Haley Austin

Journal entry: November 29th, 2011. 4:11 am.

Janakpur, Nepal.

After 13 hours on a bus, I find myself half-awake on the side of a dusty road in an instant.The fact that I was just thrown from my sleep greatly enhances the surreal state of my surroundings. Droves of people migrate west in the direction of the nation’s most holy site: Sita’s temple.

I’m amazed by how alive the city is at this early hour of the morning.. Yet the hollow eyes of every individual indicate no sign of life. It seems as though I have found myself amongst the “living dead“.

Out of fear, the multitudes rise and leave home to make sacrifices to gods that can not see, hear, or speak. A loud voice booms from loud speakers on the horizon in a language foreign to my ears. It beckons the masses like a magnetic force. Fluorescent lights illuminate the skyline as this dismal army fades away into the thick curtain of smoke that veils the road ahead.

  There is no detection of hope in this place. Being ignorant of Truth, they flood the gates of a rotting temple: a foretaste of their march into a Christ-less eternity if the Truth is not heard. Though we are few in number, the power and love of the infinite God course through our beings: ready to reveal Himself to His children.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?

And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?

And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

That is why the Scriptures say,

“How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

[Romans 10:13-15]

Last week’s update in Nepal: sex trafficking is being abolished and souls have been saved in T***t. I can’t go into detail about the second statement, but here is a blog written by my fellow team mate – Sarah Wenz – that explains the rescue of two young girls we befriended from the red light district in Kathmandu. This is what happens when a few young people step out in boldness and faith:

“He exchanges BEAUTY FOR ASHES. He redeems and rebuilds. He awakens. And right now, He’s beaming with joy.

Wednesday, November 9th to Wednesday, November 16th, 2011.

 7 days. 2 girls. 1 industry: beginning to shatter.

Chains have been broken. The road to freedom is before their eyes. A dawn of Light has appeared.

He is so beautifully faithful. It’s foolish how much I find myself questioning this part of God. Does He see my heart? Does He know how much I break for these girls? And he so mercifully and swiftly replied to my heart of wonder.

In 7 days, God showed himself to two ravishing Nepali girls who have been diminished into believing that they aren’t worth more than selling themselves. Trapped into thinking that this was going to be their life. With hopeless eyes and fear deep in their souls, they dance against their will. With no emotion they tread off stage and are beckoned to a booth to put on a smile and do what men say for a few dollars. This is their life. Every night. It’s how food is put on the table. In a room permeated with smoke, drunk men, and sickening desires- these daughters of the King remain, night after night. And who will be Jesus to them? Who will fight for their salvation? 

And as we enter this part of hell on earth, my heart skips a few beats faster and tears begin to fill my eyes ready to start pouring. I hold back as I try to look ‘normal’ with the three others I was with. And the reality of this injustice played out drastically before my eyes. And I sat quietly begging Jesus to use me as His vessel. There was nothing I knew how to do on my own. He was going to have to pull something together. All I desired to do was burst open the back door and grab every single woman and run. He had to move. And just a few minutes later, a waitress asked my name and my age. With broken english, our eyes met and we just smiled. I asked her if any girl knew english and she walked to the room where they all waited and got ready.

A man came out holding a girl’s neck and she trotted slowly where he was leading, to our booth. In a skirt barely covering her butt, a face hidden by makeup, and glazed over eyes- we began to talk. Eye contact was rare, a faint smile even more. My heart sank as I heard her story, one of poverty, lonliness and being convinced that dancing was the glamorous life. This precious heart longed for love and trust and acceptance. Longed for rescue and freedom and a friend. And the moment it clicked that we were there to do just that, everything changed. Joy radiated. A smile flashed across her face. Laughter exploded. A story was told, maybe for the first time.

 At the end of the night, I left being her best friend. With a number and a big hug exchanged, we were ready to fight for her. And this love drew her in and captured her. Persistence and commitment led to trust.

I so often wonder ‘how to’ do everything. How do we bring the kingdom of heaven to earth? What does it look like? What was our part in this? 5 young believers, committed to God and fighting for the lost. Committed to running after what is breaking our hearts. Committed to fervent prayer, believing He can and will rescue them. Believing the Father is jealously running after His children.

