Sometimes, when I really need something from The Lord, I only pray and ask for that specific thing that I need in the moment.
The other night I was sitting in a prayer service at church and God gave me a vision. I saw a lot of different strings and ropes swinging around. At the end of each strand, there were round bubble looking things. As they were swinging, they began to hit me and some of them burst and water soaked me. Others hit me and dried up instantly. The rest hit me and bounced right off without bursting at all.
As I was seeing this in my mind, I asked Jesus to show me what it meant. He told me that each string and bubble were different blessings and gifts that He was wanting to pour out on me but I was only receiving the ones that I thought I needed. The ones that soaked me were the ones that I was praying for, the ones that hit and dried up I was only receiving part of the whole blessing, and the ones that were bouncing right off I was totally missing all together.
A lot of the time, I get so focused on a few specific things that I need for different situations that I totally miss other blessings that God is wanting to give to me. Through this vision, He reminded me to always keep my eyes, ears, heart, and mind open to everything He might want to teach me and bless me with. I don't want to be so focused on one thing that I miss an opportunity to share another blessing with someone else.
I don't know if this is making sense to anyone but it's just something burning on my heart right now.
Since I've been back in the States, The Lord has been teaching me new things about myself that I never knew. It's a daily process that I go through learning how to keep my attention on Him and allowing Him to show me how to rest and prepare for what He's calling me to do. He is showing me one step at a time how to rest even while planning a wedding and growing my relationship with Emanuel. This is one of the biggest things I'm learning right now, seeking the face of Jesus above anything else and He will show me how to love Emanuel like He does, He will show us how to plan the wedding like He wants it to be, and He will show me how to continue resting and preparing in the midst of anything else going on.
There's always so much more that we could be receiving from our Papa, we just have to be willing to lay ourselves down and what we think we need, in order to receive what He knows we need. He knows us way better than we know ourselves!
"Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you."
Matthew 6:33
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The One Whom My Soul Loves...
As everyone has seen by now, I'M ENGAGED!!! I get the honor and privilege of marrying my best friend, Emanuel Jumblaru. :D
I thought I would take some time to share our story with those of you who don't know.
It all started in October of 2012 in Pemba, Mozambique…
I went to Harvest School of Missions 17 last year to completely surrender myself and pursue my passion for missions. While I was there I told Jesus, "You are all I need, Jesus! I don't need any man in my life right now. My heart and soul is completely and totally Yours!"
Little did I know that Jesus had already begun showing Emanuel that I was the woman He created for him to spend the rest of his life with. I thought Emanuel was a nice guy and we were just friends because I didn't even want to look at guys in a romantic way while I was there. He saw my dedication to The Lord and He didn't want to distract me in any way, so he remained quiet about the feelings he had for me. He prayed that God would set everything up in His perfect timing.
After Harvest School, I continued my missionary journey to Tete, Mozambique and while I was there, Emanuel and I began to message back and forth every now and then on Facebook just checking up on each other. We started to form a beautifully strong friendship just from being there for each other and praying through things together from across the world.
In February of this past year, everyone knows, I had to walk through something extremely hard. The missionaries I was living with and I were robbed, and abused. During that whole time, Emanuel was one of my biggest encouragements. He became someone that Jesus allowed me to lean on as my rock. There was still no talk of feelings for each other or anything at this point.
Shortly after our attack, God called Emanuel to serve with us in Tete as an intern. We were both in Tete together for about two months and while we were together Jesus began revealing things to us about each other. After two months, he felt called to leave Tete and move on to the next adventure that Jesus had for him and it was then when we felt the push from God to enter in a relationship to pursue marriage. He called my parents and asked for their permission to pursue me, they said yes! :)
For the next two months I continued serving in Tete and he traveled to do missions in Sweden and returned back home to Canada. We began our relationship both doing missions in different parts of the world and trusting that if this was from Jesus, then He would bring us together when it was supposed to happen.
We both grew so much in those few months. I could go on and on about all that God showed both of us during that time. The longer I was there, the more God was speaking to me about going back to Tennessee to be with my family and take a season of rest and preparation. I didn't know what that preparation was for but all I can tell you is that's what I heard Him say. So I obeyed Him and made a huge transition and came back to the States. Emanuel lives in Canada so we were still far away from each other. We both felt like it was super important for us both to spend as much time as possible with Jesus and seeking His face about our relationship and timing with everything.
He came down to Franklin a little while after I got home and met my family we just spent time together after being apart for over two months. He went back home after week of visiting and we pressed hard into the heart of Jesus and asked Him for guidance. My family absolutely adores him and completely welcomed him into the family. We both felt lead to take a fast from food and communication from each other for a few days. It was super hard but totally worth it because it was during that time that God confirmed everything about our relationship and told Emanuel when he could propose to me.
He just came down to visit last week and I thought he was just here to visit but he had other plans… He spent a while talking to my dad one of the days that he was here, asking him for my hand in marriage. (I had no idea about any of this btw!) He proposed the very next day in one of my favorite places in the world, Downtown Franklin! I'll save the proposal story for another post…
Something else that makes this story even more beautiful is that Emanuel and his family are from Romania and they moved to Canada when he was 8 years old. I'm from Tennessee and we both followed where God was calling us and met in Africa. One of my favorite parts of this whole thing is that we both had to search the heart of Jesus to be able to find each other.
Never would I have ever dreamed this time last year, that I would be engaged and planning a wedding but I couldn't imagine anything else. He is the greatest gift that God could have given me and I'm beyond blessed that I get to marry the one that was created for me!
I thought I would take some time to share our story with those of you who don't know.
It all started in October of 2012 in Pemba, Mozambique…
I went to Harvest School of Missions 17 last year to completely surrender myself and pursue my passion for missions. While I was there I told Jesus, "You are all I need, Jesus! I don't need any man in my life right now. My heart and soul is completely and totally Yours!"
Little did I know that Jesus had already begun showing Emanuel that I was the woman He created for him to spend the rest of his life with. I thought Emanuel was a nice guy and we were just friends because I didn't even want to look at guys in a romantic way while I was there. He saw my dedication to The Lord and He didn't want to distract me in any way, so he remained quiet about the feelings he had for me. He prayed that God would set everything up in His perfect timing.
After Harvest School, I continued my missionary journey to Tete, Mozambique and while I was there, Emanuel and I began to message back and forth every now and then on Facebook just checking up on each other. We started to form a beautifully strong friendship just from being there for each other and praying through things together from across the world.
In February of this past year, everyone knows, I had to walk through something extremely hard. The missionaries I was living with and I were robbed, and abused. During that whole time, Emanuel was one of my biggest encouragements. He became someone that Jesus allowed me to lean on as my rock. There was still no talk of feelings for each other or anything at this point.
Shortly after our attack, God called Emanuel to serve with us in Tete as an intern. We were both in Tete together for about two months and while we were together Jesus began revealing things to us about each other. After two months, he felt called to leave Tete and move on to the next adventure that Jesus had for him and it was then when we felt the push from God to enter in a relationship to pursue marriage. He called my parents and asked for their permission to pursue me, they said yes! :)
For the next two months I continued serving in Tete and he traveled to do missions in Sweden and returned back home to Canada. We began our relationship both doing missions in different parts of the world and trusting that if this was from Jesus, then He would bring us together when it was supposed to happen.
We both grew so much in those few months. I could go on and on about all that God showed both of us during that time. The longer I was there, the more God was speaking to me about going back to Tennessee to be with my family and take a season of rest and preparation. I didn't know what that preparation was for but all I can tell you is that's what I heard Him say. So I obeyed Him and made a huge transition and came back to the States. Emanuel lives in Canada so we were still far away from each other. We both felt like it was super important for us both to spend as much time as possible with Jesus and seeking His face about our relationship and timing with everything.
