Next stop... SUDAN!!!

Serving God is always an adventure... and here comes another surprise..

I am going to Africa in one week.

Yes, you read that right. Yes, Africa. Yes, in one week.

So I need some serious prayers!! Get this: I leave July 25th and I am going to be in Sudan for 2 weeks. A crazy opportunity came up, and someone dropped out of a trip my home church from San Diego is going on, and my uncle (the pastor) called me and asked me to join. They really needed someone to fill in, since they will be working with kids at a missions/ministry base in Sudan called Far-Reaching Ministries, and they have hundreds of kids to do a program with, and very few workers. My uncle wanted me to come since I just had missions training with YWAM, and worked with kids a lot in Peru and Chile, and of course it would be easier to join last minute since I am related to half the team (my aunt, uncle, and two of my cousins are going!). Whatttt???

So I prayed about it and told God if He wants me to go, He had to make it very easy for me to go, since I found out about it like 5 days ago, and He had to make it cheaper than normal since I am not working right now, and He has to make it clear that I am needed to go. He made all of that possible, but I was still waiting to hear about a plane ticket at such short notice, as of this morning. The church was working on finding a ticket, and today as I was waiting in the doctor's office for my shots and pills and vaccines (leap of faith!) I found out they got me a plane ticket and I am going. I am going! Sometimes you gotta just take the leap of faith when you know God is sending you. He is better at working out details like plane tickets anyway. I mean, who would really get their way if it was between an airline personnel and God Almighty? Really?

It is so amazing because as some of you know, this summer I wasnt working and was asking God for direction and kind of goals for this time, and seeing all that my sister went through in Africa (she worked with an orphanage and her group discovered the director was embezzling money and not caring for the kids in order to spend the church sponsor's money on BMW's and prostitutes), God gave me a bigger heart for Africa, especially for the kids. And then He gives me an opportunity to go love on the kids of Sudan for Him!! Wow! It's insane but God is so cool like that. So faithful. He was sooo faithful during my time in Chile and Peru, and His past faithfulness demands my present trust... any Maranatha youth groupers remember who always used to say that?? :)

So please be praying for my team, for my safety and health (we have to go on a little tiny plane from Uganda to Sudan), to hear God's voice clearly and learn what He wants to show me through all of this, and to have lots of energy and love to give to the kids. 

Thanks so much, you are all important to me and I appreciate your prayers so much. Let me know what I can pray for you specifically for. Love you all!!!

XOXO

Brooke

Isaiah 12!!!!!

One more picture I love...

Vive Chile!

Lindsey and I carried in the Chilean flag for our graduation... we don't really know why we were chosen, but we ended up with the honors! Our graduation was an amazing time of celebrating everything God did in our DTS, all of the things He showed us and used us for. He is GOOD!

Back in the EEUU

which means Los Estados Unidos (America) by the way. Learn it.

Update since I've been home:

Praying over one of our leaders, Jason, who was a mentor and big encouragement to us Americans on the base. He and his Chilean wife and four children are moving to Pennsylvania in Nov. to possibly raise up a YWAM interpreting school. Pray for them!

The six who were always in trouble. In our Peruvian beanies. I miss them already - these girls were like sisters to me! Most of us will be reunited in Sept (read on for details!)

Most of the DTS together one last time, with our flags. Some of the most amazing times were spent worshipping together in all our different languages. It's really a piece of heaven on earth!

After two or three weeks of spending time in southern Chile with Tere's family, Canada with my  family (so fun with aaaalll my millions of cousins), Santa Barbara briefly with friends and Reality, and being home for a bit, I am finally sitting down to write on this thing. It's been amazing to see my friends and family, to be home and to get back into the swing of things in California. Life here really is VERY different from my life for the past few months. Its an adjustment but learning to live in all circumstances is a gift and a challenge so I better start adjusting.

As for this summer, I will be in San Diego with my family, saving money and preparing to go back to Chile in September. God made it clear to me before I left the base in June that I would be coming back, and the Ministry leadership school in Sept. is exactly where I want to be. It's another bilingual school on my YWAM base in Pichilemu, and I think 12 or 13 of my DTS friends are coming back to take it with me! God changed my heart (I originally was the one very set against it; I already had my life going in SB and wanted to get back to it), and I know He has even bigger plans for me through this next step. I am reading the New Testament in Spanish this summer and staying in contact with all my friends down there so I dont forget my Spanish. 

Looking back at the 6 months I spent in South America, I can definitely say it was life changing. It was an equation of 6 months, 2 countries, 28 students, 8 cultures, 5 languages, hundreds of bus rides in tiny Peruvian buses, dozens of meals of rice, chicken and potatoes, 10 different church families, dozens of dramas and kids' programs, 4 trips to the hospitals, 2 flu injections, 1 swine flu scare, 1 mystery meat scare (dog? alpaca?),  all 150 Psalms, and lots of antibacterial hand gel and baby wipe-showers to have an unforgettable experience that changed my heart and perspective forever. God truly worked miracles in our health, in our hearts, in our language abilities, in our relationships in our team and with family members of people on my team, in our callings and faith in Him, in saving people in Chile and in Peru, and in giving us new dreams and goals in serving Him. His plan is always better, His dreams are always bigger! 

Thanks for the warm welcome home, and all your prayers for safe and healthy travels. If you're reading this it means you are important to me and your support (especially prayer!!) is VERY appreciated. Let me know if there is something I can pray for in your life...

my email is jharper0921@gmail.com