Ballintoy

We just got back from staying overnight in Ballintoy. Just the drive there was amazing. Everything is so green and there are fields and fields of sheep. Then, the most amazing cliffs you have ever seen, all dropping off into the ocean as far as the eye can see. It is just hills and cliffs and green and sheep and OCEAN! and it is breathtaking. We walked out to a point where a church was on a pier and watched the sunset and I took tons of pictures that I will post more soon. We drove into Ballycastle and had fish and chips for dinner and came back to our quaint little hostel and slept in wooden bunkbeds with a group of Italians..yes, strangers. But I slept better than I have in heavenly beds at the Westin, as I snuggled in my sleeping bag and looked out the little sky light and was awakened by the baa of the field of sheep nearby.

This morning I had breakfast on the go...instant coffee left by strangers at the hostel and an apple pancake I ate with my hands as I waited on the gang by the car. We then went to this amazing rope bridge and crossed over and took pictures along the cliffs. There were big sailboats out in the ocean and I wanted to be on one...but then I decided to be grateful for the fact that I was standing in Northern Ireland, looking over the ocean, viewing Scotland from a distance and could feel the cool grass between my toes and counted my blessings. We went to a little oceanside cafe for lunch and I had vegetable soup with Wheaten (bread) and then the best desert, Irish Cream Lumpty Dumpty...to die for.

We are now back at Georgina's having tea and planning our camping trip on the beach tonight. She just got back from the bakery with fresh bread for our sandwiches for our trip tonight.

I will post pictures ASAP. It may be late tomorrow night before I get back to my house in Ballymoney. I am not sure what I am doing on Sunday, but will be leaving early Monday for Belfast, then flying to Amsterdam. I don't know details yet, but a friend from Holy Given has offered to let me stay in a community home with her friends in Amsterdam. On Wednesday morning they go out to the Red Light District and pray for and minister to the women there. The thoughts of doing that intimidate me a whole lot, but how amazing would that be? I would really like to have the opportunity to do that. So I may go to Zutphen on Monday and stay until Wednesday morning and then take the train into Amsterdam, lug bags across the street from Central Station to this "community" house and go out with the group to minister and then meet up with a friend of Monique's to see Amsterdam some on Thursday, or perhaps just strike off by myself. Then my flight leaves Friday morning, still praying for first class favor.

More soon...I really got some amazing photos.

Change of Plans

It's raining in Donegal so we are going to Co Antrim near Ballycastle (I think) to stay at the Sheep Island View Hostel...will have photos and stories for sure!

Camping in Donegal

We are leaving shortly to drive to Donegal, Ireland along the coast to find a place on the beach for camping.  Here are a few pictures of Doengal and Errigal Mountain.  I will be gone until Saturday.  Hope to have more photos and stories to tell.

Giant's Causeway II

Cool huh?

Giant's Causeway

Today we went to Giant's Causeway- these pictures do not do it justice and these don't actually show the way the rocks are formed into hexagons, so google it and see them for yourself! They are quite impressive. The last photo is of the traditional Irish breakfast this morning, without the sausage and bacon...So many carbs! We also went to Old Bushmill's Inn for a pint of Guinness and to a little harbor town, Portstewart for Banoffee Ice Cream, banana and toffee. Then we came home and had a nap. The gang is gathering here at the Holbeche's tonight and we are having traditional fish and chips. Tamara leaves early in the morning for Zutphen. Still uncertain what our camping excursion will look like. I have simply been enjoying sleeping in, cool rainy days instead of hot humid ones, and tea in the afternoon.

The Giant's Causeway (or Irish: Clochán na bhFómharach)[2] is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about two miles (3 km) north of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.
The Giant's Causeway is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

Coastal Causeway

I cheated and got this picture and some historical info off the internet, but we just took a drive along the Coastal Causeway. I will try to add more pictures of exactly where we were, but it was amazing coastal views, farmland with sheep, and "mountains". But it was very overcast and raining. Which happens a lot here.

