Expressing God's Heart in Politics

Imagine a world without fear and lack.  Where governments make decisions based on love and abundance rather than fear and lack of resources.  Where people in communities embrace that they are their brother's keeper and they don't have to fear that there will not be enough to go around.  Imagine a world where perceptions do not dictate government actions, but wisdom and compassion guide their every decision.  What if all relationships, between individuals, communities, states, and governments, were defined by compassion, honor, and believing the best in one another?   Recklessly idealistic, I know, but I truly believe this is God's heart for humanity.
The dream that has been on my heart lately is to create a blog that expresses God's heart in politics and to explore the possibility of the world described above.  Christians have a pretty bad reputation of being dishonoring when it comes to addressing alternative political views.  I would like to create a space where people can come to learn and discuss political issues from a perspective that honors God and one another.  I want a place where those who have encountered the lavish love of God can explore how to engage with a world that has not fully realized that the Kingdom of Heaven is in its midst. 

Ultimately I will begin with the following premises:

About God:

1. God is all-powerful, lacks nothing, and is for the good of all mankind.
2. God loves every person on the planet infinitely and unconditionally, and is in a good mood.
3. Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God's love for humanity.  His death and resurrection declares all of mankind "not guilty"; it is now the choice of each person whether they want to be in relationship with God or not for all of eternity.
4. God is in the business of convincing the world that He loves them; not coercively, but romantically.  It is this love that is the heartbeat of the Kingdom of Heaven.

About Christians:

1. The "job" of those who believe in and accept His love is to enjoy, demonstrate, and share that love with those who don't know about it yet.

About Government:

1. The United States of America and ultimately the World is a pluralistic society with persons of many opinions, beliefs, and moral codes.
2. The intended purpose of the US government is:

   “The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.”
   - Thomas Jefferson

For the purposes of the site, the premises are not to be argued with. They are the starting point for the rest of the conversation. There are many other websites that discuss the legitimacy of these premises, but this site is something different.  I hope to present issues in such a way that it communicates what I am for rather than what I am against.  I'm hoping people will post comments and feedback, however, they will be filtered to keep the conversation constructive and focused.  I look forward to seeing people respond to one another in such a way that engages the heart and mind. 

In some ways I feel completely inadequate in facilitating this sort of discussion, but God keeps reminding me that what I bring to the conversation is His heart.  He has told me that I will learn a lot.  I don't have all of the answers, but He does.  As we engage with the issues facing this world that are in contrast to His Kingdom (His love), He will provide us with the wisdom in how to move forward.

I'm excited to see where this goes.  It is just the beginning of a new journey and I have no idea where it will take me.  Check out the site at: http://HeavenAndPolitics.blogspot.com.

Thanks for reading.

Janet

Create a Network of Justice Workers

Number five on my dream list is to create a network of justice workers.

People that know me today would be surprised to know that it wasn't until I was 23 that I really cared about what was going on in the world. It all began in my Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). When deciding on what focus to take, I was torn between the Impact Pacific DTS or the Compassion DTS. The Impact Pacific School would be sending teams to the many small tropical islands in the Pacific, like Fiji and Samoa; nothing like ministering to people on the beach in the middle of the tropics. The Compassion DTS was a school focused on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and would be sending teams to Africa. My decision to choose the Compassion DTS was completely based on what I felt the Lord leading rather than on a desire in my heart to exercise compassion. I remember through the school asking God to show me what compassion was and to fill my heart with it. It was so foreign to me at the time. I would see other students react to injustice with grief or anger, but I was somewhat numb to it. I was so disconnected at that time from the realities of injustice around the world.

One day, one of our school leaders showed us a video documenting an American woman's story of how she ended up homeless and eventually had to give her daughter away to a family that had the financial means to take care of her. When the film ended I sat stuck in my chair with the relentless feeling that something like this should not happen. I never really witnessed an injustice that could have totally been prevented. It was as though the Lord showed it to me and asked me, "So what are you going to do about it?" I didn't really know the answer. I waited for the right opportunity and approached my school leader and asked him. His response was that now that I was aware of the injustice I needed to ask the Lord what my responsibility is to respond. I walked down the stairs that night pondering what was happening in my heart and how I should respond.

