When It's Real Revival

I wanted to share a quick testimony, of how revival is taking root even deeper at Kocioł Chwały (Church of Glory) Warsaw. The saying is true, "it isn't real revival, until the children get it." That was one of my goals coming to Poland, was to bring true revival to this land. I knew that the children had to experience it for themselves, and be carriers of it. I saw God do great things down in the Cieszyn church with their children's ministry. So, my faith was big that God could do it all over Poland. I know what I experienced this past Sunday was not happenstance. I know that for almost a year now, the children have been taught how to worship. They are experiencing good teaching and training in their children's ministries. Plus, they have parents that are training them at home.

On Sunday, there was a row of children, and they were really worshiping God. I walked over to be with them, because my heart was so touched. All during praise and worship, this group of children praised with strength, and worshiped harder then some of the adults. I know that this is the fruit of what they are experiencing in their children's ministries. They are learning to honor God in His house, and to worship with siła (strength). One little girl in particular really impressed me. Her family just started coming to the church in March, and she came in as a very timid little girl. Over the course of this year, I've seen her transform into a bold little girl. She came up to the front and worshiped with all her strength for the entire service. This was not the same girl I met in the spring, she has been revived.
To be honest this is a very new phenomenon in Poland, and it is changing church culture. I don't think a lot of people have ever really seen children go deep in praise and worship. I don't think they knew what children were capable of, if they raised the standard. You could feel in the room how awkward it was to have a row of children worshiping with strength. However, those feelings that were being released in the atmosphere, were overridden by what the children were doing. They were on the 'spiritual front lines' building God a stronghold of praise (Psalm 8:2-3). They were pushing away God's enemies, and ushering in His presence. I know if we continue to head in this direction, more and more people will get comfortable with this Kingdom culture. It's different, but it is right! In my opinion, this is the beginnings of a real Polish revival.

Also, I wanted to share something that is on my heart for churches internationally. A lot of people may not really know what do with their children during worship. This is my advice as a spiritual mother. Children need to be parented during worship. I believe if you are a parent, it is your responsibility to parent your children during worship. They don't need a million water breaks or bathroom breaks. They need to stand next to you, and stay next to you. If they can sit still through Star Wars or cartoons, they can sit still in church too. They need to stand to their feet, and worship their God with strength. We as adults shouldn't be soooooo lost in worship, that we loose sight of what is happening in the chair next to us. In my opinion, if we have kids, we are responsible for them in worship, until they are mature enough to worship themselves. That's great if we're parenting them in homework, and other areas of their life. The parenting they desire even more is to be parented in God. Remember, teach a child when they are young, and they won't forget it when they're older. So allowing them to run around during worship, run up to the stage, tear things apart, fall asleep, distract the people around them, or not worship at all is dishonorable. We can't be raising our hands singing, "God I honor you," and our children are being dishonorable to God. Heaven sees this and it sends a mixed message. You know what is honorable to God? Parenting your children during church. That is the most spiritual thing we can do if we have kids. That way God is really getting all the glory He deserves, and the kids are getting the message that this is important. Once the kids get this in them, then it's real revival.
This is revival, when we raise the standard of worship, even with our kids. We must be responsible to remove all the distractions in a service, and focus on the One who really matters. If our kids are distracted during worship, or causing distractions, how is that showing honor to God? As parents we can take control over this, and remove the dishonor. This is easy, and it draws us closer to our children, and to God. These are the moments they'll always treasure, when mom or dad grabbed their little hand, and sang to God in church. Then when they are older, we can stand next to them, and enjoy the labors of godly parenting.

Lights, Camera, Action! Kids Arising!

This past weekend I had the priviledge of helping shoot some kid testimonies. God is really touching the lives of the children at Church of Glory Warsaw. I am amazed that just after half a year I'm seeing so much change in their lives. Some of these kids are becoming speakers for God at school, and really being the 'light of the world.' One girl was helping comfort one of her classmates who had gotten her feelings hurt. She told her friend, " don't speak out those words (I am nothing, I will not manage to do this performance in a expected way), because words are powerfull - just stop crying, it won't help you anyway!" The advice was godly, and timely. I'm so proud of her for not backing down. I have seen this girl really change, and come to life at church. When I first met her she was very shy, and withdrawn. Now she is one of the strongest kids in our children's ministry. Her and her siblings (who are all attending the children's ministries of Church of Glory) are all changing. Her little brother, who is 5 years old, is a little 'Noah' at his school. He is always reaching out, and standing up for what is right. I love seeing the fruit of what was sown, and what has been established this year. So now, it's lights, camera, action for the kids in Warsaw. No one can deny the testimony of child, because of their innocence. All of these kids had fantastic testimonies of what they are doing with the teachings they receive at Church of Glory. It's incredible to see how some are helping friends with words of life, and some are even seeing prayer breakthroughs. 

Also, I need to brag on our children's workers. I walked into the Club Adventure room to give the book of Genesis awards that were made. The kids on Friday nights just completed the entire book of Genesis, and will be moving onto Exodus next. If you see a map in the background, that is the book of Genesis cartoonized in a map. They follow that map on their weekly God adventure through the bible. Anyways, I asked if they needed any help, and they were just fine. What I felt from them was that a group of people took OWNERSHIP of this ministry. This is what I had been hoping for, and now it has become reality. It was no longer my vision, but it has become theirs. The same is happening in the toddler ministry as well. They are taking ownership of that ministry, and the toddlers are receiving great ministry. In fact, we'll be picking lessons for the next year out of the Light Church manual of World Revival Church. The teachers are so excited to use this material, and invest in the toddlers.

Just like Noah built the ark in advance for the rain, I believe that these ministries have been prepared for a coming harvest of people. I am so thankful to have someone like Pastor Marcin who has opted for 'world class' instead of 'popsicle stick religion.' These kids are having a blast on Friday nights and Sunday mornings. I love hearing all the testimonies from parents and teachers alike. It's not just the kids that are changing, but I'm seeing the teachers arise as well. To me that is the most rewarding thing, watching all of them rise up to the call. I believe God is preparing both kids and teachers for something greater. These kids will be in position not just to be receivers, but to be ministers themselves. I'm excited for what 2016 holds in store for them, and the new kids God is going to bring to our ministry!