For 7 days, we loved, we asked questions, we walked with her and told her about a Father who wants to welcome her into a family unlike what she has ever known. A Man who wants real relationship. One who won’t leave because its not an option. Who will turn every idea of man she has had upside down. One who is committed. And as we went back to this bar to sit and be her distraction during work, her heart began to soften more and more. She let go of buddhism, and accepted Jesus. She was made new. Something switched in her heart- she felt peace for the first time. She felt joy and happiness. She was hungry.

We laughed. We cried. W loved deeply. We committed to these two daughters of the King.

3 days later a text says, “Jesus, please, I want to quit my job which I don’t like. Please help me out of this dirty world, search and give me a happy life”

The 4th, “I will pray all ready and he will help me I know because I trust him more than my life”

And 5 days later they stopped going into work.

 The 6th day Jesus flung a door open and they had a job interview at a Christian bakery where they were accepted for jobs, as well as counseling and discipleship.

The 7th- we get a text that says, “Quit the bar. Just missing you, all of you, love you a lot”

It is done. They have escaped. And he has awakened two hearts. He’s captured their gaze. And at the very center of all of this, hope was ignited and joy has burst forth into their souls. I believe firmly that these two precious women will begin a fire of rescue. Their stories will spread rapidly and woman after woman will escape. 

 He’s big enough. It’s His desire.

And it’s ours too. The display of love healing a broken heart is why we keep going. We won’t cease until this industry is destroyed. Not stopped, but wrecked. Until every girl has been won. Because they are worth it. So, the fight continues, but today, two daughters have been welcomed home into the arms of their Father.

The angels are rejoicing and heaven is singing. Praise the Lamb.

And as we sit in a cafe, late at night- drinking milk tea and diet coke laughing with each other we receive a text that says “Oh Jesus, I really love you trust you, you save my life, you gave me the new life. Thank you, Jesus”

This is why we came to Nepal.”

Forgotten in the slums – a man lies in his own filth. A screen of flies engulf his face. They smell death. His relatives complacently watch from a distant wall – his chest rising and falling in sharp, rapid gasps.. His last few breaths. It’s an injustice to die this way. No life deserves this death – not even an animal.

My team gathers around him – fanning flies as we pray that sickness would flee and life would fill this man again.. The stench of booze overpowers my nostrils as addiction has overpowered his life. 30 minutes goes by. Nothing has changed.

“The price that Christ paid on the cross determined the value of the people He purchased.” This man – dead in the shadows, caked in dirt, murdered by darkness – was created for more than this.. The biggest injustice: he never knew it. He never knew the freedom and life available to Him through Jesus.

As I have witnessed and lived amongst poverty, sickness, and death, my faith has not gone unchallenged. “If God is so good…” has been a common, often daily, question I face. The reality and weight of human suffering is something I can’t fully comprehend.. But one thing I know to be more true and more powerful than anything in the world is the reality of the love of God through Jesus Christ.. And He has appointed us – those who believe – to reconcile the world to Himself.

If eternity is real and if Jesus is the way and if it’s through us that He is revealed, then the world can’t afford our complacency. The joy and freedom
found in Christ is absolutely worth living for!

(Internet is limited, time is short so I have to go.. More updates to come.)

Kona, Hawaii is in the midst of what most of us here like to call a “movement of God“. In the 50 years that Youth With A Mission has been training and sending out global missionaries, we have never seen so many people at once come to be equipped to “go into the world and preach Gospel to all nations.” (Matthew 28:19) There is a movement of youth (I’ve seen it in my travels across the states and throughout the world) who are truly longing to know God and make Him known.

I arrived on the island 2 weeks ago from Amsterdam after 5 weeks of meeting with churches and organizations to see what God is doing there through the people and how we (YWAM Kona) can be a part of it. Amsterdam, as you may know, is infamous for its drug culture and red light district. There are roughly 150 brothels in operation and an estimated 60% of the women there are  victims of sex-trafficking.

