Candida Infection: THE BATTLE WON!

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GOD IS OUR HEALER and RESTORES US! HE HAS WON THE VICTORY! 

I saw the specialist there is no more traces of the overgrowth of Candida in my system! 

The results reflected the complete restoration that I knew in my spirit that God did in me.  Out of 14 body systems and organs only 6 of them were in the yellow and the other 8 were in GREEN (functioning how they are supposed to without stress)!  My first results I had ALL 14 body systems and organs in the MID range yellow and 7 clearly over the MID range closer to the red (really bad) area! Even the specialist was taken back by the amazing results! 

Thank you and all glory goes to the FATHER, JESUS and HOLY SPIRIT! 

Thank you for your love, encouragement and prayers! 

It was awesome to be able to process with Calvin what I learned during the last 4 months and discuss about what are possible next steps for me my results showed that my liver is still struggling to function as it was created for.  So right now I am praying through what standard of eating and living God desires for me to make a lifestyle now that I have the freedom to choose. I want applying the lessons He taught me through the battle.  I want to use the freedom to glorify God and choose life for my body! 

Even though I have the results, I would still like to share the rest of the process with you.  Today, I wrote two blogs # 1 Candida Infection: Called to Believe God's Word and #2 Candida Infection: God, the Master Planner.  So to get the story in order go down to Called to Believe God's Word first and then read God, the Master Planner.  

There is still more to testify and share so I will continue to blog the process that God took me through to the victory and the lessons that I have learned through the battle. And the last blog will share even more about the results and processing I am going through now. 

Candida Infection: God, the Master Planner

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After God showed me scriptures and I started to declare them over my life.  All of a sudden, I felt like "something like scales fell from my eyes and I could see again, like Paul when Ananias placed his hands over his eyes after he was blinded by the light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:18).  I was able to see all the ways that God has planned and prepared me for this trail!

1. First of all, when I started to react in Costa Rica was the start of the Bible School we did.  Everyday we had work duties to serve the base. Guess where God placed me? COOKING DINNER FOR THE BASE IN THE KITCHEN! When I found out I struggled so much, I will clean the dishes, sweep the floor or wash tables but do not ask me to cook! I did not cook at all and an area I felt every insecure.  Almost daily, I had to pray before 400 work duty time just to have a good attitude in the kitchen as I cooked dinner for the base.  About half way through the school, my flesh broke and I fully received the place where God put me and started learn from others in the kitchen and prepare me for 4 months of cooking my every meal.  During this time I had already identified that I was reacting to dairy and had cut out milk etc completely but I was still reacting to a lot of the food that was cooked at the base and I did not know why.  By being in the kitchen I was able to see how much butter the cooks put in the mashed potatoes or oil was used to cook the vegetables and avoid those things and able to put a portion aside for me before they put in the butter or oil. I would only be able to do this by serving in the kitchen for my work duty. 

2. Secondly, we had already planned to move to the states, Washington DC in July.  The move to July was also completely planned.  The ability to access the specialist who I could completely communicate with in English and ask whatever questions I desired, where in Costa Rica communication was a struggle.  As well as in the states the knowledge of Yeast infections is way more common and I had more accessibility to healthy, organic food stores. 

3. Not only did He plan which country I was to live in during the infection but He planned the exact location and family I would live with.  As we moved to DC, we were not sure where we would live as the staff housing was full.  The base leaders decided to open their home and guest room for Dan and I to live in with them (Jason and Kimberlee Hershey) and their four children.  This was a complete blessing as Kimberlee know how to cook and cooks HEALTHY.  Even before I went to the specialist, God had me eating healthy with the Hershey family, and when I was on the strict diet living with a family that does not have sweets or desserts in the house was such a blessing as I was less tempted to cheat and eat sugar.  Finally, I knew that I could not eat dairy and as I shared that with Kimberlee one of the first days we arrived, she shared that she also was not eating dairy because she was nursing her youngest child and he was reacting when she ate dairy so she had stopped it in a couple months before, around the same time I did! Come on, that is only GOD and his perfect planning! 

