Heaven Touching Earth

Heaven Touching Earth, once a dream, now becoming a reality. Never would I have thought to be so close.

Can you see it?? Look closely at the photo’s, It’s there you know.
Let me share with you part of a dream I had on Nov.26, 2004. Perhaps it will help you to see what I see.

I was on a big property by the water. There were palm trees and a very big building. There were many other smaller buildings like bungalows on the compound as well. Little black and white children running all around. There were many more details but that was the just of it.
I woke up to the sound of my voice, praying about this place I saw in my dream; asking the Lord where it was, and to make it so in his timing. I also asked him what this place would be called.
I fell back to sleep, and again I saw the land only this time I was looking at the big building. On the buildings wall was written in huge letters “Heaven Touching Earth.” Instantly I was awake, I got out of bed right away to write this dream down as I had seen it, praying all the while that if this was from the Lord that He would make it happen in his timing.
Since then the Lord has added to that dream. I can not remember exactly when, but it was not long after that dream, that the Lord had given me a vision. I saw that huge building again, this time I was inside. I saw children every where, they were on their knees before God worshiping and crying out to him. It was so intense! I saw the Lord coming and touching the children and people in the building, setting them free from their pain, sicknesses, and traumas. Then raising them up as whole, healthy, spiritual warriors with no fear. They went out, chasing the darkness out of their Nation. And doing as He had done to them; setting people free from their pains, sicknesses, and traumas.

I asked the Lord if such a place could exist and if so to please let me be a partaker.

He told me that if I would follow his every direction, and facilitate such a place without getting in his way, that it will be so. He will come, He will touch, He will set free, and it will be a place where Heaven will touch earth!!!
This is very humbling, such a task is so great and bigger than I can fathom! Yet I have seen the Lords hand in every step assuring me that it is him and not me who will accomplish such a thing. This is his project, these are his people, and I am but a partaker in his glorious plan.
He has provided land and building plans. A builder has expressed interest to help. Today, Heaven Touching Earth is in the stage of raising the funds for the development of the land and building of the buildings.
Please pray with us and believe with us that such a place will exist, a place of education, healing, and spiritual preparation. A place of wholeness for at least 256 orphans and 32 widows!

Look again at the photos. Can you see it?? I can…

Coincidence or.... UMMMM.....

A while ago, I spent almost the whole day at the office of our internet provider. I had noticed that we could receive emails but could not send any out. This went on for about four days.
So I decided that I should call the support center and see about getting help to fix the problem. After several phone calls, costing me 4000 Rwandan francs ($8 or 6 euro’s) I had had enough and it was time to just go to the office and find a Technician willing to help me.
The timing of this inconvenience was just great as we were in constant communication with people from the States about our Kibuye project. They had been waiting on info from us that of course now had been delayed for a few days.
I grabbed my computer, jumped in the car and headed off to town. When arriving there was no problem getting some one to see me. I was ushered right into the wireless internet managers office. I explained the problem I was having, a bit confused she asked me to show her. I fired up the computer and showed her what I was talking about. She asked me if she could try some thing.
Taking the computer, she sent herself a test email, much to my surprise it went through no problem. She said: ”See there is no problem… “ Now wait a moment how is that possible? So I tried to send a few test emails to several people on my contact list. Nothing would work. I tried again with the managers address that she had typed in before, again no problem, it went through. I explained to her that every time I sent her an email it would work but not with any one else in my address book. She did not seem to be interested in the problem. So getting a little louder I politely demanded to see a technician that could help me.
After waiting ten minutes a very nice girl arrived. Once again I went through the whole spiel of what was going on and once again the computer was taken “to try some thing out”. After checking some of my settings, the computer shut off. I thought OH (@*#&$%^!!*^) guess what… the battery died and I had left my charger at home. After all I should have known that a little help would take more than 2 hours right? (The life of my battery)……

The nice lady says; ”How about you go home and call me, then I can walk you through some stuff.”

