Malaria pills *check*, immunisations *check*....Haiti here we come!

It’s two days till I leave for Haiti and my spirit is stirring up in anticipation! I can barely believe the last 3 months have been and gone already and it still feels rather surreal to think that in two days time I will be hopping on a plane and launching into the air!

I can already see the beautiful people in my mind as I pray and I’m so excited to meet them in person. We will be spending the first couple of weeks on the YWAM Haiti base serving and blessing them as well as possibly joining in their ministries in orphanages and brothels. After this time we will be living in the tent cities with the people and running week by week mini discipleship training schools with the people for about a month! I’m so stoked about that, I’m expecting that God will be doing incredible things during this time. One of the most exciting things, though, is the prayer burn we will be running in the lead up to the national elections. God has given us contact with over 150 different churches in Haiti and we will be calling the church in Haiti to 200 continuous hours of prayer and intercession for their country. One hour for every year that they have lived under the voodoo blood contract. God wants to redeem and bring restitution for every year this land has suffered injustice and oppression. We want to reinstate Jesus as King over Haiti!

It’s been a crazy journey watching the Lord pour out his blessing on our finances as a team. We only need $4176 now for the whole team – when we split that between us all it’s only $250 each! So even though some have enough money and some don’t we are all trying our best to see the last little bit come in! We are trying to have all the money raised by the 22^nd of September. So this is my invite to you again...if you would like to partner with us and the work God’s doing in Haiti this is your opportunity! The easiest way to donate is online at this address:

https://apply.uofn.edu/OnlineAppDocs/OnlinePayment.cfm

We have a team account that the money will go to called ‘Revival and Reformation: Team Haiti’. If we get more than enough money we will donate the rest to the earthquake relief fund. If you are doing it this way please let me know how much will be going in so that we can allocate it correctly ;) If you would prefer to donate to me personally then choose the Revival and Reformation and my name.

I want to thank you all so much for your prayers and for those who have been able to donate and partner with us financially. You have no idea how much it all means to me and the inheritance that you have in God’s work in Haiti as you have poured out your prayers and resources.

I probably will be out of contact for a lot of the time I’m in Haiti but I will try to update as much as possible!

All my love!

Kerri

You are OUT OF THIS WORLD!

What would your life look like if you fully believed that you have been raised up and seated in heavenly realms with Christ? How would you see the world? How would you see yourself? How would you see God?

What if we got a hold of the astounding truth that we are extravagantly loved and adopted by God as his Sons and Daughters? If we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He's our Daddy and he LOVES us!?

Jesus downloaded a story to me the other day. I warn you, it's very intense. But I invite you to imagine this with me:

Imagine 9 months. 9 months of joy, expectation, anticipaton, excitement, and travail. 9 months carrying this precious child inside you. 9 months. And now, filled with the most overwhelming and delightful love possible in life, you look down into the bundle in your arms. Your heart swells and bursts with the kind of joy and love that is beyond words or explanation as you gaze into these sparkling eyes that reflect your face. Imagine. Maybe you've experienced it already. If you're like me and have no idea, just close your eyes and pretend you're holding your firstborn child in your arms - can you even catch a taste of the fullness of this love and passion? Seriously, don't read any further - just try and imagine this for a second.

Now imagine that as you stare in wonder at this beloved child, memorizing every shape and tone, you notice someone running towards you. You look up just as they descend on you and violently attack. Fear fills your heart as your body is wracked with pain but all you can think of is protecting your child. As you try to cover your baby, he is snatched from your arms and you are left on the ground helpless and unable to do anything as you watch your child brutally murdered before your eyes.

Sorry this is super intense and raw. But can you imagine the intense grief and pain and trauma? How would you feel towards the attacker? How would you feel? How would you cope?

Now imagine you are on the other side of this story. I want you to imagine you are lost, angry, hopeless, and out of control. Imagine yourself as the attacker. Take a second and really think through it. What have you just done? After this atrocious act, you look into the eyes of the mother of the child as she is completely overcome with horror and shock and pain. How do you feel when you look into her eyes and hear her piercing cries? The guilt. The shame. The reality of what you have just done sets in. You sink to the ground and start screaming, crying - you are dead inside. You want to die. You deserve to die. As you fall on the ground and prepare to kill yourself you are suddenly stopped as you are held in a fierce grip. The mother of the murdered child falls on you. As you prepare to recieve the judgement you deserve from her you are shocked to find that she is embracing you, not killing you. The fiercest embrace, the most violent love. She lifts up your downcast head and pulls your gaze into hers. Her tears fall hot upon your face and she whispers tremuously

I forgive you. I forgive you.

