Time went by really slowly this morning. I couldn't wait to get to Harvest Rock Church for the afternoon pastors' session. I spent the morning praying, and had some precious moments with Him. I searched my heart, realizing the bigness of being ordained, and the seriousness of it, and feeling so unworthy. A few years ago I had a powerful prophetic word where God said, "I have ordained you." So today was just to follow suit :-).

I thought I would have to walk to church, but in the last second they found someone to come pick me up, just as I was about to walk out the door. I'm staying about 2 miles from the church.

It was good to see a few familiar faces and say hi. They were doing the pastors' meeting in the sanctuary this time, and not that many were there yet - many more came later. We had a half-hour time of worship, which was great. I was glad I had my coat with me, since it was extremely cold. Then Lance Wallnau did the session, which was great. He's an awesome teacher. He explained the seven mountains of culture, and where we are at in the body of Christ, and where we should be.

After he was done, Che Ahn called the three people forward (including me) that were to be ordained. I was nervous since I don't like being in the limelight. I ended up being the first to walk up on that huge stage. All the apostolic team was already lined up, ready to pray for us - among those I know Mark & Ann Tubbs, Charles & Ann Stock, Jill Austin, and Alan & Carol Koch also came up. Besides me, there was an elderly lady, and a couple that got ordained. Oh yes, and Wesley Campbell also was there, to my greatest surprise. I didn't know he'd be here.

At first, Che made us face him and read off a long list of questions we had to answer yes to. Questions pertaining character, integrity, and ministry. I'd like to get it on paper, to remind myself what I said yes to.

He then told us to kneel down, facing the auditorium. One of the ladies couldn't do that, so he told us to all stand up. He then went from person to person, anointing us with all and saying, "I ordain you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." It was powerful. I could feel the presence of God, and was smiling all over. One of the local pastors here told me afterwards that every time the camera would focus on me, he'd see that big smile. I'm glad I've got a DVD of the whole ceremony.

After Che had done that, he asked the apostolic team for prophetic words for us. The first two words were for all of us. Then Charles Stock came and prophesied over me (see picture). He said:

Claudia, there’s been like an orphan spirit in Mali, and the people have felt forgotten, neglected, and abandoned, even by the French colonialists. And the Lord says, He’s breaking that, and He’s breaking that, and He’s putting in you the Spirit of adoption, that you will be connected, you will be connected, you will be connected, and it’s a connection that cannot be severed. It’s gonna minister, there’s gonna be wholeness, there’s gonna be an attraction, and the place that seems to be most forgotten is going to become most thought of, because the Lord is just doing this, and His hand and favor is upon you.

It was powerful, and I was trembling under the presence of God. Then Jill Austin went right on:

You know, Claudia, I’m one of your spiritual Moms. And what I so felt for you, for Africa, even as you are dressed, is I went looking and I kept saying, Lord, what would be a prophetic declaration, a demarcation, because what I kept feeling was a line was being drawn in the sand, and that the Lord is setting you apostolically as one that is like a young Heidi Baker, and one that will move with signs and wonders. And when I saw this color, like you are dressed, with sounds and music, I went to a place called THE ART OF THE SOUL, and I found a watch, and on the watch, I felt like it was a prophetic time piece. And on the watch was a bee. And the Lord said Judges 4 and 5, and Deborah represents the bee. As one that says, when the city gates were at war, that Deborah arose as a heart of a mother. And I felt like the Lord is setting you in there with the heart of a mother, one that will bring deliverance. What I kept seeing, was land, land, buildings, buildings, a school, an orphanage. I kept seeing great finances being released to you. I kept seeing the glory of the Lord coming, and signs and wonders and miracles. And I saw a discipleship. It’s like a river of fire, and a river of the glory of the Lord. And I felt that as you wore this, or you saw this watch, it was a prophetic sign piece, said, now that you are covered by governmental, apostolic, international ministry, there is gonna be weight that not only will you minister to the poor, but God is gonna open up gates governmentally and give you land and buildings and great favor, says the Lord.

It was powerful. She then gave me her gift - a beautiful, antique watch, handcrafted, a unique piece. It's funny, because just a few days ago, I was thinking how I don't like my big watch any more. I've been receiving all this jewelry, and now it was made perfect with this watch. I'm "feminine" all around (including the nice clothes I was given last summer).

The other people got some prophetic words also, and then it was already over. The only thing I missed was them saying who we are and what we do - they did that last year.

I felt great, and enjoyed the short fellowship with Jill, Wesley, and Alan & Carol. I talked to a few people and then went outside. I had plenty of time to kill until the evening session, and I was hoping to find someone I know I could go have dinner with. I went to the bathroom, and backstage to put my flowers (when did I last receive such beautiful flowers?) in a vase. When I came back up, this guy told me that Jill wanted to see me outside. So I walked up to her, and she said, it would be better to get together right now rather than later in the conference. We'd celebrate my ordination! Yipeeh!

So we got into her car and drove downtown Pasadena, where we went to an Italian restaurant. Cindy Jacobs was also there with her family. Jill went up to her to say hello, and I followed her. I got talking to Cindy's husband Mike, who told me his brother once lived in Bamako for some time. Wow! We left the restaurant at the same time, and while we were at the door talking, I gave Mike my DVD and flyer. I wished I could have a few uninterrupted minutes with Cindy.

Jill and I had a great meal, and a great time of fellowship. She gave me great motherly advice for most of the time. We then left the restaurant, and she wanted to quickly stop at her hotel to get changed before the evening meeting. I waited in the car, and had the brilliant idea to open my computer and see whether I could FINALLY get online. I did, but it wasn't working very well.

We arrived at church half an hour into worship. The building was full. Jill sits up front, and I asked one of the responsible people whether I could get a seat in the first few rows that are reserved for special people, since I had only just come in with Jill. I got one, praise God!

James Goll did the meeting, and it was great! I love him. It was over at 10 pm, and I gave my host a call to let her know she could come pick me up. Because of her cough, she decided not to come.

Back home, I was still pretty excited, but went to bed at a decent time. It had been a very special day.

If it hadn't been for the earthquake, I would have had nothing to report today. Now I can add an earthquake to my list of adventures.

