God Loves To Show Up! [First 2 weeks of the Summer Quarter]

One of my favorite things about being on staff here in Kona is that every 3 months we start a new quarter.  This holds so much excitement in the days previous and especially the first couple of weeks in.  We experience a whole flood of new students who are desperate for change and hungry for God, people who have laid down everything they've ever known to have Jesus & discover the Truth, some for the 100th time, and some for the very first time.  The level of faith & expectancy is high, and not only do we love it, but God loves it.  We get to go to new heights every quarter, we get to see lives changed every 3 months, we get to experience a new side of God and go deeper in what He's already taught us.  If ever I forget the purpose of why God has me in this place, I am quickly reminded by the sweet Holy Spirit when I see lives absolutely transformed & laid down before the only who is worthy… and it compels me to go to that place of surrender again and again.

Just 2 weeks ago we started this wonderful process again.  5 DTS' were started: Awaken, Ships, Trailblazers, Island Breeze & Market Place, many 2nd level schools began, and over 80 people have come in to join the Awakening Leadership Track to be trained to lead over 3 DTS' next quarter.  And we have had an incredibly fun & fruitful time, to say the least.  Here's a couple of things that have been going on!

-- Every Monday night we gather together to worship for 2-3 hours, and pretty much just make space for Holy Spirit to take over our night.  The first one that we held, two weeks ago was amazing!  We saw over 20 instant hearings!!  One guy lost hearing in his ear, and instantly it popped and he could hear better in that one than the one that was fine!  Another girl was 100% healed from herniated discs all down her spine, while another one received healing from a headache & toothache!  Another crazy one was a torn ligament in a leg, causing a guy to not be able to jump.  We were amazed as we watched him jump up and down so high with no pain!  God really does love to heal, and loves to see us get so pumped again and again at the ways He moves!

-- The other day we got word that one of the schools Kona sends out, The School of the Circuit Riders, just finished in Fiji and they saw over 250 salvations in ONE WEEK!  Now they are headed off to California, Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Hawaii, Texas and ending in Norway!

-- Just in the past 2 weeks in the Track, we have seen people get set free from fear, break off life-long addictions, find family for the first time, and discover even greater the love of Jesus for them.  We have been gripped with holiness and laying down every part of who we are for the fullness of what God has for us.

We have seen miracle after miracle, a handful of salvations and have even baptized people right in the ocean downtown Kona just in the past 2 weeks… it definitely hasn't been a boring start, for sure!

(( Most of the things I have shared have only been a very small part of what we are involved in here.  If you would like to know a bigger perspective of what we do, please visit the University Of The Nations website at:  http://www.uofnkona.edu and http://thecircuitrider.com/school-of-the-circuit-rider/ ))

I want to thank all of you for praying for me & supporting me.  You are such a powerful people and I am really thankful for your friendship and all you've done to invest in me whether it be through finances, prayers, phone calls & pictures and sweet little updates.

It is always a little hard to be so far away from the ones you've grown up with and have gone through so much with.  Please know I miss you guys a lot and cannot wait to see those of you in NC in October when I make a visit home!

I pray that this update leaves you with joy, excitement, and fresh faith to see what God wants to do around you!  The thing I love about Jesus is that He loves to "wow" all of His children and to do amazing things no matter where we are at in our own lives and no matter where we may reside in the world.  So I would challenge & encourage you to really seek the Lord on what He wants to do in your life this week!  He is just waiting for hungry, faith-filled children to ask and say yes to what He has!

Me and some of my best friends here leading a worship & prayer set on Revival in America together!
[Grace (leading intercession), Tyler, Miriam and I singing, and Carly (leading worship)]

I will let you go with a fun little picture of Loren Cunningham, who is the founder of YWAM, and I… At our weekly staff meeting with the whole base 2 days ago, Loren shared an amazing word with us and I thought to myself, "I've been under this mans leadership and benefiting from His obedience for 3 years now, I really should get a picture!" and so I did.  He proceeded to pat me on the head and ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, because I am so short… then he chuckled at himself and called me cute.  It was a great moment, haha.  He is such a sweet man and I am so honored to be here bringing the Kingdom to earth and seeing lives radically changed for God's glory, and having a blast doing it.  

Thank you again!