4. After I went to the specialist and learned the strict diet that I could eat, I really was overwhelmed. Remember, I never learned to cook.  Growing up my mom worked full time and had 4 kids under the age of 5 so she spend her energy on us rather than cooking for us.  She cooked maybe about 5 times for my whole childhood.  We ate fast food and out at restaurants everyday.  Literally everyday! The food I knew was soft or hard at TACO BELL, large frosty at WENDY's and quarter pounder at MCDONALDS.  So vegetables like artichoke, eggplant, asparagus or grains like quinoa and millet were foreign concepts to me.  Let alone how to cook or eat them! Kimberlee became my teacher and mentor.  All day I had a source that I could access all day and night that could guide me through it.  And the freedom to cook in a large kitchen and fridge with only one family to schedule around and cook with. 

5.  The location of the Hershey house is 4 blocks away from a Yes Organic Market.  I was able to walk to get fresh organic vegetables everyday if I needed to.  And every time I walk back to the house, I had to climb up the victory mountain as a reminder of God words spoken over me.  As I climbed the mountain, I was rest keeping my eyes forward and focused on Jesus and declare the words He spoke the first day I walked up the hill.

6. Finally, as we moved to DC, we prayed about the where God was calling us to serve with YWAM DC.  Should I serve with finances or administration or planning for worship teams for David's tent etc.  As I prayed, the place where my heart jumped was serving at home with Kimberlee with her children as a nanny.  This was not something that was presented to me to do but God continued to lay it on my heart.  After sharing with the Hershey's it was a need they had been praying for.  So before I knew I had the Candida infection and would be low energy and sick often, God placed me serving at home where I had the freedom to say I need to rest today.  Kimberlee was so amazing with being flexible and understanding about my needs to rest or cook throughout the day.  If I served with David Tent, I would never not had the energy or strength to run with the team or the the freedom to rest and focus on allowing my body to be restored by God. 

God is the Master Planner and clearly prepared me personally and orchestrated my life circumstances for the trail of Candida battle. After God opened my eyes to all of this, my perspective on the battle completely changed.  God was in CONTROL and my MASTER PLANNER. 

Master Planner: a person who makes the perfect and ultimate detailed plan for achieving something and makes it happen

"I am God and there is no other . . . I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please. . . What I have said, that will I bring about what I have planned, that I will do." 

Isaiah 46:9-11

Candida Infection, Called to believe God's Word instead of life experiences

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So I arrived home after struggling up the mountain near my house physically exhausted but my spirit soaring! I was determined to seek God and his plan in all of the things I was experiencing!  

As I sought him, He brought to my mind from a devotional page (Day #10) our YWAM team was doing together, Ignite Faith by Steve and Wendy Backlund.  

"Here is a major life question: Does our experience create our identity or does our identity create our experience? The answer is . . . (drum roll please) . . . our identity creates our experience. Remember those who think they can and those who think they can't, are both right. What we believe about ourselves will either bind us or launch us.  . .

When it comes to who we think we are, 

God is calling us to believe His Word instead of negative experiences."

God was calling me to believe and based my identity based on HIS WORD rather then what I was experiencing day to day.  To focus on God's promises rather than how I was feeling or even what I was seeing with my human eyes.  He was calling me to know HIS TRUTH and PROMISES in HIS WORD and start declaring them over my life and see them come to pass. 

So I waited.  I said God show me your truth and promises in your Word. He brought me to four scriptures, the last one was the promise I held on to and declared over and over during the last 4 months. It was my promise of His plan in my life through Candida infection. I wrote them out as declarations (statements that directly apply the scripture to me personally). 

