Faith, such a small word but such a huge thing.
I'm not even sure what to write today, Other then I have no idea what I am going to do after DTS. I feel like somewhere even more tropical, going bigger with surfing. Helping others, shining God's light, The knowledge that I am learning...heaps of knowledge. I love it
But man last week learning about Human Trafficking, and this week about Child Soilders in Africa. It's so heavy. There is so much hurt in the world. I knew about Sex slavery, but children soilders? I did not know that existed in today society. It is real though, and My heart is definatly big for it.
Last friday the head director of my base here in YWAM told/asked me to stay after DTS. Along with the Head of Youth Street, and well a few of my friends I've been meeting here. If I decide to stay in Byron and work with Youth Street, I'll be going to South Africa in June for a month, and then Possibly doing the ship tour in August Helping in Papua New Guinea for 6 weeks. Then coming back to Byron.
I know God has a huge plan for my life. For you reading this pray for God's guidence, and if this is what He has for me I'll be happy :) If he decides to send me to Figi, or Africa or anywhere else I'll be happy too, but I know Surfing is my ministry, as well as the hurting, human trafficking, children soilders, There are so many things I would love to do.
November 13th to the 15th Im going on a weekend retreat with Christian Surfers, Im pretty excited about that, Anyways Here are a few things on my heart, pray for guidence and clear answers for me :)
Love and Miss you family and friends.
Lolo
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
So days are fading and time is coming for Bali in January! I am so excited to go to my first 3rd world country to tell my story, work in orphanages, shine light in the darkness, whether that be to prostitutes or human trafficing victoms, I am excited to Show that God is there to Help, and Love!
So funny story, I have a necklace that I have worn for a few months now that on one side is a sheild, and the other has Joshua 1:9 written small on it. Last saturday I lost it! I knew I had to have last it in town, and I was hoping and praying I would find it otherwise because It says in the bible to put on the armor of righteousness for protection and with the sheild around my neck it reminded me to do that.
Well last night I was praying to hear from God. I was praying for a word, vision, sign of some sort that God could hear me and He was listening. I asked Him to reveal Himself to me. Well No visions came, no words, no scriptures, nothing. So I said ok God I pray for dreams from You, or a sign tomorrow.
This morning I came to the Base, and Erik walks down and says "Hey Laura look at my new necklace that we found!" I was like "Erik!! Thats my sheild!!" He said he knew, and took it off and gave it too me. The most bizzare part of it was that Jake found it out by the surf shed, When I hadn't gone surfing since before I lost it..So how did it end up there?
Well things I have believed I heard was that I am to be in Surf/Skate/Snow [youth] minisitry, or missions. I am praying for God to speak to me what He wants me to do and where He wants me to go after I graduate here in March. I have a few things I am praying about, with locations, and certain ministries, one involves Nurse/Disaster Training, others involve traveler/surf missions. But who knows it could be something completely different.
Anyways I am so excited for the revival He is placing in my heart and the excitment I have to read the bible, and learn more and more about God, the bible and myself everyday.
Right now once a week I have started working with Christian Surfers, and taking kids out fom the local highschool to just surf and love on them, give them what their families aren't giving them..Love. I have the outreach BBQ where I meet hundreds of people from around the world once a week at a Free BBQ we host and get to share my testimony or the bible with them, hear about their lives, just people traveling searching for more to life.
I love Byron Bay, I love it here! I hope that my story is speaking to someone, somewhere.
Love and Peace be with you.
Family and Friends you are in my Prayers :)
Love
lolo
So days are fading and time is coming for Bali in January! I am so excited to go to my first 3rd world country to tell my story, work in orphanages, shine light in the darkness, whether that be to prostitutes or human trafficing victoms, I am excited to Show that God is there to Help, and Love!
So funny story, I have a necklace that I have worn for a few months now that on one side is a sheild, and the other has Joshua 1:9 written small on it. Last saturday I lost it! I knew I had to have last it in town, and I was hoping and praying I would find it otherwise because It says in the bible to put on the armor of righteousness for protection and with the sheild around my neck it reminded me to do that.
Well last night I was praying to hear from God. I was praying for a word, vision, sign of some sort that God could hear me and He was listening. I asked Him to reveal Himself to me. Well No visions came, no words, no scriptures, nothing. So I said ok God I pray for dreams from You, or a sign tomorrow.
