5.16.2012

some pics

some of us ladies in Ushuaia
Most of the group while hiking in Ushuaia
drinking the popular mate tea by a lake in Ushuaia


www.irislatinamerica.blogspot.com
worshipping on the go- learning some uke

To the end of the world


Worshipping in Punta Arenas 


Wow, where to being.So I apologize in advance for not posting sooner. I havent had my computer so it has been harder to write lengthy posts from my iphone.
We have travelled to over 10 different cities, been on buses and ferries, crossing the Chilean and Argentinian border 4 times, crossed hundreds of miles in the last month and have spoken at 6 or 7 different churches. We left our cars and most of our stuff in Santiago, Chile. We packed our sleeping bags, mats and a few days worth of warm clothes and headed south. We travelled mostly by buses and a couple of ferries. One ferry was 41 hours taking us through Patagonia with gorgeous mountains and leaping dolphins. it was truly breath-taking. We only had a couple contacts down south but the Lord had it already arranged. We stayed in hostels and ministered on the streets on the way down. We saw people healed on the streets of various things but one city in particular we saw many people with crutches and canes that were healed of their pain and one lady even felt feeling and strength come back into her left side that was partially paralyzed. In one city we were out on the streets looking for a laundry mat and decided to stop and ask the Lord to direct us to some people that needed healing or just simply a hug from Papa. Someone saw a particular color of blue house so we looked across the street and saw a house with that color. We decided to knock on the door and see if anyone inside needed prayer for we also saw a picture of an older woman with neck problems. The woman that opened  the door sure enough was older and needed healing in her neck and arm for her arm was in a sling. We were able to tell her that the Lord led us to her and she was so touched as she broke down in tears. Her husband had left her several years before and was still in such pain from that. She received some physical healing but more important she heard for the first time in a long time that she is a beautiful woman who is a great mother and wife. There is no person that is hidden from the eye of God. He longs to touch and heal every person even if it involves people coming to your house.
We got to the city of Punta Arenas where a few of us took off to find a hostel for all 21 of us. We prayed for the perfect place and sure enough the Lord provided the best place. We didnt have any contacts here  but we felt led here as we could have easily bypassed this city and saved money. But we prayed as team and felt that we wouldnt let our financial situation decide where we go. Little did we know we were about to step into our biggest divine encounter yet on this leg of the trip. One of our teammates, Taylor decided to walk over and check out this little church that was playing some familiar worship music. He was quickly blown away by the presence of God and the freedom that was in the air. They welcomed him, blessed him with an offering that was much needed and wanted to meet the rest of us. We ended up being 10 steps from a church that has been praying into missions and awaiting a great move of God to start here. These precious people quickly took us in and we stayed another 5 days with them. We had some incredible time of prayer where the presence of God was so strong that a lot of us were laid out on the floor for several hours just taking it all in. We hit the street with a lot of the young people and the Lord led us to many people that decided to commit their lives to this Jesus that chased them down on the streets. In just a few hours more than 50 people were either healed, saved or
Bringing the love to the end of the world- Ushuaia

at least heard that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. These people are so hungry and ready to receive more of Jesus and give Him away.
The day we discovered the church, I was just praying for a piano or keyboard to play for at this point it has been about a month since I had played one. I was craving some time for this was a long time for me to go without. In less than an hour after praying this I was in the church playing their keyboard. I was also asked to stay at the pastors house where I was able to play more piano, uke and jam out with their daughter Liz who is the worship leader at their church. We got to lead some times of worship together at the church as well.  
 We heard that there was a church and a YWAM base in Ushuaua that we could possibly connect with once we got there but we hadn´t made any arrangements. After our 12 hour bus ride we prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to direct us as we usually do. We were going to just find a hostel and maybe some food that night and look for some contact the next morning. Before we could even leave the drop -off site a man greets us and says he was waiting for us and that his church has sleeping arrangements and food prepared for us! We just had to laugh and thank the Lord. We stayed here for almost a week as the church received us. We stayed in homes and spoke at three different churches and  the YWAM base here. We did some street outreach, hiked up into the snow-covered mountains in search of  glacier, took a boat out to see some sea lions, and even drove to the end of the end where the Pacific and Atlanticmeet, where Chile and Argentina meet and where the few men have been. It was an incredible adventure even though we didnt get to Antartica which was a big desire. I guess we will just have to come back.
Laid out in His presence enjoying a taste of Heaven
This time of the year there are very very few boats that are going that way. I truly believe that this is just the beginning to a fierce fire that is breaking out down here in the ´land of the fire´ Tierra del Fuego. The Lord has many plans here and I feel it is such an honor to be a part of it and help blow on the flames and see them spread. We got to stamp our passports with stamps that say ´´end of the world´´ which is so exciting for someone on the team brought up the revelation that we (most of the team) have been travelling south for 8 months and we are truly coming to the end of the world..the end of us...the end of the possible... the end of our strength and our abilities and from here we can only go up! When we are weak...He is strong! Paul says to boast about our weaknesses for it is in our weakness that we finally let the Lord in to do the real work, to take us out of our mindsets, ideas, religion and limits and take us up up and away with His strength to see His will be done.
Sea lions in Ushuaia

