Sydney

Worshiping with the Island Breeze Sydney Missionaries.

A day in the city visiting the famous Sydney opera house!

We are in the pool because....

Anna is an amazing photographer.
I tell everyone that even though she denies it.
One of her photography fantasies was to take pictures of beautiful girls in beautiful dresses in a swimming pool....since there happens to be a pool at the YWAM Sydney base myself and 2 of the students here dressed up and fell in the pool...and we had alot of fun.

Because Anna is an amazing photographer =)

God blessem you from Vanuatu!

Vanuatu is a lovely little island full of beautiful, gentle, cheerful people who live in villages.
This week we are staying in a village near Port Vila, at the YWAM missions school. There are about 20 people who live here, including Staff and students.

Tim, Anna, and I are making a short promotional DVD for them. We’re also helping with their website and writing all the DTS student’s stories… I have been teaching the YWAM Staff a communications workshop for 3 days, and they have been teaching me how to play the bongo drums!

There is a prophetess here named Mommy Miriam who
has inspired me daily with her stories of God working in the villages.

She and I have been meeting everyday to pray and intercede for the missionaries and local church…it is such an honor to spend time with this mighty woman of God.

Another highlight came on Sunday when I took a day off to go surfing with the locals! I was hilariously clumsy on a short board. I landed on heaps of coral everytime, so I'm pretty thrashed, but we had a great time!

Rooky videographer

Anna caught me working again....I am videotaping Geoff in Vanuatu, the YWAM Director there.
Attempting to create a promotional DVD for them which will be released in August 2008 (?) possibly =)

And then there is me....

This is the photo that goes with my story below =)

Our team!

Tim and Anna will be my fellow travelers for the next 3 months! I am so excited to have them on my communications team – taking the Pacific by storm!
God is funny in the way He brings people together. The three of us couldn’t be more different: Anna is the tranquil, efficient, German beauty on our team; Tim is the retroverted, brilliant, pessimist; and I’m the energetic optimist, who is always working on 3 projects at once and feels the need to declare with great joy everything I see in the islands!
We drive each other crazy but we still love each other and function well as a team – praise Jesus! Sadly we do not have a nice team photo that we all agree on yet. So I am publishing the ones that capture our personalities! (Here is the one of Tim and Anna - mine is the one up above)

January 2008 Newsletter

It's a brand new year and already 2 exciting things have happened!!

One is that everything has fallen into place for me to become the YWAM Pacific Communications Coordinator! In two weeks I will lead a small communications team touring nine countries in the region. We will meet the missionaries, develop their communications, and end in Samoa where my team will leave me to pioneer a little communications outpost. The second ridiculously exciting thing is that I am finally learning to play the drums! Ever since 4rd grade Derek Fekkes has inspired me -I have always wanted to play the drums. Being a rather cheap missionary I could never justify spending money on lessons, so I just kept pounding away on stuff with chopsticks and pencils.
Then one day last month an old friend of mine said “Jen, I want to support you in missions on one condition: don’t spend it on missions or airfare, I want you to get a life! Go do something fun and get into the real world. Ever since you were little you’ve been talking about how Jesus is coming back! You work too much and you need to go have some fun like normal people your age.”
Point taken. Henceforth I shall take more breaks from pounding on my keyboard and praying for the lost, and start pounding on some drums and mastering syncopated rhythms. Let me tell you, drumming is a blast! You can take comfort in knowing that if all the lost do get saved, and I’m out of a job, at least I can join a rock band.

Truthfully, I want you to know that I love being a missionary though. I love partnering with you, to go into the world, preach the gospel, and make disciples….I am not doing it out of some heavy sense of obligation or even the warm fuzzy feelings. I truly love sharing the good news with people. I love publishing the stories I hear about God working in the world. The Pacific people have been calling to my heart for a while now, and I am thrilled to get back out there and encourage hundreds of missionaries in that region.
They are a bit behind in media and communication, yet God is working powerfully among them - so I can't wait to help them herald the good news!
My theme verse for this new mission is "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong...so that no one may stand before Him." 1 Corinthians 1:27 + 29
Also verse 29b from the JAV (Jennifer's Abridged Version) "He gives big titles and responsibility to little girls with nothing but ridiculous ideas and big faith, knowing that God will show up working wonders."

Friends, I am young and green, and my feet are way to small for the shoes I'm putting on. But I trust that God can work in spite of me, and help my feet to grow into them.
Thank you for walking this road with me.
Love,
Jennifer
p.s. my new website is www.ywamconnect.com/sites/jennifergray

Spending time with family and friends......

Oh what fun it is to......