It was 11:40 am, and I was alone in the house here in Pasadena. I was actually watching a movie on my computer, when the shaking started. At first I thought someone had come home and the garage door was opening up, but then the shaking got worse, and it felt like the roof above me was shaking - it was squeaking a lot. I was wondering what was going on. I was thinking of a storm, but I could see that the trees outside weren't moving. Then it stopped. It hadn't lasted long.

It was 5.4 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter east of Los Angeles, and no serious damage was caused.

Other than that, it was a quiet day - a day of trying to get rid of this cold. I've been coughing for over a week.

I did some writing, some working on my website, though I'm unable to connect to the internet right now. My host only has dial-up, and Windows 98. I'm hoping to go to Starbucks or somewhere during the conference to get online and catch up.

My host came home at night, and made a chicken soup, since she's also coughing. We spent some time talking, which was good. She's also attending the conference, and I'm gonna ride with her.

I was glad to be able to sleep in. I got up late, and started packing my bags. I had hoped to get together with Barbara before leaving, but that looked unlikely. And I didn't know who'd take me to the airport either, and what time they'd pick me up.

When I was done packing, I called the church office to find an answer to my question. I left a message, and was told a little later that one of the pastors was gonna pick me up at 1 pm. I needed to be at the airport by 1:30, and it's a half-hour ride.

It was 1:40 when somebody else came to pick me up. I had already been sitting in the drive-way with my bags for quite some time and was getting nervous. What if I'd miss my flight?

I got to the airport just 75 minutes before my flight. Normally, that shouldn't be so bad as I don't have to stand in the normal line as a frequent flyer. However, just then, the line was really long, even for business class/frequent flyers. Great! Knowing the Detroit airport, where gates can be very far, and that they like to single me out for special security checks, I was nervous again - especially with the line hardly moving. Normally, it's no big deal, but I had an important meeting in Los Angeles that night.

Finally, it was my turn. I checked in without problems, and went to security. Of course, I was singled out for the special security check again. Thankfully they were faster than usual. But time was short. I went straight to my gate where they were just starting boarding.

The flight was about 4 and a half hours. No movies, no food. I had started reading Cindy Jacob's latest book, and I ended up reading the whole time on the plane and finishing the book. It was a great, inspirational book that wants to be put into practice. Incidentally, I'm gonna hear her and Peter Wagner speak on that very subject this week.

Butterfly Effect Foundation

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Chuck Pierce is a good friend of Barbara Yoder's, and so it was natural for him to preach at the church she's pastoring here in Ann Arbor.

I had a hard time getting up again, even though we left the house at 9 am today. We got to the church really early to get a good seat, but it wasn't really necessary to get there THAT early since only very few people were there at that time. I sat in my seat trying to take a nap.

The service started at 10 am, with a guest worship team. Then Chuck Pierce preached - mainly to the region, city, and church, but it was very good. Barbara wrapped it up, and then the service was over. I said hello to one of the pastors I really liked, and who I hadn't seen yet, and then we already left.

Ann Arbor

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We left at 7:15 again, but this morning I was not awake like yesterday, but extremely tired. Too tired to have breakfast - something I paid for since we didn't have lunch until 3 pm.

We got to Dearborn at 8 am, and again, only few people were there yet. The worship started, and I couldn't do the upbeat, fast, jumpy songs. I sat down, too tired to move. The lady next to me asked whether I was okay :-).

Then Peter Wagner came up to speak - the only time he spoke during the conference - and I was looking forward to it. I had a hard time, though, because I was so tired. I felt my head fall forward and backward over and over. I finally went to the restrooms to splash cold water over my face and hands, and that helped a little. It was also very cold in the theater, and I was glad to have my blanket to wrap myself in. The lady later asked whether I had recently been operated :-).

There was a one-hour break again (why not start the meeting 45 minutes later, and do a 15 min break?), and I knew I had to get a nap to make it through the second session. So I stayed in my seat, in the cold room, and tried to take a nap. It worked only somewhat, but was sufficient to help me through Barbara Yoder's session.

It was a good conference, very timely. For me personally, the first night was the most powerful, because God spoke so much to me concerning Mali. It was also the only time I (or anyone) received prayer ministry. I'm looking forward to reading Cindy Jacob's book THE REFORMATION MANIFESTO and Peter Wagner's new book, and apply the principles to see Mali transformed.

We returned home to Ann Arbor, where I just collapsed on my bed, while the 4 visiting ladies packed up their stuff to drive back to Chicago. When it was time for all of us to go have dinner, they came to get me. I was startled, jumping to my feet.

The 7 of us - our host's husband included - went to Applebee's. I had to smile, because it's about the 6th time I've gone to Applebee's on this trip. I love that restaurant, though.

Finally getting food into my stomach - and great food - helped a little with the tiredness. I then had a good time talking to the ladies for the last time. Leaving there, it was time to say good-bye.

Time Off

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I only had about 5 hours of sleep when I got up, but felt surprisingly awake. We left the house just after 7 am - all 6 of us (one is missing on the picture). We got there pretty quickly, just in time for worship at 8 am. We got good seats, since there weren't that many people there yet.

I was amazed at how well I felt. Thank you for all your prayers! The only symptoms I still had was a sore throat, but even that wasn't that bad. God has truly healed me! I was amazed all day long!

However I struggled with the tiredness all day long. I could not stay away during the first session. Half-way through it, I went to the restrooms and splashed water on my face. That helped a little.

Then they had a one-hour break before the second speaker came up. Though books were more expensive there than on Amazon, I decided to get one to have something to read even now. Peter Wagner was in the bookstore, I talked to him for a minute. I would have needed another 30 seconds to say all I wanted to say.

Chuck Pierce had done the first session, and Cindy Jacobs was doing the second. I love her, and it was awesome, as always. It's her new book I got, and I've started to devour it.

At noon the six of us went to a nearby restaurant - it was Greek (but adapted to American tastebuds). Back at the conference center, Pat Francis was doing the first afternoon session. She's a pastor from Toronto, who is also a business woman and millionaire. An interesting person. Unfortunately I could not stay awake again, and did the "cold water trick" half-way through the session. After the break, Barbara Yoder did a session, which was great too.

