(this is an old blog, but i'm going to reuse it :)
__'Tis another Amber Adventure!__
So I just to moved to Kansas City, MO feeling the tug of God to come and cultivate a greater heart of intimacy and intercession. Northwestern College has not been a waste, however, with the calling of Missions on my life, I felt the need to root myself in the word and prayer in an atmosphere that was even more focused, direct, and strategic.
I have plugged into the missions base here called IHOP (International House of Prayer). It was founded in 1999 and has a vision of bringing up a people rooted and grounded in devotion to God and intercession. Out of this, people are sent all over in power to preach the gospel and spread the message of the kingdom of heaven. It matches so well with my own vision and calling, wanting to go to all the nations to share the love of Jesus and the truth of the coming kingdom of heaven and it's reality. I hope to plug in to an internship here (I am finishing applying to Intro to IHOP, which starts in January and goes until March). I know God is faithful and will provide all the finances needed. I am sending out newsletters/support info. so if you want one, let me know!
__challenges__
So I've been here for 2 weeks already! I am already learning a lot by being in a position of waiting. I have no job. I'm not in school anymore. I have no schedule. I have almost no community here yet (it's growing ;). My identity in God is being shaken to the core. It is probably the sweetest and yet hardest thing to go through. Community at Northwestern College was amazing. And now I am in the middle of Kansas City, starting fresh. You know the perfect life, with hours upon hours to read the word and to pray and to love others and to catch up on things that you always have wanted to do? Well I have that time now, and it is STILL hard. The first week I ended up not doing important things until later on at night, and then ended up staying up super late. My schedule is now so messed up, that my bedtime has become about 4 am and my morning starts around 1pm. I've been spending a couple of hours daily in the prayer room, and then lots of time writing update/support letters, and getting everything lined up here.
__Renewal/Healing Services :) __
And then there are the renewal services that started just a couple days after I arrived. The Holy Spirit started moving in a crazy way among the IHOP students here, and has resulted in special services Wednesday thru Sunday night from 6pm to midnight. These services consist of worship, inner-healing, and physical healings. It has been so good. People have been set free from self-hatred, addictions, lonliness, depression, suicide, headaches, back pain, asthma, infertility!, gall bladder stones, and other crazy stuff. These meetings will be going on until atleast Dec. 20th, and then will probably continue after the OneThing conference in January. For more info on IHOP, visit www.ihop.org. Lot's of good info there!
__Abba Time__
Jesus is so good. haha :) I love it. There is so much joy in complete surrender. Following the perfect leader. The one that knows me more than I know myself. He knows my passions and desires. and he knows how to perfectly equip me before moving me to the next season. I keep reading the last two chapters of Revelations. It gives me such fire in my heart to know where all of this (the world and all of it's decay and dissapointments) is going. There is victory at the end!!! And sometimes we need to switch our perspectives to an eternal one.
Revelations 21:3-5 (I flipped to that page so quickly cuz I just bought some crazy sweet bible tabs from walmart, one for each book of the bible with a little fishy and some waves on each one... they're the kids version of bible tabs. yay!)
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away evry tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new!"
wow...pushing through trials and tribulations are worth it! God will dwell WITH us. All the shortcomings of this world are just a flicker. the wealth is but grass that withers. but He is coming back and his reward is with him. It will all be worth it. every time we said "yes" to more of him, and "no" to the fleeting pleasures of this world. What a crazy hope we have.
To Financially support or Contact:
Amber Taylor
4206 E. 104th St.
Kansas City, MO 64137
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
a breath of Beauty.
Have you ever seen something so beautiful and exhilerating that it makes you want to cry in delight? This week we went with a team from Orange City (yes, it blows my mind that orange citian people find their way out to here, Croc, Mexico!), and we went to Mantecanas... probably the most lovely of lovliest places I have been to. To be honest, I had been tired already the first day (tuesday) the team had arrived. I snuck little naps in before and after VBS, and prayed for the week to go fast. When the group of 8 dutch people from OC announced they were going to go do the river hike up Montecanas, I knew that that would put me over my limit and probably be anything but enjoyable.
I was wrong.