Merry Christmas dear friends!!!!
(hmmm I better be careful who I say that to.) Right now I have two Jehovah's Witness missionaries working zealously to convert me.
Every week they come over for coffee and scones, and we study our Bibles. Several translations are strewn across the table as we go through the doctrines step by step.
It's interesting.
I am learning a lot from their approach. I am also very thankful that my church allows me to celebrate Christmas and blood transfusions.
But I feel guilty. Am I leading them on by being so interested in their faith? Meanwhile I'm praying they will come to know the Truth, and relieved knowing I don't have to get angry or superior in flexing my theology… I just have to be their friend and love them, and search for truth withthem. God is faithful, and will show us the way. Please pray for their salvation, they will make wonderful YWAM'ers someday =)
I'm living at home in Washington again this month; doing my missions writing here and trying to raise missions support. My Director strongly suggested I come home, and stay home, until I can raise enough support to pay my rent.
Praise Jesus for the opportunity to share about missions at several homes and churches in Stanwood. Making a big deal out of God is what I love to do, so it has been fun. (Did anyone see Pastor Steve do the Samoan warrior dance for the Camano Chapel presentation??) E lelei le Steve! It was classic, you can probably find it on " u-tube.com" =)
Thank you so much Terry Greer, Luke and Tori Dawson, and Chris Mietes for joining my mission team this month!!
Thank you all friends who have been partnering with me in missions these past four years. I am so blessed to have you on my team. Praise God, we have touched many lives through your partnership. Please remember, I would love to come and visit you while I'm home. I could bring some international dessert and we can talk about missions and your family.
In the meantime, thank you so much for praying for me as I continue to write the stories of the wonderful things God is doing in the world. Please keep praying for my new Jehovah's Witness friends too.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Love, Jennifer
YWAM International Communications NetworkP.O. Box 26479Colorado Springs, CO. 80936(719)-380-0505
send4jen@gmail.com

Here is a photo of me baking Christmas cookies with AWANA girls - so much fun - I love getting involved in AWANA when I'm home.
If you're looking for a good ministry to be involved in locally, AWANA clubs are an excellent way to reach kids for Christ - and they're always looking for new leaders! Here is also a photo of my cute sisters, Emily and Mary, it's been so fun to be with you again for Christmas =)

Baking Christmas Cookies!

with the AWANA girls!

Jen? Are you back??

If you happen to see me around Stanwood this week, you may be puzzled.
And justifiably so, since I just sent out a newsletter saying I was loving life and missions in Colorado!
There are 3 possible conclusions one might jump to:
1.) I have a twin
2.) I’ve been hiding out at home all these years, making up stories about the countries and missions I've been in.
3.) My mission director strongly suggested I come home, and stay home, until I can raise enough support to pay my rent.
If you chose option 3 you are cunning and qualified for a free evening with me!
I will gladly come to your home, bringing a tasty international dessert, and share my vision for missions with you!

I hate being pushy and making people uncomfortable - so I may wait for you to tell me you're interested. But I am praying God will stir in the hearts of people a desire to be involved in missions. I absolutely LOVE to share the stories of the wonderful things God is doing in the world and how you can be part of it.
So next time you see me around Stanwood feel free to grab me and be the answer to my prayer! =)
p.s. my new e-mail adress is send4jen@gmail.com
and phone number is 360-652-7430

So I moved to Colorado and........

I promised my Editor that I would come and spend at least 6 months living here in Colorado Springs working on writing projects for my fellow missionaries at the Youth With A Mission International Communications Network office.
I actually have my own little office – but since my Editor left on a business trip the next day he said I could use his until I finish preparing mine. sweet! I just got here and I’m already taking over my bosses office.
The people I work with here are nice except they told me
I have to wear shoes and stop singing in the hallway. So I am doing my best to become poised and professional.
Much to my chagrin they said I could not paint my new office to look like a Samoan beach fale (open hut with a thatched roof)...
but they let all those little shortcomings pass like water under the proverbial bridge because of the baked goods I have been bringing in. Ha.
I feel like Amelia Bedelia.
Actually I’m glad because I love to cook but also intend to keep my cute girlish figure forever, sooo bringing those brownies in for everyone else to enjoy makes everyone
happy.
(as an aside for all the sweet, well-intentioned ladies at church who try to hook me up with different nephews ect. I need to marry a man who likes to eat.)
Another thing that surprised and delighted me this weekend is that it snowed already! It was the strangest thing – Saturday it was 75 degrees and I got sunburned, but I woke up Sunday morning and found this!

60 minute meals a day with Jennifer Gray

Or something like that....

Oh the joy of baking! Pumpkin bread seemed like a good place to start because it is fall and I wanted to give some to the people who have been praying for me and helping to supply my “daily bread” in missions.
Would you believe my humble little pumpkin yielded 16 loaves of bread?
Amazing – if you have not yet received a loaf of said bread, please don’t hesitate to give me a call and I’ll be happy to bring one to you. =)

p.s. Many thanks to all the wonderful friends and family's who let me come over and share missions stories, pictures and food - I always love coming home to you all!

September - In culture shock - and loving it!

Home again!
After 8 months of living in the jungles of Samoa it’s quite the culture shock coming home to strange modern commodities like….carpet?
Another shock came this weekend when I was struck by the first winter storm on the tippy top of Mt. Pilchuck where my Dad, Jessica, Nate and I were hiking. Thankfully we were rescued by Arthur the lone Mountaineer at the lookout tower.
Admittedly, I was a bit out of my element moving from tropical beaches to wild mountain ice storms – but I’m counting my blessings because this frigid flashback led to my first warm shower in 8 months.
(Which was also really weird.) You know cold showers have been proven scientifically to be better for your hair, skin, and circulation, so I think the Samoans are more advanced than we are in that respect. =)
But things that are bad for us always feel better anyway. So I remain thankful.
Our standard American kitchen has been fun to come back too. After cooking over an open fire for so long I was elated to rediscover the oven.
My family eats a lot less than the Samoan boys I’m used to cooking for, so we could potentially have the same leftovers 3 days in a row.
But they forgave me after I mixed up a bowl of ava (some kind of drink made out of dried leaves, don’t ask how I got it through customs) and danced Island dances for them.

