ABUNDANCE!

one of the things I prayed so much for when I got back from South Africa was that my 5 months of preparation before going back would not fee like a stagnant waiting time, but that it would be a season of ABUNDANCE. The Lord is so good and so faithful! It has truly been a season full of his good, good gifts!

here are the highlights of this sweet preparation season:

1. THE LORD PROVIDES!

i have one testimony after another of how the Lord has completely taken care of every little detail for my move back to south africa! from raising financial support (i am almost at100%!), to providing me a PERFECT home (with my sister-in-law's parents who are like family to me!), to pouring out vision for my time there. each step of the way has been covered in the Lord's grace, favor and peace! thank you Jesus!

2. i have the best "family" in norman!

one of the sweetest things for me was coming back from south africa after 5 months and being welcomed by my house church community with such open arms. it felt as if i never left. that is family! they have loved me so well in this time and have been SO supportive. my house church even put on garage sale for me to help raise money! (some pics below). it was a COLD, RAINY weekend...but they stuck it out! i felt so unbelievably loved by them!

3. the Lord has poured out his dreams over me!

in this season i have come to the realization that before i was even born, the Father dreamed EXTRAVAGANT dreams over my life! they are better than i could ever dream of. i have thought of some great things for my life...but what God has is actually BETTER. and God is so worthy to receive his dreams! the cry of my heart this season has been... that the Lord would receive EVERY dream of his heart for my life!!! i am letting go of the mediocre dreams i have for myself, i am getting out of the way and giving myself FULLY to the dreams of the Lord!

well in this season the Lord has been speaking (so loudly) the things he is calling me into in my future! i feel he is speaking so clearly, stirring my heart so intensely and pouring out one prophetic word/confirmation after another...it has been so sweet to feel that i am walking right into the good things he has planned for me! i have never felt SO sure that i am doing exactly what the Lord is asking me to do in going back to south africa!

4. so much JOY, peace, intimacy, revelation

it has definitely not been a slow, stagnant, waiting season...it has been a season FULL of the Lord. it doesn't matter what our circumstances are...God always has storehouses full of good things he wants to pour out on our lives! we must ALWAYS keep our hearts open to receive the ABUNDANCE the Lord has for us!!!

more updates to come! THANK YOU to each one of you who have decided to be a part of my support team! i am blessed beyond words!

i pray that this Christmas season would be one filled and overflowing with God's good gifts for you; love, joy, peace and his nearness! and that we would really celebrate in this time the greatest gift ever given...JESUS! a merry, merry christmas to you!

with love,

whit

the Journey continues: details about my next year in South Africa!

...and the glorious journey continues!

i could not be more excited for or feel more certain of the things the Lord is calling me to!

HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR MY NEXT YEAR!

I will be moving to Cape Town, South Africa at the end of January 2011 for an eleven month internship with All Nations. During this time I will be living with an All Nations couple who have graciously opened their home to me! (They are not only teachers from the school I just participated in, but they are my sister-in-law’s parents! What a blessing!) I will be spending my time (30-50 hours a week) in Masiphumelele, one of the impoverished, yet beautiful township communities in Cape Town. I will be pouring out my prayers, time and love over the people of this community. I will be specifically focusing on meeting with with VC children and their households. I will spend much of my time building relationship, discipling, encouraging and advocating for needs that arise. Weekly I will spend time distributing food packages and helping put on the a kids club for the VC children. One of my greatest joys is the long lasting relationships I have formed in MasiphumeleIe. I am so excited to be able to continue meeting with and discipling women that I have formed relationship with over the years of visiting South Africa! Lastly, I will also help out with any administrative needs in the office and be a part of an All Nations house church.

WHAT IS ALL NATIONS?

All Nations is a non for profit organization that seeks to partner with the Holy Spirit to pioneer simple Jesus-centered communities in homes, businesses, or anywhere Jesus is not worshiped. The All Nation’s family focuses on bringing the love and hope of Jesus in a holistic way, meeting people’s needs on all levels. The All Nation’s family is full of people who passionately love Jesus, desire for him to be worshipped by all peoples, and who burn to see justice come to the poor and oppressed. I am so eager to fully give myself to this beautiful family and to run after the Kingdom with them!

