When sleep is sneaky

The last 3 nights I haven’t been able to sleep until 5am, 4am and last night 3am. I would like to think its something to do with God bringing great Revelation in the night, but it’s got more to do with my body refusing to come back to GMT. I got back from very sunny California last week, after a (yes another) trip to see my friends and family in Redding.


The first week the monsoon got sidetracked and came to visit northern California. It brought snow with it and blocking all the mountain passes into Redding and making life a little tricky for the thousands of people headed to Redding for the bi-annual Jesus Culture. The 3000 seat civic centre was sold out as was Bethel’s 1000 seat auditorium which was getting the conference over live feed. There was even an overflow for the overflow for the 700 students at Bethel this year. Sometimes it’s just great to be in the middle of thousands of young burning one’s hungry for revival in their cities and streets. I didn’t get a new kidney at this jesusculture, but that’s a good thing – I don’t want to be a 3 kidney freak!

The following 2 weeks were hitting the 70’s (yes F) and the world gleamed as only it can in spring after the rain has left the world green and lush. Me and a couple of friends made a trip to the coast to see the giant redwoods. We had the best weekend ever seeing the trees that I’ve dreamt of seeing for years (God listens to our dreams guys). They really are incredible, as is the coffee (jitter bean Mexican mocha- mmmm) and the little old towns of the coast. I also made a day trip down to San Fran, where I drove around with a car full of hippies, listening to sweet hippie tunes and finding finds in the thrift stores of the Height St district. So fun.

me inside a giant tree:
It was just so good to reconnect, see babies born (welcome to the world Jehu Aaronson!), see the miraculous (many diamonds are appearing there at the moment and people getting healed of cancer) and get healed (very painful foot injury). The mountains are still glorious, the worship still powerful, the presence still sweet, the friendships still awesome and the revelation still bring life.

Back from the (former) USSR

why do all my titles have to be cheesy references to somthin or other? oh well ;)



OK news from Poland...


So i got back home yesterday afternoon having not slept for 31 hours and managed to stay awakes another 8! i am officially a staying awake genius :)

But lesser news (!!) ...

me and my 3 intrepid companions, traveled 1372 miles in a circle around western Poland visiting 7 churches. We connected with 3 out of a group of 5 church leaders that are pressing into this move of the spirit. Though great apostolic fathers they were very humble in asking us to share with them more on healing and a culture of healing. the message was simple and the ministry powerful. my favorite times were when we could teach them how to pray and make them the ministry team - that was so much fun!

we also ran healing rooms in most places we went, which i found very draining to begin with as the way the team ministered was very different to Bethel culture and we had no time out to get refilled. But after easing up our schedule and being able to operate more freely beacause we had to work more on our own (due to high demand) - it got so much easier! so thank you for your prayers - they were powerful and effective!

we saw many impossible cases which were tough but well suited to a God of the impossible. With some we didn't see an instant miracle and thats always hard, but it's a part of the deal while we are still taking the ground and has to fuel us towards greater breakthrough. However, we were working with a BIG God and so we got to see many awesome miracles :)

One of my favorite was a boy of 12 who had no arches in his feet! Just a couple of months ago i saw the first person get thier arches restored, after hearing testimonies from Bill's trip to Australia. so i just new that God could fix this boys feet. it took about 5 miniutes, first the left one got raised and then the right. The boy's mum alternated between laughing and crying as she measured the difference. Before, she couldn't get her fingers underneath the feet at all and by the end she could get three. His feet looked perfect! This boy escaped from a life of back damage and pain, all because we have a God that is good and powerful!

We also encountered a large degree of emotional healing needs from a nation that is culturised by a long and recent history of oppression, fear and horrific war. We saw many people get freed of depression, fear and anxiety (which also released many physically healings in their bodies).

on the first night we met one young girl who had been brought up in an alcoholic abusive home and recently abandoned by her parents. she couldn't look at our male team members and was scared and depressed. I simply told her what God thought of her and we got to pray for her. She was filled with the love and Spirit of God and her whole countenance and spirit changed in front of us. Over the next 3 days she spent more time on the carpet and received more of the spirit from others in the church. She was so full of joy and light it was incredible. Sweet, sweet Jesus!

Poland was awesome. I so loved getting to pray for some these sweet people. If touch is your love language then go to Poland - you will get so many big real hugs you will be giddy! I loved connecting with so many influential leaders, eager for more of God. Things are moving in Poland. 'Poland for Jesus' is growing and bringing new life to this nation. They told me that the Polish spirit is something very unique. Once they believe in something, they get completely sold out - mind, soul, spirit and body. They told me how when the pope died, 2 million Poles got in their cars and drove towards the Vatican. No one told them to and many never got there as they were stuck in traffic jams of Poles across Austria! my friend drove accross Poland that day and didn't see another car until he got to the german border, because Poland was empty of cars! I have made some friends that I hope to know forever.

The strength and devotion of the Polish spirit, once caught by the Spirit of God would be an unstoppable force.

Well guys - i love you and I'm so grateful for your prayers that sustained me.