He came down to Franklin a little while after I got home and met my family we just spent time together after being apart for over two months. He went back home after week of visiting and we pressed hard into the heart of Jesus and asked Him for guidance. My family absolutely adores him and completely welcomed him into the family. We both felt lead to take a fast from food and communication from each other for a few days. It was super hard but totally worth it because it was during that time that God confirmed everything about our relationship and told Emanuel when he could propose to me.
He just came down to visit last week and I thought he was just here to visit but he had other plans… He spent a while talking to my dad one of the days that he was here, asking him for my hand in marriage. (I had no idea about any of this btw!) He proposed the very next day in one of my favorite places in the world, Downtown Franklin! I'll save the proposal story for another post…
Something else that makes this story even more beautiful is that Emanuel and his family are from Romania and they moved to Canada when he was 8 years old. I'm from Tennessee and we both followed where God was calling us and met in Africa. One of my favorite parts of this whole thing is that we both had to search the heart of Jesus to be able to find each other.
Never would I have ever dreamed this time last year, that I would be engaged and planning a wedding but I couldn't imagine anything else. He is the greatest gift that God could have given me and I'm beyond blessed that I get to marry the one that was created for me!
Monday, August 19, 2013
New Beginnings...
Well I have some big news to share. I originally thought that I was going to stay in Tete for about a year and serve here and then be launched into the nations and start my own ministry one day. The past few weeks I’ve been praying a lot and feeling like the Lord wants me to take a season back with my family in the States to prepare for what God has next for me. I wasn’t exactly sure when that season was supposed to happen, I was thinking maybe in a few months. But I talked with Nick and Marlene and we prayed for a few days and agreed that the best thing for me to do is to go back to the States right now. The Lord still has a lot that He wants to download in me and teach me before I can be released to the nations. I really want to take this time to prepare and seek God about what my calling is and what steps I need to take in order to fulfill my destiny.
My heart is so in the nations and in the darkest places of the world, the last thing I want to do is to go back to “normal life” in the States. But I have no doubt that God is wanting me to step into this new season and learn how to be a missionary no matter where I am. When the Lord called me very clearly to be a missionary and to go into all nations, He meant ALL nations. Including the USA. His plans are different from ours most of the time but they are always so much better than we could ever imagine.
Jesus has already shown me a few this He wants me to do back in the States but I’m just praying about when He wants me to do them. His perfect timing is everything. I don’t want to jump into anything prematurely, I want to really seek God and make sure I’m walking in the fulness of my destiny in the center of His will for my life.
It’s so funny how we make our own plans and even when they are really good plans, God can still come in and reveal to us something different that He wants us to do.
It’s going to be extremely hard leaving Tete and our boys here and the amazing missionaries I’ve been serving with. But we all have a peace that this is going to be the best thing for me right now.
I’ll be going home in about two weeks and I’m looking forward serving in the States in whatever ways that looks like and continuing to lay my life down to further the Kingdom. This is really where I have to take a big step of faith and trust that God’s got the plan for me and I just have to listen to His voice and continue to obey what He says.
In no way is this me giving up or quitting missions, in fact this is me taking a huge step forward in preparing to get closer to the huge call that God has on my life in missions. I’m excited to see how He is going to use me no matter where I am in the world.
“May the God of peace equip you with everything good that you may do His will, through Christ Jesus, to whom be glory forever and ever.”
Hebrews 13:20-21
Monday, August 12, 2013
Open Hands and Open Heart
This is the posture we have to be in if we want Jesus to take over our lives so we can walk in the fulness of His destiny for us. Everything is all about Him. We are just the vessels He chooses to use to release His love here on earth.
I have been back in Tete for 3 months now. These 3 months have flown by way faster than the 3 months I spent when I was serving here before. I’ve been amazed at how Papa has been able to use me here in releasing His love. Every morning Ms Linda and I go to the street where our Shekinah boys are and have breakfast with them in the little barracca (shed) where they sleep. Jesus released portuguese to me just enough to be able to communicate with them and lead short bible studies every morning. Just to paint the scene for you a little bit, they sleep in a very small empty brick building that sits right next to a shop that sells alcohol and plays music all the time and another shop that fixes motorbikes. As you can imagine, its pretty noisy and distracting and hard to pay attention to a bible study. There’s always a constant stream of people passing by and several stop to ask who we are and what we are doing and why we are two white girls giving these “street boys” food and having church.
Most every morning there is something going on with our boys that we have to deal with when we get there. Either someone stole something and they’re in trouble with the police, or they are simply fighting with each other like brothers do, or they are too lazy to clean up their barracca, or one of them is sick, so on and so on... There’s never a dull moment with these boys. The other morning we pulled up in Ms Linda’s car and Tandai came running up to the car and said “Tia Brooke is here, she can help us now!” In that moment I had no idea what was going on but I loved the fact that they know that I will stand up for them and help them with anything they need. Turns out, some guy stole one of our boys’, Evilisto, belt and Evilisto was upset and trying to get his belt back from this guy and they were about to fight, until I got there and stepped in between them and told the other guy to leave with the belt and I bought my boy a new belt. Little things like this happen every day here and we always have to ask Jesus how to love them and show them that we care.
The Shekinah home is being built at a fast pace right now and hopefully will be done within the next few months. It’s so exciting going out to see the land now and seeing the vision turn into reality.
My heart is here for this season and I love being able to serve my God in this way. I’m excited for whatever He has next for me and I’m enjoying every step in the journey. I choose to keep my hands and heart open so that He can use me in whatever way He chooses no matter where I am in the world!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Hear. Trust. Obey. Rejoice.
Saturday night the pioneer61 team and I went out on the streets here in Tete to minister to prostitutes and share the love of Jesus with them. We had no idea what it was going to look like, we had no plan, we just heard the voice of God and did what He said. Before we left, we prayed together and asked God for clues as to where we were supposed to go and details about the women we were supposed to talk to. One of the things that I saw was a yellow smiley face with black eyes and a black smile. We left the house at around 10 pm and ended up in a part of the city where there is nothing but darkness. Drinking, partying, dancing, extremely loud music, girls selling themselves, ect... As soon as we got out of the car, I could literally feel the evil spirits everywhere and saw how the enemy has totally taken control of these people.
We split into two groups and walked around and stopped with different women that we felt drawn to. Many of the women were from Zimbabwe and speak english. They came here to find work and when they couldn’t find an actual job, the began selling their bodies just to have enough money to eat and to live and take care of their babies, if they had any. There were two girls that I talked to who spoke english. Minete, one of our friends that came with us, tried to talk to them first but they didn’t seem too interested so she told me to try. I just began sharing my heart with them about what I felt like Jesus wanted to tell them. They are daughters of the King...They are princesses...They are worth everything... The key to having a relationship with Jesus is knowing who you are in Him... As I was talking, I could see the change in their attitude and they began to hear and accept what I was saying. I also told them the importance of surrender and trust. They have to come to a place where they can surrender everything and place their lives in God’s hands and trust Him with it all.
After we were finished talking, we stood in a circle with our arms around each other and we prayed over them. It was the most beautiful feeling standing there in the middle of all this evil and drinking and sin, we had the honor of standing there and representing the light of Jesus in the middle of the darkness. I felt the Holy Spirit so strong standing in that circle. I have no doubt that there were seeds planted that will bear fruit in those two precious women in that moment.