Current Need:  In just a few short weeks The School Of The Circuit Riders starts in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  During this week some of my friends are also getting married there.  I have really felt it from the Lord that I am suppose to be there for this week, and am in need of finances to be able to go.  Someone has pledged me that for every $1.00 I raise, they will match it!  Which is absolutely amazing!  Currently I have raised $70, which brings me to $140.  I need to raise $730 more to meet my goal of $1600 by the end of this week.

I ask that you would prayerfully consider supporting me, whether it be $100 or $1... every penny counts!

A New Quarter Has Begun! [July Update]

Oh my dear friends & family and those across the world.  I want to first personally thank every one of you.  Whether you read this blog, support me financially, lift me up in your prayers, or just send a quick hello every once in a while - I am extremely grateful.  I can feel the support of all of you, and it really gives me strength in moments of weakness.  You impact my heart so greatly and I am so filled with thankfulness for your friendship & support.
I come to you with a full heart and good news to proclaim!  In just a short four days, I will have arrived to Kona 5 months ago.  There's a part of me that feels like it has been so much longer, because I miss you all so deeply.  But then there's another part of me that cannot believe it's been 5 months already.  For me to say that my expectations for this time have been exceeded, would be quite an understatement;  I have been swept off my feet by Jesus, overwhelmed by His faithfulness & pure goodness, and I stand with a heart full of gratitude.  I could not have dreamed of this time being as amazing as it has been.
Upon arriving, I felt the Lord say a few things about my time here (I share some of this in my post "Long Time No... Read?" ... and the process of what He has spoken has only continued to go deeper.
Here are a few things that have been going on lately!

Just 3 weeks ago a new quarter started here!  This is such an exciting time when students, from all over the world (literally), come for training in missions;  to be filled up with truth and hunger to see hearts come to the Lord, as their own hearts are encountered.  After 3 months of training, they leave on a 3 month outreach - to reach out to the community, and to release all the Lord has done in their own hearts to the nations, countries, cities, towns, neighborhoods, homes, and hearts, who know and don't know the love of the Father.  So we have just received 150 new students, and the campus has definitely experienced a shift.  I can tangibly feel the presents of the Lord thicken on this base, and as a result the town gets impacted and people get encountered with the love of Jesus.
As part of the Leadership Track, we do a weekly community outreach.  This past Wednesday, we had the privilege of having both of our outreaches with Salvation Army and our friends from the Marshallese community, and also a lot of the kids on campus, come as we hosted an all day Kids Camp here on campus.  We played games, worshiped, performed skits, ate otter pops, and really just loved on them as much as we could.  Then we all finished our time by eating our meals together and really enjoying each other, as we learned about their culture and listened to their stories.  It was such a fun and impacting time.
We also have been spending an amazing amount of time in the prayer room that we have here on campus.  It is such a privelege to have a place here specifically dedicated to prayer, worship, and intercession.  As part of the Track, we have taken on the responsibility of filling the prayer room 24/7, rising incense to the Fathers heart.  As a result, we have seen such a down pour of favor every time we enter.  Each day we have a 1-3pm set where multiple DTS' come in for worship and intercession, and we join them in there and just wait on the Lord to come... And He comes. Every. Single. Time.  We are constantly blown away by His presence, and how willing He is to visit us.  These times in the prayer room have become so precious to me because not only do I get to spend time with Jesus, but our relationships go deeper, and our community is even more solitifide when we set aside time, daily, to enter into His presence together, to ask as a whole what is on His heart for that day, and then to go after those things and see seeds planted, fruit produced, and things changed... and the Father received so much pleasure & honor & glory.
Just as I wrote last time, I am still the Work Duty Coordinator for the campus.  This past quarter was a little difficult since we did not have many students.  On average we have about 500 students, and this quarter only 150 came because the summer usually is a smaller group.  But we pressed through and it has been great!  I honestly enjoy this job a lot.  It can be a little stressful in the beginning and in the end, but it definitely pays to not give up and to see something completed.  I feel honored that I get to do this job, and to walk with so many amazing and influential people on this campus.  As we prepare for next quarter, I will continue to be in charge of this, as we prepare for our biggest quarter in the history of this base!  It's going to be amazing for sure!

