Field of Pearls

In the image of our Creator

2009-09-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

There are many treasures to be discovered. As we prayed for this time in Germany, we felt that the Lord would guide us and unveil riches, both in the land and in our own lives. It is more than metaphor that we were made from dust and brought to life by the breath of God—we are earth and we are fashioned in the image of God. We are earthen vessels that carry the very seeds of life inside. When we allow the seed to break forth, we are revealing to the world the image of our creator, in whose nature it is to create. This is why we know that as a generation allows their seed to break forth, creativity shall be released with a force unparalleled. In Germany, we have been struck at the level of creativity we have seen in the people. Everywhere we go, we meet talented artists—woodcarvers, painters, songwriters, dancers, writers. Some are operating in their gifting, some holding back in doubt and fear, and others stuck between—recognizing the passion, yet hesitating to let it shine. That is why we declare, we shout to this generation, "Be free to discover the beauty inside of you! Be liberated to release and grow in your gifting! Don’t hold back! Abandon yourselves to expressing the heart of the Creator and blessing your nation!”

As the Lord has burdened us to see this released in Germany, He has been faithful to begin this work in our own lives. We have recognized the power of creativity in worship and intercession. The Lord gave me a poem while praying for Germany. While writing, I felt no special emotions rising and did not recognize it as anything very significant; however, when I prayed the poem out in intercession, something broke in the atmosphere and an intercessory cry was released in our hearts that morning. From this poem, the Lord directed us to our theme for this trip and He has continued to speak to us and reveal more. We shared these things with our guests and friends in Herrnhut, and the Lord began to do more. We had two young ladies with a beautiful gifting for art come visit us. We shared with them our vision and asked them if they would create a banner to express this theme. When we saw the finished work, we were amazed at the depth of revelation it conveys

Norman’s brother-in-law, Verner, connected to what the Spirit was saying. He took an old timber cut down in the 18^th century, and saw inside of it a hidden seed. Carving away, he revealed a beautiful sculpture. For hundreds of years, this intercessory picture has been hidden inside, waiting to be revealed at such a time as this. The video on the previous blog post was an additional creative expression released as God deepened Marissa’s heart with this cry.

Before joining us for our Streams in the Desert conference, the Lord gave Matthew R. a vision of a staff. This was a tool in the hands of God’s people for revival. At the bottom of the staff was written “intercession,” and at the top was written “worship.” He saw that the saints will break through the heavens with their worship, and intercession will come and break through the land. He shared this vision with Verner, who then created a wooden staff as a symbol of this vision. As Matthew held up this staff and shared the vision at the conference, we were also reminded that when we rise up as an Esther generation, the Lord will extend His scepter to us in favor.

These are just a few of the testimonies of how God has been releasing creativity as intercession for this nation. We know that more is coming. We also know that this is not something only for Germany, but for the whole body of Messiah. We encourage you to discover the beauty, passion, and creativity inside of you and allow it to shine and develop.

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

Prague and beyond

2009-09-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I just wanted to let you know that I have another blog to post about our trip, but must wait until I can connect to the internet with my own computer in order to upload pictures. The last leg of our journey took us to Prague where we happily were able to connect with John and Kelsie Mullen and Prague Christian Fellowship. We were able to minister at the church, do practical service in cleaning up a neighborhood, and attend a watch at the house of prayer and encourage the leaders there. It was special to end our time together in this beautiful city. I truly feel it was the Lord's leading because Prague is the place where Jan Huss stood up and for the first time preached in the Czech language and translated the Bible for the common people to read. The revival that broke out in this place led to great persecution, Jan Huss himself being burned at the stake. The Hussite movement fled Prague and carried this seed of revival with them. The last remnant of the Hussite movement were part of the Moravians for whom Count Zinzendorf established Herrnhut. As we have been praying, believing, and seeing the forgotten seeds break forth in Herrnhut and Germany, God brought us back to the place where those seeds were planted. What an amazing God we serve!

