I’m going to try to get some more pictures up of both Burma and Nepal.  Between everyone on both trips, I have about 4000 pictures to look through, so it probably won’t be for another week or so. 

I still don’t know yet what the Lord has in mind for me, but I am teaching another class at the Bible college here this semester.  It’s called The Persecuted Church in the 21st Century.   I’m sooo excited about it.  We’re going to be going through the 15 most persecuted nations and hearing stories about the things our brothers and sisters have to endure for the sake of our Lord.  There will be a semester project that each student will have to do – please pray that it makes an impact on their hearts.  Thanks, blessings, Ann

Well, when I got back home I found out that the company that I work for has lost a lot of funding and jobs are going to be cut.  I work as a counselor for a non-profit.  I found out today that my job was cut in half, so now I will be only working part-time.  Thankfully, I can still keep my benefits since i ended up at Urgent Care last night because of my bleeding ulcer.  I didn’t get too sick on my trips, but traveling takes a lot out of my body and I’m in a lot of pain. 

I realize that I am in a really good position because I know that the Lord has something planned for me.  I will still work at my job 20 hours a week and then I will see what else God has for me.  I can tutor, or substitute teach, or re-open my own private practice counseling, or do something completely different.  please pray for me as I’m trying to get healthy again and as I look forward to what the Lord’s plan is for me.  Also, I want to be a blessing to my co-workers as they go through the same situation.  Thanks so much, blessings, Ann

Well, my team arrived, sore but happy.  They had an amazing time going up the mountain and spending time with like-minded friends.  One of them wrote this:

There is a man of God who has taken his family there to lead a tiny community.  There was one lady there who has prayed for 20 years for someone to come to teach her village about Dad.  When the leader came it was a long time answer to prayer.  This is a very tiny body of believers, but mighty. 

One man in this little community comes from miles away.  He came the day before so he would be there in time.  He is the oldest son of a very high up family in a neighboring village.  He is about 35 years old and the only believer in his whole village.  His father just died and being the oldest of the family it was his responsibility to publicly pray for the soul of his father…in the Hindu religion.  He refused because he is a believer and does not believe the Hindu religion any longer.  He has been rejected by, not only his own family but his whole village.  You should have seen his face in church, praising our Dad.  Just totally glowing.  He will have persecution all his life, but he is living with joy.  

The first lady I told you about….her husband will not give his heart because they have threatened his life if he does.  The wife….well she says ‘to live is JC and to die is gain.’  They have 4 girls and all have come to be in the family. 

 
This has been such an amazing trip.  God has done miracles left and right.  I just want to tell you about our last day in Kathmandu right now.

It started out with 7 of us going to a little town that is like back in another century.  No motor vehicles and all the buildings are from the 17th century.  You drive to a certain spot and then walk the rest of the way into this place.  It was a pretty dark place…..all Hindu and Buddhism and just a very oppressed place.  But historical and interesting. 

As we were leaving to head for a very special baptism we were trying to get out of this place in our hired van/taxi and ALL the roads were closed.  One was closed due to a fatal accident, one was closed due to a land slide and I have no idea why the last was closed.  NO WAY OUT.  We all were praying because we did not want to miss this special time ahead of us.  There were hundreds of cars in line waiting for something to open.  Our little driver stopped, got out, walked up the street a ways and came back.  He said ‘we will be able to do it’.  He drove and the people all just moved out of the way and we got through the one spot with less than an inch on either side.   Later we asked what he told the people….he said he had a whole van load of tourists that needed to catch a flight.  All the people worked to get us out….but we KNOW it was all our Lord!! 

We got to the church for the baptism and there were 9 new baby Christians there to get baptized from the first village we went to on our first little trek.  Now you need to understand….in Nepal, if you become a believer, you are not only going against your Hindu religion, but your whole culture.    Most of these believers have been rejected by family and villages.  They are taking a very hard stand and may in fact become martyrs for JC.  Oh, I pray I have that kind of faith.  What a sweet blessing to watch these 9 brothers and sisters make a public profession of their faith.  It was a very sweet time.
 
This morning we headed for the airport.  It was very hard to leave Nepal.  We got to the airport with much time to spare, D, our leader, paid our taxes and then we got all our bags checked in.  We all stepped back as D and L (the greatest leaders a team could have) worked to get us our boarding passes.  About 2 hours later and with 9 Nepali men working very hard we finally got them. 

You see, they have JUST started the whole e-system ticket thing.  There were 4 team members that just were not in their computer.  If those 4 ‘did not come’ how can we let them leave!!!  Our leaders worked with them and because of their kindness and gentleness (and calmness) all these Nepali men tried everything they could think of to get us out.  The Lord had our plane delayed just long enough for it all to work and we all made it to Hong Kong, along with ALL our bags this time.  So, you see, there really were so many miracles along the way.  And what was so fun too…..none of us team members were anxious at all.  We knew that what ever happened was all for God’s glory and our good and growth.  So fun to see God at work.
 
  The leaders of Nepal say ”don’t pray for peace….God is working among the persecution’.  Please pray for these new believers that they will stay strong and many many more will come to know His saving Grace.
 