My family is so cool and accommodating to me – I’d like to take this opportunity to pay omage to their graciousness. Lord knows I’m always springing some wild idea on them and they just brace themselves and say “shoot the moon Jen!”
Thanks Mom and Dad and Emmy and Mary for your abundant love for me, for never acting too surprised at my ideas anymore, and especially for not allowing me to elope with that beautiful island guy.
(sigh)You’re right, now I see that it really wasn’t good timing.
More ava?

How life is destined to be from now on

Playfulness n. The state or quality of being playful
play·ful /ˈpleɪfəl/ Spelled Pronunciation[pley-fuhl] –adjective
1. full of play or fun; sportive; frolicsome.
2. pleasantly humorous or jesting: a playful remark.

Yes, this is a pearl I picked up in Samoa and will treasure till kingdom come - the Samoan people are playful in their talking, working, studies, worship, cooking, eating, sports....play =) I think the village chief even has a glint of playfulness in his eye while chasing little boys with a stick when they're out past curfew.
So as I return home I'm taking this with me, and thank you for ruining me forever for the boring and serious. =)
Mua ta'alo so'o! (we play too much!)
love,
Jen

July 2007 -Summer in Samoa

Gako le Oso, I pusa kalafa!" is the funny Samoan slang meaning "I'm running around in circles with my sideburns on fire!" =)
That's how I've felt occasionally over the past summer of outreach in Samoa. But it's been especially exciting lately with Samoa hosting the South Pacific Games.
It's like the olympics with thousands of people from Fiji, Cook Islands, Toga, Tahiti.....competing in various games.
Everyday my missions team goes out to evangelize, pray, or do Island dancing with our testimonies on open air stages. I never dreamed of being the only palagi (white girl) doing a hula in front of thousands - but when we're available, God is able, and all things are possible right? =)Truthfully, I have absolutely fallen in love with the Pacific people, especially the Samoans.
I want to die here. (Not anytime soon Daddy, don't worry I don't have Typhoid or Eliphantitus) But I really love the people, culture, language...everything.
I am committed to spending a few months at the YWAM International Communications Network in Colorado Springs this year. But my long term dream is to continue working as a YWAM Missionary Journalist in the South Pacific.
There is a huge need for someone to fill this position as new YWAM bases are cropping up like coconut trees all over the South Pacific. Islanders are wonderful storytellers but they rarely get their stories on paper.
My hope is to do this plus help them develop their communications, websites, brochures.....wherever the island breeze leads. =)Thankyou so very much for your prayers, encouragement, and support that makes this ministry possible. I have prayed for you continuously during my outreach and traning here and am so thankful when you share your prayer requests....
I can't wait to see you soon and share all the crazy wonderful things God is doing in the Pacific.
Hey, when I get home this month we could do a workshop on hula dancing, coconut husking, and missions!! Let me know if you're interested. =)
Viia le Alii! - Praise the Lord!
May His blessing be upon you forever!
Much love, Jen
p.s. please read Psalm 139 today and know how precious and honored you are in His sight.

Paddle your own canoe!

(June/July Newsletter)
This week I was sitting in the YWAM Samoa office and happened upon a copy of the latest International YWAM’er magazine. I was thrilled to see my articles and pictures in there. Hopefully the missionaries in India and Thailand…will be excited to see God receiving glory for the great things He’s doing in their ministry. That makes me eager to graduate from this DTS in six weeks and get back to my ‘real job’! Right now we’re entering our outreach phase, where we put all of our head knowledge of God and ministry into practice by serving outside of our camp. Lord willing we’ll go to Australia, but we’re still fundraising and praying for God’s direction.
Speaking of direction I learned a great new Samoan proverb this week: “Paddle your own canoe”. Ha. Basically it means mind your own business.
Living in community we can get in each other’s business sometimes which isn’t healthy, but I told my brothers and sister here I hate conflict and especially confronting people with problems, so this week I had to do something extremely difficult. I was called to a meeting with my leaders and a few of my fellow students about some trouble they had been getting into and they needed me to “testify” about what I saw/knew.
It was a tough spot for me and I hated it but I had to tell the truth. After the meeting I started crying, I was so worried that my brothers would hate me for snitching on them and I am not a backstabber.
But as I sat crumpled up and crying in my fale that night they came to me one by one and apologized again. They said they didn’t want me to feel bad or go to bed hating them! So we humbled ourselves in love and honesty towards eachother – it hurts my heart I love them so much. We talked about the situation again, and about our feelings and concerns.
One of the guys explained to me a Samoan proverb “Paddle your own canoe” =) and I said “Eoi, (yes) but I need you to watch me and help me stay on track because we’re all trying to paddle our canoes in the light toward Jesus. If you see me paddling backwards or drifting away please call out to me, and if I can’t hear you get one of our canoe chief leaders to go and help me too. Because the cross-current is strong and there’s whirlpools and rocks in my path sometimes….plus there’s a strange magnetism between my canoe and Pana’s and if we’re out of line we’re gonna capsize.
I’ll just be honest with ya. =)
So if you ever see us doing wrong grab my paddle and beat me over the head please!”
Anyways, the night ended well, we all decided to keep each other accountable in humility. God was glorified, we all love each other,
and we’re trying to grow and learn - isn't that what being a disciple is all about? Viia le Atua!

