here.

i can't believe we're finally here! in israel...the holy land. we've made it through many months of outreach together, and now we're reunited with the rest of our dts to explore the land where jesus walked! it's been amazing so far.

i posted some pics from morocco...

check it here.

that's all for now.

toubkal.

for the past two days, the team has been climbing this:

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN NORTHERN AFRICA.

we are all writhing in pain. SO SORE.

but the mountain has been conquered.

cheers.

morocco.

morocco is...sandy, windy, colorful, french, arabic, african, busy, smelly, wonderful, and full of life. casablanca looks nothing like the movie, but it's still wonderfully european with its little cafés and pastry shops. the beach in essaouira is constantly being blasted by a brutally whipping wind, reminiscent of the sahara desert--which is merely miles to the east. the men are overt, usually friendly, and always ready to sell you a tour, carry your bags, or offer you a few "space cakes" to spice up the day. the women are quiet, withdrawn, and mostly covered from head to foot in traditional muslim dress.

and the markets.

every city has them. they are cramped, noisy, crawling with locals and tourists alike, with displays of vibrant fabrics and elaborate beadwork swaying in the breeze, and smelling of fresh crêpes mixed with new leather and the exhaust of motorbikes. it's a shopper's paradise, since they offer everything from curiously unique clothing to beautifully carved furniture...all of it available for moroccan dirhams, at whatever price you can barter your way down to. amazing.

we started in casablanca, and rambled off to essaouira last week. our school leaders, will and jeremy, flew in to join us for awhile. it was such an encouragement to spend time with them, hear their stories, and glean from their wisdom and experience! we got a routine going, and put it into action for our time in morocco.

our schedule looks something like this: breakfast at 8am. team meeting at 9. we give thanks through music and meditation during the first part of our morning meetings. we've been learning the importance of giving Him glory during these past few weeks. everything comes out of this. without it, we are disconnected, weak, and without purpose. we also spend a lot of time interceding. we ask Papa to speak, and give Him time to do so. we ask for pictures, words and scripture for the day, always looking for direction from Him before we go out to do His work. after that, we head out for lunch and proceed to wander purposefully...

not surprisingly, fulfilling our purpose here has required a bit of a different tactic than any of the other countries we have visited in africa. as a local moroccan informed us, "everyone here is a muslim." our presence alone allows light to burst through in a stronghold such as this, but we've also spent our days exploring the city, intentionally positioning ourselves for the Father to use us. we've met many different types of people, chatted with them, asking questions, and many times even getting them to delve into deeper conversation topics! there are already some amazing stories of friendships made, seeds planted, and curious seekers finding truth by spending time with our team!

tonight is our last in essaouira. tomorrow morning we hop a bus to marrakech to continue our work for the next 7 days. that's all we have left! 7 days. after that is team debrief, and then finally ISRAEL!!! excitement is building. but for now, we're thoroughly enjoying our time in morocco. especially because we finally have running water and a real toilet! :)

love from africa,

-jaclyn

smile.

video #2 uploaded last night!

a snapshot of kenya.

VID.

i tried to post this awhile ago. but it didn't work. and then we didn't have a good internet connection for ages. and now we do. so here it is...for your viewing pleasure...

our video from south africa!

bakshish.

i've posted some more pictures...mostly from the last week at the nile river, and from our stop through cairo. so fun.

CLICK HERE.

we're currently in casablanca, and heading out early tomorrow morning for a coastal town i can't remember how to spell! our school leaders will and jeremy arrived from tunisia last night, and they're joining us for the next leg of the trip. should be great...more updates to come!

