"PRAY WITH EXPECTATION!!"

We had a short term team down here about a month ago now and it was a huge blessing to the work we are currently doing here. Jessica and I started working together in January and have had some challenges. Not only did we have to adjust to one another but we also had to adjust to starting with nothing; no contacts, no leads, and actually no idea where to start. I then burned my feet and we were out a month where I could do little to nothing. It has been hard but with this team in May it really helped us get some things moving.

There were many different ministry events going on along with some intense prayer times during this short term trip. Jessica and I were in charge of the Prayer times, the Flash Mob, and Cultural fair. The Flash Mob was a fun event that caught a lot of attention. We weren't sure if we were going to connect with anyone since this was way out of the box evangelism,  but since this event we have had a lot of luck meeting with people so we can start investing in lives. It has been awesome to meet so many young women who are generally interested in what God has for them. Here is a link to the Flash Mob we did and if you are confused about what a Flash mob is you can catch it here - http://vimeo.com/68932393

The Cultural Fair was an event that was born out of many different ideas. We had 2 other pairs of 40/40's plus Jessica and I working to put on the event that included photos of famous people, dance workshops, baking workshops, carnival games, English lessons, and an evangelism station. So once people started showing up we had people going through all the stations ending up talking to Pastor Elvin who was able to lead them through the salvation message. His table was never empty for very long.

Finally Jessica and I were able to organize all the prayer times. We started with a journey through the city that allowed the short termers to get to know the city and be able to lay the groundwork of prayer for the events we were going to be doing. Prayer walks can be challenging as prayer is very intimidating for many people and can be very frightening for some to take part in. Jessica and I had been reading books and looking up many different resources for prayer that we wanted to present in a fun and interesting way. We wanted to be able to impact lives not only here in Arequipa but the lives of the Short Term Team and those people within their personal ministry areas at home.  Our goal for the time the short termers were here was that they would pray for a total of 24 hours and that was accomplished. God worked through this time; on the people of Arequipa, on the college students that were here, and in my personal life. One thing that was said over and over by many people to be "Praying with Expectation." That means praying that even in the rain (when no sane Arequipaeno will leave his or her house) that there is someone out on the street. That means praying that this little flyer that most people would throw away gets someone to come to an event that changed their life.  That means praying that even though a baking workshop that started out with 3 people can become an event that fills the church to the top. Praying in faith that God is and will already be working in the lives of everyone. I was stretched and moved by the people that I was trying to stretch and move. It was an amazing and powerful experience.

I have been a part of many different short term projects that have always impacted me in some way. We have said as a church that prayer is the foundation of everything we do. I can now honestly say that it is a foundation that everything needs to be built on. That is the impact that this team has left me with, they believed that prayer changes thing and there is no way I can doubt that now. So thank you to this team and I am super excited to see what God is going to do as we get closer to Love Extreme.  

Back in Arequipa

After looking at my last blog post I came to the realization that this Blog should have came a lot sooner, especially since I saw that the last time I posted a report was back in October. Since that time I have left Paraguay, been home for vacation, and arrived back in Arequipa, Peru. Before I go into why I am now in Arequipa, Peru I would like to share about the last few months of my time in Paraguay. 

God blessed us immensely while we were in Paraguay and we saw many lives changed. One specific story about God changing lives that I would like to share is about Graciela. While working in Paraguay we met many different people who were all looking for many different things. Graciela was looking for some help. She did not have many clothes, food, or even a way to get back to her house. Two of the boys from our team met Graciela as they were walking around the neighborhood and invited her back to the church so my partner and I could speak with her. We talked for a while, prayed for her, and then sent her on her way home with some money for the bus ride and a little bit of fruit. We also invited her to church. As you may know, if everyone we ever invited to church came we would have reached the goal of 1,000 members attending the Church in Asuncion a long time ago. However not everyone comes... in fact very few ever come. So we were not surprised when Graciela didn't show up for church. However, I was surprised when early one morning about a month and a half later, shortly before service started there was Graciela standing at the gate calling my name. Graciela has now been attending regularly and has even brought a friend with her. She is attending discipleship classes and I believe that one day she will be a leader in the church.