Happy Thanksgiving...from Poland?

From left to right: Marta W., myself, Ania S. & Pastor Janusz S.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday have come and gone, and now Christmas is just days away. I must brag on my Polish friends, they are really awesome. I wasn't quite sure how I would spend this all-American holiday (Thanksgiving) while being in Poland. Since it was the first time I've ever been out of America for this holiday, it was something to consider. No football, no pumpkin pie, and no black Friday shopping in Lee's Summit, MO. My friend Marta invited me over to her flat, and we decided to have our very first Polish-American Thanksgiving. In my opinion, you can celebrate Thanksgiving just about anywhere in the world, and I was so happy to share this special tradition with some great people. I made my first ever turkey, homemade stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Everyone brought something I suggested (ie., cranberry sauce, rolls, etc.), and we had a very American Thanksgiving! It was so much fun explaining to Pastor Janusz, since he was only guy at the meal, he took on the roll of the traditional American father. He had several important jobs:

1. Pretend to watch American football in the living room, while all the ladies where in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the food. Marta doesn't have a TV, so that's why it was pretend. I guess the Green Bay Packers game would have been a good choice, if we had TV. 

2.Cut the turkey

3. Say the blessing

4. Insist that I help eat the additional piece of dessert (Polish tradition) 

Pastor Janusz with the turkey

 In honor of my friend Derek Schwindt, I taught my Polish comrades about an important part of Thanksgiving, "Sleepy Thanksgiving." Derek came up with a brilliant idea to take pictures of people after they have gorged themselves on Thanksgiving foods, and have fallen asleep. Since it is so much fun to take pictures of people (who are sleeping) in random places, the Thanksgiving inspired sleepy selfies have continued beyond the holiday. So we all were careful to stay awake, and to avoid this particular tradition.

I also got to explain "Black Friday" to my Polish friends, because Poland has recently started doing this tradition. In fact, I was on the metro the other day, and I saw advertisements for Black Friday. For a moment there, I forgot I was in Poland, and I was magically transported back to the U.S. I was told that Poles love our great savings on Black Friday, and would buy things online in the U.S. So, Polish merchandisers decided to give Black Friday a try in their shops, and it is a hit. I was just in the mall today, and was passing all the Black Friday advertisements. As far as I know, no Poles have been trampled or stampeded by other Poles in order to get great savings. Let's pray that doesn't start here, or things are going to get really interesting.

Do you want to know some interesting facts about Poland? Poland has tornados and buffaloes. Their tornado issue is actually recent in the past few years, but they are more like big micro bursts. Yes, they have buffalo, and they're called, "zubr." Yes, I know, I can't believe it, but it's true. So basically Poland is the 'mid-west' of Europe, and Warsaw is the 'Kansas City, MO' of Poland. So I really don't feel like I left Kansas City in some ways, but in some ways it's pretty obvious that I am in a foreign country. For example, don't send me to buy meat at a meat store, and the grandma lady (who doesn't speak ENGLISH) is working. Thank you LORD I can count to 5 in Polish, because that is all the kielbasa I would be able to buy.

Our Polish-American Thanksgiving

I hope that everyone back in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving 2015 with their family, friends, and loved ones. I also celebrate 11 months in Poland this week, and am about to hit the one year mark! I'm really thankful for my pastors, Steve and Kathy Gray for allowing me to be here. I'm thankful for friends who have been praying for me, the churches, and for Poland. It's pretty exciting to see how much has been accomplished this year, and how many lives are being impacted. I'm especially thankful for those who have given or sent me things to Poland. It has really touched my heart to receive cards, letters from kids in Kansas City, gifts, and well wishes. I do not take these things for granted, because they have greatly touched my heart. People are really our treasure, and boy do I have a treasure chest back in Kansas City. I am so thankful for the church in Cieszyn, and for them allowing me to come down there. I learned so much, and had an incredible journey with them this year. I'm also thankful for the Warsaw Church, and their pastors.

This was so incredible to celebrate Thanksgiving in Poland with my amazing hostess Marta, and the Szarzecs. They really enjoyed our style of food, and our crazy traditions. We are one of the only countries (that I'm aware of) that has a day set apart to be thankful. Really my heart is cascading with thanks to God, and for the people in my life! So....Happy Thanksgiving from Poland!!!!

No Limits Young Adults, and Kingdom Kids Middle School Group

Karolina Kruba preaching on "standing the test of time"

Hot off the plane from Prague, I was back in Warsaw doing what I do best...working hard. Saturday, November 14th was our 2nd young adult service (No Limits). It was so powerful, and I was very proud of our No Limits leadership team. Worship was anointed, and the message was timely. Just hours after what happened in Paris, you could feel the effect it has had on Europe. My Friend Karolina Kruba spoke out of the book of Daniel, and shared about the character Daniel and his friends had. They didn't defile themselves, and they didn't bow to fear. We want to be young adults who are stable, committed, faithful, and unshakable. When other 'Christians' in Europe are bowing and compromising, we want to be a group that stands for Christ. Karolina Kruba has been with Church of Glory for many years, and has 'stood the test of time.' She also talked about staying faithful, waiting for God's promises to come through. Her message was something she has lived. It was great to see all that had been poured into her, come out to empower the group.

Karolina C. and Marysia B.  during testimony time

 In addition to the great message, Marysia Brzezinska led the group for the night and did a fantastic job. She was the first of the group to do testimonies, and our testimonies were outstanding. One girl, Karolina C., gave a testimony of how she was the girl who had it all. Job, fiance, flat, but left it all to follow Jesus. She left her town (near Lublin, Poland), and came to the School of Leaders at Church of Glory. She was like a modern day Abraham or a disciple. Her life is getting stronger, she's getting more freedom, and God is using her mightily. We had some powerful testimonies, plus a powerful time of prayer. I'm believing that God will increase this group, and touch the lives of young adults in Warsaw. It's a meeting full of God's power and life, and peoples lives are being changed. 




