, and he will come trembling to you and to your blessings in these last days in Jesus Name...Amen!

Psal 103: 8-12

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is his love for those who fear him, as fars as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Isaiah 38:16-19

Lord, by such things men live and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love, you kept me from the pit of destruction, you have put all my sins behind your back. For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise, those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness. The living, the living-they praise you, as I am doing today, fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.

Acts 3:19

Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Hosea 2

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you Jesus for how rapid you move. Thank you that NOTHING is impossible for you. We have only gone into the Dragonfly Bar maybe 5 times or less. Today "Da", the bartender, walked into our coffee shop. I have been inviting her every time we stepped foot in her bar. We played UNO and bought her and her friend, another girl from the bar, smoothies, cheesecake, and coffee. You gave me the privilege Father of sharing You with her. I don't even remember what I said, so I know it was from You Jesus : ) LOL! All I know is I told her how much you loved her, and how much You have placed a love in my heart for her. I gave her a passage about forgiveness written in Thai, that I had find in a book. I originally wrote if for Two, but God wanted me to give it to her. I also gave her a colorful, coconut shell bracelet I was wearing, one that I had bought in Nicaragua. We said our goodbyes. Then afterwards... I cried. Mostly because I was broken for her and so in awe of My Father (his heart, love, boldness, and the way he moves.) Jesus, you don't mess around, and I know you will not relent until she and her friend are fully Yours. I praise you for this day My King. You are so worthy to be praised. Thank you that you are always in constant pursuit of your children until our hearts are fully yours. As I walked to the bars that night, it felt a little awkward to see her again. Just because I wasn't sure how she felt about everything. As I waved to her, I noticed she was wearing the bracelet I gave her : ) In that moment, I knew the seed had been planted.

A prophesy from Hosea 2 over these girls:

In this day You will make a covenant for them. They will be betrothed to you forever. They will be betrothed to righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. Jesus will betroth them in faithfulness...and they will acknowledge the Lord. He will show his love to the ones called "Not my loved one." He will say to them once called " Not my people.", "You are my people" and they will say " You are my God. " In the name of Jesus...Amen : )

TWO Peas in a Pod

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with my 25 days of blogging. Traveling for the holidays has made blogging a little difficult. It's so cool how God has totally shifted things in Chiang Mai. Since we have been back, the two teams (180 and Jubilee) have been more united, and long hours at the coffee shop have now been so pleasurable. I love how quickly God moves! Tonight was my first night back in the bars. Mu was not there today, she has been sick. Two (my favorite person), also a ladyboy, sat down with us to talk. I invited him to McDonalds to go eat with us, and he said he couldn't leave the bar. I asked him what it would take to get him out of the bar for one night, so he could hang out with us. He paused and seemed ashamed to answer me. So I asked him if I would have to pay money and he said yes. We paid 400 baht to get him out of the bar for the whole night. He was so excited! He changed out of his "work clothes" and put on an outfit exactly like mine : ) He's so cute!! He said look we wear same. We walked to McDonalds around the corner, and enjoyed some food, while we asked him questions about his life. After some great conversation, he painted our nails, and set up a date with us for the next night. So tomorrow we are going with TWo and Mu to an authentic Thai restaurant that also plays live music. I'm so excited! It is so amazing how God has just sewed our hearts together, we are totally BFF's! I can't wait to spend more time with him, and be able to share with him how much God loves him. Thank you for praying for us....here is a pic from the night...enjoy!!

Happy Birthday, Jesus Style

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This month the Lord has been given me some awesome words, and I have been creating crafted prayers from His words. This week is Bill Bush, Matthew Rock, Josh Woodmansee and Jordan Snellenberger's birthday. So here is a crafted prayer dedicated to them:

Dear Heavenly Father,

May You be gracious to them, bless them, and make Your face to shine upon them. Endow them with Your justice and Your royal righteousness. Thank You that they will flourish and prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. Thank You for rescuing them from oppression and violence. Thank You that they dwell in Your house. Thank You that their strength is in You. Thank You for looking with favor on these anointed ones. I pray that You would be their shield and bestow Your honor on them...In the precious name of Jesus...Amen.

Happy Birthday from Asia!!

