Ghanzi Week 2

Hello everyone sorry I haven't had a chance to update you on the past 3 weeks I had a second week in Ghanzi and 2 and a half weeks in the remote bush of northwest Botswana staying with some missionaries. In this post I will talk about the second week at Ghanzi. On monday I had a chance to teach a small group of teenagers that we had been ministering through the time there. I talked about identity in God and how looking to the world for identification is not the way and to look to God for his fatherly love. The next day I also talked again except this time I talked to a large group of prisioners at their assembly. I also talked about Identity in God but I geared it more toward fatherly love and told them about the vision I had a few weeks back of when I saw the gates of heaven and I saw Jesus there in a white robe and he gave me a white robe as well. I told them how God wants to wash away there sins and give them a white robe of righteousness and that they are rightful heirs to the kingdom as long as they follow the Lord. The next few days we went to the same disabled kids that we saw the week prior and prayed more and more for them. Although the healing we where hoping for didn't happen the last day we did see that they where wearing these bands around their waists that came from a traditional healer basically a witchdoctor. We have also found out that many of these things come with things attached like demons and as we left to go to the next city we asked them to take them off and allow us to pray for them once again. Although the older sister was ok with it her mother was not and it was not her decision. We still feel the Lord is going to do something with the paralyzed children and we have decided to on our way back to visit them one more time before we head down to South Africa. During this week we also did a lot more yard work and door to door ministry. We talked again with the old lady and a family we had met and prayed with them. We also spent more time with the teenagers going to a talent show (that happened to have a 2 hour talk on AIDS and how to prevent it...we eventually left cause we couldn't handle the heat anymore) and the next night we went to a choir competition that had a huge steak dinner for us at the intermission..first time that has ever happen at any of my choir concerts. We also spent some time working on a roof to cover the people we where staying at's patio. The time in Ghanzi was great but the time in the bush was something unexpected. Before we left we had a plan to have our leader and his family leave their car and jump in our car (a SUV) for the final part of the trip because it was 4x4 only section for 120 km or about 90 miles. This road was going to take 3 hours with 10 people and a trailer...but unexpectedly we had another guy show up that was suppose to come with us. of course we didn't know anything about it and ended up to have 11 people in a cramped SUV for us 6... Only in Africa....

Ghanzi, Botswana Week 1

As this is Africa we still didn't really know exactly where we where going until a few days before we left. We happened to go Ghanzi first, which has an internet cafe. We originally thought we would be out in the middle of nowhere in the Okavango Delta or the Kalhari Desert with the Bushman, but things got moved around. A week from now we are going from here in west-central botswana to north botswana in a town called Maun (which is at the southern tip of the Okavango Delta.) After two weeks in Maun we will probably head to a town in the middle of the Kalahari desert for two weeks. In that time we will be with the Bushman people. I am pretty sure I can get internet in Maun (its one of the bigger cities in botswana) but when we are with the bushman its doubtful.

As for this first week in Ghanzi, we drove for about 18 hours over two days and my mom's water bottle that I had for three months broke just hours before we left for outreach. When we where only a few hours from Ghanzi we almost hit a cow. We where driving on a section of road that is really dangerous at night. During the night many cows love the warm asphalt and lay in the middle of the road. Once we got to Ghanzi we have been staying at Windows of Hope, an ministry run by a man named John. We have been sleeping in tents on the hard sand for the past week and will continue to do so for the next five weeks until we go to a YWAM base in South Africa for our final two weeks of outreach. Over the week we have been getting to know a group of local teenagers. We have been having small groups, church, and other events with them. We also have been doing some yard work and will soon be working on John's patio. As we where walking around praying one day, we met a family that had two disabled children. One was completely paralyzed and couldn't speak and the other was also paralyzed but could hear and speak. The first time we saw them we all had the sense God was going to heal them and we strongly felt we should pray for them. The next time we visited these children, we took them on a walk in their wheelchairs. It was the first time they had been outside the house for a very long time. When we got back we prayed very intensely for them and again thought the Lord would do something but God didn't do anything physically. After we prayed the girl started to cry as she wasn't healed as we had hoped for. We where all very dissapointed but still feel the Lord will do something whether it is now or later. We also plan on coming back at least one more time to help do some gardening and pray for them again. So more prayer the better! Last night we had quite a large wind and rain storm (it is the dry season here) and the girls in our group got quite a lot of spiritual attacks. Some saw dogs fighting and others dark images. They where up for a long time praying through that. I don't think satan is to happy that we have been praying for the children in the wheelchair.