Castlerock lies west of Portrush along the North Coast and is a small coastal town with a relaxed atmosphere, a fine golden sandy beach and an excellent championship golf course. An ideal spot for those seeking a relaxing break in an area where boating, fishing, walking, golf and tennis are the most popular activities.
Only eight miles from Coleraine and the bustling resort towns of Portrush and Portstewart beyond, Castlerock enjoys the best of both worlds as a quiet retreat within easy reach of the amenities and entertainments of it's larger neighbours. Portrush and Coleraine can both be reached by train from Castlerock along one of the most scenic stretches of railway line in Northern Ireland. Nearby, the beautiful beach and attractions at Downhill are watched over by the famous Mussenden Temple - one of the most photographed and painted landscapes in Ireland.

The area is also renowned for the dramatically sited Downhill Castle which, together with Bishop’s Gate and Mussenden Temple, is maintained by the National Trust. Built in 1772 by the globe-trotting Earl of Bristol - also at one time Bishop of Derry - it once housed a collection of treasures he amassed on his travels, including rare manuscripts and books, sculptures, paintings and antiquities. A disastrous fire in 1851 destroyed much of the collection and the castle was never restored to its former glory. It remains an interesting ruin.
The original entrance to the Castle, a fine classical lion gate known as Bishop’s Gate, now leads to Portvantage Glen, a pleasant, tranquil park with a nature trail, fish pond, car park and picnic area. Downhill Forest, across the main road, boasts a collection of rare trees and two sparkling waterfalls, as well as a mound known as Dungannon Hill, the remains of a prehistoric settlement.
An outstanding and endlessly photographed landmark of Downhill is Mussenden Temple. Perched on the cliff-top, it is a classical folly built by the Earl Bishop in 1783 after a trip to Italy where the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli had inspired him. Around the border of the urn-crowned dome is the inscription: ‘Tis pleasant safely to behold from the shore the rolling ship and hear the tempest roar’.

My hosts

Jason and Kellie Holbeche are hosting me while I am here in Northern Ireland. Kellie and her younger sister Grace were in Mozambique with me. Jason and Kellie plan to go to Cambodia to work with children being sold into the sex slave trade. They're amazing.

Wedding Photos

The Marriage of Kevin Maxwell and Loren Stoehr

The Wedding was held in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland at a little place called The Barn in a little upstairs loft of...a barn. The weather was typical for Northern Ireland, a light drizzle, but beautiful blue skies and green green grass. Two of Loren's attendants were also with me in Mozambique, Kandice and Georgina. Kandice is from Seattle and Georgina, Northern Ireland. The reception was held at a hotel in Coleraine. Kevin and Loren plan to move to Virginia, Loren's home state and establish a home there for now.

more to come

My camera battery died during the reception last night so the battery is charging now. We are meeting our friends in Coleraine today for lunch and I hope to get my first plate of Ireland's version of fish and chips. I will post pics of the wedding when we get back. It was very beautiful and Loren was a stunning bride. We danced until midnight and it was so much fun to be back together with my Holy Given friends. I am not sure when we take off for our camping excursion, but I think we are going south to Dramore, where Kevin is from. I am anxious to sightsee and see more of the coast. I am also anxious to go for a run and hope to get outside later this afternoon. The weather is nice. They complain about the constant rain, but they have no idea what it is like to live in such humidity so I am loving it!

Birthday Celebration Photos

Birthday Celebration

Bike Riding in Zutphen
Birthday Breakfast- they put chocolate sprinkles on their toast.
Puppets in the second hand store

Oh yea, I had a wonderful birthday on Friday with Tamara, her sister Mirjam and their friend Paulina. Tamara made me a traditional Dutch breakfast with eggs, toast, a spice cake and more. We went for a bike ride around the city and to the second hand store!! I am all about the second hand stores, so much fun. I got some cool coffee mugs that say something in Dutch on them. For dinner, we had fries with mayo!! and Tamara made a peanut sauce that supposedly they put on everything that was really good.