Our goal when we arrived in Paraguay was to see a church with 1000 members in attendance and while we didn’t see that goal reached while we were there we did see God at work and great things happening. The church is now averaging over 100 people every service. With the missionary teams leaving in December there has been many new leaders who have stepped forward to take on many different responsibilities within the church. The church has also started doing different outreach events starting in kid’s homes around the church. One area of growth that impacted me the most while I was in Paraguay was seeing the growth of the teenagers. At the church there is a small dirt soccer field and many of the teens used to come hang out and play and then the moment something church related started they left as fast as possible. Now they have started attending youth group and getting involved with what is happening at the church. It is something amazing!

With all of these victories in Christ we have also had some very challenging moments. Our team has experienced the loss of many team members since I started in April of 2011, leaving only three people on the ground in Paraguay at the beginning of December, with the latest four members leaving the field in November. With the latest shift of team members leaving it signaled a change Extreme’s Paraguay project as well as my missionary journey. Local leadership is now completely leading the church in Asuncion as it continues to grow and reach others for Christ. Mike and myself have been asked to join the team that is on the ground in Arequipa, Peru - which is where I am writing to you from. This is an exciting change because we get to be apart of Extreme South America!!! By the way if you have not heard about Extreme South America check is out here.

After spending Christmas with my family in the states I have made arrived back in Arequipa, Peru. My new partner, Jessica, and I have started our work and recently were able to open a cell group, or as they are called here: Casa Abierta (Open House). We have also been calling and visiting contacts as we start getting into the swing of things. I am so excited for the future here in Peru and I know that I will see more of God hand at work as we continue.

I would like to share a few items to be praying for:

• With the change of coming to Peru came a commitment of 6 additional months of missionary service in Peru, which means instead of coming home in June I will finish my service in December 2013. Pray for faithfulness and strength for these additional months.
• After 20 months of service here is South America I have come to realize that a year in not much time and we have a huge job ahead of us! Pray now that we will stay focused on the goal and not become discouraged.
• Pray for the 2 Casa Abiertas that we currently are working with and the host families of Delsi and Diory.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has been with me through this point of my journey. It has been hard, but your prayers and support are valued and felt. I cannot express how much it means to have faithful people journeying together with me.

In closing I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially. If you would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Peru Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient way to donate is direct withdrawal from a bank account as credit cards have fees associated with them so not everything you donate makes it to the mission field. Thanks in advance.

Only 4 Months Later?!

My mother kindly reminded me the other day that I said I was going to write a blog once a week. As you can see if you have looked at my last blog it has been about 4 months! 

In July Paty, Juliano, Camila, and I went to a youth camp for the district. It was a great opportunity to see how God is working in Paraguay! We also got to meet many new people and now we have some friends we can hang out with from time to time. We were also in middle of planning for a short term team that was coming in August.

In August we had a short term team which included my parents, sister and some others from my church. It was also awesome to see some people that were with me during Love Extreme and during the time when I faced with a lot of decisions in regards to my missionary journey. We had many different activities going on during the short term team like: Hospital visits, Plaza events, Living water, and School visits. There were a lot of new contacts brought in that we followed up on and are following up with to this day.

In September we went to Argentina again and stayed for about three days. While there we helped with some outreach events and some workshops. The church in Argentina is made up of mostly young adults so we had the oppurtunity to share with them about commitment and how important it is to be in the church with other believers. I also was able to preach and talk about how we need to be preparing now for what God has for us. It was an awesome and refreshing trip for everyone.

 This month we have been working in the community around the Church. We have tried to go out and meet new people by going to different parks and just walking around our neighborhood. As we were walking this last Wednesday we found a park we had never seen before. There was a group of boys playing soccer, some of their mothers, and a teenage girl with her 2 year old cousin. We sat down near them and the two year old came over to me. He started talking to me but I did not understand anything he said. He was so cute! He continued talking to me and everyone was watching us. He then decided to give me a big wet kiss on my cheek. While we were talking a firework went off and he got scared so he hugged me and then hid behind me. I ended up talking to his cousin also and gave her my number and told her we would see her next week. We also talked to a family while we were there and they were really interested in talking to us again. So we have planned to return to the plaza and talk to them again this week.