I am a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come. 2 Cor 5:17

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

I am a royal priest, a chosen person, a holy person, a person belonging to God so that I may declare the praises of him who called me out of darkness into his wonderful light. 2 Peter 2:9 

God himself will restore me, make me strong, firm and steadfast, after I have suffered a little while. 1 Peter 5:10

I started to speak out loud the promises and scriptures God revealed to me during our time together even though I saw no evidence of it in my physical body or with my human eyes.  I started to speak out the promises and scriptures even if I did not truly believe them at first but He wanted my flesh, my feelings, my thoughts, my brian to hear the TRUTH over and over and come into alignment with God's Word! It says in Romans 10:17, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."  I needed to hear the message (God's truth and promises) over and over so that it would produce faith in me that then would see the truth I was declaring in the spirit manifested in the physical! 

I am a daughter of God who bases my identity on God's Word rather than my life experiences! I am a woman who holds on to the Words of truth that God has spoken over my life and believes I am who the Bible says I am! It was only after I got to this point that I could declare things statements in faith, that God could open my eyes to see how God had prepared the soil and planted the seeds in my life and circumstances to produce a crop in my life multiplying it to a hundred times what was sown. 

Candida Infection: The mountain . . . our first VICTORY!

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So after the visit with the Herbalist, I started to follow the strict diet and cut out all sugar. On the way home from PA, the bus ride, I started to feel sick.   We arrived back and I was sick in bed for 5 days with a sore throat and body pains and headaches.  I felt like I was hit by a car! I was so weak that I could not even get out of bed to take a shower. For the next two weeks, it was 1 good day where I had energy and strength and then two DETOX days (weak days where I had no strength or energy).  And during that time my body would still react to food, even though I was following the list the specialist gave me rigidly! 

One day during this time on a good day, I was walking back from a Yes Organic Market near where we were living and I approached an upward incline, a mountain to me! I need to walk up it to get home.  I started to walk up and did not have the strength to continue going.  I started to cry because not being able to walk up and questioning myself what was happening to me and my body.  Cry because of how weak I felt and so not in control and that I did not have strength to continue.  I started to look at the storms and waves in my life and I started to sink.  

I cried out to God to save me and give me strength to arrive home.  I stood still looking at the rest of the mountain before me waiting on God. I felt him say,

"My daughter, whom I love, it is ok to stop and rest as long as your eyes are fixed on me and your desire to continue to follow me forward.  It is not how important how fast you go but where you are going that matters to me."

 I stopped and rested, keeping my eyes forward and mind on Jesus the whole time.   After a while, and I collected myself, I started the upward mountain with renewed strength and energy.  I walked slow with a constant pace and made it up the hill! 

When I arrived on top it was literally a HUGE VICTORY! And I celebrated as much as I could! I jumped a few times and shouted! Saying Yes God! Thank you God! Not caring what other people thought, as there was a bus stop right across the street of the top of the hill and a person waiting at it! God and I just fought and won my first battle with Candida and I was rejoicing! 

After the hill, there was easy flat ground all the way home.  I felt like I was skipping home that day! As I crossed the street and felt the nudge of the Father speaking promises over me.  

"I promise you will make it to flat ground. You are at the bottom of the mountain right now but you will make it to flat ground again."

I arrived home, my body exhausted but my spirit ALIVE! I knew the only way I was going to get through this life experience and trial was by keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus and searching out God's ultimate purpose and plan in it all.  I was determined in every stage to be a seeker of God in the mist of a storm.  And that is exactly what I did.  I dove into the bible searching for scripture and promises that I could hold on to during this time. 

And WOW did God spoke! He gave me scriptures to hold on to, revealed How He has been preparing me and my circumstances for a battle of Candida for his higher purposes in my life! In the next blog I will share about how He opened my eyes to see all of His planning. 

Candida Infection: From the beginning . . . what is Candida and how did I get it?

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Many of you know that I have been fighting a Candida infection and have been praying for recovery and health.  Thank you so much as our prayers are powerful and effective.  It has been a hard trial in my life but can confidently say am doing much better and now can say that I do have the Candida infection under control and getting another check up on December 18th, which I know will reflect the healing and restoration that God has done in my body.

Through a series of blogs, I want to share what God has done and taught me through the joy of the trail of having Candida! I will start with this blog from the beginning. What is Candida and how did I get it and the process I went on to discover I had it.

