The Junkie-Christmas 2010-YWAM-Perth, Australia

It was about 11pm on a warm night in Perth city. We(YWAM) were out in the Christmas decorative streets telling people testimonies and hanging out with the night owls having a fun time. My friend Manny and I saw a homeless young aboriginal woman sitting with a suitcase hidden near an evlevator in the street. We decided to go talk to her and just hear how she got there. However, when we got closer we saw she was just about to shoot up Heroin so obviously its pretty unwise to interupt a junkie about to get a fix. Instead we decided to back off for now and Manny knowing I really wanted to talk to her and wasnt afraid warned me "seriously you better not go over there right now" I agreed...for the moment. Manny decided to go find someone who could check her into a rehab and I prayed for her. I asked the Lord what He thought of her and He told me, He told me to tell her aswell. After sometime Manny came back but no one was around to help.
Later when we all decided to go back to the YWAM base, a leader and I began to walk to the Metro and we were passing the elevator with the young junkie. I felt the Spirit just land on me in love and He told me to go talk to her, "We cant leave yet, I have to talk to her" I said turning around. I knelt down on my knees about 3ft from where she sat next to her suitcase. I noticed she hadnt yet shot up because there might have been an air bubble in the needle and she was trying to run in through to clear it. She wouldnt look at me, she was angry and had her defense up, it seemed as if she was preparing to fight. I knew she had been really hurt and rejected plus being aboriginal makes rejection so much greater because of the racism in Australia. I said a quick prayer and the Spirit suddenly began to speak through me. I began with telling her my name and that Papa God told me to come tell her something He's wanted her to know for some time now. I told her that she wasn't forgotten by God and He see's her hurt and the times shes cried alone, that He has cried with her. "It was never Papa Gods will or desire that you went through the pain you've gone through and to be on the streets." At this time i got her full attention. She was now looking deeply into my eyes, stopped messing with her needle with face expression softened and curious...it was hitting home." You are not worthless, you arent stuck. once an addict not always an addict, theres more for you then this, your so important this isnt the end for you. He told me to come tell you this because He calls you His daughter, you belong to Him and He has not forgotten about you because He loves you. If He didnt love you He wouldnt have told me to come tell you this."

I then told her about a rehab home called The Esther Foundation that takes in women off the streets who are addicts, prostitues, abandoned etc...and gets them back on their feet by loving them back to life with Papa Gods love. I told her if she wanted more then where she was I would get her the number to call the Esther Foundation. I said, "Be here tomarrow at this time and Ill have the number to call, I promise Ill be here wait for me."

For the first time she responded, "Yeah Ill be here, Ill be right here".

Smiling I replied, "ok Ill see you tomarrow. whats your name?"

"my name is -----"

"It was really nice to meet you -----, have a great night, see you tomarrow".

Looking me in the eyes smiling big she said, "Thank you".

The next day I had the Esther Foundation information but when i got into the city there was a huge street event happening and she was no where to be found. It was understandable because the police would have taken her to jail. It really broke my heart because I knew she wanted God, she wanted to be loved. So from then on everytime I went out into the city i brought the Esther Foundation info incase I saw her...but I never saw her again.

This testimony is my favorite, I cannot get it off my mind especailly this Christmas. As I was typing this out I asked the LORD why this meant so much to me, I asked Him why I couldnt get it off my mind. He told me the reason it was so on my heart was because it was so on His heart. He told me "I brought this up to your heart because its around the same time you talked to her last year and I wanted you to know that this testimony is the real Christmas Story. Its the very heart of God. Its why I came to you." He told me the same way I went to that junkie is the same reason He came to us. He came to tell us that He hasnt forgotten us, even in our pain. It was never His will those bad things happend to us. That you arent worthless, you arent stuck. That theres more for you then where your at because He loves you and desires you to live the way you were created to live...loved. You are important because you are His, you belong.

This story was not written just for someone who isnt close to God. It was written to remind EVERYONE of who they really are and what Papa God actually thinks of them.  We all have an image of what we think of ourselves but like that beautiful junkie on the streets we all need to be reminded of who God says we really are and how loved we are because you will always act out of who you think you are so if we would believe who God says we are then we will act out of that identity...we would live loved and full of Joy.

BROKENESS

 Brokenness is the best way to describe my heart right now in this season of being home. Not at all do I speak out of a place of ungratefulness, rather I speak from a place of exposure of the heart. Deep, dark wounds surface to the most outward parts of me. Yet even in the midst of all the pain, I feel a love that empowers and overcomes me. I feel Papa God ripping open the core of me while He caters to my every need. I hear the heart of the Father crying out, "Arise My love, and come away!" as He gently pulls away a false identity. Brokenness hurts, but the over powering intimacy Im experiencing gives grace. He's so close to me He could kiss me! He whispers softly in my ear, "Beloved! My gentleness made you great"(2 Samuel 22:36). I feel completely out of control except this time Im not afraid. I never knew this longing heart of mine could feel so secure and full of hope with the peace that surrender brings. Now I'm beginning to understand God's faithfulness to His Beloved; because healing is here and freedom is no longer a distant thing in my heart.