I’m thinking ‘yah right’, like I am going to spend another $10 on talking to you on the phone. So I suggest that I will run home and grab the charger, this way I can insure that the problem will be fixed today and hopefully before I leave the office a second time. Thank God she agrees!
We set up the computer and I went to plug it in, and……. Wouldn’t you know, I forgot the adapter! (For those of you who don’t know this… the entire world has different outlets than the States has.) Now I couldn’t even plug my computer in. At this I gave up, I sat in the chair with my hands on my head not knowing if I should cry, or curse… Luckily the Technician saw my despair, if you would call it that. She said to worry she would be right back. In about 20 minutes she returned with an adapter. Oh I could have kissed her, but I didn’t.

We then searched for the problem. She checked all the settings on the computer, ran some tests and said; “I don’t understand this, your settings are correct.” Still not functioning properly, she decided to put in the settings of another outgoing mail server. All of a sudden the problem had reversed itself, now we could send but not receive. What the hec was happening, we were both confused. We tried to log on a few more times and over and over would receive the same error. We were both stuck and just talked about what was happening and how we did not understand it. By this time it was late and we had spent many hours trying to find a solution. Should we try again tomorrow hoping for better results? This could not be happening, I thought; ”Lord we have so much communication that needs to happen. Please let us figure this thing out!” I tried to connect one last time hoping for a miracle, and a miracle I got.
Both sending and receiving worked with no problem. We looked at each other in shear amazement, wondering what just happened. “It worked, try it again”. I said. We sent out test after test and every time it worked as if nothing had ever been wrong. We just started laughing, I thanked her and went on my way back home. My biggest thank you went out to God! No explanation of how, first it was working then it was not then it was again. Coincidence or….. UMMMMM… Things like this happen far too often here for it just to be a coincidence. I am not one to quickly say there is a demon in every bush, but after a long day like that you better believe I was telling Satan how much he sucked and that God was better.

Don't ask me, I just live here!

In missions you have different groups. There are the senders, investors, mission trips, short term, project focused, long term (those on the ground). I may have left some out.

Senders; churches, religious organizations, or nongovernmental organizations. Investors/Donors; those providing the resources to see the mission accomplished they can be churches, business’, governments, or individual people. Mission trips; individuals or teams of people spending between a week to a few months usually but not always, helping those on the ground. Short term; people that most often come to help in various aspects with ministries/projects that are already on the ground running, or to help launch off new projects. It is these people whom usually commit for 6months to 2 years. Project focused; can be religious or non religious activities such as developmental, health, or educational. These usually have a 2to4 year focus in specific areas or regions. Long term; has got different definitions depending on who you talk to. So I will just give my opinion. Some one who has dedicated their life to come live and work for 2 or more years. After 2 years one will usually go or stay for much longer.

I have personally spent a lot of time on the mission trip and short term side. I most recently have moved over to the long term side. My time doing mission trips and working short term had left me learning a great deal from my mentors and the long term people on the ground where I worked. I learned to be a disciple is to be a learner (that is the definition in the Greek). I have done or tried to do just that. Every where I have found my self, I have tried to be a learner in many aspects. A long termer once told me. “Some times I wonder why I ever take mission trip teams”. I asked him what he meant, I just happened to be a leader of a mission team that was there working with him at the time. He said that more often than not he had to clean up and I quote “The shit” after they leave. That statement has stuck with me for many years, always wondering what it must be like for some one who is living and working in a place or so long. That they have grown to love the people and culture, calling and even many times considering the place home. What is it that would make them not to desire the help? What “shit” is he speaking of? I have now been living and working in Rwanda for almost two years and as you may or may not know, Rwanda is a very small Nation. This means that is pretty easy to get to know people from various backgrounds. The International community is some what close here.

I have friends who are church planting, some are working with the existing churches, others with big or small mission organizations. Some people are Christian business men, others are in the diplomatic world (working with embassies).

Rwanda has become home to me (no longer the States nor Europe.) I have really fallen in love with the people and could say that at times I feel the Lord’s heart for them. I am often moved too tears when I think about their pain and the Lord’s desire to heal it. I find myself praying over and over again to use me.