I love you. I love you.

Over and over and over and over again she whispers and cries until it becomes gut wrenching, ear splitting -

I FORGIVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! YOU ARE MY CHILD! I ADOPT YOU AS MY CHILD! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!

It's unbelieveable right? Unthinkable. That the murderer of the child, is adopted as the child.

What is this? Who can possibly love like this? To love the very one who stripped love away.

But this is the gospel...it's insane. It's beyond amazing. Even while we were nailing His beloved Son to the cross, even as we were mocking and spitting and whipping Him, he loved us and died for us so that we could know the love of the Father. So that we could know what love is. And he took us in our wretched depravity and he forgave us, but he didn't just forgive us - he adopted us as his children! He loves us with unfailing love.

As far as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love!

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sin!

Ephesians 2:4-6
"But God, so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great, wonderful and intense love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our own shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ. He gave us the very life of Christ Himself...for it is by GRACE (his favour and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved. He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together, giving us joint seating with Him in the heavenly sphere in Christ Jesus. He did this that he might clearly demonstrate the immeasurable, limitless riches of his free grace in his kindness and goodness of heart towards us in Christ Jesus."


I ask you again. What would your life look like if you truly believed that you have been raised up and seated in heavenly realms with Christ? How would you see the world? How would you see yourself? How would you see God?

What if we got a hold of the astounding truth that we are extravagantly loved and adopted by God as his Sons and Daughters? If we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He's our Daddy and he LOVES us!?


I am broken but completely whole. Forever changed. It's finally sunk in: My Dad loves me. This love is joy and full freedom. Love IS revival.

THIS LOVE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. And I'm starting in Haiti.

HAITI HERE I COME!

• 80% living beneath the poverty line
  
• 54% in abject poverty

• 20 is the median age
  
• 60 is the average life expectancy


• 80 out of 1000 children die before the age of 5


• 120,000 living with AIDS (in 2007)


• 230,000 killed in January earthquake


• 2,000,000 homeless

Although the facts and statistics paint an extremely bleak and painfully depressing picture, somehow my heart for Haiti is one of deep expectation and hope. Haiti is actually taken from the Native American name for the nation - Ayiti - which means "mountainous". When I first discovered this I immediately thought of the time Jesus spoke about how faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. Haiti is not only mountainous in geography, but the extreme height and vastness of the mountains of sickness, poverty, death, violence, corruption and devastation strikes fear and hopelessness into the hearts of most people. However, I believe the roots of these mountains are largely spiritual. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities in the heavenly realms. And we have been raised up together with Christ where he is seated at the right hand of the Father, far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which is to come (Eph 1:20-21). For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world, and this is the victory that conquers the world - our faith (1 John 5:4).

Our FAITH expressed in LOVE will MOVE MOUNTAINS.

This is what we will be doing in Haiti.

My team is not just another humanitarian aid group. Haiti has been overwhelmed with humanitarian aid and relief services. We are going in to pray and intercede. We are going in to worship and prophesy. We are going in encourage and unify the church. We are going in to teach and train the future leaders of the country. We are going in to preach good news to the poor and afflicted, to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the physical and spiritual captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes of those who are bound.

We want to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes. The oil of joy instead of mourning. To clothe them with a garment of praise instead of a heavy and burdened spirit. So that Haiti will be known as a place of righteousness and justice. A place of light and life. A dwelling place for the Lord. A place that glorifies and loves their Creator and Father.

Over the months of October, November and December we will be ministering in orphanages and tent cities. We will be loving on prositutes. We will be teaching in schools. Preaching in churches and on the streets. Worshipping and praying LOTS. Our team will be there during the presidential elections in November and we will be running a 200 hour burn of worship and intercession. One hour for every year the nation has lived (and died) under spiritual oppression and affliction. We envision the church of Haiti rising up in prayer and intercession for retribution and justice. Praying for a righteous man to finally rule. Crying out for revival and reformation.

Anything is possible. I have more expectation for this mission trip than I have ever experienced in previous expeditions. What a privelage and honour to partner with God in restoring Haiti! YOU ARE A VITAL PART OF THIS MISSION TOO! I want to encourage you that though my team may be on the "front lines" (as the saying goes) - the success of this mission and our ability to GO is vitally dependant and connected to YOU. Your prayer support and financial support is what will enable us to put action to every word I wrote above.