La'u uo lelei

This is Atapana Tualagi my best Samoan friend- he and I have been dating since August 2006 where we were both doing YWAM missions in Singapore. I am so thankful for the way his family has accepted and loved me as their own, and he has taken very good care of me just like he promised my Daddy that he would. Even though it's been hard being friends during the DTS because we are hardly aloud to speak to eachother ( staff and students are not aloud to have relationships). But we still pray for eachother and he still does a good job of looking out for me. Malo lava ma fa'afetai tele lava Pana!
La'u uo o le tama lele!

The Lecture Phase of DTS

Here's a picture of me.......studying.

A typical YWAM Discipleship Training Session is divided into 3 months of lecture phase and 2 months of missions outreach. I didn't expect to learn very much from my DTS lecture phase because it's all basic Christian discipleship messages that I've heard a hundred times growing up in a Christian home, church, Bible school, then the missions feild.....My prideful little self seemed well grounded in the fundamentals of Christian life.
Boy was I wrong.
The 3 months of lectures challenged my heart and mind as we dove into The Word together. We studied the nature and character of God, forgiveness, and evangelism....I think I cried every other day in class as God tilled up the soil of my soul and planted new seeds of discipleship into my life.
Praise God for His endless patience in teaching Bible-prideful people like me =)
Here I am next to our fale (Samoan house) with a few of my fellow students: Ameto Vinepa, and Alissa.
We really love eachother.

My Samoan friends and family

My new Grandma =)

This is me and my new Samoan Grandma =) Isn't she beautiful? She is so precious and I adore her =)

Fundraising!

My Discipleship Training School in Samoa has been alot of fun but also alot of work =) Besides our usual studies, ministry, and programs we do alot of fundraising for our school fees. Usually this involves waking up at 4 a.m. a couple of mornings a week to roll rhoti curry, or husk coconuts and make vasallo (a coconut soup /pudding to sell to our neighboring villages).

My Samoan friends/Family!

Friends in Samoa!

This is one of my fellow students Ameto who is absolutely hilarious.
I told him I would make him famous by putting his photo online =)

Hacking through the Jungle part 2!

Talofa Lava Friends and Family!Yesterday I found myself hauling coconuts and hacking through the jungle with a machete – working like this from 9-5 for 2.50 tala per hour (almost equivalent to $1 U.S.)
There are several ironies in this scenario, one of them being I had just explained the word “femininity” to a local guy and my desire to be effeminate. The second being I have earned a college degree to make 50 times that much working in America. But no matter, it was a team fundraiser and I’m fia fia (happy) to be working with my missions team. As we toiled we prayed, fervently, that this job and many prayers will fly us to Hong Kong next month for our outreach. (This is a picture of my team of DTS students and staff)

These past 3 months in Samoa have not exactly been a holiday at the sea – paradise loses some of its appeal when you have no toilet paper, or running water, or money for food. But in this situation I have two options: get sick and depressed and complain all the time like some people are, or suck it up buttercup and learn the lessons God wants to teach us! This buttercup’s choosing the latter option.
I believe God has so many good things He wants to teach us in the valleys. He gave me this verse today from Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’”.

What is more challenging than our physical circumstances is that there is a lot of spiritual attack happening in our camp right now.

Please pray for that.Mysteriously I’m the only one out of 10 girl students and staff who isn’t sick or depressed. I feel blessed that God has placed a shield around me.They say it’s because I’m in love with this boy here but it’s not entirely true.
I really believe God in His mercy is giving me strength, and there are so many of you praying for me back at home. I remain humbled by His grace and thankful for your prayers.May God bless you much as He is blessing me right now (only with an extra measure of T.P.) – and I encourage you to stand in awe of Him for He is a consuming fire, and worthy of our continual praise.Fa’a manuia le Atua! ♥ Kiengy (my Samoan name)

I love Samoa! - part 2

Talofa Lava dear friends and family!
I am still living in Samoa helping the missionaries with office communications and at the same time doing my Discipleship Training School.
Life in our little YWAM village is gorgeous and simple. The land is green and warm, and the people are so beautiful.
I can feel God’s presence in this place.
Sometimes at 6:00 in the morning when I’m having my quite hour with God. I sit outside watching the sun and steam rise over the palm trees. The fragrance of His presence also rises. The birds are chirping in the jungle and children in red and blue school uniforms are laughing and singing as they walk to their bus. Men and women walk past carrying baskets of taro and bananas on their shoulders.
I call out to them “Malo!” (hi) and they laugh “Malo foe!” ”O a mai oe?” (how are you?) I ask. “Manuia fa’a fetai. - Yeah, fa!” “Fa!” I reply, manuia le aso!” (have a happy day).
The YWAM Missions base is nestled in 5 acres of land, surrounded by jungle and plantations. We live in 7 fales which are basically open huts with no walls and brown thatched roofs. There is a cute little village next door, but we can’t see the people through the thick patch of banana trees between us.
I love to hear their church bells at 6p.m. calling people to stop their work and go home for family devotions. Sometimes I catch children laughing climbing the coconut trees, while their cows munch the jungle fluff outside our gate.
Last week I caught a couple of our Big Samoan guys gazing longingly at the cows and laughing. "O laya layna?” I asked.
“Oh, we were just laughing because palagi’s (white people) look at the cow and think of many different ways to prepare the meat. But Samoans just think, kill, cook, eat until we’re full. Haha
We eat a lot here in Samoa.
There is an abundance of rice, bananas, coconuts, taro, greens, papaya’s, and some meat and fish….I feel like I should be getting fatter but I don’t think I am. Strangely.
Maybe it’s because after our morning classes we work hard farming our plantation, then play volleyball and rugby, then our evening praise and worship time gets pretty fun and energetic at night.
Oh I love Samoa.
Thank you so much for continuing to pray for me on my missionary journey. God is teaching me so much about His beauty, strength, and laughter here.
Friends, the most beautiful and fulfilling thing in the world is being in love with Jesus.
In Jeremiah 9:23-24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of His strength, or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”I am so thankful that we can all know the Lord.
I pray I can understand Him better while I am here, and you can understand Him better wherever you are.