We came back up to Punta  Arenas to find some cheap tickets to fly back up to Santiago where we will get our cars and do some work on them before heading east to Buenas Aires.We are once again with the families we met and became apart of here in Punta Arenas which is such a blessing and a treat. Hot showers, beds, cozy homes and lots and lots of food. Some people on the team haven’t stayed in a house for eight months so this is really a treat for many. We have been able to just rest this week and be with our families which was been really great. We leave tomorrow the 17ths to bus back up to Santiago. It will be a 3 day journey of 60 plus hours in the bus but God is good and always provide enough grace and strength to make it. We were giong to fly but with the help of our families here, they found us tickets for one third the price to bus so we were extremely grateful.
Man, I feel tht i just scratched the surface here and didn´t even do God justice with testifying of his goodness and provision. It is so encouraging living with people that truly live in faith each day financially. No one focuses or voices their worries about money and there is always enough! There are many stories of bank accounts being miraculously blessed by anonymous donors just at the right time. Several people have received many financial miracles even just in the last couple weeks. This team is incredible and has welcomed me in so graciously and has made me apart of the fam so quick. I feel such deep connections already and feel so honored to run with these amazing laid-down, faith-filled, bold lovers of Jesus!
For me personally, there has been such grace to jump in and step into the breakthrough that the team has already walked in and fought for. I feel such a desire and grace for worship. Around week two of joining the team, I started craving a music outlet. I didnt realize how much that is a part of me and how much it brings life to me. I bought a ukulele and have been enjoying that as a means of worship. The Lord is really stretching me and releasing me to sing and lead more and more even though I am just learning the ukulele. I feel like the worshipping heart of David is being awakened in me. I have been writing songs as lyrics have been coming with such ease. It  is actually a bit overwhelming trying to wrap my mind around what the Lord is doing but I really feel like Im walking in the fruit of my labor the last couple of years. It is hard to explain but I feel like the quiet times  of worship and adoration of this last year and beyond are coming to life publicly .I m praying into how I can be faithful with this and press in for more. For now I will be writing songs and  I feel such a weight ad responsibility to bring our team together with worship. I am excited and honored to contribute this to the team and I am so excited to see how  the Lord is going to continue to use it. There is much to be learned about servant leadership especially with a family this size. I want to continually press into understanding what going lower still really looks like. In some ways it happens naturally trying to live in a community this size but other ways require stepping out or even back depending on the situation. I am pressing in to understand what that really means and I m inspired for I see several people on the team walk in that. It is a beautiful thing.
 There is much more that could be said but for now I will leave you with a song I wrote about our team.
  So here it is...
THIS WE BE.
Glaciers, whales and miracles
Hardly anything more beautiful

White belly dolphins leap to greet
4 dollar llama socks keeping warm our feet

I  stepped into a pod of life-breathing lovers
Who lay it down each day bringing joy to their mothers

We are from England, Russia, South Africa, America, New Zealnad, South America and a FULL ON Aussie
We are a tight-knit travelling family possie

From busses to ferries and many large statues of mary
We see new sites each day making time to party and pray

Who are we?
Some say gypsies, missionaries or heaven-bound refugees
We are simple, cageless, limitless royalty
We are presence-driven and radically given
Numb-to-self generals on a mission

We take our orders to go
For in his winds we do flow

Our bed is in His arms
So with change we see no alarm

Trusting him is the most freeing thing
Heads held high as sons and daughters of the king
We travel as a herd
Ready to bring the good Word

Time and consistency are irrelevant
For we are anchored in the omnipotent

A searching crowd not afraid to whisper ´mystery´
But yet addicted to knowing him intimately 

Explorers in search of hidden gold
Never settling to just hear the stories of old
This we be.
I love and miss you all back home and greatly appreciate all your prayers and support. I will try to post some pictures and videos or links on a more regular basis for I understand that you all don’t have Facebook.  There is a video or two of our time here in Patagonia that I will post the link to. Love you all!!


www.irislatinamerica.blogspot.com