It has been amazing to see what God is doing through us and in us here in Paraguay. As we continue over these next couple weeks I ask for Prayer for the team. We are getting close to our vacation time and are getting excited. It will be easy for us to lose our focus. We have also been going through another time of change within the group so please be praying that in the midst of change we will see a blessings for us all.

   

Something "Super Awesome"

I think many of you may have read my Facebook post and were wondering what was happening. Well this blog right here will tell you what it was about! But, let me tell you it was something “Super Awesome” and a great experience for me!

So for some background information before I get to the cool part: In Paraguay we are only allowed to stay three months with our visa. So every three months we cross the border into Argentina and get the stamp saying we left the country and then we return and get the stamp saying we can stay another 3 months. This past weekend was the weekend we headed to Argentina to be “renewed” for another 3 months in Paraguay. During this trip we had the opportunity to visit a Nazarene Church in Formosa, Argentina, present some workshops, and get to know the church there.

But in the weeks leading up to the trip there was some unrest within the Paraguayan Government. According to news reports the President of Paraguay was involved or tied to some land seizure and violence that caused the death of 17 people. Because of this the lower House voted to impeach him. The higher House also voted to impeach a day later, which meant the Vice President was sworn in as President. This caused a lot of unrest and there became a possibility that they would shut down the borders in and out of the country. Going to Argentina at this time was necessary, but I was worried we would not be let back into Paraguay.

We made it across the border and into Formosa, Argentina and the Pastor of the Church met us at the bus stop. We went on to the church to get ready for the service we were going to have that night. During the service we did a drama about how we don’t always answer God's call because life gets in the way and it was a really good illustration to go along with Felipe's message that night. It has been a little bit of time since I have been able to be part of a message that really spoke to me or that applied to my life at that exact moment when something is happening - but this message was one that did. In his message Felipe was sharing about Moses going to the burning bush and having to take of his shoes. I think I have only ever though of this moment as a time where Moses had to humble himself before God but Felipe used it as a way to say there are barriers – in this case the shoes - that keep us from doing God's work. This made me really think because even though I am doing God's work there are still things that scare me or I do not want to do. The service ended really late that night so we went back to the place we were staying.

The next morning we had some workshops at the church. Juliano gave the first workshop and one of the things he talked about was how we need to be praying for the people in the church before they even come and before we ever make contact with them. That night Pastor Felix gave the message and even though it was one that I have heard before I got more out of it then I did before. I have had many things that distract me while I have been here in Paraguay. Some of it is temptation and some of it is emotional stuff. But one thing Pastor said that really stuck with me and it may sound obvious to you all but it is to keep your eyes on Christ. When I let myself get distracted I lose the power I have from focusing on him. It was something that just finally clicked I guess.

After service we went to a party and ended up getting back to the house we were staying very late so I went straight to bed. I had been sleeping when I heard Camila say that Paty needed to pray. I thought it was a joke, not the praying part, just the way she said it so I was going to ask Paty to keep it down a little bit. But at that exact moment Paty was saying I do not know why I am praying for Paraguay but there is a need. When she finished, we all felt like we needed to pray more and Camilia said she had a vision or something like that. We went to the guy’s room and Camilia shared with us the vision. She said she saw a bunch of dead people outside of the Office of the President with dirt and bulldozers over the area. We prayed with her and that this vision of death would be lifted. We prayed for many other things having to do with the people of Paraguay and the issues it is facing. This moment was something awesome to be connected in prayer for Paraguay, which has become my country. At that moment I posted my Facebook status because I felt that more prayer then just our group was needed.