Ballymoney/Coleraine and a wee Banana Boatin'

Tamara and I arrived in Northern Ireland around 10:30 on August 2nd. We took a cab to the train station and instantly caught the train to Coleraine. Kevin and Loren picked us up and we immediatly went to Georgina's for the Bridal Shower. After the shower we took Loren, "banana boatin'" as they call it. The water is so cold you have to wear full wet suits. So we rented 5, all climbed into a ski boat and off we went in the River Bann. The River is narrow, but deep and surrounded by beautiful farmland and barns and old farm houses and sheep. It is not much different than tubing or stuff you do on Lake Hartwell, but we went with a couple of guys who were having fun with a boat full of girls and were encouraging us to stand up using the person in the middle to hold on to and other feats of danger that they made seem like it was no big deal. We did this for hours and it was cold and it rained on us, but it was so much fun and we got to see a beautiful rainbow. Last night we all went to Portrush for dinner and dancing and the Bachelorette Party. Portrush is a beautiful little town on the water and I would love to be able to see it in the day time. We are staying with friends, Kellie and Jason. This morning we are all meeting up at Starbucks and just helping out with wedding festivities. Everything is terribly expensive so it limits what we can honestly afford to do. Even this cup of coffee that awaits me at Starbucks is going to cost about $6.00. So I imagine we will do a lot of walking and picnicing from now on. We are rushed to get out the door, but I hope to post pictures and update more soon. And will have wedding pics after the big day.
Love,
Me

Birthday Presents

One year ago, my friend Tamara, from Holland, and I ventured out from our little Village of Joy in Pemba, Mozambique to a little beach several miles away called Murrebue. I remember exactly how to get there. You take a left when you get to the aiport and go through the road block where the Mozambicans with guns on their backs stop you and make you nervous, but let you go. Soon after the road block, you take a left and go down a dirt road that is very bumpy for several kilometers and then take a hard left at the fork in the road. Soon you start to see herd of cattle on the right and will see those beautiful turquoise waters and you're there. There is a little restaurant there with one thing on the menu, chicken. Chicken with fries and a little salad that consists of one piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and an onion slice, with a dash of olive oil. But now that I think about it, I doubt that was olive oil. All of this is served with a sweaty coke in a bottle and it is cheap and good. The beach is the most amazing in the world. There are white sand beaches in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, but they are missing little restaurants like the little chicken shack and the herd of cattle. We walked along the beach and collected shells. These beaches are untouched and are full of the most amazing shells. They are big and flawless and beautiful. I walked along thinking that they would stop, or that there could only be one or two so amazing, but the more I walked, the more amazing they got. And there was no one in front of me, or anyone behind me, they were all mine for the taking. I recently read an excerpt from Tori Spelling's book that was online on Oxygen TV. I refuse to actually buy the book, because I refuse to admit that I care one thing about her or anything associated with pop culture or certainly reality TV!! But I am a total junkie. Anyway, she writes about how she always thought there were the most amazing shells on Malibu beach and would tell others about these huge shells she had found. She recalls walking along the beach with her mother who always walked behind her carrying her purse and pointing out shells for Tori to pick up. Years later Tori discovered that these were very expensive shells that her mother had bought and planted there along the beach for Tori to find. Now, not that I am comparing Candy Spelling with God, but I can see our God, standing on a beach, planting sea shell blessings for us to find. He walks along beside us, we run ahead like a little child and He calls out our name and points out new amazing things for us to discover. And the discovery will always be amazing and more incredible than the last, because He is a good God and a loving Father and His gifts to His children are good.
So, Tamara and I walked out into this ocean and no matter how far out you went, you could always see your toes. The Village of Joy, depsite being one of the most amazing places on earth, was a little limited on running water, so I had not had a "clean bath" as Granny McCarley calls it, in a long time. So dipping into this ocean water felt amazing to my skin. I almost instinctively swam down to the bottom and brough up fist fulls of white sand and began to scrub my arms, neck and face. I then got out of the water and exfoliated all over and after rinsing, my skin felt amazing. I had found a free sea scrub spa in middle of no where Africa. It was mine for the taking. Again, this was just an amazing encounter of nature and God, loving on me. Isaiah 66 God says, "Heaven's my throne, earth is my footstool". In Genesis 1:26 God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of the Earth." He created it all for us, and gave us charge over it, even those skinny cows on the beach, crushing my shells, even the white sand beaches, the majestic mountains, they belong to us. He gives good gifts.
So, Tamara and I floated out in that ocean for hours and talked about our encounters in mission school, with God, with the poor, and tried to answer the questions that daily confronted us, can a nation be saved? How can the poorest country in the world come to know God? Is it all about infrastructure, economic development, clean water, healthcare or just Jesus? Will we ever be married? Where is he? What does he look like? Will he know how to cut grass and balance the checkbook? We laughed and cried and floated, in awe of how cool God is and just as we trusted that this salt water ocean would hold us forever, we rested in knowing that he held Mozambique in His hands. And He held our lives too and our grass cutting husbands.
Then, we made a pact. It was just a few days before my 30th birthday. So we said sometime around my 40th, 10 years later, we would get together, no matter what. No matter where. We would find each other and spend a week or weekend together in the summer of 2017. We talked about how different our lives would be and tried to think of a fun place to meet, like her father's place in Switzerland or perhaps just a place with an ocean nearby. And now, here I sit, here in her beautiful flat with big pink floral wallpaper and white and black tile floors and a big big window overlooking the town clock tower in the quaint little town of Zutphen, just one little year later, on my 31st birthday. God is soooo good and the giver of the best gifts. I flew here on a buddy pass given to me by a friend and Delta employee and what could have been a disaster, a full flight and me sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting and waiting, or changing flights in New York and waiting and waiting some more, turned into a direct first class flight with wine and cheese and a Pierce Brosnan movie. God is soooo good.

