DAY TWO: Morning Mountain Mercies...

We were surprised this morning when we found out that we, as a team, were driving up to a mountain sight overlooking OAXACA to have our morning worship...and time with the Lord. Isabella, Russ and I decided to take this time to start our "Freedom Key" adventure. It was so powerful overlooking Oaxaca City & praying for freedom for the city, the people...and all that God would do in the days to come while we were on this mission trip.

---------------------------------

"I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." ~Matthew 16:19~

---------------------------------

We are LOOSING things here in Oaxaca -- FREEDOM -- loosing the chains of the heritage lands, the generational teachings, witchcraft, alcoholism, bitterness, anger, & death. We are calling forth FREEDOM & HEALING. This treasure hunt has turned into an incredible time of building our faith as we are laying down symbols in the "natural realm" as we bury keys --FREEDOM KEYS!!

We are believing that GOD is releasing the bondage chains within the land of Oaxaca!!

Isabella's first SWEET prayer over the overlooking Oaxaca City was sooo amazing as she prayed for the people, but emphasised that children in Oaxaca would be 'healed in Jesus name'...and come to know who Jesus was. Her belief and trust is so precious -- I see God teaching ME what it means to have faith of a little child. She definitely is being moved, and trusting God completely thru the Holy Spirit -- because I couldn't possibly teach her this...as I feel I am still learning this type of faith. I'm sooo thankful to be her Mommy. THANK YOU, LORD.

DAY ONE: Mission Compound...Training...& AMAZING FOOD!

OAXACA, Mexico or BUST!!

Our day was uneventful...and smooth.

THE FIRST TRAVEL DAY WAS GREAT!!!

And although we didn't leave for the airport at our original time we planned we arrived in plenty of time....and much of the team was not ther yet. (I was thankful for THAT...even though we were not planning on packing glasses, drops or medications within our luggage.

GOD answered all of our prayers....

• PLEASE PRAY – travel mercies (everyone in our team arrives, travel details, flight details, patience, Isabella will be peaceful and cooperative)
• Isabella was soooo great! She was sooo giddy and excited... she stayed awake until we boarded the plane!! (and before take-off promptly passed out!)
• PLEASE PRAY – we can sleep on the plane. (we arrive in Oaxaca at 7:30am)
• YEA!!
• PLEASE PRAY – that we will be able to check our luggage all the way through to Oaxaca City and go through customs there.
• THIS was amazing...all of our luggage went straight thru to Oaxaca - and customs was sooo easy & simple!
• PLEASE PRAY – that customs and immigration will go smoothly for all, that all our luggage will arrive safely. (Also, we are transporting over 1000prs. of glasses – that they will clear, and all equipment and medication will clear.)
• SMOOTH as SILK!!!

Praise GOD for the early stages.... for the most part all went well.

----------------------------------------------

Although I didn't sleep much on either flight....Isabella and I enjoyed the beautiful sunrise over Mexico City....where Isabella was determined we saw a VOLCANO! Later we found out it really WAS!! Volcano Popo...it's one of the twin volcanos surrounding Mexico City, her sister has the nickname for : ""The Sleeping Woman." Popo (formally known as: Popocatepetl) was letting off some steam!

Isabella's MINISTRY....

I believe that God is going to use Isabella in AMAZING ways for his Kingdom. She's so excited about this mission trip, I can only think that the Lord has enhanced this excitement and joy!
My first mission trip to Mexico was 11 yrs ago...I connected with the children by singing....I knew ONE SONG in spanish....and the kids flocked to me...and we painted DAY after DAY!! Well, my sweet girl LOVES ART....loves to color...
Many of you know that I'm illustrating children's books....and so I thought, what fun to illustrate some coloring pages...and buy some bulk crayons from Oriental Trading company.

Please pray that God will bless her time...our time.

IT'S RAINING KEYS....from Heaven!!! Hallelujah!!!

MY flesh wants to say, "OH! I'm not surprised." -- BUT, lets face it...when GOD does something - it's hard NOT to sit back in AMAZEMENT & WONDER!!

I REALLY did have faith, even if it was as small as a mustard seed. I KNEW I heard him deep within my spirit -- and I knew he would give us some keys...BUT THIS?? WOW!

To me this is a the simple picture of what God says in Ephesians 3:20....

He is the key to immeasurably MORE than ALL you could ASK FOR or even THINK of!

So here is the simple quick story.

--------------------------------

This MORNING...I was talking to my sweet neighbor-friend. I started telling her what we were doing, and she said she had found a keyring of keys - (11 keys on it) an we could have it. We already found 7 the night before....so you can imagine Isabella's face with now MORE than the night before!