It is cool to see how God was working in the midst of all the turmoil in my life as well as the political turmoil. One of the things we have been focusing on this past week was Prayer and how important it is. We had been having 5am prayer this past week. I had to prepare a devotional this week for our team but instead of that I felt we needed to pray as a group. Cole and Kelly mentioned the need to pray and it came up in Juliano's workshop. I feel like all the focus on prayer this last week lead up to the intense prayer session we had on Saturday night. Something I have really needed lately from God is “answers.” I have been asking God to speak to me and show me what He has in store. I feel like God used this time in Argentina to really speak to me. Lots of stuff has happened to the team and I in Paraguay and all of it has been a huge wave of oppression. God used the events of the past week, the fear, the messages, the prayers, and the getting away from routine to help me see how much I have let the Satan’s  attacks steal my effectivesness.

I am so happy now that I had the opportunity to go to Argentina and now that I am back in Paraguay I am ready to go exactly where God is leading me! I do not think my blog post, however detailed it may be, can truly express how I am feeling right now and how much God worked in the two days I was in Argentina. I am so thankful for the God we have that gives us exactly what we need in exactly the right time.

As I finish this blog post I ask that you keep Paraguay in Prayer. What is happening here has not affected our work yet but if it continues it will become a problem. Paraguay needs help and I know God has something planned to get Paraguay through this time. People are going to come to know the Lord through this but to get to that point it will be rough. So pray for the people of Paraguay, pray for our protection, and pray for the government of Paraguay.

Finding Encouragement Part 2 - I guess that fits the best?

So after a little bit of a break from writing my blog - I am back again. My last blog title was "Finding Encouragement" and even after this short break I still feel like that could be the right name for this post also. If you remember from many of my others blogs I had shared how our team had been going through a lot of "stuff." With the loss of team members and lots of spiritual attacks it can, at times, be hard to keep pushing through without just throwing your hands in the air and saying “Why?” and yet that is when God comes along like only He can and offer that “situation” of encouragement.

One of the things that I have been dealing with is feeling like I have not made an impact. However God showed me differently this last Sunday. We had church in the local theater this past Sunday because we had a Impact Team with us. I was sitting in the back by myself waiting for church to start and one of the little boys from my Sunday school class ran up to me and said "teacher!" He was so excited to see me and he gave me a huge hug! He then proceeded to ask me why I was sitting all by myself. I explained to him that I had not found a spot yet. He then turned to his friend and said, “this is my teacher and we are going to sit with her" I don't think I can describe how much that touched my heart. In that moment I could see an impact that I was making on this one child's life.

Our God is a Big and Awesome God. He is able to take the worries we have, change them, and show us something that is going on in the midst of it all that encourages us. I say this because that is what He did with the Impact Team that was with us these past two weeks. A Impact Team is a group of people that come down, in this case it was a group of College students, and lend there support to us by helping put on events in all the different areas we are working in. I was worried about hosting an Impact Team being that we were the first 40/40’s in Paraguay and were still trying to figure out culture and what works and doesn't work. So to have a team down here that might watch us fail was not something I was looking forward to. However this team that came down was super excited to be here and they were willing to try anything. They knew we were stilling trying to figure things out and accepted the challenge. They had a passion for missions and a passion for Paraguay. So even though it was a crazy busy week and I was worried to begin with I was able to see the different ways that God was working through this group and in turn through the work we are doing.

Since they came down I already have new ideas of how we can try some different things so we can possibly be more effective in our ministry. I have also made new friends from this group who are now praying for Paraguay and the team here and they know specifically what the vision is and how we can accomplish it.

So after these past couple weeks the truth is: I am more tired then I have ever been, but I am also feeling more encouraged than ever for the work ahead and God's vision for me and Paraguay but even more for His vision for "me in Paraguay". 

Finding Encouragement

      I am not even sure how to start my blog this week. I fully believe that God has plans for Paraguay and is working hard through us and because of this there seems to be nonstop attacks on the Paraguay Mission Team. Looking back over my recent blog posts I can see an underlying theme consisting of a ton of roadblocks, a lot work with not a lot of results, and yet in the midst of it all there is a lot of good stuff happening.