The remainder of the night, we walked in and out of the baracas and stopped and prayed with different women and simply loved on them with the love from Papa God. We accepted 3 beautiful women into the Kingdom family that night. Right before we left, a drunk guy walked up to me and spoke english and said, “why do you think you can come here and talk about God and have church? I’m drinking here and don’t you see all these people drinking and doing bad things? You shouldn’t be here talking about God!” I simply replied, “Well, God told us to come here where there is darkness and He wants us to shine His light and share His love here with everyone. You don’t have to only have church in a building on Sundays... It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking and doing bad things, God loves you anyway and He wants you to stop doing these bad things. But He told us to come here and represent Him in the darkness and share His love with you.” He took a step back and said “Wow! This is the first time that I’ve heard of anyone doing this here. You’re doing a good work. God bless you!”
This totally touched my heart because we got to be the first people who ever evangelized in that area and the people recognized something different in us, other than the fact that we were the only white people there... It makes me feel so humbled and honored that I get to represent Christ in that way. Being His hands and feet in the darkness.
On our way home, we stopped on the main road in the city where there were so many prostitutes standing on the sidewalks waiting for their clients to come pick them up. We walked up and started talking about Jesus and most of them didn’t want to listen to us but one girl listened and accepted Jesus into her heart! We were sitting on some steps next to a building while we prayed about what we should do about the difficult girls who didn’t want to listen, and I looked up at the building and saw painted on the wall were tons of yellow smiley faces exactly like the ones I saw when I was praying before we left. I knew immediately that we were supposed to be there. God had a divine appointment set up right there.
Marlene took one of the girls across the street and sat with her and began talking to her. She was from Zimbabwe and spoke english. She has two children but was only able to provide for one of them when she came here so she had to leave the other one with her father in Zim. She lives alone here now with her 9 month old baby and she can’t find work anywhere except by selling her body. She wants to change. She doesn’t want to continue this life style. She really began to open up to Marlene and she said she has to make a certain amount of money every night just to provide food for her and her child. Marlene told her “Well, I think Jesus wants to buy your night today. I’ll give you this same amount of money from Jesus and I want you to go home and spend the night with Him tonight instead of another man. He will show you that you are white as snow and He sees your heart is pure.” She was blown away and we gave her a ride home.
The whole night was totally worth it even if it was just for that one precious soul.
Jesus is doing amazing things here in Tete and beginning new works and proclaiming life into the dry bones. It would be so easy to miss if we weren’t listening for His voice, trusting Him, and doing what He says.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
The Face of Jesus
One of my favorite things about life here in Tete is that I get to be a part of breakfast and bible study with our Shekinah boys every morning on the streets. Ms Linda and I have been taking turns leading a devotional with the boys every day. Yesterday I felt that it was important to talk with our boys about respecting others. This is something huge that The Lord has been speaking to me recently so I would love to share these thoughts with you as well...
In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, “Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have also done unto me.” This simple little sentence has totally changed my way of thinking. I should be treating people as I would treat Jesus. What does that even look like? If someone is sitting next to me who is hungry and I have a piece of bread in my hands, I should look at them and treat them like I would treat Jesus and offer them a piece of my own bread. If Jesus was sitting next to me and He was hungry, I wouldn’t say “Oh I don’t have enough time or money to give you this piece of bread, sorry go get your own.” I feel like so many of us do this to many different people all the time. We are in too big of a rush to get to the next place or save as much money as possible that we miss opportunities to bless people or to see the face of Jesus in them.
Since I’ve been back in Tete, I’ve been able to see the face of Jesus in different people through my every day life. Sometimes Jesus wants to bless us with a smile from another person, but we are too focused on getting to the next task that needs to be done that we miss it. Most of the time, I think I should be showing other people what Jesus looks like through me, but sometimes Jesus wants to show me what He looks like through the mama sitting on the sidewalk, or the person at the register at the grocery store or the baby in the village with joy all over his precious face.
How I treat another person should be how I would treat Jesus. I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to show a whole lot more respect and honor to everyone that I see.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Faithful.
My Jesus is so good to His word. He is always faithful to fulfill His promises. All of them. no matter how big or how small. Every single promise that He gives you, He will be faithful to fulfill them in His perfect timing.
I have been back in Tete for just over two weeks now. I still can’t believe I’m here! It feels like I never left, but at the same time it feels like I have been gone forever. The reunion with my boys was the sweetest thing ever. They are all so happy that “Tia Brooke” is back with them and that I’m staying for a long time this time.
I’m beyond blessed that I get to bring bread rolls, butter, and juice to them every single morning to have breakfast with them on the streets. Then we talk about what happened the night before, how they slept in their tiny shed with a little sheet and mosquitoes everywhere. My favorite part of breakfast time is when we share a bible verse with them and talk about it, dance and sing together in a big circle, and pray together at the end as a family and bless each other. I’d say that’s a pretty good way to start the day. :) One of my other favorite things is when we get to take one or two of the boys with us as we walk around the city and shop. It’s such an amazing time to talk and get to know each other as well as learn more portuguese from them. They love it as well because they get to guard and protect me and Ms. Linda as we walk around the city. Their hearts are so beautiful and protective. Jesus seriously blessed me with incredible brothers all around the world.
The afternoons are another beautiful time with the boys. Usually we just bring them lunch in the afternoon and spend a few minutes hanging out with them and then leave, but sometimes we stay and cook with them. Like yesterday we went to the dump where they cook sometimes and we sat with them as they cooked their xima, fish, and matapa. They cook in tin cans over a small fire that they start by burning wood, trash, and plastic. They are truly amazing and such survivors.
My portuguese is coming along very well. I’m actually shocked at how much I’ve been able to speak. Jesus definitely downloaded it to me! I’ve been able to communicate really well with the boys and I’ve learned everything from them. I still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn, that’s for sure, but for right now, I’m doing pretty well. :)
Papa has been so faithful to me since I’ve been back. He promised that He would take care of me and that He wouldn’t let anything else happen to me and that I would see Him in everything that I see. It’s so true, I see Him in so many people’s faces throughout the day. He is constantly reminding me that He is with me and watching me and carrying me.
I’m still trusting and believing for the rest of His promises to be fulfilled as well. I know this is where I am supposed to be for this year and I have no doubt about that. The enemy has tried to plant lies in me and give me bad dreams and scare me but I know that this is where Jesus wants me for right now so I don’t need to have fear and Jesus is so much bigger than any spiritual or physical attack from the enemy.
Thank you so much to everyone who’s been praying for me as I’ve been transitioning back to this life and culture. I could definitely use the prayers and joy. :) The fire and promise is still burning in my heart super big and bright, pray that it doesn’t ever burn out.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
It's about that time...
Tete is calling my name. Today is the day I head back to the place where I am called for this season! I guess you could say I'm a little bit excited. :)
These past two months back in the States have been such an adventure. Speaking at churches and conferences, road trips, good food, shopping, family, rest, joy, victory, cold weather, driving on the right side of the road...
These next 12 months will be full of different kind of adventures that I don't even know about yet. Worship. teaching music, breakfast in the streets, imparting identity, building a home, loving the least of these, my brothers.
I am so beyond thankful for everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me through this whole time as i step into what my calling is and begin to follow Papa's heart in the darkest places.
Flying from Nashville to Tete and will step back onto the beautiful african soil on Saturday. My heart is about to burst!
These past two months back in the States have been such an adventure. Speaking at churches and conferences, road trips, good food, shopping, family, rest, joy, victory, cold weather, driving on the right side of the road...
These next 12 months will be full of different kind of adventures that I don't even know about yet. Worship. teaching music, breakfast in the streets, imparting identity, building a home, loving the least of these, my brothers.
I am so beyond thankful for everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me through this whole time as i step into what my calling is and begin to follow Papa's heart in the darkest places.
