I'm going to India and Nepal for outreach!!! The official sign-ups were completed today and details on the locations were finally revealed. I was so excited I could hardly focus on finishing my waffle at breakfast.
Here's a condensed version of the long-awaited-for scoop:
We could choose to go to either Thailand or India and Nepal (you know which one I chose.) Three or four staff and six students will be on my outreach team. We will fly to Mumbai and work in their red light district for 2 weeks, then travel to Kathmandu, Nepal, and the surrounding villages working for about 6 weeks before returning to Las Vegas for our debrief. Kathmandu (pronounced kat-man-do) is very close to the base of the Himalayan Mountains, so the surrounding scenery is going to be absolutely beautiful. If we have internet, I guarantee pictures. We will work with families and villages affected by child trafficking: some Nepalese villages have no children under the age of 12.
Both India and Nepal will be rather cool, but Nepal will be frigid. You cannot fathom my excitement for the lack of heat: nothing sounds better than cold showers and cold nights. I don't consider myself to be high maintenance, but I'm re-evaluating that claim. We will be limited to one camping backpack, carrying sleeping bag, clothes, etc for 2 months. How am I going to do this?? Through Christ alone.
I am incredibly excited and I know that this is going to be quite the adventure. Despite being somewhat out of my comfort zone, I know we'll get used to the conditions and will most likely become so consumed with our work there that we will not even notice any discomfort. I'll tough it out.
Now that the teams are determined, we can begin to plan the practical details, such as figuring out how many needles I'll be stuck with and buying a trekking backpack.
Because I am so excited, I googled for pics of both Mumbai and the Kathmandu Valley. Isn't this picture of Kathmandu lovely?
Aloe Vera Juice.
P90X workouts.
The Bon Qui Qui "Ruuude" finger.
Awkwardfamilyphotos.com.
These are just a couple of our quirks/obsessions thus far (3 weeks into the school). Yes, we do indeed drink aloe vera, crowd around the computers to howl at awkward family photos, and then put ourselves through torture, aka an intense workout. Just so you have a visual of how we spend our free time... or a small portion of it. I hope that mental picture is helpful. You're very welcome. We also sit outside in 100 degree heat and drink hot tea in the evenings. I don't quite understand us sometimes.
Have you heard of prayer walks? I hadn't; not until Tuesday. As part of our local outreach, we did a prayer walk through our neighborhood and the surrounding streets. Our base is located within the 3 square miles with the highest crime rate in Las Vegas, so poverty is rampant in our area of the city. Drugs and prostitution are the two biggest problems: many people here are crack addicts. Poverty is a mindset: those in this mentality often place priority on appearance and vehicles instead of food, medicine or other basic necessities. As we walked down the streets in pairs, we prayed aloud for the ceasing of abuse, the oppression (one can almost feel the heaviness and spiritual darkness,) the sense of entitlement these people often hold, broken families, the drugs, and the sexual bondage on these streets. I had not fully explored my own neighborhood and was shocked to discover the vast number of churches just a few blocks from our base. Instead of feeling encouraged, I was sorely upset to see at least 7 or 8 churches within a few blocks from each other. Why, oh why, are there so many "Christians" in this area that come to worship but yet based on appearances, the neighborhood has experienced few, if any, positive effects? Why aren't the people in the churches doing more to reach out to those who are so obviously desperate and broken? These churches and their members need not be wealthy to minister and care for those who live on the same street as their building. Do they not care? Do they choose to turn a blind eye? Are they so hardened that they feel any efforts would be futile? I don't have the answers; this is just my commentary on our observations.
The Father heart of God was the focus of this week's lectures. Jeff Pratt, from Love146 and Axiom Global Monastic Community, spoke to us on the different ways God loves us and His heart for us to know Him as a father. Jeff led a time of ministry for us last night, providing us with an opportunity to confess and then receive prayer and healing. I assumed this week would be "easy," but no, it was incredibly intense (in a positive way) and most of us were broken, again. God continually reveals issues we need to deal with and remove from our lives. I am realizing more each day that this DTS is not about the destination, or the end of our school, but the journey itself in getting to know God better.
I think this is an awesome picture of all of us praying in the classroom. Photo courtesy of Sam Henderson.
I apologize this post is so lengthy: I feel as though I need a table of contents. Read it in its entirety and perhaps you can vicariously come to Vegas with me, to both the classroom and the Strip.