<3

uganda.

our time in uganda is coming to an end. we leave jinja on saturday morning, fly to cairo on sunday, and into casablanca, morocco early monday morning. three countries in three days. awesome.

our team has been staying at the ywam base in jinja, uganda for the past few days. it's been a much-needed time of rest and recuperation after two weeks of non-stop evangelism. we are TIRED.

the Lord really watched over us and worked through us during our time with the earwickers. we grew as a team, but also individually. it was inspiring to see the work that brent and virginia are doing, and their zeal for Christ's kingdom was contagious.

after a week of living in their home in entebbe, doing school and church ministry, we packed up and ventured into the unknown. the islands of lake victoria are said to be dark, oppressed places. many of the residents are there to escape the law of the mainland, so crime rates are high. most ugandans never even visit these forsaken spots of land.

it was a long, difficult, and rewarding week of service. we slept in tents, bucket-showered outside, often didn't get dinner until well after 10pm, and woke up every morning to pray at 6am. we taught at churches, preached in villages, walked door-to-door sharing our stories and the good news of the gospel. if we hadn't felt like real missionaries up until this point, we do now. it was hardcore. and we saw God move. many people accepted Jesus, came for healing and baptism, and expressed encouragement by our presence in that place.

we were also encouraged. the pastors and evangelists that took us under their wings were a fiery, eccentric lot. and they love Jesus with every bit of their beings. pastor joash, brother michael, and brother brent made up the three musketeers...and they can really pray, preach and praise. our whole team was touched by their passion for the kingdom.

there are so many stories...too many. i can't begin to type up everything we experienced, but i hope the pictures help to relay a little bit of what went on. 

the team is gearing up for morocco now, and so excited! continued prayers are appreciated. the ministry in morocco will look quite different, since it's a muslim nation, and pretty hostile towards evangelism. we'll be posting again soon, but a little reminder: morocco IS a closed country, so when writing emails to any one of us, don't use any christian language! substitute different words for God, Jesus, worship, Bible, ministry, Christ, and DEFINITELY don't use the word missionary! caution is the key. we don't really want to find out what the inside of a moroccan jail cell looks like. :)

much love from the entire africa team.

more.

pictures from the islands!

island fever.

allelujaaaahhhh!!!!

amen!

we're back from the islands, safe and sound. it was a crazy, exciting, difficult and memorable time. i'll write a longer update when i have the time and energy. for now, we're back at the earwicker's house in entebbe, full of pizza and icecream. what a treat after a week of rice and beans!

in the meantime, i posted some pictures of the last few weeks:

east africa.

islands.

so we're all packed up and ready to set out in a boat for the islands of lake victoria. i wanted to post a quick update to let everyone know that we're leaving...we won't have access to internet, phones, electricity or running water for a week. YES.

we're traveling 30 miles out into the crocodile, hippo, and bacteria-infested waters of africa's great lake. the islands have small villages on them, and, well, nothing else. except lots of big bugs. the AIDS infection rate is 87%, and the main sources of income for these people are fishing and prostitution. many of the inhabitants practice witchcraft. 

all that being said, we need some PRAYER. for physical and spiritual protection, as well as boldness to preach the gospel to a group of people thirsty for the truth. our leader, trevor, has contracted a virus in his lungs, and is under strict orders to rest for awhile. he's a trooper, though, and has decided to take the journey with us...as long as he stays in his tent for the first few days. prayers for healing would be great!

this is going to be an intense week. flyers are already being passed around the island advertising a "fire conference," and "10 muzungus from new zealand," that are coming to lead a revival! that's us. we're the white people with the Spirit. so we're asking God to move. we want to see healing, and deliverance, and salvation. and we need lots of prayer.

time to set off, so that's all for now...we'll be back in a week with lots of stories!

-love from uganda-

finally!

...access to internet!

we're in uganda, staying with brent and virginia...a missionary couple from oregon.

so here are some pics we took during our time in kenya.

album #1.

album #2.

culture.

kenya is different from america.

oh, let me count the ways...

swahili is the national language. simba=lion. rafiki=friend. and "jambo!" is not just a line from 'mean girls.' besides swahili, there are over 40 other languages spoken in kenya.

the term "road" is used quite loosely. anything remotely resembling a path, walkway, dry river bed, or expanse of rocky dirt is considered fair game. transportation includes bicycles, motorcycles, cars, ox-carts, and taxis.