WHAT IS THE VULNERABLE CHILDREN PROGRAM?

Vulnerable Children (VC) is an All Nation’s program whose aim is to care for the needs of vulnerable children and their households in the township, Masiphumelele. The focus is to support children who have lost both parents, or may have a remaining parent who is ill, most usually from HIV/AIDS. Many of these orphaned children are either raised by the oldest child in the home or are passed around between different family members who in most cases can not afford to properly care for the children in their own families. Through sponsorship, VC helps with practical needs such as food, school supplies and blankets. Because the hope and vision is to see these kids and families raised up and empowered to live out the destiny that God has for them, VC volunteers mentor and disciple these children, as well as advocate for and empower the children and families through education, job training, and more. The Father loves these children and families, and desires for their lives to be transformed by his love, grace and hope!

For more information on the different ways that YOU

can get involved with Vulnerable Children program

go to:

www.vulnerablechildrensa.com

WHY AM I GOING BACK?

After spending five months in Cape Town, South Africa participating in All Nation’s Church Planting school, CPx, I have never felt more excited and committed to giving my life to see the Kingdom of God touch the ends of the earth! During my time there I received so much wisdom and strategy for bringing the love of God to spiritually desperate and hungry people, and making disciples of Jesus who will go and make more disciples. I was equipped to be a catalyst for movements that will transform entire communities. The Lord also began to speak to me about the dreams and plans he has over my life. He began stirring up in new ways things that he has placed deep within my heart; a passion to see oppressed, broken, hurting, unloved and abused children raised up to know God, to love him and to hear his voice. For families to be restored; fathers returning to their children, mothers healed and set free, and their children to live in families where they will be loved, treasured and raised up! This is so near to God’s heart!

For many years now, the cry of my heart has been for the poor, the unloved, the hopeless and the broken to be changed by the love and hope of their heavenly Father. I have grown more and more eager to give up the comforts of my life here to pursue the Lord’s Kingdom in the hard, dark places that so desperately need the light of Jesus! In recent years, the Lord has given me a passion for church planting movements (movements consisting of simple communities of faith whose aim is to see disciples producing disciples and simple churches producing more simple churches.) And now the Lord has led me to an opportunity to learn what it looks like to marry together my heart for the restoration of families and the vision for church planting!

WANT TO BE APART OF MY JOURNEY?

I will be working with All Nations as a volunteer. I will need $1500 a month (for basic living expenses), as well as $7,000 in one time costs (plane ticket and rental car). I am currently working to save money; however, I am in great need of help from my family and friends! If you are interested in giving monthly while I am there or giving a one-time gift I would be forever grateful! (There are directions on the right side of this blog page for how to give! or email me: WhitneyElise211@gmail.com for questions).

ALSO, I am building my prayer team! I am desperate for your prayers and intercession! Please email me (WhitneyElise211@gmail.com) if you would like to join!

much love,

whit

family. (and an update on my plans!)

"God sets the lonely in families,

he leads forth the prisoners with singing..."

psalm 68:6

I felt like I should share this journal entry from this morning. This sums up what the Lord has been showing me that he has really ingrained on my heart...

"I am so stirred for the children who are broken and who will never know their true worth and identity. For families who are filled with pain and strife. For women who don't know what it means to be loved in tender care and faithfulness.

OH Lord my heart cries out...

to create family...

inviting the lost, confused, hurt and ravaged into the greatest love there is, into the resting place of the Lord, into his home. And even more inviting them into his FAMILY.

We are not merely visitors in His home, finding reprieve from the harsh world around us in a comfortable, warm house. We are actually invited into His family, as if we had been their since our birth.

Receiving FULL RIGHTS as sons and daughters. We are invited to partake in every aspect of family life...we get to have every privilege and benefit...