Then we all went to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner. It was great, but I realized that there was no way I'd make it through the afternoon session without a nap. I was so very tired. Back at the conference center, I stayed in the van while they went back in for worship. I knew it would be about 45 minutes before the speaker came up. The worship team's style had been a little foreign and hard to adapt to for me any way, so I didn't mind missing it. I lay down, and soon fell fast asleep.

When I woke up, I had slept so well I was afraid at how late it would be, but it was the perfect time to go inside. It had gotten pretty hot in the car - even for me. I jumped up and went inside, still somewhat groggy. But it sure made a difference, because I was able to stay awake during Pat Francis's session.

It was about midnight when I turned the lights off - with another short night ahead.

I'd been feeling a cold coming on for some days, but was hoping the rest would counteract. Well, today the cold broke out - sore throat, headache, fever. I started feeling pretty miserably in the afternoon, and felt that way most of the night.

First Night With Cindy Jacobs

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Leaving Florida, I was very much looking forward to two days of rest in Ann Arbor, before the conference starts on Thursday. Monday night, I went to bed too late, and so I was still tired all day Tuesday. However, I was able to catch up on emails and get much done there. And for a change, I went to bed early - at midnight.

Still, I got up at 10 am this morning, after 10 hours of much-needed sleep, and I thank God for it. It sure made a difference, and I do hope for one more long, restful night tonight.

Writing My Book

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As a child, growing up in Austria, I dreamed of seeing two things in America - Disneyworld and Cape Canaveral. And now here I was, so close to both! My first time in Florida! While there was no time to visit any place, I did want to at least sea the beach.

It was after 3 am before we finally stopped talking, and so it was very hard to get up when the alarm rang at 10 am. The hotel stopped serving breakfast at 10:30 am, and so we had to get there before it was too late. I crawled out of bed, and a few minutes later we were downstairs. For the last time I enjoyed the bagels, one of America's greatest invention food-wise ;-).

Back in our room, it was time to pack. It wasn't going at fast as expected, and so it was 11:30 before we left the hotel. We packed up the car, and went on our way to Tampa, a 45-minute drive. Anita knew where she wanted to take me to show me the beach, and so we passed Tampa Airport and continued on to Clearwater.

We drove on and on, and time was passing, but we finally did reach the beach. The parking lot was full, and so I hopped off to walk to the sea and back, just in case Anita wouldn't find a place to park. We only had a few minutes anyway.

So I walked towards the sea, enjoying the fine, white sand under my feet, and the heat, finally reaching the water. I stepped into the warm sea water, greatly enjoying it, and taking pictures. What a contrast to just a few days ago in California! There it was windy, ice-cold, the air as well as the water. I didn't have time to enjoy it but needed to turn around and find Anita - who was actually walking towards me. After having found a restroom, we got back into the car to drive the half-hour back to the airport. It was time!

It was 2 pm when we arrived at the airport, less than 90 min to departure. I checked in, while Anita parked the car. I got an upgrade into first class - thank you, Jesus! Anita came back, and walked with me to security. It was time to say good-bye.

Anita has been absolutely amazing these past few days. She's only come back to the Lord two months ago, but she has a huge heart. Several times I was blown away at her servant's heart, always putting others above herself, without being a respecter of persons. I was amazed at seeing her catch the vision for Mali, and running with it. It was amazed at her understanding of honor and respect, though it was probably unconscious, and just know that God is going to reward her big time for the way she's blessed me. Those who give a glass of water to a prophet, receive prophet's reward. This daughter of the Most High built a prophet's chamber this past weekend, and took care of all my needs. It was humbling at the same time as a huge blessing. I feel like the reason God brought me to Lakeland was to connect me with Anita. I'm curious as to what the future will bring.

On To Michigan

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Short nights, long days, and tiredness all the time. That's what made things hard at times. On Saturday morning we decided to skip the morning meeting to get a little more sleep. We had late breakfast, and late lunch, and then went to the tent early to get in line for a good seat. Todd did a healing service that night. Preaching a short sermon, and then praying for the sick, with many being healed.

On Sunday it was tough getting up, so we could go to Ignited Church, where the Outpouring started. We got there a few minutes before the service started, and got the last two seats in the sanctuary! Thank God!

We enjoyed the service and listening to the pastor Stephen Strader. He's very comical. I've actually 'known' him since 2005, when I first emailed him, followed by some emails going back and forth, just after he had done a crusade in Mali. I emailed him again now, to let him know I was in town, and he told me to catch him after the service. I did, but he didn't have much time, and so it was only short a two-minute exchange.

We went out to eat, to an awesome restaurant called Carrabba's. I loved it! It was a special treat. Back in the hotel room, we had about half an hour to lie down for a nap. It really was too short.

We got to the tent later than the days before, but not too late. We still got very good seats. We saw our new friends again, two guys from Australia. I enjoyed talking to them, and we exchanged email addresses. I also talked to the pastor from Austria (see picture), in whose church I actually was in April. He said he's the only Austrian pastor who's come here, according to his knowledge. He and his wife were loving it!

Worship started, and for the first time I didn't just step into the aisle but went forward. I had the best worship time there, and actually felt refreshed afterwards. For the first time I was actually kind of awake during the meeting!

After worship, they'd always read the list of countries present. Friday night, they had read right over Mali. I guess they've never heard that a country with that name exists. So I wrote down "West Africa" in brackets next to "Mali" on Saturday night. And then they only read "West Africa"!!! I couldn't believe my ears! But tonight - the last night - they finally read "Mali"! Praise God!

Stephen Strader was doing the evening meeting as well - for the first time - since Todd wasn't there. After the long message, he said he'd pray for each person in the tent. They called the parnters forward first, which I was really thankful for. No long waiting in lines forever! Anita was standing right next to me. Stephen was going down the line pretty fast, but then kept his hand on my head for a few seconds longer than with the others. I suddenly went straight down to the floor, shaking for some time. This was the only time I had received prayer during my time in Lakeland! Thank God for that one time at least!

It was 11:30 pm when we left the campgrounds. We drove home, having a pizza delivered to our hotel room. We were both pretty awake, and talked late into the night, until 3 am.