My eyes had been opened to injustice in the world and I began discussing with the Lord the emotions that were filling my heart as I was exposed more and more to the brokenness that filled so many lives. I kept asking Him to fill my heart with compassion, to soften my heart so that I could see people the way that He sees people. Over the course of two months, my heart was set aflame and I knew that I could not rest until I saw justice fill the earth.

After my time in Rwanda, I had made the decision to staff a Justice focused DTS. The Lord resoundingly kept saying "Justice, Justice, Justice" like a gong ringing in my spirit and I knew I needed to move forward so that I might respond to His calling. Throughout the Justice DTS I was exposed to more and more justice issues around the world; human trafficking, blood diamonds, war, homelessness, child abuse, and infanticide to name a few.

Much of our response to injustice often involves punishment of perpetrators. I would say, more often than not, punishment is what comes to mind when people think of executing justice. By the end of the lecture phase of this school, however, the Lord had completely redefined my definition of justice. He showed me that His justice is all about restoring relationships. When someone does something to violate another person, it is the Lord's heart that both the victim and the perpetrator be restored and reconciled. This is ultimately why Jesus came and died on the cross; He took the punishment of our sins so that we could be restored and reconciled in our relationship with Him and with others. That is the ultimate goal of God's justice, and with this revelation I was sent out to lead a team of students to Belfast, Northern Ireland and Jos, Nigeria. Talk about huge opportunities to apply what the Lord was teaching me.

A few months after the Justice DTS finished, I had the opportunity to go to South Africa for a leadership training course. During my time there, Xenophobia riots broke out and I was able to help at a refugee camp for foreign Africans that were being violently run out of the townships they were living in because people were jealous and looking for a scapegoat for their poverty. My time in South Africa was also a time in which I began my masters in international relations. I knew I wanted to get involved in changing foreign policy so restorative justice would become a goal of U.S. international engagement.

One of the instructors for the leadership training course led us through an exercise that helped us explore our "destiny by design", by examining our dreams, past experiences, interests, personalities, gifts, passions, and network of people that the Lord had orchestrated in our lives. By the end of the course, I realized I have a passion to see people's dreams come true and to network individuals in such a way that those dreams can be fulfilled.

Fast forward 2 years to January 2010. When I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, it was as though the Lord had dropped a bomb on my heart to intercede(pray) for the people in this country. I remember walking around my house telling my roommates that we should all just drop everything and go. After a night or two of staying up all night, I found myself on the third night praying that God would have mercy on Haiti, over and over. I stopped for a moment to listen to the Lord and He said to me, "How much is one life worth?" As I pondered this question, thoughts of how there are so many of us who want to go to Haiti to help, but don’t have the money or the time. It struck me when God asked the question again, that even just one life would be worth going down to Haiti for a week where I would have to take the next year to pay it off on my credit card. One life would be worth not showering for a week. One life would be worth missing school for a week. One life would be worth missing a little sleep. One life would be worth taking the criticism of people saying this was crazy. One life would still be worth it. So I asked the Lord if I could go, and He said, "Go." The next day I had purchased my ticket and the following day I was on a plane to the Dominican Republic. I spent ten days in Haiti and I haven't been the same since.

In my times of intercession for Haiti, the Lord also planted another seed; it was to create a network of justice workers entitled One Life Worth. It is an exhaustive network focused on building relationships to see justice fill the earth in every sphere, every nation, and every community. My heart for justice and my desire to network people so their dreams come true, had collided. I know that one day the One Life Worth Justice Network will be a reality and the Lord's heart for restorative justice will fill the earth as people with His heart work together to see this world transformed.