Here's a picture of the entire student and staff body for the August 2011 Abolitionist DTS!
I haven't really provided much information or resources on human trafficking, so here is an informative and short video on the reality of using humans as commodities.
It's a 5 minute education. Click on it. Watch it.
Phil Gazley, our speaker last week, introduced us to oft-overlooked types of exploitation such as sub-contracting and refugee warehousing. At-risk and runaway kids are at a high risk of falling prey to exploitation from pimps/traffickers, but so are internally displaced persons (IDPs), immigrants, refugees and asylees: people groups that don't typically come to mind when we think of human trafficking. One common location for trafficking is at truck stops: the pimps bring their girls to the trucks at night to knock on the doors and offer their services. Our team may do an outreach one weekend to truck stops to make the truckers aware of Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization that brings awareness to the fact that these girls are being exploited.
Hearing God's voice was the topic this week; a subject that many of us had to wrestle with because we all struggle with doubt. Of course, we want to hear from God, but it's so easy to become distracted or to not take the time to just be still and listen. Our speaker this week, Paul Childers, from the awesome ministry PhotoGenX, taught us about aligning our hearts with God's so that we can better hear from Him. We also discussed the Sex and Money film project PhotoGenX recently completed on domestic sex trafficking. Check out the Sex and Money film trailer. Don't be content to be ignorant on this subject.
On a lighter note, we students have discovered a lovely artsy coffee shop that is our new hangout spot on the weekends and evenings. It's only a half-hour walk from our base and is a cozy place to read or get wifi. Its atmosphere reminds me so much of Asheville.
Last night we went out on our first "outreach" to the Strip. I admit that I have a very negative connotation with the term "street evangelism" due to the many (poor) examples I have witnessed, so I was skeptical when I heard we were going to witness on the Strip. I was not about to stand on a street corner and yell to the passerbys that they are sinners going straight to hell and God hates their lifestyles. Ugh. Those methods are so repulsive. Our intention was to just talk to people, to demonstrate love, to be a listening ear to the lonely. After an hour of prayer, we were sent out two-by-two on the streets. I wanted to see Las Vegas as God sees it. I didn't want to be distracted by the lights, the drinking, or fear. I saw how God is madly in love with each person in this city: the girl stumbling with her two-foot tall margarita glass, the man rapidly grabbing in desperation each porn advertisement on the street, and the prostitute waiting in the hotel.
I had been to the Strip only once before, and that was in the daylight. Let me tell you, the Strip evolves into an entirely different creature at nightfall. There were young children out, at 11:00, walking about with their families. I don't understand those parents that take their kids to Vegas. I would not want to have to explain to my child why a scantily-clad woman is dancing provocatively on a giant television screen in front of us, or why the street is littered with hundreds of cards of topless women. (On a side note, porn and sex trafficking are undeniably linked and so much more needs to be done to expose the connection between the two.)
We walked across the street from the fountains and paused to scan the crowds, praying for God to direct us to the right person to seek out and talk to. We were drawn to the men, and even women, handing out the porn cards on the street and desperately wanted to talk to them. Most of them were Hispanic and knew little English. (Never before have I wanted so strongly to be fluent in Spanish!) Ari and I stopped and prayed aloud for these individuals, who were doing this job because they need the money it provides. Even if we were able to talk to them, we'd soon be told to leave because we were interrupting them. Ari, my partner, felt God tell her to turn to her right and say hello to the person next to her. We then spent the next 40 minutes talking with a woman who shared with us much of her life story. She believed God had falsely answered her prayers, and because of the grudge she's holding against God and the abuse she's suffered, she's hurting. She originally agreed when we asked if we could pray with her, but near the end of the conversation when we again asked, she became very hesitant and changed her mind, telling us she believed praying was "BS." Since she regularly comes to that area of the Strip, I hope that we get to talk with her again. Maybe, eventually, she will allow us to pray with her. Building relationships takes effort, and I can be patient. Even though we spent all our time talking with only one woman, while thousands more hurting individuals milled past us, I did not feel as though we wasted our time. The simple fact that we cared for her and talked with her brought her so much joy.
If you look at my Facebook album of my pictures here, you would think that we're spending all our time gadding about Vegas and doing nothing except being tourists and taking cheesy pictures. I can assure you that is not the case. We have a strict schedule Monday-Friday, and so on the weekend, particularly on our first weekend in the city, we found free fun in walking several miles around the city, taking pictures and people-watching.