Outside of those things the time here has gone quick already and we will be heading to the next place in a week. It is rough sleeping on hard sand but I am starting to get used to it a bit. During the day in the tent it, at times, has hit 115 degrees and outside in the shade it is still around 95. I am looking forward to what God will do here in Ghanzi. The people here are very friendly and hospitable. As you might expect many of the teenagers love to dance and sing, man are they really good at it! Although I am loving it here I am also looking forward to going to my next destination in Maun.

Reflecting on lecture Phase

So as the final week of the lecture phase concludes I start to look back on the past 12 weeks. As the time has gone past I feel each week I have learned something new each week. In week one we talked about hearing the voice of God, but the thing that I got most out of it most was when the whole group prayed for me to overcome the pain of my dad's accident and death. The second week was spiritual warfare and it was interesting hearing about how much we truely are in a war and most of us don't even realize. I remember a quote someone recited, "The biggest lie Satan has had us believe is that he doesn't exist at all." As I thought about that and the extremly humanistic culture in which we live, I see that Satan has done a good job of decieving us. In that week I feel that I was able to become more aware of when an attack comes and how to overcome it. In the third week we talked about Sanctification and although it wasn't my favorite week I realized I need to go to God everyday and that I am a righteous being for I was created in Gods image. The fourth week was word of God. It made me realize how important the bible is and how we can use it as a very important tool. In the fifth week, Evangelism, I learned how to go out and talk to others about the Lord. Although he have us right down to many notes, we had a chance to minister to men in the jail. We where the first outsiders ever aloud inside the jail and that was one God filled day. Nations to Nations Conference in South Africa was the sixth week. It was great to get away for a week and get to know other bases. It showed how close our group had gotten during our time together. Our following week was a week of local outreach in which we went to a school, clinic, and another school. I was able to tell my testimony at a high school and the holy spirit had a hold of my words. After I completed talking about 50 or more where moved to accept christ. It had nothign to do with me but the amazing blessings that can be done through the holy spirit. For Fatherheart of God, and Holy Spirit we had another base with us. We had 11 living in this small 3 bedroom, 1 bath house. Father heart of God showed me how to take up my authority that has been given from God. Holy Spirit, my favorite week, not just talked about the holy spirit, but gave us time to experience it. One night I was on teh ground for an hour just in His presence. In the mid of the week I also was rebaptised and rededicated my life to God. God asked me that week to not look to the past anymore but to look to the future and I felt this was the best way to start anew. I was also given a letter from a student that wrote what he felt the Lord was wanting him to tell me (its in another blog post called "letters from God.") Crucified Life talked about how we are dead to sin, ourselves, and the law. He talked about how we are forgiven of our sins in the past, present, and future. The 11th week, Plumbline, spent time talking about how we are to forgive others and how we put up different walls in our lives. During that time I was able to forgive someone who teased me for 12 years and ask for forgiveness for some things I thought I would never tell anyone. This week, Community Development, is talking about how we need to go about developing a community not only economically and socially, but spiritually. Although a lot of it sounds straight from a business school (which I have been very used to) its been great to hear about how to deal with cross-cultural communication and how to preach the gospel to other cultures.

12 weeks, really....its been 12 weeks? It feels like I am a different person but at the same time I feel like it was only yesterday that I was at home getting nervous about leaving. The Lord has blessed me in this time and if you have read any of the other blogs you have seen he has given me some prophetic words as well. The fun yet most challenging part of my journey is just about to begin. I will live in tents for 6 weeks somewhere in botswana (the place we are going isn;t even on a map.) And then spend 2 weeks in Rustenburg, South Africa...YES the same place where U.S. - England will play their World Cup match and no I won't be in the stadium but I will probably be just outside. In this time of reflection I want to thank all of you that have supported me either financially, spiritually, or just have been touched by my story. I originally made this blog for myself, family, and friends but I see I need to not hold back to show those that read it that God is not only real but he is alive. God bless you all!