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The alarm rang early in the morning, and we glanced at each other to check whether we were up to this. We agreed to get up and go. So we went down to breakfast, which was pretty good, before driving off to Ignited Church where the morning meetings are held.

We got there just after 9 and went to the end of the long line to wait with the rest of the people for them to open the doors and let us in. Mercifully, it was before 9:30, and we got nice seats, though not very much up front. I was so very tired by then, that I sat down in my seat while Anita went off. A few minutes later, someone made the announcement that there was a meeting for pastors in another church right now. So I got up, found Anita, and off we went to follow the directions to this other church.

We arrived there a few minutes late, and found a parking spot and seat. Worship was already going on. I saw Stephen Strader in the front. He was in Mali in 2005, and I've been in email contact with him. I was hoping to talk to him after the meeting, but we left early.

Stephen did the message, then they did another song, saying another person would come up to preach. I was already unable to keep my eyes open, and it was after noon, so we left and returned to the hotel. Back in the hotel, I talked to Paul via skype - everything is fine - and then I lay down for a one-hour nap.

When we got back up, we got ready for the meeting and left to have dinner at the restaurant next to our hotel. For the first time since arriving here I didn't feel totally exhausted but actually awake enough to talk with my new friend.

Then we drove over to the little local airport, where they've put up a fancy tent for the revival meetings. We were early, just right, parked the car, and went in. I registered as an international pastor, and then we got in line for the internationals and pastors. We started talking to the people in front of us which was fun.

At 5:15 pm they finally let us in. Since I'm also a partner with FFM, as well as part of Todd's network, I got to sit in the partners' section, in the 5th row.

The meeting didn't start until 7 pm, but time passed quickly. Anita got me an OUTPOURING T-shirt, which was really sweet of her. At 7 pm, worship started, as well as the GOD.TV broadcast. Some time into worship, a pastor from Austria suddenly stood in front of me. I was at his church in April. I hope I'll get some time to spend with him and his wife in the days to come.

Worship was good, and then Todd came up. It was his first night back after a week-long break. He preached, prayed over everyone, and then the meeting was over. It was about 11:30 pm. They were going to do a fire tunnel with interns and any ministers present, but I was tired and didn't want to wait for hours until thousands of people had gone through. So we decided to leave.

We stopped at a Burger King on the way home, and got home at half past midnight. Eating, emails, talking, and now it's 2 am. I don't think we'll make it to the morning meeting tomorrow.

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Having gone to bed at 2:30 in the morning, my alarm rang two hours later at 4:30 am, to get up and leave. Within 15 minutes I had finished packing, and was out of the house with Penny and Cindy who came to pick me up. We had a 50 minute drive to Santa Barbara, where the airport shuttle bus would leave from.

I wasn't talkative in the car, but falling asleep. Arriving in Santa Barbara, the sun was already rising. The bus was scheduled to leave at 6 am and arrive at LAX at 8:30 am, two hours before my scheduled departure. We still had a few minutes - time to say good-bye. I've really come to love the people here in a special way; they've become family, and it was sad to leave.

On time the bus left on it's two and a half hour trip to the airport. It was going down the beautiful coast highway, but I was so tired that I slept the whole trip.

We arrived at the airport on time, and I went to check in. To my dismay Delta Airlines doesn't recognize my frequent flyer status and made me pay for my second bag - contrary to Northwest Airlines that does recognize my status. Annoying, since I'll be flying with Delta a few more times, and will have to pay the second bag each time.

I went through security, and bought myself some hot chocolate and a bagel (America's best food in my opinion). I thought I was sitting right next to my gate, but was shocked to find out that my gate was still a long way from there. It was 61, and the gates were I was ended with 59. I found my way, walking, and walking, and walking, and made it just fine, even still waiting for boarding.

On the 5-hour flight I didn't really take a nap, but got my computer out to work on for some time, and watched a little TV. Time passed quickly, and we landed in Tampa, Florida, on time. It was 3 hours ahead, just after 6 pm.

Approaching the baggage claim, Anita was already waiting for me. We immediately recognized each other. I had never met her before. After having purchased my ticket to Tampa, I was looking for someone to share costs with, and she wrote me saying she's gonna pay it all, if I tell her everything about Africa in return. What a deal!

We picked up the bags and put them in her car. She offered to drive to the beach, but I was far too tired for that. So we drove straight to the hotel, while she was sharing her life with me. After some talking in our room, we got hungry and went to a nearby burger place where we picked up burgers and fries to eat in our hotel room. I was gonna go to bed early, but in the end it was after 11 pm local time (which was 8 pm Californian time after all). I really wanted to make it to the morning service tomorrow morning, but we left it open whether we'd be up to it.

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Sleeping in! There was nothing planned during the day, and I was glad. We were going to leave the house at 4:30 pm. I spent the day packing, writing emails, and in God's presence to hear what He wanted me to do in the evening.

Everday Church in Arroyo Grande has a short-term ministry school, and invited me to do the 2-hour session tonight. I went to their service last Sunday, and loved it (see blog for July 13)! Pastor Mark has been to Mozambique, knows Heidi, and has a heart to raise up young people.

We left early because I was meeting with Sarah before the meeting, since she wanted to know more about Mali. She is British, and on the leadership team for the school. We met at Starbucks - my second time there on this trip, and last time I discovered this great chocolate drink they have. I was hoping the chocolate would wake me up. I was very, very tired, and knew I had nothing to give tonight, but offered myself up to Him. I've been tired a lot, and would really need some rest. Hopefully some time soon.

From Starbucks, we went to the church, and few were there yet. I gave them my DVD to show the presentation. I was still tired, but all I know to do is share my heart anyway, and leave it all up to Him.

They started with a time of worship. By then the little room was pretty full - the pictures don't convey that. My guess is there were about 50 people there in total. I was looking for a spot to enjoy God on the floor. I was in the back, but moved forward when I saw a free spot. I knelt down, and just worshiped God. A young man was leading, and God's presence was so tangible. I just breathed in His presence.

After half an hour, pastor Mark came up, and I slowly got up and sat down on the floor. He introduced me, sharing this amazing story.