This morning I came to the Base, and Erik walks down and says "Hey Laura look at my new necklace that we found!" I was like "Erik!! Thats my sheild!!" He said he knew, and took it off and gave it too me. The most bizzare part of it was that Jake found it out by the surf shed, When I hadn't gone surfing since before I lost it..So how did it end up there?
Well things I have believed I heard was that I am to be in Surf/Skate/Snow [youth] minisitry, or missions. I am praying for God to speak to me what He wants me to do and where He wants me to go after I graduate here in March. I have a few things I am praying about, with locations, and certain ministries, one involves Nurse/Disaster Training, others involve traveler/surf missions. But who knows it could be something completely different.
Anyways I am so excited for the revival He is placing in my heart and the excitment I have to read the bible, and learn more and more about God, the bible and myself everyday.
Right now once a week I have started working with Christian Surfers, and taking kids out fom the local highschool to just surf and love on them, give them what their families aren't giving them..Love. I have the outreach BBQ where I meet hundreds of people from around the world once a week at a Free BBQ we host and get to share my testimony or the bible with them, hear about their lives, just people traveling searching for more to life.
I love Byron Bay, I love it here! I hope that my story is speaking to someone, somewhere.
Love and Peace be with you.
Family and Friends you are in my Prayers :)
Love
lolo
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Day 17 Vegan :)
Soo I have been way to busy to update as much as I'd like! Here is an overview of the last week or so.. Last week we had Chris Twinn again as a speaker! We learned about recieving the Holy Spirit, and how to recieve healing and some of the spiritual gifts, [which is also what we are learning this week too!]
But I guess the high light of last week was that when I recieved blessing on me He got Grace, and Power. Well those are two big things in my life, which is a huge part of my story for that night. We had our weekly BBQ at the park in Byron, I have become quite the local here in Byron, I see friends I've met from all over the world everytime I go into town or to the Beach :) its a great feeling of belong that I love.
Well at the end of the BBQ I saw this guy sitting off aside listening to the music, and I felt a nudge to go talk to him, Turns out He is a 25 year old surfer who worked with volcum, grew up surfing at the age of 3, real Byron local, started competitive surfing at 13, and has had many injurys but also has gone to Bali on surf trips regularly throughout his life.
He was telling me about his knee, how He just had surgery and how He needed another one, well New Earth Tribe this amazing christian church thats really on fire was having drumming and fire twirling at the park that night at 9 so I invited him to come with me. We ended up talking from 4 to 5 hours, and I asked Pastor Phil to pray for his knee, and it was completely Healed! Well from this I have recieved healing on my own knee as well earlier that day :)
Anyways It was really cool that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, to join us to God, and by His stripes we are healed. So in that I have learned to claim my healing! The leper went to Jesus and said "If it is your will to heal me?" and Jesus replied "It is my will." God is always willing to heal us we just have to ask Him for it, and Recieve it! In this I claim "Thank you God for healing and removing the tumor from my knee." and it is done. I believe my next MRI the tumor will be gone.
So one thing I realized last week is that the scar on my arm has faded severly since I have arrive to australia. Everyone who knows me knows I've had 2 huge surgeries on my elbow and I have a massive scar, and well as one on my knee from a knee injury. Well since I have been growing, and healing on the inside [mind, soul, spirit] I have asked God to heal my outside [scars, bondage to food, ext.] He is being faithful, The scar on my elbow has completely flattened, and half of it is already becoming skin color, and the scar on my knee has faded from a deep purple to a lighter pink.
To me this is amazing, I have been fasting [veganism] for 17 days now and I am seeing changes already in my personal walk with God, as well as outter apperance, everything that I had had that was an insecurity [scars, weight] has been drastically fading. In the last two weeks I have learned that My Spirit controls my soul and body, That I am Not in bondage to Food but believe in a God higher and more powerful then anything else I have ever encountered in my life! That to me is amazing.
Anyways that God is just so faithful to fulfill what His plans are, and be so filling in me and loving me and showing me by healing my scars that he has and is healing me from my past. What an incredible thing. I believe all my scars will be gone by March the end of my DTS and I am so excited that by becoming a new person on the inside He is making me a new person on the outside as well! We are all made new in Christ!
