Divine Interruptions

 We pray a lot here on the island of Ibiza, and sometimes that means prayer walking. 

One of my favorites is the San Antonio prayer walk. We've been doing it since 2005 and no matter how many times I do it, it never gets old. Normally it's a prayer walk we do with short term missions teams. It's a great way to introduce them to the city and to kickstart their prayer journey while they're here. 

Since this is the first summer back post covid, we're not actually hosting any short term teams, which means the prayer walk isn't happening as frequently. So this past weekend, a few of us decided it was time to bring the San Antonio prayer walk back!

One of the things I love most about this prayer walk is the stories. There are so many stories and bits of history about the island that we share during the walk to help fuel people's prayers. Normally we stop at a significant location, share a story, and then we pray in pairs as we walk to the next location. As I was leading the prayer walk this past weekend, I noticed that something strange started to happen. It started when two of the girls who are volunteering this summer got stopped by a worker they knew. Not long after that one of the guys who comes into our centre sometimes stopped Stephen to chat. At another point in the walk some of the guys actually saw some people they'd met and prayed for in the west end the night before. 

All of the interruptions meant that in the end we ran out of time to finish the prayer walk. Later when I looked back on the day I realized that something beautiful has occurred. It would have been easy to say to all of those people "Sorry we can't chat right now, we're kind of busy."  But that wasn't the response. Instead, each member of the team took the time to invest in those relationships. 

The whole day reminded me that sometimes God interrupts our good intentions with even better ones!

The big question is --> How do we respond to those divine interruptions? 

I'll be honest and say that I don't always respond well.

It's shocking, I know! 

Sometimes those interruptions are met with my annoyance. Instead of seeing the opportunity that God is giving me, I focus instead on the fact that "My Plans" have been messed up.  My annoyance usually only lasts for a few minutes before I recognize what's going on. It wasn't long into our prayer walk that I started to sense that God was trying to teach us something. As I look back at the day now I can almost hear him saying...

Keep praying, but also make time for the people I put in your path. 

It feels like our obedience in those moments is another form of prayer! 

I'm still raising funds for my summer of missions in Spain. Click here to donate! 

No T-shirt No Problem

I've been in Ibiza for a few weeks, and it's all been pretty amazing except for one bit...The Jet Lag! 

While my body is still adjusting to a new time zone, there's still work to be done! I've been back out on the streets of the west end, and it's been pretty fantastic. I've been loving the chance to reconnect with people that I've known through out the years. Seeing those familiar faces always feels good.  

Today I wanted to share a fun story that happened while I was out on the streets last week. Towards the end of the night, my partner and I were approached by two young man. neither one of them was wearing a shirt. One of them had his top slung over his shoulder, while the other didn't have one at all. They asked if we spoke english and when we said we did, their story came spilling out. 

The boys had been in a club dancing when one of them decided it would be a good idea to take his top off and swing it around over his head. In a moment of excitement he decided to let his shirt go. They tried to search for it, but the shirt was pretty much lost forever. 

A lost t-shirt seems like a minor issue. But it became more of a problem when the boys needed to get a taxi back to their hotel. Taxis here in Ibiza can be pretty strict. And one thing they won't do, is let you in unless you're wearing a top. So these boys were wandering around the west end looking for a solution. We tried to help them find a shop, but the issue was that it was nearly 3AM which meant that shops that sold t-shirts were closed.

We started chatting and pretty quickly our conversation turned towards God. One of the boys was in disbelief that God could even be in a place like the west end. We assured him he was, and when we asked if we could pray for them they agreed. 

I prayed they would find a t-shirt quickly and that when it happened they would remember this moment. They would remember that we prayed and asked God for help, and he answered. 

By this point in the night it was time for my partner and I to head back into the prayer room, and the boys were ready to continue on their way. Once we got back into the center, we realized there were actually some spare shirts in one of the cupboards. We grabbed one and proceeded to run back out to find our shirtless friend. When we found him we were surprised to see that in the four minutes since we'd left them he'd already managed to find a t-shirt. 

We all had a laugh and the boys thanked us for coming back out to help. 

The whole interaction was kind of frantic and funny, and throughout it I was reminded of how often I see God answering prayers in this place. Sometimes our interactions and conversations with people are deep and God filled. Other times we're aware of those moments when we get to plant seeds. Moments when we get to remind people that God is in the places they least expect, and that he's listening.

I'm still raising funds for my summer of missions in Spain. Click here to donate! 

First Night Back

 I'm happy to report that I'm back in Ibiza!

I've been on the island for a few days now and last night was my first night back out on the streets. In years past my first night back has often been full of this anxious realization:

"Oh crap! I'm actually here. Now it's time to do all the stuff I've been talking about!"