So, the GBI Germany team said our last goodbyes on Tuesday and we have all gone on to the next step. Our hearts are still united and we look forward to reuniting in Cyprus. I know that God has stretched each of us and greatly increased our hearts for this nation. We give thanks for what the Lord has done and know that only God knows the full extent of what took place during these 6 weeks. We know that only time can reveal the layers of testimony, and that the ripples will go out beyond what we will ever be able to know. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His lovingkindness endures forever and ever!

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

Streams in the Desert

2009-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our Streams in the Desert conference. I am undone, and as I prepare to attempt to put into words what the Lord has done, a sense of awe and amazement swells in my heart. Read these words of Isaiah: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water” (Isaiah 35:5-7a). This weekend, I saw God restore vision to those who had lost heart. I witnessed people hear and respond once again to the call of God upon their lives. The most reserved and traditional of men could not physically contain their bodies in response to the new life awakening inside of them. And those whose tongues have been restrained for far too long released the songs and prayers and cries that were swelling inside of them, longing to be released. Tears of gladness and thanksgiving spring from my heart when I consider the unfailing love, the far-reaching mercy, and the indescribable beauty of my God. Even after 6 months of prayer and preparation, I was astounded at the extent to which God not only answered our prayers, but went so far beyond as to show me that there is nothing too great for Him. I am stirred to live a life of faith—to go from glory to glory—to believe God for more and more until my life is spent in obedience, until the world-wide revival has been released, and until Yeshua is returning to claim His Bride.

This was a momentous and special time for the Heidel family particularly. The entire family of 3 generations were all together, in one place, seeking the heart of the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Heidel, their 9 children, and their 23 grandchildren all made it to the conference. The Lord continued what He began in Pölzig, this time for the family as a whole. It was a time of restoration, honoring, releasing destiny and unveiling some of the hidden treasures of inheritance. Many people shared how they were impacted by witnessing God move in this family over the weekend. Already the Heidel family is touching this nation through even the testimony of their journey. People shared how they were inspired in faith for their own families and for this nation.

This is a video created out of intercession for Germany. Its very existence is testimony to God releasing His anointing and creativity to break through doubts and fears. As we decide to not hold back, but release the treasure inside of us, we are calling forth the hidden seed in this land. This is both a cry of intercession for this land and also a picture of what was taking place this very weekend as God brought forth the “Streams in the Desert.”

We feel so strongly that God wants to touch the children and that they have a central role to play in the destiny of this nation. Our theme for the children’s ministry this weekend was “Exploring God: Discovering the Treasures of God’s Character.” Our desire was to help spark a passion for God in the children and to release them into their identities in Christ. We taught on four characters of God: love, holy, faithful, and good; and encouraged the children to spend time in God’s presence and let Him become their best friend. On Sunday morning, we had a very special time of prayer over some of the children who wanted to receive more of the Holy Spirit. It was evident that their hearts were soft and were being touched. It was such a joy and privilege to serve and bless this generation of revivalists. We want to deeply thank you for your prayers for this conference and for our time in Germany. We know that those who have interceded and supported us from afar share with us the blessing and breakthrough of this time. We are now in a time of debriefing and processing what the Lord has done and spoken over the last 5 ½ weeks. This coming weekend we will travel to Prague for the final leg of our trip together. Please continue to lift us up in prayer. We want to press on and grasp ALL of what God has.

With deepest thanks,

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

P.S. Click on this link to see more photos from the weekend: http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll108/hannahbriscoe/Streams%20conference%20Herrnhut/?albumview=slideshow

Explosion

2009-08-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from our weekend in Dresden, and are in full swing of preparations for the conference this weekend. Going out and encountering new people and places in Germany has given us fresh fuel and passion leading into what God wants to do this weekend, as He releases “Streams in the Desert.”

We arrived in Dresden Friday just before lunch, and after checking in at the Kangaroo-Stop hostel, we went to meet Charlotte who had prepared a great lunch for our team. Charlotte is a precious woman in Dresden who is giving her life to hearing and obeying the Holy Spirit and gathering in the treasure of souls from off the streets and out of the bars. At her apartment, she shared with us her testimony of how the Lord brought her out of darkness and the journey she has been on through her seven years in the faith. On Friday evening, we joined Charlotte and her team for their Friday night gathering. Every Friday, these hungry hearts meet together to seek the Lord and then go out on the streets to share the Gospel and bring in the lost. We met in their new room that only a year ago was a popular bar and place of darkness, but is now a place of worship and of calling people out of darkness, into the light. As we worshipped, we felt clear direction from the Lord that we were not to go out on the streets this night, but were to stay in this place of worship to encourage and refresh this team. It turned out to be a night of dedication—dedicating this room for its new purpose and dedicating our hearts afresh to worship, prayer, and reaching the lost. It was a great surprise and joy that Arnie Klein was visiting from Israel and we were able to share this time together with him as well.

