Jewels in His Hands

Tonight, Saturday, May 14, 2011 as we have taught our last lesson and are preparing to go home I have asked my precious team to give you a small glimpse into a “God moment” from this past 9 days….

Charlotte says…

How do you summarize a life-changing experience in just a few sentences?  Maybe a few disjointed phrases is all I can manage: LAUGHTER with old and new friends as we travel through a different land with similar struggles and challenges.  JOY in seeing God work in each church and teaching time and craft.  WONDER at God’s creation.  AMAZEMENT at God’s faithfulness to answer every prayer big and small.

Billye says…

I could just sign my name after Charlotte’s entry because she summarized our time here so well.  Every prayer prayed in preparation for this trip has been answered by our Sovereign God.  Our relationships with the Lord, with each other, and with our new friends at the AWT have been enhanced, enriched and blessed.  It will be so difficult to say goodbye tomorrow, but we have the promise of spending eternity with them.  Thank  You, Lord.

Sandi says…

To look back at a whole week and choose one highlight is almost impossible.  But from a big picture perspective – women are much the same – mothers, grandmothers, sisters and friends.  We may not speak the same verbal language but the language of the heart connects us through Jesus.

Sharon says…

 There is light that shines from Jesus in the eyes of His own.  In a dark place, His light is bright.  I remember looking into the eyes of the deaf women.  Most were sad and dark, confused in purpose, but one set blazed with life and light.  She is the one who testified for His name before the group when the Lord asked me to be silent.  Now I understand why…He left her behind to show them the WAY!!!  Praise God!!

Kim says…

One of the sweetest memories was Rana sharing her heart about the affect the team had on her personally. Everyone needs encouragement. God sends each one of us into the lives of others to offer a timely word, or hug, or smile, or maybe just a listening ear. It’s a reminder that God really does care about His people.  As we step out and encourage others, we too are encouraged. I love how our God works. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of Team Barnabas. I am changed.

Sherri says…

My memories will always found in the eyes of the women here in Jordan. I saw:

            Tender eyes

            Hopeful eyes

            Dull, lifeless eyes

            Tearful eyes

            Smiley eyes

            Eyes filled with joy

            Laughing eyes

            Grateful eyes

            Downcast eyes

            Eyes closed in tender worship to Jesus

            Faces that were so veiled you could only see their eyes, but oh, when we

                        connected….those smiling, grateful eyes were a blessing to me

                        beyond words!

            Eyes of friends deeply connected on the same mission

In closing I would like to describe this amazing team:

            Steadfast

            Faithful

            Supportive

            Incredibly fun

            Amazingly gifted

            Encouragers

            United

            Vulnerable

            Authentic

            Full of love for each other

            Prayer warriors

            Flexible

            Spirit-filled

            Humble

            Exciting

            Gracious

            Courageous

            Willing to do whatever God asks

PRAISING GOD TONIGHT!!!!!!!

Please pray for us as we close out this blessed time with 20 hours of “on the ground” & “in the air” travel. We love you and can’t wait to see you!!!

ROMANS 15:4

Our trip to Petra left us strong in spirit and weak in the knees.  We fell into bed after another long ride to Aqaba following our six hour hike in the red rocks.  Aqaba is a beautiful town sitting on the northern tip of the Red Sea….MOSES, people!!!  We once again suffered from the gaping mouth as we looked across the sea at Israel in the distance.

The water itself is a gorgeous blue, cool and refreshing.  We watched the women covered head to toe getting into the water as if they were wearing a regular swimsuit from home.  Meanwhile, the men smoked their ancient looking genie bottles full of smoke and wore shorts.  Life is definitely not fair over here. 

We traveled to a church in the morning where Charlotte and Kim taught one after another, with a coffee break in between.  The gathering was of women alone ranging from 17 on up.  They were very welcoming and seemed glad to have us there.  The pastor and his wife have it rough.  They have been serving there for three years and feel lonely and a bit like climbing a mountain themselves.  They shared with us that  the people there were not raised with correct theology before they arrived to pastor the church and that they  have been retraining  the congregation.

 The mindset here that the elders do not seek wisdom from the younger ones is difficult when the pastor and his wife are not in their eighties!  All this to say, they are lonely.  When we asked them if they had any close friends, they both said they did not.  We took them to lunch and tried to encourage them as best we could.  They were both delightful people.  Makes me think of how important encouragement is to the body of believers.  Ro 15:4 says…THAT THROUGH ENDURANCE AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE… there is no other  way to truly live.