Words of Prophecy

Over the past few weeks different people have given me prophetic words over my life. Some where from my fellow students and have to do with my role on the outreach phase of this DTS and others have to do with my calling. The first section below are the words from my fellow students about what I will be doing on the DTS and my role. The way this worked was we where to pray for the role of person number 1 and then person number two and so on. We didn't know who that person was but were asked to pray for them anyway. Later in the week our leader Nathan asked God separately what names go with what numbers and each of us were matched up with a prophetic word. Nathan never knew what the words said until after he said which name he felt went with which person.

When Nathan had told of which number corresponded to me this is what words where spoken for that number (remember we had 7 different people praying so these are everyone's visions or words):

Walking shoes and a guide. Sewer and the seed -> A huge field , lines of trees, person throwing seeds, Jesus behind putting water into the holes. (1st line being seeded, many other lines of trees behind it. Each line of trees shows a progression of growth in a tree's life cycle.) Not the sowers job to grow the tree but to start the process. (someone elses job to nurture.) - Sewing seeds, a person working in a garden with a hoe - Children, entertaining, being playful - strong, showing off, energy - green grass, running then lying down and not wanting to do anything - children being excited, fun and relaxing atmosphere - truck carrying cabbages. - A person on top of the cabbages giving them out. - Laundry, depth, and compassion (her stomach feels nervous.)

*This again is visions based off my role on our outreach phase and how it will go.


Here is the second prophecy. This one was told by one of our speakers named Cliff and also Nathan, our base leader. The scripture at the end is by a fellow student named Mohapeloa. This all was saved on an audio file and I did my best to copy it all down so this is the text version of that time:

Cliff's section: Thank you Lord he is a pioneer-er, someone who pioneers. I thank you Lord he is going to go to uncharted territory. I thank you Lord, first thing, God wants to really settle the issue of Sonship and total and complete identity in father God. So Lord I thank you for my brother and thank you are super naturally organizing and sorting out the issues of the heart. Thank you lord for the confidence that he is going to know that he is going to know (yes he said it twice). Thank you Lord that the part that is not there is not the part he needs to focus on. That's not it, its looking unto you and as he looks unto you Lord as he receives the revelation and the truth of who you say he is and he is going to know and experience in his heart as the truth those things from the past will sort those things out and he doesn't need all the answers or the solutions, only needs you. So I thank you are settling that in him in the name of Jesus. As he does adventure with you Lord I pray that you will increase his faith. I pray that you will expand it in him. I see faith expanding inside of you that is even broader and more than you thought was possible. I pray there is such a confidence and awareness and conviction in your own heart of what god can do that you will look at mountains and say we can climb that and people with me will say, "whatever I am out of here." Your life will not be about telling that mountain to be cast into the sea, your life will be about: God will say look at that mountain, so go climb it. God is going to equip you and give you the strategies and the proper paths that no one else can see "through the cleft in the rock." God will have me take people on that journey and will lead people through it and enjoy it and stop and say, "look at that view, enjoy it." God will give you a gift to pioneer through things and take people to a place of enjoying the process and when they get over the mountain they will be tired and have calluses on their feet but will say, "wow" climbing that mountain was cool and I was the one that led them to that. There is some spiritual analogy to this but I really believe there is some physical analogy as well. God is going to do that in the natural but do not loose sight of the ability in the spirit to have people stop and smell the goodness of the Lord and to taste of it when they normally wouldn't do it. Thank you Lord for his calling and sureity of it so that he won't have to question it...in Jesus name give him the confidence in it as well...

Nathan's section:

I got a picture of a watchtower and is apart of a fortress. Usually a small team of people and usually there are long shifts for the watchmen at night and the morning. Usually they have a bell at the top of the tower so you can ring the bell when an enemy is attacking. So part of the tower is you will be working in small teams..Warning bell is that God will give you sight in spiritual giftedness to warn people of direction of enemy attack. To sound the alarm. Other things is the work God is calling you to it will be very tiring but will strengthening you and most things it will be in the evenings when people are resting. So part of that is looks like God is calling you to something that is not very regular it changes from a normal shift. Other things is something you should be aware of is on the watchtower it could seem like a lonely path to take with only one or two of you on the tower. Can be a lot more lonely because you don't have the hussle and bussle of regular hours. God wants to make you aware that you may get lonely but be on the watchout for it. Watch out for it for God is with you and He doesn't want you to think loneliness is overtaking you or take away from you. I don't know if that is for the calling or felt more like it was apart of the next season in your life, but it could also be for your calling but I will let God tell you which it is.