taxis (or "matatus") are vans, usually cleverly decorated with window decals featuring tupac and beyonce. the average model was built around 1980, and features 4 rows of teeny, tiny bench seats, holes in the floor, and hopefully a door or two. disclaimer: doors and windows not guaranteed to stay connected to vehicle during transport. our last ride in one of these lovely vehicles saw 18 adults piled in at one time. cozy.

we have no running water. we use an outhouse. we brush our teeth with water bottles. we walk across campus for drinking water. we hand-wash our clothes in big basins. we take showers out of a bucket.

no joke.

the average kenyan's favorite food is "chapati." it is essentially a piece of dough fried in fat over a charcoal fire. another african specialty is "ughali." maize flour and water. usually served plain and eaten with your fingers...but we've been lucky enough to eat it with cabbage on top! and they let the "mazungus" eat it with forks. mazungus are white people.

there is a herd of buffalo, a herd of zebras, a herd of impalas, and 19 giraffes living on this YWAM base. apparently you can see them while running around the property. it's slightly cooler than being on a treadmill at the gym.

church on sunday for some of us was in a mud hut. there were four "pews," aka. benches made out of sticks and branches. the pastor rolled up on an old bicycle. there was no official start-time for the service. almost every woman there was carrying a baby slung on their back with a scarf...except the one in the front row who decided to nurse her child during the service. oh. and about halfway through, a lady walked in carrying a chicken. yes. a real, live, squirming, squawking mother hen. at the end of the service, the chicken was offered to us as a gift. we took it.

basically, the only similarity i've noticed between kenya and the states so far is love for obama. you think downtown chicago was crazy on election night? tell a bunch of kenyans you're from the u.s. and you have instant insanity. obama-fever. it's awesome.

there is honestly just too much to tell about our experiences here so far. but i will say this: the country of kenya is beautiful. the people are lovely and joyful. the ywam base is a peaceful place, and the team is thoroughly enjoying our time spent here. we worship and pray every chance we get. we go out to schools, churches and homes to minister every day. we help out with work duties, too. sometimes this means cooking. sometimes chopping wood. and sometimes sorting rice. we eat a lot of rice. we don't have the internet, so cyber cafes are our only chance for communication. time is limited, the connection is slow, and it costs about a shilling a minute. a shilling is worth about 1.25 cents.

sooo... we'll be uploading pictures as soon as we can. hopefully before we leave africa! :) you can be praying that our team is helpful and effective here in kenya, and that we stay open to anything and everything God is trying to teach us! we're here for 10 more days...plenty of time for more experiences and lots of learning.

bring it on.

moving.

we leave tomorrow morning for NAIROBI, KENYA! please pray for safe and glitch-less travel. we will be arriving in the evening, and heading to the YWAM base outside the city. not sure what internet access will look like there...

not sure what the bathrooms will look like either.

we'll let you know. :)

peace and love from south africa for the last time!

-jaclyn

images.

today i got to spend a little time documenting the work our team is doing! check out this new album for a peek into our world...

NEW PICTURES.

MORE pictures! 

check pages 3 and 4 for new stuff...

south africa.

trees.

Even though we've only been in South Africa for a week, it feels like we've been here forever.  We've settled nicely into our routine.  Wake up at 7:00.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill all morning.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill all afternoon.  Wait "patiently" for supper.  Eat.  Internet.  Crash by 9:00.  Wake up.  Eat.  Drag trees up a hill...

We've been clearing brush away from the river, and working on building a new fence in the same area.  These projects are both for security reasons, because there have been some break-ins.  The brush offers cover for people who are trying to sneak in, so we've been clearing it.  The fence is self-explanatory. 

Last night we had dinner with Jaco, the man in charge of Refilwe.  It was very encouraging to hear about some of the new projects they are starting.  They are beginning to plant orchards, and they are launching a company called Wormcycle.  All the profit from Wormcycle will go towards supporting Refilwe programs.  Refilwe advocates sustainability in all their projects, and they are excited to be able to take a step towards supporting themselves financially through Wormcycle.

This week, members of our team have continued to go into the community.  On Monday, Amanda, Jaclyn and I visited the man who we prayed for last week.  As soon as we walked into his house, the change that had come over him was obvious.  His eyes were bright and he was smiling!  Some of his pain had returned, so we prayed for him again.  We prayed for some other members of the community as well. 