You know, it is not easy for me to go.  I don’t want to make it sound like everything was perfect and that it was just the best time ever.  In reality, most of you know that I HATE rice – it looks like maggots and I just can’t get past that.  I also HATE to fly – I know, I know, I’ve flown all around the world 3 or 4 times and then some, but still it totally stresses me out and makes my bleeding ulcer explode.  I also really had a hard time being alone in Kathmandu – it seems silly, but I get really lonely and scared when I’m in a strange country by myself.  I know that the Lord is always with me, but it was still hard for me. 
 
I want to glorify God in all that I do, but I can see Him being glorified in the fact that I am not always a good missionary or even a good Christian.  Rather, I want to obey Him even when it is hard for me and I’d rather not do it.  Even now, people are already asking me what’s next – if it’s up to me, I want to stay here in Maui for the next year at least – I am so sick of traveling (esp flying), but as I’m typing this, Russia and Georgia are on my heart and my mind.  Please pray for the people there and that God’s will will be accomplished there.  If He wants me to go , of course I will, but hopefully He is just putting it on my heart so that I will pray and encouage others to pray. 
Wow, that’s a lot for one night.  Thanks for your love and prayers, blessings, Ann

Live simply, that others might simply live.

Well, the Lord is so good to me.  Just the other day I was feeling lonely and then the Lord sent me P.  He’s an American guy who is with an agency here for 2 years.  He’s already been here for 6 months and has done 5 months of language so he can speak fairly well.  He works a few days a week at PT doing construction.  We hung out on Fri and then he showed up again on Sat. for service.  He doesn’t usually come, so I was really surprised and happy to see him.  He interpreted the whole service for me and when I spoke, he interpreted for them.  God is so good to me! 
 
I have been spending time with the students here.  So many of them are being persecuted because of their faith.  Family and friends and community have all turned their backs on them, but yet they are still here desiring to know Dad more. 
 
I got to go to an orphanage and play with the kids.  They have 39 girls.  It is run by 2 couples.  Foreigners can’t actually live there with them, so a national couple lives there and the other couples come each day.  I got to talk to 2 sisters whose mom committed suicide.  They both found her body and of course have been traumatized.  Then I met with a girl who was raped when she was 7.  Her mom is mentally unstable and her dad is not yet a Believer.  I forgot to mention that the 1st girl I counseled who was raped by the pastor was then beaten by her mother when she told her what happened.  There is so much evil and damage that the enemy wants to do to Believers here, but Dad is at work and is bringing restoration to these people.  You can’t imagine how humbling it is for me to be a small part of bring His healing to them – I am so overwhelmed at my own inadequacy, but I know that it is His plan for me to be here ‘for such a time as this’.  It just amazes me how much they have been through and that I get to be here to pray for them and counsel them and be a minister of His peace. 
 
Last night I had student after student lining up to talk to me about their lives.  I wish I could stay here for another month or 2.  Many of them come from mixed religious families who are all united against ours.  When I get back to the States, I will be teaching a class on the persecuted church and I could sadly spend the whole semester on Nepal. 

This morning I got to teach a class on Sp. growth and discipleship.  It was really fun for me.  Tonight I am meeting with a guy who will go to the village that we went to last week.  He will move there and be the leader.  They have never had a leader before and it is a very exciting time for them.  I have a real burden for that place.  Tomorrow I get to speak in Chapel and then my team hopefully will return.  Hope all is well with you. 

Blessings, Ann

Live simply, that others might simply live.

Ok, so much has happened in just a few short days. My team left to go trekking, and I was still very unsure of what the Lord had for me.  I spent the first day praying about different options, and the Lord led me to P. T. 

It is a ministry that takes care of handicapped people, teaches them to become independent, and they pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.  There are 4 of them scattered throughout Nepal.  I got to go stay at one of them for 2 days.  It was such a blessing.  Just hearing their stories and how much the Lord is using this ministry. 

As you can imagine, if you are handicapped, the only option is to become a beggar.  This ministry takes them off the streets, teaches them skills (one of the girls made me a kurtha – a Nepali shirt), and teaches them about the Lord.  They have study every night and it’s so great. 
 
Then today, I was supposed to go to an orphanage, but the Lord had different plans.  There is a 14 year old girl here who was recently raped by a Christian pastor.  It’s a horrible situation and the Lord allowed me to meet with her and minister to her.  I did a combination of art therapy and counseling, and I pray that it will be a part of God’s healing in her life. 
 
Tonight I am at the B. college.  I’m really excited to speak to the students and I will get to teach a class.  Of course I miss my team, but I am happy to be doing what the Lord has asked.  Please pray for me because I get really emotional and lonely when I am alone (not that I”m alone – privacy means nothing here), but you know what I mean. 

Love and blessings, Ann

Nepal is wonderful so far.  We spent 2 days in Hong Kong and it was fun.  The whole team arrived together (I met them in Manila), but none of their luggage made it.  Fortunately, it arrived the day after we landed here, so they were only missing it for 3 days.  It was a good opportunity to practice all the things that we have been learning. 