Flying from Nashville to Tete and will step back onto the beautiful african soil on Saturday. My heart is about to burst!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Victory
Did you know that the battle is already won? I have the victory through Jesus Christ! I have no fear because He is inside of me and He is bigger than the enemy, so why should I be afraid?
My life back in the States has been super crazy the whole time! Jesus has so poured out His favor on me and has allowed me to travel around and speak at several places and share the testimony of what happened to Me, Nick, and Marlene, as well as the call on my life in missions. Ive been able to be with a bunch of my Harvest School 17 brothers and sisters as well and Jesus did a lot of healing in me through them. So beyond thankful for such a big family through Iris.
I had the privilege of going to Sarasota Florida to check out the Harvest School that was going on down there, and attended a conference that Mama Heidi and Papa Rolland Baker, Mel Tari, Brock Human, and Jason Lee Jones were leading. God totally set up divine encounters for me that week and I received prayers of impartation and commissioning from all of these incredibly anointed people who the Lord has used to impact the Kingdom on earth in more ways than I can imagine. One day Mama Heidi brought me to a lunch gathering with all of those people and many more amazing people in leadership. I was sitting there having lunch with them and being a family like its normal life, and I'm thinking to myself, "Wow who am I that I get to be a part of this family and do life with these amazing world changers?" I'm only 19 years old and that already happened to me. I can't imagine what the Lord is going to do in and through me in the future!!! It blows my mind to even think about.
At the conference, the last night, Mama Heidi asked me if I would share my testimony during the service. So I stood up on the stage in front of over 700 people and shared the testimony of what happened to us and that the enemy is not going to stop me. After I spoke, Mama Heidi hugged me and said "Brooke, I'm so proud of you. You have no idea what you just did, you just awakened a whole tribe of laid down lovers to go into the harvest with no fear!!!" That is exactly what happened, too. There have been so many people coming up to me and saying that they know they are called to missions whether across the street or across the world but they have been held back by fear. After hearing my testimony, they all came up to me and said they are going to go into the harvest now and proclaim the name of Jesus with no fear!
Everything about me is so honored and humbled that Jesus is using me in this way to touch people's lives and to call forth their destinies and callings that Jesus has for them. I'm just one little girl that chose to say yes to Him and to whatever He has for me, and now He is using me in bigger ways that I ever could imagine and this is just the beginning! That's the awesome yet scary part!
As you all may know by now, I am returning to Tete, Mozambique on May 9 where I will be serving for at least one year. Jesus has been so faithful and has been providing for this trip but since I will be living there with no job, I will need monthly support from people who feel called to sow into the Kingdom through finances. If this is you, I would love to have monthly supporters who are committed to praying and giving however much or however little Jesus tells you to. You can either send checks or cash to my church or donate on my Paypal link on this page. If sending to my church for a tax deductible receipt....
The Nest Church
318 5th Ave.
Franklin, TN 37064
Specify for Brooke's missions
My life back in the States has been super crazy the whole time! Jesus has so poured out His favor on me and has allowed me to travel around and speak at several places and share the testimony of what happened to Me, Nick, and Marlene, as well as the call on my life in missions. Ive been able to be with a bunch of my Harvest School 17 brothers and sisters as well and Jesus did a lot of healing in me through them. So beyond thankful for such a big family through Iris.
I had the privilege of going to Sarasota Florida to check out the Harvest School that was going on down there, and attended a conference that Mama Heidi and Papa Rolland Baker, Mel Tari, Brock Human, and Jason Lee Jones were leading. God totally set up divine encounters for me that week and I received prayers of impartation and commissioning from all of these incredibly anointed people who the Lord has used to impact the Kingdom on earth in more ways than I can imagine. One day Mama Heidi brought me to a lunch gathering with all of those people and many more amazing people in leadership. I was sitting there having lunch with them and being a family like its normal life, and I'm thinking to myself, "Wow who am I that I get to be a part of this family and do life with these amazing world changers?" I'm only 19 years old and that already happened to me. I can't imagine what the Lord is going to do in and through me in the future!!! It blows my mind to even think about.
At the conference, the last night, Mama Heidi asked me if I would share my testimony during the service. So I stood up on the stage in front of over 700 people and shared the testimony of what happened to us and that the enemy is not going to stop me. After I spoke, Mama Heidi hugged me and said "Brooke, I'm so proud of you. You have no idea what you just did, you just awakened a whole tribe of laid down lovers to go into the harvest with no fear!!!" That is exactly what happened, too. There have been so many people coming up to me and saying that they know they are called to missions whether across the street or across the world but they have been held back by fear. After hearing my testimony, they all came up to me and said they are going to go into the harvest now and proclaim the name of Jesus with no fear!
Everything about me is so honored and humbled that Jesus is using me in this way to touch people's lives and to call forth their destinies and callings that Jesus has for them. I'm just one little girl that chose to say yes to Him and to whatever He has for me, and now He is using me in bigger ways that I ever could imagine and this is just the beginning! That's the awesome yet scary part!
As you all may know by now, I am returning to Tete, Mozambique on May 9 where I will be serving for at least one year. Jesus has been so faithful and has been providing for this trip but since I will be living there with no job, I will need monthly support from people who feel called to sow into the Kingdom through finances. If this is you, I would love to have monthly supporters who are committed to praying and giving however much or however little Jesus tells you to. You can either send checks or cash to my church or donate on my Paypal link on this page. If sending to my church for a tax deductible receipt....
The Nest Church
318 5th Ave.
Franklin, TN 37064
Specify for Brooke's missions
Monday, March 18, 2013
It's The Little Things...
Since I've been back in the western world for over a week now, there are several things that I've noticed that I so took for granted before I went to Mozambique. Something so small and simple seems like a luxury to me since I haven't had it in almost 6 months. It's so easy to take things for granted until you are forced to go without it. So I just wanted to make a list of some of the random things that we should all be more thankful for every day (if you live in the west, of course!) .....
cream cheese
strawberry cream cheese
low fat cream cheese
blueberry cream cheese
so many other flavors of cream cheese
real cake
an actual scoop of thick and rich ice cream
Starbucks
thick crust pizza
Mexican food
sweet tea
two story houses, with stairs!!!
A HOT SHOWER
running water inside
washing machine and dryer
dish washer
queen size bed thats super comfy
air conditioning
an iPhone
a pantry and fridge full of food
public trash cans
a dresser to put clothes in instead of a suit case
a family that loves and encourages every day
a toilet
thick toilet paper
a toilet that you can actually flush the toilet paper instead of throwing it in a plastic bag
so many restaurants with different type of food
soooo many stores close by where we can buy anything we need/want
cheap gas prices (compared to Mozambique)
strawberries (and other yummy fruits)
coffee creamer
tons of different options for flavored coffee creamer
free wifi with good connection
bagels
Goldfish crackers
Sour Patch Kids candy
Forever21
instant access to whatever we want
fast food restaurants
zip lock bags
green grass instead of red dirt
having what seems like a normal size house for the west with two stories and 4 bedrooms, when you're used to a tiny cement home in a village
......
The list goes on and on. Those are just some random and some silly things that I've noticed since being back because I lived 6 months without all of that. It's so important to be thankful for what we have. Even something as simple as a turkey sandwich with real turkey and actual bread and cheese. Seriously.
I'm also learning to be able to enjoy all the luxuries of this world while I've been back. It's so easy to think I don't deserve it or feel guilty because my kids in Africa might not have all that I do here, but God has me here for a reason and He has blessed me with all of this so I should at least try to enjoy it while I have it!
cream cheese
strawberry cream cheese
low fat cream cheese
blueberry cream cheese
so many other flavors of cream cheese
real cake
an actual scoop of thick and rich ice cream
Starbucks
thick crust pizza
Mexican food
sweet tea
two story houses, with stairs!!!