Zutphen

This place is amazing. It should be a must see for anyone coming to Amsterdam. It is the most quaint little town, about an hour and a half train ride from the airport. It is not a tourist attraction, so everything is local, every one knows each other, there is a river in the town, a large cathedral, a public market on Thursday and Saturday, a Turkish grocery, lots of shopping, and Tamara's flat! It reminds me somewhat of France, the alley's, brick streets, tile roofs. I love the artchitecture and it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest city in The Netherlands. I am pretty sure they have those fries with mayo here too. AND I had a goat cheese sandwich for lunch this afternoon. I asked Tamara about the river and she said, "Do you want to jump in it?" and it was hot so I said, "Sure". And she sounded so excited and said, "Oh good, only crazy people do it. Let me call my sister". So we are going tomorrow.

I only "know" three people in Zutphen, Tamara, her twin sister Mirjam and her old roommate Henry, and I only "know" them from hearing Tamara talk about them. As soon as she picked me up at the train station (on her bike) we were walking to her flat and first ran into Henry and then right after Mirjam...both just walking or riding their bikes through town. The people are friendly and speak English and don't make you feel like an idiot because you don't speak Dutch.

I have posted a photo of Tamara's beautiful flat. The market that I wanted to go to is literally right outside her window. We are about to sit in the window seat and hang our feet out the window and "chill" as she says.

More soon...

goede morgen

i am here! i was able to fly first class and have mahi mahi for dinner and even an ice cream sundae. but most importantly, my seat back fully reclined!! i got caught up on all the chic flicks i had not yet seen and, as always when you fly, made a new friend of the guy sitting next to me who wanted to share his life story. :)

in love

i am in love with a fat bald guy...with a little acid reflux problem.

Yipee!

