Living the Journey

Even though I was raised in a Christian household and grew up learning about God, I didn’t actually know God until my first Journey to the Heart in November 2007.

God was guiding my path even before I embarked on my Journey. In August/September of 2007, a group from California prepared to attend a Journey together. I signed up for this event, but was soon told that there wasn’t enough room; I will have to attend the next Journey in November. I was pretty upset, but little did I know God was working to place in the team that will help me grow the most.

One of the biggest issues in my life was dealing with other guys. Because my interests differed so much from others and I enjoyed activities like writing compared to athletics, I was often excluded from their activities. Most of the time I was picked on or made fun of, and sadly sometimes the fathers of these boys would insult me without intentionally trying to hurt me—such as commenting negatively in my inability to play sports well. As a result, I refrained from associating with other guys as much as I could and resorted to solo activities.

When I first arrived at HQ, I was given a “perfect greeting” by all the staff that talked to me. I instantly felt welcome. But it was my group that caught my attention. I was the youngest, so I didn’t feel like I fit in with these older guys. But they did something I did not expect. They accepted me for who I was. They respected my interests, and told me a quiet spirit is something to be appreciated. I was never insulted or rejected, which surprised me especially during recreation. I’m pretty bad at athletics, but they let me play with them and even helped me learn. I didn’t need to put on a facade or act like someone else; I could be myself and they will respect me as I am.

This act of love did not pass me by unnoticed. In fact, I now believe it is what turned my heart towards God. I not only learned about Him, but I came to know Him. The love that my teammates showed me caused me to turn to God, the source of true love that fills our deepest void. I began to see Him as the faithful shepherd seeking His lost sheep, reaching out His arms, ready to take me into His arms and nurture me.

One special event occurred on the plane back home. continue reading…

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The fact that Libby was even born was an amazing miracle in and of itself. In this moving life story, she shares not only how God orchestrated the events that brought her into the world, but also how He dramatically delivered her entire family from the bondage of Satan’s lies.

Libby shared the following audio testimony with this last girls Journey right before they headed up to the Northwoods to seek the Lord.

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~ Libby
November 2007 Journey

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Manila, Philippines - February 2010

“Let the little children come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven” ~Matthew 19:14

Today Lon and I watched as the young men in the ministry program here in Manila, worked with children that have been rescued from the street. The children here are resilient; nothing scares them. Not foreigners, not having their picture taken, high fives are given in abundance, and hugs and kisses are quite accepted. So much is their trust and literal hunger, it’s almost friendship from the start.

While they are in no way naïve, they are in a lot of ways still innocent. They smile, they laugh, they play, they even hug and love on you as if you were an older sibling or maybe even a parent. There is nothing shy about them but at the same time, they are not forward. In fact there is a quietness or maturity in their life that is quite lacking in your normal tender naïve youth.

I sat in the hot room, sweat dripping down my back, perspiration forming a moist coat over my body, watching, as the young men told a story, talked about Valentines day and led the children in singing, closing the time of ministry with juice and cookies, all the while smiling and sharing out of the abundance of their needs having been met.

I’ve heard it said by missionaries “We don’t preach love, we show love”. This is what these guys do. They show love. It’s a small amount of time a money invested, but it’s a priceless gift to these children.

It’s been an unforgettable experience meeting these children and getting just a tiny glimpse into their lives.

Iloilo, Philippines – February 2010

“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep” ~ John 21:17

In the past four days, I have spoken 6 times and had one radio interview and I saw Jesus again tonight. I spoke to a group of girls and as I shared how God had met me in a very hard and painful emotional situation, I saw tears form in a girl’s eyes and knew that somehow, what I had said touched her heart and that God was using my vulnerability to do a work in her life.

I continued speaking and as I finished I witnessed Christ reaching out and healing three other girl’s hearts. It was awkward being vulnerable, it was uncomfortable and it was humbling, but it was Christ. Oh that I could see Him in this way more often.

Taitung, Taiwan – February 2010

“And whoever gives these little ones only a cup of cold water, in my name, assuredly I say unto you, he shall by no means lose his reward”  ~ Matthew 10:42

I saw Jesus again today; it was beautiful. I saw Him in the way the modern adulterous woman was forgiven and given new life. I saw Him in the care the nannies gave the babies of these women. I saw Him in the life of one woman, or girl really, whose baby was due today. I held these babies and whispered prayers over them. I told them they were loved, I watched them respond to my touch and to my voice. I saw beautiful innocence, and absolute trust. I received smiles, and coo’s in return.

In short, I saw Christ, and it touched me. This made my heart cry and my vision blur. My heart grew and my worldview changed; my view of Christ was enlarged. In ways, it was painful, but in others it was a blessing. The whole of it was a good and a perfect gift from God.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…” I saw Christ and my heart broke. I saw Christ and I was humbled. I saw Christ and experienced complete trust. I lived out a part of “For God so Loved” that I had never known before. I received a good and perfect gift from God.

Brooke E. Martens

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If you are interested in taking part in an overseas ministry trip, visit the Institute in Basic Life Principles’ Global Encounters web site or email globalencounters@iblp.org.

