Power of Creating
One of the great privileges we got to be apart of while in Japan was hosting a Jesus Film night. We went out earlier that day with a guitar and flyers and invited as many people as we could to the evening. As the evening approached a couple came to the house we were hosting the film at and they were curious about the movie we were going to show. They came in and watched with us. As the movie came to a stopping point due to time we got into groups and prayed for one another. When asked what could be prayed for to the lady that had come she answered I want to know Jesus. Our team made sure she understood what she was asking and she said yes I want to make Jesus Lord of my life. After we walked her through entering a relationship with Jesus she said I would like to finish the movie. We told her that it was okay we can finish tomorrow but she insisted saying no I must see the end of this movie. So with that, we watched the beautiful story of the gospel until 11:00 pm! We were so moved by this woman’s hunger that evening. It gave us a fresh perspective on God’s hand that is moving in this nation of Japan. I thought about how many times that film had been watched and in how many different languages. I’m sure that the number is great. And it came from people creating with what was in their hands. Isn’t funny how powerful media can be? A film touched this lady’s heart to make a decision to follow Jesus. When you create something you don’t know how many generations down the line that it will impact. I have seen people come to Lord by looking at a piece of art. What is in your hand? What can you use to create moments where people get a glimpse of who God says He is?
What Is The School Of Prayer?
in 2015 I found myself in an unreached nation writing a song with a friend who was one of the first worship leaders who wrote a worship song in his language. I remember the question “How can we see more prayer and worship rise up in these areas where the gospel has not gone yet?” On top of that I was still wrestling with God about starting a prayer room in the D.R. Congo. Training is the word that came into my head, and from there the idea of the School of Prayer was birthed. Four years later of praying, planning, and waiting and the opportunity came for us to re-launch an older YWAM School that focused on prayer. I took hold of the chance and now we are preparing to finish up our 11 weeks of lectures and head to Japan to join in with the body of Christ and see prayer and worship stirred up. Our schedule will look like a lot of praying, worshipping, and evangelizing in this nation where there is only 1.54% Christians (Operation World) All leading up to us running a seminar for starting prayer rooms. If you would like to know more about the School of Prayer, feel free to comment below.
Jesus Heals a Girl on Her Deathbed
Rozie and I have made friends with the people who live and work around us over the past year of being married. One evening this week, one of those friends messaged Rozie asking if we could come pray for her niece that was on her death bed at the hospital. She said she couldn’t find any other pastor to come and she didn’t know what to do. So, we went to the hospital that evening and prayed for this girl who was hooked up to machines and fighting for her life. After we prayed, her parents told us that she hadn’t been that calm in awhile, and she was smiling for the first time in days! We left believing for God to fully heal this little girl.
Later in the night we got a message that things took a turn for the worse and the parents were telling us to keep praying (They were making the notion that this would be the little girls final hours.) Rozie and I rallied our School of Prayer to contend for her healing and later that evening we went back to the hospital and brought my guitar to do some worship with the family. As we got there the mom showed us a piece of paper with tears of joy saying that last night the doctor wrote a note saying that this girl will not make it through the night, they cut off all the machines except the oxygen. As he came in the next morning the little girl was still alive and in fact stronger than she was the night before. The doctor was stunned and could not explain how this was possible. We sang and worshipped and prayed for complete healing that evening. and the little girl got stronger and is now out of the bed and is as joyful as ever! We are rejoicing that she is getting stronger each day. We have made more friends now who are excited to come with us to church when their daughter gets out of the hospital!
How Do You Put Faith Into Action?
An update written by Rozie!
Recently God has been teaching me about faith. My husband and I have seen an amazing amount of God’s kindness and faithfulness to us over the last couple of months of marriage and it just keeps getting better. It has not been the easiest season but we have truly witnessed the goodness of God within our finances, ministry and in our simple day to day routine. As much as we have had to trust Jesus on a whole new level, we can testify for hours about how He has taken care of us and given us outrageous testimonies. I have realized that faith is not just a foundational factor of my Christendom but it requires day to day practice in my walk with Jesus. It requires stepping out and doing bold things.
This week we had the opportunity to minister at a high school in a town called Paarl, just outside of Cape Town. Our contact escorted us into a gymnasium where about 200 students were waiting to encounter Jesus. I instantly felt like I needed to extend an invite to the students for prayer who felt like they needed encouragement. As our team started ministering, 4 girls came for prayer with me, all saying they heard me speak and felt something in them shift and they wanted to give their hearts to Jesus, we prayed and confessed together and with tears in their eyes they were reconciled with the Father.