The Coast of Northern Ireland

Zutphen, Holland

I am going on a trip! I am leaving July 3oth and flying in to Amsterdam...praying for First Class Favor as I am flying on a Delta Buddy Pass and right now the loads look good!! I might even get First Class there and back!! How amazing would that be? I am already getting my hopes up, putting on my blue socks and snuggling up with my neck pillow in my large leather seat.

I am arriving in Amsterdam on the morning of July 31st, but it will be in the wee hours of the morning our time. I hope to rest up on the plane and am determined to see a bit of Amsterdam regardless of how tired I may be. Thanks to Truitt, I have a large suitcase that converts into a backpack that will make touring Amsterdam more of a possibility. I plan to take the train in from the airport and find a quaint little bistro somewhere for a snack and then I must get some of those fries with mayonnaise...my favorite part!! I love it that they have that there and no one stares or thinks you are gross for doing that which I have done all my life!! Now, if I can just find a country that dips their fried popcorn shrimp in butter or a place where it's okay to put hot sauce on fried bananas, or where everything is covered with goat cheese, I will be set.


I will then take the train that afternoon to Zutphen. (Pictures above) My friend Tamara Steiner lives there and she will be picking me up at the station. They have a big market that day in town, always on Thursday, that I want to get to go to at some point while I am there. I LOVE markets in Europe, you never know what they will have. Antiques, fabrics, jewelry, breads, jams, vegetables, flowers and maybe goat cheese! Catherine will be turning 11 a few days after I get back and wants a present from my trip, so I will be looking out for the perfect gift for her. Speaking of birthdays...I will turn 31 the next day, August 1st. So I cannot wait to celebrate my 31st with Tamara and her friends in downtown Zutphen! I miss cobblestone streets, ancient buildings and cathedrals, narrow alleys, and not being able to understand a word anyone is saying. I can hardly wait! We will leaving the next morning for Belfast. I am glad I will have Tamara traveling with me on the train back to Amsterdam and company on the flight into Northern Ireland. Once in Belfast, we are taking a taxi and working our way into Coleraine and then will be picked up by our friends and going into Ballymoney for a bachelorette party for our friend Loren. The wedding is August 4th and afterwards we are planning a camping trip along the coast of Northern Ireland. I cannot wait to see the beaches there and can only imagine how incredible they must be.

Tamara is leaving Northern Ireland on the 7th and I will stay until the 11th to be able to go on the camping trip and then will fly back to Amsterdam and take the train into Zutphen to spend a few more days with Tamara. I would love to take the ferry while in Northern Ireland into Scotland, but not sure if my budget will allow and the dollar is terribly unfavorable right now and that does not help matters.

So, check back and I will keep you posted as best I can.

I want to start a tradition and spend every birthday of my 30's in a different country...hmm. I best start planning and saving up for next year. Suggestions??
Love love, Me

Message from Heidi and Rolland

The Great Wedding Feast
Photo Gallery http://www.irismin.org/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=July%202008

Thank you for remembering us as we stay hidden in our belovedMozambique. Thank you for supporting all the hungry people Jesus hasasked us to feed spiritually and physically. Even though months have gone by without as much communication as I would like, it amazes me howfaithful you are to this ministry. You are our family. We so appreciate your prayers, extravagant gifts for the poor, and your love. Recently, the Lord has been speaking to me from the parable of the GreatBanquet in Luke 14. I had the honor of hosting over four thousand guestsat the wedding of our daughter Crystalyn Joy to Brock Human. It was a glorious, beautiful day with the sunshine shimmering on the stunning turquoise Indian ocean.

Crystalyn and Brock stood under a massive bougainvillea wedding arch. The wedding was set on the beach right across from our Village of Joy. Sixty-four of our Mozambican childrencomprised our bridal party. They looked fabulously colorful in theirblue and yellow kapelanas and African shirts. Shara, Elisha, and Marissawere fabulous sports and joined in the festivities wearing theirMozambican outfits. Rolland walked her down the sandy aisle. An ocean ofour African children streamed down from the streets in their bridal procession singing joyfully.