He's just come back from a trip to Mozambique and Sierra Leone. Before going on that trip, they were praying about doing 3 nations, and guess which one the third nation was - Mali. God had given them a heart for Mali, but they didn't have any contacts, and so they finally dropped it, going only to the other two nations. And then they heard about me, and invited me to come speak at their school.

I was amazed hearing how God had set this up! Wow! What a divine appointment! People who not only know Mali, but have a heart for it! Before I came up, they put on my 10-minute presentation. God's presence was still strong. When it was over, I came up and started praying. My heart just overflowed with love for Him! He was so close!

Pastor Mark sat in the first row, and my friends Cindy and Donna in the back. By now the room was packed. I started sharing my heart, reading the last few verses of Matthew 9, and staying on that little passage. I wished they had recorded the meeting! What a shame others can't partake by listening to the CD!

The anointing was so strong as I shared my heart, telling stories, and sharing God's heart for a lost and dying and forgotten world out there. At one point I shared how every day, when I close my eyes, I see the kids sleeping in the rain on the streets, all because $7,000 are missing to put that roof up, and I simply couldn't help it, but my voice broke and tears came up. It was so God. My friends told me later that God was really touching people's hearts. In fact, one of them had a red face from crying later.

Reaching the end of what I had to say, I knelt down on the floor and started praying, pouring my heart out to God. I asked people to give their everything to Him, holding nothing back. I was done praying, and pastor Mark took the microphone. I was kneeling on the floor, and he was standing, and he said we need to respond. He then said they'd take an offering, and him and his wife, they were gonna give sacrificially. He also asked people to kneel down if they were willing to lay down everything else to have Him only. Many knelt.

A little later, they asked the students to come forward and pray for me. It was powerful, as they and the pastor prayed.

Then Mark - with sparkling eyes - said that they've collected the offering and he's so excited about how much it is. He asked me whether I could get up. He took my hand and pulled me up. He kept holding my hand, and he just started speaking, and my body reacted to the power of God. When he said the amount, the anointing hit me and I fell to the ground. It was $14,000 - double the amount I said we needed to put the roof up. I was totally overwhelmed by the goodness of God, and tears came as I knelt on the floor thanking Him. The pastor kept saying it's a "double portion". Wow!

A little time later he came with the check in his hands (see picture). I couldn't even stand upright. It was amazing to see such an amount of money on a check written out to me. THANK YOU, JESUS!

It was going on 10 pm, and the class was to be done by 9 pm. A lot of people had already left. They were taking my DVDs and flyers and some gave their email addresses to receive updates. I said good-bye to some, still totally overwhelmed. I thanked the pastors, who have such an amazing heart, and they told me to come back in the future. They said they'd love to come to Mali some time, and what they do best is training leaders.

Not having eaten before the meeting, we were hungry, and so we went to Applebee's. It was my last time with my friends. I had a meal that was far too big and heavy for the time of day, but I very much enjoyed the time with my friends. They shared how much they loved the meeting tonight. Once again, I was amazed at how God was able to work through me when I had been so tired and empty before the meeting.

We finally got back home real late - at half past midnight - and it was time to pack. At 2:30 am I went to bed - to get 2 hours of sleep before having to get back up again and leave for the airport.

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I had to set my alarm, because Cindy and Penny were picking me up at 11 pm to take me north to see my friend Victoria.

On the way, we did some sightseeing, with them showing me different exciting things. We stopped in Pismo Beach first, where we went into a special candy store. It carried "bug candy". They had suckers that had worms, crickets, ants, scorpions, and other stuff inside. It was incredible! The picture shows some of the gross stuff. My friends bought some, and I contemplated getting some for my kids. They also had chocolate covered worms and crickets.

I ended up buying one sucker per kid, each with a different kind of bug inside. I think my kids are gonna eat them - but I sure don't want to be around for that.

From there we went down to the beach. It was FREEZING cold, especially with the wind. Surfers were out there, and I enjoyed watching them. That's one think I'd like to try doing at some time. But the sea is SO COLD there, I wouldn't do it there.

From there we drove on to see another part of the beach, with cliffs, and houses, and they also have seals. It was pretty.

We finally arrived in Atascadero, where Victoria moved to. I had over 2 hours to spend with her, and she showed me her house and introduced me to her grandkids. I enjoyed seeing her again.

On our way back to Lompoc, we stopped at another part of the beach, where Penny knew seals gather. I was so very cold, but hopped out of the car, walking down the steps on the pier, amazed at what I found. About twenty seals were huddled together, barking really loud. They are wild there, and there is no barrier. I kept a safe distance, though, and took my pictures and video clips.

We continued on our way home, and got a burger at In'n'out. It was 10 pm by the time we got home - later than expected. Penny went home, and I sat down with Donna and Cindy, since they wanted to pray for me. So we spent some time worshiping God with a CD, and then they shared what God had shown them for me and Mali. It was an encouraging time. It was 2:30 am before I went to bed.

I enjoyed spending the day with Donna, my wonderful host, running some errand, and just talking. Later in the afternoon we picked up Cindy to go to a special restaurant they wanted to take me to. It was in another town nearby, and one of a kind.

It was decorated Western style, on the outside and inside, with lots of stuffed animals. The life-size buffalo was very impressive.

We had wonderful steak, and other unique stuff, and just talked and talked. These ladies are very special people, and it's such a joy to be with them. Cindy (on the right) is a pastor, and Donna (on the right) her armor-bearer. They are powerful intercessors.

Returning from the restaurant, we spent the rest of the evening just talking and talking, and they said they'd pray for me tomorrow night. As it's been, I went to bed very late.

I set my alarm, since I had to get up early. Two cups of tea were supposed to help wake me up. John & Sue came to pick me up and take me to another town for church. That church is somewhat connected with the housechurch here, since they sent them out to start it.

We got there early, and I was introduced to two of the three pastors. The main pastor was out of town, which is the one they really wanted to introduce me to. I was allowed to put my DVDs and flyers on a back table, and they had me stand up during the service, saying I was a missionary, and that there are materials in the back. No one came to talk to me or take any, just the ones John & Sue introduced me to.