BUT only if we come...

take off our shoes, come into his dwelling, curl up into the Father's lap and RECEIVE IT.

get comfy. we get to stay.

we get to be full members of God's family, the greatest family in the history of the universe.

the most loving, caring, joyful, compassionate gracious, and strong Father is begging us to come in, to leave our muck and mire at the door, take a warm shower, curl up at his feet, receive his love and affection and stay a while...forever, in fact.

that is the cry of my heart.

inviting the overlooked, unloved, hurting, desperate, and lonely into God's family. inviting them to come dwell with the Father all their days, to come and find out who they actually are and who they were created to be! OH what comfort, healing, joy and rest there is in the Father's love!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

THE PLANS:

I am planning on heading back to Cape Town, South Africa in January for a year internship with All Nations! I am beyond confident that this is the next step that the Lord has asked me to take in walking into the destiny he has for me. I feel my destiny will be marked by walking hand in hand with Jesus, calling out to the broken and hurting to come and find love, healing and purpose. To see children and families raised up and empowered. I will be interning under the Vulnerable Children (VC) program (which is a program that seeks out the most vulnerable children in Masiphumelele township. VC team members help to meet their basic needs through sponsorship, and also to support, advocate, and empower these families through discipleship, job training, education, etc.)

I will be give a more thorough update on my plans soon!

I hope everyone is doing well and that your lives are filled with love, joy and purpose!

MUCH love,

whit

a glorious journey indeed!

A GLORIOUS journey, indeed!

well i am finally home from my five months in africa. and an incredible five months they were! when i left for cape town in february, i didn't expect that i would return home so changed. as i have been reflecting back over my time in africa i am overwhelmed with JOY because of how much the Father did in my heart and how much he has changed me. when i think back on my time one word keeps coming up to describe it: GLORIOUS. looking back all i can see is the Glory of God covering every second of my journey. and the good news is...no matter where our journey with the Lord takes us, he promises us that every step will be filled with his glory (his splendor and bliss), his goodness and his love. and let me tell you; my last five months were not easy. so many hard, hard moments that stretched me and pulled on my every weakness...but all i can say is it was so worth it. and as i look back on my journey, i thank God for every second because he was so near to me and has moved in my heart in ways i could have only have dreamed of! i am so in love with Jesus and i am so expectant of my life's journey with him!

when i created this blog i randomly chose the title "oh what a glorious journey." but little did i know how telling it would be of what the Lord would do in my heart. if i could chose one thing that the Lord solidified in my heart these past five months (and believe me there is an endless list to choose from) i would say that he has grown in me a deep assurance that i am my Beloved's and he is mine, and that i can fully trust him because he is taking me on a glorious journey!

here are some things that i have learned through being in CPx:

1.) i have been equipped. it has been a dream in my heart to be a part of a church planting movement...seeing disciples producing more disciples and simple churches planting more simple churches. a dynamic movement of God sweeping through a community, transforming MANY. a movement that is not dependent on me, but that will keep growing even after i leave. but i had NO idea how to do that. through what i learned in the teaching phase and then implementing it during outreach phase, i feel that tools, strategies and vision has been placed in my hands. i have seen even in just my two months in zim those dreams in my heart coming to pass! Praise the Lord! i can't wait to grow more as i live out what i have been taught!

2.) the strategy is simple. during my time in Zim the Lord taught me about the power in coming alongside people where they are to help them encounter Jesus for themselves and be transformed by relationship with him. the stategy is simple because God is more powerful than we can imagine. when people truly begin walking with him they can not help but be transformed by the love, goodness, kindness and grace of Jesus. Holy Spirit really is the best teacher and God really is the redeemer. if i can get out of people's way and simply point them to relationship with God transformation really does happen! i can trust that God will do all the hard work :) the best part is that i really did learn methods and strategies to help me introduce people to a lasting relationship with God...pretty sweet!

3.) i am secure in Jesus. a verse the Lord gave me to sum up one of the main things he did in my heart is psalms 62:1-2 "my soul finds rest in God alone; he alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress i will never be shaken." i have walked away from my time in africa so confident in who God is and who i am in him. i have never been so sure of the truth that i am important to God. the Lord has taken away all my fears, doubts and confusion and has given me a deep, sweet assurance in his love and goodness! my soul is at rest in Jesus!

4.) Jesus is the best companion. i use to be so dependent on people for their company, for my energy (i am an extreme extravert!), approval, and so much more. i had a deep need for people and a fear that i would be alone. because of my time in zim as the only single girl, i found that Jesus really is my best friend! i learned to take all my thoughts, fears, hurts, joys to him first, to process with holy spirit first and to find my acceptance in him alone! WOW. lets just say this will change a person if you start living like this! my source is in God alone!