Saturday was a really special day. Our team enjoyed a later breakfast after some Shabbat rest and then we went out together to walk through the beautiful city of Dresden. This weekend was the Stadtfest, a city celebration that reminded me of the State Fair. There were food and games everywhere, hang-gliders over the River Elbe, and a procession of 18th century costumed people through the castle grounds. We were joined by Norman and Joel’s brother Jeremias and his family, and we all had a great time enjoying the fun and the sun.

On Saturday evening, we had the opportunity to lead the “Explosion” meeting at the church. This is a monthly gathering for whoever would like to come from the different churches and worship and meet with God. As is often the testimony with our faithful God, though we began by really having to press in and push past what felt a resistant atmosphere, God came with His sweet presence and exploded His love and intercession in our hearts. We have been asking and believing for a release of creativity in the believers, especially in worship and intercession, and God has begun this in our own team. We showed a slideshow that Marissa created as intercession for the people of Germany to break forth. The spirit of intercession fell in the room and many people were on their faces crying out for this nation. This was so beautiful to see and to know that God does not only want to use us to bring breakthrough for the people here, but also to see them released in intercession for their nation so that an even greater harvest can be released.

Sunday morning we visited an international church. Thaddaeus, and Rachel helped lead worship, and Marissa and Hannah did the children’s ministry. After the service, many people came to thank our team and share that they had been greatly blessed through the service. Sunday afternoon we had a barbeque back at the Kangaroo-Stop. We were joined by more of the Heidel clan—Jeremias and his family and their sister Beate and her family (Livia’s family!). It was such a great time. Cousins playing, brothers and sisters catching up, and friendships forming. We love family and it has been such a joy to be able to connect with the Heidels throughout this trip.

As we listened to the blasts from the Stadtfest fireworks, we felt the agreement of heaven that truly this is a time for light and new colors to explode in this people.

Many Blessings,

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

You may click on this link to see more photos of our time in Dresden:

http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll108/hannahbriscoe/Dresden/?albumview=slideshow

Maranatha!

