Hello all my dear friends and family,
Well I had almost an entire blog on my last bush bush outreach typed, but all with a press of a button it was gone never to return. I have been so busy with finishing this school well I just haven't had the time or capacity to re-write it over. So much is going on. So I have decided to just give a quick testimony from bush then bring you all up to date with everything going on.
This last time out in the bush was so great and easy compared to my previous teams I have lead into to bush bush. So many amazing things happened. The chief of the village came for breakfast after the first night. We blessed her, introduced ourselves, prayed and prophesied over her and the village, and gave her an audio Bible in her own language. She wasn't a Christian, but an hour or so later she asked to receive Jesus into her heart. We saw many healings and got to bless a local church with manual labor by moving bricks from a field to where a new church was being built.
One of the craziest things that happened for me though, was the morning we were leaving. Before breakfast we were all gathered around chatting and packing up while waiting for the water for our tea to boil. When all of a sudden we were disturbed by the sound of drums and chanting. We looked up to the area where breakfast was being prepared and a huge crowd had formed around the house. The drums and chanting got even louder. Once we had realized what was happening I had this righteous anger boiling up inside of me faster than the water for tea was boiling. The crowd was formed around these three witch doctors who didn't like the atmosphere we had brought with us and decided to try and counter act it, but it made me so angry that they even thought they had a chance against our God. I exclaimed "what do they think they are doing" out loud. One of my co-leaders, in an attempt to calm me down said, "Rachael, just ignore it and pray," I was not having that. So I marched right up to where the crowd had formed. I had no clue what I was doing, but all I wanted to do was to give them a good stare as if to say with my eyes "what do you think you are doing." The crowd saw me coming and began to disperse and laugh at my attempts to threaten them with my eyes. As the witch doctors began to leave to go to another house I nearly bumped into one as he was turning the corner. I wanted to say so many things in that moment, but all my Portuguese left my thoughts and the only thing I could remember was "Jesus Te ama" (Jesus loves you), so I said it. As I shook his hand I heard God say "do not let them provoke you. Remember who carries more authority." The man gave me a good long confused stare before saying something in Makuah (tribal Langauage) then moving on. I just told the team to continue to release the Kingdom of heaven and enjoy our breakfast with out any fear that they had any kind of power over our camp sight. That moment will stick with me forever.
Graduation is in a few hours and that is a strange feeling. Harvest School 19 is nearly over just 3 more days until myself, my co-leader Natalie, and 8 students head to Thailand for a 21 day outreach! I am so excited, but also sad to be saying goodbye again! This school has sped by with no mercy. It seems like an age ago I was in Holland getting wrecked. As well as, God releasing my fist ever spiritual parents, Jason Lee Jones and His wife Regina, who have now been here in Pemba for the last few weeks pouring into me and the students. I am so amazed by the family and community God has so blessed me with. Who he has been placing into my life to stand behind me and go before me. I am truly a blessed daughter! So thank you all so much as well for the prayers and financial support. It means so much to me in ways I am not sure I can express.
Please keep me in your prayers. I need as much as I can get as the school is finishing and my team and I head into one of the darkest countries in the world. Pray for Wisdom, pray for Peace, pray for guidance and financial breakthrough.
As of right now I have no ticket home for lack of finances, but I trust God and the direction He has given me thus far. Which is that when the outreach is finished I am to head to L.A. To visit my sister, who I have not seen in over a year! Spend 3 weeks to a month with her resting and being with Jesus while she is at work. Then going to Colorado for a couple of days to go to my good friend Katherine's wedding. After that I will head to TN for just a month or so before heading to Brazil to live under some of my favorite people in the world, Herbert and Lorelie, to serve at an Iris Base there for about a month before heading back to staff HS20 ( Harvest School 20) ( I am still praying about this step, but as of right now I am a yes until I am a no). That is the direction I feel like I have received from Jesus for the next 6 months of my life. And I have no idea what it will look like or who will come into the midst of it, but God is in control and I will follow Him until the end. My life, not only my death belongs to the Him.
I hope this update finds you all well. I really would like to know what I can be praying for you all about so respond if you have things you would like me to contend with you about!
May all the Glory and Praise be to Him who is worthy!
Much Love & Many Blessings.
Love always,
Rachael Michelle Singleton
