Dabbling in a Desert

Up to Saturday, 8-20-11

Wow... Two weeks, and I've been learning a messload of great and challenging stuffz.

Where to begin?


Brief Overview of the School

Orientation was just that - orienting. I came to the DTS not knowing much about YWAM let alone their discipleship training schools. Apparently there are a bunch of them all over the world, and the main priority for this is not necessarily to spend all of our time fighting against human trafficking. I've been learning that the focus is to really tune into God and what He wants to do with my life. Wow. Intense. A full 6 months of doing nothing but drawing closer to God, learning about Him, and applying what I learn to real life situations - especially human trafficking.

This passed week's topic was "Hearing and Obeying God." Sounds pretty standard, right? But it's SO intense! Learning how God speaks to us now, learning the consequences of responding/ignoring, and actually applying that to life! Learning how to listen for direction/movement in my own life as well as interceding for others; Learning the importance of really knowing God's word to fight against opposing/false direction etc. And man! God is SO good! The word is really coming alive to me!

Our speaker, Paul Childers, is working on memorizing the New Testament and has already learned a bunch of it... I want memorize the whole Bible! So good! Ah, I've been really digging Ephesians and Ezekiel 37 - check it!

Spiritual warfare is also so tangible here in so many different forms. From people getting random migraines that have gone away through prayer/rebukes of the devil's attacks at intense/enlightening moments to breaking down strongholds that have been holding people back from truly knowing God and hearing from Him. There's SO much!


Outreaches

Walter Hoving Home
Last Thursday we went to a place called the Walter Hoving Home. It's a pretty intense ministry that takes in different girls - some have been prostitutes, strippers, drug addicts, abused, or just going through a really hard time. The staff members all have been through the program themselves and can minister to the new girls coming in. The girls had certain assignments and tasks as far as housekeeping and daily devotionals and Bible reading. They went on trips, can see counselors, and were involved with the local church.

They were all so hospitable and quite incredible in their own ways. Some were unsure about what they were doing and why they were there, and others were so excited to be there and to get their life going in a different direction and fully discover and become the beautiful women God made them to be.

I loved hearing their stories. I really wanted them to know that I didn't see them as "bad people" or even as the labels they've been given - "whore" "prostitute" "druggie" "worthless" etc. Gah! They all had so much beauty and potential! I am so excited to pray with and for them and see how God works in their lives.

Some people don't stay there very long and do end up returning back to the lifestyle they have lived before. If you could pray for them and the ministry, that would be so fantastic. Seriously, spiritual warfare is huge. There is so much life and growth for these girls, and the devil hates that and wants to destroy as soon and craftily as he can. But God has given us the grace and option of choosing life thanks to the powerful, able Name of Jesus. Let's use that, gosh darn it! Let's not belittle the power of the devil, nor underestimate the power and authority of God and the place He has for us for intercession!


The Strip

And, oh, the "glorious" strip... *angsty sigh*

Last night, around 9:00pm, our lovely team of 13 students plus staff joined together to prepare for our outreach to the strip. Ah, I love our team!

Since we'll have many times to do outreach, we weren't given a whole lot of direction for this visit. We were told to just be who we were and talk to the people we felt God was telling us to talk with. Sam, the fellow helping to lead this outreach, prepped us by asking us to name why we, individually and as a group, are here in Vegas. We did an exercise where we mingled around with each other and just spoke life and truth into people and remember the truth about who we are. Sam reminded us that it is easy to remember our lovely thoughts of being children/princes/ses of God in the comfort of the base, but once we step onto the strip, those thoughts will shrink and the stilettos will look so huge.

We each named our fears and hopes for going to the strip, and prayed against/for them. Sure, the devil has some hefty strongholds there, but God was leading the way there, would be with us there, and would be there after we leave. And he's got a mass army of angels ready to beat up some devil hiney! He's so big and boss! Heck yeah!

As often happens, I felt a pretty strange, slightly anxious, but mostly hopeless/futile when driving into the strip. Usually when God is about to move in big ways, I feel the opposition pretty easily/consistently - especially before and after. On the highway, we looked to our right and saw a big stretched hummer limo with the back window down to expose a purple, neon-like glow and a woman sitting/facing a fellow, glass in hand, and a smile/wave/wink to us and other cars passing by - certainly advertising.... Is this real?

On the strip, we partnered up and made ourselves open to hear and follow where God directed us. Walking down the steps of the Bellagio, I passed a woman who seemed quite frenzied. She was breaking up some ice behind bushes, and dumped it in a cool full of water bottles. As she began walking with it, I asked her what the water was for. She gave me a confused look, and I repeated my question. She said "Oh, one dollar." All the while, she was looking around her, a look of almost fear and desperation was in her scattered gazes. But my partner, Cherilyn, and I continued on.

We sat down with a lovely lady who was making flowers and hearts out of dried palm. She told us that she picked up the trade while she was struggling to provide for her kids. She had quite an intense story. Cherilyn and I prayed for her, bought some of the flowers, and continued on.

We felt kind of frazzled and not exactly sure who to talk to or what to do. We had about two minutes to meet back with our group, and I again saw the woman passing out water. I passed her, and felt God nudging me to go back and talk with her. I walked back, and gave her the palm flower. Oh God, speak through me - what does she need to hear? What does Your heart long to tell her? "God wants you to know that he thinks you are so beautiful and He loves you." She looked a little confused, and her gaze was still darting about as if she was scared of someone watching her. I asked her if I could pray for her, she didn't really respond. I closed my eyes and began to pray that God would show her His love and protect her etc. I looked up about halfway through my prayer, and she was staring at me in either confusion or wonder. After the prayer, she searched the crowd again, then gave me a big hug and said "thank you." Tears were lining the rims of her eyes.

Looking back on it, I am not sure if she really understood English. I really feel like she was probably trafficked - her darting glances searching for her trafficker, afraid of appearing unproductive.

I couldn't take it. "Singing in the Rain" began playing while the Bellagio fountains danced in the air and lights. Families, couples, friends, and tourists pressed up against the railings to watch in wonder, laugh and enjoy. A screen of showgirls were right on the other side of the fountains, trucks advertising "hot girls, delivered to you" passed by, "flickers" who were probably trafficked as well, continued to pass out cards of naked women and numbers, and that lady was still there, holding the palm flowers - a beautiful daughter of God, lost in a mob of darkness.

How can people enjoy this place? Why do people come here? Their entertainment and joy is built upon slavery and terminal death! I discovered I had a hard time believing that there was actually any hope for these atrocities. God works through all testimonies, right? So maybe He wants them to be where they are now, and He will redeem them when He sees fit.

The next week (this past week) was the Father Heart of God week. In this week, God has challenged a lot of my misconceptions about who He is and how He loves us, His beloved creation. (Insert dramatic music to intensify cliffhanger to next blog here c; )