Up Date!

First of all: Thank you for your prayers; we had a safe journey and were already blessed in many ways!To those who don't know all of us: Our outreach team consists of eight people which 8 different nationalities, 6 students and the leader couple. The students are Kimberley, Barbadian, Krista, American, Julian, Jamaican, Justine, Canadian, Suzie, English and Sarah, Swiss. The Leaders are Samuel, Korean, and his newly married wife Kezia from Saint Lucia. Eight hours after leaving Barbados we arrived in London on Saturday morning. There Suzie's parents picked us up to their house were we spent a good time, hanging around and enjoyed internet access and good food. They were very kind and brougt us back to the airport later on. So we entered the airplane for a 2nd time and landed early the next morning, safe but tired in Johannesburg. AFRICA! Except Sam we all stepped on the african ground for the first time and one girl was so excited that she even kissed the ground...We could really feel the time difference (6 hours ahead from Barbados) and were quite exhausted. Fortunately, Julian has a friend in Johannesburg and we could enjoy abundant hospitality again! He picked us up and invited us into his home to be refreshed and well fed:-) So now there was only a long bus journey left. We drove in a nice bus through a hilly, nearly vasted area to the other end of South Africa. At 1.15pm we finally arrived in Cape Town. Arno, one of the Beautiful Gate's staff member, picked us up and brought us to the base called Beautiful Gates; our new home for the next two weeks. Our accomodations are really comfortable and make us feel blessed.For New Year's Eve we went to a public concert in Cape Town. A lot of people were there and it was a multicultural society. Today we all slept (too) long. Later on, we were introduced to the Beautiful Gate's project and what we are going to do here in Cape Town. We then started preparing for the childrens program, which we are going to run for the next 3 days. It is similar to what we've already done in Barbados. But we just learnt that the kids we're working with cannot speak English! So we have to see, how we are going to handle this. Please keep praying for us. Some of our prayer requests are:-Strength, protection and health for all of us-A good interaction with the children (communication, response, able to bring love and fun)-personal growth-discovering and using our spiritual gifts-stepping out in faith
Love From the Africa Team!!!

my Jurney!