The service was 90 minutes, and then we drove halfway back to their house for a barbecue. They had invited some friends, but only one lady from last night's meeting came, plus their 4 kids who live there too. We had awesome beef and chicken. I then spent some time with one of her daughters, who is very gifted musically, and so we got on the piano, enjoying each other and music. She knows French, and is very interested in coming to Mali. She now has a boyfriend, though, and doesn't know yet what the near future will bring.

Thankfully I took a nap before having lunch, and so I was ready to leave for the evening service at another church at 4:30 pm. It was in the same town as the morning church, and the church that has invited me to teach in their ministry school Wednesday night. I had checked out their website, and was curious to meet them.

I was not disappointed. Just walking in, I could feel God's presence, though it's not their church building. I met pastors Mark & Cheryl before the service, and put my DVDs and flyers out. The service started, and I soon knelt on the floor, enjoying fellowship with Jesus. It was beautiful! During the announcements, they called me forward and had me say a few words, and then they invited everyone to come here me on Wednesday.

The pastor preached the message, and it was very awesome! I love the guy, love the values of this church, and their view on things. Everyone's a minister, and he preached a very good message on Luke 5, where Jesus teaches from Peter's boat, and then tells him to throw his nets once again, and he has that huge catch that the boats are even sinking. Then he calls him to be a fisher of men from then on.

I loved everything Mark was saying, as it resonated with my heart, and in the end God showed me where I am in this. My heart was already very touched, and they asked everyone forward because the anointing was so strong. As I knelt on the floor, my heart was breaking and tears were coming, as I saw the following:

I saw myself in the boat with the huge catch of fish. I was all alone in the boat, and the boat was sinking, and I was crying out for help. I was crying out to those on the shore. There were so many on the shore, watching me, and cheering. They all had name badges saying FISHERMAN, but nobody would move. One said, I'd get wet walking into the water, another I'd get dirty, I can't swim, I can't leave because I've this to do... In the meantime my boat was sinking with the huge catch of fish.

That's exactly where I am, and I was weeping over it. It was an awesome time. I shared it with the pastor afterwards. This church has a big heart for unreached peoples, which is why they invited me. Mali was not unknown to them, and that's rare.

They showed me the room where I'm gonna be teaching on Wed, and then we left. They took me back home, where I spent another evening talking with my wonderful host Donna. As always, I went to bed very late.

I sure was tired, and slept well. I had a wonderful breakfast, and just talked and talked with my great host Donna. She's an amazing woman of God, and I enjoyed listening to her, and hearing her life story.

She and her husband are leaders with Cindy, the lady who picked me up (see picture) with her two friends, of a little housechurch here in Lompoc. They have their service on Saturday nights, and invited me to do it. The end result of our talking was that I'd lead worship with a keyboard they had somewhere. I was excited getting to do that, as our times in Mali have been awesome, as we worship God and I go into prophetic singing.

They picked up the keyboard, so I could get familiar with it in the afternoon. Though I played classical piano very well as a teenager (including doing concerts), I don't play well any more today. The keyboard feature I use on my cheap Malian keyboard worked a little different on this nice one, so it was good that I had a chance to get familiar with it. I also added another song to my songbook, that I love and is sung a lot today.

So I spent the afternoon playing the piano, going through my songbook to remind myself what songs in English I actually have. I got really tired, though, and knew I HAD to lied down for a nap if I was to minister that night. The fatigue was really bad. Thankfully, I did get to take a one-hour nap, which made a huge difference. It was decided to start the meeting half an hour later, which I was thankful for because it gave me a few more minutes to get ready.

When I got to Cindy's house where they do the meetings, I felt refreshed and excited to meet with God. Though I didn't really know the group, and hadn't done English worship like this in the West for years, I wasn't really nervous. I can't do anything in my own strength anyway, and I didn't have anything to prove to anyone. I was just here as a worshiper of God, a little girl in love with her big Daddy.

I was comfortable with the keyboard, so there was nothing keeping me from doing what I always do. At first, I showed them my video presentation, after having seen it, they decided to pray for me. So they took a few minutes praying for me before I got on the keyboard and started worship.

At first, it was a little hard-going. Then they asked me to do some songs in French, and that started breaking things open. One of the girls knows French, and she joined me. She's also a prophetic singer and piano player. It was beautiful.

Having done that, and it was good, I felt totally blank, having no direction where to go whatsoever. So I immediately knew to do the little chorus "Our Father in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom, your will be done here." It's a powerful prayer, invitation for God to do whatever. I started singing it, and went into prophetic singing, and from there, we just went deeper and deeper. It was so awesome! I saw a HUGE gate, door, into the throneroom of God, and He was inviting us in. I was singing prophetically - sometimes in first person for God, other times our response - and we just went into heaven. It seemed like everyone in the room went in, seeing different things in the Spirit. One lady told me later that she saw or heard something in heaven, and the next moment I was singing just that.

At one point, I was so overwhelmed by awe of God, the hugeness of His sacrifice on the cross, and how little we value what He's done. I could only sing "worthy" and "holy". It was so awesome.

Then, some time later, it changed, and I could feel God's heart for a lost and dying world, and he was commissioning us to go out as His light. It was very powerful.

Two hours just flew by, before I lifted my hands off the keyboard. We all just sat there, having met with God. Then they started asking me some questions about Mali, having me share, which we did for a little while. I also showed them some additional pictures and video clips on my computer.

It was half past midnight before we left the house to go home. It had been an awesome meeting, and we went to bed late. I knew I had a rather short night ahead of me.

They videofilmed the meeting and have it on DVD, and I'm gonna try to put it up on my website for you to download and watch. So check the VIDEO page in the near future.

After 4 hours of sleeping, I got up at 7 am, finished packing, got everything into the car, and said good-bye to my hosts. I then drove the 40 miles north to the airport and returned the rental car. I'd had 250 copies of my presentation DVD sent to me, and they were really heavy, so I decided to check that box as my second bag. However, I had not realized how difficult it would be to carry it. So I struggled from car to counter, to shuttle bus, to airline counter, trying to carry box, bag and carry-on. All my muscles were aching the next day.

After having checked in, I slumped into a chair to rest, before going through to security. I was singled out for a special security check, but I was in no rush, and the officers in Kansas City are nicer than I've seen any other place.