First what is Candida? Candida is a fungus (a form of yeast) in all of our mouth and intestine and when it is under control there is no negative effect on us.  However, when it starts to grow and gets out of control it weakens the intestinal wall allowing food flow into the bloodstream and thus releasing toxins throughout the body.  Which then causes all kinds of symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, headaches gas and much more.  You can read more about Candida and the process of getting it under control at this website: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/whatiscandida.htm

There are many causes of an overgrowth of Candida such as poor diet of a lot of sugar and carbohydrates, antibiotics, or a long period of stress or anything else that can weaken your immune system.   For me it was probably a combination of them (as I have a lower immune system, have always had a diet full of sugar, processed foods and carbohydrates) but the final blow that caused my Candida to over populate was the 3 weeks of antibiotics for my infected root canal in Costa Rica done in March.

After I stopped antibiotics and started to eat again, I noticed that I started to develop food allergies.  My body would start to react (fatigue, bloating, gas, headaches and body pain) when I would eat certain foods.  It was happening for a couple weeks before we identified what kinds of foods.  The first thing I noticed was dairy.  At the base we had cheese and broccoli soup one night and there was no doubt something was happening after that night (my stomach bloated to where I could have been mistaken for 7 months pregnant) and Dan and I began to research more.  So after that night, I stopped dairy from my diet (which was hard! no cheese, no sour cream means basically no Mexican food which I love and cut out all desserts).  But my body was still reacting so I started to keep a food diary, tracking foods that eat and when my body would react.  I started to eliminate foods that I reacted to like fatty foods like avocados.  And this was all happening when we were doing the 3 month intense bible school in Costa Rica.

We moved to the states the first week of July and the food allergies worsen and the effects became stronger, quicker and to many more foods.  My candida was growing! By the end of August, I had cut out almost everything from my diet and spend much time in prayer asking God for wisdom.  And through prayer God told me to go on a Daniel fast to clean my system.  I started to eat only fruits and vegetables I was already only drinking water (Daniel fast was only vegetables and water, I am not sure why I continued eating fruit but I did thinking it was part of the diet).  Anyways, my body was still reacting to the limited diet I was eating.

In late August, we made a trip to PA to visit Dan's family and share with our supporters in the area. On the way to the visit, Dan and I decided we would find a doctor when we arrived back to DC about my health. God had other plans! During that visit, Dan's mom, Patty, could not believe how much I was still reacting and the effect it was having on me and my daily life.  The heart of compassion and love that she has as well as the gift of service and hospitality, on Monday she called a Naturalist Specialist for a Health Analysis at Natural Solutions in Grove City, PA.  We were leaving on Wednesday morning so Tuesday was the only day we could see the doctor.  She called the this specific specialist was only in one day a week, TUESDAYS! And he only had one appointment for the next day! Completely God! We made the appointment.

Patty and I showed up the next day and saw the specialist.  He did a BioMeridian Testing, which assesses the energy meridians (channels) of the body and determines how each organ, tissues and systems are functioning! Through this test and by looking at the results he was able to tell me many things I was experiences such as food allergies, sleeping problems, going to the bathroom all the time, fatigue etc.  Then he tested me for food allergies.  And all the things I cut out my body was allergic to but the one I did not know was SUGAR was feeding my Candida.  Even the natural sugar in fruits was allowing the Candida overgrowth to continue to gain strength.  He put me on a strict diet basically vegetables and water (Daniel Fast that God already told me to do! He directs us to all truth and freedom!) and gave me a list of probiotics and antifugals to take for the next 4 months.  He also explained that during the next 4 months I had the opportunity to and he believed I could recover from the Candida infection because of the quick response we had to stop eating certain foods, the short length of me coming in and seeing him and the hope and joy he saw in my eyes (JESUS).  He explained that my body was under a great amount of stress and normally when the body is under as much stress my body was experiencing, people are very depressed and on anitdepressites.  He asked if I was experiencing any of that.  I looked at Patty, my mother in law, and she said that those were not words that would describe me at all.  I agreed that it has been hard couple months but I was not depressed but filled with joy! Again, only JESUS!