2009-08-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

It is so easy in our doing to lose sight of our motivation—our calling—our vocation. Throughout the world, God has created men and women with a myriad of differing gifts and talents, and not all are meant to perform the same function; on the contrary, our diversity is what makes us beautiful and serviceable as the Body of Christ: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:12-13). God’s heart is not for division—neither is it for all to be the exact same. If you look up into the sky on a brilliant, cloudy day, it isn’t simply the clouds that take your breath away, but the host of shades, shadows, textures, and colors. What makes a family so special is the common likeness intermingled with the individual personalities and characteristics. Our Creator God made no two snowflakes the same; no two people the same and no culture the same. So often, we give way to the secret villain of arrogance that creeps in so cunningly. In our desire to fashion our lives after Christ, we begin to think that our measure of revelation must be the fullness, and we find no room in our theology for different expressions. Yet this is not the heart of our Messiah. We have a picture of God’s heart because we know whom He will draw to Himself: Revelation 7:9-10 tells us, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” To help hasten the soon coming of our Lord, we must seek unity with our brothers and sisters; for Jesus is coming back to one Church, for one Bride. We must also allow diversity amongst our family in the Lord, for God is worthy of a complete, beautiful, and radiant Bride; and He is worthy to have every feature of His Creation to be turned back to His praise. Let us not rob God of the glory due His name by attempting to mold His Bride into our own image. Let us rather seek to see every nation, tongue, and tribe be transformed into His likeness and bring to the Body of Christ the beauty and gifts that God has placed within them. “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as He pleased” (I Cor. 12:17-18). Let us love one another, “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (I Cor. 3:3). It is so important that we come together as the Bride of Christ, and with all of our differing gifts and callings, lend our voices in unison to agree with the Spirit and cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus!” This is our motivation—our calling—our vocation: to devote our lives to preparing the way for the Lord’s return.
We were so blessed this past week to serve and participate in the gathering of the Maranatha family. Many years ago, God placed a vision in the heart of Father Peter Hocken to see the Bride of Christ come together as one family to raise one voice with the cry, “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!” Father Peter is a Catholic priest who walks in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and desires to see reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles, between Catholics and Protestants, and between all the Body of Christ. My face was filled with tears our first night as I worshipped alongside Catholics, Lutherans, Free Church members, Moravian Brethren, and others. Not only were there different denominations represented, but also different nationalities and cultures—Polish, Hungarian, German, British, Czech, Latvian, Slovakian, Austrian, Israeli, American. This is only those nationalities that were able to come, but the Maranatha family includes members from all over the world. Once a year, they come together for a time of mutual blessing and refreshing. And it was so beautiful to discover that they truly are a family and are bound together in love. As a team, we felt greatly privileged to serve them during this time. We assisted with all of the cooking and dishes for their meals and we participated in times of worship and teaching. We also feel that their choice to come to Herrnhut this year was timely and significant. As we prepare for our “Streams in the Desert” conference in a few weeks, we are reminded of the different streams that God is bringing together. We want to call the Body of Christ in Germany to come together in such a way. Not only was Herrnhut a place of worship and prayer, but it began as a place of refuge for people fleeing persecution arising from religious division. Dissension arose, however, and there was much fighting within this new community until, in a prayer meeting one night, the Holy Spirit came and poured out love in the people’s hearts for each other. There grew such a unity and bond of love within the community and it became a mission’s sending center, some even selling themselves into slavery to take the Gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth and fulfill the Great Commission. We believe that the next great wave of revival will be ushered in through the humbled and hungry hearts of believers in Jesus who are surrendered to a life of love. Join with us as we cry out for the return of Yeshua to this earth—Maranatha!

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

Click on this link to see more photos of our time with the Maranatha family:
http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll108/hannahbriscoe/Maranatha/?albumview=slideshow

Marienberg

2009-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Road Trip! On Friday we were once again on the move. Loaded into 2 vans and cars, our team and all of the guests who had been with us through the week hit the road for a great 3 hour drive to Marienberg. Upon arrival, we were each dropped off at our various host homes for a brief respite before our big Shabbat meal. Meeting back up at the church, we set to work preparing the meal for around 70 people. There was so much joy in the room as we all greeted and began to get to know each other. As we lighted the candles and invited the Holy Spirit, we were reminded of the light of Yeshua inside of us—and in this time of fellowship, I believe the many flames in the room began to grow as they came together.
On Saturday we traveled to Terezin with 30 people from the church. Terezin was used as a prison primarily for political prisoners. During the Holocaust, the town was turned into a Jewish ghetto, with many Jewish people put into the prison fortress and subjected to conditions and treatment far worse than their fellow prisoners. Terezin represents the darkness that comes through lies and deception as it was used for propaganda and made to look like a nice place to live, when in reality it was a place in which thousands died and from which even more were sent to their death. It was a very moving time for this church to come and experience. At the end of the war, a train went through their very village in route to Terezin, and though the cries of the suffering inside could be heard, the train was not hindered. After our tour, we had a time of prayer and exhortation for the group, encouraging them not to come under the cloud of heaviness. It proved to be something that they needed to hear, and they were very encouraged to learn how to turn this experience into intercession without coming under a heavy spirit.