On Sunday I again helped out in our Kingdom Kids, Middle School Ministry. Our focus for the week was "Who I am in Christ." We had a fun drama, went over our bible homework, and then my good friend Damian Gołos preached a fantastic sermon. Afterwards Damian and his wife Kasia, prayed for all the kids. Already I'm seeing lots of great changes in the kids. I think that the expectation of this group is exceeding the perception the youth had. Maybe they thought is was going to be just 'another service' for their age group. However, it's not! It is fun and powerful!!! I think that the adults leading the group are having fun too, and that's really important.

Ela, me, Kasia, Eliza, and Damian

Ela, me, and Damian holding up our 'signs' of who we are in Christ

Damian preaching to the middle schoolers

Doing a little baby sitting while Damian preaches

Hello Prague!

 This week it's all about Prague in the Czech Republic! 

It's time to take a trip outside of Poland, and do some sight seeing. 

Come along with my friend Gabriella and I as we hit the streets of this beautiful city.

Thursday, November 12th, 2015

Our first stop (besides checking in at the hotel) was a  traditional Czech restaurant. It was full of locals that greeted at the door with, "Ahoj!" It sounded like I was greeted by pirates, but no...they were just Czech's. Dinner was super cheap (by American standards), and yummy. Next, we went in search of public transit, and some famous sites. We were able to not only locate the trams, but found ourselves in one of the most famous of spots, Wenceslas Sqaure. Wenceslas Square has been the traditional site for many historical gatherings for the Czech people. In the more recent history, it was a place of Nazi parades , Communist demonstrations after WW2, and anti-Communist demonstration in 1989. It was a place that saw oppressors roll in, and saw them roll right out. Towards the end of the street, is a famous statue of King/Duke Wenceslas. He was one of the most greatest leaders of the Czech people, and has his own Christmas song. It was an interesting experience, and was wonderful to see it in person. I have done lots of research (in preparation for my trip) on sites to see, and this was one of my top sites. If you ever get a chance to come to Prague, don't miss it!

Friday, November 13th, 2015

Who said Friday the 13th had to be a bad luck kind of day? In the Kingdom of God, there's no such thing as 'bad luck,' only FAVOR. Let me tell you, the day was full of it. Blue skies, get November weather, and lots of memories made. Our first stop of the day was the Jewish District of Prague. Please take a look at the Vlog, and pictures of the different sites we visited. There were lots of information on the holocaust, the local concentration camp (Terezin), and whole collections of Jewish items rescued from Nazi destruction.


 Jewish District and its Synagogues 

 

Spanish Synagogue Altar area

A listing of the major concentration camps

Prague Jewish  Cemetery

Infamous Jewish Star of David

Standing in front of 3 Torahs

Meet Gabriella

After Gabbie and I finished up in the Jewish district, we headed over to the main square. There's so much to see in one area, and lots of Czech food to experience. Sorry Poland, but their kielbasa was AMAZING. So go Czech's in your awesome traditional foods and meats! Everything you would want to see, Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock, and other famous sites are very close together. Plus, you can see them for free! Just across the Charles Bridge is the Prague Castle complex. It boasts of Notre Dame styled Gothic cathedral, and an amazing view of the city. Gabbie and I had a great time walking around the cathedral, and the palace complex. Everything was absolutely gorgeous. I am now convinced that Prague is pretty much just like Paris in so many ways. Everything is so lovely, and ornate. The buildings are hundreds of years old, and have so much character to them. Prague by day or night, is a great experience. One of the reasons Prague is so captivating is that it was not destroyed in WW2. Unlike Warsaw, Prague was left untouched by the Nazi's, and stands as a representation of what Europe was like prior to the 1930's.

 

Yummy Trdelńkl

Charles Bridge

Massive pieces of meat on the grill

 
 


This has been an absolutely great trip to Prague, and I would highly recommend it. It's very affordable, and you can get a lot done in just two days. Then, you should hop on a plane and come to Poland for a visit! In fact, that's just what I'll be doinging next! Gabbie and I hop on plane for Warsaw, because we have lots more to do back in Poland! Our 2nd Young Adult meeting or "No Limits" group, meets Saturday, November 14th at 6pm. It's going to be a powerful night, and lives will be changed. So if you're a young married/adult, you live in Poland, you should find "No Limit's" on Facebook to get all the information, and come. If you're not in Poland, I hope you enjoyed this week's blog. Tune in next week as I share more updates from Poland!


*This blog is dedicated to my two Czech friends, Jennifer Wyse, and Rhonda Punches. Plus, others who are Czech, that I didn't know you had a Czech background. You know you who you are, so this shout out is for you!*

Childrens, youth, and young adult ministires

This past week I stepped out of working in our Friday night children's ministry, Club Adventure (Klub Przygód). I had been working on raising up worship leaders for this ministry, so that the kids could have live worship. I also worked on the behavioral management for this group as well. In just two months, I noticed a huge change in the kids, and saw them 'self-correcting' themselves. In addition to this, I strengthened the leaders of this group, and watched them arise. Everything I set out to do in September has been taken care of. I created and established these ministries back in the Spring, and it was time to tighten things up. That has been accomplished, and now I leave to work with the youth.

The middle school group (Kingdom Kids) turned out really great this past Sunday. It is basically a new ministry, unlike anything this church has ever had for this age group. The structure and format is completely different, and it will add a new strength to this church. The whole point of this ministry is to give middle schoolers a foundation of the Kingdom of God, and for them to find their identity as a Kingdom citizens. I wish I had this when I was their age, it would have rescued my life. It is a no-nonsense, revival based, middle school ministry, that is aimed to wake these kids up. So I'll be working on establishing that this month on Sundays, and raising up the leaders to grab hold of the vision for this group.

