Update #83

“I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do---yes, they will do even greater things" John 14:12

The Indonesian Venture Team prepping for white water river rafting on Saturday

“The Holy Spirit is for conviction only. The gifts listed in I Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, languages) aren’t for the modern church – they were for the believers in Acts so they could spread the gospel to the world. That stuff doesn’t happen today.”

Does the above statement ring true with you? Is this your belief as well? If you laughed when you read the opening paragraph you won’t have too look far to find those who do subscribe to this philosophy – most of the Western Church sees the Holy Spirit this way.

Have you ever had the uncanny inkling to call someone? Have you ever left the house only to realize that you forgot something and went back to get it? Have you ever been niggled to bring something extra on a trip only to have someone need it? Have you ever read something and have it come to mind later when you are speaking to someone? Have you ever been praying and had a picture pop into your mind? Have you ever just “known” something and not know how you “know”? Have you ever just “bumped” into someone and after parting felt that it was just what you needed – they said just what you needed to hear?

All of these instances have the sweet scent of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit does convict, warn, caution, advise against, counsel and forewarn – but it does so much, much, much more.

Jesus said in John 14 that if we believe in him we will be able to do what he did – actually he said that we will do even greater things than he did! What did Jesus do? He healed the sick, raised the dead, prophesied into people’s lives, he walked on water, escaped danger, had foreknowledge of events, supernatural wisdom, and loved the unlovely…

Jesus was fully man – who was filled by God’s Holy Spirit enabling him to do the signs and wonders that marked his ministry. If you are a Christ follower, if you have accepted Christ as your savior, then Holy Spirit dwells in you and the same power Jesus had is yours as well. If you are following my logic, you can heal the sick, you can raise the dead, you can you prophesy, you can have supernatural wisdom, and yes, you can even walk on water. The key is having the Holy Sprit and following his leading.

Lately I have been reading incredible books telling stories of what God has been doing: Beyond the Veil (China late 1940’s), The Heavenly Man (China modern day), The Mighty Wind (Indonesia 1970’s), The Happiest People on Earth (Los Angeles 20th Century), and More than Enough (England and Africa, modern day). I have attended conferences and met people who are healing the sick, raising the dead and one man had experienced transportation like Philip in the New Testament! I have talked to people who God has healed of cancer, have had their stomach and intestines rebuilt, who have seen, danced and spoken with angels and a few who have spoken to Jesus face to face!

I was sharing this with a friend who had a hard time believing that God is still interested and active in today’s world. “Either you are crazy or this stuff is really happening.” Um, I am not crazy.

God is still interested. God is still active. And God wants to be known by the world – in fact, it is our job to reveal him to them. It is a really hard mandate to carry out on our own – but with the Holy Spirit is in not only easy but tons of FUN!

Updates:
Living – I am living with my relatives, but the Johnsons have made an offer on a property in Los Gatos (close date, October 28th) and so I will be moving in the next few months. Check out the blog for details http://campus.inst.net/
Work – Travel season is winding to an end. We are all on our way home, I and Rebecca are taking a short detour through Thailand before we head back to California. The Indonesian venture was an incredible success and we had several miracles occur. See the team blog for more details www.repurposing.biz/jakarta-november-2008/
Purpose – I wasn’t able to raise a committed intercessor team. BUT, I believe that several clients and consultants “tasted and saw” prayer in a much different and more powerful way and because of that are praying more themselves. I count that as a victory!
Travel – heading to Thailand, then the long journey home to California. I will be in Seattle for Christmas.

Requests:
Housing – the house on the property will need remodeling/updating before anyone takes residence so I will be staying with my ever-so-gracious relatives for a bit longer (Praise God for them!) – hopefully the March timeframe will bring a move to the new rēp Bay Area Headquarters.
Work – please pray for my return home that I will be effective and efficient in my processes – I have quite the back log to attend to! Finances to process, consultant records to update and send, email to address, etc…as well as my personal mail and finances!
Travel – please pray for me as I travel. I have a really strange flight path. Please ask that my luggage arrive WITH me, that my luggage remains “underweight,” that my cold dissipates so I don’t have problems on the plane, and that I am able to sleep a bit.
Financing – I rely solely on donor support. If these devotions have touched you, caused you to see God differently, or altered your outlook on life AND you are interested in contributing toward my day-to-day needs or to my travel fund, please see ‘Contribute’ at http://www.repurposing.biz/ on the left of the page, or visit http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/ and read the footer for additional info.

Blessings,

Dena

PS. Happy Birthday Allie G! and Happy Thanksgiving to the Americans.

Update #82

“Offspring of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

Bandung Blitz Team - minus Lyn (Starting at Noon - Samuel, Dena, Errol, Felly, Giman, Amy, Lina, Brett)

I have a friend who lives in Japan. Luckily he publishes a blog (http://shinbikkuri3.wordpress.com/) so I can keep up with the “happenings” in his life. Not too long ago, he posted an interesting article his girlfriend gave him. It was about a rice experiment.


Two identical bowls were filled with cooked rice and covered. One was labeled ‘baka’ (idiot, fool, stupid) and the other ‘arigatou’ (thanks). For ten days they were picked up and spoken to - one received the word ‘baka’ repeatedly, and the other, ‘arigatou’. At the end of the experiment the bowls were opened the ‘baka’ bowl contained black, disgusting rice; the ‘arigatou’ bowl, normal rice. The scientists discovered that the ‘baka’ rice had a genetic change in structure.