Another girl came for prayer with scars on her arms, she told me she has been diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety and had tried to commit suicide two weeks prior to that. My heart instantly broke for her, she must have only been 16 and had already been to rehab countless times. I felt like I just needed to love her and encourage her, she left with a smile and tears streaming down her face saying she felt seen and known again.
Faith does not work unless there is an action, our faith and action can move people towards the Father just because we chose to obey Jesus and say yes. What have you done this week to put your faith into action?
What Is Our Reward? And How Do We Get it?
Then I asked him if he knew of Jesus and “the story”. He looked at me for a minute and told me he had heard of him but never heard the story…
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary’s chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
What was it that made Mary just sit at the feet of Jesus and be with him? I have often thought that if I just ask God hard enough and He answers my prayer that all will be well, but what if I am missing the point of it all?
We recently drove 9 hours to go see Rozie’s parents for her dads 60th birthday. On the way there we stopped at a shell gas station for some food. As I got out of the car I noticed the security guard sitting there and I felt a desire to ask him if he wanted prayer for anything. I asked him if he knew of Jesus and “the story”. He looked at me for a minute and told me he had heard of him but never heard the story (What a privilege.) I told him that God wants to be his friend and that He wants to be involved in his whole life. I told him that God wanted to dream with him. I told him that if he said it with his mouth and believed it in his heart that Jesus died and rose again that he would be saved. He said that he wanted this relationship with God!
What can I say to someone who is experiencing suffering or what can I give to someone who is an aftermath of oppression? In all the complexities of it I believe one of the most powerful things is letting people know we can be friends with God. Did Mary see Him as a friend? I am living in this tension of the Kingdom of Heaven both here now and not yet fully. The now being that we can know God personally, the not yet that the injustices of the world. We have a connection with Jesus and beyond seeing that fulfillment of what you are believing for He is the great reward- thats not to say there isn’t an amazing feeling in seeing the fulfillment of things, I still press for them. But what a profound thought that Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise we see in the Bible. So if you are believing for God to breakthrough in your situation don’t give up but keep pressing in knowing that Jesus is your reward!
Getting From A to B
Guess what!
We just bought a car to get us to and from ministry!
We live about 19km (11 miles) from the YWAM base and it takes us an average of 22 minutes to travel one way to get there everyday!
This was the cheapest, most reliable car we could find to transport us and make us more effective and available for ministry. We could not have done this without the many gifts that were given on this last trip and we are very grateful for that!
Because of this big spend, we are left in need of monthly partnership. We have raised $315 (R4510) so far in monthly income, which is 13% of being fully funded! Praise Jesus!
Please take a look at our current basic expenses below, they are as follows (More info on our Give Page):
Rent + Utilities: $753 (R10,913)
Food : $300 (R4348)
Petrol : $150 (R2149)
Health insurance: $200 (R2899)
We humbly ask you to pray and ask God if you should partner with us this month or for the months to follow. We are grateful for all your prayers going forward and we are greatly impacted by this global community!
A fast way you can financially partner with us is through the link below:
Thank you so much for taking time to read this.
How Prayer Changed a Lady's Life
A photo from a worship time on the beach take by my friend Wesley Eland
When I led an outreach team to South Africa for the first time in 2016 I remember praying a lot as a team for people to get dreams and visions of Jesus in South Africa. When lecture phase was done and we had arrived in South Africa our first day of ministry was spent walking door to door just having conversations with people, sharing the good news of Jesus, hearing their stories, and praying with them. The first house we went to, a lady called over from the other side of the dusty road. As we approached her, she began telling us how we had to come inside because she had a dream the night before about us coming over and telling her about Jesus. We were in disbelief that our prayers actually worked. We shared the gospel with her that Jesus came and died for all of our sins and if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that He is Lord we will be saved. And she received Jesus as her Lord that day. I think about that day a lot and how much more significant my seemingly weak prayers are to God. I wonder what nation could you impact today with a simple conversation with God?
