Faith Walk- Part 1

Ok so I'll be telling the story of our Faith Walk in parts. I really only have time to blog about one part of it today. In the next few days or so it will end up being quite long. I hope you read, enjoy, and are inspired by what how good God is. So here we go...

Saturday Morning 4am- Yes, 4am that's nuts right! Ha! My alarm was set for 4:30 but I was so pumped about Faith Walk I could hardly sleep. All night I couldn't think about anything else but Faith Walk and even when I was sleeping I was dreaming about it. My assigned team included Elyse, Kaitlin, Chad, and John. We took off in the van and about an hour or two later we stopped. And yes indeed it was in the STICKS! Straight nothing, middle of nowhere, no man's land, whatever other country name you can think of I assure you this was it. Both teams had to get off the bus then Lauren and I had to play rock-paper-scissors. Now at this moment we did not know which result would lead us to staying in the middle of nowhere. I was kind of hoping the winner's team would get put back on the bus and taken somewhere else. I was wrong... I won... and we definitely had to stay in the sticks. Well the van took off and there we were 5 young people, bookbags, no food, No waterbottle for me because I left it at home, one change of clothes, and a cross. Of course we ended up stopping at a 4 way stop (on a gravel road) so we immediately had to decide which way to go... north, south, east, or west. We decided to head east.

Saturday 10am- We are still walking east down this very LONG gravel road. Besides the very few people that have passed us, and the goats, cows, and horses, we have seen no one. By this time we've stopped and had our fire time (a.k.a. - talkin' with Jesus). And neither one us feels like we had an certain revelation from God as to where to go and what to do. We continue to head east until way far off we thought perhaps it was a stop sign. Now don't make fun. This stop sign meant people actually drive on this road so you can imagine our excitement. We go close enough to tell that it was most certainly a stop sign and even better we could see a paved road. We started screaming we we're so happy AND tired of walking on this gravel "no man's land" of a road. Anyways, Elyse and I ran up to the paved road and kissed it!! I'm so serious right now. We actually did kiss it. It had double yellow lines, this meant that it was a some what busy road. Which means PEOPLE! Praise Jesus! PEOPLE. I LOVE PEOPLE!

Saturday 12pm- Ok about this time we are coming up on a very small town called Glencoe. We went into the only store there which is a small gas station. We were believing for big things to happen in this gas station. Food, shelter, a ride to another town, really anything would have helped. We didn't get any of those things BUT we were able to pray with the people that worked there for their families which was cool. We started walking again. It took us about 2 minutes to be out of the town we were in and so we kept on for the next town.

Ok time out- I know I'm being very detailed. Perhaps it's boring for you to be reading my story with such detail. However, I am writing this for me as well. I want to be able to look back and remember how God got us through from moment to moment. Life will continue to be a "Faith Walk." I want to have recorded how He got me through my first official one. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read. I shall continue...

Saturday 1pm- For awhile as we were walking we sang worship song, after worship song. It was really good! Praising God through the challenges in life is always the best way to go. The farther we went the harder it got. The more difficult it was to keep my mind right. I started to think things like..."We've been walking forever and we've accomplished nothing"..."God, have I not prayed enough?"..."Have I not spoke in tongues enough?"..."Have I not read your word enough?"..."Have we missed you as to where to go?" At this point the team stopped singing for a little bit and this was when my mind just flooded with all of these thoughts. I continued to sing. I'm pretty sure I sang every worship song I could remember. For just a moment I thought maybe my team was getting annoyed with my constant singing... then I started to think negatively again so I kept singing anyways. ;) (I did find out later they were all grateful for my singing, so it ended up being really good.) Though none of us and even complained once we all could tell that we were all getting a bit discouraged. I mean we had been walking for about for hours now. Chad would hardly let anyone of us carry the cross at all so he carried it nearly this whole time. Finally, we all agreed that we we're tired and we really just needed to take a nice break. We spread out on the side of the road to rest. We spoke with our director (yes, we did have a cell phone but it was for emergency usage only and to communicate with the director.) He told us how the rest of the teams were doing and all of them had something happen already. All of the teams were offered meals already and rides. This did not help with our discouragement at all. For just a moment I thought about all the doubts and then I was just tired of my thoughts and laid down to sleep.

Saturday 2pm- "HOOONK!" Oh yes, FINALLY, a car stopped to offer us a ride!!!!!!!!! We were thrilled.

Ha! Sorry to end on that note but I must be going now. I will continue the story very soon. I promise it's a happy ending! ;)


To be continued...

FAITH WALK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our team is pumped and ready to leave early tomorrow morning on Faith Walk 2010!!!! Faith Walk is an event that is literally us walking out our faith. Our team is being split up in small groups of 4 and each individual team will be dropped off in an unknown area of other states carrying a 5' foot cross. We will be bringing no money, no phones, a change of clothes, one roll of toilet paper, and one bottle of water. The goal is to trust God for all needs- food, transportation, a place to sleep...etc. The main purpose of the Faith Walk is to share the love of God, spread the gospel, and lay hands on the sick and we will SEE THEM RECOVER. Everyone we pass will be touched by the love of God! I am believing for HUGE THINGS to take place. I believe that LOTS of people are going to know God through us and I believe that diseases will be healed, sicknesses will be gone in the name of Jesus, the blind are going to see, the mute are going to sing praises to God, and the lame are going to walk!!!!!!

Matthew 10:5-8
"But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

This is our mandate. We are asking God to meet our every need... and our every need will be met "as surely as the sun will rise!!!!"

Please be praying that God would open doors. Our focus in our prayers is not that God would provide luxury hotels, or limos to ride in. We are not asking for steaks to eat or mansions to sleep in. Though all those things would be nice our prayers are "God let your will be done. Lead us in the right direction. Send us to the desperate, the hungry, the needy, the thirsty, and to the broken hearted. Send us to the place where your light is needed so that we may shine brightly for you!" Please be agreeing with us in prayer, this is a major event for us. We are going out to turn this world upside down. Partner with us in that!

Paul and Silas were hated by the Jews in Acts 17, the jews angrily said they had turned the world upside down! How great is that!!! Even the lost knew what Paul and Silas were called to.

Pray in the spirit for us as well. So that God's perfect will would be done in and through us.

Ephesians 6:18-10... "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perserverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel."

Acts 4:29-31... "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

These are just a few scriptures that we are believing will come to pass on our trips. Again, be praying in agreement with us! I so appreciate all of the love and support from you guys! I love you all so much!

Thanks!
Jenna