Mohapeloa - I have a verse for you Mr. Spencer - Matthew 16:17-20.

Letters from God

So it may sound weird but I have two letters that where written to me that where inspired based off what the writer felt the Lord was telling them to tell me. The first letter which I will post bellow was written by a visiting DTS student from Drakensburg, South Africa two weeks ago. He was woken up by God in the middle of the night and God told him to write me a letter. The second was written by myself today based off the words I felt the Lord was telling me to write to myself. I know it sounds confusing but the words in both of the letters are quite pointenant to my current walk. Bellow is the first letter:

Son of Israel

The fullness of my spirit dwells in you, like Moses I come to hear the spoken utterance of your prayers. I have given you many nations but many more await.

Lowly in heart and seeker of love do you not know the love I want to replace in your heart is that which was stoeln from you by a absent father and sharp young lovers? The fullness you hunger, for is not found in any woman, but only in Me.

Every morning as my mercy and grace is made new, I search your heart and find little deception and many questions. Do you not know the fullness dwelling inside? Every answer is in me and I give as generously as you have given, you need just ask! The mysteries of your future I know but I want you to just trust me. I reveal not what is to come so that your independence can be redemed in me.

Precious Prince of Isreal!!! I celebrate in the heavenly places. In your giving and in your faith, FINALLY you have sown so that I can take that seed sown and and the awe of future treasures will be the coming harvest!!!

Amen


Second Letter:
(A little back story. I decided to fast for 3 days this week about letting God be my idenity and not other things, Monday to Wednesday, and one fellow DTS student questioned why I was fasting...)

Put me before anything and anyone. Stand firm and do not sway. Know that in me you are strong. Do not worry if you go against the grain for I went against the grain first. Seek the kingdom first! Forgive and bless others for you have been forgiven. Pray for those that come against you. Fast only for me. Do not put any attention on yourself. I want your attention on me during a fast, not what other thinks of you. Do not worry when others rebuke and challenge your reasons for fasting for I know your heart. I will give you what you have asked for. I love and cherish you and hold onto me through these bumps in the DTS. Do not let your anger flair up, but give your burdens to me. Stand firm on the Rock as the storms come; for I will protect you through the storms of life. Do you not know that Jesus calmed storms with a short phrase; can I not do the same for you? Walk with me and trust me. I want to take you to great places but first you must have the faith to follow me. Do not worry about the past or future just be in my presence now. Treat each storm and tough situation as a time of growing to prepare you to better serve my people. YTou will be the next Peter but as Peter had to do, you must learn to have the faith to hold my hand and walk on water. Do you not see the unique gifts and passions I have given you? You have a deep and compassionate heart as I did, but I want to expand that. I love the way you worship me through photography and will use that to show others what they have missed. I can't wait to start the adventure with you. I will take you to many natiuons and places no one else has tried to go. I need a backpacking pioneer like yourself Spencer. I need you to expand my gospel to the dark and lost areas of the world. I will use your adventuresome spirit for my will. I am so happy that you are finally embrassing my truth, my love, and my embrase. Spencer when your mom told you she felt you would do something that would change the world she was right! Spencer put your faith in me and cling to me for there will be some hard times ahead, but in me you will provail. Spencer you are special, precious and my son; never forget that. Don't let anyone tell you anything different. Spencer put your idenity in me and I will fill you up with my peace and rightousness. Feel no more saddness for your dad for he is right next to me cheering you on. He has been praying for you everyday and is so excited to see you again one day. Spencer you fasted to put your idenity back on me and to accept my love and you are already doing that. I know your pain but I will take it away, just ask. You are precious and a warrior, never forget that. I chose you presonally for this will. I love you Spencer and walk in faith with me.

God



Ok so although it sounds crazy I wrote a letter to myself from what I felt the Lord wanted me to write, I really had the Holy Spirit in me and it felt like the words I wrote where the right words to write. The next time I get to the internet I will talk about some words of prophecy that where said over my life and about my future. Many of the words are confirmations about backpacking and possibly doing that in Australia. Before I was on this DTS I would have never believed most of this stuff that I have been writing these past few weeks but the Lord has done amazing wonders in my life and I am looking forward to the future.

Where is my idenity?