How Rozie's Uber Trip Turned Into An Opportunity
Have you ever taken a taxi or an Uber? In Cape Town one of the ways we get around is by Ubering. A lot of the times we don’t make too much conversation outside of the weather but One day Rozie took an Uber to a friends house and upon getting into the Uber the driver was listening to a Christian radio station. So, she asked him if he was a Christian and he said he wasn’t sure about it, and she asked him why he wasn’t sure about that. He said he had grown up Christian but had gone off the path and recently things had been hard in his life. So now, he was wanting to know more about God. Rozie offered to pray for him at which he said please. She prayed for him and he asked her what she did for a living, was she a preacher or what? Rozie told him she was a missionary. She began to tell him about YWAM’s Discipleship Training School which he was very interested in but needed something that he could do while working. So then Rozie told him about the the training school at Antioch Community Church (our local church we are apart of.) He was very interested, so she left her details with him and said goodbye. A couple of days later he messaged her and said he would like to come to church. Which he came with his girlfriend and child that Sunday! Now they are plugged in and are going to do the school next year! My take away from this awesome story is who is the person that’s in front of me that I can love today?
Married Life
Rozie and I got married on September 8th in a forest in Cape Town, South Africa. It was such a glory filled day experiencing God’s goodness in each of our lives. We are so thankful for our family, friends near and far, and church that rallied around us and celebrated the day! Since then we have been settling into our new flat and learning the joys of being married.
3 exciting things that are happening!
Rozie is finishing up her last course at the University of Cape Town and will come join me in YWAM in January 2019. I am finishing up my first year of my Masters degree (pray for me!) As well as continuing with leading the prayer room. The momentum at the YWAM base in Muizenberg continues to increase as we are seeing the largest number of students we have ever had here! There are four of us that are running with this thing expecting to see a move of God in our area. The first piece of exciting news is that July 2019 we are running a 3 month school of prayer with the intent to start up and stir up cultures of prayer and worship in unreached nations.
Rozie and I feel strongly from the Lord that we are to continue in missions as a married couple and with that we are going to start fundraising for monthly support. We will be starting the monthly updates again on the 15th of each month. If you are interested in hearing more about what we are doing for the next year please contact us, we’d love to share!
And finally… WE ARE PLANNING TO COME TO TEXAS AND KONA TO HAVE A WEDDING RECEPTION WITH ALL OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS. We are so excited to see everyone! If you feel led to help us get there please just go to the partner tab on the website.
"We Will Make Memories"
Have you ever thought about how many people you've met in your life? And how some of those people have helped shape and influence who you are today? Who is the one that impacted you the most?
Over the past four years I have had the privelage of meeting exceptionally extraordinary people. People who have defied the stereotypes and statistics of their circumstances. However, there is a friend that has made more of an impact on my life than any other. This friend is my Father.
Growing up I remember always doing things with my Dad. From waking up at 6:30 to go golfing, to going to football games, pulling weeds, and mowing yards in the Texas heat. It's not that I got some profound revelation from these seemingly simple moments but every time I look back I hear my Dad telling me that "We will make memories"- and that we have.
Here I am now a twenty two year old full time missionary living somewhere I never thought I would and finding myself in situations that I know I would not normally be. From war zones, to mansions, to shacks, to universities I hear one phrase every time. "We will make memories"
Wherever you are in life I am confident that our Heavenly Father is telling you the same thing, "We will make memories." My Question to you is will you say yes to those little invitations from the Holy Spirit? At your work place, in line at the bank, in your relationships. The Father beckons and the reward is life and hope!
When Living in the Mundane Isn't Enough
Have you ever wondered if your life is bringing impact? There is a movie called “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” In the movie Walter is working in the background for LIFE magazine, only dreaming of big adventures and risks until he is beckoned by one of the photographers to come and find his last photo for LIFE. This catapults Walter into traveling the world through mountains and oceans to find this picture.
I’m not sure if you relate to the first half of that story but I definitely do. On paper being a missionary in a foreign country seems edgy and thrilling but day to day is mundane until God beckons us to adventure, just like He with my friend and I one day.
While my friends from Kona, HI were here we heard of a ministry opportunity outside of our everyday schedule in a place called Mannenberg. Mannerberg is in the middle of a gang war and it was a dangerous place but my friends and I really felt the Lord say to join the ministry going right into the heart of the war zone. As we were on the bus heading to Mannenberg there was an unusual tension of anxiousness and peace. As we walked off the bus all shooting had ceased it was sunny, hot, and quiet as kids slowly came out into the war zone to see who were the foreigners. Avi and I were looking around until we both saw two guys off in the distance meddling with an engine. I told Avi “Let’s go talk to those guys.” We went and sat in the dirt with them as they took copper out an engine to sell for drugs that they were desperately trying to get. They told us their stories as Avi and I listened meanwhile hearing kids singing worship songs with our other friends in the background. Avi and I got excited when They both clearly said: “I want to follow Jesus but I love drugs too much.” Expectant for God to move we told them that Jesus can give them a better high and we prayed for them. Avi shared some more stories and then the two guys began to tell us how no one from the ministry has ever come up to them before and it really impacted them. Avi and I walked away going to visit both gangs sides praying for them feeling a sense of adventure that just started with a beckoning from God to go talk to two guys.