After being here for a while and listening to many of the long term missionaries, many of them are saying the same thing about mission trips. “Wow what a blessing, glad they came but thank God they are gone”.
I have learned that hosting teams is a great deal of work, months of prep and planning go into just a few weeks. When the teams arrive, life as we (those on the ground) know it comes to a dead stop. Huge sacrifices are made in work and family. You are at the beckon call so to speak, and one can grow very weary. There can be little to no consideration of you, your life or work on the ground.
I say this with much experience as one who has led many mission trips in to many countries. By no means am I saying that this is the case all the time. But have seen it happen more often than I would have liked to.

Once again the following does not apply to all groups
As I think back to many of those mission trips I now can see how my team and I really could have done better. Most of the time we had our own plans, thoughts and agendas on how we wanted to see the mission trip go. We expected the people on the ground to facilitate those things so that we could see them happen.
Even in the cases of working under projects that those on the ground had running. We found our selves wanting to do more our own thing or would tweak their project to fit in more of our desires.
Not really a servants heart I guess you could say. We wanted the “mission experience” on our terms and expected those on the ground to serve our needs and wants, giving us the great mission experience. Not us coming to serve their ongoing ministry. Yet to them this is not an experience, this is their life.

I have done the above not only with teams I have led, but have now experienced this for my self and heard many weary missionary friends share similar stories.

Sadly enough; in the times where large amounts of money were involved, preconceived ideas, plans, desires and agendas ruled the implementation of the funds. Was the question ever raised where to put that money or how it would be best used? No, after all it is the donor’s money… All the while the long termer, whom has given their life to live and serve in such a place just sits there and says “don’t ask me I just live here”.

Prayer works

I was sitting in my living room just a few days ago, reflecting on things in the past. Here I am drinking my morning cup of coffee, staring off in to space, when all of a sudden I have this over whelming since of thankfulness and humility come over me.

We have now been here in Rwanda for about 21 months that is almost two years with out leaving.

I thought, WOW GOD, I nor my family, have been sick in almost two years. This is amazing!!!! No really it is!!! We live in Africa, people all around us are always having problems. Whether it is malaria, hepatitis A, endless stomach problems, etc. etc. From the locals to the internationals, sickness is just very common here.

Of course we have had the minor colds due to climate changes, and once in a great while one of the girls would get a minor ear infection. But no sicknesses, I really began to pray and worship God over this.

This is not something that I want to over look or chalk up to coincidence. This is the Lords mighty hand of protection upon my family and me.

I remembered back to the year that I spent in Kenya. I had gotten malaria four times, and remember spending more time on the toilet than any where else. It seemed if Astrid and I were always sick at some time. We were for sure in a tuff place. In every aspect of our lives we felt we were dieing. Towards the end of the year we were dry bones walking, physically, emotionally, spiritually, just barley hanging on. God was all we had left, and even that was sometimes questionable.

I say all that to say this, we were taught some very valuable lesions in that year, before, during and after.

All of which I can not write now with out going on for days, perhaps in our book one day, Ha Ha….

One of the valuable lesions we had learned was when going out on mission, bath, surround, and soak your self in prayer. Have a team of intercessors dedicated to you and your mission.

This we have done!!! By no means were we planning on being Satan’s play toys again. Before going to Rwanda we had shaped around us a mighty team. A team of family, friends, and even strangers whom believe in what God is doing through our ministry and in this wonderful Nation, dedicated to pray for us, our ministry, and this nation. We have seen Gods power, felt his protection, and have been blessed to see this team even grow through the months. THANK YOU INTERSESORS! The fruit of this Nation is yours.
But most of all THANK YOU GOD!! May your Glory continue to fall on this place, and your wholeness fill this Nation.

Amen.

Do I care or am I calloused??

Oh no it’s time to go to town again, this store, that store, and yet another. Do I have every thing on my list yet? The things I do to save a couple of dollars. Hard pressed, pushing in, let me breath please…. Can I open the door of my car with out climbing over you? No thank you, No thank you, No…., excuse me, pardon me. I hear myself saying these words over and over again.

Street kids on my left, cripples on my right, poor women with their breasts hanging in my face and babies attached to them, in front of me. All of them are crying, AMAFARANGA, AMAMFARANGA(money, money.)
Sorry I say. I can’t get in my car fast enough, this doesn’t help. They just stare at me, tapping on the glass.
Pastor they say, Daddy they cry…Money, Money…. I drive away with a lump in my throat!! The next day, I drive away, and the next, and the next. It is getting easier, or is it?