5.) i found the key to life. (aren't you excited :) my newly adopted principle for a living a life FULL of joy, victory, and great fruit is: keep your heart alive to God. i call this the Cinderella principle. (ha cinderella is my favorite!) if you look at the story of Cinderella, she lived an oppressive and sad life. she lost everything. YET, she did not shut down her heart. she did not live from a place of bitterness and anger. she lived with great JOY, embracing life, caring for those around her, and she continued to DREAM! this is the key, (in good times and in hard, but especially in the hard times) to keep our hearts ALIVE to what God is doing and saying; choosing joy and choosing to believe God and his promises. continuing to look to him and to DREAM with him! lets choose to ALWAYS keep our hearts alive to what the good, good Father is saying and doing!

well i have said a lot, but there is still SO much more to write about! here are some pictures because they are worth a thousand words, right?!

Victoria Falls...one of the seven wonders of the world!

Me and one of my little loves, Beyonce. She would always come and snuggle up on my lap during the bible studies we had at her home.

Me and two of "the market ladies," as they call themselves! The Lord led us to this amazing group of women who work in the locals market. The Father loves them SO much!

Me and baby Leah. She is the daughter of one of our dear friends, Future.

The girls of the zim team standing in our gorgeous backyard.

We are wearing zambias (the locals' skirt of choice.)

There is a baby on my back! This is how ALL the women carry their children. oh goodness, it was a bit terrifying having a two month old baby tied on my back using a blanket!

My walking partner, Shannon and me hanging out with some elephants that were right outside one of the markets we visited a lot!

Mama Alice! We loved spending time with our african mama. We met her randomly one day and she was miraculously healed by God from chronic back pain right on the spot! We formed a wonderful friendship with mama! She is so funny!

Baptism and child dedication at our friend's home!

Chipo's place...one of our favorite bible study groups!

My roommates! Reunited after two months of being apart during outreach phase!

Oh what joy!

This is truly my family in Africa!

mike and kalyn arndt (my african parents) and my sisters from norman, rach and amanda :)

WE LOVE SOUTH AFRICA! back in cape town for debrief. we went to visit the world cup fan zone in down town cape town during our free day! The atmosphere was charged and everyone was so excited for the world cup festivities! so fun!

My roommates dressed in red, white and blue! About to go watch the USA soccer game at a restaurant with some friends!

I AM HOME! a ton of my friends and family were waiting at the airport to welcome me home! i am beyond blessed!

i want to say one more time...

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Thank you to each and every one of you that have journeyed with me these past five months. i am so blessed to have people who carry me with their prayers, financial support, encouraging words and love. none of this would have been possible without all of you... so THANK YOU! may the Lord richly bless you!

MUCH love,

whit

Mwari Wakanaka! (God is good!)

Life is wonderful here in Zimbabwe! We are staying in the community we are working in. We are staying with the Tandi family, a beautiful family who lives in Chinotimba. They are wonderful and so gracious, and have welcomed us with open arms! Things were exciting here right from the beginning. We had a special visitor our very first night! As we were preparing dinner, we suddenly heard Munya calling us to come outside…as we went running out of the house we saw that right across the street was an ELEPHANT! Our first elephant sighting and only feet from our home! Soon people from down the street came running, yelling and banging pots to get the elephant to leave (we have learned that the community does not like the elephants hanging around because they trample their gardens and eat their trees. But we sure do love them! Since then we have seen several more! And most nights we hear the people down the road yelling and banging their pots and pans running the elephants away!) Since then we have experienced a lot of the African wildlife here. One day I saw a herd of 9 elephants crossing the road, including three tiny baby elephants! We daily see baboons and warthogs roaming around town!
I really enjoy life here, living in the community and adapting to the way of life of the people. It has been so fun to become part of the community and culture, such as, learning how to cook Zimbabwean dishes, shopping at the local markets and washing my clothes by hand! I have also adopted some of the Zimbabwean fashions, such as the colorful cloth that the women wrap around their waists as skirts and getting my hair braided! I also have two Zimbabwean names that I go by here (one for each of the languages spoken here.) It really feels that our team has become integrated into the community and the way of life here in Chinotimba. No matter where we go, whether it is running to a tuck shop in Chinotimba or walking down the main street in town, we are sure to run into many of the friends we have met here (you can always hear people calling out to us with our Zim names!) This week our whole team was invited over for dinner to one of the homes that we have been having bible study with. The girls on our team spent the evening with them cooking, and then rest of the team came over later to enjoy the meal together. It was so amazing to get to spend time with the women in the home preparing the dinner. After dinner as the girls were cleaning up, we broke into an African dance party! All the women and kids in the home were packed into the small kitchen dancing for about an hour! What JOY!