Saturday night we had a gathering of everyone who wanted to come. It was a beautiful time of worship, and powerful time of prophecy. One young lady, who had been struggling in her relationship with the Lord for two years, was deeply encouraged and it is truly a new day for her! We had a powerful time of intercession over her life, and she was amazed at the prophetic words which God was confirming over her life that night. One young guy was delivered and reconciled with his father, praise Jesus. A precious family was encouraged and strengthened through the prophetic word. There are many other testimonies from this weekend. A testimony that will change the course of the church, though, is the reconciliation that happened between the generations. One of the youth group members repented to the older generation for excluding them from their lives. Something we've felt since our first German prayer meeting at the beginning of the year was the turning of the fathers' hearts to the children, and the children’s to the fathers. Such a gift from the Lord to see this in action!
At the church service on Sunday, Norman, Isaac, Rachel and Elias led us in a wonderful time of encountering the Lord in worship. As we met with the Lord in unity, our time flowed into the sharing of the Word. Norm ministered through the Word and prophetically. It was a powerful time of sharing and there was much encouragement given and received. As well, the Lord had given Norm several specific words for individuals in the congregation – truly a time of exhortation, encouragement and edification! Following the service, we were able to pray for the many that came forward. There were deliverances, healings and reconciliations! God is so good! So much happened there with repentance between the generations and even within individual families.

Afterwards we shared a meal together, and we ministered over many throughout the meal time. We know God did more than we could even see, and He is stirring something big for this church. After our meal, almost everyone went together to a beautiful lookout point and a walk through the forest, then we all enjoyed ice cream together before the rain came in and ushered everyone back home for some rest. That evening, our team and many of the young people in the church were invited to share a meal in the home of the family who had received ministry on Saturday night. This was literally a next day fulfillment of the picture spoken out the night before. Not only did God speak His word, but He is already at work fulfilling it! Monday, on our way back to Herrnhut, we traveled to Seiffen and shared a meal with the Heidel tribe. It was a great time of fellowship and connection.
We are now back in Herrnhut serving the Maranatha team this week. Please be praying for a greater release of prophetic vision and direction. He has faithfully and beautifully been confirming words he has spoken to us. We feel that we are standing on the edge of something magnificent.

Love to everyone,

Rachel, Tabitha, Lynn, and Hannah for the team
P.S. Here is an album with many pictures of our weekend in Marienberg. Enjoy!
http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll108/hannahbriscoe/Marienberg/?albumview=slideshow

Revival Village

2009-08-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, July 28, 2009, I was witness to and participant in an appointed time from God. A deeply significant day in which we connected with God’s divine purpose and heart for a nation, a region, a village, and our own lives. This day began at 7 am when our team walked together with Pastor Frank and Heribert and Andrea Binder into the forest to the spot where, in 1722 Christian David felled the first tree to begin building a place of safety for the religious refugees who would become the community of Herrnhut. In Cyprus, the Lord spoke to Norm Frederick about the pouring out of wine and oil as we ourselves are being poured out. We brought with us from Cyprus a local bottle of wine and a bottle of oil from our own olives on our land. In this spot in the forest so many years ago, Christian David performed an act of faith in obedience to God for a purpose deeper than he himself could know. And so we also took a step into a destiny wider than ourselves and deeper than our hopes. As we stood with our hands open and Norm poured out the wine and oil into our hands to flow onto the ground, we cried out for His oil of healing and anointing and His wine of new life and His precious blood to go deep into the soil, bringing healing to this land and a restoration of its purpose and destiny. Heribert shared with us from the story in Luke 10 of the Good Samaritan who, though he was a stranger, poured out wine and oil on the wounds of the man and brought him to a place of security and healing. Though we are strangers in this land (those of us who are not German) we want to pour out our lives and see God’s healing in this nation.

After a time of prayer, we walked back through the forest and got in our vans to take a day trip to the village of Pölzig. This is the village where 7 of the 9 Heidel children were born and where their father pastored for 35 years. There have been many, many seeds planted in this soil, and yet the harvest has been delayed. The Lord spoke many years ago that this was a “revival village,” and through the years of disappointment and lost zeal it became a place of pain. BUT, God’s words are true and His calling irrevocable. A few months ago, the Lord gave dreams to Norman, Ruben, and Joel Heidel, each about Pölzig and about what God still desires to do there. Deeply stirred, but unsure of what exactly they were to do, they planned to take a trip with our team just to be there and pray and see what God would say. A few days before our excursion, Norman heard from two of his sisters that they had heard we were going and wanted to come too. One of these sisters had also received a dream about this village where she had lived and ministered with her family for so many years. We all met up in Pölzig Tuesday morning without any real agenda other than to be led by the Spirit.