DO I CARE OR AM I CALLOUSED???

When I first arrived here, I guess you could say that I was moved with compassion. How can you not be?
I gave and I gave money here, food there, water, etc. I thought if I keep this up I am going to need the budget of Bill Gates. I look through God’s word at the many times that it says. “And he was filled with compassion”. Then what did he do? He touched them, healed their sick, taught them, and some times fed them. This is a reality of living here; the poverty is always in your face, pressing you on every side. Some times you wonder if you will ever make a difference or if you at times ever want to leave your house.

I hear Jesus say “you will always have the poor among you”… Then there is that saying, I think it goes like this. “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach him to fish and feed him for a life time”.

Funny how I find comfort in such statements.

So I pray Lord help me to have compassion on those whom I need to have compassion on. Touch those whom I need to touch, teach who needs to be taught, and feed those who need to be fed.

But most of all, Lord let me here your voice and obey.

It’s not that I don’t care and calloused I am not but ministering in a place like this one must be focused.

Let's redefine, shall we...

When you hear the words “Mission” or “missionary” What is it that comes to mind? No No I am not going to answer it, it’s your mind.

According to an online dictonary I found, they describe “mission” as:

1. An organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work.

2. An operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters; "the planes were on a bombing mission".

3. A task that has been assigned to a person or group; "a confidential mission to London"; "his charge was deliver a message".

4. The organized work of a religious missionary.

5. A group of representatives or delegates.

Their definition of a “missionary” is:

1. Someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program.

2. Someone sent on a mission--especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country.

Now lets be honest these two little words carry a lot of meaning and with that meaning there is also pictures that come with it. If some one was to ask you, what does being a missionary mean or what does it look like? Depending on your religious background, experience, knowledge, and or upbringing you would have some interesting things to say. I would think.

Let me take you on my findings.

(Please understand that the following is based on my own studies, life, and experience.)

A blast from the past; long, long ago the former missionaries or as I call them the old School, made some mistakes. Mind you, they did their best with what they had. Needless to say they came in where ever they were, very domineering making some big demands and forcing some radical changes upon the people. (Dress like us, talk like us, eat like us, dance like us, worship like us, do & be like us.)

I have been in missions for about eight years, on and off since 1995. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work in and out the church in about nine different nations.

What I found was quit sad, a separation of people (culture) and the church. All the churches I have worked with or along side have been national, no matter what nation I was in. Every where I went, it was. “If you want to be effective here, this is what you need to know” (Dress like us, talk like us, eat like us, dance like us, worship like us, do & be like us.) My thought was oh Lord the roles have been reversed!! Do they really know what they are saying??

Then I take a few steps out of the doors and wow what a difference!!!

Pain, nakedness, fear, trauma, tears, hunger, etc. and they don’t care what I dress like, how I talk, what I eat. They can see I’m different and they except that. Do I except them? I want to bring them to Jesus but my fear is I don’t want them to become one of those, well you know…..

Question: When you’re lost, dieing and alone do you care what JESUS looks like? Do you care how or from whom your help comes from?

In my experience the church does….

Don’t get me wrong, I by no means am a church basher. I love lord with all my heart and adore his Body the church. All I am saying is let’s redefine shall we.

In the begining, there was faith

Over the last few weeks the word (faith) has been in mind. It has actually been in more than my mind, it’s been screaming at me. I got this sudden urge that I was to go and get my journal, and go through it.

What I found was encouraging and I will explain later.