Talofa Lava!

What if?

What if the Hokey Pokey is what it's all about?

High Strung

(Insert obligatory apology for taking ages to write)
It was wonderful to be home for Christmas with my family!
And New Years, and Martin Luther King Day, and.…well I’m still here =)
Didn’t plan on staying in Stanwood for this long, but God always laughs when I tell Him my plans.
I have continued working on various communication projects for YWAM Missionaries: writing their stories, creating and editing websites, designing brochures, and newsletters... Everyday is a fun challenge as I’m learning more about communications and encouraging fellow missionaries.
Praise God for the great things He’s doing in the world!
When I’m not working on these projects I’ve been feeding experimental Thai food dinners to my missions supporters.
But one of the joys of this season has been working at Warm Beach Camp putting up and taking down The Lights of Christmas.
I am so thankful that the camp always welcomes me back to work there, whenever I’m in town. I’ve decided working The Lights of Christmas adds an interesting element to my resume:
Skills?? Well, I can coil Christmas lights with the best of them – in the pouring rain, snow, hail, and hurricane force winds we’ve had this season.
I can create a fake lake with swans on it.
And bodyguard for Bruce the Spruce (the talking Christmas tree)
Every day is a new adventure!
Thanks so much for your love and prayers my friend! Please don’t hesitate to call me if we haven’t gotten together yet. I would love to have you over for dinner so I can experiment on you with some Thai food recipes! =)

John the Baptist?!

While prayer walking around Brussels I ducked into a French Bookshop and met this jolly celebrity and his...helper(?)
In Belgium and the Netherlands Santa Claus comes on December 16th to put candy in the children's shoes....
I like that.
Santa comes and blesses the kids, then gets out of the way to make room for the real reason for the season. =) I was raised in a home that hated Santa Claus, believing he steals Baby Jesus' thunder.
When I was little my mission was to tell all my little friends "the truth" about Santa. Sure, they cried their eyes out and hated me for a time, but they got over it so I thought they were better off =)

But you know, as I was reading the Christmas story again, I realized that Santa is alot like John the Baptist!
- stay with me here - especially the one in Brussels. He came to help prepare the way, get people excited about Jesus coming, then said "He must become greater and I must become less".
He loved on people, pointed them to the truth, and then got out of the way for Jesus.
Would that we were all like that Santa.....maybe we should put out locusts and wild honey next Christmas Eve =)

God save the Queen!

I LOVE LONDON!
O.k. This may sound a little weird but when I arrived in the London Heathrow Airport I made a bee-line for the bathroom and joyously exclaimed “Yes! They have real western flushing toilets!” My joy was doubled after discovering a sink – with warm water! and soap! And – hark – paper towels! “Oh it's just too much, I am so thankful for this!” I cried to the lady washing her hands next to me. "I bet I can actually drink this water too without fear of strange uncurable diseases right?” “Sure, she replied, edgeing her way to the exit.”

After traveling hither and yon it is nice to be in a familiar culture again. Our mother country England is so charming. I love the people and culture, as well as the amenities of modern civilization....I felt guilty for feeling this way at first. But you know, it's o.k. to be thankful for comfortable things like paper towels!
We're supposed to learn the secret of being content wherever we are right?

The YWAM ministry in London is completely different from YWAM India, because the needs of the people are different. I will post another story about that later, but I just want to say it is beautiful when the body of Christ reaches out to their community in creative ways using their own cultural giftings.

Wouldn't it be boring if we all followed the same model for missions and evangelism? If we all worshipped and fellowshipped the same way? That would be so boring.
I praise God He has allowed us all to live and serve Him in beautiful and unique capacities.

And I praise him for paper towels!
p.s. No, Emily, I have not met Prince William and convinced him that I'm the princess of his dreams....yet.
p.p.s. Here I am sitting next to Buckingham palace.

Back in Mumbai with my girls

After traveling hither and yon across the Indian landscape I have returned to Mumbai, eagerly returning to storytime at the girls home.
Every night from 7-10 I get to take a break from writing, and give the "home mom's" a break. Then "Moma Jen" takes over reading story's, praying, and singing lullaby's with the little girls.

Afterwards I go upstairs for time with the big girls, only we do a little more serious teenage girl "girl talk".
Oh, I love it! It is so fun to get together with girls no matter what culture we're in! We girls just have this unspoken bond - it is so fun to be a girl.

I love being a mentor too. If you have a chance to mentor/disciple young people in your life please do. It's a rich investment neither of you will regret.
Here is a snapshot with a couple of the little girls.

