life outside of construction

Well one glorious morning a week, I get to actually take a shower and fix my hair! I volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center in the city one day a week, and have been able to keep up that commitment even through this crazy time of construction and moving!
So apart from my normal work clothes, steel toed shoes, and hard hat one day a week, I actually get to get dressed up! And by dressed up, I just mean my clothes are normal and they don't have white jip rock powder all over them!

okay enough about my wardrobe. The real part that I love about it is the women. It is this amazing organization that has been set up to help women who find themselves in desperate situation and feel like they have a "problem" ... they fell pregnant. The center offers free pregnancy test, non diagnostic ultrasounds (for all you americans.. this is something we can't do in the states), counseling, and an unlimited amount of resources from all sorts of places to help women continue with their pregnancy.

Often women are in tough life situations and see the unexpected pregnancy as the problem.. we are able to speak truth about their options, their life situations, and often the women find out that the pregnancy isn't a problem.. it is the easiest thing to put in order in their life and is often the very thing that is used as a catalyst to change lots of other areas of their life. Isn't that great how God can use the development of life, the baby, to actually impact people outside the womb. World changers before they are even born!

I had the privilege to meet a women who was having the opposite problem of most women that we met. She was trying to conceive and she wasn't able to. She was worried because of previous decisions that she had made, that it was effecting her ability to conceive now. She was gripped and chained by fear. I could see it and hear it in her voice. It was great to give advice and resources for fertility clinics in the city that are christian based, but also to just open her mind to how her whole body needs to be taken into consideration for why she may not be getting pregnant. I know that sounds silly but because of where she was from and the world view of that country, then it felt like God wanted her to know that He cared about her emotions, her stress levels, and that He wanted her to be free in knowing she was okay physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was shaking her thought that emotion and spiritual wasn't a factor, that it was all just physical. Just speaking truth to her about how she needed to process things emotionally, and talk through past things and release herself from any guilt, or hurt was so exciting. I love how God pursues us and desires to free us all.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

a time to work...

The scripture in ecclesiastes was read out to us working on the property the other morning. "a time to mourn, a time to be glad, ect.." The encouragement was that this is a time to work... and work we have.

We are seeing amazing transformation come over the three buildings that we, as ywam, are rebuilding. Our due date for finish is next week, the 30th. We are working as hard as we can, and long hours and lots of prayer is going into the final bits of the project.  This time working on this building project has been so great for me. I love physical, hard work and this has been nothing short of that, but it has also just been so refreshing for my spirit. It really does break away the stereotype of what is secular or spiritual in working. Get someone saved, or build a wall.. we are seeing God's kingdom brought in both ways. These building are being built into our future classrooms and offices... we are going to see thousands of students come through these 14 class rooms and get changed by the power of Jesus and his words. We are going to be able to set up proper offices for our accounts and registration, to see hundreds of miracles God will do to provide money, or provide visa's to get people here. I guess being more of a literal person it is really fun to see the literal kingdom of God built through a building that will house His presence and work.

It has not come easy or without a cost.. but we are seeing God continually provide strength, supplies, and resources we need to keep working on this building. Please pray for these next three weeks. They are pretty crazy times for all of us on base. We move out of our current building ("base") next wed. and will be baseless for three or so weeks. Our main building is being built by a construction company and they are working hard as well. they have pushed back the due date a few times but are hopeful to be complete and moving in by christmas. So please pray quickness on that, and just help for us during transition. We have over 300 people that we are housing, feeding, and continuing class around the area, at staff houses, and local churches. Needless to say all of our regular schedules are off... what is a regular schedule?! =) 

I am amazed to see all this happen and be apart of this. We have seen millions of dollars donated to build this new base, a surplus of supplies, and people who are willing to come and build for free! We have testimony after testimony of calling supply stores, trying to find specific wood and not only finding it but after sharing what it is for, having them either give it to us for free or discount it at unbelievable rates! We have had two electricians, two sheet rockers, 2 plasters, and a carpenter all fly over from the east coast of australia, america, canada and volunteer and work for free to see this project complete. 

 I was reading in Job this morning in chapter 26 verse 14 it talks about "these are but the fringes of His ways..." Can you imagine... just the fringes of the work of God... If you imagine what that means is possible with Jesus. We all need to be running out in faith and truly believing in the impossible! What has God spoken over your life that looks impossible at the moment... move towards it. believe it can happen. Keep praying for it!  Like peter, when Jesus was walking on water, get out of the boat! Even if you sink, the Lord in His grace and mercy will reach out and lift you up, and lead you into a great place full of the promises He has over your life! 

Here are some pictures below... ( i promised one of me in all my work gear! haha.. although now the guy I work with insist that I wear this enormous tool belt that hangs down to my knees... so this isn't a true representation of just how "great" I look! =)

You are blessed to be a blessing

Yes these are steel toed shoes! 

This is the first building we worked on.... 

 This is the same building two weeks later! Praise the Lord... just needs some paint! 

 This is the first successful column put up by quenton and myself... the new jip rockers! 

 This is my team.. picking on joe as usually! Love my jip rockin' boys!

This is the second building... sry no before and after shots.. but it is looking good!