This Saturday I'll be ministering along with the youth leadership, for our November Fishing meeting. I'm expecting God to really soften and touch the lives of these youth. Something that they deal with is being in a society that doesn't feel it has a purpose. I'm believing that purpose, destiny, and God's plan for their life will be revealed to them. It's very important that God can arouse them, and point them in the direction of His plan. In addition to the Fishing meetings, we will be adding a second technical revival training in just a few weeks. We'll be focusing on the 15-19 year olds, and instilling in them practical training for ministry. So God is really strengthening and establishing the youth ministry in this season. I have no doubts that as we progress into 2016, we shall start seeing some great fruit come forth from these kids.

Next Saturday, November 14th marks our 2nd Young Adult meeting. Our group is now officially called "No Limits." It's for young marrieds and singles, ages 20-30ish. The objective is to create a Kingdom culture amongst this age group. My friend Karolina Kruba will be speaking on stability, and standing the test of time. She's been with Church of Glory since she was little, and is a faithful attender. It's going to be a great time, and I'm looking forward to what God will do there. Last time it was incredibly powerful in every aspect. Worship, the teaching, and the release of God's power at the end of the service. I believe this will be a group that God removes every limit, and they can carry that revival to the young adults of Warsaw. I have also heard of some great financial testimonies that are coming forth from this group. One of things we are declaring over 'No Limits,' is that we are going to be some of the  most prosperous young adults in Warsaw. No debts, no lack, no instability, no fear. I see a bunch of young adults getting stable, firm, devoted, and prospering just like Abraham. That is what God wants for these guys, and I've seen it happen in Kansas City. It's not an American thing...it's a Kingdom thing! You do things the Kingdom way, you get Kingdom results. God has no problem blessing those who take good care of His house, and do things according to His will. I'm seeing people in this group take those principals, and do them. So I'm excited to hear the testimonies, and be apart of what's going on.

Next week I fly to Prague, just for the fun of it. I'm taking a quick break, and going to see some sights. The break I need, and the sights I can't wait to see. So if you're on Facebook, check out the pictures. Hey if you lived this close to Prague...you'd fly there too, especially if you set up as many ministries as I have in one year. Hahahahhahhaa! Anyways, I'll be reporting everything next week, and posting some great photos!

#Thisishowweroll#Planningparty#Brainstorming#Lotstodoinoneweek

My new friend and brainstorming 'ninja,' Ola Nikodem

I'm pretty sure Church of Glory Warsaw deserves a t-shirt that says, "I survived the conference of 2015." The week after the conference, everyone seemed to be in post-conference mode. It was really great, and I was so proud of this church. Man, the ushers were on 'fire' during the conference, and everyone worked so good together. It was the power of all on full display, and it took this church to a new level. You could feel it during our regular weekend services, that the ushers were at a new level. So, without missing a beat, I was back in action doing what I do best...working hard. We now have three good shows recorded, and it's time to go into post-production. Since Church of Glory has never had a TV show before, there's a lot to establish. So in addition to setting up post-production, we're also going to upgrade the entire media ministry. Their media ministry has needed an upgrade for sometime, and that time is now. So, I get the privileged of not only managing the TV Show, but consulting in establishing a church media department. My friend and all around good guy, Paweł Ciosmak will be the 'David Belich' of this ministry or head of the department. I'll be working with him to establish a world class media team, that will help bring the message of revival to Europe. I believe Pastor Marcin has been faithful with the seeds of revival that Pastor Steve and Kathy have sown into his church, and now God is raising him up to touch more lives. So it makes sense for the media department to come up to another level.

This week I had lots of emails, a planning party with my new friend Ola Nikodem, and brainstorming for the Voice For Europe. Of course I've never done this before in my life, but that has been the story for me being in Poland. Each month I've been here, I end up doing something I'm not qualified to do, nor have the experience to do. Though despite not ever doing any of these things before, the job gets done, and I walk away amazed. Such was the case this week, as Ola and I poured over different options to promote, and prepare the TV show.  Ola Nikodem works on staff under the direction of Marta Wrobel, and assists primarily with PR work. She does a incredible job, and has also has become a good friend along the way. God is placing the absolute perfect people in place to accomplish all these God sized adventures.

This Sunday, I'll be starting a brand  new middle school ministry, called "Kingdom Kids" or "Kingdom Disciples." It's for ages 11-14, and it takes place every Sunday morning. For the month of November, I'll be raising up a team to work with this age group, and help form these kids to become active participants in God's Kingdom. They'll be learning about their identity in Christ, having godly character, and so much more. As I was developing this ministry, I wish I had this when I was 12. It would have confronted and changed my life. Again, I've never set up a middle school ministry before, but everything just came together. I'm excited to see the fruit it will produce in their lives, and the foundation it will lay in their spiritual walk with God.
I'm also working again with the youth and young adult ministries on top of it all. The youth are having their Fishing meeting next week, and I'll be meeting with the young adult leadership to develop our next meeting. So this is how I roll, and I'm having a good time doing it. I am amazed at what has been jammed packed into this year. At ten months being in Poland, there has been so much establish, and I wouldn't say that this has been a boring experience. Nope, I've been flying fast each month, maxing myself out for God. The people who have come up along side of me to step into ministries, have no clue how much history they are making. There's two months left in the year, and I know I'll finish they year off with a bang! As soon as the clock strikes midnight here in Poland on New Years, it's time to run hard all over again. I'm so excited about coming to Kansas City in January, and flying back to a youth camp in Poland. Whooooooa!!! I can only imagine what 2016 holds for all of us. If 2015 was the year to arise, what will be the theme for 2016? I don't know exactly, but I'll tell you right now...it won't be boring!