Pastor Jose from Maputo and Pastor Jose from Pemba helped me officiate our daughter's wedding. The prime minister of Mozambique, business leaders and the poor all ate together.Hundreds of pastors and Harvest School of Missions students served at the wedding feast, dishing out plates heaped with rice, chicken, and salad with cold Coke to drink. Every one of our four thousand guestsreceived a piece of cake. Many of them ate cake for the first time in their lives. What a delight to watch their smiles as all were fed. Food was served for hours. We had every Harvest student, missionary, andMozambican cook baking cakes for days on end. We bought all the flour,eggs, and soda in Pemba. The reception time was filled with Mozambican praise and dancing, as Crystalyn and Brock served their wedding cake. All of us felt to modelthis wedding feast after Luke 14:13: "When you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind and they will be blessed." We printedinvitations for everyone. Just like Luke 14:21, "We went out quickly to the streets and alleys of the towns." I was delighted to find out thatwe still had room, so we went out to the roads and remote villages, calling them to come so that our church would be filled. God longs forHis house to be filled. He is calling His servant lovers to run out andcall in the poor to His incredibly beautiful wedding feast. He paid forthis banquet with His own Son's life, so that all of us could eat.

It was a delight to see our new church building filled to overflowing witheveryone enjoying this great wedding feast. I felt God smiling on the service as our daughter was married during the most stunning Mozambican sunset. It is a joy to have my natural bornchildren and family with me this summer. Last week together, as one bigfamily, we rode off to the "bush bush" to preach the gospel. Overpotholes, through fields and unpaved roads, we bounced along for hours singing in my Land Rover. We love bringing the good news to the ends of the earth.

Later, in the African night, we pulled into an unreached village where only sixty people had even heard the name of Jesus. I climbed up on our four-ton truck as the night began. My spiritual sons and daughters performed a drama about the good Samaritan. I used thispassage to invite the village to meet my friend -- the One who stopped for us -- King Jesus. I preached my heart out and loved watching thecrowds raise their hands. They wanted God! A deaf girl heard, many were healed and the fame of His name went out from that village. The village chief was overwhelmed with joy and asked us to open achildren's center. He called all the village elders together the nextmorning to meet with me. He invited us to open a new children's centerin this village. He himself had given his life to the Lord in his mudhut as I shared the beauty of Jesus. We camped out in tents and sleepingbags underneath the African stars, sitting around a camp fire as theMozambican student-pastors shared their testimonies with our missionschool students. Early in the morning we serenaded Brock for his 21st birthday. What a wonderful and unusual way to spend a birthday. The nextmorning we drove our vehicles to the beach to baptize the new converts. On the way to the ocean my spiritual son Herbert got his Land Roverstuck in the mud. He had spent two months last year during our terriblefloods driving this Land Rover across Mozambique to help feed the 50,000people facing starvation. But today his vehicle was stuck in the mud forsix hours. The tide was coming in, so it took a small village to rescue us. Twenty-six new Makua friends gathered around our car for hours, workingas a team to pull the vehicle out of the mud. If the Landrover had notbeen stuck, they might not have gotten saved. Jesus stopped for us. Westopped for them. But then they stopped for us. I loved not only givingto the village, but coming to receive. We needed their help. We allworked as one big family pulling the Land Rover out from the mud. We did it together in Jesus! Surely, He lifts us up from our miry pit to setour feet on solid ground. We left the villages with three solar-poweredNew Testament audio players which they will listen to every night. I love simply being with my Mozambican friends in villages and mud huts.I love to learn from them. I come as a learner first. I love the simplicity of this lifestyle. It is my joy to watch them meet Jesus.Village after village is meeting Jesus and is being shaken by the powerof His love. We want to invite an entire nation to this wedding feast. Thank you so much for helping us send out invitations to the poor,crippled, lame and blind to come to the greatest wedding feast. Inheaven you will surely see all the fruit of your labor of love. In heaven you will meet all those who fill the Father's House. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for remembering the poor. Much love in Jesus, Heidi