However he did share that during the 4 months I would get much worse before I started to get better.  There would be days where I would be weak and sick in bed and they were good days because the Candida was dying and loosing control and toxins were being released from my body.  Also that my body would naturally hunger for sugar and things that would feed the Candida but it would take self-control to say no and stay on the strict diet.  I shared that I understood and would see him in Dec.

It was that day, Tuesday Aug 21st around 12:30, that I promised God in my heart that I will go through anything and do everything I needed to do to see victory in my life in the area of my health.  Little did I know, how God has already prepared me and my life for this victory in my life and the lessons He planned to teach me through it! The next couple blogs will be about exactly that!

Seeking the Presence of Jesus: Testimonies in Deaf Lives

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Within the 40 days of David's Tent, through worshipping and seeking the presence of Jesus, we have seen so much breakthrough in the lives of our Deaf friends and the Deaf community.  We have seen a dream come true, chains broken, people finding their voice, Deaf worship leaders birthed and more! Here are some testimonies as I have seen them through David's Tent.  

Giovanna . . . A dream come true

 Giovanna leading worship, picture of her signing forever. 

One night at David's Tent after the 7 to 9 set, she shared "I have always dreamed of worshipping Jesus in American Sign Language (ASL) on a stage."  I immediately said it is possible! And encouraged the girls that were there to request to led a 2 hour worship set for David's Tent.  All who were there was more then interested.  Less than a week later, 6 amazing Deaf women, Giovanna one of them, praise Jesus in ASL on a stage! Giovanna had a dream come true through David's Tent. 

Mariah . . . Chains are broken 

Mariah leading worship, picture of her signing cross. 

Mariah shared as we were talking and preparing for the 1st worship set that she might not lead any songs because she does not like to be up in front or leading anything.  Throughout the two hours, she led more than 2 songs and at the end of the 2 hours was eager to led another song.  There was chains broken in Mariah's life through worshipping Jesus. 

Esther . . . Steps into her calling 

Esther leading worship (first) and Esther leading the group in communion (second). 

Esther has had a strong calling to leadership her whole life.  However discussing the first set she said she might not led a song but would support others in leading.  Like Mariah, by the end of the first two hour set she had led 2 or 3 songs.  She shared that there was so much breakthrough that first night in her personal life! And God continued to do marvelous things in her life.  Within a couple weeks, by the third set, Esther was co-leading a 2 hour set with Kari (mentioned below).  At the end of the third set as we were all heading out the door, Esther got the group together and led all of us (hearing and Deaf) in communion to remember it is all about Jesus.  Through David's Tent, Esther stepped into her calling as a leader! 

Heather . . . Finds her voice 

Heather is the one in purple on the right.  She invited and brought her three deaf friends.

Growing up Heather, a hearing graduate student at Gallaudet University, was told that she was tone deaf and can not do music.  It was something that she just started believing about herself.  During the second ASL worship set, she asked God how to connect the Deaf worship for the hearing people sitting in David's Tent.  God told her to start singing what the Deaf worshippers were signing.  So she did.  And it was SOO beautiful and brought Jesus so much glory! Heather finds her voice during a Deaf worship set. I love Jesus and his marvelous plan!

Kari . . . A Deaf worshipper leader birthed 

Kari leading worship, picture of her signing we lift our voices to you.

Kari has always had the heart for worship and prayer for Jesus.  She was regularly coming to the Washington House of Prayer worship/prayer nights and actively seeking Jesus with us.  Through David's Tent, Kari was given the opportunity to not only seek Jesus herself but soar into making a path for other Deaf people to seek the presence of Jesus through worship by scheduling the first Deaf Worship set and encouraging people to come.  After the first one, she was hungry for more of His presence and signed up for 3 more 2 hour worship sets, making it a total of 4.  With each set, Kari grew in worship leading and allowing phrases from her heart sink in with repetition. As well as she made the way for 8 other Deaf lives to be touched and changed through her pioneering.  God through Kari made a path for intimacy with Jesus for hearing and Deaf alike through Deaf worship! 