Hide it Under a Bushel? No!

It's Wednesday night and the sky is darkening as I squeeze into a small Ram Tekdi slum house with countless other children. They have come for the weekly Bible Club led by Missionaries from the YWAM Pune base. There are thousands of slums just like this in India, filled with thousands of slum children eager to hear Bible stories.

After some rowdy fun worship songs the leaders settle the kids down to learn a new Bible verse: Mathew 5: 14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

”What a perfect lesson for them to learn!” I was thinking as the leaders explained what Jesus meant in this parable.
You see, during my time in Pune I have interviewed several Missionaries and pastors who talk about the “secret Christians”. Many people know God and believe in Jesus, but they are not willing to confess Him to their family or community.

Understandably it would be difficult to proclaim Christ in a Hindu/Muslim country. Many Indian States have anti-conversion laws, and Christian missionaries and pastors undergo tremendous persecution, even death every day.
But if the Christians do not stand up for Christ, how will they be a light to their community? How will they be a city on a hill that points to the Truth?

I pray that this generation of children sitting around me, listening to the Bible story, will be bold and stand up for Jesus. Perhaps when they bring their coloring papers home with the Matthew 5:14-16 verse written on it their parents will be convicted to stand up for Jesus too.

Isaiah 49:15

Do you ever have days where there is so much to do, but everything simple becomes more complicated?
Today was one of those patience testers for me =)
I kept saying "God, I could use a little help here. Where are you? Have you forgotten that I'm doing Your work down here?"

and this is what He told me
"See! I will not forget you....I have you carved on the palm of my hand."
peace
Friend if you want to know perfect peace, His hands are very big.
There is room for your name too.

Beautiful Children of the Slums

Today I helped teach a nutrition class to mothers in a slum area.
I can't believe how little they know about basic health and nutrition. They learned for the first time today why it is important to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and then hand feeding their babies.
And that their babies are probably sick because they crawl all over the slum "streets" which are narrow squeeze spaces between each shanty. Throughout the streets children wander along with AIDS infected animals and raw sewage from thousands of people.....it is so heartbreaking.
There are amazing tender-hearted missionaries here who have started a free medical clinic and health classes...but they feel overwhelmed with the surplus of needs.
The other side of the world is so different from home.
We are so blessed.
I know the Missionaries are going to need continued help and supplies. So today I am writing/designing a brochure for their ministry so we can send it out and raise awareness of what they are doing and how people can help...
If you are interested in learning more please e-mail me and I will gladly send you a brochure and information.
For now will you at least please pray for these beautiful children? That as the Missionaries reach out to their physical needs, they will be allowed to feed their spiritual needs as well?

Namaste!

Namaste! Greetings from India!
I apologize for taking over a week to write. I have been so busy here in Mumbai and Goa setting up interviews with Missionaries, writing stories, taking pictures, helping with the street kids ministry, slums, prostitutes, Bible clubs, hospital visits, orphan homes.....there is always some way to share the wonderful love of Jesus here. Last night I finally went to bed after 40 hours straight of ministry without sleep.
It's been fun though. God is good and is teaching me the mighty greatness of His grace, strength, and joy in my weakness =)
Praise Him!
India is a very sad place. Every city I have seen is dirty, diseased, hot, crowded, and crumbling. I was shocked when told that 40% of Indian people living in cities, stay in slums.
It is heartbreaking. There is such division between the people in castes. Such division between the few very rich, and everyone else who is poor.

Many people have no concept of how miserable their conditions are.
I freaked out yesterday at breakfast when a mouse ran over my feet. But then I went to the market and saw a huge fat rat ambling along in the middle of a restaurant and people noticed but ignored it!
So it’s a little different from Stanwood, but God is doing great things through His people here. He is bringing hope and healing. Everyday when I see people with Siva's ashes rubbed on their foreheads it reminds me of my Father's longing to bring beauty from the ashes of this country.
Thank you for praying for the missionaries here and the people of India.
In this picture some of the local missionaries are teaching me how to eat with my hands - the true Indian way. Then there is another picture of me, Sony, Divya, and Lydia in an auto-rickshaw going to church.

Bring it!

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved!
Hebrews 10:39

Shameless Little Advertisement

Hear ye! Hear ye! Anyone interested in serving in missions I have good tidings of great joy!
With a multiplicity of YWAM ministry locations the world over, there is surely a perfect place for you!
Right here in this photo I am joined by Ellen from Australia who came with a team from her church to do outreach in Chang Mai. Look at how happy she is serving the Lord while painting the kitchen walls of the Home of Joy!
You too can experience such joy serving anywhere the Lord calls you to – it could be in your own city, or it could be on the other side of the world. Pray about it today and ask God how you can use your special talents or learn new ones, to refresh others!
YWAM needs you!
p.s. I get lonely sometimes moving around every week - little vagabond that I am. Soooo if anyone is interested in photo journalism I would love a partner!
(Said partner must be willing to love everyone; move every week; travel daily on dangerous forms of transportation when you usually do not speak the language or know exactly where you are going; sleep anywhere; eat anything; cannot be afraid of cockroaches the size of hotdogs, spiders that will bite you in your sleep, rats that will scurry accrossed your floor, or rabid looking animals in the street. You can take showers sometimes, which are guaranteed to be cold, but that is o.k. because you are guaranteed to be hot and dirty all the time anyways so it's actually a benefit =)
Other benefits include: living by faith everyday, watching God do miracles, meeting amazing people in amazing cultures, and having alot of fun =)