      On Tuesdays we have been visiting a home for older men who fought in the war. These men are all very old and can hardly understand what we are saying but they are very happy when we come and visit them. It is great that we are able to share a little bit of Gods Word with them as we are there but I think one of my favorite things is knowing that this ministry opportunity was started by one of the contacts I have been working with. They had a desire to share with these men and they decided to follow that dream and took me along with them. It has been such a huge blessing.

      The Tuesday Cell Groups, there are 2 groups, have been consistent and I believe that good things are happening there. One group is with a family who I am blessed to say were actually all there for the first time this past week. This family has been through a lot and yet I am happy to tell you that I am able to see the small changes God is making in their lives. My second small group is with a woman from the church. She has a huge vision for the small group in her house and it is for it to grow and people to come to know Christ. Well this past Tuesday we are finally seeing the fruit of this desire happening! We had four new people in the group who accepted Christ for the first time, Praise the Lord!!!

       What is happening here in Paraguay are some huge victories and yet as I said in the opening these victories come with many and multiple attacks. These past couple weeks have been really hard weeks not only for me but the rest of my team also. Everyone has been having trouble sleeping along with there being a lot of stress. In the midst of these attacks there is a great praise in that Leon's partner finally got here. His name is Juliano and he is from Brasil. So be in prayer as Leon and the rest of the Team grow together as they continue this work. As we praise the arrival of this new teammate we also said goodbye to my original partner, Yoli, who after much prayer and discussion went home to continue her walk of faith in an environment that she can really grow and achieve all God desires for her. Because of everything surrounding all these activities I found myself very discouraged and tired – physically, mentally, and spiritually. And if all that wasn’t enough, it seemed like it was “transportation versus” me this week. Normally I don’t have much of a problem getting from here to there, but this week transportation was just one of those things that didn't go right. This only added to my discouragement as I had trouble making it to my cell groups on time.

Praises:

      The ministry with the men at the veteran home has been such a blessing and is the fruit of a contact.

      Leon’s partner, Juliano, which allows that component of our team to work to their fullest potential

      The Tuesday Cell Groups are showing signs of growth as God works in the individuals’ life within the cell goups.

Prayers:

      Rest and relieve from the stress we are being attacked by

      Pray also for the Team as a whole as we continue to grow together to carry out God’s plan for us

      Pray for me as I am without a partner for the time being as my partner went home. Please pray Yoli, who went home, and also be in prayer for the partner God has been preparing to replace her here on the team.

      Prayer also would be greatly appreciated for me in the area of finding encouragement in the midst of all the attacks all the way around me. Help me to see God at work in and around all that is going on here in Paraguay.

"Consistent" - thats a Praise

Hey guys! Don't worry I am still here and I did not fall off the face off the earth or anything exciting like that. The best way that I can describe these past weeks is that it seems like you are always busy and never have time to just stop and yet it seems like the amount of work I have been doing these past few weeks has decreased somewhat. It's that funny situation where there is a whole lot of little stuff that is taking up so much of the big time that it seems like there is less work and yet there is so much more going on - if that makes sense?


I did want to get a brief blog up though to let you know that our cell groups are going okay. They seem to be somewhat consistent in the times (which by the way is a great thing - consistent!) that we meet but we have yet to see a lot of numerical growth in our areas. So we will count "consistent" as a Praise and continue to push on and pray that God will give us the answers to help spur deeper growth both numerically and spiritually in these groups.


I am writing this to say I am not discouraged, only that I am trying and will try to trust in God's timing in regards to this growth. I also want to thank you for your prayers and support. It helps me get through these rough weeks of "busyness" knowing that I have people thinking and praying for me. 
Thanks for you prayers and looking forward to all God has in store as we continue the journey.






Thanks for all your continued prayers as they are felt! I also ask that you prayerfully consider joining my support team through prayer or financially or would like more information on how to join the team click the following link: Kelsey Extreme Paraguay Click to donate or join the prayer team and follow the steps provided. The most efficient is direct withdrawal from a bank account, credit cards have charges so not everything you donate will make it to the field with me. Thank you