Laura . . .  a Faithful flower buds

Laura at the Washington House of Prayer for the first time as the first Deaf worshipper (first), 

and Laura in the front row engaged in Deaf worship during David's Tent (second). 

Laura was the first Deaf person that attended Washington House of Prayer. She came one time, felt the presence of Jesus and just never stopped coming. Not only that but she started to invite others to encounter Jesus through worship.  Just like Andrew, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, recognized Jesus as the Messiah and went and got his brother Peter and brought him to Jesus, she recognized Jesus and brought others to him so they too can get to know him.  Also like Andrew I have seen the gift of faith in her and her faithfulness to Jesus.  She was sick and had a group project the opening night of David's tent but still stopped by the tent on a borrowed bike.  She was there many times during the 40 days, and the closing night starting at 5 pm to 9 pm in the freezing cold to just be with her God.  Like God is faithful to the end and will finish what he started, Laura and her faithfulness budded like a beautiful flower during David's Tent. 

Renca . . . a Bridge Builder 

Renca leading worship, picture of her signing fill us. 

Renca has an anointing of worship, as she worships in spirit and in truth.  She naturally can take the English words of a worship song and translate them in her head in the matter of seconds and produce a beautiful clear ASL phrase that represents the English words.  She has helped me interpret many times at David's Tent with a clearer ASL interpretation.  During the Deaf worship sets, I saw Renca become a mediator between the Deaf worship leaders and the hearing people seeking Jesus at the tent.  As she would ask for a song to be sung and then sign it in ASL.  Many times, hearing people would recongize the song and then start to pick up on the signs for the songs they knew.  She also encouraged the hearing people get up and worship through ASL with her.  God used Renca build a bridge for the Deaf and hearing people at the tent to walk across and be united in Christ. 

Jonathan and Justin . . . New identity and Made alive in Christ

Justin and Jonathan playing keeping the rhythm for worship.

Jonathan and Justin, are twin brothers and are Deaf drummers! Kari invited them to come alongside of the Deaf worship and drum.  They were able to come and drum for the last two sets of Deaf worship.  During the last set, there hands became tired from drumming, which was Jesus's plan to get them up and using their hands for worship through ASL.  As both of them lead worship, something in them was   lit anew.  Through it, I saw Jonathan gain a true understanding of who he really is.  His eyes were opened to a new identity through worshipping in ASL.  Justin was made alive in Jesus Christ.  It was like God restarted his heart to beat to the heartbeat of God through worshipping at David's Tent. 

During the 40 days of worship, God has created a group of community of Deaf believers who desire to seek the presence of Jesus through worship.  Dan and I are blessed to be a part of what God is creating in the lives of people here in D.C. and so excited to see what He is going to do next!

David's Tent Group Pictures: 

1st Deaf Worship Set at the White House Ellipse 

October 13th, Saturday morning 1 am to 3 am 

Left to Right: Dan, Carole, Giovanna, Mariah, Renca, Kari, Esther, Laura

2nd Deaf Worship Set at Faith Tabernacle Church (location due to Hurricane Sandy)

October 28th, Sunday night 11 pm to 1 am 

Leading: Kari and Renca

Playing musical worship: Time, John Mark, Dan 

Participating: Laura, Elizabeth, Renca's mom 

3rd Deaf Worship Set at Faith Tabernacle Church (location due to Hurricane Sandy)

October 30th, Tuesday night 9 pm to 11 pm 

Left to Right: Dan, Carole, Kari, Esther, Arlene, Justin, Jonathan, David 

Back Row: Tim

Middle Row: Justin, David, Jonathan, Jason, Dan, Esther, John Mark

Front Row: Kari, Elizabeth, Carole, Arlene

4th Deaf Worship Set at the White House Ellipse

November 1st, Thursday night, 9 pm to 11 pm 

Kari, Renca, Justin and Jonathan 

Family and Friends visit David's Tent

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David's Tent has been going on for over 30 days . . . we have been blessed to have family and friends come to the White House Ellipse and worship Jesus with us!  We are grateful that they made the trip and I know Jesus met with them as they came to pour themselves out to him through worship. 

