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Life is Adventure

Sunday, April 10, 2016.

3 AM and I'm finally crawling into bed in Glendale, California after quite possibly the most impactful day of my life.

How did I get here from Pittsburgh, PA? Here's my story.

 

This past fall, I read Bill Johnson's book The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind. As I was reading his book, I felt like the Lord was pressing Bethel on my heart. I shared with a few people without knowing the meaning and they encouraged me to pray and wait. I also started listening to Bethel Church podcasts as I prayed and waited.

Fast forward a few months to a car ride where my friend and I were listening to a sermon from Bethel Church. Bill Johnson started talking about Lou Engle (leader of The Call) and how he met up with him in England to hear a prophetic dream Lou had had. To make an epic long story short, Lou asked Bill to be a part of a stadium event that would spark revival across the nation and the world. Lou put his house on the market to pay for the LA Memorial Coliseum for April 9, 2016. Azusa Now was birthed (in honor of the Asuza Street Revival that started April 9, 1906). I was listening to Bill as my heart was leaping. I just kept thinking YES!!!!! My friend turned to me with surety and said "Oh my gosh, Elle. This is it, you have to go!!" In an instant, I knew she was right. I knew the Lord wanted me in LA that day.

And yet, I shied away from buying a plane ticket...

What if I was an event seeker?

What if I confused my own desires with God's desires?

I do not have much money. Spending money in this way felt wrong (especially

since I had already bought a ticket for my friend's wedding in England).

I began making excuses.

Then a friend from Canada texted me YOU NEED TO GO TO LA!! randomly. When I asked her why, she said AZUSA NOW! I talked with her excitedly about the possibility but I didn't buy a plane ticket.

Then a very dear friend approached me with a check. She said the Lord put me on her and her husband's heart and a certain number. It essentially covered my plane flight.

Still I waited. A few days later, I had a very disturbing and frightening dream.

I woke up at 4 AM and bought my ticket.

I was not about to let doubt and fear of man keep me from what the Lord had made quite obvious.

A month to the date, I bought my plane ticket. I called my uncle and asked to stay with him in Glendale. I rented a car. I registered online for the event (free).

And the money started rolling in. People were giving in faith that the Lord was doing something. I was astounded (but shouldn't have been).

 

I arrived in LAX early Friday morning and was able to attend an Alumni Summit with BSSM (Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry) and Irish Harvest School students, which was an incredible blessing. And spent precious time with my uncle aunt and cousin eating yummy homemade pizza.

Saturday, April 9, 2016. It was finally here. From 7 AM- 10:30 PM, tens of thousands of people would come together to pray and worship all day in the rain. I had two Pine Valley alumni I wanted to see before I left LA. So I met with Joel for coffee after spending an hour looking for parking. What a wonderful encouragement it was to hear such a dear friend pursuing the Lord deeply and passionately while in the entertainment business. So, I entered the Coliseum a bit late, around 10:30 AM.

My entire day was filled with friends I had not seen for almost three years, worship, prayer for all kinds of reconciliation, and just incredible incredible blessing. I hope that some of you were able to watch it Live Stream, but for those of you that were not, I will share just a bit.

We spent the morning praying for reconciliation. Various denominational leaders were honoring and repenting toward one another. Believers in Turkey and Armenia were together reconciling and praying for revival...we visited with them via video chat. Black and white brothers and sisters blessing one another in Jesus's name. So many cultures and ethnicities were represented. There was such a beautiful revelation of unity amidst all believers in Jesus.

And there were prayers for healing. People walked out of wheelchairs. Three men who had lost hearing due to IEDs and other explosions while bravely serving in our nation's military, had their hearing restored 100%. And quite possibly the most remarkable, a gentleman and his daughter shared his story on stage. His daughter brought him to the event. He had had a cancerous brain tumor, which had been removed through surgery, but left him unable to speak or hear. He came onstage and testified in clear Spanish to the Lord's complete healing, with his incredulous daughter translating into English. PRAISE JESUS!!!! And there were many more healings and testimonies from the streets of LA, as many Bethel students had been evangelizing and praying for days up to Azusa Now.

I volunteered at the Iris Harvest School table for three hours in the middle of the day, and this is where my personal story starts. Countless beautiful people stopped by asking questions. We prayed together. The Lord gave me prophetic words for a few people. A few people had prophetic words for me. There was a deep heart connection made with a beautiful woman who was considering Harvest School with her three young children and her husband.

Another young girl told me about her creative evangelism on the streets of LA and I felt all this unction to pray for her and her mother. As I began blessing her ministry endeavor, I had a quick picture of chalk drawings. When I asked her if that meant anything to her, she started in surprise and through her tears, told me "that's what I do!" The Lord wanted her to know that He sees and uses her gifting in powerful ways. She said it was the first time she had ever received a word from a stranger that confirmed what the Lord was already doing. Both mother and daughter were crying with the joy of the Lord. What a sweet moment.

For this moment alone, I would have flown across the country.

Standing in the rain all day...hearing so many leaders pray...Bill Johnson....Jack Hayford....Lauren Cunningham...Heidi Baker...so many other pastors and ministers from all over the world....seeing leaders respect and honor one another as an example to all of us. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

We worshiped late into the night and I finally left the Coliseum at 10:45 PM. As I made my way into the parking lot, my friend (who worked at Pine Valley Camp with me) called me and invited me over to her apartment in North Hollywood for In&Out burgers. In the midst of our phone conversation, a woman approached me in the parking lot. I hung up with my friend to talk with her. She asked me if I could give her a ride to North Hollywood (the exact same neighborhood where my friend lives). It was so clearly the Lord that I offered her a ride without a second thought.

Her name is Grace. She is Congolese in her descent, but lives in France with her Italian husband. She was here for Azusa Now. The 30 minute car ride flew by as we talked about the Lord, His heart as our Father, and the various adventures He takes us on. I might have missed meeting this beautiful woman had I not taken the moment to hear her story. We both walked away extremely blessed and encouraged, with a new Facebook friend. (Praise Jesus for technology that connects us across many miles and continents).

After dropping her off, I made my way to my friend's apartment. We ate our burgers, laughed a lot, cried, prayed, and talked about Jesus. She is pursuing a career in comedy and shining the light of Jesus into that community. She hosts an open mic night at her apartment and people enter saying "there is something wonderful about this apartment!!" We know the "something wonderful" is Jesus.

And so that was how I found myself at 2:45 AM in front of my aunt and uncle's house searching around their porch for their hide-a-key. As I tucked myself into bed, I could only whisper THANK YOU. I laid in bed in awe.

When we obey His leading, there is always such unspeakable blessing.

Bill Johnson said to his congregation on Sunday following the Saturday event something that verbalizes exactly what I felt all along. He shared the story from Numbers 11 where the Spirit of the Lord comes on the 70 elders and they start prophesying. But the two elders who were still in the camp received the blessing and prophesied as well (verse 26). He then prayed over his congregation that were not able to go to Azusa Now to receive a double portion of the Spirit of the Lord. I pray that each one of you reading this, receive a double portion from the Lord. In every way. That faith would rise up to receive all that the Lord is doing and wants to do.

The verse I received from the Lord as my theme verse for 2016 was "Behold, I am doing a NEW thing, can you not perceive it? Now it springs forth! I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19 Several of the prophecies I received that weekend confirmed my placement and work at Pine Valley Camp in this season. A recurring theme was that my timing is not necessarily the Lord's timing. He is doing something NEW in Pittsburgh...in Pennsylvania...in the USA...across the world. I am just excited that we get to be a part of His great purpose.


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