So far, I have begun this journey by creating a website and a Facebook group to begin connecting others. The vision for this organization is grand and it can only be fulfilled with the Lord's help and provision. I'm excited to see where the Lord takes it and the impact it will have in bringing Heaven to Earth.

You can check out the website HERE. Thanks for taking the time to read!

In Christ,
Janet

Learn Arabic Fluently & Go to the Middle East

The next two dreams on my list are to learn Arabic fluently and go to the Middle East.

Ever since high school I have had a fascination with the Arab world. I'll give a shout out to my good friend Manal for being a part of this dream being planted in my heart. She is from Lebanon and in her home she spoke Arabic growing up. Whenever I went over to her house, I loved hearing them speak and also observe the unique cultural differences they had from mine. The hookah was always out, goat skins were on the floor, Arab soap operas were on TV, generosity and hospitality were their profession, and her mom often taught little kids Arabic in the garage. I always enjoyed spending time with her family.

When I started getting involved with restorative justice, community development, and reconciliation work, I quickly became attentive to how these skills could be useful in the Middle East. I have never been to the Middle East, but I know with certainty that I will spend extended periods of time throughout the Arab world and Middle East. News articles about Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Morocco and many more consistently catch my attention. I've had many friends who have spent short periods of time throughout the Middle East and I am always fascinated by the beautiful images and stories they bring home with them. It is nothing like the news portrays. I also have a grace and hope in my heart to see peace and reconciliation touch the hearts, communities, and nations in the Middle East. I know that the Lord is absolutely in love with every man, woman, and child that lives in this area of the world and I feel He has placed a piece of His heart into mine for these people, their culture, and their language.

That said, I also found in my travels that people are honored when you, as a visitor, come and can speak their language. As I finish my Masters degree in International Relations with a focus on Conflict resolution, I have begun studying Arabic so as to honor the very people I hope to be working with one day to find peace and hope in every area of their society. I can already tell that I have quite the challenge ahead of me, but the more you invest in something, the more valuable it becomes when you receive it. I can't wait for the days that I find myself traveling and working throughout the Middle East speaking their language and sharing life with those that Jesus loves so dearly.

Hope Always,
Janet

Zip-Line Through The Redwoods

In no particular order, I will begin with the first dream on my list:

Zip-lining through the Redwoods.

About a year ago, I was at church during a worship time and the Lord began speaking to me through a vision. He and I were in an orchard/forest walking around and exploring the various kinds of trees that were planted there. He was telling me that each tree represented the dreams He had for me in my life. There were trees with all kinds of different fruit and flowers, and a variety of scents filled the air. It was exciting to explore all that the Lord had in store for me. He seemed particularly excited to show me a specific tree and grabbed my hand and we began running through the forest. After a short time, we came to the base of an enormous Redwood tree.

The diameter of the tree's base had to be at least 15 feet and it was so tall that I could not see the top of it. The Lord said to me with a huge smile, "Let's climb it," and a rush of anticipation and excitement filled my being. He started to climb and quickly I was right behind him working our way up the tree with nearly no effort at all. At different points the Lord and I raced to the next branch and laughed away like little children as we climbed higher and higher up this giant Redwood tree.

I almost forgot that we were in a forest of my dreams as the whole experience of climbing up this tree with the Lord captivated my heart. Here was the Lord, the Perfect Father, my Best Friend, the Love of my life, joyously sharing this experience with me that would further define the infinite affection we have towards one another. If this was all we had done, I would be satisfied, but He had more to show me.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. -Ephesians 3:20 MSG

Near the canopy, the branches began to thin out and the Lord brought us to a place where we could sit comfortably and look out over the view. It was magnificent. It felt like we were miles high and yet there was no end to the forest. There were other tall trees of various heights, but none like the one we were on, and there were a number of trees of all different colors, like how the trees change color in the fall. As we gazed over this forest, my forest of dreams, I was in awe of the mystery of His great love for me that He would create such a place as beautiful as this with me in mind. He truly is good and great.