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Ever since my baptism last August, I had been striving to draw closer to God on a daily basis. Yet, at that point, I didn’t realize that I had allowed some affections to creep into my life and compete with my love for God. It wasn’t until this past September when I went on a Journey to the Heart that I was able to get alone with God and hear His voice as to what He had in mind for my life.

In Bill Gothard’s Basic Seminar, he describes a new perspective on fully dedicating your life to Christ. He uses the illustration of a room with everything inside representing the things that you do in your life. This might include each activity you have become involved in or every subject that you’ve mastered. In this illustration, when you become a new Christian and dedicate your “life” to Christ, it is like you are  inviting Him to come into the room and allowing Him the freedom to have control of all the aspects of your life. Let’s say there is a box in the room for each of your accomplishments. If there is something that you want to hold on to and don’t want you new Roommate to know about or take away, you might build a closet, put the box on the top shelf out of reach, and lock the door. Then, you really aren’t giving God everything because you are still withholding that one little box in your closet!

As I was searching my heart, trying to figure out if there was any particular area in my life that I had not yet surrendered to God, He revealed to me an area where I had allowed myself to be in control. At first, I was unwilling to give this up because it wasn’t all bad. Just some of it was, so the good outweighs the bad and makes it ok to live with, right? Wrong!

I argued back and forth with God about it, and finally agreed to give it all to Him. I was able to discover that God wants to be the center of my life, and I need to be willing to let Him be in control of all aspects of my life, including my future.  The Lord showed me that He is my fulfillment; He is all that I will ever need to be happy. He also revealed to me that now is the perfect time for me to focus on serving the Lord through my current responsibilities.

I Corinthians 7:34-35 says – “The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

These verses prompted me to rededicate myself to focus on serving the Lord rather than pleasing myself. That alone has been life-changing for me, and now I am able to fully trust God to care for everything I will ever need or want! As challenging as it was, after I completely surrendered everything to God, I was finally able to experience true peace in my spirit.

In closing, I will just share one of the verses that suck out to me during this time of my life: Psalm 126:2-3: “Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Yes, God has done an awesome work in my life, and I am very glad!

~ Grace
September 2009 Journey

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The beautiful and tranquil setting of the Northwoods  removed all distractions and enabled me to wholeheartedly focus on God. I had not expected Him to work as powerfully as He did. There are just so many ways He touched and changed my life.

In the middle of the week I felt discontent, restless, and frustrated. My team had completed all the ungodly heart conditions, but my own cold and distant one had not broken yet. My guilty conscience tried to tell me that I’d already been changed and broken. However, I was to meet God in a powerful way later that night.

After dinner, we watched a video called Father’s Love Letter. God revealed Himself to me in such a loving way and showed me how needy I was spiritually. Consequently, there wasn’t one moment where I was not crying! Two particular verses stuck out to me: Ephesians 3:14-15 and John 1:12-13. These can be paraphrased: “I have always been Father, and will always be Father. My question is . . . Will you be my child?” Sadly, they spoke of my own spiritual condition.

I realized that I had been seeking God’s love from everything else except Him. I sought people’s acceptance over God’s, and had developed fears of rejection and man as a result. I looked to people for approval and guidance, while ignoring God my Father who loved me more than anyone else. This understanding broke my heart and filled me with shame and grief.

After the video ended, I got on my knees to pray, overwhelmed with the truth of the above verses. I cried out “Father God” and suddenly His love flooded my heart like never before. The rest of the week, I experienced such closeness with Him as I had never felt in the past. Only now do I understand how incomparable God’s love is. I love this paraphrase of Romans 8:31-32: “I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.”

Through the encouragement and direction of my team leader, I developed a habit of daily devotions and journaling. At the beginning of the week, she instructed us to have an hour of quiet time—something I was unaccustomed to—and I groaned inwardly at the thought of losing one whole hour of sleep. However, through the example set by the other girls and God’s grace, I instilled this precious habit. This alone has been more of a blessing than I ever could have imagined, as God has given me new eyes to see His Word and a fresh love for the Bible.

He also blessed me with godly friendships with my teammates. I came home with precious memories, a contrite heart, a yearning for God, and a joyous excitement to follow Him. God has truly changed my heart and given me a stronger desire for Him.

~ Annalise
September 2009 Girls’ Journey

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Before I went on the Journey, I felt myself dying. I saw the road I was on, and I knew where it was going. Pain was controlling my entire life. I was helpless, struggling, and losing myself. If I continued down that path, I would have become a monster. I could not live with myself if I ended up like that. That’s what broke me. I had no control over the pain and the lust. I begged God for the answer. And I have it now! He gave me another chance. After the way I abused Him, He still loves me. I know He does!

Every time I’ve been tempted since getting back, I’ve sought Him for deliverance and grace. He’s giving me victory! I haven’t been such a free person since I was a child. This is the greatest thing that I have ever experienced! What’s amazing is that this is only the beginning! I have the rest of my life to live for God!

~ David
March 2009 Guys Journey

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