We found many communities of people taking action to expose these injustices and reach out to the women through committed relationships. The YWAM base there has established a counseling center for women coming out of prostitution and also a ‘House of Prayer‘ in the middle of the red light district where prayers are released on behalf of the city from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. Since these initiatives have been taken within the last 3 years, over 30% of the brothel windows have shut down! By the end of this year, it will increase to 40%. Efforts to provide shelter and other employment for these women are increasing and many are encountering Jesus. This truly is a testimony of the power of prayer and passion to see His people set free as His Kingdom comes on earth!

I’m officially here for the summer – preparing to staff the Awaken DTS (Discipleship Training School) that starts in a little less than a month. A lot of people have been asking “What is Awaken all about? What is your mission? What is your vision?” Well, quite simply - the vision is Jesus.  It’s His presence that we long for and it’s Him that we are passionate about revealing.  It’s about awakening to the presence of God in the context of community and living life for and from this revelation of His love.

We – 27 Awaken staff – are about to receive 80 (+) students from all over the world into this community of people who are whole-heartedly committed to pursuing God, loving each other, and giving fully of our lives to reach every nation with the message of the Gospel and practical aid. Out of these 80 students, I will personally mentor 6 or 7 girls throughout the course of training and then leading another team to Haiti from September through December. As I walk with these women, my heart is to draw out the giftings and callings in their lives through discipling them in the ways of Christ. It’s a full-time job (24 hours a day on-call and  logistical responsibilities), but this is my passion!!

My reward is seeing people encounter the love of Christ and be released into the long-term callings He has on their lives through these 6 months of deep discipleship and short-term missions.

Please pray:
- Unity, strength, and wisdom for the staff and I as we walk with these students.
- Easy entry into the country for international students having visa problems.
- More passion for Jesus to well up within us – (unto) – salvation for the lost in every nation!

14 nonstop hours in the van sounded like an ideal concept.. Before we did it. Colorado to Texas. Over night. Painful (brutal repercussions), but we made it. And here we are – San Antonio, Texas.

I realize that I haven’t made a post since I was stranded in the airport in Seattle.. (Hopefully you’ve been able to follow my journey on www.AwakenNations.com) But I can assure you, I made it out of there. And I’ve trekked through 19 different states since. Allow me to inform you of the details: I’ve been cruising in my greatest ‘Craig’s List’ find: a purple, 7-passenger ’98 Dodge conversion van (named Wallace) with 5 dear friends I staff the Awaken DTS with – Erica, Eli, Andrew, Matt, and Chris. We started in Boston on February 4th and have since made our way down the East Coast and through the South – California-bound.

The purpose of this excursion is not purely for pleasure (although it’s been crazy fun), but to gain perspective on what God is doing and saying within the Church nationwide. And by Church, I’m not referring to a building or a congregation or denomination.. but the entire body of believers in Christ who gather around His Presence. People who are genuinely committed to loving God and loving each other.

(On a side-note, I will do my best to divert from excessive use of “Christian-ese”, but in advance, know that my words are heartfelt, not rhetorical.)

As global missionaries, we’ve witnessed and personally experienced the miraculous, tangible power of God in other nations in ways that supersede our comprehension.. And within the “YWAM community”, we have found ourselves among countless others who have cultivated a lifestyle of day-and-night prayer and worship focused on the Presence of God.. And from this lifestyle, thousands are being launched into the nations with passion and zeal to proclaim the Gospel with love and bring freedom to the oppressed.

But what about the rest of America? We want to know what is happening outside of YWAM. Are there more communities of people with the same burning desire to “go into the world and make disciples of all nations”? (Matthew 28:19) How many more are there who live for and from the power of His love? There has been no disappointment in what we have found.

Our team has had so many doors opened for us to sit down with and learn from “legendary” men and women of the faith. Like revivalists Dick Simmons and Jason Hershey in D.C., Don Finto and Tod McDowell in Tennessee, and Lou Engle of TheCALL in Kansas City, we have been blown away by the wisdom and revelation they have imparted to us.. But above that is their devotion and passionate love for Jesus. In Harvard dorm rooms, apartment flats above Capitol Hill, and the 24-hour IHOP prayer room in Kansas City, we have seen multitudes of “burning ones” living to see the Kingdom of God on earth.

From all that I have seen and heard, I am confident in this: God is alive and He is seeking those who desire Him wholeheartedly. This generation is about to see a movement of God like never before.

