Life in Bali

Indonesia: a land of beautiful people, massive corruption and Muslims. The amount that I have enjoyed this place amazes me. I'll be honest, I was skeptical about our time in Bali. I was sure that there would be a lack of ministry and the two months that we are here would be the slowest of my life, but it has actually been the exact opposite of that. Our days have been filled with loads of children, mothers, prostitutes and so much more. In these past four weeks I have poured out more than I thought I ever could and I know that will only continue.  Our team has invested heavily in a slum that is only a ten or so minute walk down the beach from us. Wedged right in between fancy resorts sits a plot of land where people from a neighboring island, Java, live. They are poor. Many children don't go to school or are left in Java with relatives to attend cheaper schools there. One lady my friend and I have befriended is in that situation. Her third grader son is living in Java with his grandmother and she only sees him a few times a year. When we asked her why he doesn't come here she said because of school, and also her one room house (the size of my bathroom) is too small for their whole family to fit in. So they stay separated and she and her husband work day after day making tissue boxes to try and have a better life. This is just one of many stories of our friends in the Java slum. We go almost every day of the week to love on these people. We teach older kids and moms English, play with younger kids, hold babies, cut hair and give as much as we can. I love that we still have 4 weeks to spend with them, and hopefully their Muslim community will be opened to the love of Christ. Please join me in praying for their salvation.
We also have been spending our nights out with women desperate for hope. The main place we go is a street where women sell rice packets and drinks as a cover for prostitution. These women love that we come and we love them. Right now we are celebrating one girls recent interest in the Lord. She has asked the Lord into her heart but here it is very hard for the people to have one true god. Bali is a majorly Hindu island and they tend to just add Jesus to their list of gods. We are celebrating her and hopefully her decision will stir up the hearts of many of the girls.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the busyness of this place is to ALWAYS lean on the Lord. The first couple weeks we were here I was giving totally out of myself and what I think I have to offer, but that quickly exhausted me. Then the lord really spoke to me about serving because he served first and loving because he loved first and for no other self seeking reason. I need to go to him for filling, because only out of his perfect love can I even attempt  to be love to these people.
So we have 4 more weeks here and I am SO excited for them. I'm also so excited for the day my feet hit Hawaiian soil and then on to Tennessee!
Thank you for reading and supporting and praying!

Freedom Reigns

Last night, we went out to pray for one of the places where sex trafficking is big. We didn't really see a whole lot but one of the places we could see was a building with a glass front and a man sitting outside. They said the women are shown through the window and the men negotiate price with the man outside. The women aren't aloud to go out. They are always always monitored. They are tricked into coming to this place and selling their bodies, told that a great job is awaiting them. They are trapped. To talk with them we have to buy their time. That's hard for me. I want to spend time with them, but time with them has no price tag to me, it's priceless and I want them to know that. I want them to see that I believe they are worth so much more, because the God who relentlessly desires them told me they are. 
As we were driving around we began to worship. A lot of the houses are recognizable by the x that follows their house number. The image of 10X in big black letters is burned in my mind. During worship the Lord gave me a song of freedom to sing over these women. He longs to break open their imprisoned hearts. He longs for his beautiful daughters to have the freedom to be joyful. He longs for them to have the freedom to dream and hope again.  He longs for them to be free from the torture they are trapped in. 
The next two months in Bali are going to be filled with moments like this. We will be out working in red light districts 5 nights of the week. Please pray for us and the women we will minister to for the next two months! I'm excited for the freedom God has planned for these people!