God is good.
"How can I stand here with You, and not be moved by You? But You tell me how could it be any better then this? Cause Your all I want, Your all I need, Your Everything. Everything."
-Lifehouse: Everything
Peace and Love
lolo
But I guess the high light of last week was that when I recieved blessing on me He got Grace, and Power. Well those are two big things in my life, which is a huge part of my story for that night. We had our weekly BBQ at the park in Byron, I have become quite the local here in Byron, I see friends I've met from all over the world everytime I go into town or to the Beach :) its a great feeling of belong that I love.
Well at the end of the BBQ I saw this guy sitting off aside listening to the music, and I felt a nudge to go talk to him, Turns out He is a 25 year old surfer who worked with volcum, grew up surfing at the age of 3, real Byron local, started competitive surfing at 13, and has had many injurys but also has gone to Bali on surf trips regularly throughout his life.
He was telling me about his knee, how He just had surgery and how He needed another one, well New Earth Tribe this amazing christian church thats really on fire was having drumming and fire twirling at the park that night at 9 so I invited him to come with me. We ended up talking from 4 to 5 hours, and I asked Pastor Phil to pray for his knee, and it was completely Healed! Well from this I have recieved healing on my own knee as well earlier that day :)
Anyways It was really cool that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, to join us to God, and by His stripes we are healed. So in that I have learned to claim my healing! The leper went to Jesus and said "If it is your will to heal me?" and Jesus replied "It is my will." God is always willing to heal us we just have to ask Him for it, and Recieve it! In this I claim "Thank you God for healing and removing the tumor from my knee." and it is done. I believe my next MRI the tumor will be gone.
So one thing I realized last week is that the scar on my arm has faded severly since I have arrive to australia. Everyone who knows me knows I've had 2 huge surgeries on my elbow and I have a massive scar, and well as one on my knee from a knee injury. Well since I have been growing, and healing on the inside [mind, soul, spirit] I have asked God to heal my outside [scars, bondage to food, ext.] He is being faithful, The scar on my elbow has completely flattened, and half of it is already becoming skin color, and the scar on my knee has faded from a deep purple to a lighter pink.
To me this is amazing, I have been fasting [veganism] for 17 days now and I am seeing changes already in my personal walk with God, as well as outter apperance, everything that I had had that was an insecurity [scars, weight] has been drastically fading. In the last two weeks I have learned that My Spirit controls my soul and body, That I am Not in bondage to Food but believe in a God higher and more powerful then anything else I have ever encountered in my life! That to me is amazing.
Anyways that God is just so faithful to fulfill what His plans are, and be so filling in me and loving me and showing me by healing my scars that he has and is healing me from my past. What an incredible thing. I believe all my scars will be gone by March the end of my DTS and I am so excited that by becoming a new person on the inside He is making me a new person on the outside as well! We are all made new in Christ!
God is good.
"How can I stand here with You, and not be moved by You? But You tell me how could it be any better then this? Cause Your all I want, Your all I need, Your Everything. Everything."
-Lifehouse: Everything
Peace and Love
lolo
Monday, October 5, 2009
Take my hand to the Promise land..[day one veganism]
Take my hand to the promise land, And on You I want to stand‘Cause I cannot do it on my own, You're what I need and I need to be, Right by Your side ‘cause I cannot hide, Lord, I know that I need You, I need You, Without You I'm so alone, I am weak but You are strong, You pick me up when I'm falling down, And I am crying, Out to You inside of my heart, I need You, Lord, oh so, for the part, I want You to have my life, Jesus, I fall to my knees, And I'm begging You, please, oh, Lord, Won't You change me, Make me new from the inside out. [Take my Hand: Shawn Mcdonald]
Today Lord this is my prayer, that as I lay down to rest tonight I will rest in You, and You alone will be my strength, my rock, my soundmind. Healing is coming in my life tonight plays a pretty big part in it. After receiving an email from my mom, I became very angry and hurt. I shut myself up in my own box again like I'm used too and began to hold it in. I went to the prayer room where I told God I recieved his healing, tears began to form. But still not feeling alone [living in community] I went back to the girls house and took a nap, I had crazy bizarre dream that would end, and keep replaying with different scenerios like if this guy had God in his life what it would be like, it was almost scarey. I woke up still feeling upset and angry, as soon as I got back to the base one of the leaders asked me what was going on I was able to be released and began to cry and share, I went to talk to my one on one Kelly and just opened up, which for me is so hard, I hate crying infront of people and to cry and be so vulnerable is so new to me, but afterwards I feel free to the hurt and sorrow that had filled me.
