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From Jaimee Ligan: Student from Holy Given Leyte International Schoool of Missions 2010, Philippines
(June 10, 2010)

Hi friends and family,
 
Here are the highlights of the Holy Given Missions school. Sorry I have only written just now, it has been an overwhelming 2 months but God is so good.

Highlights of Holy Given Missions School:
 
1. Compared to the previous Holy Given School, the focus of this school has been deliverance and healing. It was amazing to be in the thick presence of God daily and at the same time experience spontaneous deliverance and healing. I have been blessed with good friends who supported the deliverance and healing through prayer and just by being who they are in allowing me to share my weaknesses, to see me as I am, and meet me where I am at and support me in acts of love and prayer - it has not been easy, but it's been humbling as well as a privilege to share my life with these people.
 
2. I have had a lot of weird experiences with the demonic in the school - and I'm thankful that I have had the support of Pastor Adam from CSB Leyte who has been a mentor and a good friend to me on how to deal with that. It was really an exciting experience, and I believe God was also training my hands for war. I love CSB Leyte - Pastor Adam, Ate Lorie, the kids, and the three pastors for being a family to me at that time.
 
3. During the Holy Given school, God imparted in me a heart for the nation - Philippines, and a deep desire to participate in her transformation and the work of revival through intercessions, signs and wonders, and restorative acts of justice. It was my first time to vote this elections, I have decided not to vote, prior because it would be expensive to fly back in Manila, but God challenged me to make a stand for righteousness so I flew back and participated in the elections. Of course the candidate that I voted for did not win, but God reminded me of the national revival movement that has been going on, ever since I was twelve years old. And even in the defeat, it makes me passionate and committed to contend all the more for the unity of the Church and transformation of the nation through prayer, revival, and works for rebuilding and transformation. 
 
4. Although I have been with CSB for a year, I have been somewhat hesitant to pray for people I do not know. And I'm thankful because Holy Given Leyte has been a safe place to practice praying for people in the streets and barangays and witness healings like blind women being healed, deaf people to hear etc. My friends and I were able to practice that when we came home and we prayed for a deaf lady at the mall, and her hearing was instantly restored. She came back to church with us to testify, and it turned out she was friends already with the deaf community there. So I'm glad because I'm committing to obey God to pray for the sick whereever I go. Been praying for the sick in malls, MRTs, the Japan Foundation library and I really just want to ask God for more opportunities for Him to show up.
 
5. I am also more committed to witnessing and evangelization after the Holy Given school. Prior to that I was more comfortable "evangelizing to people's hearts" through prayer ministry and inner healing, but I realized that for a nation to be changed, a lot of souls must be saved so they can be cleansed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the kingdom whereever they are. My prayer is for the increase of His kingdom to have no end, and I'm more committed to pray for new souls daily, new opportunities for prayer and change.
 
6. God has released me through prophetic prayer and worship in Holy Given and I intend to nurture that by spending more time with Him and listening to His voice and expressing my prayers to Him in worship and music.
 
Current activities and plans:
 
1. Currently, I am part of the prayer ministers and staff for Elijah House School of Prayer Ministry Basic 1 to be held in BF Homes, Paranaque for 10 Tuesdays on July 6- Sept 7.. I believe that this is a season for me of redemption and reconciliation with various people and churches that have wounded me in the past during my bipolar days. I believe I have been set-up by God to be part of this school, as many of the participants are people who have witnessed my disgrace before, who have wounded me, and there are talks that the venue would probably be held in my former high school - where I have been suspended several times in my rebellion days. I need a lot of intercession and warfare with this, that there would be avenues for repentance and forgiveness and restitution if necessary and that for God to show His redemption in me in serving those who have hurt me in the past.
 