Birthday Elephants and Humility

I had a fabulous 22nd birthday! I signed up for an all-day Elephant ride through the jungle with a tour group of 8 other people.
One couple was from Canada, another was from Malaysia, 3 were from Spain, 1 from Japan, and myself. We all got on splendidly learning about each other’s countries and swapping travel stories. I quickly became known as the “extremely religious bubbly birthday girl Jen from America!” haha. We had fun.
I’m not sure how I feel about the “extremely religious label”. That conjures up pictures of Pharisees – I sure hope I wasn’t giving them the impression that I was more pious just 'cause I’m a missionary working at an orphan home.
I am reminded everyday that the fact God is using little ‘ol me for anything is a testimony to His grace, sense of humor, and that He likes to use small unimportant things and people to shame the “wise” and shine His glory! Yeah God!
Sometimes I set up interviews with people over the phone, and when I meet them in person they’re shocked saying (either verbally or non-verbally) “What?! I thought I was meeting with a highly experienced reporter!
How old are you? Do you know the hierarchy of YWAM leadership and the 7 steps to our visionary strategy with the 4k network….?” and I say sheepishly “Er…well no. But God’s funny with who He calls for His work isn’t He? I mean he used David to slay Goliath, and a teenager to birth the son of God, so surely He can use anyone, right?” =)
Soooo I hope I am quick to give Him every bit of glory if do anything well.
But back to the elephants =)
We sat 2 people in a saddle while a Thai professional elephant rider man led us over a mammoth mountain, through banana trees and dense jungle foliage.
Since it was my birthday and all, the elephant driver let me out of the saddle to ride the elephant’s shoulder!!
He jumped off to smoke cigarettes and beat the elephants butt with a bamboo stick. I do not believe animal cruelty is edifying for anyone so I petted my elephant, rubbed his ears, and told him nice things. I think he responded much better to the positive encouragement, than the stick.
See how happy he looks in the picture?
We ambled down into a valley which was so green and lush, and spent the day there. It was paradise!
But it wasn't over yet....that night at the Home of Joy the children and staff surprised me with a sweet celebration. Here is a picture of some of them looking all cute and covered in cake.
Thankyou!!!!

Bed Bugs and Birthdays

Two very exciting things have happened to me recently!
Last night I learned how to kill bedbugs – Baby powder!
It’s incredible! I have been dousing the kids with it every night when they jump out of the bath, and last night the Thai staff were singing the benefit’s of the stuff – they say it keeps the baby’s dry, wards off malarial mosquitoes, and also kills bed bugs!
So I also powdered myself liberally, plus the mattress, sheets, clothes, headboard (just in case) and awoke bright and cheery this morning bed-bug free!
Ah, it’s the little blessings in life, you know?
The second wonderful thing is that tomorrow is my Birthday, and I am going to ride an Elephant into the Jungle! Ahhh! It will cut into my budget a bit, but I just won’t eat for 2 days or something, and it’ll be worth it.
I’m so excited!
Thank you so much friends for your love and prayers from home!
The Thai military is still staging the coup throughout the country. We see armed soldiers everywhere, but life seems to be peaceful nevertheless, Praise God.
I miss you all, and hope you are well!
Please let me know how I can pray for you - I feel your prayers everyday.
love and later!
-Jen

Home of Joy!

Living in the Home of Joy (YWAM's home for orphans in Chiang Mai)has been such a...well a joy!
The children are precious, and the workers inspire me by their dedication and love.
I am so thankful my missions role is not limited to merely writing about ministry. I can actually participate! They let me help feed and clean and read and play with the children from 5:45 in the morning when they all wake up - until...oh around 11p.m. when the adults go to sleep. And sometimes through the night.
It's not always easy, they seem to be louder, wilder, and needier than most children I know. Group mayhem is often the rule of the day, when one toddler starts screaming they all do. Nevertheless, we all get through it, and enjoy several bright spots throughout the day as well!
Here are some pic's of these darlings.

Nakhon Sawan, the Coup, and Chiang Mai

So yesterday in Nakhon Sawan, I met my Compassion Sponsor Child, Keng and his family! It was glorious! Oh he is so darling! His family is huge and extremely poor, but hard working, and love the Lord, and generally happy and healthy. Praise God for them. We all loved on eachother so much, it was great to meet eachother after writing for 3 years.

I left them last night and took the "sleeper" bus to Chiang Mai, and was wondering why we kept getting stopped by soldiers along the way (sometimes it is tough not to know what anyone is saying or what is going on =).
I arrived at the bus station at 3a.m. in the morning, and waited there until 10a.m. when my sweet YWAM Missionary friend, Kathleen (who is head of the orphanage here) came for me.
She said that the Thai military just took over the country last night, threw out the Prime minister, and the constitution, and.....some other stuff.
Thailand is such a peaceful country, and has not had disruption like this in hundreds of years. The news says the invasion and everything was peaceful, but we don't really know what is going to happen.
Soooooo I spent the day getting to know all the orphan children I will be living with for the next 8 days. The coup is happening all over the country, so we are just as safe here as we would be in Bangkok. Maybe safer.
So we'll trust God and watch the news and see what happens. It will be great living here with the kids. We will probably be spending alot of time playing and reading, and feeding and changing and cleaning.....and hopefully I'll get some writing done too =)
then I leave on Sept. 30th to India, Lord willing.
So, busy busy, but "God is in His high heaven and all is right in the world" as they say.
Thankyou so much for praying peace over this country, and safety for us here.