As of last week, the gangs have called a cease-fire. I believe that every prayer and act of obedience from everyone played a part in that happening. I say that story to show that wherever you are God is beckoning you to adventure. Do you have any stories of hearing God’s voice? I’d love to hear it just comment below or click the contact page.
Glory, Glory, Glory
First Intercession set of the quarter on base!
What to say this past month has been full of richness in friendships and ministry, and as usual the steady pull to sit at the table with Jesus,
The Kona outreach team arrived a few weeks ago and we have already seen a few salvations and physical healings!
We have run 2 Ministry Nights and Friday morning devotional set.
I started my Masters in Divinity online this past week! Doing missions while studying online these past three years have been amazing I look forward to the next two years!
We have run 3 Intercession sets praying for the current schools running, gangs, and unreached people groups in the 10/40 window.
Thank you everyone who has sown into my life! I pray a hundred fold blessing on y'all!
Prayer Request:
- For wisdom (In life, relationships, etc)
- For safety
- A car to get to and from ministry!
God Continues to Amaze!
A testimony from the prayer burn mentioned in my previous post: During it one girl told me that it was the coolest thing she had ever been to, another guy came into the prayer room fell on his knees and said he saw angels everywhere! I felt like God was tangibly in the room with me! At the end of the 24 hours I reflected with the Father and was so satisfied with the fact that I will never regret those 24 hours when I get to Heaven. Believe that God will answer theses prayers for a massive awakening in South Africa! Other news is...
The Sounds of the Nations DTS has come back from their outreaches in Madagascar, Reunion, and Mauritius we graduated 18 students! (picture above)
Monday is the beginning of the September Quarter for the base. Over 100 PEOPLE are coming from around the world to know God and make Him known!
The 24 hour prayer burn for the drought to end and revival to come was a success; 42 people filled 24-1 hour slots from 7pm to 7pm!
The outreach team from Kona arrives tomorrow night!
We are revamping the corporate intercession sets for the base! The heart is to train up missionaries in prayer & intercession unto being sent out to preach the gospel. The first one is on Tuesday!
Ministry Nights are officially launching to all of the schools this quarter!
We are launching weekly devotionally worship with word sets!
Thank you all who partner with me financially and are sending prayers up on my behalf I am so grateful! If you'd like to connect shoot me a message. Some prayer requests that I have are,
- For the drought to end in South Africa
- For a spiritual awakening to come to this nation
- For a car to get around Cape Town and be more effective in ministry
A Great Start!
Rozie & I hanging out at the House of Prayer just outside of Cape Town
Yesterday evening I was walking down to the store and I saw two of my friends walking back from the beach soaking wet (it's freezing here currently). They were so excited because they had just got baptized. I'm finding salvations, baptisms, and more hunger for Jesus becoming a natural thing out here! Other things happening are...
We have done 3 Ministry Nights with the base!
We are doing a base wide 24 hour prayer burn this weekend praying for the drought in South Africa to end as a sign of the spiritual outpouring that is about to happen in this nation.
Started planning my 2nd trip to D.R. Congo (April 2018).
Preparing to co-host my first team of 10 people from the YWAM Kona base; they come in September!
Rozie and I found a House of Prayer in a city an hour away from Cape Town! Such a divine appointment with fellow believers! We are going back to serve them for a couple weeks in November.
Thank you again for all of you that have supported me if you would like to give financially towards this vision of seeing the sound of heaven released through prayer & missions click the partner page on this website!
I Got the Visa!
A video from my last update in case you didn't see it!
Since my last update,
I got to see my best friend Ike get married in Denver, Colorado
Miraculously got a 3 year multiple entry visa to South Africa
Saw my family in Kona & watched my brother Eli fly out to Papua New Guinea with his team from YWAM to Preach the gospel
I got to lead the first Ministry Night of the quarter in Kona for about 100 people and 20 of them came to the front and recommitted their lives to Jesus!
I fly back to South Africa this Monday July 17th to continue trying to see the Sound of Heaven released through prayer & missions!