This week in review: Dreams Coming True

Wow, last week and weekend was power packed! We had three guests come into town for our conference. Then straight out of the conference, I went into the new TV program. There was lots going on during the week, so that's why I didn't post a blog. I wanted to wait until the weekend was over, so that I could give a good report of what I saw.


The Conference
The conference was at the same location where Pastor Steve and Kathy Gray first came to Poland. There were three sessions, and the conference was an evangelistic crusade. Dr. Peter Gammon's, who was just in Warsaw this past March, was the main speaker. Dr. Peter Gammon's has been in the ministry for over 40 years, and has ministered to millions. His simple message of good news, mixed with the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, touched many lives. There was a girl in her early 20's who was working at the event location. She was hired to work for the building, not for the event. I happened to walk past her, and she was obviously being touched by God. It was the part of the service where Dr. Gammon's was praying for miracles. People who were deaf were hearing, legs were growing out, and people lined up to receive a healing touch. Something drew me to her, and I just struck up a conversation. She had given her life to Jesus for the first time, and had tears in eyes. She had never heard the gospel like this before, and was very touched by God. In addition to this, there was a huge line of people who gave their lives to Jesus for the first time. I even had a friend come to the evening service, that I had been giving English lessons to. So it was a great day to be doing things for God.
In addition to all this, we recorded four songs in English on video. It was so much fun, and there was a great blast of freedom. I got to sing with Pastor Ula and the worship team, and we just had fun. The fun we had been having in practices, came out there in the room, and enveloped the crowd. Most people understand bits of English or speak it fluently. So we all just jammed, and praised God. It was a great way to end the night.
The rest of the weekend was so powerful with my friend Pastor Nobin Samson taking the Sunday morning service, and preaching with power! He called up people who needed to be set free from fear, and the alter swelled. I know that Poles deal with fear and rejection very deeply. It has a lot to do with their history of being so brutally defeated by the Nazi's and the Russians. There's almost a second-class citizen mentality or victim mentality on some people. It hurts my heart to see this, but gives me extreme joy to watch them get free.

TV Show???? Where did that come from?

Dr. Peter Gammon's and I on the set of "Voice for Europe."

Back in June I shared how God gave me another dream come true, my trip to London, England. To those who've known me over the years, besides a trip to Paris, London was tied in my heart as a dream vacation. Now God has granted to me another heart dream, one I didn't have to chase after. Ever since I was very little, I always dreamed about being on TV or having my own show. My friends and I would pretend, dance, and wish we could be on TV. Hey growing up and watching Kids Incorporated, Mickey Mouse Club, and Nickelodeon probably had a lot to do with that dream. I would see ordinary kids get to be on TV, and it was so cool to me. My mom emailed me this week, and said she remembered when I was pretending to be a news reporter. Do some of you remember when camcorders just came out, and how big they were? Well, my dad had borrowed one just after my sister Jessica was born. He brought that thing out into the backyard, and was filming my sister Michelle and I; we were such hams!!! I grabbed the end of the dog leash, and proceeded to interview right there in the backyard. So, deep in my heart, I've waited for this opportunity probably since Back to the Future came out!  This was a deep dream in my heart, one that I don't recall really sharing with many people. Psalms 37:4 states:

"Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I want to say how great God is in fulfilling the desires and dreams of your heart. I am amazed at how God has supernaturally fulfilled the deep desires of my heart. A lot of these desires, like coming to Poland, were things I kept to myself. I kept serving God, and enjoyed doing it. Just like this scripture promises, God has gone overboard with giving me my dreams. I remember Pastor Steve Gray stating at one time, that God had fullfilled all of his dreams, and he needed to get some new dreams. I think that is a benefit of serving God faithfully, that you would run out of dreams, because they are being fulfilled by God himself.

Since July, I've been praying and preparing with Pastor Marcin for this moment. We knew that it would be in October when we would film, and we also had guests to interview. I would email Pastor Marcin with ideas, we would work with Pastor Janusz to get things done, and then I would email some more. Just a few weeks ago, I was in Ikea at least 5 times in one week, and various other shops being a mini version of Christine Nelson. I helped develop the set design, and had the best people to work with. Then we picked people to run cameras, assist for the day of filming, do a test run, and Pastor Marcin gave his ideas as to what questions to ask. Monday rolled around, and we filmed three shows back to back.

On set with Pastor David Themba Ndlovu

"The Voice for Europe" is the name of the program, and it is geared to Europeans. It is formatted similar to Sid Roth's program, "It's Supernatural." I'll be interviewing ministry leaders, and those who are being a voice in Europe. We are also interested in doing testimonies of regular people who are experiencing God activity in their lives. I believe God is raising up this program to open the hearts of people in Europe. That the testimonies from these leaders will call some into the ministry, and strengthen many. There is a great need for strong pastors and leaders in the church here. There are people getting saved at crusades, but the churches are in need of help. What Europe desperately needs though is a powerful revival. It needs to be awakened from sleeping in the light, and to be set free from the clutches of religion that doesn't work. I believe that this show will help awaken many, and prepare people for the next move of God. For now the show will be internet based, until bigger doors open to us. Please pray that TV networks would pick this up, and broadcast it. Once the show is ready to be published, I'll make an announcement so that those who follow the blog can watch. Thankfully the show can be watched internationally, and enjoyed by all.

*I wanted to give special thanks to Pastors Marcin and Ula for their heart and vision for this show. Also to those who worked with me over the past few weeks, I am so grateful for all you did. Thanks also to the camera team, makeup artist Pitor Matan, and those who helped me shop all over Warsaw*

If I had wings, I would fly

Preparing for the program with my guest Emil Onyszczuk

This has been an incredible week, as I have poured myself out. I literally felt that if I had wings, I could fly, because I'm running so fast. Since last Thursday, I've spoken in the school of ministry, lead our first young adult group, preached the next morning, and have been to IKEA at least five times. I've been shopping till I've dropped, put furniture together, bought new dresses for the TV shoot, and bought TV makeup (thanks Pastor Kay Samson). I think we're about ready for a TV show.