Roughly 3 weeks of our trip remain. For the next few days, we’ll be in San Antonio (where a great couple has opened their home to us last-minute) to attend a 3-day “revival gathering” with Todd Bentley and “Fresh Fire Ministries”. In this moment, we’re aiming to reach California by next week. I’ll keep you posted.

(if you want more info on specifics, click on the links to the underlined names)

2:17 am – Creative writing is a difficult task. That is, while attempting to silence the sound of amateur jazz emitting from the four corners of a Starbucks lounge. Unfortunately, this is the most comfortable seating I could find at this hour in the Seattle Airport.. So I will have to make do. (Plus, the typical warm lighting and earthy tones you find in most Starbucks locations inspire me.) With my bags beneath my feet, empty terminals on my left, and a stale cup of coffee to my right, I observe fellow travelers and wait in anticipation for Saturday to come. Yes, Saturday. Why, you ask? Let me inform you of my current predicament:

Original Departure time from Seattle: Wednesday (today), 8:20am. Original Arrival time in Boston: 4:37pm.

(Snow storm decides to hit up the East Coast)

New Departure Date: Saturday, 8:50am New Arrival Time: 5:20pm

As most of you know, I have officially embarked on my 2-month journey across the States. And, to my surprise, this is the kickoff. I could easily allow myself to get frustrated, but I’m choosing to make the most of this. I’m more exited than anything, really. This is far from surprising to the good Lord, so I’m stoked to see what He has for me here. I just hope the other 5 in my crew will make it there okay..

My dear friend’s mother has offered to house me for the next few days (thank you, Mrs. Bergus) But until she arrives, I’m going to curl up next to the large group of strangers sleeping on the floor. Bring it on, Seattle.

And again, setting up camp on the floor of another terminal. Running on 3 hours of sleep, 4 cups of coffee, and Mountain Dew. Life is grand. 7:00am flight from Oakland to Kona was overbooked so I opted out of my direct ticket in exchange for a 6 hour layover in Seattle (current location). But first class and a free ride all the way! Thank you, Alaskan Airlines.

A month at home was great, but I’m ready to head back to the family in Kona. Two weeks on the island and then… Come February 1st…The next adventure:

www.AwakenNations.com

My crew and I are heading out to take on America. 3 months on the road – from Boston to Los Angeles - seeing, hearing, and being a part of the ways God is moving in the U.S. After L.A, I’m going international (God willing). Where and why, you ask? Exact location and details to be announced in coming weeks. I’ll keep you all posted.

But for now, I’ve got 5 hours to kill. Another cup of coffee? Absolutely.

Just one month ago, I was building tents for families across the street from the Presidential Palace. Today, I sat speechless as I watched that very street consumed by flames. Only this time I wasn’t witnessing the chaos from the back of a pickup truck (as the case had been).. But from the comfort and safety of my family’s home in Granite Bay, California. Though I’m viewing the riots, explosions, and rebellion through the lens of a CNN reporter, I no longer consider these tragic events distant and far away.. It’s personal now. To see familiar roads, buildings, and even faces subject to the violence and disorder that the riots are bringing is frightening.

Daniel and I made an executive decision to take our team out of Haiti 10 days early due to the danger and uncertainty of everything going on with the elections. Thank God we did because the airport closed just 2 days after we left (employees were unable to get there because of the rioting) (the picture above was taken down the road from our house). We spent 9 days ‘debriefing’ at Dan’s home in Laguna, CA (the polar opposite of Port au Prince, in case you weren’t aware). The culture shock of being in the States was surprisingly more intense than it was arriving in Haiti.. (a friend who visited us in PAP made this video of our team):

The 200 Hours came to an end on November 28th at 8:00am. Haiti was obviously not transformed overnight (the tension has clearly only risen) but we had already begun to see the fruit of our prayers – we witnessed over 20 Haitian men give their lives to Christ in the tent city across the street from our home that day! After several weeks of getting in with the city’s “roughest” crowd, two of our guys – Emery and Andy – felt strongly compelled to make a visit to those men that afternoon to ‘open-air preach’ the Gospel. They hadn’t been that bold before, but their hearts were filled with so much love for these men that they had to tell them – whatever the response would be. The girls and I stayed behind to pray and, sure enough, the boys came back to report that after 25 minutes of sharing their overflow of love, each one stood to their feet (tears in eyes) to accept Christ.