Joshua 1:9

God has been encouraging me with this verse lately. I hope it encourages you as well.
He says "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

Adventuring

For our day off Stuart, Larissa, some local friends, and I hopped on their motorcycles and for an adventure in the back-country of Cambodia!
This is the most georgeous country!
We visited some ancient temples, and joined 100 local children climbing the crumbling ruins.
Then we visited some of the horrible killing feilds where Pol Pot murdered 4 million people during the Kmer Rouge regime of the 1970's.
When a warm cambodian downpour started we sought shelter under a hut with some monks and local people.
After the rain stopped we headed home, after buying coconut rice grilled in a Bamboo stalk. It's a local favorite, and here is a picture of us enjoying it together.

My Little Princess

It is amazing how God knows the things our heart is missing, without us saying it.
God has been ministering to my heart this week through children. I could give several examples - but today in Cambodia (oh yes, I am in Cambodia now by the way =) I was invited to cross the border and stay with YWAMérs in Battambang for a week, to write a story about the sweet new things God is doing here).
Today they let me go to the orphanage nearby to play with the children! Our first stop was in the baby room, where I held the most beautiful baby girl. The house mother doesn't know her name or how old she is, and says she doesn't like her because she won't stay quiet in her crib.
She didn't cry though when I held her close to me and started talking to her. She reached up to touch my eyes and nose and cheeks - then she held me face in her sticky little hands and searched my eyes with her bewhildered little brown ones. I wanted to keep her so much.
I told her softly "Don't worry Princess. Jesus has a name for you. He knows how old you are. He knows everything about you, and He loves you so much."
I feel like God has been telling me that same thing about my identity. "Don't worry princess, I know you're a stranger in a foreign land where no one really knows you. But I know you. everything about you. and I love you so much.
I asked the house Mother's permission to carry the baby with me for the rest of the day as we visited other children.
She held my fingers and my heart so tight.
They wouldn't let me take her home, but I can visit again tommorow.
Praise God for that precious little one. =) Please pray that she will grow up knowing how much she is loved.
Here is a picture of her and a few other sweet kids we were playing with

Visiting the Monks

My friend Stuart visits the Buddhist monks in different pagoda's every morning. The monks are mostly young men in their 20's who are very friendly and eager to practice their English. Stuart has been making friends with them, and they always talk about the differences between Buddhism and Christianity. We are hoping and praying that they will start to "be enlightened" to the One True God.
Stuart let me tag along today and we all had wonderful conversations!

Day 3 in Cambodia

Yesterday I went with Katie (one of the girls on staff) to visit the sick at a local military hospital where many sick soldiers live and die.
Katie is praying for opportunities to organize more Christian volunteers to visit the hospital. The patients desperately need friends to love them, share the gospel with them, and serve them.
The hospital is filthy. Most of the patients have AIDS and lie on their deathbeds but have no one to help them with their most basic needs. There are no nurses to help them go to the bathroom or walk the half-mile away to the cafeteria, so many of the patients die of starvation. Sometimes people are lucky enough to have their family live with them, to help them, but many do not. Many are at the mercy of any tenderhearted person who will care.
Here are some pictures of the patients, and children who live there.

Please Pray

I have been in Bangkok for 10 days now. It is nothing like I expected.
God has been faithful to keep me busy gathering several good story's/testimony's from the YWAM missionary's here....but I really really need advice and prayer right now.
These past 2 weeks in Bangkok have been the valley of the shadow of death it is so spiritually oppressive here.
When I lived in the ghetto for a year in Chester they taught us spiritual warfare, so I have been putting on my armor and doing battle all day, but I still feel like all the life is getting sucked out of me - or I am swimming in a rip tide. I don't know what's happening. Normally I'm a really upbeat person with tons of energy and humor, but I am so weak and irritated here, I hate it.
I don't think it's just because it's a bug-infested, dusty, sweltering city; and hardly anyone speaks English; and I have no one to hug...I think its spiritual.
So please pray for me friends!
Thankyou,
love, Jen

The Muffin Man

Oh! One more thing about Singapore - I need to tell you a story =)
I go running in the mornings here about 5 days a week - which is wonderful because my YWAM office doesn't open until 10a.m. leaving me plenty of early morning time alone with God.
I like to run along the river and watch the senior citizens doing Tai Chi aerobics...they usually smile and wave at me even though it messes up their zen state. They are so cute.
Every time I leave in the morning or return at night to the YWAM house I say "hello" to a sweet elderly chinese man who sells orange chinese muffins and durian fruit outside our door.
Well, he is so sweet, I sometimes buy a muffin from him in the morning. But then I found out the muffins are for idol sacrifices to the hungry/angry ghost the Chinese are celebrating this month. So I have been debating whether I should act like Paul in 1 Cor. 8:4-9 where he says food offered to idols is still just food to Christians, there's nothing defiled about it. I debated this for a few days...Until one day I caught the sweet Chinese man clipping his toenails before serving the next customer! And I figuired, "well God, I think this is a sign. If idols don't defile the muffin toe jam certainly could."
So from now on I think I'll just smile and wave.