2. I applied for a freelance writer position with Center for Community Transformation to document and make reports on how they serve the poor through micro-financing and bible studies. Holy Given has imparted in me a heart for social justice - for a social gospel, and one of the things I feel really deeply about is inequality. CCT is doing an amazing work in poverty alleviation by financing small businesses and keeping their debtors accountable and does ministry by having fellowship and bible studies. It's amazing that in their work with the poor they get a 98% return rate on the loans that they give. So I want to be a part of that to expand my thinking and experience on how redemption can be shown as a way to restore the dignity of the poor by pulling them out of poverty by increasing their means of capital through small business. Please pray for God's will, I'm interviewing on Monday, 3pm.
 
3. I am pursuing my healing by enrolling again at Elijah House Basic 2 School of Prayer Ministry, for ten Saturdays until end of July. I believe that revival comes through hearts that have gone through repentance and resurrection life and I want to impart how God healed me to others. The topics are really exciting this time - Pre-natal wounding, depression, sexual abuse, burn-out, captive spirit, emotional and verbal abuse, and I find it strange that the friends I make have backgrounds in sexual abuse and addictions, drug addiction, mental disorders, and all the more I feel a burden to reach out - having been part of the marginalized myself. God has been given me a lot of opportunities for prayer ministry and I want to be a good steward of the healing and the trust that He has given me.
 
4. I have started a small Japanese fellowship in Little Tokyo in Makati, Saturday nights after my Elijah House class. A Japanese friend, Keiko lives near there, and I have been amazed where it has been easy to share the gospel with her after Holy Given, unlike to my other Japanese friends before that needed a lot of warfare and get-to-know first. Maybe I was too chicken then, but please pray, because I only have 9 months until she leaves for Japan again next year. Pray for wisdom on how to do bible studies in a Japanese context. Pray that there would be others who can help me as well as other Japanese to reach out to. Jics, a friend from church, might be teaching her English soon because they are both from the nursing profession, so I am hoping that we will be able to collaborate in taking care of her. I am still teaching Japanese and preparing for the Japanese proficiency exams again this year so I need a lot of grace and prayer. I need prayer also in terms of work for practice with Japanese language and my profession. I'm believing God in finances for a lot of things, so please pray for me for more work and provision.
 
5. One of the things that God convicted me in the Holy Given School is that I have had too many involvements outside my local church, and I have not given that much support to my own church and especially to my own pastor. So I committed to helping in the documentation of the revival testimonies in our church. I am still currently involved with the media team, particularly with the church website. I need a lot of prayer for wisdom and skill in organization on how to run things and work with people.
 
6. I decided to go to law school next year as a response to the call for social justice. God challenged me to study and pray-read the book of Isaiah and the deeper I get into it, the more I realize that intercession should be coupled with acts of justice. I am being mentored by two amazing eschatologists and forerunners here in the Philippines on the 24-hour night and day prayer alongside with 24-hour acts of justice with the model of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, under Mike Bickle's ministry. My reasons for doing so is to pursue my call as an intercessory missionary at the same time pursuing the acts of justice. I'm praying with these leaders for a house of prayer to be established here in the Philippines, but it will take a while. I really believe that night and day prayer and justice missions is the heart of God for lasting revival and to prepare the way for when Jesus comes. It happened in Hernnhut,Germany with the fruit being the Moravian missions, which paved the way for the Great Awakening, and I believe that the global movement of 24 hour houses of prayer would set the stage for the end-time revival and for when Jesus comes. 
 
7. I'm praying to make two trips before June 2011, the start of the school year. I'm praying to go to Norway with my mentors for a month or so to join the House of Prayer in Norway for training and soaking. I'm also praying to go to the United States soon to visit family and friends and make a short trip to the House of Prayer in Kansas City and to see how they do their justice work and other justice groups in the US.
 