The Lost Boys

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This prayer is for the men that I see at the bars every night...The Lost Boys:

Sons of the Lord, pay attention to His wisdom, and listen well to the words of insight. Maintain discretion and have your lips preserve knowledge. I speak this to your spirit and to your manhood in Jesus Name. Keep a path far from the adulteress. Don't give your best strength to others. Don't let strangers feast on your wealth. Don't let your toil enrich another man's house. Love discipline and correction from your Heavenly Father. Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountains be blessed and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. May you always be captivated by her love. For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths. Don't allow the cords of sin to hold fast to you, but BE FREE in Jesus Name.

Inspired by Proverbs 5 : )

Jesus Rocks....Literally

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pics from the Thai rock concert (if you read the last blog they will make more sense).

The Power of God's Prescence

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry I wasn't able to post anything last night. We had a pretty dark night at the bars, and we (the girls from both teams) had a lot of praying and discussing to do. We didn't go to bed until 2 am and then worked a 12 hour day today. Today was awesome, because the coffee shop put on a concert. There were 4 different bands that played, they were Thai bands, but they played American music. It was so cool to see a foreign band...they were absolutely amazing!! I am just completely falling in love with the Thai people. They are so hip and so cool! : )

Now about last night...

All of the girls from both teams got to go out to the bars last night. I went back to the same 2 bars that I have been visiting for a few days now. At the first bar, Paradise Island, it was one of the women's birthday. So we bought her a piece of brownie cheesecake from the coffee shop. She was so excited and it was so cool to make her feel special. So far so good right? Well Jordan and I decided to move on to the next bar for a little while. So we walked down to Dragonly, and the usual girls were there. I noticed this white male all over one of the females there, in a very inappropriate way. It made me super uncomfortable, especially because Jordan was with me, and I knew that she was feeling the burden of it. The Thai girl walked away for a while and the white male began talking to us. It was crazy to see how he couldn't handle the weight of Jordan and I just sitting there. We had a very cordial conversation with him for the most part, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why our prescence was affecting him so much. He kept telling us to not feel sorry for the girls in one breath and then in the next he was telling us not to judge them. Jordan and I were silent most of the time. He just kept trying to justify why the he was there in the first place, even though he is married, and to a Thai woman at that. I don't judge this man, God has given me the eyes to see that this man is also His child. In reality, he is just a lost little boy who needs His Heavely Father. I kept praying and asking God for discernment, about what to do next. He just told me to be silent, and as I was silent, God was convicting and ministering to that man's soul. If only people could truly understand just how mighty the prescence of the Lord is. It has nothing to do with us, we are just the tools, He is the One who is accomplishing all of the work. It's so cool to be a apart of it! What a blessed life I have : )

Thank you to all of you who have supported me spiritually and financially!! Please know that you too are a part of this amazing adventure and when I am warring in those bars for these men and women, you are right there alongside me. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and spread the word about this mission. I have a HUGE prayer request, I need $7,000 more doallars in my account by next month or I will have to leave the race early and go home. I really, really don't want to leave the mission field.There is too much work to be done, and my spirit is roaring to get it done. I am confident my Lord and Savior will provide, but it helps to have prayer warriors behind me. I love you all! May God continue to bless you, keep you, and shine His face upon you.

Divine Appointments

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tonight I went back to the same bars I went to last night. I stepped into the first bar with Katie from Team Jubilee. Last night the girls and I bought roses for the women who were "working". So tonight they were very excited to see us back. It was a little difficult to talk to them because they were busy talking to "customers". It's hard not to get angry about the situation, but within a few minutes God softened my heart. He showed me that everyone in the bar....ladyboys, women, and men are all His children, they are just lost right now and need some guidance on how to get back home to Him. It instantly changed the surroundings for me, and I felt like I was looking at the environment with God's eyes. The second bar we went to, Paradise Island, is the one where I have the most fun, because we get to play Connect 4 with the girls who are working. One of the girls is so good at it, she wins just about every time we play : ) I like her a lot! Tonight she just opened up to us about her life. Her husband used to beat her. He broke a bottle over her head before and she had to get stitches. She left him and takes care of her 4 children and her elderly parents all by herself. She used to do massages, but had to get surgery on her hands and is no longer capable of working in that industry. Friday is her birthday, so Katie and I are going to surprise her with a cake tomorrow. After the first few minutes of walking in that bar, before Connect 4, an American man noticed me hugging the ladyboy. He sat down next to me and asked me what Katie and I were doing there. He started interrogating me with 20 questions, so of course, I covered up the mission with saying we were just there for tourism. He then proceeded to tell us that he works with a ministry called Destiny Rescue. They are a Christian organization that goes undercover. They pretend like they are customers, and they try to find the girls who are working that are underage. They give them a way out of prostitution by giving them a dorm to live in and teaching them a trade. This way they can still work and send money home to their families, but from a safe environment. They also get to teach them about the Lord. Check out their ministry and please cover these men in prayer. We were just talking about how there was no place for these girls to go, in case they told us they didn't want to work in the industry anymore, and God sent these men to us. God is so good!! I love you Lord : )

Photos

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Baby Elephant

Cafe Inside

Cafe Inside 2

Super awesome cafe I get to work at this month!