Above: An amazing group of people from Mercer and Grove City, PA!  Dan's parents, a good friend Liz and the Augspurger's and Mach's, two couples from a Sunday School class at Grove City Alliance Church, a class who have been supporters of us for the last two years.  They drove on a Friday after work and spend the whole day Saturday with us and then drove back Saturday night! What troppers! When they arrived they had a great surprise and were able to take a tour of the White House garden lawns (which only happens once or twice a year)!  We had a great time at the tent worshipping Jesus as well as fellowshipping and share about what God is doing in DC.  It was a amazing how in a short amount of time we were able to really connect with each one of them.  Thank you for your love and prayers!

It was a joy for us to see our friends from the Covenant Life Church Deaf Group/Bible Study in DC as the group meets on Wednesday in MD.  This was the first Deaf bible study that we were able to connect with when we moved to DC.  It was through God's guidance and blessing that we were connected which encouraged us greatly that DC was the place where we were supposed to be and a place where God is moving in the Deaf community.  It was an overwhelming presence of almost everyone and plus some friends and family! Thank you for making the trip and praying for our nation and president from the White House Ellipse!  

Tom from Florida was one of the first Deaf people Laura (in the picture as well) brought to the House of Prayer when we first moved to DC.  Tom was visiting from FL and had to stop by the tent! It was so good to worship with him again in person! 

Kelby, Dan's brother who lives in NC also made a trip up with his daughter Kaelyn.  Kelby spend the night watch, 7 pm to 1 am, at the tent with Dan and joined in the worship!  Kaelyn got to spend time with Titi Carole and make four new friends, the Hershey children.  They warmed up to Kaelyn very fast and were sad when she had to leave! 

It was a blessing to see each one of you! Thank you for coming and worshipping Jesus from the nation's capitol with us! 

*David's Tent Random Fun Fact*

 As of DAY 25, we had a group, individual or family from each one of the 50 days here to worship Jesus with us! America loves Jesus! 

ASL Worship Video

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Davids Tent ASL Worship Set Video

Here is the link to a video made by a friend, Kari, from the pictures and videos that we took during the 2 hour ASL worship set for David's Tent.  Since this night, the girls have led two more two hour sets of worship through ASL.  It has brought breakthrough in their lives, the lives of the people there during the set as well as in the spirit of worship in DC!

We love what God is doing through David's Tent and in the Deaf community here in DC and being a part of it!

The Joys of being a Nanny!

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I was praying about my role within the team at the Washington House of Prayer, God opened my eyes to how much I have enjoyed spending time with the Hersey kids, the family that Dan and I live with right now.  Jason and Kimberlee are the founders of the Washington House of Prayer and have been living and praying for the nation for 7 years. They have a huge heart to see the end of abortion in America and revival here in America.  They are a son and daughter of God that talk with him through prayer and have a huge heart of worship.  They have four children. Cadance is 7, Blaze is 5, Avella is 3 and Anthem is 7 months old.  As I came here 4 months ago, I felt called to stay at home and serve with Kimberlee and help out with the house work and pouring life into her children.  The last four months has been a great learning time for me about children and how God sees us and his amazing character towards us always.  He always loves and is patient and wants to spend time with us! I have grown in my desire to reflect his character during the day with the kids that God has given me the opportunity to invest in.  Below are some pictures of what we do! 

I am teaching them American Sign Language throughout the day, which they love! They are signing the first letter for their names! They are children full of life and joy as reflected in this picture! They love to laugh!

Being silly and drinking when Carole is taking a picture!

They love stories, which is great because I love reading stories! We read stories from the bible or other books everyday! 

In the picture above, Cadance and Blaze heard Rev. 4 and 5, a picture of worship in heaven at the HOuse of Prayer read aloud and they wanted to hear it again and again.  During our bible school in Costa Rica one of our assignments was to draw a picture of the description in Rev. 4 and 5 so one night I brought them out and read Rev 4 adn 5 to them and they found all the people (24 elders, 4 living creatures, angels, lamb who was slain and more) in our pictures! Then they drew their own pictures of worship in heaven! It is so awesome how much they love hearing the Word of God!