Thank you to all who have supported me in prayers and finances to see the sound of Heaven released through prayer and missions! If you'd like to join the journey just click the black banner at the top of the page!
Story 5: How it all came about (Final Story)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
I flew to Kathmandu, Nepal by myself believing that it was strategic in establishing a prayer room in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I remember when I landed, hopping on the back of a motor bike at 12 am with my bag and guitar. My purpose of being there was to help establish and strengthen a prayer room that was starting up. While I was there I had heard about a prayer room that had been going for a number of years already, so, being curious, I went to this house. When I walked into the prayer room, to my disbelief I saw a Congolese refugee! We went and ate and we shared stories this was a confirming moment for me that what I had heard God say three years previous was true. While in Nepal I got in touch with a friend who was on staff with YWAM in South Africa and I asked her about this Sound of the Nations ministry and what I was wanting to do in the DRC. She then tells me that she has friends in the D.R.C. I got in contact with them and I find out that they have been wanting to start a prayer room for ten years!
So after taking a trip to the D.R.C. in 2016 and moving to South Africa, joining YWAM Muizenberg and all that God is doing here I am more filled with hope than ever before to see a genuine prayer movement stir up all over the world. I want to end these stories by asking for your help to see these houses of prayer established. Click on the banner at the top of my website to see how you can join the journey!
Story 4: How God connected the dots
The recording studio in Kyrgyzstan
After the “trek” through the abandoned building I came up to this door that seemed to be the nicest thing in the building. My Kyrgyz friend knocked and a minute went by until another Kyrgyz guy who looked like he hadn’t slept in a week opened up with a warm smile and greeted us. To my surprise the room was a fully furnished professional studio with all kinds of instruments including local Kyrgyz instruments! Later I found out that the friend I wrote and recorded with was one of the main worship leaders in the whole country! We recorded and finished the song in a week! BAM Sounds of the Nations in action and God set the whole thing up. Now the song is all shared all over Kyrgyzstan. While in Kyrgyzstan a friend messaged me about a ministry in South Africa called “Sound of the Nations” when I saw the ministry I felt God say South Africa was going to be the next place I would move so in faith I started preparing. Whilst preparing an opportunity arose in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. Only God can be the explanation of the story from this trip. Read my next and last email to see how everything connected together!
Story 3: You Won't Believe What I Found
Look out for the Part IV of this journey coming May 24th!
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
There I am sitting in snowy Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan wondering how in the world this was connected with prayer and missions in the DR Congo. When all of sudden our local friend and me sat down and wrote a song in Kyrgyz and English. When we finished he asked me if I wanted to record it for around $50 USD at a real studio. I laughed at first thinking where are we going to find a studio in this country. We proceeded to go to this abandoned looking building. When we walked in I was positive it was an abandoned building. At this point I was questioning if studio meant something completely different in Kyrgyzstan. He led me down a dark wet hall, around a corner, down a flight of stairs, around old construction equipment. The rest of the story is something only God could come up with!
Look out for Part IV of this journey coming May 24th!
Story 2: The Method // Prayer & Missions
Sound of Heaven Part II!
The mountains of Kyrgyzstan
As my team and I were sitting on a corner by the Sea of Galilee worshipping and praying for people these three ladies walked up and one of them was frozen weeping in front of us. One of my teammates approached them and they eagerly asked, “What are you singing about?” my friend told her Jesus and they began to explain how their crying friend didn’t speak English but she saw a huge angel above us! That is the moment I told God that I want to give my life to seeing the sound of heaven released. The next day an idea came into my head called Sounds of the Nations. Worship songs being written, sung, and recorded in each nations language and style of music provoking people from all over the world to GO! From there God spoke about the method of doing this by prayer and missions and the first location being the DR Congo which took me to an interesting situation in the middle of the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.
Story 1: How I felt God told me to release the Sound of Heaven
Subscribe to read Part II coming May 18!
Western Wall in Jerusalem
When I felt God tell me to release the sound of heaven I had no idea it would take me to this place! It all started in September of 2013 I was sitting on the streets of Israel playing my guitar by the Sea of Galilee. It was Saturday evening, the transition from Shabbat so the the market on the Sea of Galilee was mixed with Arabs and Jews alike. I sat there on the street corner and I remember the exact song I was playing. Abba I belong to you by Jonathan David Helser and a new song that had come into my head that evening. The chorus went like this “What is the sound that heaven is singing out” “They’re singing sons come home and daughters awake let me tell you about this Jesus He’s no longer in the grave.” What happened next had never happened to me before in my life!