Reflecting,

Sharon

Sherri here!!!!!

We have had quite a full day, so I will just give you a couple of my personal highlights very quickly: J

*I stand amazed that we were in a place that you could walk across the border to Saudi Arabia and ferry across to both Israel & Egypt! Wow, wow, wow!!!

*Saw a sign that said “camel crossing” and sure enough…here they came…loping across the highway!!!  

*Sitting in the pew today being taught God’s Word along with our new Arab friends by my two precious friends, Kim & Charlotte….well done faithful servants!!!

*I left with a heart burdened to pray for this precious pastor’s wife who in this culture was not mature enough to teach…she is 37…but here, younger women can’t teach older women! I am so glad that’s not the case in my world. I learn so much from my younger friends!!!

*I was so encouraged upon meeting and hearing the testimonies of two friends…one strong in her faith and the other struggling, BUT the stronger one was so clearly a Barnabas for the weaker one!!! Praise God….even in the Middle East!!!

*Lastly, a very special time that I had with a Mom and daughter. The Mom’s name was Sherri J & the daughter (17) was so incredibly smart. She knew answer after answer as the ladies were teaching…all by heart and sang without any hymnal at all!!! She confided in me that she desperately wanted to study at the university but there was no way they could afford it…she wanted to be a Doctor! Anyway, she told me her Mom was her best friend and they encouraged each other in the Lord. When I prayed for them, I began to cry because it really made me miss my girls A LOT and I told these precious two women all about my girls and how they were my encouragers!!!…Moms & daughters…across the world or next door doesn’t matter…a very special bond!!!

Good Night for now…please pray for us tomorrow…our last day of teaching in two different churches…each very different. Kim & Charlotte are up again tomorrow!!! We love you and miss you!!!

Sherri J

Donkeys, Camels and Advil- Oh my!

We tried to post this yesterday, but due to technical difficulties, it is just now getting posted. Look at it like a bonus of two posts in one day. =)

We drove south for a couple of hours to an area called Petra- probably one of the most well known areas of this country.  We enjoyed being out on the open highway after being in the crowded city streets for several days.  Petra is an area of ancient tombs and other sites that have been excavated, and these sites date back to the turn of the century- the century when time turned from B.C. to A.D.  To say that these sites are magnificent would be an understatement… We had to hike quite a ways between two steep canyon walls (picture Indiana Jones running through a canyon while a humongous stone rolls behind him… literally, this is where they filmed some Indiana Jones). 

After a walk through the canyon, we arrived at a breathtaking site- an area called the Treasury- a HUGE stone building literally carved into the mountain of red rock.  We stood in awe- of the Treasury and the two camels saddled in front of it- just waiting for a couple of tourists…

We decided against the camel ride since we were still walking on a downhill slope.  After appropriate gawking at the Treasury, we walked further through the canyon and through more tombs lining the canyon sides.  It was an incredible place to put the Bible in perspective, especially since this is the area where the Israelites wandered after crossing the Red Sea.  Very mountainous and rocky.  Rough.  Much respect for the Israelites who wandered without their Northface hiking gear from Backwoods.

Ready to be more amazed?  Many of the Bedouin tribe live within these canyon walls in tents, selling their wares of jewelry and other souvenirs.  They literally live in dwellings constructed of poles and worn fabric.  What broke our hearts more was the children who were living in the canyon in their tents, selling postcards, approaching tourists with the biggest smiles and giving us their best English phrases- “Here, have a look… Happy hour here… Take a break- have a KitKat.”  We had to remind ourselves that for us to offer a prayer for their salvation is one of the most powerful gifts we can give- rather than a dollar for a necklace that might leave them hungry again tomorrow.  Please Lord fill their hearts with You, their only hope for Bread of Life and Living Water.

            OK, so on to our adventure- From where we finally took a break (without a Kit Kat), we decided for our group to split up- four of us “donkeyed up” and rode up countless flights of STONE STEPS, and the other four headed back to the Treasury on foot.  The donkeys proved to be sure-footed and we made it to a gigantic excavated monastery.  The donkeys took us as far as they could and then we hiked up more STEPS (this is when we KNEW Advil would be a part of the experience).  We hiked, saw the view,took a photo, and returned back down the steps. 

Well, of course, not wanting to leave the rest of our group waiting, we knew we must make haste- camel style!  So we four (Kim, Sharon, Sherri and Charlotte)  camelled up, and headed to the treasury.  Pictures for that one will be better than words…

Conclusion: long day, good team day, amazed at God’s goodness, and blessed to be in His Presence in a spiritually dark place.  Oh, and shoes full of sand…  Blessings to all our loved ones!