A typical weekday's schedule consists of the following (including small group meetings and outreach preparation on Thursdays)
Breakfast
Worship and intercession
Lectures
Lunch
Lectures
Devotionals
Chores
Dinner
Free time/Local outreach
We haven't stopped singing and dancing since we've been here: on the street, in our rooms, at worship, through a casino, etc. We love spontaneous dance parties. We're a very joyful group! Though we 13 students have only been here for one week, there is very much a family dynamic amongst us. Everyone is providing love and support through friendship and praying over each other.
God is breaking each of us here: we came just one week ago, confident and ready to take on the world. During our orientation week, each of us has felt God breaking us, emptying us, and filling us with healing and love. I've been convicted to seek God with all my heart. It's incredibly easy to have "just enough Jesus," to feel comfortable. God doesn't want us to remain comfortable: He wants us to be vulnerable, to run barefoot with Him into the unknown. The distractions of internet, phone, TV, and my car have been (almost) removed so that I can focus fully on Him. I'm so eager to begin local outreach here in Las Vegas, but I realize that we cannot minister to and provide love until we ourselves have fallen in love again with Christ.
As God said in Hosea, He allured us to the desert to romance us so that we fall in love with Him again.
I arrived safely in Las Vegas on Sunday night. The view from the plane as we flew over Las Vegas was spectacular! We flew over total darkness and then the city came into sudden view and I could clearly see all of the lights. The view was overwhelming and spectacular. I did not realize how massive the city is.
Today marks the 4-day anniversary of my time here in Las Vegas. Thus far, our days have been full of lectures on human trafficking: we're jumping straight into the subject matter. No beating around the bush. The material presented is not always pleasant, but it's real, and it's impossible to ignore the reality of human trafficking and exploitation in this city. Despite the information overload and our need to process the material presented, I think all 13 of us students have been inspired. Las Vegas, despite the neon signs and flashing lights, is incredibly dark from a spiritual perspective. There is so much opportunity here, and I cannot wait to see how God is going to use us in this city.
Yesterday we learned the history of the YWAM Las Vegas base and the desperate need in the city for more ministries, particularly to the sex workers. Because of the intensity of the spiritual warfare in this city, no permanent ministries/outreaches to the sex workers exist. Anyone who has attempted to develop a ministry to the prostitutes has come under heavy spiritual attack and sadly, their attempts failed. The wheels in my head are spinning.
We shared our testimonies yesterday and today, adding up to a total of 6 hours spent sharing our lives and Christian walk.I was certain we would not need the entire 6 hours reserved on the schedule, but I was wrong.
Despite the heavy material, we have managed to have fun including an outing for frozen yogurt, frolicking on a playground and taking pictures, and barbequing in the park. We also played a game (dangerous at times) of Red Rover.We’re enjoying re-living our childhood.
Tonight is the commitment service; the details of which I am unaware but will soon find out…in fifteen minutes, so I should stop typing and get ready.
Leaving Montreat, my home this summer, is going to be incredibly difficult. Though I had never come here prior to the summer, I settled in and rapidly made friends who I will dearly miss: I'm already making mental plans for a trip to Chicago next spring. (Jeff and D, you know you will need some southern "Kate Hudson" in your life.)
The barn dances, pottery, moose meals, porch time, hiking Lookout, energizers, and all other Montreat traditions will be sorely missed. I love my friends, the quiet town of Black Mountain, and this beautiful valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. I remember driving here soon after graduation, full of nervous excitement. Like my upcoming trip this weekend, I was traveling to a place I had never before been, to live and work with people I had never met. Now, I'm dreading the goodbyes to all of the wonderful people with whom I have spent my summer.
I hate goodbyes. Sunday is going to be rough. I don't like to cry in public and so I would prefer to keep the airport farewell party brief and painless as possible, but I'm not sure that's realistic thinking. How will I not cry, saying goodbye to my family, knowing that I won't see them for six months? I'm going to bawl. I guess I can cry out my tears and then compose myself, and fix my makeup in the bathroom before my flight leaves. Game plan set.
I truly am excited for the start of the Discipleship Training School (DTS.) I cannot wait to meet the fellow students in the program. Give me twenty-four hours in Las Vegas and I will tell you that I am adapting nicely and have made new friends, thank you very much.
Right now, I should probably begin packing. I can't procrastinate much longer.