We first went to the place where the castle once stood. We learned that this village was born when in the twelfth century this castle was given as a gift to a count who had gone to Jerusalem to fight in the crusades. As we stood in this spot, we were awakened to the amazing goodness of God to bring things full circle. Long ago someone went to Jerusalem on a quest to bring salvation, but instead bringing destruction and devastation. Yet God will have the victory and has now sent out multiple missionaries from this same village to go to Israel in humility, love, and service. To show the people how they can receive their own Messiah and His salvation and new life. We stood on the castle grounds and prayed out blessings over Israel. We also learned that there is a connection between Pölzig and Herrnhut—two places that would seem to have no connection. We learned that Count Zinzendorf and the count at Pölzig were friends, and Zinzendorf used to make visits to Pölzig and have revival meetings with the count. The revelation Zinzendorf had regarding the Jewish Messiah and regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit overflowed in this friendship, and there has been a long history in this little village of seeds of revival and prayers for Israel. In those days, they were rejected by the church and the villagers and so had to hold the revival meetings in the castle with mostly people from outside the village participating; however, we know that there is still a revival to come that we believe will be birthed from within the village itself.

But it was not only for intercession for things yet unseen that God brought us to Pölzig; He had prepared a time of breakthrough in the here and now, in a very tangible way, for the members of the Heidel family who were present. The night before, the Lord put it in our hearts to cry out for 2,000 salvations in a day. And though we did not preach the Gospel and lead thousands in prayers of repentance that day, I believe that the prayers of repentance and forgiveness, and the healing that was received were such that unlocked the door in the heavenlies, and that truly 2000 souls will come to revival as a result of these events, not only of this day, but also of the years of sewing and watering and the centuries of faithful people doing the same. I want to share the testimonies of the two Heidel sisters who were with us—Marit and Claudia.

Claudia invested many years seeking revival in this place and she shared with me the reasons why she needed to go back to Pölzig and what the Lord was speaking to her for this place: “God is so full of love and mercy for the people there and is longing for them so much. He has called us to bless the people there and to release them into God’s purposes. God wants to receive His honor also in Pölzig. Isaiah 42:9 says, “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” God wanted to open our/my ears there. And He gave me a new promise there: Isaiah 48:6b-7, “I have made you hear new things from this time, even hidden things, and you did not know them. They are created now and not from the beginning; and before this day you have not heard them.” In Pölzig, God closed a part of my life story. Now I’m not walking in old paths anymore. He creates new things from now on, hallelujah!”
Marit is the 2nd oldest of the family and spent many years leading worship in the church in Pölzig. She also shared what the Lord did in this day: “I just can say, ‘thanks to Jesus,’ for He brought back what I thought would be all lost. All these years of my childhood and even all the time through my youth, I served Jesus in my home village— Pölzig. I invested as much as I could and expected a revival to break out; I expected God would do much much more than I could see at this time. After years I just gave up at this place. But on Tuesday God restored my hope. Nothing was in vain!! The hidden seed in Pölzig (and there is a lot of seed) will have fruit. And I am so glad Jesus knows every single hurt inside and does not stop until His work is finished. When we prayed in our old church, Jesus came to every single one of our family and comforted, healed and restored in a powerful way. He is God of restoration. Now I am once again in great expectation of what’s going to come. Thanks to God and thanks to everyone who was a part of it.”

For those of us standing along the Heidel family at this time, it was truly a great privilege to be witness to this time of healing and breakthrough. We could literally see years of pain and disappointment being wiped from their faces and replaced by fresh joy and faith. We are honored to stand alongside such a family of God and we agree with the Spirit that their time is not over, but this is a day of new beginnings and greater hope.
I am sure that everyone reading this blog has experienced some level of hurt and disappointment in their lives, and I want you to know that it is not too late. God placed seeds of destiny and purpose in each of our lives, and if we will turn to Him and allow Him to do a deep work in our lives, He will see to it that these seeds break forth from the ground.
Have a blessed day in the love of the Father,
Hannah for the GBI Germany team

A Week of Encounter

2009-07-30T22:27:00.001-07:00

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence” (Isaiah64:1 NKJV). “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