(in front of our house)

After everything we experienced during those months in Haiti, I have found myself at loss for words when asked to share. There are many things we witnessed that I might not fully comprehend for a long time to come – if ever. But for now, I can say that I learned how to have faith when all you see is darkness.. And hope when everyone is hopeless.. And by loving those who are unloved – the single mother in a tent with 5 children, the prisoner with 25-life for murder, the deaf and dumb girl tied to a tree - faith, hope and love can be given to them. There is nothing I’d rather do in life than this.

Do I sound like a Hallmark card? I love when clichés are legit.

2:35 am – I woke from a sound sleep to the roar of an explosion. I ran from the darkness of our upstairs bedroom and followed the shouts out onto the balcony. Flames filled the sky and rose above the safety of our barbed-wired concrete wall. The whole alleyway was illuminated and consumed by a massive fire – blasts sounded off every few seconds; my heart pounded in my chest. The sound was terrifying. There was complete lack of clarity in my mind – only one thought: “We’re under attack..”

Refusing to let panic overtake me, I turned to the Lord – “Peace which passes all understanding.” Granted. I looked down over the railing, 20 girls beside me, to find that some of our men had run outside. “NO!” More blasts sounded off and fear rose again within me – “they’re being shot at…” All together, we gathered in groups and turned to God in prayer.

I quickly ran downstairs and found that our bus was on fire. We weren’t hearing the sound of guns blazing, Praise God, but we were still in danger. An electrical wire had snapped, set the bus ablaze, and was now hanging over our metal gate – making our house a live outlet. The flames died and silence fell heavily upon us. The stench of burning rubber lingered in the air as we stood still and waited in painful anticipation as to what might happen next. Our Haitian brothers had alerted the city and we were informed that the power had been turned off. Naturally, we gathered again and worshiped the Lord. It was agreed that the prayer watch would go on.

We hardly see it as coincidence that our team has been subject to the attacks we’ve endured since arriving in Haiti. We have found ourselves at the epicenter of a nationwide cholera outbreak, in the path of Hurricane Tomas, in the midst of sacrificial voodoo ceremonies on “Day of the Dead”, down the street from political riots, and subject to a devastating explosion in the middle of the night. (-While one of our brothers happened to be praying, twenty feet away, for the power of God to fall.)

Whatever the reason behind these events, it has only driven us harder after the heart of God. No physical threat will hinder us from lifting up the name of Jesus over this nation. The Burn continues!

Isaiah 43:1-3 -

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Midnight – November 20th, 2010. 12 different nations gathered on the kitchen floor of an empty house in Port au Prince to worship the living God and take communion on behalf of the sins of Haiti. This marks the first out of 200 hours of prayer and repentance for the blood of a pig that was spilled for the freedom of this nation in 1804. (see ’200 Hour’ blog post below) We are crying out every hour on the hour to seek the merciful heart of God and declare that His blood is the only blood that can bring freedom and reformation to this country. Each hour will represent one year out of the years from 1804 to 2004 – the years of Haiti’s commitment to voodoo. Hundreds of Haitian pastors have been mobilized to gather their churches and pray.. On November 27th, we will gather together to worship, declare, and enthrone our God as one voice for Heaven to see a unified, praying Haiti.

The final hour is on November 28th at 8:00am - the morning of the presidential election.

Please, if you want to join us, or get more info,

go to www.ipray4haiti.com.

On another note, family and friends - our team is safe and healthy. The cholera outbreak is unrelenting - 1,000 dead and nearly 14,000 have been affected. We are no longer providing aid in St. Marc (the source of the outbreak), but there is still fear that it will infect PAP. There have been a few reported cases, but it is nothing serious (and we’re praying it will remain nothing serious).

I know there have been reported riots that have occurred in front of the capitol, but we have not experienced any of the violence.

A LOT has happened within the last month we’ve spent in PAP.. Another (more eventful) update is soon to come. But for now, it’s 2:00am, and I’m off to bed.