After what seemed like hours confined to only moments, the Lord said He had one more thing to show me. I turned around and noticed we had been sitting on a platform. On the other side of the tree a cable was firmly attached that strung across the forest, all the way down to the forest floor, I could barely see the end of it. The Lord said, "I have this in store for you too." I knew exactly what to do. I strapped myself in and attached myself to the cable, and the Lord did the same. On the count of three we stepped off the platform, and what felt like flying, we took off over the canopy of trees with my heart full and hope renewed. I knew at that moment someday the Lord would work out an opportunity for this to happen in the physical world along with the fulfillment of all of the other dreams He has planted in that forest. This is where my dream to zip-line through the Redwoods was rooted in my heart.

Not long after this vision did I discover that there is a zip-line course in the Redwoods in Santa Cruiz, CA. I have yet to find the time, funds, and people to go with to see this dream become a reality, but I know in it's right time it will be fulfilled.

Thanks for reading,
Janet

A New Year

Considering it has been almost a year since my last post, I thought it might be a great idea to start blogging again. Yes, just like adding a workout routine to my new years resolution list, blogging is yet another I hope to follow through on.

A year ago I was blogging about my time in Haiti in response to the earthquake, this year I am going to start on a little lighter note. I've decided to start compiling a dream list. Up to this point, I have forty dreams on this list and I wanted to share them with whoever decides to read this blog. My hope in sharing these dreams is to open up a little about who I am and what I love, explore how these dreams took root in my heart, give myself an opportunity to discover how I might see these dreams fulfilled, provide an opportunity for others to help me see these dreams fulfilled, and also give others permission to dream. You're never too young, old, washed up, or messed up to stop dreaming. A quote by Dutch Sheets characterizes the heart of why I'm writing this next series of blogs, "Hope is hearing the melody of the future and faith is dancing to it."

Here's to me dancing to the melody of my dreams fulfilled!

Janet

Out of the depths of His heart, my dreams arise...
Created by Janet, 2011

Campus Awakening - Healings, Signs, & Wonders

Hello from Redding, CA! I am here attending the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Things are really taking off this year and literally almost every day is filled with stories and testimonies of the miracles that God is doing in the hearts and bodies of His people. Just recently I heard this incredible testimony of a woman healed of a brain tumor! She was given one month to live when she decided to come to Bethel's Healing Room on Saturday morning. As worship music was playing she was looking at a painting one of our students painted that said HOPE on it. In an instant she heard a pop and a dark liquid began flowing out of her ear. She went to the doctor the following week and the doctor said she was cancer free; the tumor was completely gone! God completely healed her!

Recently I was on a ministry trip with our Campus Awakening ministry and we were in teams at UC Berkley looking for people God wanted to specifically touch with His love through a word of encouragement and/or with healing. One of the teams came across a homeless man who was limping with incredible pain. They asked him what was wrong and he said that he had a tumor in his foot and the doctors said that the only way to treat the tumor was to amputate his foot. The man didn't want that to happen so he had been living with intense pain for a while. The team asked him if they could pray for his foot because they know that God loves this man and doesn't want to see him living with pain. They put their hands on his foot and prayed, when they removed their hand, they watched as the tumor shrank right before their eyes and the man said that all of the pain completely disappeared! Not only that, the man was so touched by God that he wanted to know who this God was that loved him so much, and the team was able to lead the man to Jesus! Praise God!

It is such a privilege to be part of what God is doing in the Earth!

Our heart and passion at Bethel International is to raise up a generation of world changers that will be known simply for their reckless abandonment to see that Jesus is Lord in all the nations. As we are building relationships with various regions around the world one of the main goals that we have is to make the nations look like geniuses. Our strategy is go to and raise up influencers in their own nations so they begin to run with the inheritance that God has given them to transform their nation. All of our Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry trips are partnered with Bethel International's vision for transforming nations.

