Saturday, 6 Aug 2005

It has been so beautiful being here and seeing so many things that those in the West never see.

It is wide open here for those who wish to work in the mission field. The need for help with anything is here. What is your passion? Of the missionaries that go out from here to the other areas of Africa some are totally supported financially and some they give part of the support. If you have a heart to pioneer a mission here in Africa as Iris Ministries has with finding your own support there is a great work here. What is your passion? What is your desire? Go forth! The need for help is so great. The work here is growing faster then what can be kept up with.

Iris has asked if any of us are interested in working with them further to submit our name and email address with a short vision of what we are being called to. If anyone in the future is interested in joining with Iris they are requiring all to go through their mission school. The next session will be next year.

The other day we were worshiping and I looked over and was blessed to see one of the little boys was holding his arms up and worshiping. The children here are so deep into the Lord. The children are beginning to preach. It is nothing shallow. It is very good! The children pray for the people ministering to them. When I was so sick one of the little children came to me and prayed for me with such strength and compassion. They are so precious - not shallow.

Iris is starting a school for the people in the village and those on the base. There is such a desperate need for people to "mother and father" the children. Someone to help them to move into a successful adulthood walking the destiny that God has for them. The hope is to have houses where those who are needed to move on can move in with "parents" to mentor them.

Teachers! Teachers! Teachers! Those who will help teach in all areas - in agriculture, general studies, construction, plumbing, electrical, medical - even just first aid, personal hygiene and so much more. For those who will come they would give room and board but each would need support from where ever for their personal extras. The door is open now for me to change my visa and stay longer or go on to Malawi and another place until November. I do not hear God telling me to do that for now so I will be coming home.

Heidi's heart is to stay in Mozambique but she has been told by many and felt she is to listen and has to pick up her cross and go into other places to speak at the conferences. She has so many calls but can only go to a few. Her heart is if you want to speak before the people - go! She wants to stay here but knows God is telling her to go. As a result she travels quite a bit.

Heidi and her family live very very simple lives here. As I look around I see great integrity in the finances that come in here. There isn't any extravagant life style. All live in the same humble way.

This last week we didn't have any electricity for three days and the well went dry for a day. Today I was finally able to take a bucket bath after a week. A bucket bath is with a bucket and a scoop. America waste so much water. Water is so precious here.

Every time a pastor needs drinking water we have to have the government sign a paper so we can have a tank full of clean drinking water. The water from the well is good for baths but it is salty. Sometime they have gone without drinking water for two and three days which can be very difficult with the heat.

You really don't need much here. Life is so simple. Our light in the dorm has not been working so I am glad I did bring a little lantern. It has helped. I brought a CD player with a Spanish CD. They love it because they can understand it. It seems to be a most prized gift when I let one of them use it for a time. The batteries are completely ran out when it is brought back.

Last Thursday we did a little medical clinic during lunch. Some of the wounds were so bad. I asked to be one of the ones who cleaned up the wounds (me with the weak stomach). I wanted to learn so in the future when one came I would know what to do.

We did a lot of bandaging of wounds. One little boy looked like the end of his toe was coming off. One boy had a big bulge on the side of his leg. He said it wasn't painful but it was consuming his leg. One little three or four year old girl had a chemical burn. She was so brave. Her mom and dad are dead and she lives with an aunt with many children. Her shirt was just a rag so we were able to give her a new shirt along with the medical care she so greatly needed.

The children are starving for affection. One of the workers here brought some pencils to hand out. She was mobbed. This was such a treat to have a pencil.

I am looking so forward to seeing my family. The biggest price I would have to pay to come to Africa to stay would be to have to leave my family. I am trusting my Jesus with my destiny. I do not miss America. My heart is so much here.

It is so exhausting being here. But we pray and pray and gain strength. I have prayed for so many. The need is so great so we continue. So many we pray for nothing happens then this last week a deaf woman was prayed for and now she hears. It is stopping for the one.

Here we pray and pray a lot. The load is constant everywhere we walk, the poor, the beggars. The thieves are there continually but no one has gotten hurt. The need can weigh so heavy if you do not trust Jesus.

Heidi was telling us of some people going out on the mission field here in Africa for 25 years and seeing nothing. That is so amazing. She has great things to say about those who have gone before and are still there; but here, we see so much. The people come so humble, simple, walking in love and faith. No programs or stuff. Here the worship is very joyous and full of dance. It is so different from America. So free. In the States we have a worship leader, here someone will start to lead a song or whatever and the others join in.

A vision that is so stirring in me would be to have a base to work at. Then to go into the bush where people are and encourage them. To help them build a church building and homes for the people. To help them to become established for two to three weeks or two to three months. Whatever it took then go back to the base for a while then back out to another area. This has been so on my mind. It is something I will lay in God's hand.

They don't have hospital and jail ministry here. Our visits to the jail and hospital showed us it is so open and so needed. There is no one here to fill the shoes. So much to be done and so few workers.

The question came up to Heidi if it was recommended if a single woman wanted to be a missionary. She said yes but it was strongly advised that there should be two woman together.

It is the last week of the school. It seems so strange. The time here has been so wonderful.

Monday I will be going back to the lady who cooks for us. She is going to teach us how to make this coconut things that look kinda like donuts. She takes the food and sells along the street.

One of the humorous things here is the people have learned we like peanuts. They have been making the peanuts in all different kinds of ways so we will buy them. It has been working. One of the ways is sugar peanuts. I am going to try to make some when I am back home again. They have tried to see what else we like and are now selling all along the streets for us. I laugh because they have found us to be quite a market for them.

I brought some powerbands with me. Those little bracelets with the beads telling the salvation story. The pastors have been carrying them out into the village and the bush. The pastors here loved them. When I go into the village I now see little children wearing the powerbands along with the children here at the base. It is so great.

I will be going on outreach deep in the bush on the 15th until the 19th. Please hold us in prayer. We will travel deep into the bush taking up to five and six hours to reach the people.

When I get back from the bush it will be time to being saying my goodbyes. My group will be leaving here on the 21st at 5 a.m. your time arriving back in Seattle on the 23rd. The airport here is a tiny place about the size of a small living room. Big enough for a small conveyor belt and counter. It will be strange coming back into the world that I use to know. I have told my family that I want to spend time with them for a few days before going out. Please allow me that time when I come. I know it will be a difficult transition and ask your prayers.

You know, they have big bats here. Some of the people saw elephants on the last out reach.

Ashlee