Not only am I going to host a TV show, I was also involved in set design. I wished at least twice that my friend Christine Nelson was here, because she is the decor queen of the world. I was only her humble set assistant during the filming of "Three Blind Saints," and am not nearly as creative as she. However, at the end of the week, both Pastors Ula and Marcin Podżorski were very pleased with the results. The room is filled with peace, and is ready to host the ministry leaders of the world. Thanks to my good friend Jesse Weedman, I have been given permission to use the title "The Modern Voice" for our TV program. When I was at the Baltic Sea on holiday, I began to imagine what the show was going to be like. Pastor Marcin has given me a lot of room to help develop the show, and my media background was coming in handy. So as I was walking on the beach, I felt in my heart to call the program, "The Modern Voice." I immediately contacted Jesse, and he gave me full permission to use the name. I loved the idea of being a modern voice to Europe, because that is the point of being filled with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist was a voice, Jesus was a voice, the disciples were a voice, and today we are a voice.  The show will be for a European audience, though it could be accessed internationally. It will be in English, and have Polish subtitles. After next week's conference, the more techincal side of the TV program will be developed, and the footage will go into editing. This means social media marketing, creating a website, and developing a logo, and the works. So helping plan and host a TV show, plus set it up is a lot of work. If I had wings, I would fly.

Working with lead camera man Roman, on shots for the program

There has been a lot of planning behind the scenes, emails going all over the place, people being put in position, and meetings to steer us to our goal. Today we did our first dry run of the program, and it went absolutely fantastic. There was a great flow, lots of peace and order, and I personally learned a lot from the experience. Our theme for the show today was, "fighting for your destiny." My friend Emil volunteered as my first guest, and his testimony was very touching. Even though we were just practicing, it was still very powerful. Testimonies are my favorite, because they have the power to unlock the heart. You cannot refute a testimony, and therein lies its power to touch lives. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the show will host ministry leaders, and people using their voice to advance God's Kingdom. Starting next Sunday, I will be interviewing three ministry leaders, and capturing their testimonies. I'm expecting that all three of these men of God will be used to powerfully touch hearts. I especially am hoping that those who are meant to rise up as leaders will catch the program. I feel deep inside that this show will call people into the ministry, and help awaken the church of Europe.

Next week I'll be putting the finishing touches to the TV show, the young adult group, children's ministry, and youth ministry. Plus, we'll throw in a huge conference, and TV show tapping. I was not meant to live a boring life. I have been fully equipped in every way to step into what I was called to do. It doesn't matter that I'm a girl, that I'm single, or that I'm in my 30's. Those things matter not. I am willing to run, and fly like an eagle. I always remember when Pastor Kathy Gray talked about getting knocked out of your comfortable eagles nest, and realizing you were meant to soar. I had been knocked out of my nest a couple of times in Kansas City, but this is where the rubber meets the road. Sometimes it's good for us to be knocked out of the comfort zone, and into the God zone. It's the place where you're not in control, and you just got to flap those wings. Either you fly or you fall. In my case, if I had wings...I would fly. What about you? Would you fly too?

Is it really October? Naprawdę?

I can't believe it's October already! I tried getting a pumpkin spice latte at Costa Coffee in Warsaw, and it took three people to understand what I wanted. Pumpkin? Pumpkin spice? "No worries...can I please just have a chai latte?" Nie ma problemu. So, I'm on the hunt for my favorite 'fall in a cup' drink. If I don't get one this year, I will live...I hope. I remember when I was in college, and getting a pumpkin spice latte was a big deal to me. That meant escaping from homework to Starbucks. Oh being an American missionary! I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to celebrate my first Thanksgiving outside of the U.S. That's another blog for another day. Speaking of being an American, I was at another Costa Coffee in Old Town, and I bumped into three Americans. I can tell the Polish people were rubbing off on me, because I noticed how 'American' they were. We were complete strangers, and I was just trying to let them know where the bathroom was. That was me being a polite American. Of course when they found out I was American, it was like we were long lost relatives. We talked and gabbed over American things, and why we were in Warsaw. I'm pretty sure we were the loudest and most friendliest people in the cafe. Nie ma problemu! It was free entertainment, it was good to speak 'American,' and it was fun to notice the differences in culture.

This past week or so I've been busy tightening things up in the children's ministry, as well as creating some new things. I had a chance to observe both the toddler (Explorers) ministry, and our two children's ministries (Club Adventure and Kids in Action). I was very pleased to see how these teachers grabbed hold of the vision, and made it their own. Pastor Marcin and I desire to take the children to a deeper level in God. So we came up with the idea to have pre-service prayer for our kids. They will meet in their room, and they will be responsible for praying each Sunday morning. They did a fantastic job this past Sunday, and are building 'spiritual muscles.' The idea is to get the kids comfortable praying as a group, in front of each other, and praying with power. We are hoping to use the kids in one of the regular services to minister. This would be a first for this group, and I feel in a few months they will be able to do this. I saw the kids of World Revival Church pray for adults with power, so I am confident we can duplicate this here in Warsaw.

Already I see good changes in their lives, and now it's time to take it to a new level. My next plan of action is to get them to start taking the offering in Kids in Action. The point of Kids in Action is to raise them up to do the works of the ministry. I want them to have a lot of training, and exposure to moving in the things of God. I'm a firm believer that the more we give our kids opportunities to minister, they will want to be at church. They will feel that they have a purpose, because they do. They are participants in the movement of the Holy Spirit, and play a huge role. For these kids, it's just a matter of building their spiritual muscles at home and at church. If we can give them more of God, they can be used as kids to do great things.