Last night was different. I'm not sure if it's because I've been praying a lot leading up to my trip, but last night was full of peace. 

I felt that peace settle as we started the night with prayer, and as I walked the streets. There was a point when I was out for my first hour when the wind blew and I breathed in the familiar scent of the west end. If you've been here you know it. It's a mixture of stale alcohol, vomit, urine and somehow KFC! I know it sounds crazy, but that smell is so beautiful to me! As I took it in I was reminded of all the amazing things I've seen God do here. 

I realize it would be really easy for me to just slip back into the easy rhythm of doing all the things I'm familiar with here. But over and over again leading up to my trip, God's been speaking to me about NEW THINGS. 

I love the passion translation of Isaiah 43:18-19. It says:

"Don't revel only in the past, or spend all your time recounting the victories of days gone by. Watch closely: I am preparing something new; it's happening now, even as I speak, and you're about to see it. I am preparing a way through the desert; Waters will flow where there had been none."

The bit that really jumps out at me is that directive to "Watch Closely". That's my plan this summer. To stick closely to Jesus and to listen for what NEW things he has for me. I'm not relying on the old and familiar, instead I'm longing to hear what he has for this place now! 

I'm still raising funds for my summer of missions in Spain. Click here to donate! 

You Already Know What Time It Is...

 It's 2022 and we're back at it again! 

If you haven't already guessed it, I'm heading back to Ibiza. 

I started this blog in 2009, just a few months before I headed off on a missions trip to Ibiza for the first time. It was an eventful experience. Over the years I've been back several times, and God continues to call me back to serve and to pray. 

I'll be headed back to Ibiza this summer for a few months, so get ready for more blog posts and other fun. 

I'm currently raising funds for the summer. If you're interested in donating, check out my Go Fund Me. 

In other fun news...a few months ago I actually got to have a little mini Ibiza reunion here in the US. 

I was at a 24-7 Prayer leadership conference in Tulsa with Brian Heasley and Anna Lukes. I've spent many nights in the prayer room in Ibiza with both of these rockstars! It was great to reminisce and to catch up. 

I think that's all I've got for today. I've got some fun things in store for you all, so stay tuned for more! 

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God's Answering Machine

I'm in the midst of my 5th summer season in Ibiza, and no matter how much I think I've learned, there's always more. The thing that drew me to Ibiza initially was prayer. I was at a place in my life where my passion for prayer was growing, and I knew that it was a big part of the work out here. 

When we're out on in the west end at night, we work in this rhythm where you're out on the streets for an hour, and then in the prayer room for an hour. I've always loved both aspects of the work, the streets and prayer. But this season my eyes have really been opened to just how connected the two are. 

I've had some nights in the prayer room where I've felt led to pray for something, and then I step out on the streets the next hour and walk right into a situation that is exactly what I was praying about. One of the girls I work with prayed something specific in the prayer room and when it was her hour out on the streets she got into a conversation with someone who then proceeded to word for word say her prayer back to her! 

Seeing God move so quickly fills me with such faith! It also reminds me that God is here. He's present and he's listening. I think sometimes we pray like God has some sort of prayer answering machine. 

It's as if we believe that when we pray, God's not actively listening. It's like we think we're leaving our prayers on his machine and he'll get back to us when he's free!

"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for."     - 1 John 5:15-16 (NLT)

Truth is, God is listening. Seeing God move so clearly and quickly on the streets has filled my prayer life with such faith. Not just the faith to ask for stuff, but the kind of faith that wants to get closer to God's heart, and start praying the things I find there.

I think this idea of "God's answering machine" comes when we feel like God isn't answering our prayers quick enough. When we pray, sometimes the answer God gives us is...wait. During those tough waiting times, we need to remember that we're not on God's to-do list. He's with us in the waiting! I love Hagar's story in Genesis 16. When she was desperate and didn't know what to do, God stepped in and helped her. In verse 13 she decides to give God a new name. El Roi, which means  "The God who Sees me".  I love that because it reminds me that when things are going crazy in my life. God is there. He sees me.

TL:DR
Pray with Faith. God is listening, he's present. Believe that he's going to move in big ways in response to your prayers. And when God's answer to your prayer feels like it's taking a long time, remember God doesn't have an answering machine. He hears your prayers, he sees you, and he's with you in the waiting!

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via GIPHY

Lately I've been pushing myself to be more creative. With that in mind, I'm going to start doing a weekly post of photographs here on the blog. The goal is to give you a little glimpse of the place and the people that I love so much. And while I'm at it, hopefully I'll be challenged to step up my creative game!

I hope you enjoy...