Kim and Charlotte

Oh Zarka!!

Where do I begin?  What a glorious morning!  We met with several denominations in one church in Zarka, which is about an hour north of the hotel.  We were so blessed by the singing of these precious women.  The Arab praise songs are beautiful and expressive even to English only speakers/singers.  I spoke to the most precious and attentive people.  They were so excited to answer all questions concerning the church Christ is building.  Their faces were something to behold. God did a mighty work in me to calm my nerves and give me such a heart for connecting with them.  The experience of having a translator speak after me was a bit confusing at first even though I had watched Charlotte and Sharon sail through it.  Our translator thinks in English and Arabic at the same time, so she was fantastic. 

After the church we were divided into groups of  two, three, and one.  Each of us had great translators who took us to different homes to visit with the nationals.  Kim went with missionaries to the home of two sisters and a widowed sister-in-law.  It seems that one sister is born again, but not the other.  The Gospel was given and we will be praying that it takes root.

Sherri, Sandi and I visited with a woman who had attended the church service.  She shared her heart and her burdens with us and allowed us to pray for her.  It was truly a sweet and tender time. 

Charlotte and Sharon accompanied a missionary to visit one of  her Muslim friends.  They have the distinction of being the only ones on our team who have been evangelized by a Muslim.   They had little to no chance to tell of Jesus because the woman was very adept at cutting them off.  This woman certainly gives us the opportunity for additional prayer. 

A conversation between Sherri, Kim, Nadia and her husband Nabil is fostering a heart pull about their ministry.  They are building an American school for children to be taught by American teachers.  He came to Christ under the instruction of a sweet American teacher who gave the Gospel to 43 children who all came to Christ with four of them now ministers.  Some of us were able to see where the construction was taking place and found the excitement of what God is doing to be very contagious.

We are off to a meeting with the director of AWT Ministries.

We are so very grateful for the prayer support and comments.

Love,

Billye and Sandi

Mary Alice Brumley

Hi girls,
I have been following your daily progress and watching you all grow before my eyes. I love the verse that Sharon used about being blind and deaf and how the Lord uses us in our weakness. What a blessing you all are as you lead and teach.  I continue to hold you up in prayer everyday.  We miss you and can't wait to have a first hand report of your trip when you get home.  Can you believe it is already Wednesday? 
Each one of you is special to me and as I pray for you I am calling each one of your names before the Lord.
May the Lord bless and keep you and make His face to shine on you.  Stormy weather at home but sunshine tomorrow.  I just got home from sunny California so don't know any news.  I know you are missed!
xoxomaryalice

Tuesday

The weather here has been absolutely beautiful and this morning was no different. We left the hotel around 9:30 to head to the AWT office for training from Kim concerning how to live the gospel centered life from the workbook titled…you guessed it…The Gospel Centered Life.  This study has been taught at McKinney this past spring and was very impactful for the ladies at our church.  Kim took all of us, including the AWT staff, through the third chapter as if we were doing a study for the week.  We were deep in conversation, laughter and some tears as we processed through truths that the Lord was teaching us.  The staff seemed to really enjoy the training, asking how soon they could have the Leader’s Manual.  We left workbooks behind for them, and they have permission from the publisher to translate the materials into Arabic.   Kim did an awesome job of leading us with her down-to earth style.  

We were treated to Pizza Hut pizza by the staff….WOO HOO!  We feasted, but wondered…”where is the hummus???”  As we ate, we enjoyed the sounds of the birds and the cool breeze that blew through the open window.  I went outside and practiced the biblical story as our next appointment was the Deaf Center.

Miss you all...especially my family,

Sharon

We traveled by car across to the medical district where the Deaf Culture center is located. This center is a place where girls who are deaf receive love and care that society and even their families don’t give them. One teenage girl we met had been coming to the center for about a year. The AWT team told us that until she started coming to the center, she never left her home and had never received any education in sign language, so she was completely ostracized from people.  The progress she had made in a year amazed the AWT team.