Wow. If that is what happens to rice can you imagine what happens to a human spirit when it is spoken harshly to over and over and over again? I was in the supermarket the other day and heard a mother speak harshly to her little boy about being stupid, dumb, and thoughtless – I cringed inside. I can only imagine what his spirit was doing.



Humans have a propensity for criticism verses praise. How dark are we making our, and others spirits by speaking in a fault-finding, judgmental, derogatory, unfavorable, disapproving, and unsympathetic manner? I don’t think there is a way our spirit can stay “white” if we speak darkness - for Christ said that out of the mouth our heart speaks.



Updates:
Living – I am living with my relatives, but the Johnsons have made an offer on a property in Los Gatos (close date extended until the end of November due to the owners requesting an extension) and so I will be moving in the next few months. Check out the blog for details http://campus.inst.net/
Work – I am currently in Jakarta, Indonesia in the middle of a rēp venture check the website for details of the goings on (http://www.repurposing.biz/jakarta-november-2008/) – three miracles occurred on Wednesday, November 12, 2008! Whoo Hoo.
Pictures - I have posted pictures on my Facebook account – as it takes too long to post here…if you aren’t on Facebook and want a peek let me know!
Travel – heading to Thailand in about 12 days, then back to California, then onto Seattle for Christmas.

Requests:
Housing – the house on the property will need remodeling/updating before anyone takes residence so a place close to it would be ideal…for me and for the Johnsons.



Work – Ventures are very exciting but can be exhausting…and some of us have less iron-clad stomachs than others! The locals have been very good to screen what I eat (No Dena…too hot for you! No Dena, make you very, very ill.) – I have only misstepped once and I felt there were eight foot flames shooting out of my mouth! My lips stung for hours afterward…I will definitely listen to Pak Giman and Ba Felly! I have to say the desserts here are phenomenal – as well as the hospitality. The Indonesians are a very kind, caring, compassionate, gentle people who are very service oriented – and you will never go hungry around this crowd! I feel all I do is eat!

Please continue to pray for the consultants and our clients. We are making breakthrough in a lot of areas and lives are being changed. There are some stubborn areas of blindness and pride that are taking a bit longer to surrender but I feel it is just a matter of time!

The Indian Blitz starts next week and the consultants are enroute…please remember them as they travel! Kim is being eaten alive by mosquitos…even with repellant! If you could pray supernatural bug spray her way I know she would appreciate it!

Also, we need a training lead for the next cycle (February start)…we won’t train without this person in place and need God to bring them in soon!

Purpose – I have been tasked to pioneer the rēp intercession effort in Indonesia. I have had one local lady come in each day (thank you Susanti) – but “one” is not much of a team to leave behind…thanks for your prayers on this point!



Financing – I rely solely on donor support. If these devotions have touched you, caused you to see God differently, or altered your outlook on life AND you are interested in contributing toward my day-to-day needs or to my travel fund, please see ‘Contribute’ at http://www.repurposing.biz/ on the left of the page, or visit http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/ and read the footer for additional info.

Blessings,

Dena

PS Happy birthday to my Mom and to Jodie!

Update #81A

Updates:
Travel – after 54 hours of transit, I made it to Jakarta! Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

1. I got to SFO on time and through security without issue.

2. Delayed departure due to an engine issue – the plane took off around 1am Friday

3. Friday 3:30am, a HUGE engine fire occurs and we are emergently re-routed to Albuquerque, NM – with three fire engines and guys in puffy silver haz-matty fire resistant suits following us down the runway…it was like a movie!

4. 6 hour layover in NM and (long story short) was re-routed through LA (Shirley McLain and her dog Terri were on that flight), Tokyo, Hong Kong, Malaysia and then finally JKT.

my sleeping bench in Hong Kong airport

5. My bags were on different flights from me and were supposed to arrive in Hong Kong before me…but didn’t…unfortunately I didn’t discover this until after I had exited through security (another long story short), I ended up spending the night in the airport lobby – in amongst the jack hammering construction crews! Ha!

6. THEN I discovered that the Indonesian Government won’t let you into the country unless you have a return ticket already purchased…I didn’t…running to Cathay Pacific counter to purchase my ticket to Thailand…

7. FINALLY I boarded the plane to KL and JKT.
8. Nice guy on the final leg that showed me where to get my temporary visa (different on Sunday afternoon I guess).
9. I was picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel.
10. Lyn outfitted me with an outfit complete with shoes and I finally was able to shower and brush my teeth!
11. My luggage arrived Monday afternoon! Whoo hoo!
Traffic in Jakarta - there are only two lanes!
Work – we spent Monday meeting with past clients and reviewing their scorecards…then drove 4 hours to Bandung. Now we are staying in a lovely hotel in the North suburbs of the city taking clients through our Foundational Principles product.

Below: Jakarta and me with my 10-P Booster client Handoko

Financing – I rely solely on donor support. If you are interested in contributing toward my day-to-day needs or to my travel fund, please see ‘Contribute’ at http://www.repurposing.biz/ on the left of the page, or visit http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/ and read the footer for additional info.

Safely from Bandung, Indonesia!

Dena