As well as being a part of The Leadership Track intentionally, I am also a part of a bigger family here [Fire & Fragrance] who have been sending out schools called The Circuit Riders all across America, and one in London, for the past couple of months.  Their goal is "Save the lost. Revive the saved. Train them all".  The miracles that have happened have been absolutely astounding as we see every type of person with every condition of the heart encounter Jesus .  In London, in a short 7 hours of ministry, they experienced over 150 salvation's, with over 49 physical healing's.  In Denver (where they are now), they have prayed for 2 blind men, who one was also deaf, and they both got 100% healed.  They have seen an atheist deny God, have lead them to pray for the sick, seen the sick healed, and as a result they turned to believe in Jesus.  The testimonies of the greatness of God go on and on and on, I could write a whole blog about them!  It is so exciting to be a part of a bigger family and to see the Lord reveal His goodness through them.  There is no one like Jesus, and there is nothing like what He does.  I honestly feel honored and totally humbled to be serving and living for such an amazing God.  We always need reminding of our smallness, and His greatness, and the redemption and love He brings to us in the midst of it all.

Although it may seem that a lot of what we do practically here is repetitive, it is all for a goal - and that is to give the Lord glory and honor in all that we do.  I can personally testify that my heart has been radically encountered.  This encounter goes far beyond a one time experience, or a tingly moment in the spirit, it really is the day to day decisions that have created revival in my own heart, and I am seeing the reformation of my life through it.  I just finished up "The Calvary Road" by Roy Hession, and I would encourage all of you to Buy It.  It has changed my life, forever.  The gist of the book is the reality of heart revival being an every day thing, and our lives matching that revival.  It definitely isn't a light read - I get the fear of the Lord every time I pick it up because it is so full of truth, and brings a refreshing sting of conviction that brings you straight to the heart of the Lord every time.  It has changed the way I think, the way I perceive things, the way I respond, and the way I live.  It has stirred up a hunger and thirst for righteousness and purity that I only dreamed about having in the past, and now it's created reality in my heart.

If you would to know more in detail, or even chat with me on the phone about what is going on here, I would absolutely love to connect with you!  Just send me a quick email at oceansroar@gmail.com.
As I am still in need of $600.00 in monthly support, if you feel the Lord calling you to join with me in meeting that goal, you can visit the University of the Nations Support Page for either a one time donation or monthly support

God bless you all!
Lizzie



[For more testimonies or information on how you can be a part of The Circuit Riders School, please visit www.fireandfragrance.com <---- Just click there!  And you can also join the Group on Facebook, or follow Andy Byrd on Twitter]



Enjoy some photos!

[some of my friends from my DTS back in 2010!!

Emily, Jonathan & Dani]

 [We were able to surprise our leaders of the Track, Blake & Shay

and their children, Shiloh & Arrow, with tickets to visit home in NC!]

 

[Ryan and I at the PhotogenX Love Feast]

 [The lovely women I was able to disciple for three months! Sydney, Me, Elle, Sabrina, & Leah]

 

[Myself with Erin Crain and my roommate, Madeleine Curry]

 

[Beautiful Hadassah & Valor - the sweet kids I live with]

 

[Out at The Coffee Shack celebrating my friend Brit's birthday

with some incredible women]

[The sunset from my back porch one night]

 

[Traveling around the island with some friends]

 [Caleb dressed up as a Gekko, ready for the kids to charge him!

And praying for the islands with the 6-8 year olds]

 

Hello from California!

"Seek first the Kingdom and all these things shall be added unto you."
"The winter has past and the springtime has come."
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?  He who has clean hands & a pure heart."

What does it look like to live a lifestyle of ministry, of pouring out your heart to the broken and the needing, to walk hand and hand with Jesus wherever the Holy Spirit may lead, and not get burned out?  As Christians, this is a huge question, and a necessary one to figure out because we are called to live this type of lifestyle.  Whether you are called to the "mission field", to the marketplace, to be a stay at home mom or dad, or whatever you want to categorize it as... We are all called to live a life worthy of the gospel.  I believe we can find all the answers in the Word, by revelation through the Holy Spirit, and then by acting it out.