July 20, 2003
At a Church we were visiting, after the night service, the associate pastor prophesied the following:
Travis; you are a man of great faith. There will be an increase in the level of faith you have. You are going to be living outside of what you have already experienced. You will be living beyond your financial and practical ability.
September 1, 2003
I asked the Lord what I was supposed to be doing, as I was feeling so restless with my life in the States.
The Lord asked me to open a book that I had with me; if I should die before I live. I started reading chapter 10 and this stood out to me; “How unexpected at times are God’s leadings... And now they are on their way to Kenya (about the authors’ daughter and her husband). It’s a dry, dusty place. They serve a nomadic tribe whose culture is offensive to any Westerner.
...God knows all about those dark clouds. Yes he does ask us to sacrifice, but there is always more joy bursting through the thunder heads as though those clouds were really just symbols of His glory, like the cloud He used to lead His people three thousand years ago. Life is such an adventure. And God has blessed you with so many things. Take that overflowing cup to that dry, thirsty land and pour it out abundantly. And every evening you’ll discover there is some left for you.”
With this I knew the Lord was saying to get ready for Africa again.
October 18, 2003
After a men’s prayer breakfast, a man came and asked if he could do a prophetic action over me; He grabbed my shirt with both hands and lightly beat my chest. Repeating this over and over he said; ‘this is your breastplate of righteousness can you feel it? God wants you to know it’s there, you are to use it, and the righteous will live by faith.”
October 22, 2003
Romans 1:17 “This good news tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scriptures say; it is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Habakkuk 2:2-4 “Than the Lord said to me; write my answer in large clear letters on a tablet so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan will not happen right away slowly, steadily, surly the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. Look at the proud they trust in themselves and their lives are crooked, but the righteous will live by their faith.”
Due to lack of space let me jump ahead a bit.
March 6^th 2005
I am so frustrated, there is so much stuff going on Lord. I need clarity! We don’t have anything set up yet, and we’re supposed to leave in 3 months. This does not look good. You seem to keep adding more to the picture, yet we’re still blank. Today I am starting to fast Lord.
March 20^th 2005
Sunday night at a church where one of our good friends was speaking. During worship, we began to sing that song. “Each step I take, I take by faith, I will walk by faith, I put my trust in you.” I just break down weeping. I can’t sing this, this is too hard for me right now. I am still fasting, I am so frustrated!
March 21^st 2005 (morning)
I’m driving to the store and begin praying.
Lord I’m giving this to you, I want to walk by faith, I want to live by faith, and I want to trust in you.
The Lord speaks “What if I want you to go to Rwanda by faith? To walk by faith and worship me there and watch what happens?” I tell the Lord that if that is what he wants for us than so be it. But I really don’t like it! I don’t think it looks good! What do I tell people when asked, oh what are you doing? I have to say I don’t know, I have nothing set up there. None the less if this is what you want ok. I will trust in you!!
March 21^st 2005 (night)
At our friend’s church, the speaker began too talk about having a supernatural increase of faith to trust God for every thing… OK OK God I get the point, I can not do this with out you.
He then laid his hands on everyone to impart in them a boost of faith.
March 22^nd 2005
In the morning as I am preparing to go to work, I feel that I am to end my fast.
That afternoon I get a phone call from Astrid to tell me that we had just received an email from Rwanda with a list of contacts of other missionaries there who can help us answer all our questions.
Wow God you are so good, so awesome, and so weird.

These are just a few journal entries, maybe one day I will use the countless others, perhaps we should just write a book. Ha ha….

All of this to say, that in the beginning there was faith. The Lord had countless times reminded us to trust, have faith, walk by faith, the righteous live by faith, etc. etc.
Did we have a choice? Not if we wanted what God wanted.
So we set out at God’s appointed time for Rwanda, not knowing 100% every thing that was to happen. Upon arrival, I remember are shock, at the cost of living. How could this be? This is not like Kenya… Lord what have you done? How do you expect us to live in a place like this? Land locked (no ports), every thing is trucked in or flown in. It is so expensive!
Once again the Lord reminded us during our time of preparation the things he had tried to drill in to us. Trust in me, have faith, walk by faith not by sight, the righteous shall live by faith.
Ok Lord (I thought) man is this insane.
We are going on what is now our second year here in Rwanda. Yes there have been hard times and there have been good times. But I have yet to see the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
As many of you know, just in the beginning of this month we had stopped our networking with GFR (Global Family Rescue). They had given us a small honorarium each month, which had really helped us too pay our rent. Now….. well……. Let’s say I went back to God again.
You should know by now what he told me.
Deuteronomy 2:7 “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything”.
How awesome of a reminder that I lack nothing because of him and him alone, he is watching over my family and me.
It may sound insane but in the end the righteous shall live by faith.
Thank you, God for your awesome provision! I will trust in you!