A new and fun development, I am working with team to start a young adult group. Our first meeting is this Saturday, and our goal is to bring strength to the 20's and 30's age bracket. I know from personal experience how the young adults of World Revival Church helped carry revival to the nations. We were trained in advance, and God did use us. When revival broke out in 2008, we were on the spot ready to go. We ran cameras, greeted, ushered, responded, and gave all that we were. Again, Pastor Marcin and I collaborated on developing a young adult ministry. It will be led by four people, including myself. Each of us will lead a service, take offering, and help pray. I feel that just as the kids are going to go to a deeper level, our young adults are going in the same direction. God is preparing this church for revival, and is getting things prepared in advance.

Finally, I think it's time to officially announce this. I will be hosting an internet TV program, much like Sid Roth's program. I'll be interviewing ministry leaders, and focusing on certain topics per show. We start filming this month, and the shows will be released in the following months. I'm thankful for the camera experience I had, and working on the Steve and Kathy Show. Looks like I was getting set up for this opportunity, and didn't even know it! Can I say that I have 0 experience being a TV show host, but I'm willing to do it. Pure grace! So I'm really excited for this experience, and that will make October even more of a faith adventure. I'll have more information on the TV program in the next few blogs, and how that is developing. For right now, we're getting the studio finished, and I'll practice a dry run tomorrow (October 2nd).

Things are clicking along

This past week I picked up where I left off in June. I settled back into the church office, and began to review the children's ministries I created. The toddler and the Friday night elementary groups were completely brand new, and the Sunday morning children's service was had also undergone changes. It was time to meet with the leaders, and do some observations. I was really impressed with how these teams survived the summer, and how they stuck with what was created. I really wanted to work on people's character, integrity, and give them a chance to rise up. I'm used to being in a children's ministry that rarely ever changes teachers. For example, prior to being sent to Poland, I had worked with Karen Dehaven for over ten years. We had a few people come and go, but I want to say it was just a few. It was rare for our group to get a new person, but in doing so a new person is usually a good thing. They bring a strength that was probably missing from our group, and it also gives them a chance to rise up. Now that it is September, almost October, it was time to review, and verify if any changes need to occur. I did see people stretch, their character get built, and saw an increase of integrity. That is a natural part of participating in any ministry, and especially children's ministry.

Ela Panek teaching in Kids In Action

Gabbie Pikul helping lead kids in worship

I had worked hard with Ela Panek, the overseer of the children's ministry in Warsaw, to find the right people to fit into the different children's ministries. That in itself was a task.We had to find people that fit the right age groups, and had the heart to want to minister to kids. Though once we found the right people, it helped these ministries flow smoothly. As of now, we have stable, commited people, who minister to children each weekend. There are things that need to tighten up, but for the most part I was really impressed! I think after I am able to make these few changes in each ministry, each group will really be able to take off to a new level. My next step is to help with what teachers call, "classroom management." Then I want to start raising up the kids in elementary group to become more active in ministry. I will also be raising up new praise and worship teams for each elementary ministry.

My goal is to have the children be released to minister in a regular adult service. I want to get them to the level where they can pray as a group for the adults. So we are starting a kids version of pre-service prayer on Sunday mornings. We're going to talk about how we are to behave in the main sanctuary, and have them pray for their own service. I feel the more we get them involved doing something, the more it will change their lives.They are in the process of getting their spiritual 'muscles' built for the first time. It's a lot of hard work for them, but in just a few weeks it will pay off. There is also talk of having a children's conference, and of course I want to have the kids ready to minister at that event. So, we have a lot of work on our hands in the next few weeks, but I am confident that we will see deeper changes in our kids. 

This week also marks 9 MONTHS of being in Poland!!! I left Kansas City, MO on December 23rd, 2014, and it feels like I've been here just a few weeks. It's crazy to think that I've been here for 9 months, and all that has been accomplished. If I could describe what it has been like to be here, I would say pure grace. Grace is not the picture of the cat haning by it's claws, but it is God's favor backing you up. God throws me into situations where I have no experience (i.e., speaking at a women's conference about raising children, helping lead a youth group, speaking at a youth camp), and backs me up all the way. I have no idea how He does it, but I'm always willing to step into whatever He's put before me. It's pure grace for a girl who's a nobody from nowhere. So things are clicking along really good, and are on schedule. Today I spoke at the school of leaders on children's ministry, and am still amazed that I get to do what I'm doing. This is a total dream come true, and I am living the dream. I'm sharing my heart and passion about children's ministry, and stretching peoples' faith concerning children. Who would have thought that this could be possible, but it goes to show that God does hear the cry of hearts. How He delivers the dream, and fullfills it is truly amazing. As always, if He did it for me, He is more than willing to do it for you.  

Church of Glory Warsaw Children's Ministry Video

The Return to Warsaw!

I'm back in Warsaw, and I'm busy all over again. On September 4th, I departed Cieszyn one more time, and took the train up to Warsaw. This is where I'll be until my mission in Poland has come to an end. I got to move into a new flat, and it happens to be the mini version of my Shalom Home. So, I've named my flat, the 'Shalom Flat.' Same rules apply as they do in Kansas City, MO, if you come over, expect to leave better than you came in. Shalom is always good, no matter what. This place where I get to stay has an old piano, furniture, and everything I'll need to live while I'm here. So it was great provision, and the perfect place for me to land. As usual, Pastor Marcin and his group have taken great care of me, and have made my transition smooth. I'm so thankful for my time in Cieszyn, and for all that God did down there. It was a good time of rest, and we accomplished many good things.