Campus Awakening is the university arm of Jesus Culture, Bethel's national youth and young adults ministry. The primary vision of Campus Awakening is to see revival come to college campuses across the United States and to see every university student have a relationship with Jesus and live a transformed Kingdom lifestyle. Campus Awakening also has a greater vision to see campuses transformed and Kingdom-minded students sent into the seven mind molders of society to see Heaven come to Earth.

During March 5-16, we will fly to at least three US cities (Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco and maybe more!) to ignite revival fires on university campuses across the nation. This missions trip will include two Campus Awakening conferences where we will help to train and equip university students and campus ministry leaders in supernatural evangelism, campus transformation and contending prayer. We will minister in churches, on college campuses and at Bethel Atlanta. Help us to ignite revival fires on campuses and transform this nation!

Financial Gifts
Partner with me in traveling with Campus Awakening
In order to go on this trip, I need $1,450. Would you like to join with me in seeing Heaven touch Earth? Financial gifts may be made online at ibssm.org. This gift is tax-deductible and you will receive a statement at the end of the year for your tax records. If you wish your gift to be anonymous, please check the anonymous box. This will allow you to receive an end of year statement, but will not allow me to see your name. This gift is non-refundable, and if for any reason a team member or team does not go, the money will support another mission trip sponsored by Bethel Church. (If online payment is not an option, donations can be mailed to Bethel Church Attn: Bethel International 933 College View Dr. Redding, CA 96003.)

Thank you so much for being a part of my life! I’ve included a prayer card with some ideas of how you can pray for my team and I. I would also love to get an update about what is going on in your life and how I can pray for you. When I return from ­­­­­my trip on March 16^th, I look forward to telling you all the amazing things that you helped make happen!

Even though miles separate us, it’s really important to me to keep in touch with you! Feel free to send me an email at coachmold@gmail.com if you have a prayer request, great praise God story, or just to say “hi”. Let’s keep taking new ground in this journey of faith!

I pray that the life changing power of Jesus invades your life and sends encouragement your way today. I’ll keep you updated on what God is doing in my life and would love to hear what’s going on in yours as well.

God Bless!
Janet Mulvey

God's Amazing Love

The last 11 weeks have been so amazing. I have learned so much about God and about myself. My eyes have been opened up to the world and the great need people have to know and experience God's love for them. In the last few weeks we have had teaching on our identity in Christ; identifying our gifts, talents, and dreams that we have been given from God; unity and reconciliation in relationships; missions; and this week we have our last teaching on compassion.

I have learned so much about what God has done for me by sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. God loves me so much and offers an amazing plan for my life but because I have sinned I was separated from God and therefore, I could not know and experience God's love and plan for my life. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for my sin and that through Jesus I can know and experience God's love and plan for my life. When I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior and Lord an amazing thing happened. My standing before God changed. The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death. When Jesus came to die on the cross for my sins, He took the punishment for what I deserved. When I put my faith in Jesus, His death became my death. What also happened though is that His resurrection became my resurrection! I am a new creation! Everything that is true of Jesus is also true of me; everything. This means that God's feelings and thoughts towards Jesus: adored, accepted, righteous, powerful, royalty, and authority; all of those things are also true of me. The following I wrote in my journal a few weeks ago when I realized what all of this meant:

"God loves me so much. It is because of who I am, not because of what I do. I am holy and created in the image of God. I am loving, peaceful, joyful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, loyal, caring, compassionate, just, righteous, personal, relational, powerful, filled with and speak truth, comforting, encouraging, serving, edifying, have self-control, passionate, take initiative, zealous, fun, exciting, obedient, Spirit filled, and pleasing to God. I am His bride, His Beautiful, His Precious and Treasure. I am a gift to this world, and am humble. I am washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus and in the Spirit of God. The power of God is in me because the Holy Spirit is in me; the character of God is in me because the Holy Spirit is in me. The authority of Jesus Christ is in me. I am an intercessor and I am a proclaimer of truth. I pray against fear, insecurity, and rejection and receive with the authority of Christ all that He says that I am. I am Janet Mulvey and I am a child of the Living God! I am His Sweetheart."