Here the kids where playing and Cadance made signs for Sign Language Classes for 1 dollar! Instead of lemonade they were selling ASL classes! With themselves as the teachers! They went outside to see if anyone wanted to learn the signs for fruits and vegetables.  It was so adorable!

Children are a blessing from the Lord!

Psalm 127:3-5  Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate
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A typical day at Washington House of Prayer

Posted by Dan and Carole McClelland |0 comments

 So we have been in DC serving with YWAM at the Washington House of Prayer for about 5 weeks now! It has been a great amazing experience and God is growing us so much! I wanted to write a blog explaining what we do here so you know what kinds of things we do! So I am just going to go through a normal (although flexibility is the key because everyday has changes) day for us! 

For the last four weeks, our team has met at 6:00 AM at the White House Ellipse, the park right behind the White House, to pray fro 6 to 7 for an event called David's tent, 40 days and nights of continual worship to Jesus enthroning him as Lord over America.  The 40 days before the November 2012 election.  The event will be at this park, thus we come every morning preparing for the event by praying at the place. For more information go to http://dchop.org/.  I plan to write another blog about this event!  

We also host teams that come to DC for mission trips from around the United States.  So when a team is with us, they will join us in the morning for praying for David's tent and for Jesus to be Lord over America.  When I took this picture there was a youth group from Georgia with us! 

After the Ellipse, we dropped off Dan at the metro and he rode public transportation to Gallaudet University everyday were he was taking ASL 1 and ASL 2 language classes! He had classes from 9 to 2 everyday!  He learned a ton and his confidence in using ASL has greatly increased! He just completed his 4 weeks of ASL classes last week Friday! So this week is the first week that Dan will be joining the team for the full day!  It is a great week to start we as have a team of 60 youths from a church in VA here on a mission trip!

Then our team meets together from 730 to 10 for a devotional, worship and prayer.  These times are amazing to develop unity among our team and pray for breakthrough in our own lives as a community before leading others into intimacy with Jesus.  Everyday looks different.  We all take turns leading the devotional about a characteristic of God and then worship/pray together.  One day there is a bunch of worship other days more prayer.  We allow the Holy Spirit to led us in what to do for that day. 

         

   After our set of worship and prayer, the team splits up and works on their role for David's tent, such as scheduling the worship teams or researching about the housing options.  As I prayed about where God wanted me to serve, I felt a strong call to help the leaders, Jason and Kimberlee, at home with their four kids and help around the house.  Kimberlee does homeschooling, cleans, cooks and does                  it all with four kids! She is amazing and I get to help her at home.  I am writing another blog about the fun things that I do with the kids at home! 

Then on Tuesday and Friday nights, we have a worship/prayer set open for the public. Dan plays on the worship team and I interpret for our Deaf friends that come.  This time is a time for people in DC to worship Jesus and then pray for specific things on His heart.  We have a worship leader that leads us in worship as well as a prayer leader that seeks God's heart for that night on what we should pray for.  We have prayed for peace in Israel, the end of abortion, strengthening of traditional marriage in America, breakthrough in America and many other things! The picture below is of the YWAM DC team!  There is a group of about 16 of us, a few are not in the picture!  

Currently, Dan and I are visiting churches on Sundays to see where God would like us to get plugged into and serve while we are here in DC.  On our free time, we also go out with some of the friends that we have been meeting or reconnecting with here in DC and Gallaudet University.  One Sunday, we visited our friends Laura church and then spend the day with Laura and her friend Tom, who is doing a summer internship at Gallaudet University.  Later that week, Dan had the opportunity to have lunch with Tom at Gallaudet. 

Here is another day, where after Dan's classes and my interpreter workshop, we had the opportunity to go to the DC zoo and met up with friends.  Here Dan is explaining in American Sign Language how we met in New Mexico!