Our second day here, we went on a 2 hour trek into a beautiful valley – the scenery is breathtaking.  I am already loving being here.  When we got to the village, we met about 25 like minded brothers and sisters.  One of our sisters was the first fruits of this village.  Sadly, her husband recently died.  He was the very first to know our Dad, and then she quickly followed.  Of course, a his funeral, the village wanted to cremate him, but she took a very public stance by saying no.  She was in much trouble and distress, but now she has more brothers and sisters to comfort her.  I wish I could say more, but it’s dangerous to them. 
 
There is a very severe petrol crisis here and there are hundreds of cars waiting in line to buy it no matter how expensive it is.  Some leave their cars in line for a day or 2 just sitting there waiting.  There was a bad riot yesterday. 
 
The team all left this morning for 6 days as they trekked up the mountain.  I am staying here in Kathmandu to pursue something else that our Dad has for me. Please talk to Him for me, as I hate being all alone in a strange city. 

Thanks, love and blessings, Ann

One of the girls on my team (Jenni) sent this email to me about our time in Burma:

I had 2 opportunities to speak in Thailand, so I decided to use one of the occasions to share about Myanmar.  I’d shared with some of you about meeting a Burmese priest who was forced to reveal the names of Nargis survivors that he placed in temporary shelters.  The people whose names he gave to the military were then sent to labor camp.  When I shared about this, 3 people (Karen/Kayin tribe) in the audience began to cry because they themselves were victims of the labor camps.  It really broke my heart listening to their stories afterwards.

 

 

 Many of you were interested in the type of therapy that I got to do.  As far as the art therapy goes, I had the kids draw a heart and gave them 6 crayons.  Each color represented a different emaotion (red was love, green was scared, yellow was happy, brown was angry, etc).  Then I asked them to fill in their heart with each of the colors, as big or small as they feel.  One of the boys (8 yrs old) had a huge part as scared and very little of everything else.  When I started talking to him, we started with the happy and I asked him to talk about what makes him happy, etc.  When we got to ’scared’, he didn’t want to talk about it.  Finally he opened up and it was like the flood gates burst.  He talked about the bad men who came and put the children in burlap sacks and carried them over their shoulders.  If anyone stopped them and asked, they would say that it was just pigs.  If the kids made noise, then the bad men would hurt them.  When I asked if the bad men hurt him, he started crying and said yes.  The orphanage workers told me that they had no idea that any of that had happened to him.  It just opened up this kid. 
Another girl we asked to draw her house and all she drew was a roof and a lone figure sitting on it with water underneath. When we asked her where her parents were, she said that the
big wave took them away.  Again the workers had no idea what she had been through. 
I spent a little time trying to teach the workers how they could continue this type of thing with the kids.  It was having an impact on them as well, so I think that they will keep it up. 

I am now in Australia on my way to Nepal.  i had to go through Manila to get here and had a 28 hour layover – crazy!  the Lord was very gracious to me and I met a woman who was traveling with her daughter.  We spent most of the day together and they let me hang out at their hotel with them.  We decided to go to the mall and the band Lifehouse was there performing – that was cool.  I’ll try to write more later.  Blessings, Ann

Okay, so it’s about time that I should have a blog, but I really needed some help. Luckily for me Ajja came over and she is teaching me how to do it. In case you didn’t know, I just had a great opportunity to go to Burma and help with the relief effort. I went with a team of 9 and it was amazing. All of us have tons of stories and I’m going to tell you some of mine. I’m also going to try to figure out how to put pictures on here too - it can’t be too hard can it?   So here goes…

Within the first 24 hours of being in Burma, I was already throwing up. Fortunately lots of people were praying for me and I got better right away. I only ended up missing one day of the trip. We worked with local pastors who are totally into church planting. I got to preach not once but twice! God is so good to me. I also got to do art therapy with a lot of the orphans. I know during school I didn’t have a very high opinion of play or art therapy but man, it is so powerful! One of the girls I went with, Jenni, is also a counselor and she taught me a lot about it. I know that it really ministered to the kids and our interpreter was really touched too. She just started crying and sharing about memories of her own childhood, and gave me an opportunity to minister to her.  We also distributed tons of clothes to many of the different orphan homes.  It was so exciting to see their faces and then they came and modeled their new clothes for us.  What a wonderful experience and I can’t beleive that I got to be a part of it. 

One of my favorite stories is how we wanted to rent a house for one of the pastors. He and his wife have four of their own children and have recently taken in 11 orphans. They live in a two room house which is also their home church. They had no room to breath. We found a second house for them very close by, unfortunately the landlord was a Buddhist and refused to rent to him because he was a Christian. The landlord said, “I know your God is more powerful than my god and if you move in my god will run away, so you can’t have the house.” It’s amazing how this man knew the truth about the power of the Lord and yet still had no desire to follow Him. A few days later the pastors wife went back to the landlord and he agreed to rent the house, but said they could not worship there. Since they are home church pastors that put a damper on things. So the pastors wife said to the landlord, “You worship your god in your house we should be allowed to worship our God in our house.” And so he let them, isn’t that cool?

Here is my attempt to try to add pictures and I will try to write more about Burma soon, but I am leaving for Nepal in a week and a half so I will see how it goes.

isn’t he the cutest thing!