Other members of our team got to go into the informal settlements with Home Basic Care, a program where they assess the health needs of the community and provide care and education about problems such as high blood pressure, TB and HIV/AIDS.  The informal settlements are completely different from anything you will see in America, Canada or England.  It's like what you see on TV.  People live in tin shacks that barely fit a bed and a couch.  These shacks are really close together.  The biggest informal settlement in the area had a population of around 150, 000 the last time they checked, which was two years ago.  

There are more than ten of these settlements in the area around Johannesburg.  It's hard to comprehend.  There is a silence that hangs over the place.  The squawk of a chicken, the sound of children in the distance...they pierce the silence, then fall dead.  At times our footsteps are the only noise.  The road we walk along looks more a boulder field than a road.  Broken glass and bottle caps litter the ground.  Little children run around in bare feet.  One little girl - she can't be more than two - plays with a handsaw.  Our eyes take in these images, but do they really register?  Each person who lives in the informal settlements; this is their life.  Every day of every year.  I see it, but it doesn't sink in.

That's why seeing Mama Sanette and Mama Thandi at work is so inspiring, why walking around with the Home Basic Care team is so encouraging.  They are actually making a difference in these settlements.  One of the women on the Home Basic Care team lives in the informal settlement that she is working in.  We ate lunch at her house after doing the assessments.  Refilwe is educating people and teaching them skills so that they can break free from the cycle of poverty.  It is inspiring to see.

-Grace

sawubona!

our first week in south africa was amazing!

click HERE to see some pictures...

healing.

a quick little update, due to the face that we have limited internet access, and because the power keeps going out:

today our team split into 3 groups: some went back to the day care, some continued manual labor on-site, and two of us went out into the surrounding community. grace and amanda were asked to visit an old, sickly man in order to pray for him. doctors had been unable to diagnose exactly what his ailments were, but they included abdominal pain and an injured leg. he was restricted to a chair in his small tin hut.

before leaving new zealand, leaders prayed boldness and healing over our team. many prophetic statements were made about the wonders we would see, and the spiritual warfare we would face. after team intercession time this morning, and a prayer sending them out with the authority of Jesus Christ, amanda and grace prayed for this man's healing.

during the prayer, his eyes became brighter. the spirit of death left him, and he started praising Jesus! he told the girls his pain was gone, and began thanking them and Christ for his miraculous new health. amazing.

there are many others in the community who need healing and prayer. we will be sending others back into the township to visit with people, and possibly pray for them as well. continue to keep us in your prayers!

arrival.

we're here!
we arrived in johannesburg, south africa on monday night. may 18th was the longest day of our lives. we left at 4am from oxford, and traveled for a full 24 hours. we arrived in africa at 4pm the same day. and then drove for over an hour to get from the airport to the refilwe base. like i said, longest day EVER.

refilwe is a fairly large organization that includes schools for kids of all ages, day cares, farming, trade school, accommodations, orphan-care, community building, health care education, and more. we had expected to be living in tents here for the next few weeks, but to our surprise and delight we were given a house to stay in! three bedrooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen and a little living room is ALL OURS. so nice.

the beds are especially appreciated, since most of us have been participating in hard physical labor for the past two days. our projects so far have included day care, going into townships with health-educators, and helping the maintenance crew construct a new fence around the perimeter of the base. the majority of us have been raking, hauling trees and digging holes. it's dirty, sweaty work. and we're tired. but it's great to see the progress we're making! refilwe has been having trouble with break-ins and theft, so we are assisting in the effort to make the place more secure.

our computer time is limited, but we will try to post updates as often as possible. please continue to keep us in your prayers. we hope to support the full-time staff here at refilwe by being an encouragement, and really getting some work done for them! pray for team unity, Christ-like attitudes, and strength to get our work done.

well, the computer room is about to close, so farewell for now.
-love from africa-

flying.

our bags are packed (sort of). 

the base is clean (sort of). 

we've said our goodbyes (sort of). 

