Enkikaret and hiking through the bush

May 12

Hello prayer team and friends,

Today was full of adventure. The whole base went to Enkikaret, the Maasai village I visited my first week here where YWAM has a preschool. We spent the morning praying over the land, because our base wants to expand their buildings and vision for this area. We broke up into six groups and prayed in different areas. Then we came back together and shared the things that God had shown us. It was amazing to see how God had shown all our groups multiple things! And a lot of the things were confirmed by God showing the same thing to different groups. Enkikaret means thorny dessert. It is very dry there with lots of thorns and bush. But God showed a couple of the groups that when you look closer you can see some flowers in the bushes. They felt like God was speaking to them about Him bringing beauty to this area through His presence being made known.

In the afternoon we planted 57 trees! A couple years ago I found out about a Christian group called "Forever Gardens." They plant trees and gardens in inner city areas and villages in Africa that need food and nutrients. I really wanted to go but it wasn't part of God's plan for me at that time; so i was really excited to take part in this same vision during my time here in Tanzania.

Then we were invited to go to a mountain that Baba Choi had a vision about using for YWAM, or go home. I figured "when else am i going to go see a mountain in Tanzania...but when I'm here in Tanzania!" so i went with that group. I pictured driving to the top of a mountain for some reason, and walking around and praying for it. Instead, we hiked through the bush for an hour and up a mountain, and then all gathered on a big rock overlooking the whole bush area. Baba Choi has a vision to build a prayer house/retreat place for people to come away to the wilderness and be refreshed. It is the perfect place for it. It is so remote and peaceful. He sited some scripture where God called people away to the wilderness to pray, and he wants to follow this same model in providing a place for YWAMers and visiters to get away. I hope God calls me back to Tanzania to take part in using this facility!

Hiking through the bush is quite an experience. There are thorny bushes everywhere that grab you when you walk by, and then hook into your clothing or skin! It's a maze of low bushes and trees, and lots of dusty dirt that covers your feet, hair, and clothes. But it is amazing. It is a place like no where else I've been, and in every direction you look there is free, open land. We had a view of Mount Muru on one side and Mount Kilimanjaro on the other (it was covered by clouds, but that gives you an idea of what the view from the retreat center will look like).

So tomorrow I preach in a church that is about an hour away. I am so tired from our journey today, so pray that God will speak through me and do all the work, and that i can do as my mom says, "Go and have fun and let God do the ministry."

God bless you all,
Christina