Why Chiang Mai?

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today was our first day of work at the coffee shop. We started out the day by cleaning the place to get it ready for business. After orientation with our super cool contact, Emmi, the girls and I went across the street to the University. We passed out flyers to the students and sat down to eat lunch with them. After some much needed down time, we ate dinner at the market and passed out some more flyers. During our walk through the market...SURPRISE!...a baby elephant came walking by. Kelsie, Haley, and I got to feed it. Jesus, you are so cool!!! Thank you for blessing us the way you do : ) After working from 10am-8:00pm at the coffee shop, we went to the Red Light District to pray and ask God for guidance. Our translator had already been building a relationship with some of the women, so he stopped to talk to a few of them. The first group were actually ladyboys, and my heart just melted for them. I'm so eager to learn more about them. The last bar that we stopped in, was the same bar that tugged on my heart last night as we walked by. Within 2 seconds, I met a beautiful woman who was my same age. We instantly had a connection, and when I told her I was staying in Chiang Mai for 3 weeks, she said "We can be friends." Ugh...my heart just leaped with joy. I feel so honored and blessed to be a part of this. Jesus...You have the biggest, best, most beautiful heart. Thank you for sharing your heart with me, so I can love these people the way you do.

25 Days of Blogging

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2 days and 4 airplanes later, I finally made it to Bangkok, Thailand. "Thailand," you ask...."I thought you were still in Nicaragua? " Please let me sincerely apologize for not blogging more last month. It is a little difficult when I don't have a computer of my own, and the only available computer at the hotel runs as slow as molasses. To make up for it, the girls on Team 180 and I have decided to blog everyday for 25 days. Some blogs will be very intense, others just a few short sentences to share about the ministry, day, or something God has shown me. I hope you stay tuned : )

To tell you a little bit about the ministry this month....

We left Bangkok yesterday and made our way about 9 hours north to Chiang Mai. We are staying and working with Lighthouse Ministries, alongside the girls from Team Jubilee- so excited to work with them! I just learned today that we will be working in the coffeehouse during the mornings and afternoons. During that time, we will be taking about an hour of quiet time to spend with the Lord. We will also be having lunch in the University cafe across the street, so we can get to know and witness to some college students and invite them to the coffeehouse. In the evenings, Monday thru Thursday, we will be going to the bars in the Red Light District. We will be there from 8:30-11:30pm to build relationships with some of the prostitutes and to share the hope and love of Jesus. In case you didn't know...Thailand has a huge sex trade industry. The income brought in by prostitution is more than the national budget. There is also a huge AIDS epidemic due to this type of work. Most of these girls are very young and this is the only type of life they know. Our job is to build relationships with these girls and show them what a life of freedom in Christ looks like. Please keep both teams in your prayers this month. We need a lot of prayer warriors backing us up. Please don't be worried (especially you dad-you're so cute), this is a divine appointment from God. He has already prepared the way. His angels go before us, and encamp themselves around us. We are covered in the blood of the Lamb. I love you all, and can't wait to share with you all of the awesome things God is going to do this month!

Finding Pearls in Jinotepe

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I think one of my favorite things about this trip is falling in love...I never thought so many people in Central America would steal my heart. Last month it was the beautiful babies from Casa Jackson (the malnourished baby hospital). This month it is the teenagers from the Quinta Esperanza.

Let me introduce you to Perla (Pearl)-she's the one in yellow. She is 19 years old and blows my mind with her love and boldness for the Lord. She has had an unimaginable past, no one should have to go through what she has been through. Yet she has so much happiness and abundance of life shining through her. One night at church, we were praying and prophesying over the people. God told me to tell her she really was a pearl. That He loved her so much, was so pleased with her, and would never stop pursuing her. He told me He had BIG plans for her life and was going to use her in great ways. I love her so much and was so excited God gave me this word to share with her. Please pray for her, that she would continue to be anointed, blessed, and walk in the fullness of the Lord.