Isn't this amazing! Two other things that are just as amazing is that this can be true of anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ. Every single person on this planet is a child of the Living God and is created in God's image. God is just waiting for us to invite Him into our lives to pour His love out upon us. He isn't forceful, He's patient and gives you the opportunity to invite Him in. No matter what though, He still loves you, no matter what you have done, but He wants, so badly, to take away your sin. The other thing that is amazing is that God has given us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us so that we can have the power to live up to this new identity. In my own strength I would not be able to love God or love others the way that I am called to. The power of the life of Jesus in me (the Holy Spirit) is greater than the power of my old self. I no longer have to be dominated by my self-defeating and self-destructive desires and I no longer have to live a defeated life or as a victim, I can live in victory! God has given me life and a freedom to be who He has created me to be. Praise God!

What this means for my future, I'm still not completely sure. I have identified some things that I definitely have a heart for and love doing; such as working with youth, kids and women, traveling overseas, coaching sports, and being hospitable. We will see what the Lord has in store for me when I return. As for the next two months, I will be in Rwanda serving and loving people there with the love of Jesus Christ. I am so excited to get there. We leave December 18th and arrive in Kigali, Rwanda on December 21st (Pray for our travels as it will be quite exhausting!). When we arrive there we will take a few days to get over the jet lag, celebrate Christmas together, and then head into the New Year working with a Youth With A Mission base there. I am looking forward to the ministry opportunities that we will have there. These include working with people affected by AIDS and HIV, children's ministry, evangelism, working with street children/orphans, working with widows, youth ministry, and vocational training. It will be an amazing time and God is going to do amazing things in and through us.

If you could be praying for us as we travel, for our safety and that everything will go smoothly; praise God that He has provided financially for everyone at our school to be able to go to Africa (that is $5000-$6000 per person for over 80 people!); pray for us while we are in Africa for our safety, our ministry, and our health, we have teams going to Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique.

I hope that you are doing so well and that this holiday season is an amazing blessing for you. You have been such a blessing to me and I thank God for you being in my life. I pray that God would pour out His love upon you.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God..s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God..s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)"

God Bless You!
Love,
Janet Mulvey

P.S. Here are some websites that you can take a look at about what I will be doing in Africa.

YWAM Rwanda Website - http://www.ywamconnect.com/sites/ywamrwanda

Janet's Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/coachmold

Team Rwanda Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/teamrwanda

YWAM, DTS, AMAZING!

Being here has been such a blessing and faith building experience. Daily we are seeing God's faithfulness. There are so many stories of God providing for people physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I'm learning about generosity and compassion, and I'm growing a lot. I've been working through a lot of forgiveness. Realizing that when certain things excessively bother me here that there is probably a deeper thing going on and I need to ask the Lord to show me why it upsets me. Through a lot of that, I have been able to release forgiveness to a lot of people that I have been holding on to.

Things are great here. I'm sitting here trying to put into words everything that has been going on. So much, it is so crazy! I'm just going to start rambling and hopefully you will understand some of it. God has been showing me a lot. I definitely had to work through some acceptance issues. I was so self-critical when I first got here. God spoke to me about it though. He's been telling me that as I want to become a more beautiful/better person, it is not about what I should be and shouldn't be doing. I just need to look to Him. He will work on me. If He wants me to work on something He will convict me of it. I don't need to be so hard on myself all of the time about who I am not. That gave me so much peace. It has been awesome. God loves me exactly the way I am. He created me with all my strengths and my weaknesses. If I was anyone else, I would not be able fulfill the calling God has on my life. He has been revealing His love to me more and more. This week I was wrestling with the fact that I didn't really have anyone to talk to about some stuff I was working through. I closed up, withdrew from people. God totally met me where I was at. He showed me that when no one else is around, when it seems like nobody cares or is listening, He is there. He has not forgotten me. He wants me to recieve Him as my best friend. The one that I run to. When I am lonely, I turn to Him. When I am totally excited, I will run to Him. It was really cool that God met me where I was at. It was actually funny because I fell asleep during the speaker's talk and I woke up and he was asking if anyone needed prayer and I raised my hand and God met me right where I was at. It was amazing. So far our topics for classes have been The Father Heart of God, Hearing the Voice of God, the Holy Spirit, and Discipleship and the Cross. It is all good stuff.

