Thanks for the opportunity.

Those who have done life outside the states with people not of the same culture, religion, ethnicity...know that aside from making a concious effort to stay the same, you cant come back without being changed. Now being back, though things may not seem entirely different than before...i know im changed. There are seeds from the heart of God that have been thrown into me through the lives of so many i did life with over the last 2 months. It only gets more fun from here as that seed is watered and grows into a lifestyle.

Most of you know that i didnt go to Mozambique, or to the Holy Given mission school with the illusion of becoming the super missionary that was going to save the world. I went with a simple desire to learn love. I would say that the bulk of the seed planted in me could be labeled love. Thanks again to those of you that supported the opportunity for me to go. Heres some pictures taken and journal entries written during the last 2 months. Hopefully, through them, you can get some of that seed.

Quick Note on what the heck i was doing in Africa.

Years ago, Heidi Baker jumped a flight to Maputu, Mozambique with a heart full of love and vision full of God changing lives. She, followed by her husband Rolland and the rest of her family, spent years on the street corners learning the local language and loving the people. Today, Iris ministries has more than 7000 churches, cares for over 1000 orphans, and has 7 bases throughout the country where they feed, house, and love the needy. In their Pemba location, they have began two schools---one for Mozambiquans from the bush--who meet Jesus and want to become pastors in their villages-- and the other is Holy Given mission school for internationals. This was the school I attended.

We were taught a biblical perspective on the commission, but-more importantly-were exposed to a practical lifestyle of love.

The normal day.

One of two things woke me up at an indecent hour every morning---either the pastors talking and laughing unreasonably loud while getting their daily water from the well, which happened to be right outside my window...
OR the pastors singing and dancing in their chapel, which happened to be right around the corner from my place. Either one, the pastors were not my friends at 5am in the morning.



After a few hours of quietness with Holy Spirit, I had a mile walk down the beach to the main Iris base. Consistently late, I attended class from 9am until 2pm, with some rice and beans in there somewhere. In school, we studied things like the biblical basis for missions, the foundation of missions---being love...etc. Sitting in class listening to someone lecture wasnt my favorite thing, but we spent most our class worshipping and praying for each other.
After class, we were free to be with the people, go to the beach, hitchhike into town, drink milkshakes at the local 5-star hotel...etc. On some nights, we put on activities with the kids. On other nights, we would set up a projector and watch movie's about world issues and how different people are taking action.
It was a simple and refreshing lifestyle, allowing us to live "in today." With alot of relational interaction and plenty of time, love was free to be my priority.

Some of the more defining EXPERIENCES.

11.5----
"Hundreds of Africans dancing---their clothes heavy with sweat. Orphaned kids searching for the next generous westerner to give them anything of value for free. Portuguese being shouted, distorting the microphone, only to be followed by an even more passionate translation in Macua (a local language). there I was in the middle of a Mozambiquan revival Sunday church service. Manuel, an undersized orphan from the streets- asleep in my lap, and Suzette, an Iris kid---leaning into me with half her body weight while taking pointless shots in abundance with my camera. It was in this moment I found myself thinking one of the many expressions of the gospel-----I have no reason to not be as happy as Ive ever been, right now." It was one of those moments where my only expression was that "it just doesnt get any better than this." These moments, which happened often, played a huge role in my time in Africa. I had nothing but a simple revelation of what Jesus did and a few beautiful people around me, yet experienced a level of happiness i hadnt touched before.

11.10---
"Bandana around my neck. Wind in my hair. I found myself sitting on top of the cab of a large pickup truck (made to seat 25) with 37 Mozambiquans and Internationals in the bed. We are 4 hours into our 7 hour off-road journey to a village in central Mozambique.




We're going to tell them that the kingdom of God is already here. We're going to tell them the revolution has already taken place." This was my first of 2 outreaches. In the moment i wrote this, the romantic idealism of outreach was very much alive. There was no trace of that idealism the next day. It was a hard two days. People met Jesus. People got healed. We preached. We prayed. We sang. We danced. and my favorite part---we got the hell out of there. Back to the comfort of our roofs and box-fans.


