my new home!

LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA: week 1

Here is a run down of my first week:

• I arrived last Saturday evening safe and sound in south africa! The Lord was SO good to me and was so near during my 24 hour solo trip across the world. I had such traveling mercies... so much favor where needed, kind people, lots of sleep and on time flights! I was greeted at the airport by brandon and julianna jones (a couple from norman community who participated in CPx with me last year) and they even had a yummy smoothie waiting for me!
• I unfortunately got a stomach bug on my second day here! ugh! nothing worse than being sick in a new place, but it only lasted a day and half and I was completely better by wednesday! Thank the Lord!
• This week was 'At Home Week' where all of All Nations family gets together to kick off the new year. Floyd invited Ken Primrose (the pastor of my church, Norman Community Church) to come and speak/equip the All Nation's long termers in functioning in the power of the Holy Spirit (healing, prophesy, etc.) What a JOY to have my two spiritual families in one place!!!
• I LOVE WHERE I AM LIVING! i am so unbelievably thankful for the arndts inviting me to live in their home. I am also so thankful for Amy who is living with us as well. We knew each other in high school, but haven't seen much of each other since then. But we get along SO well! We are sharing a car and both working with Vulnerable Children. We have so much fun together, she is such a generous and warm person, and I just really enjoy being around her! Thank you Jesus for giving me such an amazing house mate and friend here!
• I am so expectant for this year and all that it holds! Excitement and vision are bursting within me! This week I will begin to settle into more normal life, so more updates to come!

Me and my house mate, Amy!

The other day we were trying to have a family meeting with the arndts, but it kept being interrupted by a huge troop of VERY persistent baboons!!! They kept coming back over and over, even though mike was shooting at them with his slingshot! T.I.A! (this is africa! :)

Me and Amy in front of our really cute (and old) bug! I am so thankful that I was able to buy a car, now I just need to learn to drive it! (Luckily Amy can drive it!) I had my first driving lesson yesterday to learn how to drive a stick shift. It went well but I need a few more lessons before I drive on my own!

A few of my friends from All Nations on a hike on our day off! I am constantly in awe of how beautiful south africa is! So thankful for fun adventures with great people!

happy monday to you all!

love,

whit

south africa...

...here i come!

i depart from tulsa on friday january 14th at 12:49 pm on a 24 hour journey to my home for the next year! what a blessing and honor to have you along for the ride! please stay tuned for more updates as i settle into life in cape town, south africa!

with love,

whit

WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST!

{a call for financial resources to send faithful disciples in Zimbabwe to All Nations training school!}

"He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,

to send out workers into his harvest field."

Luke 10:2

I am so happy to share that three Zimbabweans that we met during out outreach during teaching phase of CPx (the training school I was apart of) will be participating in CPx 2011 in Cape Town!!! What a joy to know that we truly found what Jesus spoke about when he talked about "people of peace;" men and women who are truly hungry for the Kingdom of God and faithful to respond to his voice. They are people of influence in their community and who will take the hope of Jesus they have found and bring it to the people in their lives. They are people who are ready to be empowered to discover Jesus for themselves, share it with others and in turn raise up more people who will do the same! These four Zimbabweans have been discipled by and in close relationship with Munya, the long-term All Nations worker in Zimbabwe. We know them well and are deeply proud of their faith and their sacrifice!

THEY NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!

As most of you know Zimbabwe is recovering from a devastating economic collapse These men and women barely have the means to provide for basic needs. So they have no means to raise what to them is an astronomical sum...BUT GOD PROVIDES!

LOGISTICS

They pay everything they can to be a student, meager as it is… and they also participate in student work programs.

The cost for tuition, room and board (held at Africa House, our training center), training materials, outreach expenses, etc., is $3,000 per person for the entire six months of training. This $3,000 ($500 per month) will equip a passionate man or woman to reach others for Christ––offering hope so others might find new life.

Anything the Lord lays on your heart would be a tremendous blessing to help these potential world changers - $125 would cover a week of training; $500 a month; every $3,000 will cover the entire training for a disciple ready to dedicate their life to full-time ministry.

We are so blessed to have abundant resources! Let us help send the faithful who are hungry to see their communities and nation transformed by Jesus to be equipped to do so! If you feel stirred to do so I have enclosed giving info below!

I AM LEAVING JANUARY 14TH FOR SOUTH AFRICA! MORE UPDATES TO COME AS I MOVE AND GET SETTLED IN TO MY NEW HOME FOR THE YEAR!!!

with love,

whit

*you can make checks out to ALL NATIONS (with a note saying 'for student scholarships') and send to:

All Nations Support, c/o Walsh and Washburn, Attn: Terri Yost

5360 College Boulevard, Suite, 100,

Overland Park, Kansas 66211

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