8. I'm committing to the 7 commitments of a forerunner (http://mikebickle.org/resources/series/sacred-charge-seven-commitments-of-a-forerunner) to
 
1.Pray Daily: Connecting with God while Changing the World
2.Fast Weekly: Positioning Ourselves to Receive More from God
3. Do Justly: Being Zealous for Good Works that Exalt Jesus
4. Give Extravagantly: The Joy of Financial Power Encounters
5. Live Holy: Living Fascinated in the Pleasures of Loving God
6. Lead Diligently: Taking Initiative to Minister to Others
7. Speak Boldly: Being a Faithful Witness of the Truth
 
 I've decided to fast from meat, chicken and pork indefinitely - God's been good, I've only broken that fast once since May 12 hahaha but it was because I can't refuse my Japanese friend who treated me to Nabe hot pot in Little Tokyo in Makati! noes! It's for outreach!! She bought two sticks of toriniku shabu-shabu, and it would be impolite not to eat!! But He's giving grace. I started because I was disapppointed over the elections and I wanted things to change, but now, I want to continue because just really want His kingdom to come and stay and soon!
 
It's been a good good year and almost a half since February 2009 when I was healed from bipolar disorder. I'm celebrating my birthday this month on the 23rd and it's been the first time I'm so excited to celebrate my birthday! Thank you for walking this journey with me, with your love and your prayers.
 
Abba loves you!
Jaimee

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From Bob Ekblad, Tierra Nueva (New Earth) - God loves violent men: Urgent prayer alert for Guatemalan inmates
(March 29, 2010)

I am continually moved by how realistic Jesus is about dealing with crime. Rather than punishing criminals, which God knows does not change them, Jesus loves them, calls them to follow him, empowers them with the Holy Spirit and then sends them on a mission to announce the Kingdom of God to the world.

Cain is the first—and we see that God’s ministry priority from day one outside the garden is to deal with this violent, resistant humankind embodied in Cain. The Lord does not succeed in stopping Cain from killing his brother Abel, even after his timely intervention in the heat of Cain’s anger, one-on-one counseling “why are you angry…” personal mentoring “if you do well…” and discipling “sin is crouching at the door, and it’s desire is for you, but you must master it.” Cain kills his brother anyway, and God does not give up on him or on anyone following in his footsteps.

The Lord confronts Cain for his murder, advocating for the voiceless victim by directly questioning the powerful: “Cain, where is your brother?” God confronts the perpetrator with the secret sins, the hidden crime as the One who sees and hears the cries of the oppressed, and knows every clandestine burial site: “the voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground” (4:10).

The Lord describes hard consequences coming to Cain as a result of his killing, which leads Cain to speak to God. God’s response reveals hard consequences coming on those who decide to take out violent men in the name of justice. “Whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold”—a strong warning to anyone trying to fight violence with violence. God puts a sign of protection on Cain to keep people from killing him— showing special interest in violent perpetrators. This continues through Scripture and must inform our mission priorities.

While Cain goes away from the presence of God, like the prodigal son he’s coming back—and the Father pursues him with open arms. We see God’s preferential option for sinners in his choice of many key biblical characters who were violent men or criminals: Moses, Samson, Jacob, Judah, David, Matthew the tax-collector, Simon the zealot, the Apostle Paul.

God cares about violent perpetrators for many reasons. He longs to see an end to violence of every kind and pursues would-be violators and seasoned killers to help them face their sin and receive healing for their deepest wounds—before they do more damage to others and themselves. Since the violent are those who remain alive, who “win” over and against the weak, God pursues these survivors, winning them over through the only effective violence, the violence of love-- the kindness that leads to repentance.

God’s mission continues throughout Scripture, and is ultimately successful in Jesus, who undoes the entire system of vengeance by letting himself be delivered over into the hands of violent men for our (and their) salvation. Should this not be one of our highest priorities today?

Right now in Guatemala three men are incarcerated in a maximum-security prison that’s not secure enough for those on the inside. These men are notorious gang leaders serving time for real offenses. I had the pleasure of ministering to them in 2008, and have the highest praises for chaplains who care for these not-lost-any-more sheep. All three have been found by Jesus in the past six months and are studying the Bible together and praying in their common cell. Rival gang members are being transferred in increasing numbers into the same prison, and have been yelling curses and threatening to kill them every night—and things are heating up. A few weeks ago they rioted, breaking through many walls in an attempt to kill these men to avenge the killings of their own in past years.