I got a complimentary upgrade into first class on both flights, from KC to Minneapolis, and Minneapolis to Los Angeles. It was a time difference of two hours, and I arrived at 3 pm. As I was waiting for my bags, my two friends showed up, who would take me 2+ hours north to their place.

I didn't really know what to expect coming here. In April I met these 4 people when they gave me a ride in Los Angeles, and we could all feel God so much in this connection. It was a divine appointment, and they invited me to come to their place for a week in the summer. I said yes.

Now here I was, and we were driving north. They are precious people, and I felt like I had known them for years. That's what's so wonderful with God's people, we're all brothers and sisters, our spirits connected through Christ.

I enjoyed the ride in the car with them, just talking and sharing, while taking in the unfamiliar countryside. I just LOVE going new places, and meeting new people and churches, and I was entering a new place!

On the way to Lompoc, we stopped in Santa Barbara to go see the beach. I loved it! I had only once before seen the West Coast sea. We drove out onto a pier where we parked the car, and then walked around. I enjoyed the beauty of the sea, palm trees, hills, sea gulls, people fishing, and the cool (cold!) salty breeze. It was beautiful! I wished my kids could be with me to enjoy it too!

We sat down in a restaurant, but only had something to drink. That's where the picture of the surfer was taken. I've never done surfing before (only wind-surfing) - that would be fun to try. They told me, though, that the sea is extremely cold here. I hope to be able to put my toe in before I leave here.

We continued on our way to the house and couple I'd be staying with. They have a beautiful, quiet home, which is why they had me stay with them. We all had dinner together, and then my 3 new friends left to go home. I still stayed up with my hosts for a while, just talking, before I fell into bed. I was EXTREMELY tired, and glad to be able to sleep in in the morning.

My last day in Kansas City; the town I lived in for two years (2001-2003), the town where I encountered God like never before, the town were my life was changed forever, and where I've found lifelong friends whose friendships are a treasure given from heaven. Kansas City has been and always will have a special place in my heart.

It was my last day, and my last chance to see the people I hadn't met with yet. Because of that I had appointment after appointment lined up from early morning until late at night. I counted it - it was 6 appointements.

1 - The morning started with meeting with one of my board members. He's also the former dean of the ministry school I attended, my former teacher and mentor. It was great catching up with him.

2 - From there I went to see my good friend Dawn, who I lived with during my second year in Kansas City. She's a good friend, though I don't hear from her during the year any more. It was great to catch up with her.

3 - Next, I had an appointment with a girl I had met two days earlier who wants to start an orphanage in Mexico. She was so excited to meet me that she wanted to question me and find out more. I made room in my busy schedule to have an hour with her, but she never showed up. Instead, I got my phone out and made a few phone calls that needed to be made.

4 - My good friend Carrie and her husband started their vacation and came up to KC from Topeka. Of course I had spent two days with them last week, but it was great to see her one more time. She's a very precious friend (who I also hardly hear from during the year).

5 - Next were my good friends Bill & Linda who minister in Uganda, where they are a big part of the year. Since leaving for Mali 5 years ago, I'd stay with them in their house most of the time when coming to visit, but now they've sold it. Since they happened to be in town, I just had to see them. Unfortunately our time was far too short to really exchange our experiences, but I enjoyed seeing these exceptional servants of God.

6 - My final friend was my good friend Elisabet. We lived together for a few months during my first year in KC, and though she's 10 years younger, God has knitted our hearts together. We enjoyed a few hours at Applebee's, talking and catching up.

It was nearly midnight when I got home, and I was extremely tired. However, now it was time to pack, and I needed to do it intelligently. I still had over 200 of my DVDs in a box, and they were heavy. I decided to make that box my second checked bag, and was able to get everything else into my one bag. However, it was 3 am before I finally went to bed, and I had to get up at 7 am to go to the airport. I already know how hard that's gonna be!

I started off the day at Christ Triumphant Church, my local church here, talking to pastor Alan for 1+ hour. It was good to get that time of sharing. He's a precious man of God.

From there I went to get some things done, like taking my computer to Best Buy where I bought it half a year ago. It has two issues that are covered by warranted, and my big but slim hope was that they could fix it right there and then. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, and of course, I can't leave it with them to be mailed in to HP.

From there I went to a pastors' luncheon at World Revival Church that J.D. had invited me to. I was surprised to see how many pastors showed up for that! I sat next to a lady that loved all I was telling her about Mali. She loves children and is connected to Mannarelief, the organization that has been providing us with vitamines for our kids, but seemed to have stopped to do so. She said she'd call the founder of the company and hook us up. Cool.

We had a good meal and then pastor Steve spoke for some time. He gave some good advice about having revival in your church.

The two big surprises of the luncheon was that Julie Pash was there (and not in Uganda as I thought), as well as Dan Gray. After the luncheon, Julie and I went to a fast food place to sit down and talk. It was great to see her again and catch up. She's returning to Uganda next week to reunite with her husband Cliff.

I then had an hour at home that just flew by before leaving to go to CTC again. To my greatest amazement, three awesome men of God, all of them prophetic intercessors, all agreed to come together and pray for me and Mali for two hours. I honestly didn't think it would work out but it did.

And so, Tom, Steve, and Duane did just that. We were in a little room at CTC, and they listened to God to hear what's on His heart for me and Mali. It was a precious time, and I felt very blessed and honored by these men. In the end, they prayed a prayer of blessing over me as fathers, which was significant. I thank God for giving me friends like they are, though I really only get emails from one of them regularly. Thankfully, after 5 years of being in Mali, I've come to terms with accepting that many people simply aren't e-mail writers.

These past two days have been days of meeting with friends, and it's been absolutely wonderful.

I went over to Faith Bible College where I got my doctorate and talked to the director for some time. I hadn't seen him in a while. In the beginning, we did their classes in Mali, before switching over to the video Bible School, but now we're gonna continue with these classes, as the graduates of the other Bible School want to continue their studies.

Then I went to see Todd & Vicki, in whose church I usually preach when I'm Kansas City. Since I had only one weekend this year around, it didn't work out. But I greatly enjoyed the time I spent talking with them and catching up. For some reason they don't get my emails any more though they are on the mailing list, and I'm wondering how many more people don't get it because their provider is filtering out the supposed spam mails.