Keep Burning,

Sarah

From Poland with Love

Hey everyone one of you gorgeous lovely people! Thank you to everyone that is praying - your encouragement is essential!!!!!!!!!!!!

we are criss-crossing the south of Poland visiting churches from good sized modern city churches to small rural churches to groups just simply assembled in peoples homes.It's been busy- back to back meetings, healing rooms and traveling (which provides rest actually - so good). up til now there has been no space for time out with jesus - so the other day i had to opt out of a healing rooms session and go reconnect with papa. it was so good. and the schedule gets less packed out from now on so i get to plug in more.

I've found that listening to podcasts and worship etc. is really helpful - but i don't get really filled up until i can actually sing out worship myself.

I'm learning a lot about my weaknesses and strengths here - and its all good because there is no condemnation only the excitement that papa can work on those areas with me and that we go from glory to glory! I'm also learning to feel the holy spirit guide more and many new things in ministry. my main challange is operating under a ministry that is so different from Bethel culture - both theologically and practically. I really want to bless this ministry as thats what i'm here for, but at the same time can't operate quite how they do.

so i have found myself just stepping back and focusing on heaven- worshiping. making my consciousness of God bigger than whatever is infornt of us. sometimes this alone is a challange as we visit the very sickest in their homes - cancer and MS patients that are close to death, but so not dead yet! its challanging and so that time with papa is so essential.

we make good friends wherever we go. particularly in the first church there were a couple that just so blessed me it was awesome. i was given a prophetic word from them that touched on about 5 other obscure prophecies that i've recieved and what was nuts was that i was just praying a heart cry to God at the time and the word she brought was a direct response! papa knows us and hears us - wherever we are. I want to realise the opotunity i have in my hands.

with so many many people to pray for constantly i have occasionaly found myself hitting apathy or something - where i have to really stir myself to release kingdom and contend for breakthrough. we have seen some sweet sweet miracles though. one young woman was so ecstatic about her knees being healed that we heard her running and shouting and laughing outside for ages after we were praying for the next person! it was good.

one of the things we hit often here is depression- so many people are still effected by the nazi and soviet occupations - and the behviors and mentalitites that the occupations cultivated. its good to see that getting washed off and peace anf joy being given them. so good :)

right now - I'm alone (yey!!! jesus loves me) for a moment with a pc and so i get to write to you :) I'm in a tiny ex-soviet apartment which belongs to a young polish girl i met late last night - we communicate very basically - me speaking english (which she somewhat understands but can't speak) and her speaking German (which i somewhat understand but can't speak) its fun! i tried my german on her and asked her 'hast du leibe auf deutsch?' which means 'have you love in Germany' when i meant to ask her if she has ever lived (laben) in Germany! oh well :)

this is the forth place i've stayed since we arrived - some of them like palaces and some like you would imagine communist places to be like. BUT they have all been warm!!! thank you jesus!!

well i should go and make the most of papa time - love you guys!!!! thank you again for all of you who are praying and sending me such encouraging words

xxx Sarah

Back to the USA

Hi folks! I'm hailing yal from sweet Nashville!

I flew in on New Years Day to be greeted by my friends from Bethel - it was so amazing to see them again - really special to be re-connecting with some of the tribe!

I had a really tricky time getting back into the country and had to have an immigration interview - they are not pleasant things (this being the 2nd in my life). but God gave me his assurance on the plane that i would get into the country and he changed my fear into confidence with the words from an amazing song. I was panicing to be truthful (and very unspiritual). i knew that i needed to conquor the fear before i arrived at the immigration desks, i needed to lay hands on my immigration form - not cowering with fear before the authorities of this world - but with confidence that daddy would sort it out as i claimed my authority over nations.

i started to suddenly see images of Redding, the streets and buildings, then the song i was listoning to said 'what do you see?" i could exclaim 'Redding!'. We have been taught a lot at Bethel about what you see is what you get, what you envision is what you achieve - without vision the people perish.

then the song said "what do you decree?" i immediatly thought 'Access!' - this was what i was claiming!

then the song said (get this for being so right on!):

"I shall roll out my red carpet and you shall walk through with ease"

i had it - i was given the faith to get me through, with ease. it doesn't bear thinking about how close i came to not getting in and what that would mean to me, but actually it was safe with God and i walked through, with ease.

xx Thank you to those praying specifically for this and for all of your love and prayers - bless you! xx

Sarah

Photo Fountain

For a bountiful selection from the last few months in California check out:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dreamsarehere/CaliforniaFall200602

xx

Back to Britania

OK. I know. It's been a shockingly long time and it's bad!! it's been crazy to say the least but i finally got all set for going to the UK, packed up, fitted in a quick trespassing trip to a hot tub and made the trip down to San Fran for my flight. We stopped off at the Golden Gate Bridge on the way, which was more amazing than i had expected.

Was great to see my mum's smiling face at Heathrow - felt just like Love Actually - and had a whirlwind weekend of sleeping at strange times, speaking strangely (spoke at both services on sunday and they could hear my accent both times!) and hanging out with strange peeps - no not really - it was great to be see my long lost homegroup.