Gdansk, Poland

As soon as I got into town, I was out of town on holiday (vacation). Pastor Marcin felt that I needed some rest, and he sent me to the Baltic Sea. Also, I was asked frequently if I was resting, and for the record...I rested. That's hard for me, and I think a lot of my American friends would agree. Americans work hard, and usually don't get a lot of time off, let alone rest. Well, anyways, it was great timing, and I really enjoyed being at the sea. I got to see Gdansk, and it was  beautiful. After I did some research on the history of the city, I would like to go back. Poland has played a major role in world history, and unfortunately also paid a price during some of these events. The city is about 1,000 years old, and has been the stage for some of these history making events. It was the location where WW2 started, and also the Solidarity movement of the 1980's. Needless to say, if you come to Poland, you need to make a day trip to Gdansk. For the rest of my trip, I got to go spend some time at the beach, and I haven't done that in years. Growing up in California, going to the beach was a lifestyle for my family. The beaches of the Baltic were just as awesome as those in Santa Barbara County. There were plenty of seashells, and lots of beautiful scenery. Pastor Ula Podżorski came along with me, and we had a fantastic time.I taught her how to be Californian in a Polish world, and she taught me how to how to speak more Polish. I even got her to swim with me in the sea, and that was the big talk of the town when we got back to Warsaw. Yes, the sea was cold, but no colder than it is in California. It was really refreshing, and so much fun. Plus, we even got a little sun. Needless to say the two of us had a blast...and got some rest.

Coming back again to Warsaw, I have my work cut out for me. I'll be working again with their children's ministry, youth ministry, and more. On Monday, the school of leaders began its new semester, and I'll be one of the instructors. We had amazing worship led by Pastor Ula Matan, and an uplifting message from Pastor Marcin. I and some of the other teachers got to share a few words as well. We have a lot of students who have been pillars at church of Glory, so you're never too old in God to head back to bible college. I'm really excited for the students, because they will be different by the time December rolls around. I went through the same thing when I was at the World Revival School of Ministry. Just one semester changed me forever, and I expect that for them as well.  They are very hungry to go to a new level in God, and this is a perfect place for that to happen.

Coming up soon, my friend and ministerial colleague, Pastor/Prophet Nobin Samson will come back to Warsaw. In addition, we will have the pleasure of Dr. Peter Gammons joining us as well. Both of these amazing men of God will work together in a crusade, that Church of Glory will host. So we will be getting prepped for that event. Next week marks 9 months of me being in Poland, and I'm amazed at all that has been done. I love being apart of what God is doing here, and am looking forward to watching God's plan unfold. 

Real Evangelism...Real Life

The evangelism event and the Real Life youth meeting went absolutely wonderful this past Saturday. All day long we were busy running around, and pouring ourselves out for Jesus. Saturday morning came quick, as we had our friends from the Warsaw church come to our flat for breakfast. Then they were off to meet the group from Tarnów at the church. The Tarnów, Cieszyn, and Warsaw group made a fantastic team, and really were able to touch the city. There was a lot of prayer that went up for this event, and I believe it was the reason everything went so smoothly. For those of you who follow the blog, you'll remember that we had all kinds of opposition in Skoczów, but we had none in Cieszyn. The police didn't come by, and there was no trouble whatsoever. It was peaceful, everyone worked together in unity, and each group helped make an impact. The group from Tarnów did a dance and a drama. Plus, they helped preach and reach out. The group from Warsaw, who lead the event, played music, and preached. Pastors Sławek and Gosia were very touched by how all of these youth, and young adults worked together.

A friend from Tarnów preaching.

Church of Glory Cieszyn had never really done an outreach like this, and I believe it has stirred their people to want to do more events. People overcame their fears, and broke through barriers to witness to their community, and share the good news. The feedback I got from those who attended was very positive. I feel that it broke a mentality that "Cieszyn is hard to reach." In reality, Ciesyzn, like any other city is ready for the harvest. I think it was a great idea to get the congregation out there, and doing something. It was incredibly helpful to have both the Warsaw and Tarvów groups there, and I feel that the Cieszyn church learned a great deal from them. 

A few hours later, a bunch of us met up at the church for band practice, and began tying up any last minute loose ends. 7pm rolled around, and everyone was set to go for Real Life. The worship was absolutely powerful, and heartfelt. Patrycja got up and shared a few words, and then we presented our real life video. The video was about the reality in Poland, and how the youth are facing some hard issues in their generation. If they truly want to have real life, they must  have faith. I preached on seeing, believing, and experiencing the real life God has in store for you. I spoke on the two guys who were on the road to Emmaus, and how they didn't recognize Jesus. They didn't believe he had risen, and were shocked to hear that his body was 'missing' from the tomb. They didn't see, they didn't believe, and they were downcast. I saw that the youth of Poland are in the same position. They too can't see Him, and they don't believe He is a Jesus that they can interact with. Of course I'm talking about youth in Poland that have not yet had a real encounter with Jesus. There are crucifixes with little metal Jesus' over Poland, and to me that is how the youth of Poland view Jesus. Unable to help them financially, unable to help them emotionally, and unable to interact with them, because he's on that cross. He's a powerless Jesus to many, but that isn't the truth. The truth is that He is alive, and they can experience Him. So for many, having faith or believing in Jesus is not an option most consider. It's time now for them to be awakened to an option they weren't aware of, and the option that will rescue their lives. It will be the fire of God that will change them, and shake their nation. They don't need powerless religion from America; the gospel of die and go to heaven. They need the good news about a Jesus they can have a relationship with now, and move in his power today. 

Afterwards, those who were hungry came forward for prayer, and were mightily touched. There was one girl in particular that was walled up, but so hungry for God. Patrycja and I prayed for her, and then we pulled another person to come stand beside her. I put Patrycja on one side of her, and our friend on the other side of her. Within seconds, God's presence showed up very powerfully, and all three experienced God. Another youth had come up for prayer, and as I was praying for him, big tears fell on my hands. God was really touching his heart, and healing it. These two and many more experienced the real life that Jesus had for them. In the end, it was a great service, and I'm thankful for all those who worked behind the scenes to make it run so smooth.

The next day we had our Sunday morning service, and our friend Paweł Haponiuk led worship. There was a new level of glory, and God moved freely. I believe because this church had poured itself out all weekend, it made it easy for God to move. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend, and it was awesome to see people advancing the Kingdom of God together. Everything was so peaceful, successful, and smooth. Many thanks to Pastor Jan, Michael, and the Tarnów group for coming and helping us. Many thanks to Pastor Marcin, Paweł, and the Warsaw group for all you did all weekend.