She told me its ok to be angry, its ok to be sad, those are feelings that I push down and usually hide to put on my "happy face" the fun happy Laura that is so strong and can handel anything thrown at her. Well big surprise I do feel and today I felt emense pain and sorrow and anger at how the enemy is devious and hateful. Anyways I will continue being vegan for the next 3 months until the first week of the new year. I believe its for the cause of healing and for my family. I am not in bondage to food, or sugar. I believe in the God most High who has created me to lean on Him knowing that He is my rock and my salvation. Its crazy the things God has in store for us when we listen to Him. He wants us to be happy, and healed and not in anger, pain or sorrow. This is just day one of Vegan for Jesus and this healing process has already begun. Amazing eh?
Anyways the battle is being faught for my future, and my families generation. It ends here. I will no longer allow generational curses to continue it has been broken by Jesus. Anyways I feel like Im becoming like this "Jesus freak" haha but its not about that, Im still Laura, I love to go out and have fun. I love to surf and hang out at the beach and dance to crazy music. But I also love Jesus, it doesn't make me weird, and its dumb that christians are looked as weird but someone who believes in buddah or alla is entitled to their faith. If your reading this and you know me, then you know I am no different then anyone else, I still have hurts, problems, and temptations, but I believe in a God that loves and forgives and has grace and mercy on me as I am.
I guess thats all for tonight. love and peace be with you -lolo
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Vegan? Me God? Vegan? BALI
Well today we were supposed to fast for something, and fast something. I was asking God what I should fast and I heard food. I was like God I want to feel you, and I want to grow, and I want you to heal me from something. and I heard that he wants me to fast for 3 days, and then become vegan [and im not sure yet if its for 3 weeks] but He wants me to rely on Him that He is my strength and that I am not in bondage to anything, but worship a high God. I feel it is going to prepare me for outreach, and break me down but slowly build me back up. Since there are 3 vegetarians in my school already He says being vegetarian because there is already a menu for that is too easy and that I need to do something that is really going to be a sacrifice to me. He is my rock and my salvation, my sheild. Anyone who knows me know I love to eat and I love to cook and food and meat and eggs and cheese and all that yumminess is what I love. So the fact that This is what God has told me is really exciting, because I know its going to be a challenge but it feels different to me.
Anyways tonight after the outreach BBQ we found out where we will be going on outreach! And its Indonesia!! BALI!!!!! I am one SOO stoked that God answered my prayers :) because I was praying that we would go to Bali, so we will be staying there for 7 weeks starting in Mid January, [so Ill be in BALI on my 20th birthday :)] anyways God is Good. He helped me meet a new friend named Jasper from Germany tonight at the BBQ, keep him in your prayers for he is searching for God he just doesn't realize that its God he is searching for :)
I am honestly so hungary right now ahhhhh!! but I feel such a peace from God on what He wants for me, and what He wants me to do. So monday I will begin my jounraling on my heart into veganism and the process God will be taking me too. Praise the Lord :)
Peace be with you ,
lolo
Anyways tonight after the outreach BBQ we found out where we will be going on outreach! And its Indonesia!! BALI!!!!! I am one SOO stoked that God answered my prayers :) because I was praying that we would go to Bali, so we will be staying there for 7 weeks starting in Mid January, [so Ill be in BALI on my 20th birthday :)] anyways God is Good. He helped me meet a new friend named Jasper from Germany tonight at the BBQ, keep him in your prayers for he is searching for God he just doesn't realize that its God he is searching for :)
I am honestly so hungary right now ahhhhh!! but I feel such a peace from God on what He wants for me, and what He wants me to do. So monday I will begin my jounraling on my heart into veganism and the process God will be taking me too. Praise the Lord :)
Peace be with you ,
lolo
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