A HOT SHOWER
running water inside
washing machine and dryer
dish washer
queen size bed thats super comfy
air conditioning
an iPhone
a pantry and fridge full of food
public trash cans
a dresser to put clothes in instead of a suit case
a family that loves and encourages every day
a toilet
thick toilet paper
a toilet that you can actually flush the toilet paper instead of throwing it in a plastic bag
so many restaurants with different type of food
soooo many stores close by where we can buy anything we need/want
cheap gas prices (compared to Mozambique)
strawberries (and other yummy fruits)
coffee creamer
tons of different options for flavored coffee creamer
free wifi with good connection
bagels
Goldfish crackers
Sour Patch Kids candy
Forever21
instant access to whatever we want
fast food restaurants
zip lock bags
green grass instead of red dirt
having what seems like a normal size house for the west with two stories and 4 bedrooms, when you're used to a tiny cement home in a village
......
The list goes on and on. Those are just some random and some silly things that I've noticed since being back because I lived 6 months without all of that. It's so important to be thankful for what we have. Even something as simple as a turkey sandwich with real turkey and actual bread and cheese. Seriously.
I'm also learning to be able to enjoy all the luxuries of this world while I've been back. It's so easy to think I don't deserve it or feel guilty because my kids in Africa might not have all that I do here, but God has me here for a reason and He has blessed me with all of this so I should at least try to enjoy it while I have it!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Restoration
Well I'm back in America for now. I apologize for not updating my blog until now. I've been super busy since I've been back in Nashville and just haven't had the time or words to write until right now.
I really feel like I'm supposed to write about what happened to Me, Nick, and Marlene three weeks ago. It's hard to believe it's been that long. It feels like it was just last night. So for those of you who don't know the whole story, I really feel like Jesus wants me to be completely open and honest and vulnerable with you about what happened and what we experienced.
It was three weeks ago on Friday, February 28 at 2:00 am. I was in my room in Nick and Marlene's house, where I had been living for the past three months after Harvest School, and I was sleeping because it was the middle of the night and everything then out of no where I was woken up to two guys talking in my bedroom. Now when I initially heard them, I didn't freak out because I thought it might have been some of our boys that we minister to because often times when something happens to them in the city or the police show up, they will come to our house no matter what time it is, for us to help them. So I assumed it was some of our boys and something happened and they came to my room first since it's closest to the front door. The lights were all off and I couldn't see who it was, so I reached for my phone to turn the flashlight on, which I always keep on my bed by my pillow, only to discover that it was gone. As soon as I realized my phone was gone, I knew these were not our boys and these guys were here to rob us. My heart began to race and my stomach was turning in knots and I didn't know what to do. By this point, the two men realized that I was awake and they came over to my bed and turned on a small flash light so I could at least see their faces, ripped my mosquito net off of me and started saying (in portuguese) "where is the money, where is the money, where is the money?" They were two men probably in their 30's, very angry and sweaty. I was trying to calm them down a bit and distract them because I knew why they were there. I then began trying to communicate with them with what little portuguese I do know and I said "wait, how are you? My name is Brooke, what's yours?" They ignored me and repeated to ask me where my money was. I told them I was a missionary and I didn't have very much money but I handed them my purse and they dumped everything out and took what little cash I had, my iPhone, iPad, video camera, headphones, and any other small things of value.
Once they discovered that I only had 1,000 mets which is around $30 US, they were even more angry and upset. Then they started tearing up my whole room just ripping everything apart and throwing stuff around trying to find anything of value at all and didn't find anything else. I told them I'm sorry I don't have much for them. Then the main guy who the other guy kept calling "Biggie" grabbed my arm and sat me up out of my bed and attempted to abuse me but the other guy was like "no we came here for money" and I began crying and was begging the guy to let me talk to my friends (Nick and Mar). He didn't know there were any other people in the house. I was like please I just need to talk to them. So he was like "ok fine" and cut the strap off of my camera bag and he tied my hands behind my back super tight to where i had cuts on my wrists. This whole time the second guy is standing over me holding a huge machete at my neck so I couldn't scream or anything. All I could do was pray in my mind and speak the name of Jesus over and over again. Once he got my hands all tied up, he took me to Nick and Mar's room and I yelled for them to come out and I told Nick to come first and grab something! Mar knew what was going on, right away. Nick grabbed something to hit the guy with but as soon as he opened the door, the guy grabbed it from him and almost hit him with the knife and pushed us all on the bed and tied up our hands and feet. One guy stayed in the room with us the whole time and the other guy went around the whole house and started grabbing everything and stuffing it in Nick and Mar's luggage. They took our TV off the wall, 3 iPhone's, 2 iPad's, 2 video camera's, and all their chargers, 1 super nice Canon camera, a bunch of money, headphones, 1 MacBook Pro with all the videos and pictures of our boys on it, and so many more little things of value. They didn't take any of our credit cards, passports, documents, or car praise Jesus!
After they gathered everything that they wanted, they came in the bedroom with us and the main guy, "Biggie" grabbed Marlene and took her into my room by themselves and he tried to abuse her as well and we just heard her screaming in the other room and we couldn't do anything, we were so helpless sitting there tied up. Nick said several times "please you can kill me, just save my wife and leave her alone" the guys didn't care tho. Later after everything happened Mar told us that while she was in my room, he was trying to abuse her and she was fighting him and he punched her in the mouth three times and dislocated her jaw and cause her top lip to swell up like crazy. They finally brought her back in the room with us and then he took me again to the living room and since my feet were already tied, he was pretty much dragging me and slamming me into the walls and i got several bruises from this. He threw my on the couch in the living room and said in english "you do this, ok, you no do this, I kill you're friends". Oh Jesus! That's all I could say was the name of Jesus and pray that He would protect me! As he was trying to abuse me, he physically couldn't and finally stopped trying and took me back to the bedroom with Nick and Mar. They then took t shirts and stuffed them in our mouths and cut a towel into strips and tied the shirts in our mouths super tight so we couldn't scream when they left.
They turned of all the lights and took all our stuff and left the house with us helpless and all tied up on the bed. Only by an angel, Mar was able to slip one foot out of the rope and she ran to the kitchen and grabbed one of our small kitchen knifes and while her hands were tied behind her back, she cut my hands free then we all began cutting the ropes off of each other. We threw some clothes on and ran around waking up our Mozambican neighbors making sure they were ok. Went to the Cain's house (missionary family that was with us at the time) and borrowed their iPhone and tried to deal with the police and everything. We grabbed the rest of our important things like passports and documents and such and went to some of our friends house there at around 5 am after everything settled down a bit. We know this AMAZING couple, mama Gigi and papa JB who are from Zimbabwe and they opened up their beautiful home to us to stay and rest for a couple days after everything happened.
SO much stuff happened that weekend right after it happened and we didn't feel safe staying in that house anymore so we went back the next day and packed up every single thing and moved it to a storage shed on mama Gigi and papa JB's land and it will stay there until Nick and Mar can find another house to rent and live in until we get our home built on the Shekinah land.
The day after it all happened, we got a phone call from Mama Heidi Baker and she said that she was sending Papa Rolland in the Iris plane to come get us and take us to Pemba so we could be with our Iris family and rest and receive healing. That was such an amazing answer to prayer! We got that call, then two days later we were in Pemba receiving so much love from the Baker's and the whole Iris team and all my beautiful kids there. I couldn't think of a more perfect place for us to have gone than right there at that perfect timing.