I also spent some time with J.D., the leader of the World Revival Network. He was pretty busy, though, and so we didn't get to talk that much. I greatly appreciate J.D., and he's a man with much insight who likes what I'm doing in Mali and wants to help.

Another person I met with was Steve, a prophetic intercessor and wonderful man of God. He's not really an email writer, but he stays up to date on what's happening in Mali, and I was blessed to spend some time with him talking. We were over at IHOP, where he knows lots of people, and introduced me to a good number who walked by. After our meeting, I spent an hour in the prayer room - something I hadn't done in a long time, since it's so crowded now.

Tonight my hosts returned from their vacation, and so I finally got to see my friends Ralph & Rebecca. We only had little time to talk, though.

Theophostic Session

I was looking forward to going to "my church" in Kansas City this morning. I could have preached in two different churches this morning, but on my only Sunday in town I chose to go to the church I love to hear the pastor I love, and say hello to the people I love.

Pastor Alan had just come back from Lakeland, and from doing meetings elsewhere where he's seen healings like never before in his life. So he was all fired up and ready to pass it on to his church.

I didn't get to say hello before the service, and he didn't know I'd be there, so he was all surprised when he saw me sitting there. He greeted me and said a few words about what I'm doing in Mali, as he had me stand up and prayed for me in front of the whole church. I was thankful for that.

At the end of the service, he was ready to pray for anyone who wanted the anointing, and I haven't seen God move there in that way since the big conferences they had. I went forward with the rest of the people, and pastor Alan prayed for me. God touched me powerfully.

As I lay on the floor, the Lord kind of continued where he had me yesterday. His presence and love was enveloping me, and I told him I'd let all my guards down to trust him once again. I saw myself as a joyful little girl, jumping and laughing, with her big Daddy right there and enjoying her. What an awesome heavenly Father we have! Tears ran down my face, as I released everything into His hands, and found that place of safety and joy in Him.

I stayed there for a while before getting up again. I talked to a few people, which was nice; I'm glad there are still a few I know there. I just said hello to the pastor, and told him I'd like to come into the office some time this week to talk. Then it was time to leave.

I've been enjoying getting to sleep in, and getting back to my "natural rhythm" of going to bed late and getting up late. My first appointment of the day was only at 2 pm, and so I had some time to get other stuff done before that. I went to Best Buy to get some much needed stuff, before going on to my friends' Tom & Luanne's house.

I've known my precious friends since shortly after my arrival in Kansas City in 2001, and I became friends with them very quickly. They have been faithful friends throughout the years I've been in Mali, and Tom is one of a handful of people I can count on one hand who writes me occasionally. He's like an elder brother who I appreciate a lot, and he's the champion of writing encouraging emails.

Both Tom & Luanne are very much into TPM, and in my desperation for more healing I asked them wether they'd know anyone to do some sessions with me. To my greatest amazement and relief and joy, they themselves offered their time, which greatly blessed me.

So they did a session with me on Thursday, and another 2-hour session today at 2 pm. The second session was a lot more effective, and I connected with Jesus on a deep level, which greatly blessed me. How desperate I am for Him! How much I need Him!

World Revival Church

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I loved sleeping in - after turning my phone to silent this time around. I loved the quietness of the apartment, the few hours alone, with no schedule, nothing planned. It was wonderful.

Great Man Of Faith Matt

At 5 pm Matt came to pick me up, and we went to Pizza Hut - I don't actually think I've ever been at Pizza Hut before, at least not in the US. We talked about his trip to Mali for the month of September. Matt was to come last March, but it didn't work out. Then someone gave him the money for the plane ticket some weeks ago, and now he's coming. Everyone's excited! It will be a big blessing for us to have him with us in Mali. The picture shows him with his fiancée.

Homegroup Meeting

From the restaurant we went directly to the homegroup meeting. Last night I had felt like God was giving me a message, but during the day today I just enjoyed the rest and didn't feel like ministering really. So I took it easy, with no expectations or plans, just trusting God to lead me whatever way.

I did feel I should minister the Word, and asked my friend Carrie to lead us in a few worship songs. She hadn't done it in a while, so I was glad for her to have that opportunity. She did a great job.

I had my 10-min presentation to show, but I felt like I should do that in the end. So I went right into the Word, sharing what was on my heart. It was a newly inspired synthesis of my "You Are Called" sermon and my Glory sermon. It was great how God inspired it to come out. People were blessed and encouraged to seek for more of God.

We then watched the presentation, before talking some time. Then a few people prayed for Matt as well as me. It was wonderful. I love these people here, this church. They have a lot of love, especially the pastors. It's a little church with believers who are big in the kingdom. It's an honor to have their pastor on my board of trustees.

People left right after we were done, and we also returned home. We spent some time talking back home, and Carrie's friend Tori who's also staying with her right now gave me a not-so-voluntary massage. She's a professional massager, but I'm so tense that it only hurts. They told me it's good for me, so I finally gave in. Voluntary torture! Doesn't my face say it all?

I was very much looking forward to sleeping in and getting some rest - but unfortunately I hadn't turned off my cellphone (sigh). I was just in the middle of an excited dream, and will never find out what happend next ;-).

I got online and called Paul to turn on the computer. We ended up staying connected via skype for hours, talking and transfering pictures and little video clips. It was good to hear him and the kids.

What's going on back home?

Seybou refuses to get a marriage certificate. You need that to get your baby's birth certificate, though there is a way around that. I told him before leaving he'd have to get it. Please pray he'll relent. I don't really know why he doesn't want to do it.

Other than that, there's nothing new to report. Everything's going well. Paul's High School final exams are over, and all he can do now is to wait for the results. It's raining a lot now, every day, according to Paul. And we still don't have the money to put the roof up. On the contrary, it's getting worse and worse financially, and we're praying for some money to come in.

We had a report from the village. We prayed for an eight-year-old boy whose shin was broken a few times, and who'd spent weeks in the hospital. I felt he was healed, when he said all pain was gone. However, they didn't take off the cast back then. His Dad - an influential guy in the village - called all excited saying his son was totally healed. He was asking for me. He already is a secret believer. Praise God!

Going To Topeka