Last year, a group from St. Louis joined us for a week.   Though the group was full of personality, not too much sticks with me from the year before.  There were, as always, a few nights sprinkled with life conversations and laughter, a few powerful devotionals; but, as a whole, it was another group in the mix of many.   I do, however, remember, ALOT of general murmuring about work, and the case often seemed to be that much wasn't done after 3 pm.

This year, the same group came in and I expected the same- laughter, good conversations here and there, but nothing much past that.

I was wrong.

St. Louis came into our houses with hearts and arms extended.  I found that I never wanted to go to bed, I never wanted to be in my room, I never wanted to not be surrounded by this group of people.  

If I had my doubts before, God found this house last week and was standing in our midst in the most prevalent way yet.  I can't put my finger on it exactly, what made last week stand out above anything else I have experienced yet.   There was something, though, about the adamant faith dwelling in the casa last week that changed things.  Something about our voices raised in vibrant praise each night, something about the way this group disregarded logistics and just loved the Lord.  I can't place it, but I just know it.

On our last evening together, we paraded out to the new property with guitars in hand- sneaking through our neighbor's rice fields to get there, with a little thrill of terror creeping through my heart, as we were doing a bit of trespassing... and we weren't terribly inconspicuous with 60 people.  

But we made it.  And, looking a little cultic I am sure, we made a circle and began to pray for what God had in store for that plot of land and for the hearts standing on it. Between prayers, during prayers, we sang- with voices raised, we sang. Yet again, God finds me in song, but this time, it wasn't me being moved by the people singing as it was with my sweet sacred heart girls, it was God shouting at me in song....

"You said,  'Ask and you will receive whatever you need.'

You said, 'Pray and I'll hear from heaven, and I'll heal your land.'

you said your glory will fill the earth, like water to sea.

you said, 'Lift up your eyes, the harvest is here, the kingdom is near.'

You said, 'Ask and I'll give the Nations to you...'

Oh, Lord, that's the cry of my heart!  Distant shores and the islands

will see your light... You said...."

It makes me want to ask for the Nations.