These teens have experienced horrific things in their past, all forms of abuse possible, and yet they overflow with joy. If I never believed in God, I would, just by the examples of the lives of these kids. They love God and serve Him wholeheartedly. They are so vibrant! They praise Jesus with songs, dances, and dramas. They hug with so much adoration and pour so much into us, even though they grew up never knowing what love looks like or feels like. When they preach, you would think they went to seminary school or have had years of experience. One smile and you will fall completely in love! I have learned so much from them, and like my little Guatemalan babies, I will miss them so much when I leave Nicaragua.

I am so thankful for the experiences I have had in this country...from prayer walks around Jinotepe and meeting Peter (a former alcoholic who runs a shoe repair shop, and now lives his life for Jesus.), to helping the poorest of the poor children with crossword puzzles at Vacation Bible School, to preaching to a group of women about the story of Ruth, and praying for people in the barrios. God has touched my heart this month in so many tangible ways. I feel so blessed and so honored to be here. Thank You Father!

If you would like to learn more about this ministry click here

Glenn and Lynne Schweltzer are two extraordinary people who run the hotel, the quinta, and church (Iglesia Nuevo Amanecer). They are about $25,000 in debt so please pray that the doors would be opened for them. They have a new vision for a youth center, one where missionaries can live, kids can play sports, and the youth can learn trades. I believe their ministry will take Jinotepe by storm. They truly are making disciples of the nations.

Thorn in the Flesh

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So in my last blog, I mentioned that the enemy has attacked me physically several times. I won't mention how, since most of them are gross! LOL! Anyway I asked the Lord why, even after several days of prayer and after more than 5 people praying for me, I was still dealing with these issues. This is what the Lord shared with me:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

In this passage, Paul was having surpassingly great revelations from the Lord. God allowed a thorn in his flesh to torment him. 3 times Paul asked God to remove the thorn and He refused. God did it to keep Paul from being conceited. He told Paul " My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore, Paul says to boast gladly in your weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties because Christ's power rests on you.

Offer your weakness sacrificially to God, allow Him to keep you on your knees, asking Him for strength.

Besides the discomfort, I was frustrated by these attacks, because I wasn't able to go an help out in the team's ministry...and here is what God had to say about that:

This does not disqualify you from God's work, this is when you are the strongest, because GOD'S STRENGTH is over you : )

Thank you Jesus for loving me as much as you do! Continue Your refining work in me Lord, whatever that may look like. Transform me into an iron warrior for your army.

Lessons in Antigua

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I only have 3 days left in Antigua. For me it is bittersweet to leave. I am ready for a new adventure in Nicaragua, but Antigua has been my home for the last month, and it has really grown on me. I absolutely fell in love with the conatcts we worked for here. Carol and Forrest Kendall have been an absolute blessing! They build water filters, compost latrines, and stoves for Mayan Villages. Then they use those products to introduce the Gospel to the Mayan people. They took such good care of us, and they literally felt like our parents away from home. Even though we are all in our 20's, it was much needed our first month away. LOL! Please bless them any way you can, either by prayer or by financial support. Check out their webiste: http://servants4him.org/

We also worked for http://sharinghisplan.com/ and http://www.casajackson.org/ Both of these ministries need financial support and Casa Jackson is always in need of formula and diapers.

Here are some photos I took while working with these ministries:

So what has the Lord taught me in Antigua?

He has taught me that I am a huge target for the enemy, and I am proud to hold that title. I am proud that the enemy is worried about the kind of work I am doing for the Kingdom of heaven, and that I scare him. He has attacked me physically in many ways since I have been here, but I stand firm on God's promises for my life. Thank you Jesus for my healing!! Please pray for my health...I need as many prayer warriors on my side as possible.

I have also learned to be content right where God has me. Yes, it would be great to see people come to Christ and be healed right before my eyes, and I know that this time is coming. But when I have months that God simply wants me to pray for people and show them hope, then I am okay with that too. God is always working and it is through His Holy Spirit that people get helaed and come to Christ. I am simply His instrument.

One of the hardest lessons to learn, is how important it is to get over myself. Hahahaha! It's not about me anymore. It's about the souls that need to come to Christ, it's about those helpless babies in the hospital, it's about loving and prefering my brothers and sisters over myself. Thank You Jesus for teaching me these valuable lessons.