Now I'm in the UK I've been forced to cross over to the dark side and entered the depths of myspace - if you want to keep in touch that way give me a shout at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=137799383

xx

Stretching make us able to do things we couldn't do before...

It feels like everything God is speaking about to me is then repeated in some sermon at the moment - its amazing confirmation but very stretching! we were talking about being 100% focussed on our calling and not compromising and then overcomming fear to step into ministry situations we don't think we can do!!

As you all know, as soon as i'm behind a microphone i freak out! Its not a place i feel comfortable in and so generally avoid! But who knows that we all need to be free of fear and walk in confidence in all areas so that we can be flexibly used todevelop the kingdom in whatever way we need to? So, I've been avoiding the microphone, as per usual. But as it happens twice in two days I've gotten to share and pray over the whole school.

One of the words that got me to Bethel in the first place was ' if you can't get rid of the fear, then go scared, but go!' and the other day after i had been behind that microphone a couple of times, the woman teaching said 'if you can't get shot of the fear, then preach scared and beat it that way!' - wow - was so timely!

Being up there was scary but i knew i needed to speak and both times i prayed over the school the spirit touched people which was so cool - i was so honoured to be used by God and give Him glory even though it was hard to be up there!

***Heidi and Roland will be with us this weekend for the mrriage of ministries that's happening on Sunday between Bethel and Iris. Looking forward to Heidi speaking on Sunday - she has a lot to impart and it will be great to just absorb all she has. - I'l give you some feedback next week!

10.10.06

Hey y'all! By the 11th I will have been here a month - which is kind wierd. things have been pretty crazy and busy recently. I've started training with the children's department at church outside of school hours - which is an amazing opotunity. There is such a strong belief that kids don't come with a childsized holy spirit - which means hey walk in expectation that the kids in the school and childrens church will walk in the same demonstrations of the supernatural as any of the adult population. Infact they are serpassing - one small group of kids trained up in the bethel culture have seen the first dead person raised back to life and health! Bethel re offering a year long training course with pratice to learn how to release and encourage kids into their full spiritual potential - now! So that's keeping me busy!

School has also stepped up a notch. We now have outreach, small group and home group requirements, time in the prayer centre, homewok, biblical study and books to read and report on - its busy busy but good - really good! the pic above is a shot of the infinity pool a the prayer centre - it runs off into a waterfall - its such a great place to look out over the valley, to wade in the water and to spend time with Jesus.

Thankyou everyone who is praying for me and supporting me in so many ways. I am so thankful to be here at this time and know i am in God's perfect will for me at this moment - that's exciting! I'm learning so much (head and heart) and can't wait to grow more!

xx

California Dreamin

Its been a week and a half but feels like a age since i've been living in very sunny California - its been intense, beautiful, normal, very different and familier all at once! It's been tough leaving the UK and all the people a care about the most, but as i'm gradually settling in here - i am begining to love the people and the place.

Redding in northern Cali is 2 1/2hours north of San Francisco and has a population of 80 000. The city is on the edge of the mountains and far enough out of the way to be it's own world. Bethel Church has a ministry school of 500 (inc all 3 years), church population of 3000 and a large christian school. It sits on a big campus on it's own small hill overlooking the mountains - and is always busy!! there is a road leading to the church and its constantly got traffic - everyday this church building is a centre of community and kingdom business!

Here's a view from the prayer garden. The littleprayer house is open 24-7 and the garden is inspiring with an infinity pool from which to pray...

On tuesday the whole school left redding for retreat a couple of hours north into the hills - so beautiful! My housemate Emily, a second year and myself stopped on the way up to test out my lonely planet guide and go find a waterfall it raved about. we walked up a railway line for 30min and came to these falls:The pic only shows a fragment of this spectacular fall. apparently loney planet were guiding the rest of the world too - we met several other students on the tracks inc a brit - Robert.

'watch where you walk'

As anyone can tell you, I am not the biggest fan of snakes in the world. I have had many interesting encounters, lots of grace and just a few scares – but we’re still not great friends.

So, curled up with Moses (the cat not the man) last night, I was reading my lonely planet guide to California, and happened on a bit about bears, lions, rattlesnakes and spiders – ‘oh joy’ I thought…

Tigers and bears – fine. Apparently with the tigers you fight off aggressively and the bears you play dead – good, got it, not a problem. The snakes you avoid – right ok. And the spiders get everywhere.

The most notable of which is our little friend the Black Widow. I was surprised they lived in the states – thought they just inhabited the bottom of the world they call Oz.

I can tell you now the size (15mm body) and colouring – black to brown top with orange/red hourglass marking on the bottom (if you ever see it – I thought). It’s amazing what you can retain!

So since then spiders have been dropping out of everywhere – even my hair! I’ve never had a fear of spiders, and I don’t intend to start one now. But I just want to shout ‘Ow Maaaan!!!’ not another thing to watch out for!