the amsterdam of australia… May 7, 2008

<a href=”http://whatthamel.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/nimbinrox.jpg”>
So Saturday was i guess our first big outreach opportunity as a school/ team. We actually had a BBQ in the byron park on Friday, but that was like just a taste test compared to Saturday.

Saturday we drove to Nimbin for their yearly festival called Mardi Grass. And yes, that’s grass like weed… just one huge festival or party thing where people from literally all over the world get together to party and smoke out. I think it’s been going on for a while because there were easily a couple thousand people there, and we only saw down the one road and park. I’m learning a lot about spirits and other things that normally the Western world denies even exist, and I know that Nimbin is totally under the control of the enemy. So this whole week Mardi Grass has been lifted up in prayer and intercession as a town thats completely lost but one that God loves sooo much and desires the people there to see Him and know His love for them. I have actually never been a part of intercession quite like how we did on wednesday night, so i’ll just describe how it went. first we asked God to give us revelations on what to pray for nimbin, and our staff told us just to listen for either a scripture or word or even sometimes the Spirit will give you a picture or vision. I can tell you if you’re reading this and are totally skeptical, so was i at first. But generally it’s because culturally the “norm” is to deny the existence of anything supernatural, including demons (who are in the Bible and therefore obviously real)… but if you follow Christ, you follow a supernatural being. so it’s perfectly within reason for Him to speak to us in supernatural ways. the time we spent silent listening and listening wasn’t that long, but from the second we all bowed our heads, my body was livewired. I was completely restless and fidgety, even to the point that my eyeballs were darting around behind my closed lids. it scared the crap out of me! i was thinking that maybe it was not of God at all, either a distracting thought from the enemy or even myself being unfocused so i just said “God let it be you and not me”. i said it twice and then right before we opened our eyes i saw a picture in my head of pure chaos in the form of movement and dull colors. i just read that and it doesn’t look like it makes sense, but thats the best way to say it…and that i think the colors are significant. anyway, then into the chaos comes a person? a presence i guess is prolly a better word. anyway this presence moves into the chaos with a huge field surrounding it.both it and the field were the color of swirling blues and aquas and stuff. and with the presence and field and color… was peace. and calm. kind of like they say that the eye of the cyclone is the calmest part of the storm. anyway. i thought i was full on mental, and i kept thinking, i am not telling them what i saw (cuz we went around the group and shared) but as we went around, my experience was lining up with what other people got. spiritual battle, and Psalm 9:9- The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of struggle. stillness in worship. Peace in the midst of calamity, because the Spirit goes with us and in us.
<
be still and know that I Am God.

friggin sweet. So our whole premise for going into Nimbin was to cook up free BBQ and have live music for the hippies and everyone to enjoy, but use it as a REAL demonstration of Christ’s love.

It was so crazy. i have a really tough time trying to describe everything about it, like what was going on, my reactions to it, the crowds reaction to us, my spirit… it was nuts. Like on the way to Nimbin, i just started feeling like trash. not really my body or my stomach or whatever, just my spirit. i couldn’t stop thinking about everything i am ashamed of, or all the doubts i struggle with, or everything i don’t understand that makes me feel spiritually immature and insignificant. it sucked. but some of the fam, laurie and mojo, prayed over me and after we set up and started chopping veggies and stuff, it wasn’t so bad. I was just really quiet. anyway, the hippies loved the free food!

it was so cool, they almost couldn’t believe that we were giving away sausages and kebabs. and some would ask why, and it was the perfect opportunity to tell them Hey, Jesus came to serve and not be served and he loves you. and i think that if he were here at Mardi Grass he would be putting his love into action and handing out free snags. everything went really smooth, some people wanted to talk, some didn’t. but there were no confrontations, no sass, nothing. Shardae was playing live music, most of which she wrote herself and all of it praising God and it actually drew a huge crowd.

it was soo awesome, people were dancing and chillin and a few people even came up on the mic to beatbox and rap. a fellow ywam-er from Nigeria got the crowd pumpin with chants of “freedom” and everyone was really into it.

part of me kept thinkin, do they even know that they are bumpin to praise music?? do they know they are glorifying God in their actions?? some people were so off their face they could just sit there and bob their head… but i know for a fact that we were in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and most definitely in that field of calm and peacefulness.

It was so awesome, and i hope and pray that at least one person will be changed by that night. i hope and pray that seeds were planted and that God will grow them in due time.

Praise Him for keeping us safe and for showing us favor in Nimbin. and bring it on for next time!