Trust Steadily, Hope Unswervingly, Love Extravagantly
Yesterday morning, I sat on the rocks by the ocean in Cape Town for some quiet time. The combination of Justin Vernon's voice, the book of Proverbs, my journal, the most gorgeous scenery I have ever encountered, and Jesus makes for an ideal experience. We flew into Cape Town on Monday night after flying from Bangkok to Nairobi to Johannesburg. For this week of debrief, we were supposed to be staying in our tents on the back lawn of a conference center, but instead, the lady that owns the resort gave us the cottages for the entire week. It just so happens that there are penguins that live by the ocean in front of where we are staying. I never would have thought that a penguin would be the first animal I saw in South Africa. We are definitely blessed to be able to relax for a few days, spend time with our team, eat good food, and worship in the local Methodist church of Simon's Town. The transition from Thailand to here is rough in many ways, but it has been softened by the beauty of Cape Town. I completely fell in love with South Africa as the sun set over the table mountains and the ocean while the plane descended onto the runway. Before we even stepped off, I knew this place felt like home. On Monday, we will return to reality and venture out to our ministry site in a part of Cape Town called Ocean View. When we tell people where we are going to live, their mouths drop open in disbelief. From what I have heard, it is in the heart of the slums and a potentially dangerous place. They tell us not to go there, and they can't understand why we actually want to live there. However, this makes me all the more excited. I can't wait to find out what we will be doing for the next three and a half months. I already love the people here and their friendliness. It is also nice that everyone speaks English. I somewhat forgot what it is like to be able to communicate with everyone around us, and it will make conversations with people more meaningful. Today, a couple of us took a two-months pregnant lady we met on the side of the road to lunch, and her story already began to break my heart. I am excited to just LOVE on anyone and everyone during this last leg of our trip. God is filling us up this week to overflow onto our amazing, new home.
I spent January at SHE Ministries in Phuket, Thailand with the sixteen other girls on my squad for our women's month. God taught me how to trust him, hope in him, and just love. SHE (Self Help and Empowerment) seeks to provide employment, training, and counseling for women involved in commercial sex trade. Because of SHE, many women have come to know how much they are WORTH and how much they are LOVED by God.
On Bangla Road in Phuket somewhere around 1,200 girls work in the bars on any given night. Also, on the street each night there are tourists, club promoters, street vendors, and shop workers. During the week, two of the girls teams would go out on Bangla from 9 to 12 and make friends with anybody and everybody while one team of girls would stay back at SHE and pray. We worshiped and prayer walked each day, too, in order to prepare for the spiritual battle that was waged before us. There is a raging war being fought over Bangla Road between real live angels and demons. I have countless stories about this street that I might never be able put into words. It is the most spiritually heavy place I have ever been, and yet, there are still glimpses of hope, even in the darkest corners.
I will never forget my first encounter with a demon possessed lady, and I'm not quite sure that it is something I can accurately describe. Karson, Kaitlyn, and I took Supena to eat McDonald's and hang out with us one afternoon on Bangla while we were prayer walking. Supena shifted in and out of her demonic state, acting as herself one minute and laughing and staring off into an unseen, dark world the next. She told us of some of the awful things going on in her head and the air around us. Then, she would look into my eyes, as if seeing me for the first time. She looked and looked and just laughed. The demons inside of her did not like me one bit, and the only way to call her out of this was to speak life over her. It was like nothing I have ever experienced.
As much darkness that was on that street, though, God's light shone brighter. I got to pray with so many unexpected people that God placed in our path- from bar girls to club promoters to Burmese shop workers to the woman, Pawn, who sits at the end of the street making bracelets and praying day and night. Pawn is a light in a dark place. Each glimmer of light was a reminder of why I was there and why I fought for that whole street. Often, it was necessary to take a step back and remember how much God loves, and will always love, each and every person there. There is hope. There is even hope for the seemingly unreachable girls dancing in the plexi-glass boxes on the second story of the bars. God already has Bangla in his hands, and his presence followed us wherever we went that month.
He taught me how to love and be friendly to the people we come across every single day. Most importantly, he taught me the power of prayer and that he WANTS to use me.
One night after worship, my team was interceding for the night at SHE. There was a boy on the YWAM team staying with us that had a 104 degree fever, and I really wanted to pray over him before they needed to take him to the hospital. He came and sat in the kitchen while several of us prayed for almost an hour. I could feel the Holy Spirit in me while my hand was on his back, and as I prayed, my arm just started shaking. Then my leg started shaking. An uncontrollable feeling of joy fell over the room, and this boy experienced some freedom in Christ as well as some healing. He went to the hospital just to sleep for the night, and he woke up the next morning completely healed.
"Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always "me first," doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel,
takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.
Love never dies."
I just read this blog post, and I am so grateful to God for the way He has allowed you to experience the Power of the Holy Spirit…How He has drawn you to Trust in Him daily and live for Him daily is a beautiful thing. Even though you have a few months to go, I am also already praying for your re-entry here. Praying that the Holy Spirit will continue to pour out Truth and love through you in the states–wherever you land. I sense that comparing your spiritual life there with the one that you will have here will be an struggle. I Hope for you to know that the need for God’s transforming power and need for His light to shine in the darkness is very real here, too. I know God will guide and direct you and speak to you regarding all of that. He is your teacher and your counselor.
Praying while you are in Capetown, that you will be safe and protected. That God will continue to show you His power as you pray in Faith. I pray for more and more love to flow out of you for His people, for more and more Faith, and for more and more intimacy with Him.
I am so proud of you, Laura. You have been courageous and sacrificed a lot to take this leap of Faith, and yet I know that the abundant life that He is giving you there is more than you could ever have asked for. Praying you are able to see all that you have learned for years to come, and I know you will return changed. Beautifully changed. Can’t wait to spend time with you again, and hear stories, hear your thoughts about Jesus, prayer, healing, etc.
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Love you!
Thank you Laura…… for submitting your life to God’scall…..blessed Jesus …leads us in His Tender care thru….. you! much love, Charleton
What a great blog Laura…I continue to be amazed at the experience you and your team are having and of how God is working in and through every thing y’all are doing. You have only seen a glimpse of what He is doing. Thank you for sharing your heart. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
I’m praying for you!!!
Dear Laura, Daughter of The Most High! Tears swell from joy as i read about your journey! Love…. Gods Love is really what its all about! Thank you Lord for your love, your Son your Spirit, your Word, Truth and revelation! Thank you Lord for pouring your Spirit on Laura!
Dear Laura,
May God bless you and keep you in His care as you begin the last third of your year of spiritual, physical and emotional adventure. We are proud of your courage, grace and faith and are inspired by your example. Best love and prayers for continued blessings upon your life and your work.
Awesome testimony of faith in the power of God! Continuing to pray for you every day as I see your face on my refridgerator; specifically that God would bless you in such a powerful way that you would never be the same as you engage in the mission of Jesus to redeem and to heal the nations!!
Terrie
Hi LB,
praying for your love to be even more courageous than it seems it already is! You are fearless. I want to hear about Bangla and all the people you met when you get back. But really, try to remember every detail. You are greatly loved! Can’t believe you’re on your last leg and you’ll be home soooooonnnn!!!!!!! yayayayay
Laura–I am so humbled and inspired to read about your journey. You are certainly living Proverbs 3:5-6.
God Bless you and thank you for sharing God’s love around the world and for sharing your experiences with us.