This week the Lord continued to give me more and more provisions and guidance. Our speaker, Cliff, talked about the Crucified Life and concentrated on Jesus and the amazing work he has done for us. The first day we talked mainly about idenity and where that lies. I would have to go back through my notes to fully encompass the lecture for monday but somethign else outside of the lecture helped me add on to the already indepth topic of idenity. In the past 2 or 3 weeks I have been "distracted" by this girl and although I wanted to get to know her my schedule was packed. Last week, as I mentioned, God asked me to give up my cell phone that I had only had for two days. One of the main reasons I bought that phone was to converse with this girl. That night last week the lord asked me to not just give up the phone but to give up control of wherever the potential relationship to Him. This week after the girl came over to hang out she basically ignored me and flirted with a different guy and the Lord that night put on my heart something way more important than any crush. The Lord was showing to me that I have been putting to much of my idenity in girls. I also have been trying to seek love and affirmation from girls as well and not seeking the Lord for his unconditional love. Although I knew I had done this in the past it was the first time that it really hit home. I have spent most of the week in prayer over those two topics and as the week has gone on I have been able to give more and more to God and I don't seem to worried about the girl anymore. One thing I also didn't mention last week was that one of my fellow students from the other base was woken up by the Lord early in the morning and God asked him to write me a letter based off what God told him to say. One of the things that the letter mentioned was exactly this revelation I learned this week for the letter said (paraphrase), "Spencer seek after me for my unconditional love. I know you search for love and its been hard having a father that is apsence and you have been hurt from 'sharp young lovers.'" As I have read the letter over and over again this week I keep thinking what is my priority, where will I be filled, and where can I get unconditional love and not "love" that is dependent on the ups and downs of a woman....and the answer can only be the love that comes from God.

As for the rest of the week we talked about how we need to take victory over sin and again it was very indepth and can't explain it all here but basically talked about how our bodies have died and sin can't take authority over us (and a whole lot more...) this week like last week has been adding on more and more of what I need to hear and bringing about a change in me that I could have never imagined. I am so excited about the next two weeks and then my outreach time for the Lord is far from done with showing me things that I need to grow in!

Holy Spirit Week Part 2

Ok now we continue the amazing week:

As thursday morning came we had a "Holy Spirit Party" in which was basically a time to praise the Lord and to give up control over our lives to God before we received spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts include: speaking in tounges, interpreting toungues, knowledge and wisdom, discerning spirits, healing, prophecy, and a few others that I can't think of at the moment. But anyways after giving God control ceremonially by popping a balloon, I asked to receive the gifts of knowlege and wisdom, prophecy, and discerning of spirits. I had also received the gift of toungues a few days earlier but I am still trying to get a hold of that one. Its hard for my antalytical mind to let go and just allow God to do it...so if you can pray for that that would be awesome! As each of us received the different gifts the holy spirit made many..including myself once collapse to the floor and for some stay on the floor for an hour. Although i didn't feel the Lord as I did like Monday the Lord was very much in the room.

That afternoon I went with the speaker and our leader to the airport (an hour and a half away..well at least the bigger airport is) and on the drive Stefan started asking me how I liked it. Soon I told him about the visions and dreams the lord told me about the backpacking ministry and DTS. He then told me that YWAM needs more people like me in YWAM. It was amazing getting a blessing like that from a guy that leads all of southern africa. Our base leader in lesotho plans on starting a mobile-DTS which is very similar to a backpacking DTS just a little different and Stefan and our base leader Nathan have been trying to recruit me to help start it with Nathan. As they said that it was kinda hard for me to say that I may be called to Australia but who knows maybe God will lead me to Africa instead and help Nathan start this new adventure. Nathan basically wants to go to a different location every month all throughout the continent of africa and to have outreach and teaching phases at the same time. I still need to do more prayer but it definitly seems like a interesting and fun idea.

On Friday our team went up to the top of this mountain...actually where the country of Lesotho was first started by their leader.. We had a great time of prayer up there and prayed for the country of Lesotho and asked for forgivness for anything that any of us had done against our African teammates. We then had some individual time of prayer and soon the Lord called me to pray with Mohapeloa our african student. Together the Lord blessed us with his spirit once again and I kinda talked in toungues but again its still weird for me so I need more time and prayer. But the day went well and was well needed for team unity.

The whole week was very tiring and I slept 12 hours last night but it was something that I really needed. I pray that I will continue on this process and if the Lord does call me into full-time missions with YWAM that he will continue to give me confirmation.