The ground is so soft here and people are so hungry to know more about God. People are experiencing God in powerful ways! Entire households are coming to know the Lord and people who have just started following Jesus are taking the good news to their friends and neighbors! God is answering our prayers so quickly, such as many people are being healed and are getting jobs! I have dozens and dozens of stories I could tell you! Here is just one:
Before our team left for Zimbabwe in April, one of our friends from CPx gave us a word that he had received from the Lord. He told us that we would meet a woman named Eunice and that she would have a problem with her right leg. Since being in Chinotimba we have kept our eyes open for Eunice, but had not met even one woman named Eunice. Last Saturday morning my friend, Shannon, and I were planning on spending the day in the locals market with some friends we have met and hopefully meeting other people hungry to know God. Before we left, I felt the Lord say that we were to meet a women dressed in all lime green. When we got to the market, we began walking around. We stopped by a group of women selling (one was wearing all lime green) and began talking with them. After talking with them for a while we realized we didn’t know their names. The women in all lime green told us her name was Eunice! We then asked her if she happened to have pain in her right leg. Eunice got very serious and asked, “How did you know that?” She then told us that she had been in a car accident a year ago, injuring her right leg and that she has only began walking again a couple of months ago. We then told her about how God told us we would meet her when we were in Cape Town! She became so excited and began calling out to everyone around her. People began gathering around from all over, trying to listen to what she was telling them. They wanted to know more! We then were able to tell them that God sees them and loves them. Shannon shared her story with them and we looked at some scripture with them as well. They were so eager to know more and wanted us to come back another time to read the bible with them! This past Saturday, we went back to have a bible study with them. Eunice told us that her leg was feeling much better! (We are continuing to believe that God has a full healing for her!) We then spent time with the group of women who sell in that area and studied the parable of the prodigal son. The women were so hungry and open, and were really teaching one another. One of the women told us that she had fallen away from the Lord and after reading this scripture, she wants to start following him again. We told them that they could pray and read the Word together any time they wanted. They then told us that none of them had bibles. That morning the Lord told me to bring one of our extra bibles, so we were able to give them that bible! They were so excited and wanted us to write in the front of the bible that it was the “Market Ladies Bible!” They said that now they can study together every day! For many of them it was their first time to read the bible for themselves. We walked back by them later that day and they were reading the bible we gave them! We are believing for a movement to be started in the market of people experiencing the Lord for themselves and sharing with one another!
Me and the beautiful waterfalls!


Here is a picture of my friend’s nephew. He was in the middle of a bath! He looked so cute sitting in the bucket!

Here is me and Shannon with our friend's five daughters! We love this family so much!


Our friend with the five daughters taught me and shannon how to kill a chicken! Oh dear!

My friend Shannon sitting in our friend’s home.

This is me sitting in front of our home in Chinotimba!


I am learning so much here and the Lord is doing so much in my heart as well! He is really teaching me what it means to find my joy and contentment in him alone. It has been a really sweet time of growing deeper in love with Jesus and learning more and more my identity as the Lord’s Beloved!

Thank you to each of you who have given me so much love and support! I could not be here without you! If you would like to read more about my time in Zim, here is the CPx blog site: http://www.cpxoutreach.posterous.com). All the All Nations teams have posted to this blog, so here are the titles of the blog postings for my Zimbabwe team! (We are Filled with Joy!, Mwari Vedu Vanonzwa Vanhu! (God hears his people!), Mwari Wakanaka! (God is good!),
Pressing Into the More!, The harvest is plentiful in Zim!) Enjoy!

MUCH love and joy,

whit