Details about Encounter Worship Camp 2012

If you haven’t already, please check out the previous Rwanda updates. They share some thoughts and stories. Thanks to my sister, Stacy, who posted the updates while I was gone.

It’s so challenging to encapsulate the trip that I just experienced. I wish that you could’ve seen the faces that told such stories without a single word spoken, the embraces that communicated that His Word had resonated so much with their hearts, the tears that God graciously brought to our eyes throughout the conference, the prayer of blessing that was shared from one generation to another.

Rwanda, a land that was torn apart by horrid violence, is in the process of rebuilding. Our time was focused in the capital city of Kigali…a city decimated by the genocide in 1994 when 800,000 people were brutally killed in the span of just 3 months. More people than that were killed in the history of the war and many were displaced and forced into refugee camps. The buildings in the city don’t show signs of war anymore, but the hearts and the faces of some of the people still do. I have the utmost regard for these people who have lived through such atrocities and survived. There are efforts to rebuild this nation – and it’s happening. There is outward rebuilding and by God’s grace, there is inward rebuilding and restoration!

The trip was very multi-faceted and included speaking at the host church, leading worship, getting to pray and talk with individuals, spending time with beautiful people at their homes and cell group, visiting the Mercy Homes – homes for women with AIDS, helping students at the school with an art project, speaking at the Shine Women’s Conference, and a quick trip to the beautiful Lake Kivu.

I posted pictures and captions that will better describe the trip.

Let me share a few highlights:

One girl came up to me after I spoke about Joseph and the development of his destiny which included forgiving his brothers after being separated from his past for 21 years. We looked at the fact that this leader in Egypt allowed himself to weep and go through the process of forgiveness. She said that she would weep, but didn’t understand that it wasn’t good enough to just weep – she had to forgive!

After speaking on the development of destiny in Naomi and Ruth’s life, I asked the young women 35 and under to come up to the front. About 75% of the women in the room came to the front…more than half of the room was under 35 years old! Because of what the nation has been through, it is full of young people that need the influence of the older generation. What an amazing site to see the older women come forward and grab an arm-full of young women and begin to pray for them, and then for the younger to pray and bless the older. We need each other!

A woman shared with me that God had recently spoken to her that He wanted to “rename” her life…a life that had been so marked by death, He wanted to change its name. She asked Him to confirm what He was saying. One of the sessions included how God renames our destinies.

Getting to pray with women who felt like God was far away from them and they didn’t know if He intended good things towards them.

Getting to pray with a woman – that God would open her womb and give her children!

I saw a precious older woman sitting at the altar, wiping her tears with the beautiful fabric from her dress. I knew that those tears were costly!

God allowed us to share lives, stories, moments, and memories with incredible people!

“…But I thank God that He has used you to restore my hope. Now I am determined to move on and wait on Him to empower me…” (continuation of the letter at the beginning of the entry)

Here are some thoughts that I had written to some of my friends before I left Rwanda…

“To sum it up….I am overwhelmed at how amazing this trip has been! Every single aspect had His fingerprint on it!

My only dilemma now…saying good-bye (for now at least) to a place that He has put in my heart! I don’t know how, but He’s given me an even deeper love and burden for this place and these people! We met so many incredible people and I would even say made some true friends…from all over the world.

In a few minutes we will head out for one last meal with some of those new friends. Our bags are packed, but part of our hearts are somehow being left behind.”

Till next time…

Contrasts.  Seems to be a theme.  Today they visited the Genocide Memorial.  Even being her second time there, Steph felt the disbelief, horror, and deep sadness the Rwandan people have suffered.  “It is heartbreaking, yet there is hope.” Contrasts.

Tomorrow begins the “Daughters of Destiny” women’s conference.  God challenged me to pray for the dead to be raised.   I’m praying for dead hearts, minds, emotions, dreams, and hopes to be raised.  As Steph said, pray that these women would “know His healing…that silence will give way to tears and tears make room for laughter.”

I look forward to sharing some amazing “contrast resolution” stories with you.  Death to life.  Empty to full.  Shattered to whole.  Sorrow to joy.  Bitterness to forgiveness.  Repentance to refreshment.  Thank you for your prayers!

Steph and Jen arrived safely, with all luggage in tow, Saturday afternoon (our time).  Steph spoke Sunday morning to a wonderful church.  In her words, “The people are amazing!”  After a message in the Word, a beautiful time of worship and celebration exploded in the place.  Men and women were “grabbing the flags of their countries…over at least 20 nations represented.”  They started “running around with them in celebration, declaring God’s glory over their countries.  It was quite a sight as we celebrated!”

Please continue to pray for the upcoming Ladies’ Conference.  Many more have signed up, and the initial planning meetings have gone very well.  Today is spent with the missionary, his wife, and their daughter.  Please pray for a time of rest, encouragement, and health.

Thank you everyone for praying for my sister!  And, as a true younger sister, I’m asking the Lord to drive her just a little bonkers with that very talkative parrot. 

The students were incredible and from our first worship time together, I was blown away by the intensity of His Presence! Honestly, it took me off guard. That morning after hanging out with Him in worship, we talked for a few minutes about the importance of listening. That was a central theme throughout the weekend both musically and spiritually. You can’t be a musician without listening to what you and those around you are playing. The best musicians have a disciplined ear! Likewise, you can’t be a worshipper or a worship leader without listening to Him and hearing what He’s “playing!”

Okay, before this turns into a very long narrative, let me share with you some of my personal highlights.

*Watching the students jump into worship – and worship they did!

*Watching the students interact with their instructors during “team time” – the hands-on training time when they practiced and learned about playing together. I heard a definite improvement from one day to the next!

*Watching them do their team-building activities – learning the importance of working together and encouraging one another!

*Watching Bobby (our drum instructor) set-up three drum kits on the platform, and seeing the drummers get hands-on training from an incredible drummer. (We had sectionals for all of the instruments there – it was cool!)

*Friday night….I loved Friday night! Worship was sweet!!! After worship, I spoke on Breaking out of our boxes and Breaking into our potential. At the end, we encouraged everyone to write the labels of their boxes on a piece of paper, then crumple them up and throw them into our big box at the front of the room, signifying that they were throwing away the labels and things that have contained them. In exchange for the labels, they received a glow stick. Breaking isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, breaking is a necessary thing when it comes to a glow stick. Glow sticks don’t glow until you break them. Before they broke their glow sticks, though, we encouraged them to listen to who He says they are and write that down. Then, they broke their glow stick, symbolizing that they would break into their potential. All of that was amazing, but even more, was the hour that I watched everyone soaking in His Presence during that exchange time, seeing tears flow down their cheeks, writing, listening, praying for one another, worshipping, and coming into a place of recognizing His acceptance and love of who they are and who He intends them to be. I don’t know that I’ll soon forget that site.

*Saturday afternoon was another beautiful moment as Jen Shawley, my co-leader, and I tag-teamed to speak on the power of our song. We gave them a stone and challenged them to never let a stone steal their song. We prayed with each student individually and watched Him do some amazing things!

I’m grateful for His unusual – okay – “weird” ideas! What a great weekend He gave us!