This whole situation was the scariest thing that has ever ever ever happened to me and I never thought that it would ever happen to me, but it did! I was completely terrified the whole time and literally thought I was going to be seriously abused or killed. I've never been so scared in my life. But even in the midst of my fear, I had a peace that Jesus was holding me through it. He really gave me, Nick, and Mar a crazy unconditional love for the two men that did these awful things to us. It makes absolutely no sense to my human mind that we could actually love the men that did these nasty things to us, but we did. We still do. We know it was the enemy working through them. We want the police to catch these guys so we can minister to them and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them. We want to see their lives radically changed for Jesus and transformed for the Kingdom.
It was just two weeks before all of this happened, that God told me to come back to Tete in May and serve long term. Then the enemy attacks with this crazy situation and I really felt him lying to me and saying "you really want to come back here? you see what I can do to you. I can actually hurt you. You should just go back home to Tennessee where you're safe with your family." Believe it or not, this gave me more of a confirmation that Tete is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Those lies gave me more of a motivation to go back soon and show the enemy that he CANNOT stop me! I'm going to go back and I'm going to fulfill the calling that God has for my life there. I have absolutely no idea what all Papa has for me there, but I just know that's where I'm called, so I'm saying no to the things of the world and putting a hold on college, to follow where God is calling me to go. I have such a peace and confirmation that this is what needs to happen and nothing can change that!
I'm back in Nashville now for two months until I head back in May for long term. I have no idea how long I will stay this time, but at least for a year! Jesus has been so amazing and He has already replaced literally every item that was stolen from us, He's replaced and upgraded them all! He is also providing finances for me like crazy for me to go back in May. I still need some help financially to go back to the place where I'm called to show the enemy that he's stupid. ;)
It's going to be a long healing process to get completely and totally deeply healed from the trauma that I experienced, but I'm so happy to say that Papa has been so good and definitely given me a peace and totally has begun the healing process!
I really feel like I'm supposed to write about what happened to Me, Nick, and Marlene three weeks ago. It's hard to believe it's been that long. It feels like it was just last night. So for those of you who don't know the whole story, I really feel like Jesus wants me to be completely open and honest and vulnerable with you about what happened and what we experienced.
It was three weeks ago on Friday, February 28 at 2:00 am. I was in my room in Nick and Marlene's house, where I had been living for the past three months after Harvest School, and I was sleeping because it was the middle of the night and everything then out of no where I was woken up to two guys talking in my bedroom. Now when I initially heard them, I didn't freak out because I thought it might have been some of our boys that we minister to because often times when something happens to them in the city or the police show up, they will come to our house no matter what time it is, for us to help them. So I assumed it was some of our boys and something happened and they came to my room first since it's closest to the front door. The lights were all off and I couldn't see who it was, so I reached for my phone to turn the flashlight on, which I always keep on my bed by my pillow, only to discover that it was gone. As soon as I realized my phone was gone, I knew these were not our boys and these guys were here to rob us. My heart began to race and my stomach was turning in knots and I didn't know what to do. By this point, the two men realized that I was awake and they came over to my bed and turned on a small flash light so I could at least see their faces, ripped my mosquito net off of me and started saying (in portuguese) "where is the money, where is the money, where is the money?" They were two men probably in their 30's, very angry and sweaty. I was trying to calm them down a bit and distract them because I knew why they were there. I then began trying to communicate with them with what little portuguese I do know and I said "wait, how are you? My name is Brooke, what's yours?" They ignored me and repeated to ask me where my money was. I told them I was a missionary and I didn't have very much money but I handed them my purse and they dumped everything out and took what little cash I had, my iPhone, iPad, video camera, headphones, and any other small things of value.
Once they discovered that I only had 1,000 mets which is around $30 US, they were even more angry and upset. Then they started tearing up my whole room just ripping everything apart and throwing stuff around trying to find anything of value at all and didn't find anything else. I told them I'm sorry I don't have much for them. Then the main guy who the other guy kept calling "Biggie" grabbed my arm and sat me up out of my bed and attempted to abuse me but the other guy was like "no we came here for money" and I began crying and was begging the guy to let me talk to my friends (Nick and Mar). He didn't know there were any other people in the house. I was like please I just need to talk to them. So he was like "ok fine" and cut the strap off of my camera bag and he tied my hands behind my back super tight to where i had cuts on my wrists. This whole time the second guy is standing over me holding a huge machete at my neck so I couldn't scream or anything. All I could do was pray in my mind and speak the name of Jesus over and over again. Once he got my hands all tied up, he took me to Nick and Mar's room and I yelled for them to come out and I told Nick to come first and grab something! Mar knew what was going on, right away. Nick grabbed something to hit the guy with but as soon as he opened the door, the guy grabbed it from him and almost hit him with the knife and pushed us all on the bed and tied up our hands and feet. One guy stayed in the room with us the whole time and the other guy went around the whole house and started grabbing everything and stuffing it in Nick and Mar's luggage. They took our TV off the wall, 3 iPhone's, 2 iPad's, 2 video camera's, and all their chargers, 1 super nice Canon camera, a bunch of money, headphones, 1 MacBook Pro with all the videos and pictures of our boys on it, and so many more little things of value. They didn't take any of our credit cards, passports, documents, or car praise Jesus!
After they gathered everything that they wanted, they came in the bedroom with us and the main guy, "Biggie" grabbed Marlene and took her into my room by themselves and he tried to abuse her as well and we just heard her screaming in the other room and we couldn't do anything, we were so helpless sitting there tied up. Nick said several times "please you can kill me, just save my wife and leave her alone" the guys didn't care tho. Later after everything happened Mar told us that while she was in my room, he was trying to abuse her and she was fighting him and he punched her in the mouth three times and dislocated her jaw and cause her top lip to swell up like crazy. They finally brought her back in the room with us and then he took me again to the living room and since my feet were already tied, he was pretty much dragging me and slamming me into the walls and i got several bruises from this. He threw my on the couch in the living room and said in english "you do this, ok, you no do this, I kill you're friends". Oh Jesus! That's all I could say was the name of Jesus and pray that He would protect me! As he was trying to abuse me, he physically couldn't and finally stopped trying and took me back to the bedroom with Nick and Mar. They then took t shirts and stuffed them in our mouths and cut a towel into strips and tied the shirts in our mouths super tight so we couldn't scream when they left.
They turned of all the lights and took all our stuff and left the house with us helpless and all tied up on the bed. Only by an angel, Mar was able to slip one foot out of the rope and she ran to the kitchen and grabbed one of our small kitchen knifes and while her hands were tied behind her back, she cut my hands free then we all began cutting the ropes off of each other. We threw some clothes on and ran around waking up our Mozambican neighbors making sure they were ok. Went to the Cain's house (missionary family that was with us at the time) and borrowed their iPhone and tried to deal with the police and everything. We grabbed the rest of our important things like passports and documents and such and went to some of our friends house there at around 5 am after everything settled down a bit. We know this AMAZING couple, mama Gigi and papa JB who are from Zimbabwe and they opened up their beautiful home to us to stay and rest for a couple days after everything happened.
SO much stuff happened that weekend right after it happened and we didn't feel safe staying in that house anymore so we went back the next day and packed up every single thing and moved it to a storage shed on mama Gigi and papa JB's land and it will stay there until Nick and Mar can find another house to rent and live in until we get our home built on the Shekinah land.
The day after it all happened, we got a phone call from Mama Heidi Baker and she said that she was sending Papa Rolland in the Iris plane to come get us and take us to Pemba so we could be with our Iris family and rest and receive healing. That was such an amazing answer to prayer! We got that call, then two days later we were in Pemba receiving so much love from the Baker's and the whole Iris team and all my beautiful kids there. I couldn't think of a more perfect place for us to have gone than right there at that perfect timing.