I would like to invite you to pray about participating and co-labouring with us through committing to pray and/or support us financially.

I personally need about $3000 within the next month to be able to fly there and live for three months. If you would like to join in supporting me you can do this through the ways listed below.

Thank you for your love and support! It means the world to me ;)

Love you heaps!
Kerri

By Check
Kerri Lewis
Fire and Fragrance School Fees
Fire and Fragrance II
University of the Nations 75-5851

Kuakini Hwy Box 255

Kailua-Kona HI 96740

Credit Card
https://apply.uofn.edu/OnlineAppDocs/OnlinePayment.cfm

Pay-Pal
kerri-berri@hotmail.com

Call me Confucius

Here's some of my heavy revvy:

• Wonderful friends are like salt - they enhance every experience (Jess Harris for example)

• God is to my spirit as the sun is to my eyes - when I fix my gaze on him, his image is burned onto my retina and then everything else and everyone else I see bears his image.

• Hype, hysteria and religion is like spiritual McDonalds - it might satisfy your desires, but you're just gonna get fat, ugly and sick. I want it fresh and organic.

• Boldness is being willing to take the risk. Confidence is knowing that it's not a risk.

• There is a lot of injustice in the world just to point out the obvious. But the greatest injustice is that the very children the Father came in love to save and restore, rejected and scorned him. Justice = that the Lamb would recieve his full reward.

• Unbelief is often a protection mechanism because we are afraid of being disappointed if we do believe - that is not my revelation though. My revelation is that we WILL NOT be disappointed!

• We ARE the intercession for our generation. Our lives are a living prophecy, a living testimony of God's heart and God's will for our world.

• Requirements to change the world = in-filling of the Holy Spirit and obedience to his call. We don't have to wait till we're 40. We don't have to wait till we are qualified. We don't have to wait till we are wiser or stronger or have enough money. (Although these are all good and helpful things) We only have to wait to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

• There are are two things in life that must never be compromised: LOVE and HOLINESS

• There is no lid. Only you can limit yourself by not allowing God to be who he says he is.

Two weeks ago we had four days and nights of 24/7 prayer and worship. Praying specifically for our generation and for universities. There was an explosion of creativity - art, music, poems and writing. There was an explosion of passion as we caught God's heart and cried out to him. There was an explosion of praise - literally people swinging from the rafters. Haha! JOY! It culminated in the end in Thursday night corporate base meeting where I encountered the Lord and caught a glimpse of his beauty...flip.

This past week we have had a guy called Shawn Bolz who works mostly in LA and Hollywood. Champion. Spoke about living a supernatural life, shared amazing stories from his life and friends of his, encouraged, inspired us. Challenged us not to be religitards and charismaniacs. Keep it real and live in agreement with Godly reality.

Finally I would like to finish with a poem about something very close to my heart: VEGEMITE

Vegemite and butter on a hot piece of toast

Attracts disgust and ridicule from most

However I find that although it does reek

It never fails to put a rose in my cheek

Love, peace and goodwill to y'all

Kerri

SHABA!!!!

How do you describe two weeks of utter craziness and insanity getting my brain and heart impacted deeply and profoundly by the wonders of God and his love and his holiness? It's gonna be tough, but I'm gonna try!

It is now the beginning of the fourth week of my school (ah!) and the past two weeks have been fabulous. The second week we had a speaker called Aaron Walsh from New Zealand speaking on prayer and intercession and this past week we had Ray Hughes (from somewhere around the Appalachian Mountains in the deep south of the USA) the president and founder of Selah Ministries speaking on praise and worship.

I had a few chuckles quietly to myself during both weeks as both their accents were rather absurd. Just imagine going from a All-Black mad Kiwi speaking on "prur und untercussun' to a southern cowboy style moustache toting fella speaking on "Pah-raze and wahrsheeip". But mate, their teachings just about floored me with the wisdom and revelation that poured forth!

On week two I was deeply impacted by the revelation of God's heart for his children and the reality of that dreaded word "Hell". It's not PC to talk about it anymore, and it wasn't even a topic in the class but I was a mess for a while as my heart shattered at the grief of a world living in a Kingdom of death, going to an eternity of death when their Father has made a way and welcomes them into life, if only they will accept his gift. AGHHH! It is so painful. But so good.