From Rolland: Well, it happened again! One week after the outreach Heidi described above, we went out in our Land Rovers and 4-ton truck, this time to avillage that had never heard the gospel at all. No one in the villageknew the name of Jesus. Somehow we missed this village, even after planting 670 churches in this "unreachable" province since we arrivedfive years ago. But once more a deaf mute was healed, and the entire village was electrified, turning to Jesus enthusiastically. In this case Heidi prayed for the deaf young man, and suddenly he could hear. He hadnever heard nor spoken a word all his life until then. With his newly found voice he began to imitate Heidi's syllables, and the crowd wentwild. Everyone knew this man, and they knew this had to be God.Clapping, laughing and cheering, the crowd hoisted him up on theirshoulders. Hope came to this village, to every hungry, child-like heart. The next morning we immediately got down to business and bought a pieceof land to build a simple church building. We will send them a pastor,and bring potential leaders to Bible school. Now the village is part ofa larger family, and we pray that mercy and grace, power and glory willrain down on its people without measure. They will need much teaching and discipling, something that happens when missionaries take time to visit villages and spend one-on-one time with people. Here is where themost spiritual progress is made. We miss you, our friends and supporters. We wish you could all comevisit and see what your prayer and support have accomplished through us.It is beautiful to see the Body of Christ working together as it should,creating lives of great beauty in the most unlikely places. Please continue to run the race with us! In His great love, Rolland--

Kids Art

Carson painted this seagull. He told me he is flying over a sea and there is a dock in the middle. I think this is pretty amazing for a four year old.

Gracie painted this, based on Psalms 8:5- For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor.

Catherine's is based on Isaiah 62:4

You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah,[a] and your land Beulah;[b] For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married.

Footnotes:
Isaiah 62:4 Literally My Delight Is in Her
Isaiah 62:4 Literally Married

A message from Heidi

May 3rd, 2008
We are pressing in for the presence of God in our meetings and in our relationships. With all the meetings I find myself being drawn into more soaking prayer in the few hours I have alone each day. One of my life’s messages is that all fruitfulness flows from intimacy. My hearts desire is for an even closer and deeper friendship with God. At times, I am so hungry for more of Him that I find myself unable to concentrate on any other thought than wanting even more of the glorious life giving presence of Jesus. The longing is increasing. I feel like I am stepping into a season of greater grace and joy in extended times alone in His presence. I want to see Him. He longs for us to know Him and see the love and power of Holy Spirit living within us. I love Jesus more then life, more then breath, and more then any other person on earth. As I meet with people individually and corporately, I find Him there in them too. If I spend enough time in His presence, everything I do in ministry seems easy. If on the other hand, I feel pulled to do more then the Father wants of me, I find myself tired and frustrated. I pray we will all learn to live out of a place of fullness and rest. This is our loving Father’s desire for each one of His beloved children.
Sunday, I had the tremendous joy of ministering at the weddings of two first generation Makua couples. The young women getting married both spent years growing up with us at the Village of Joy in Pemba. They are the first in their families to ever be married, and they both married pastors. I am reminded of the powerful vision I had in Canada before I really even knew who the Makua were. God took me up into His glory presence. I saw the colors of heaven flash before my eyes and was overcome with a desire to yield every thought, every action, and every moment of my life to Him. I felt as if I were right inside the Lord’s heart. God could have asked anything of me and I would have done it. My passion is for a life of love and obedience. It was during this transforming experience that I heard the voice of God. Jesus said, very clearly, “go and bring home my Makua Bride!” Now, with hundreds of others, we are bringing this tribe home to Jesus. What a joy it is for each one of us to hear, to love and to obey. I pray God takes us all into such a deep place of yielded love that we realize our destinies.
We just graduated another group of incredibly joyful pastors. Today, they each return to their villages and families. They are now commissioned as harvesters called to minister the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Directly after graduation, many of us took off to another village to share the very good news of the Kingdom. Makua youth ministered with drama and testimonies. Netto, one of our worship leaders, shared how he was one of the most feared and dangerous thieves in Pemba. He fearlessly told the crowd that he never had to purchase clothing before he gave his life to Jesus. He explained that he only needed to threaten people at knifepoint and that he either killed them or they turned over their clothing! Everything changed for him when he met Jesus. He thought he would never be married or have a job. Now the formerly notorious bandit holds the keys to the church and sound system and ministers with his beautiful bride.
Last night, small children were the first to respond to the love of Jesus. Then alcoholics pushed through the crowds to receive prayer to be set free from their pain and addictions. I kept calling for anyone deaf to come forward for healing but no one came. As we were about to leave, I was trying to speak to one of our local leaders in the village about service times and he motioned to me that he could not hear me. He said his ears were greatly damaged during the war. After we prayed for him, his hearing was perfectly restored. God’s glorious Kingdom is expanding. Each one of us is called to carry His glory into a dark world.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Please don’t stop. We love you and appreciate you.
In Jesus arms,Heidi