This whole situation was the scariest thing that has ever ever ever happened to me and I never thought that it would ever happen to me, but it did! I was completely terrified the whole time and literally thought I was going to be seriously abused or killed. I've never been so scared in my life. But even in the midst of my fear, I had a peace that Jesus was holding me through it. He really gave me, Nick, and Mar a crazy unconditional love for the two men that did these awful things to us. It makes absolutely no sense to my human mind that we could actually love the men that did these nasty things to us, but we did. We still do. We know it was the enemy working through them. We want the police to catch these guys so we can minister to them and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them. We want to see their lives radically changed for Jesus and transformed for the Kingdom.
It was just two weeks before all of this happened, that God told me to come back to Tete in May and serve long term. Then the enemy attacks with this crazy situation and I really felt him lying to me and saying "you really want to come back here? you see what I can do to you. I can actually hurt you. You should just go back home to Tennessee where you're safe with your family." Believe it or not, this gave me more of a confirmation that Tete is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Those lies gave me more of a motivation to go back soon and show the enemy that he CANNOT stop me! I'm going to go back and I'm going to fulfill the calling that God has for my life there. I have absolutely no idea what all Papa has for me there, but I just know that's where I'm called, so I'm saying no to the things of the world and putting a hold on college, to follow where God is calling me to go. I have such a peace and confirmation that this is what needs to happen and nothing can change that!
I'm back in Nashville now for two months until I head back in May for long term. I have no idea how long I will stay this time, but at least for a year! Jesus has been so amazing and He has already replaced literally every item that was stolen from us, He's replaced and upgraded them all! He is also providing finances for me like crazy for me to go back in May. I still need some help financially to go back to the place where I'm called to show the enemy that he's stupid. ;)
It's going to be a long healing process to get completely and totally deeply healed from the trauma that I experienced, but I'm so happy to say that Papa has been so good and definitely given me a peace and totally has begun the healing process!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Connected
I'm connected to the world again! Just arrived back to Tennessee yesterday from my beloved Mozambique. Wanted to give a quick update...
I will post more detailed updates soon but right now just wanted to let everyone know that I am going back to Tete in May. Despite what the enemy did and all the attacks that we encountered, I still have peace and confirmation that I am supposed to go back and serve with Nick and Marlene and be with our Shekinah boys. Papa specifically told me to go back in May, two weeks before the big attack. I really felt the enemy lying to me and saying "you really want to go back to Tete? You see what I can do to you. I can stop you." Most people would be scared and run back to where they feel safe and are comfortable. But this lie actually gave me more of a confirmation that that's where I'm supposed to be and where God wants me. If God has such a huge calling on my life that the enemy wants to try to stop at that level, then I have no choice but to chase after it with all that I have. I'm going to return to Tete and fulfill the calling that I have there, that I don't even know about yet!
I'm asking you to please join me in prayer and support as I prepare to return to where my heart is in Tete in May. I know that He is going to provide all that I need! He holds it all in His precious, mighty hands. You are all so beautiful and I seriously can't thank you enough for praying for me and supporting me so much.
I've added a Paypal box to my blog so that will be the easiest way if Papa calls you to sow into my missions and helping to send me back to Tete.
Once I get settled in a bit, I will write more posts and share what all has been going on in my life the past few weeks.
I will post more detailed updates soon but right now just wanted to let everyone know that I am going back to Tete in May. Despite what the enemy did and all the attacks that we encountered, I still have peace and confirmation that I am supposed to go back and serve with Nick and Marlene and be with our Shekinah boys. Papa specifically told me to go back in May, two weeks before the big attack. I really felt the enemy lying to me and saying "you really want to go back to Tete? You see what I can do to you. I can stop you." Most people would be scared and run back to where they feel safe and are comfortable. But this lie actually gave me more of a confirmation that that's where I'm supposed to be and where God wants me. If God has such a huge calling on my life that the enemy wants to try to stop at that level, then I have no choice but to chase after it with all that I have. I'm going to return to Tete and fulfill the calling that I have there, that I don't even know about yet!
I'm asking you to please join me in prayer and support as I prepare to return to where my heart is in Tete in May. I know that He is going to provide all that I need! He holds it all in His precious, mighty hands. You are all so beautiful and I seriously can't thank you enough for praying for me and supporting me so much.
I've added a Paypal box to my blog so that will be the easiest way if Papa calls you to sow into my missions and helping to send me back to Tete.
Once I get settled in a bit, I will write more posts and share what all has been going on in my life the past few weeks.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Big Changes
Big Changes
Well as most of you may know by now, God has called me to come back here to Tete in May and live here as a long term missionary for at least one year. I return back to Nashville in only 2 weeks from today! That gives me 2 months at home before I come back to Tete. This was really unexpected for me but I have absolutely no doubt that this is where Jesus wants me. I just want to share my heart and tell you why I feel like this is my new home!
Originally I was supposed to go to Harvest School for 3 months, come and intern here in Tete with Pioneer61 for another three months, go home, and start college in the fall. Well Papa God has other plans for me that he just told me last week...
Since I've been here almost three full months, God has given me such a sister heart for our Shekinah boys and He has allowed me to fall so in love with all of them and feel His heart toward them. The boys don't usually love or trust anyone other than Nick and Marlene, but they began to love and trust me not that long after I got here. That can only be from Jesus! I truly feel that they are my brothers and the more time I spend with them, the more I get to know them, the more I know how to pray for them and how to deal with them and care for them. Some things that the boys told Marlene were, "We know Tia Brooke loves us and we trust her and she takes good care of us."
My heart is here with my boys and God told me very specifically that I am to come back and move into the Shekinah Healing Home with them and be a long term missionary and continue take care of these boys and be their big sister. It looks like the home might be finished being built around July or August so that's when I was planning on coming back, but due to an unexpected situation with our only other missionaries leaving to go back home to the States, my help is much needed sooner rather than later. So as soon as we found out the news about the other missionaries leaving, my heart stopped and Jesus was like "You need to come back sooner, in May." It was that clear and short. One little sentence that is changing my life.
The more I prayed about it and talked to Nick and Marlene, the more peace and confirmation I had about the whole thing. Basically what my role will look like when I come back is, I'll be the boys big sister living in the home, making sure they stay on top of their school work, chores, ect. And caring for them. I'll also be taking on an administrative role and help with schedules and booking teams to come and such. One thing that I'm super excited about is that I will be teaching some of the boys music and the heart of worship. We have a few boys that I believe really have a worship leader call on their lives and I feel like I'm supposed to help guide them in that direction and teach them all that I know and impart that gift into them. I will be purchasing a keyboard from the missionaries that are leaving, and they are donating their guitar. I can't wait to see what all the Holy Spirit does during that worship time, I'm so excited!
This is Gods will for my life and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than in His will. School, job, family, ect is all going to have to wait because this is what He's calling me to do now!
I'm asking you all to pray with me as I finish out my last two weeks here and head home to share my story and raise support to come back in May. I know that Jesus will provide all that I need, so will you join me in reaching into heaven and pulling down all the finances in the Name of Jesus?!
The main thing I need is prayer warriors standing by my side and encouraging me and sharing my story and Pioneer61's story to raise support for me and to finish building the boys home. We need some serious finances to finish the home and we need to get the boys off the streets ASAP!!
Thank you so much for all the encouragement and for keeping up with all my updates and wanting to stay involved. It means more than you know!
I can't wait to come back to my boys in May, my little treasures in the darkness.
Isaiah 45
Well as most of you may know by now, God has called me to come back here to Tete in May and live here as a long term missionary for at least one year. I return back to Nashville in only 2 weeks from today! That gives me 2 months at home before I come back to Tete. This was really unexpected for me but I have absolutely no doubt that this is where Jesus wants me. I just want to share my heart and tell you why I feel like this is my new home!