I've been in the lovely state of California for a total for 18 days now, and let me just say: it's been amazing.  Yes, California is amazing... but living in community with an incredible family, spending every morning with my team before the Lord, playing with children, setting up ministry nights, hanging out with the homeless, hearing the unheard and touching the shunned...  I could do this for the rest of my life.  As Kellye and I headed in to this outreach, we really felt it was on the Lords heart to create a lifestyle of ministry, something our team could continue even when their DTS was finished.  Little did I know, it was something I needed to learn, maybe even more.  The Lord has opened up a place in my heart I didn't know existed, and I'm finding out that the closer I get to Him, the more it's not actually my heart, but it's His heart inside of me, and when I rely on HIS strength and not my own, I can do anything.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks we have been blessed in more ways than I could tell you.  We received so many words about us having favor on this outreach, and that word has already been fulfilled time and time again.  One day before we left, we lost all of our housing for LA & found out that we only had $150.00 for transportation for 7 weeks.  Leading a team of 5 girls, that's just not okay, haha.  Well of course the Lord was faithful and 20 minutes before boarding the plane, we received 7 weeks of housing with Dave Gibbons (Pastor of Newsong - Irvine) & his family, and was provided with transportation.  That was just the beginning of it.  Because we lost housing & moving from LA to Irvine, all of the contacts also changed.  Well of course the Lord came through again and all of our contacts were provided here in Irvine.  There have been healings, salvations, breakthroughs, and the list goes on and on.  OH! And the house cooks Gluten-Free so that's always another blessing :).  When we trust in the Lord, when we put our hope in Him, we will NOT be disappointed!!  Because He is not a God who disappoints, but gives good gives to His children.  I am so happy to be His daughter :).

I want to share a little bit of the ministries we are working with this way you have a little bit of an idea of what happens on a day to day basis!


In the mornings we spend 2 hours before the feet of Jesus, worshiping, praying, and then figuring out what the day will look like.  On Tuesdays through Fridays we go to a place called Bishop Mannor.  It's a community of 1/2 Hispanic &  1/2 Cambodian that is run by gangs, but they have an after school program run by an amazing lady, Norma.  So we go in from 1030am-1pm and do crafts with the kids, play with them in the pool, have a 500 water balloon fight, teach them bible studies, and really whatever we want to do.  Norma has given us free reign to do whatever we want to do, and it's a blast!!  The kids range from ages 4-15 and are so hungry for friendship & truth.


Depending on the days we do different things.  On Thursday afternoons & Saturday mornings we spend about 3 hours downtown Santa Ana which is about 15 minutes North of Irvine.  There is a community of about 300 homeless men & women who live around the library.  We have an amazing time going there.  We are working with an incredible friend of Dave's, Maribel.  She has an incredible story of the Lord redeeming her heart & life and we feel so privileged to be partnering up with her.  When we go we pray for people, build relationships, hand out watermelon & water, and really just try to love of them the best we can.  Because in the end all we have to offer is the love of Jesus.  We have met some incredible people on these days.

As soon as we arrived, we were invited to come along side of Newsong and help with any area we were willing to.  So to start off we joined their Sunday morning prayer team.  This has been an incredible time of growing our faith, seeing salvations & healings while praying for people, and just stirring our hunger for more.   Along with that we are also a part of helping launch a new ministry there called "Soak".  For those of you from River Life Fellowship, it is kind of like "God Encounter".  It has been so awesome helping the worship leader of Newsong, Neah, set up this night.  Our first one was this past Friday and we have already began to see healings and the restoration of hearts.  The Lord just continues to pour out His grace & faithfulness.


We have also done a lot of Treasure Hunts in the malls around here, been able to pray with the owner of a major hotel in Irvine & pray for the hotel and it's future.  The Lord has provided so many opportunities for us to invest in relationships and build up the church and connect different people, which was our whole heart for this outreach.  We are so excited to see all that the Lord does because if He has already done so much in just 2 1/2 weeks, what else does He have in store for us these next 5 weeks we have left in Irvine!?
Thank you all so much for your prayers and partnering with us.  We have already been transformed and the Lord is continuing to do such a great work, not just externally but also internally in each one of us.  He is faithful and worthy of ALL our praise!!
If you would like to read more about what He is doing, please follow our Team Blog by clicking here: Call2All - LA/NY.  I'll leave you with a couple more pictures from some fun things we've been able to do :)

The first picture is of all of us girls after our first night of Soak with Neah (the one in the middle in the pink).  Then the second picture is of Kellye (my co-leader) & I on the 4th of July hanging out while watching the fireworks in the 3rd picture.
The 4th picture is our whole amazing team right after church at Newsong for the 2nd time! (from left to right: Erin, Rami, Kellye, Me, Rosey, Nali, & Jamie)

I love these girls so much!!  I could not have asked for a more incredible and full of fire set of women.