11.29--- "Times on the floor with God are always fun, but not always significant---this time was though. I felt the power of God free me into an authentic forgiveness of people close to me. It was like an active filling of the grace of God. The expression was this---It's just alright. He/She might have really screwed me in different ways, but its just OK. I'm free." This time came after Heidi taught us about the superiority of giving mercy, and told us about the time she forgave the man who raped her daughter. I stepped into the importance of forgiveness have really felt different ever since.


12.16--- "Plans to enjoy my last day in Mozambique on the beach with a $18 buffet to top it off, were spolied miserably when i found out about a pastors conference in a village and Holy Spirit "got" me with a desire to go. Ran in the house, grabbed some agua, popped a pill to keep my dyria from ruining the day, and jumped into the convey truck. The conference ingredients---Pastor Jonne (leader of 170 churches in southern Mozambique), Ricardo (a long-term Iris missionary), Jeanne (another LTer), Darren (an australian pastor), myself, and a sound system. 3 sessions. 40 pastors from the bush. Richardo brought a call to intimacy. Pa Jonne brought quite alot of excitment and noise with a unique and smooth dance-style-preaching. As Darren preached about the River of God, God released the river in the church. As we laid hands on the pastors and told them just to drink of God, His presence poured in. Anyone willing to drink that night got off the floor fed. The best beans and rice and mangos were just a bonus."

Random Revelations.

At risk of "boxing-up" the wind that has blown on me the past few months...I feel like if your were to break the seed planted in me open, these are the "nuggets" you would find.

LOVE IS BOTH A SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICAL REALITY. With a past of being fed up with a very practical christianity, (which led me into a 3 year quest into the spiritual reality of life) God took me to Africa and exposed me to people walking in what i knew to be true. Heidi and Rolland embrace, more than anyone ive ever seen, that they are primarially spiritual beings...yet live an extremely practical lifestyle. 11.6.06-journal entry-"The paradox of life with God being extremely spiritual and extremely practical. I'm lost in it. We've got to be a people who live as spirits---or from our hearts/spirits--- and embrace manifest practical love. In the world, but not of the world. Spiritual beings living practical lives. Its beyond me at the moment. The irony of a spiritual kingdom practically invading this world. Religion is practicality without the heart. The kingdom is practicality from the heart...I think."




WITHOUT JOY, WE DIE. THE GLORY OF GOD IS MAN FULLY ALIVE. Rolland Baker, the man who has to lead and manage currently the worlds largest revival, with endless amounts of pressure and tasks, got up one day and said something that changed me. "Ive never gotten anywhere with God unless I'm HAPPY with Him RIGHT NOW." I realized in that moment that so much of life with God in about learning how to live with JOY and "in today." Its simple. 11.9.06---"The glory of God is man fully alive." -St Ignatius. "I came that they may COME ALIVE...and this is LIFE, that they KNOW-greek word used is in context of sexual intimacy- You." -Jesus. INTIMACY really is the key to the glory of God.



THE KEY TO GOD'S DESTINY IS A SIMPLE, "NOBODY," CONTENT LIFESTYLE OF BEING HAPPY WITH GOD RIGHT NOW. 12.2.06--- "Use to a busy, pampered, public life, Moses left it all in Holy dissatisfaction. 40 years later, He has grown content w/ DOING LIFE a day at a time---sheparding sheep, being a father, and husband---he was OK with being a "nobody," with seemingly no dream of ever being or doing more. I find myself in a very simular place. More than happy just to do life today---whatever small of big things it may bring. I believe its a holy place to be. A place that launches you into a burning bush experience, where God authors the destiny and action of my life. Its the place where God breeds the heart that says---"without Your presence, you can count me out because Im not going anywhere."
"From a culture where everyone wants to be somebody, Jesus asks me to be a "nobody." Its when Im confident in this that life is most full. Humility shows its face."
A song I wrote when there--- "I know-Im not complete. I know-I dont have to be. All i know- I want to be closer to you today. Lets walk in your realm of simplicity. Lets walk in Your realm of love and sincerity. Lets walk in your realm where i can be closer to You today."