To Day Is New Years eve. I find my sealf siting in South Africa in amasment. This year has been the most life changing and painful year of my life. Its heard to find the words to say. The emotions that I feal in this moment is joy but yet the deapest pain I have even fealt. I want to cry but the tears wont come. I came in to this year of 07 as a broken lost little girl running in the dark. I longed for some one to wisper my name and say they love me. FOr some one to hold me and never let me go. To fill that empty void that could never be satisfied. I was so broken and shatered with scals over my eye. I tryed to make the pain go away I pushed it far in side of me and locked the door. I tryed to for get to be numb to the pain in side. So I serounded my sealf with smocking,drinking, drugs, and sex (so called love). But theys where all so fack,If you blow they would brake and crumble in your hands.
In the midst of all this my sole was screaming for something more. For a love that would not run dry and that would never again leave me alone. Some times I would wisper a prayer hoping God could still lision, "God, Pleas dont give up on me." I know he never stop bleaving in me. As I walked the road blind God was still there. He was holding on to me even when I had let him Go..
Finly I had reached the end of the roap so I desided to run away from it all and try to start again. One day I fould my sealf with a sigeret in my mouth sitiong on the frount steps of my house with the bible opened up on my lap. I Wanted something more but had lost sight of how to reach it... But God Knew how to get hold of my heart..
A few days befor I was to run to Texas to start over again. God brought me an Angle that I will never for get. The first day I meat him he light a fire in me that started to mealt my heart.. For the first time in a long time I was able to cry. THat night with the moon shining on my tear stained face I look up in to its glow and heard a voice wisper. Krista, I love you and want the beast for you. In that moment in time I knew there was a God that rilly caired for me. The folowing months where the most transforming and beautiful.. I did not move to Texas to run away from my mustacks. But in sted whent back to my parients and found unconditunal love and suport. They did not turn ther back on me even if I had broken ther hearts by the way I had left them. They stood by me even when they fould out about my life stile. They cared for me and held me at a very vonerable time. I grew to love and respect them in a way I had never had befor.
I bleave God gave me an angle he was so amasing and beautiful he taught me how to feal , cry, laugh, smile, play, sing, He bleaved in me, He held me threw the most painful times, He never let me go even when he could have but most of all he taught me how to love like I have never loved be for. He showed me pashon that I had never seen. He showed me how I deserve to be treated and he was not ashamed of me... Threw him God alowd me to experience love and pashion that could last a life time. A Love that will never be for goten. He helped me find God again. He showed me how to have pashion and a true faced relationship with God.. I lirned that God was not all about how Good you where but that he loves you the way you are. That every time you fall down he is there to pick you up..
my family and friends watched as I when threw this healing and growing time,they could barly bleave there eyes. I was lirning about God in a knew way. God showed me love threw others. A Hunger and thirst for God grew in me.. I started to serch for God with all that was in me. I wanted to live my life no longer for me but I wanted him to write my life story. Because I could see how much more beautiful it is when he is in controal...
I knew I wanted to go somewhere to lirn more about God. So I prayed and God gave me a heart for Africa. I looked in to Youth with a mission and I found Barbados DTA right away and knew in my sprit that was where God was Calling me... So for the last 3 months I have been seeking God and lirning about His heart for the lost. when I arived in Barbados .. I knew I was where God called me to. It has been the most amasing yet the most painful time of my life.. I lirned so much about God and fell more in love with Him. God started slowly taking every thing that I was holding on to and making them unsterdy. So the only thing I could hold on to Was God. Then God started riping open all the closed doors I thought where cleened out. But to find that I had only cleaned out what I could see. So God started cleaning out all the hiden and forgoten things. There was barly a week that when by that was not full of God polling something new out of me. It was so much pain but God was always there to carry me when all I wanted to do was give up. God was always there to filled all the empty places in me and showd me how much he loved. He would overwelme me with his love and speek sweet words in to my ear. He showed me how he truly saw me.God was and is puting me threw a time of braking so that all the crap in me in being taken out and replaced with some one Beautiful.
If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve him, If I am in sorrow, my sorroow may serve Him, He does nothing in vain, He knows what He is about. (by. John Hanry Newman)
So,Hear I am with nothing leaft to brake every part of me is week,tired and brokem... God, you have taken every thing from me. God I'm so unperfect, I dont say things right . And somtimes I'm totally lost in who you are but in thows times I just have to rember where I have been and where I am now. one thing I do know is that you will never let me go.. That you will never give up on me and that you will never stop teacking me.
Looking back I came in to this year blind and broken and I end it With new eyes to see but a compleatly new broken heart. But threw this brokenss I will find holeness threw God. God take my weakness and make tem your strangth... I feal as if I dont have a heart any more so God give me your heart. Give me a heart that wont run drie as I love the broken and the hurt. Hear in South Africa and every where you take me. Give me your hand that will tenderly love and cair for the needy. Lord in this next year I lay all of me at your feet. I long for you more every day. Be my lover and friend.
God thank you for all that you have given me this year. God I'm sorry for all the mustakes that I have mad and the mess that I keep making, DADDY I GIVE UP! Take my paint brush from my hand and paint my life story for me. I dont know what to do Daddy I give up I cant do this any more...
Well the South African Sun has gawn down and The New Year is coming in.. I'm going to spen myn with my Love Jesus!!!
"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foregn tongue. Do not now seek the answers, Wich can not be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. By. Maria ranier Rilke
May God Bless your New Year and may God teack you to see God for who he truly is! And May you see who you truly are by Gods Eyes!
With Love Krista,

Hey Every one!
Wow its been a long time coming but hear I am. I made it to South Africa and I'm in one peace:)! It took 3 days to het hear but it whent past fast so that was Good. WE arived on the 31st. To day we got a chance to sleep in then did prep for the Next 3 days. We are going to have a Kids camp. We just found out that they don't speek very much english so that ist going to be a intresting... I'll keep you all updated on how every thing is going..
Its about 11:25 pm and I'm so not sleepy its the jet lage. I hope I can fall asleep soon thow.
God bless Love you so much!