and now it's time: at 4am - exactly 1 hour and 25 minutes from now - our team will be leaving the ywam base in oxford, and heading for the christchurch airport. our flight leaves at 7am. 

south africa, here we come!

this afternoon we had our last team meeting prior to departure. the mood was a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of sadness. after three months of intense community building, splitting up is proving to be difficult. this morning we said our first goodbyes as team afric-asia left for thailand. let's just say there were tears. lots of them.

the uplifting truth is, we're going where God has called us! as we prayed a final blessing over our teams' time in africa, i felt tremendous peace. there is an overall confidence that we are going to the right place, at the right time, with the right people. 

after months of planning and preparation, our outreach is finally here! please pray for safety as we traipse the globe. pray for team unity. pray that the Holy Spirit would permeate our meeting places, and fill us up as we go out to bless others. pray that we would be open to God's leading. pray for selfless attitudes, and a burning desire to spread truth wherever we go. pray that the love of Christ would be revealed in life-changing ways to the souls we meet along the way. pray for growth.

thanks for your support and love. none of us would be here without the friends and family we have standing behind us, holding us up, pushing us on. you are appreciated. we can't wait to share with you the adventures and experiences God brings us during these next few months!

<3>

us.

so. you know a little about WHERE we're going, and WHAT we'll be doing, but you're probably wondering WHO is doing all this stuff. i'm here to answer that question. 

here are pictures of the people you're praying for.(that we HOPE you're praying for! seriously. we're going to AFRICA for 3 months.)

ok, here goes:

trevor elste - 24, illinois, usa.

kelly meyer - 22, nebraska, usa. 

tanah neumann - 19, canada

grace macewan-19, canada.

amanda richards - 22, england.

heesuk shin - 26, new zealand/south korea

jaclyn visbeen - 24, michigan, usa.

lindsay wood - 18, canada.

kayla stewart - 19, oregon, usa.

joshua talbot - 19, south korea

i'll be posting a little bio on everyone soon. probably after we've packed up and headed off to johannesburg...goodbye new zealand, hello africa!

going.

to our friends and family, all around the globe:

hello from oxford, new zealand! as we prepare to set out from the ends of the earth, we wanted to say hello, introduce ourselves, and share with you the bits and pieces we know about our upcoming outreach adventure.

in less than one week, our team of 10 heads to africa for almost three months... 4 americans, 3 canadians, 1 brit, 1 american/korean (it's complicated), and 1 koriwi (short for korean-kiwi). 7 girls. 3 guys. what a team.

here's a little break down of where we're going and what we'll be doing:

south africa- we arrive in johannesburg next week, and will be working with a relief organization called Refilwe. (http://www.refilwe.org/) we will be sleeping in tents and helping with projects and ministry on the base.

kenya- after flying into nairobi, we're heading to the ywam base nearby to work and stay. our goal is to relieve the full-time staff of their duties for awhile, and hopefully visit some schools in the area to hang with and minister to the kids!

uganda- this is going to be intense. we are taking a bus from nairobi to kampala. after that we'll be heading by boat out to the islands of lake victoria. we'll be staying at an orphanage, and taking day-trips to visit more remote villages on surrounding islands. we'll be joining local african missionaries to hold church services. as guests, we might be expected to preach and lead worship! word on the street is that we'll be eating a lot of boiled fish there. prayers please. :)

morocco- from uganda, we're flying through cairo to casablanca. we'll be staying with a contact there, and assisting them in their work. morocco is a closed nation. those striving to share the love of the Father are not welcome, so they enter the country with alternate means of income. the goal is to blend in. the culture in morocco is very similar to that of the middle east, so the girls in our group will be wearing traditional head wraps and tunics! it should be an interesting transition from uganda to morocco, and from there on to...

ISRAEL- we'll be having a HUGE reunion with everyone from our dts! we'll be touring the holy land for a few weeks and then graduating on the mount of olives on august 13th. YES.

so there's a short synopsis of the next step we're taking on our journey as God's kids. thanks for your support and prayers. we're taking all of you with us into africa...