The biggest lesson I learned, is that I can't do this without God. I have to spend as much time with Him as possible, and for me there is no greater joy! : )

Glimpse of Guatemala

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this awesome video Jessica Johnson made. She's super talented!

Love Letter to My Lord

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I was going to write a blog about the day at the dental clinic, but today I had the best quiet time with God. I wrote Him a letter and wanted to share it with you instead.

I was watching Finding Nemo yesterday and today I realize thats how You pursue Your children God, with persistence, never giving up, so full of love, so full of mercy, pursuing us with all of Your heart. Who are we Lord, that after all we have done, You love us so much and forgive us It pierced my heart, forgive me for not abandoning everything for You sooner. Forgive me that it took me so long to realize You are the only One worth living for. Help me Lord to be ready and step out in faith when You open the door. I only want to do Your will, I only want to do what makes You happy. I just want to push myself aside and I know it needs to be done daily Father. Help me to put You first in all I do, and to keep You first. Nothing else matters. Help me to only see Your face and only think of You when You call me to heal others, to deliver others, and to tell them about You. That I would complete these tasks filled with Your prescence and my eyes would be completely fixed on You. Youre my heart and the very depths of my soul. If only others would accept this awesome gift You have given and share in this love You have for us. I praise You my King, You are so worthy to be praised! I can see You Father, I can see You hanging on that cross, looking me in the eyes. I can see the love You have for me. Thank You with all that I am, for taking that cup from me, and for allowing me to love You, because You first loved me. You are so beautiful, magnificent, awesome, and omnipotent Jesus. I love you!!!

Ditches and Poopie Diapers.

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I don't think I have ever been so exhausted in my life...but it's so awesome to see all the wonderful things God has been using my hands and feet for. Yesterday we literally dug a ditch. I have a lot of respect for people who do construction day in and day out...it is really, really hard work. Although I can't feel my arms anymore, it was a great day full of laughs and an over abundance of joy from the Lord...thank you Jesus. Afterwards, we went to visit some friends of the contact we worked for. I met this woman named Anajulia. She was so sweet. She had such an amazing story to tell. She already has 3 kids and she took in 3 more that were living on the street. Then she found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She never went to her chemo instead she prayed and asked God to heal her, because if she died, what would happen to those children she just took into her home. Praise God, she was fully healed. I couldn't help but cry and hug her, she touched my heart so much.
Today I got to go work with malnourished babies. They were adorable!!! We fed them every 2 hours, put them to sleep, gave them baths...the works! 9 hours of babies and only a break long enough to scarf down some ramen noodles, can make for a very draining day. But I can't get those beautiful babies out of my head. Thank you Jesus for all of these amazing opportunities.

Me and Daisy bear : )

AnaJulia and her 3 new kids : )

Crashing into God

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been in Antigua for 4 days now. Most people would think that the coolest thing we have done so far was hike the Pacaya Volcano. For me its the way God has been moving in us and in this place, in such a sort time. So this morning all of L squad was worshipping together. I was deeply in worship and God showed me a bald scalp and hair was growing back on its head. Then He showed me the inside of a body like the circulatory system and swirls of things I can't identify, were all over this system. I thought it was strange so I asked God what it was, and He told me He was showing me healing taking place. A few short hours later, Justine and I went to this little place that sells pupusas-tortillas with all kinds of delicousness inside-for lunch. We are having the best conversation about how God has been moving in our lives. All of a sudden, we hear a loud crash. Justine and I get up and go running outside. We see a car and a motorcycle on the ground. Apparently an accident has taken place. There's a man sitting on the sidewalk holding a white handkerchief to his head. Hes gushing blood all over the place. I tell Justine lets go pray for him. She says she okay you go pray and I'll go back and get our stuff. I walk up to the man -for those who know me, I m very squeamish-I asked the man in Spanish, excuse me is it okay if I pray for you? He says yes please. I lay hands on him an start praying. Someone calls the ambulance. I call for Justine to come over and help me pray. She starts praying in tongues, both of us laying hands on this man. Not a minute later, the ambulance showed up. Justine and I walk away. I'm trembling from the overwhelming sensation of God over me and this situation. As Justine and I sit back down to eat our lunch, she tells me how God really watched over this man and how the man would know it. As soon as he got injured, we were there praying over him, and the ambulance showed up. Oh how You love us Father. The way You are moving in this place, just blows me away.

Me and Justine on the volcano.