 "Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side, I will not fear. The Lord appeared to me, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore i have continued my faithfulness to you Beloved. Again I will build you, and you shall be built. Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be my everlasting light, and my days of mourning shall be ended!"

"PRAISE THE LORD, ALL NATIONS! EXTOL HIM, ALL PEOPLES! FOR GREAT IS HIS STEADFAST LOVE TOWARDS US, AND THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER."

"PRAISE THE LORD!"

TESTIMONIES

As you know I'm on outreach in Perth, Australia partnering with YWAMPerths ministries that reach out to this community. Below are some ministries and quick testimonies of how God has been moving here.

Pathways- Is a ministry that reaches out to an immigrant community called Mirabooka. Ive been doing evangelism door to door, in the malls and house visits. Currently I am meeting and praying with a Muslim woman from Malaysia. She is a really loving person and I'm learning so much about her culture and her beliefs. I'm learning how to show her God's personal character to her through my actions and words.The woman says she feels very blessed that a Christian woman would be friends with a Muslim woman even though there are different beliefs.

ARMS-Australian Relief Ministry Service is a ministry that reaches out to families in crisis by cleaning, shopping, babysitting, listening etc... . We cleaned a elderly woman's house who lives alone and cant get the strength to manage her house. I got talking to her about family and she opened right up. She was telling me how her and her daughters relationship fell apart after she divorced her husband and its been bad ever since. God told me to tell her my testimony of when I used to despise my mother when I was younger and how God brought me through it. I prayed for her and she got tears in her eyes and thanked me for sharing. The next day she called our YWAM base and thanked us because we were such a blessing to her. It was so amazing to hear how blessed she was.

Trio- Is a ministry that meets with the poor, broken and needy. One night while we were out we met a young boy sitting on some stairs. We got to know him a bit and I realised we had alot in common with our past. He believes there is a higher power and that it created us and everything using science but not that it is a personal higher power. So we asked him how could a impersonal higher power create a personal being? This really got him thinking and he really seemed to enjoy talking to us feeling loved.

We also do evangelism with the whole base going out into the city. Taking the students out and helping them learn and connect with people blessing them. Actually one night when we weren't even out that night doing evangelism Jobi and I went out to go skating and there was a guy my age walking alone. I really felt the Lord telling me to talk with him. As we did we eventually invited back to Jobi's house for some food, water, and a little guitar jamming. He later asked why we were being so nice when we don't even know him. I told him how God told me to just befriend him and he began to open up. He was presently homeless and struggling with some broken family relationships. So we shared with him about God's love, acceptance, and transformation in our lives and the love God has towards him. He was totally captivated by what we were saying because it appeared he never heard that God was so personal. He was a really nice fun guy with a HUGE heart, I'm really glad we got to talk and pray with him.

Thank you again for all your prayers and support it has really been effective in reaching out with God's love. Please continue to pray for me and my team. I'm helping staff a teen camp for a week and a half starting Wednesday so I will have some more updates on how that goes.

Much Love,
Bree

Christmas Revelation

Wow I haven't updated my blog in a while it’s been a busy December trusting God for finances(which God provided for everything PRAISE THE MASTER!) and with Christmas going on it was kind of crazy around here. Hope you all had a really great Christmas with your family's and all the wonderful food and for some, the freezing yet sparkling snow. I miss the snow and Christmas lights. I have been in YWAM since 2008 so I have missed 3yrs of the winter back over in Minnesota. Speaking of Christmas I had some crazy revelation this year. Even though being away from my family for Christmas can be pretty heart breaking at times I'm learning more of what Christmas focus should be. Sometimes being with family with all the gifts and great food I lose focus of Jesus. Most the time I don't even realize it because I’ve never not been with them until I’ve been partnering with YWAM. When we find ourselves in different circumstances and situations that sometimes seem disappointing God uses it for good. He uses those times so we can experience His character on a deeper level that we wouldn't have had revelation of if we weren't put in that situation. Like when we suffer it really can be hard and hurtful but know that He suffered too so in our suffering we can choose to experience Him on a deeper level of comfort then if we never had suffering come in our lives. I don't believe God wills us to suffer, but I do believe God wills us to experience Him through the pain. My challenge this Christmas was feeling lonely and discontent because I wasn't with my family. In doing this I stripped Jesus of what He did on the cross by bathing in those feelings of rejection and ungratefulness. It’s ok to miss your family and be bummed you can’t be with them but it’s not ok when those feelings move into ungratefulness. Jesus went through loneliness and rejection from everything He loved. Everyone abandoned Him, but He went through it so we wouldn't have to. After getting this revelation I did quite a bit of repenting because He promised to never leave us which means I’m never alone. He promised He fills all our hearts desires and needs. So really it came down to me being ungrateful and believing a lie that I'm alone then bathing in feelings of loneliness. This Christmas I really had revelation what a risk God took in sending His Son for us, trusting a 13yr old girl to carry and protect Jesus. It really shows you the character of God that He was serious when He made us His children and He was serious about adopting us back to Him. What hope Jesus was by coming for us. "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas songs. It expresses what happened when He came for us and how are hearts respond to Jesus birth when we have revelation of it.

“O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!”

Ill have more updates about Evangelism on New Years Eve with testimonies and encouragement. Love you guys. God bless

Briauna