God is so good. I love Him more each day. Even when I feel like crap, He loves me and He is there for me even if my emotions tell me otherwise. I've been challenged to make the Bible my standard for everything. We are living in Bible times today and it is so cool to see what God is doing and hear what He has to say.

Well, besides all the spiritual growth stuff going on, we have been having a good time. (Just check out my pics at myspace.com/coachmold ) Some of us walked 4 miles to Magic Sands beach, we only thought it was 1.5 miles away. But we pressed on and it was so worth it. It was awesome. We stayed in the King Kamehameha Hotel the first week here, it was so sweet! Air conditioning is so great. I went snorkeling a few times while in Kona. I got to see some sea turtles(adorable! I so badly wanted to touch it, but it is illegal), lots of colorful fish and coral. We went as a school to Haupuna beach for a day and that was awesome. I bought a boogie board and had a lot of fun. We walked to a cave that was carved out of the lava rock by the waves and jumped off of it (8ft drop). I cut my foot pretty good on a rock on the bottom though and couldn't wear shoes for a couple days, but it is getting better now. After Kona, we moved up to Makapala which is totally different from Kona. It is 60mi north at a little christian retreat center. We have 2 girls dorms with 20 girls each in them, a house with 4 rooms with 4 girls each in them(I live here), a bunch of little bungalo cabins for the guys, and a house with 4 rooms for the 4 married couples we have with us. It is a neat little place and really pretty, but it is in the middle of nowhere. Basically anything near by is really pretty, but there is nothing to do there. Even at the 2 beaches we can go to you can't swim in them because of all the rocks and crazy swells. We've been bonding a lot over Friends episodes, ping pong, movies, and random fun activities such as capture the flag at night, open mic night, and next week we are having a costume masqarade. We don't have internet and have really bad phone reception too. So it is interesting to say the least, but our team is really getting close. We have people from all over the world on our team; Thailand, Korea, Japan, Austrailia, UK, Holland, Mexico, Canada, New Zeland, and USA. It was pretty crazy here during the earthquake we had a few weeks ago. I had been in plenty before, but most on our team hadn't. It was really big and really long and it happened at 7:15am when most of us were still sleeping. Talk about a wake up call. FEMA came the following days and tagged 4 of our buildings as condemned (on the whole island 30 were tagged as condemned). We've been cleaning up and adjusting. We went into the closest town and helped people clean their homes and shops. It was a great opportunity to serve the people in the community and show God's love to them. We were able to volunteer at an aid station for the Iron Man (look for me on TV). We had a blast!

So I think you're all caught up. Every Thursday we come down to the Kona base to worship and gather together with the other schools here. We get here early and head over to Walmart for supplies and then plop down and type away at our computers until the meeting.

If you could be praying for me, I have a couple of prayer requests. Pray that God would provide financially for everyone on our team. So many people need money still. I still need $1500 or so to cover my outreach fees. Also pray that I would continue to submit under the Lordship of God over my life and be obedient to what he calls me to do. Lastly, start praying for our outreach. I found out that I'm going to Rwanda! I can't wait. Pray that my compassion and love would grow for the people there and for all of the lost in the world. I want God's heart to be my heart and I am far from it, so pray that God would work in me.

I hope you are doing wonderful, and that God is meeting you where you are at and drawing you into His presence. I hope to hear from you soon!

Keep Worshipping,
Love,
Janet