Faithfulness of God

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I am faithful that I will be fully funded for this mission trip and I am faithful that I will sell my car before I Ieave, and here's why:

Psalm 146:

(5) Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

(6) The Lord, who remains faithful forever.

Here is what He called me to do, He will provide, and He will protect me:

Psalm 105:

(1) Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name, make known among the nations what He has done.

(13) They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.

(14) He allowed no one to oppress them.

(15) "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."

Thank you for being such a good Dad!

Shine Like a Star

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I was singing "Shine" by Salvador yesterday, over and over again, because I feel like it really expesses the desire of my heart: "Lord let me shine, shine like the moon, a reflection of you, in all that I do, Lord let me be, the light for your truth, Light of the world, I want to be used, to shine for you."

As I was worshipping, God told me, "I have a word for you." I opened my Bible to Phillipians 2: 14

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you will shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."

Today I opened my Bible to Psalm 67:

(1-2) May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

(5-7) May the peoples praise you O God, may all the peoples praise You. Then, the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.

Thank you Jesus for giving me the desires of my heart. Thank you for this word that You have spoken over me, L-sqaud, and the nations : )

History Repeats Itself

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today was an interesting day. I was coming back from getting my shots done for The World Race, and I didn't exactly know where I was going. I don't have a permanent address at the moment, so I wasn't sure where I was headed next. God told me to turn off of a certain exit. I listened and of course, there was a homeless man sitting at the end of the exit. ( Exactly how my Prophetic Words in Valdosta, GA story began). I didn't have any money to give him, so I was just going to pass him by and keep driving. God said, "Go to the ATM and get some money out." Hahahaha...He's so funny sometimes. I don't know why but I found that hysterical. Like, you are not getting out of this one Melina. LOL! So I did, I parked, and walked closer to where I could meet him. I also had a book in my car called, "A Book of Prayer", which I loved, and God told me to give him that too. So I made the guy cross the street and walk over to me, probably not the smartest idea, since he was missing a leg. I could have easily gone to him, but didn't think about it at the time. Anyway, I gave him $20 and told him, God told me to give him the book. I could tell he was immediately convicted. I told him, that God sees him, loves him, and has the power to heal him. I asked him if I could pray for anythig for him. And he just kept looking at the book, and he said, "Yes, pray for my life, that I start living it the right way, and get back on track." Praise God! : ) His name is Eddie, so please keep him in your prayers. Once I walked away and prayed for him, I really felt God telling me that he would change his life around. And that he would start a street ministry, preaching to other lost souls, on the same streets that he once roamed. God is so good!

Isaiah 6:11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Once this was over and I praised God because it was such a great experience, I felt Him tell me my work wasn't over yet. I pulled into Borders bookstore, because I wanted to read some more of "Battlefiled of the Mind" and get some coffee. Right as I ordered my coffee and bagel, and went to sit down with my book, I looked over by the magazines. I see another homeless man. God instantly tells me he's hungry, get him something to eat. I didn't want to, because I wasn't 100% sure he was homeless and I didn't want to offend him. But I felt God asking me again, and this time almost in desperation, please give him something to eat. God loves us so much!! Even though I felt embarrassed and a little awkward, I walked over to the man. I was just going to pass by him and approach him little by little. But all of a sudden, as soon as I walked by him, he grabbed me by my hands and held them. I asked him are you hungry? He said yes. So I said Jesus told me that you were and he wants me to get you something to eat. He said Jesus knows everything. The poor man could barely walk, he was falling all over the place.Then as we were waiting in line, to get him food, he tried to say hi to a little baby in a carriage. The baby's mother flipped out, which made it even more awkward. I got him his food, then I sat down to eat mine. He walked right over to my table and sat down with me. Hahahaha! I was like is this really happening? I ate with him and talked with him about Jesus and how He loves him, and cared enough for him to make sure that he didn't go hungry. It was really difficult to speak to this man, because he was dealing with some spirits that were not of God. I just kept praying and tried my best to stay calm and continue speaking. After I said what I needed to, I left him there to finish eating. I'm not going to lie, I was a little freaked out, because I knew that I was dealing with something beyond this man. It was one of the first times I dealt with it face -to- face. Thank you Jesus for never letting go of my hand, and walking me through it. The man said I know I will see you again, when I left. So hopefully he meant he would see me in heaven. Anyway I just surrender this man to God and I know that through all of the fear and distractions the enemy tried to use, God was able to minister to this man.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.