So, this place called montecanas... take a 2 hour drive from Croc all the way through Monterrey, the beautiful city life all around you, and then, as the business slowly dwindles and bumpy roads become bumpier (there are no smooth roads in MX), you start to twist and curve and bump and slide down and up the mountains. A river starts to grow on the side, promising an adventure that is soon to come later on ;) Finally we arive to the base, where we get out and start to hike up the river. This includes rock climbing, skipping around on rocks, and full immersion in the water at times when the paths dissapear. after 2 hours of hiking and swiming and climbing up waterfalls, the rocks dissapear and the river gets deep. It is then swimming up curent and climbing up more waterfalls. 3 hours into it, you come to the most beautiful thing ive seen. A cave; the river running through it and reaching its deepest parts. It's a long cave, so it gets dark and you can't see or touch the bottom. water drips from the top. the temperature drops. I don't think i've ever been so cold in Mexico. and so you make your way through the cave, until you get to another waterfall, climb up it, and then climb up ANOTHEr huge waterfall, and then get to the part where i couldn't get up. Sorry, but my arms can not pull me up this 20 foot waterfall. But it was all so beautiful. Im sure I saw hundreds of butterflies, tadpoles, frogs, and lizards. The water became such a wonderful turquoise the deeper it got on the way up. AHHH... and to think we might return next week because we have the week off :)
So yes, our time spent with the team from the OC was fun and in the end, refreshing. although my body is sore, and i have realized i have muscles that I never knew I had!
And now we get the whole weeek off. I'm very tired, so it's good. We will most likely go up into the mountains, where it is cooler and we can stop sweating for a bit. Sounds energizing already! But really, all has been well. Again, God is steady, and always sends spiritual rain when neeeded. I only have 4 more weeks here, and know i will miss it greatly. My relationships with the locals are becoming so wonderful and beautiful. Not only is my spanish growing, but my love for the people here. I'm seeing that relationships are the main vessels to impact a person. My question to the Holy Spirit is how can I let him lead me more in my conversations and time spent here. I want to bear much fruit.
Thanks for your faithful prayers. They are ever so needed! PLease continue to pray:
~week of rest (i need this so much. we are all pretty tired from the teams, the heat, and energy spent on relationships.)
~ upcoming team of 40 people! that they would be free to "flex and flow" (most famous quote here in Mx)
~ that I would learn what it means to be in FULL comunion with the Holy Spirit, and to let him guide me.
I love you all! I'm expecting to go on coffee dates with all of you after the summer, so make sure to remember all of the amazing and beautiful things of your summer and how God stretched and changed and challenged you :)
I was wrong.
So, this place called montecanas... take a 2 hour drive from Croc all the way through Monterrey, the beautiful city life all around you, and then, as the business slowly dwindles and bumpy roads become bumpier (there are no smooth roads in MX), you start to twist and curve and bump and slide down and up the mountains. A river starts to grow on the side, promising an adventure that is soon to come later on ;) Finally we arive to the base, where we get out and start to hike up the river. This includes rock climbing, skipping around on rocks, and full immersion in the water at times when the paths dissapear. after 2 hours of hiking and swiming and climbing up waterfalls, the rocks dissapear and the river gets deep. It is then swimming up curent and climbing up more waterfalls. 3 hours into it, you come to the most beautiful thing ive seen. A cave; the river running through it and reaching its deepest parts. It's a long cave, so it gets dark and you can't see or touch the bottom. water drips from the top. the temperature drops. I don't think i've ever been so cold in Mexico. and so you make your way through the cave, until you get to another waterfall, climb up it, and then climb up ANOTHEr huge waterfall, and then get to the part where i couldn't get up. Sorry, but my arms can not pull me up this 20 foot waterfall. But it was all so beautiful. Im sure I saw hundreds of butterflies, tadpoles, frogs, and lizards. The water became such a wonderful turquoise the deeper it got on the way up. AHHH... and to think we might return next week because we have the week off :)
So yes, our time spent with the team from the OC was fun and in the end, refreshing. although my body is sore, and i have realized i have muscles that I never knew I had!
And now we get the whole weeek off. I'm very tired, so it's good. We will most likely go up into the mountains, where it is cooler and we can stop sweating for a bit. Sounds energizing already! But really, all has been well. Again, God is steady, and always sends spiritual rain when neeeded. I only have 4 more weeks here, and know i will miss it greatly. My relationships with the locals are becoming so wonderful and beautiful. Not only is my spanish growing, but my love for the people here. I'm seeing that relationships are the main vessels to impact a person. My question to the Holy Spirit is how can I let him lead me more in my conversations and time spent here. I want to bear much fruit.
Thanks for your faithful prayers. They are ever so needed! PLease continue to pray:
~week of rest (i need this so much. we are all pretty tired from the teams, the heat, and energy spent on relationships.)
~ upcoming team of 40 people! that they would be free to "flex and flow" (most famous quote here in Mx)
~ that I would learn what it means to be in FULL comunion with the Holy Spirit, and to let him guide me.
I love you all! I'm expecting to go on coffee dates with all of you after the summer, so make sure to remember all of the amazing and beautiful things of your summer and how God stretched and changed and challenged you :)
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