--------------------------------

Around LUNCH-TIME...I ran across the street to Mr. Nasar's store to get some eggs. Mr. Nasar was standing in front and said, "I heard you were looking for keys?!" And he pulled 2 from his pocket!! I was sooo overwhelmed, I forgot to ask him WHO TOLD HIM?! He said one was on the sidewalk outside the door of his store....the other on the inside. I told him what God was doing...and that we were on a treasure hunt for keys! (He's Muslim, so we often talk about God - in the context of we BOTH LOVE the God, the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob! -- another story...but GOD is moving powerfully there!)

Anyway.... I told him that we believe that there is a LOT to be "unlocked" in MEXICO, and that we believe God wants us to take these keys and bury them in the land of Oaxaca as a Symbol of FREEDOM for this land...the villages...and ultimately the PEOPLE of Oaxaca!! He then said..."WAIT HERE! I have MORE KEYS FOR YOU...." and he went in the back of the store and brought out a key ring of 10 more keys - we got 12 in ALL!!!

-----------------------------

Moving along... TONIGHT. I had an PureLife Executive Team Meetin in the city....so Isabella & I hopped on a train praying for more KEYS!! (you should see my girl on the "SCOUT for keys!!" -- she's like the pink panther (do-do.. do-do..do-do ta-do-ta DO...do-da do-DO....!)...leaving no stone unturned!! This girl LOVE treasure hunts....)

We're sitting in our meeting and my ladies on the team start handing me keys....2 old keys from a purse...one from the office...and then I get a TXT from one of my "key prayer warriors" (ha! no pun intended...she PRAYS for me...txts & IM's me...all the time. - I'm sooo covered with her on her knees! wowzzaa!!!)

SHE "has something" and is on her way to the location of the meeting....& wants to pray over us! She walks in...with a BAG of OLD KEYS!!! (84 in all....) I could've fallen OVER....Isabella eyes were like SAUCERS!!! This girl is a nanny...and she and her kids embarked on their own scavenger hunt...getting the idea of walking into an old locksmith store. She asked, "Do you have any old, unused keys? We are doing a "Key Drive!?" After asking how many she wanted - they said as many as you have....

WOW....

------------------------------------

So, in this...hears the rub! I'm JUST beginning to SEE that God is using this to SHOW me, he's doing something bigger -- I MEAN BIGGER....!!!

I can't even fathom how big, and significant this trip is for the Kingdom of God!

-------------------------------------

I feel the words, "Keys to the Kingdom" rise up in my spirit....so I couldn't resist to see what is in his word about "KEYS"....

Matthew 16:19 ~ "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

OH WOW....

I can't even GO ON....I know GOD is LOOSING... I've been praying FREEDOM!!!!! The heartbeat of heaven is surely to loose the chains that keep us from freedom in Christ!

SIX more FREEDOM-KEYS found!!!!

WOW.

sooo fun.

Isabella & I are looking....tonight we stopped on the way up the slope and Isabella prayed, "ok God, send us keys from all over....on the ground...in the bushes...in bags....& boxes - in Jesus name - AMEN."

OH boy, I don't think it's ever taken us that long to walk up the slope to our apartment -- (and it's late 11pm, we're coming home from our Mission Team Dinner)!!Anyway...we are talking looking around bushes...and tufts of weeded grass....everything looks shiny at night (I was just praying we wouldn't get hurt on a piece of glass or a nail!) Finally, Isabella & I remember a key we found a few months ago on the subway platform...I let her keep it...we can't remember where it was...but then that made me think of a little box by the door of our door....which made me think about when our friend Miss Faith helped us get organized....we made a box of KEYS & LOCKS !! YOU should've seen Isabella's eyes when we found the little snack baggie of SIX KEYS!!! (WHY did I keep these???...I'm sure for this very moment!!)

She said, "SEE?! We are praying and God is giving us keys!! We found 6 and Miss Nicole found 1...we are gonna find a lot of keys...maybe like 20!"

We'll see..... Until tomorrow....

Let us know when and WHERE you find YOUR keys!!

This is a fun adventure....

Tomorrow I hope we find a shop or stoop sale with a bunch of old keys!!

I'll let you know!

Good night.

Now to Him, Deborah~

FIRST KEY FOUND!!

I got this amazing email from my sweet friend NICOLE!
Yea....this is soooooo fun! GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!! wow....
------------------------

DEB!!!! I FOUND A KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read this e-mail in between laundry cycles tonight. After I read, I prayed.."God, send me a key. I am going to be on the lookout." I went to the laundry room to move the towels to the dryer. I looked on top of my washer and saw a SHINY SILVER KEY!!!! It was not there when I put the towels into the washer!!!!!

I am THRILLED...AMAZED...it is SO GOD!!
What an amazing faith builder that God is raining down keys for freedom.

I'm sending the key anonymously to Bella. :-)

Take care,
Nicole