a dream

I had a dream the other night that I believe needs to be written down somewhere, so here it goes. I was traveling in a jungle type place, just lush gardens, green green grass and tropical. This couple from my church, Norma and her husband, were asking me to follow them because they were taking me to their home. I think there were bridges, the suspension kind that I am terribly afraid of, but I followed them, no problem. (It seemed like we were in Brazil?) I was busy checking out the scenery. There was a wall to my right, a vague one but it sort of resembled a climbing wall. I reached out to touch it to support myself along the hike and a nail punctured my hand, right in the center, in the palm of my right hand. When I pulled it away from the wall, it hurt. When I looked at my hand, I could see right through it! The nail pierced my hand all the way through and I was freaking out. I kept trying to yell for Norma to stop because I had been injured, but no one stopped or really noticed. I kept looking at this dime sized hole in my hand and it HURT. But there was no blood. So I asked God in my half-asleep/half-awake stupor what this was all about.

He told me that it had to do with my sharing in His crucifixion. He said I was finally beginning to live in a place where I understood what all He died for and precisely what He did for me personally. He said when I become aware of my life and how it is so awesome because of Him being crucified, then I get to live in the way cool life that He set out for me as I live in the joy and reality and revelation of His resurrection. But that was just a side note. It was not an exciting dream and that part was not the part that was stressed. It was that my wound in my hand didn't bleed at all, because the blood had already been shed. But the wound hurt and there was pain that I had to endure. But the revelation of what He did for me was going to take US places we had never been before, as I begin this journey of understanding what He did for me, just me and where we can now GO together, as I live a life that is totally FREE because He died for my freedom and for me to have LIFE in Him. And this is a subject for another blog entirely...what my freedom looks like to me? What joy looks like? What my personal revelation can be described as... It is just me realizing that He died for every single solitary sin, addiction, vice, quirk, disease, illness, infirmity, EVERYTHING! He died so that I can now, not only have a relationship with God, but that I reach my hand into HEAVEN and get down what I need and I no longer live beat up, worn down, depressed about my past, my mistakes, or my uncertain future, because Jesus died for me. And He shows up! And He changes personalities, and opens doors, and makes a way, and supernaturally provides and much, much more. And that is wonderful.

Romans 6:4 KJV
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-5 The Message
That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.

Romans 6:4 NLT
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Romans 6:4 NIV
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans 6:4 Portuguese
A nossa natureza pecadora foi enterrada com Cristo, pelo baptismo, e quando Deus o Pai, com o seu divino poder, o trouxe de novo à vida, também nos foi concedida uma vida nova para desfrutar.