These two scriptures offer a glimpse into the cry that has been stirring in our hearts as we (our group and those from Herrnhut) have been coming before the Lord in worship this week. On Monday evening, after a work day of practical service, we had a time of worship with just our team. This was an intimate time and brought a great release to our team. We had several young people from the region who were with us as guests this week, and the Holy Spirit encountered each of us in such a powerful way. The Lord really came to encourage and break off heavy burdens and shadows of discouragement that have attempted to trap and torment young men and women of purpose. Not only did our great God come to set us free, but also to set us free into abundant life, into joy, and into the hope of the more that is on offer. After such an encounter on Monday night, we were stirred and ready to go for it every day with our friends here in Herrnhut. During our morning and our evening times of worship, we have cried out for God to come and shake our lives, and His Spirit has brought courage and strengthened our hearts to a greater measure of hope in our LORD. Thursday evening was especially beautiful as one of the Jesus Haus staff played out prophetically on her flute while people were singing the song of the Lord. We are blessed to see the Lord draw his servants into their identity as lovers. And as we continue to live the lifestyle of worship and prayer we have cultivated in Cyprus, we are committed to living out the fullness of what God has placed in us and not relenting until we see the release. Join with us in praying for even greater breakthrough, that every wall and limitation would be completely devastated, and that the German people would be free to arise and shine.

As those of you who have spent time in Cyprus know, our spiritual life does not end in the worship room, but it carries into every aspect and action of our life and day—that scrubbing toilets can be an act of intercession, sanding walls a prophetic picture, and painting benches an expression of worship. This is some of the ways we were blessed to be able to serve the Jesus Haus this week. I was so impressed with the hard work put in by our guests who did not hesitate to commit their energy alongside us. It was a great experience to see the way the community here reaches out to the government workers, most of whom are unbelievers. We started our work day together with a short time of worship followed by an evangelistic testimony. Then we all had breakfast together before setting out for the day’s work. We worked alongside these men and ate with them again at lunch. I was really grateful to see the efforts taken to reach out relationally to them.

During our times of prayer and preparation throughout the year, we received many impressions from the Lord regarding our time here. One particular night in April, the Lord stirred us in a deep way as to His heart for this land, and we began to burn with a vision for what He desires to do. A phrase from that night has become our theme for this trip: “Forgotten Seed: unveiling the treasures of our inheritance.” The seeds of revival have long been in the soil, and though the ground may be hard and cracked, we serve a God who brings streams in the desert. And when the rain of God pours upon this land, those seeds that have lain dormant and silent WILL spring forth from the ground and bear a mighty harvest. We did not want to just have this vision in our heart, but we wanted to “write the vision and make it plain.” We wanted a banner cry to proclaim in faith; thus, through the creative gifts of Rachel F. and our guests Sietske and Livia, we now have that banner to inspire us to greater faith every time we see it. In the picture at the top of this post, you can see our banner and the fire that is in the seed. The seed has mighty roots that are grown deep into God’s love, and it is breaking forth through the ground.

We are driving to Marienberg today, where we will spend the weekend with the church there. We look forward to sharing with you. Also, you can look forward to a soon-coming post about the deeply significant and transforming day we had on Tuesday. It was such a special day; I thought it deserved its own blog post.
Many blessings and Shabbat Shalom,
Hannah for the GBI Germany team

What a Weekend

2009-07-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

In our first weekend here in Herrnhut, we already have been encouraged to see the very words birthed in our hearts in Cyprus so evidently align with God’s heart for this region. Thursday evening we had our first “Staun Mal” (Be Amazed) worship night with the Jesus Haus. This is a worship gathering that we will be participating in Mondays through Fridays. On Friday we hosted an erev-Shabbat dinner and were about 50 people total. It was a great time of fellowship and getting to know people, and the presence of the Lord was sweet throughout the evening. The church usually gathers for a meal on Friday evenings and then has an open time of fellowship and worship. This is an unstructured event that is meant to feel more like a family coming together than a regular “service.” We liked this, and were blessed to see community in action. Ruben and Joel led us in a time of worship, and Melissa coordinated a very entertaining, audience-involved Bible story for the “children”—though the adults perhaps laughed the louder. The story was narrated in German, and the English speakers were instructed that they must watch and guess the story at the end. Helmut (founder of House of Mercy Ethiopia) played a convincing Ethiopian, Ruben played Philip, and Norman and Joel were very lively horses pulling the chariot.