Originally I was supposed to go to Harvest School for 3 months, come and intern here in Tete with Pioneer61 for another three months, go home, and start college in the fall. Well Papa God has other plans for me that he just told me last week...
Since I've been here almost three full months, God has given me such a sister heart for our Shekinah boys and He has allowed me to fall so in love with all of them and feel His heart toward them. The boys don't usually love or trust anyone other than Nick and Marlene, but they began to love and trust me not that long after I got here. That can only be from Jesus! I truly feel that they are my brothers and the more time I spend with them, the more I get to know them, the more I know how to pray for them and how to deal with them and care for them. Some things that the boys told Marlene were, "We know Tia Brooke loves us and we trust her and she takes good care of us."
My heart is here with my boys and God told me very specifically that I am to come back and move into the Shekinah Healing Home with them and be a long term missionary and continue take care of these boys and be their big sister. It looks like the home might be finished being built around July or August so that's when I was planning on coming back, but due to an unexpected situation with our only other missionaries leaving to go back home to the States, my help is much needed sooner rather than later. So as soon as we found out the news about the other missionaries leaving, my heart stopped and Jesus was like "You need to come back sooner, in May." It was that clear and short. One little sentence that is changing my life.
The more I prayed about it and talked to Nick and Marlene, the more peace and confirmation I had about the whole thing. Basically what my role will look like when I come back is, I'll be the boys big sister living in the home, making sure they stay on top of their school work, chores, ect. And caring for them. I'll also be taking on an administrative role and help with schedules and booking teams to come and such. One thing that I'm super excited about is that I will be teaching some of the boys music and the heart of worship. We have a few boys that I believe really have a worship leader call on their lives and I feel like I'm supposed to help guide them in that direction and teach them all that I know and impart that gift into them. I will be purchasing a keyboard from the missionaries that are leaving, and they are donating their guitar. I can't wait to see what all the Holy Spirit does during that worship time, I'm so excited!
This is Gods will for my life and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than in His will. School, job, family, ect is all going to have to wait because this is what He's calling me to do now!
I'm asking you all to pray with me as I finish out my last two weeks here and head home to share my story and raise support to come back in May. I know that Jesus will provide all that I need, so will you join me in reaching into heaven and pulling down all the finances in the Name of Jesus?!
The main thing I need is prayer warriors standing by my side and encouraging me and sharing my story and Pioneer61's story to raise support for me and to finish building the boys home. We need some serious finances to finish the home and we need to get the boys off the streets ASAP!!
Thank you so much for all the encouragement and for keeping up with all my updates and wanting to stay involved. It means more than you know!
I can't wait to come back to my boys in May, my little treasures in the darkness.
Isaiah 45
Friday, January 25, 2013
What He Said...
I just finished reading Heidi and Rolland Baker's new book, "Learning to Love", and it completely wrecked me. Every chapter had something in it that blew my mind. I highly recommend it for everyone to read!
I just wanted to share this poem that is written at the end of the book because it pretty much sums up what I wrote about in my last post that I wrote. I hope Papa speaks to you through it like He did for me!
For The One
"Jesus gave His life for me,
He took away my pain,
He made beat this heart of mine
So I could love again.
In return I asked Him,
What I could give away,
He showed me things
That break His heart,
And then I heard Him say.
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree.
When you just stop for the one.
He showed me orphans on the street,
Their faces full of fear,
Always hungry, always cold,
Always death is near.
Girls in flimsy dresses,
Watching men drive past,
Trading on their kisses,
Every kiss their last.
He said...
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree,
When you just stop for the one.
I saw boys without a purpose
Become men before their time.
Every day a little worse,
Driven into crime.
Drugs to ease the sorrow,
Never kill the pain,
Peace lasts 'till tomorrow,
Then it all starts up again.
Jesus stopped for the children
And the thief on Calvary,
For the woman at the water well,
And then He stopped for me.
He said go love another,
Until the battle's done,
In this world you will have trouble,
But victory shall come.
He said...
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree.
Just stop for the one,
Until My will is done,
Here on earth,
As you just ... stop ... for ... the ... one."
(Claire Vorster, 2012)
I just wanted to share this poem that is written at the end of the book because it pretty much sums up what I wrote about in my last post that I wrote. I hope Papa speaks to you through it like He did for me!
For The One
"Jesus gave His life for me,
He took away my pain,
He made beat this heart of mine
So I could love again.
In return I asked Him,
What I could give away,
He showed me things
That break His heart,
And then I heard Him say.
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree.
When you just stop for the one.
He showed me orphans on the street,
Their faces full of fear,
Always hungry, always cold,
Always death is near.
Girls in flimsy dresses,
Watching men drive past,
Trading on their kisses,
Every kiss their last.
He said...
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree,
When you just stop for the one.
I saw boys without a purpose
Become men before their time.
Every day a little worse,
Driven into crime.
Drugs to ease the sorrow,
Never kill the pain,
Peace lasts 'till tomorrow,
Then it all starts up again.
Jesus stopped for the children
And the thief on Calvary,
For the woman at the water well,
And then He stopped for me.
He said go love another,
Until the battle's done,
In this world you will have trouble,
But victory shall come.
He said...
Just stop for the one,
Until My kingdom comes,
From the smallest seed,
Comes a mighty tree.
Just stop for the one,
Until My will is done,
Here on earth,
As you just ... stop ... for ... the ... one."
(Claire Vorster, 2012)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Lower Still
Papa God told me to start waking up earlier and taking walks with him and run to get exercise. Today was the first day to start. I want to share a little bit of what I saw and experienced as I walked through our little village of M'Padue.
6:00 in the morning during rainy season, gray cloudy skies with mist in the air, men walking along the side of the road on their way to work somewhere, mamas with babies on their backs sitting in the mud and selling random objects, goats and cows passing me on either side and splashing in all the mud puddles, young girls carrying huge buckets on their heads walking a long way to the river just to get water for the day, children playing, laughing, and waving their hands as an "Azungu" (white person) passes by them. Every person that I saw, stared at me as I walked past simply because they are not used to white people taking a walk through their village.
I could see such curiosity in their faces as they looked at me. "Why is this white girl here and what is she doing?" Not in a rude way but only because all the foreign people that are here in Tete are here for business and they live in the city with big houses and are wealthy and hardly ever step foot in the villages. They have never seen a white person move to their village only because of the love of Jesus.
The house that we are living in right now is in the village of M'Padue which is about 20 minutes from the city where our boys are living in the streets. The land that we have and are building the Shekinah home on is in this village.
It's all about becoming lower still. In order to love people where they are at, we must first get down to their level. This morning as I walked past all these beautiful souls, I simply said "Bon dia!" (goodmorning) and it put a smile on their faces. Something so easy can change someone's whole attitude and bring them joy. It speaks volumes to them that we have left everything we know and are comfortable with in the states, and are now living here in this completely unfamiliar territory. No running water in the house, ever. Every night we have to fill all of our buckets full of water from our faucet outside if we want to have water for each day. No hot water for a normal shower. Only cold water to take a bucket shower. We are very blessed to have electricity and a TV but our power goes out quite frequently. I could go on for a while about the differences in how I live in the States and how I live here, but none of it really matters. The only thing that matters is if I am becoming as low as I can and loving my Papa God with everything I have in me regardless of my living circumstances, and if I'm loving the person in front of me like He does and getting on their level.
We are here to minister to our boys first, but we can still show love and share Jesus with our own neighbors here. Thats one thing God has been showing me. We can stop and love anyone we come in contact with. Lowering ourselves for love.
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