On week three I regained an overwhelming sense of awe and wonder and excitement at this freaking amazing God we serve and get to worship and adore! Such a depth of understanding of why and how we worship God and the power of music, art and all creativity when it's breathed into being in heaven and then becomes reality on earth. Totally inspired me in my music and art and I feel like I gained a bit of insight into how these giftings tie into my future! I was also able to be a part of a memorial kinda thing of the work of God in Keith Green's life. Melody Green, his widow, has been here the last few weeks and she spoke. There was a time of prayer and it was super powerful as this mantle was passed on to the next generation. It felt very significant and honouring to be a part of that!

Ugh, I have sooooo much to say! I can hardly contain it.

Oh and HAITI!!!! I'm going to Haiti in September for 3 months. I know. Amazing. We will be working at a couple of locations. Some things we will be doing include teaching in a DTS, building and planting a church in Port Au Prince as well as living and working in an orphange. I feel like God wants do wonders in Haiti, to raise up a next generation of leaders there who will transform their society in the love and power of God. Woo! So stoked.

Ok, welllllll...there's more - but I'll restrain myself ;)

Prayer requests...just praise God for his glory and his blessings! I'm doing so well and have been blessed financially, physically doing so well and spiritually becoming more and more alive every day. Can I also ask you to pray for my friends in my school as finances are due this Friday for lecture phase and we are looking forward to some miracles ;)

Ok! Thanks! Let me know how you're going too xox

Love yas!
Kerri

A typical day from my first week in tropical paradise:

5:45am – I flirt with death first thing in the morning as I fumble and fall my way down to the ground from my treacherously high perch on the top bunk and throw on some running shoes.

6:00am – I flirt with death again as I run across the road and cheerfully greet the several road kill specimens who serve as a warning to look before you cross the road (there is one flat mongoose who looks particularly unimpressed with being run over). I run alongside the ocean which is constantly wrestling with the jagged lava rocks which pour out into the waves. Ah...glorious.

7:16am – arrive one minute late for breakfast very red and sweaty and have to appeal to my inside contact on the breakfast kitchen crew (Dev) to scavenge some pineapple and muesli for me. Or I just shoo the birds away from the Peanut Butter and Jelly table and make myself something deliciously unhealthy. On the days when I am not late I bring my precious tube of Vegemite down which puts a rose in my cheek.

9:00am – CLASS STARTS! This whole week I have been so SO overwhelmed by the revelation upon revelation that I am receiving in class. One of my leaders – Andy Byrd – has been the main speaker for us this first week speaking on the foundation stones for this topic of revival and reformation. Apart from the times when I find myself in a hypnotic state from staring at his curly red locks (which are quite glorious) I am under constant fire as he speaks so much truth from the heart of God with the passion of a man totally in love with God. A couple of days we had other speakers such as Loren Cunningham and Mike Bickle sowing into us – wow.

12:00pm – Usually skip lunch cos I’m so stoked on Jesus from lecture and need to process what’s happening. I jump into the prayer room which is probably my favourite place on base and just soak it all up deep into my spirit. Then from 1-2 there is corporate worship - a time of adoring Jesus together and from 2-3 every day there is corporate time of intercession, every day something different. And if you think prayer is boring or dry then you have not experienced the fullness of soaking in the river of life and praying from a crazy revelation of his love...just saying. Wow. Mindblowing! I usually stay after the corporate times till about 4pm and intercede and pray for Eastern Europe which is another whole story of how God has been wreaking my heart and directing my life.

5:00pm – dinner! I usually think it’s “quite nice” but then I have rather low standards and am not fussy at all. Dinner is always a fun time with friends. Usually hang out after, go down town or to the beach. We have a lot of homework and books to read which doesn’t feel like homework at all. So might fit a bit of that in there too. Several nights of the week there is some kind of meeting or ministry as well.

10:00pm – have somehow become a bit of a granny so by this time I’m usually fumbling and falling my way up into my treacherous perch to dream sweet dreams.