But these three have been marked with the sign of the cross, and prophetic words have been spoken that God is raising them up as pastors to their gang. This week their lives are in the balance. During Holy Week many government officials and prison workers are going on holiday. Rumor has it that riots are planned for this week to kill these men. Our prayers are crucial at this time.

- Please pray for the protection and peace God afforded Cain to be on these men—and for the 70x7 forgiveness that Jesus taught and embodied to overcome the 77 vengeance curse of Cain’s descendant Lamech (Gen 4:24; Matt 18:22) that menaces in Guatemala. Jesus accomplished this as he died at the hands of violent men, between two criminals. And we worship him for this unfathomable love that saves.

- We are praying that these three men will be transferred to a prison where they will be safe to grow up into their highest callings in Christ.

- We are also praying for God’s powerful presence of love to stop the rival gang members in their tracks as the resurrected Jesus stopped Saul in his on the road to Damascus. We long to hear all these gang members testify with Paul:

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience, as an example for those who could believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Tim 1:12-17).

- Bob Ekblad
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Prayer Cover for Holy Given: Leyte International School of Missions 2010 (5 April - 28 May, 2010)

We would really appreciate some prayer covering for the Holy Given staff, guest speakers and students who will be attending the school. Please pray for God's protection, provision, grace and presence to be upon all of us as we prepare for the school, and simply more of Him!!
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From Pastor Ferds, World Evangelism Bible College in Leyte, Philippines (our partner for Holy Given Leyte)

Dear Holy Given Family,
 
Glory to God for His faithfulness endures forever!
 
Thank you for your prayers extended to us! God did so many great things while we were in Luzon. We were able to effectively and fruitfully minister to a group of believers through “Living by Faith” seminar. The church is in pioneering stage and the pastor is in great testing in his family life and ministries. As we were sharing testimonies of God’s faithfulness and love, we felt the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of us. While preaching the word of God, tears of joy flowed from many eyes as we began to look back to the cross of Christ and embrace the resurrected Christ of the cross.  There was so much of an increase of faith on the complete work of Christ on the Cross. They started to “talk the walk” and “walk the talk.” No need to struggle. No more stress and worries. Every debt is paid in full! Every need is met at the cross. All we need to do is Only Believe…
 
Another testimony of God’s amazing grace… A small church on top of a mountain was encouraged when we visited them. The pastor said we were the first one to visit them in spite of the bad condition of the road and the more than 100 feet above the sea level hiking. After we preached the word of God, the congregation requested for another preaching as they were so hungry and thirsty for the pure word of God. Praise God for allowing us to minister to them that they may also minister to me in so many great ways! They were not time conscious. They were not in a hurry. They greatly enjoyed the fellowship of the saints, the breaking of bread, praying for one another and heeding the Word of Life in their hearts.
 
 We also learned that not even one evangelistic crusade was accepted at the area in the past because of the catholic defenders. Glory to God for the favor to have the permit to conduct a crusade and more than 100 souls received the Lord that night. Hallelujah! Now, it is a good problem for the pastor… following up on the new believers and making sure that they grow in faith in the Son of God.
 
The Lord is opening my eyes to see many small churches that are in great need of encouragement and love. They are everywhere. Amazing grace and new mercies every morning! We are now working our calendar to pay attention not only to the cries of the Lost but also to the sobs of the saints in those isolated mountains and interior villages. Please continue to bear with us in prayers. Together, let us all bring the message of the Cross of Christ that will bring Salvation, Sanctification and the Seal of the Holy Spirit to those who will believe. Amen!
 
More of you Jesus!
 
In His Service,
Ps. Ferds Consebido
World Evangelism Bible College
Reaching to the Ends of the Earth