Our program at the center caused us much prayer and seeking the Lord’s will as we were told that these girls faced much danger if they were known to be in a place where there was evangelization. In addition, the Deaf Culture center could be shut down if it were found out that Jesus was proclaimed. With those kind of restrictions, Sharon did an AMAZING job of connecting with these young girls by being transparent with her own physical weaknesses and how they had brought shame to her as a young girl. The girls connected with her and she began her story of God using Moses despite his weaknesses. She shared how God told Moses from Exodus 4, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” The presence of the Lord was very tangible in that place as she declared God’s plan to use imperfect people to declare His perfectness.  She definitely told them that God loved them and just as He had by rescuing His people from Egypt, He had provided a Way from them to be rescued as well. We are trusting God that these precious girls felt His love and that He will accomplish His perfect purpose.

Additionally, we showed the girls how to create the beautiful beaded heart that is centered on God’s love. They seemed to really love creating the hearts and they were quick learners…they learned much faster than our team.  Yes, it’s true… Bless her heart… Sherri still can’t do this heart craft. =)

We wrapped up a great day by getting to have dinner with Colleen at her house. She served us a little taste from home with taco salad and the all-important … salsa!! We were privileged to meet her precious Palestinian neighbors. Leyla brought her 3 smiling daughters and young son Victor over to share some hamlay (broiled chickpeas with lemon and salt) and a yummy dessert. The hospitality of everyone has really made the team feel welcome. We called our team “Team Barnabas” because we wanted to be an encouragement to the women of Jordan. We all agree that we have been encouraged as well. It truly has been a joy to meet each person God has brought our way.

Please pray for Billye tomorrow as she brings the Word to the women of the Evangelical Free church in Zarka. The team loves every comment that has come our way. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge =)) It is so encouraging to hear that someone is reading our blog and praying for us.  Thank you so much!!

Love and hugs to all,

Kim

Hearts

Monday continues….

As Billye wrote earlier, our day began with much blessing with the AWT Staff. After lunch together and more intense, eye-opening discussion with different members of the team (we can’t wait to get home and share with you our new-found understanding of these precious people) we set out to the East side of the city. This part of the city houses the less-privileged, with houses literally built into the hills side by side with no space in between. The children play in dirt or dusty roads, the traffic is crazy (lots of cars in very small streets with everyone honking at once), and the streets are lined with small markets & shops.  

We set out to teach at a church that ministers to Iraqi refugees, Egyptian refugees, women that have fled from Syria…both Muslims & Christians alike. When we arrived, we help set the church up for both the service and the craft that we had planned for the women after the teaching. We had an opportunity to pray over the room before the women arrived which truly set the tone for each of us. It was so great to get to welcome these women…each so very different from us & each other, but yet each so incredibly special to God!!! We saw burden in each of their eyes...we think we live stress filled lives….we have no IDEA!!! A lady named Rayna led worship (she is a precious young woman that leads this church that has such a passion to lead these women to a life-giving relationship with Christ.) Well, needless to say….CHARLOTTE ROCKED!!! God spoke very clearly through Charlotte tonight as she used the story of Esther to show them how entirely possible it was for them to enter into the presence of the Almighty King of Kings & Lord of Lords. I got chills as I sat and listened to Charlotte pour her God-heart into these womens’ hungry hearts! Charlotte gave our translator quite the ride tonight as she was all over the place with her awesome visual style!!! It was so great!

Sharon then got up and presented the gospel as she explained to these women how to make the beaded heart craft. The heart was centered around a clear bead at the top representing God. All of the other beads were placed on the same wire that held the center piece…in other words all beads connected through the center stone…God. Then each bead had a completely different look to it representing all of our differences as the body of Christ, but yet they were all connected together through that center stone. The women loved it. They worked long and hard and were each so proud to show us their finished product! We told them over and over how beautiful their hearts were and they would just light up!  We couldn’t help but wonder if anyone was ever kind to them and said how beautiful something that they had made was.  The most amazing thing about these hearts was the diversity…it was such a cool picture of how the body of Christ looks centered on God’s love. How boring it would be if all those beads were identical…but instead it was a masterpiece of diversity!!!!

At the end of the evening several of these women asked us to pray for them. Their  prayer requests were heart wrenching…things that we could never imagine…what  a privilege to be able to ask God for a miracle!!!

Okay, so I know you guys are tired of reading such long posts, but we say TOO BAD SO SAD!!!! (J) We are writing to preserve these precious, life-changing moments that God has been so faithful to give us and to allow us to be a part of, so thanks for bearing with us!!!

We miss you & love you all so much!!!!

PS…all of our cell phones are turned off because we are getting messages from our phone companies that they are charging us roaming even when we are not using them!

Sherri J Special hugs & kisses to my family tonight!!!