Guys. I hardly have words to describe what God has been doing in my heart, in my class and on the base as a whole this past week. Mike Bickle, Lou Engle and Brian Brent (incredible leaders of anointed movements in the US) have been here this week for the express purpose of joining with Loren and Darlene Cunningham and other leaders to fast and pray and seek God’s heart for this time in history. This place just exploded. I’m serious. Loren got up at the end of our corporate meeting on Thursday and said “mark this day in your calendar, because it is the start of a new movement”. This is Loren Cunningham. He doesn’t just say stuff like that. God is doing something mighty across the globe. And we all get to be a part of it. Oh my giddy aunt I’m so excited! It’s like when coffee starts to brew and the smell of it fills the room and anticipation for that first sip consumes your very being – that is what it’s like in a spiritual sense here. I wish you could smell it and taste it.

For once, I’m not apologising that my blog is too long because I want to share as much of this goodness with you as possible. I also just want to send another shout out regarding support. If you guys wanna link up with what God is doing here I am still trusting God for about $2000 in the next 3 weeks for lecture phase (he’s already blessed me so much through your radical generosity – thanks again and again). Then outreach may cost anything from $4000 to $6000. I will find out my location for sure tomorrow which is exciting!

I love you all and want you to know that you are precious to me and a blessing to have in my life!

Kerri xox

By Check

Kerri Lewis

Fire and Fragrance School Fees

Fire and Fragrance II

University of the Nations
75-5851 Kuakini Hwy Box 255
Kailua-Kona HI 96740

Credit Card

https://apply.uofn.edu/OnlineAppDocs/OnlinePayment.cfm

Pay-Pal

kerri-berri@hotmail.com

Wow. So I’m sitting here on my top bunk bed looking out the window at a beautiful view over the incredible YWAM Kona base with palm trees silhouetted against the sun as it is on it’s way down to sink into the glittering ocean. I’m here and it feels like home...love it.

So, as surreal as it all seems, I have officially started the Fire and Fragrance school and I have my own flashy student card and everything! It was so great to see Marty and Dev here and catch up on life – BUNNO REPRESENT MATE! Sweet to have some good Bunbury crew to cruise around with.

Rewinding a little here...

I had a sad week last week in Vancouver saying goodbye to all my incredible friends and was absolutely blessed by their love and support. Got to celebrate Canada Day and have some good times. On Saturday morning we (Steph Wood, Em Abbott, Robyn, Sam and I) headed down over the border and into USofA and into Seattle where we stayed at a backpackers, explored, had fun. On Sunday we donned our Patriotic colours and celebrated Independence Day watching incredible fireworks over the city harbour. Got to drink a coffee from the original Starbucks and explore all the famous Pike Place Markets. Another exciting adventure took us under the ground and into a historic world of scandal, disease and disaster as we navigated the original streets and buildings of Seattle which are now buried beneath the current city but is accessible through basements and walkways under the ground. Pretty cool.

I then kissed my lovely ladies goodbye and hopped on a plane in Seattle after I was miraculously spared a $60.00 luggage fee (thanks Jesus!). Had an awesome convo with the lady sitting next to me for the entire flight to LA and then flew on till we landed on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii. The view over the islands was sweet with the volcano and lava flats dark against the glowing sunset. I was greeted at the airport by Peni Patu who wrapped me in a big hug and hung a frangipani (plumeria) lei around my neck. I stayed with Celestine Patu, (my friend from DTS) and her family for the first few days and was treated like a princess. I was able to go to an Island Breeze performance at a hotel where they perform dances from several Polynesian islands and eat traditional Hawaiian food. Loved it!

So now the school has officially started. The base here is amazing and all the people just seem incredible. This morning we had orientation as a base and this afternoon we had our first meeting as a class. There are about 40 students, mainly from the States, but of course some Aussies and a Norwegian and also hopefully a Haitian. Both my main leaders are rangas so that’s just further confirmation that I’m in the right place – hahaha. God knows I love the ginger variety of humanity! The schedule is full on and SO SO EXCITING! Oh my word. Incredible speakers and so much time set apart for filling up on the Word, intercession, worship as well as four books to read. We have a three month project where we specifically focus on the areas of the world/society where we believe God is calling us. The project involves a lot of research and searching God’s heart and word for strategies to see revival and reformation in those areas. God has already been speaking so much into my heart for this time and for the future. AH! It’s hard to describe the atmosphere here right now but there is a fire and a passion that I have not yet encountered in such a large group of people or even within YWAM yet and it’s set to spread across the globe. GET READY!

We will find out our outreach locations and teams next week. I have heard rumours of Japan, Haiti, India and/or the States. Will let you all know as soon as I can.

Miss you and love you all!

Holla back

Love

Kerri