On Saturday Norm F. had the opportunity to teach in Pastor Frank’s Bible class he holds once a month. Those who come to the Bible class are from all different ages, but they share in humility and hungry hearts for the Lord. The focus was to be on the supernatural, and Norm shared personal testimony and inspiring stories from Scripture and life about how God does not need scholars or great and mighty men, but delights in using each of us for His Kingdom. Throughout the teaching, Norm led the room in declaring aloud that “God can use me,” and the cry grew louder and more confident as the teaching went on. We could see on their faces that the people were greatly encouraged by the teaching. This is exactly what the Lord has placed on our hearts, to see Germany rise up in her identity and allow their gifting and callings to be released.
Saturday evening we joined with the YWAM students for a night of worship and intercession. Our team led from 6 to 9pm, and then a YWAM student took over for the rest of the evening. The beginning of the time was definitely an opportunity to “press in,” but the Lord came with His sweet presence in such a beautiful way. After close to 3 hours of worship we had a short time for people to share what the Lord had been speaking and doing in their heart. It was so great to hear some of the guests and students testify with joy. Pastor Frank had a word of the Lord and two people responded. We had a time of praying over them, and the Lord broke through in their lives in a powerful way. We thank God that He is eager to come from the very beginning, that we don’t have to plea and beg, but just seek His face and desire His presence.

Sunday was a delightful day. We went to the church service and then enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. Some of the guys played some soccer while some of the girls enjoyed a long walk through the forest. We had several guests join us this weekend, and it has been such a blessing! Dan and Kristina Hippman and their daughter Truth joined us from Texas; Sietske and Sem Schaap from Netherlands; Michael and Kristina Mehner and Elias from Marienberg, and Livia from Dresden.

Since I wrote this text on Sunday evening, already so much has happened! Just looking back to this morning seems like long ago because God has done so much in just one day. I am so joyful to keep you updated through this blog, but I confess I will really have to stay on top of it because there is so much to testify every single day, praise the Lord! So, I desire to write often and capture the moments to share with you. So, please check back often and feel free to leave your insight. I will try to get many pictures posted along the way. Many blessings, and thank you for your continued prayer.

Hannah for the GBI Germany team

Together in Herrnhut

2009-07-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

After almost a week scattered throughout Germany, our team has finally come together in Herrnhut--almost, for we are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Frederick family. It is so good to finally be here after the months of prayer and preparation. Before we came together, we each had our own itinerary of visiting family and friends. Norman and Kerstin and family visited different family members, as did Marissa, and I (Hannah) was in the region of the Ore Mountains taking in the serenity of the small villages, the beauty of the rolling hills, and the majesty of the forests. I also spent time with three of the students from this year’s GTS, Michael, Kristina, and Katharina. We all enjoyed our time and were very happy to reunite and at last begin our time in Hernhutt, a place very dear to our hearts. We arrived in the evening on Wednesday the 22nd and were so happy to get to see Pastor Frank. We had our first meal together as a team and enjoyed the fellowship. This morning we started off with a powerful time of worship and prayer. Norman spent time praying for several of us individually, and we were greatly encouraged and strengthened. Already, prophetic songs and pictures are being released. We had a team meeting today and went over the many details of our upcoming schedule. We are already grateful for the abundant grace that will be poured out for us as we embark on a very busy schedule. We look forward to our time of worship this evening with the Jesus Haus.

We are full of anticipation at what the Lord has in store for this time and for this region. We appreciate all of your prayers and support. Some specific ways you can be praying for us are as follows: Norm and Norman as they lead this team; strength and health for the entire trip; a greater level of prophetic insight and works of the Spirit; a full release of financial provision; and team unity of heart and mind. We love you and pray that you will be encouraged and stirred through this blog. May you feel the love of Yeshua deeply today.

Hannah for the Gateways Germany team