Christmas prayer!

Hear I am sitting on my bed crying out. Daddy what is your hearts cry for my life? He wispers you will go in to all the world and preach the gosple to all the world and make desiples of all nations.. I have placed in side of you a pashion for my lost sheep.Your heart will brake for the ones no one will look at. For the lest you will be there brotecter. YOu will go where no man has wanted to go. YOu will cary the broken hearted,You will hold the hed of the ones who are lost and dont know where to go..Fother this is my hearts cry to be your hands to be your feet to go where you seand me. To never stray from the path you have for me ever again. Daddy I fall on my nees and I give you my heart I give you my life. This is all I can give you. This new Year its me and you Daddy.. YOu are my breth that I breath, You the the wind under my wings, When I long to fall . You hold me tight to your chest and you say my child I will never let you Go... YOu coult the tears that run down my cheek. You know it all. you know my heart and every thing in side.Fother this is my prayer never let me walk out side of the path that you have for me, Never let me loose sight of you because with out you I'm so lost and empty.. Daddy with you I can breath, With you I can be me and who you made me to be....This year I lay it all at your feat, This year I give you every part of my life I hold nothing bake. Flow threw every part every detail every thing thats in me!!!Happy Birthday Jesus..This is my gift all that I am and ever will me that is what I lay at your feet!!!!I love you DADDY!!!

Hey,
Keep me in your prayers. This week we are getting ready for a Kids camp next week. Also this Saturday we are holding a party for Kids that have been affected by Aids.. So there rill is a lot happening. I pray that God will use me to touch these kids that I have the opportunity to work with.
God Bless Love Krista,

“A GIRL ON A MISSION”Dear friends, I am sitting at my window with a cool breezehitting my face, thinking about the journey I havebeen on. It started September 28th. For the last 7weeks I have been in the lecture phase of myDTS.-Discipleship Training School. Some of the topicsof the lectures are, “The Father heart of God”(Opening my eyes to how God views His children) and“Self government and World view” (before we try tochange the world we need to first change ourselves). The last lecture I want to mention was about walkingin the destiny God has for us and letting go ofanything that is holding us from it. The lectureshave opened my eyes and given me a desire to furthermy education. When I'm out of the class room, God iscontinually teaching me every day. Some days are veryhard and painful. God is teaching me patience and howto trust Him with every aspect of my life. Being hereat YWAM has been a life changing experience. God hasplaced a passion in my heart to go and reach out tothis generation and to fight for justice in the world. “REACHING THE COMMUNITY” Our team has had the opportunity to go to schoolsand spend time with kids, playing games, telling Biblestories, singing songs and doing crafts. By spendingtime and showing God's love, we hope to make adifference in their lives. We have also spent time atthe general hospital that's run by the government. There are many elderly and disabled patients. Itbreaks my heart every time I go. Some of the peoplehave been left there never having visitors. I sing tothem, hold their hands and just spend time with them. Seeing their smiles makes me know that I'm blessingthem. As a team, we go around Barbados to churches andtalk about our trip, give testimonies and minister. Ihad the opportunity to preach at a correctionalfacility. I'm so privileged to be used by God totouch lives here in Barbados. “REACHING OUT TO THE NATIONS” On December l0th, our outreach phase starts. Wewill be working in Barbados for two weeks with localorphanages and running a kid's camp. On December28th, out team of 8 will leave for South Africa. Wewill be working with an organization called “BeautifulGates” in Windhoek, Nambia, in a township calledKatutura. (meaning a place I don't want to be) Wewill also be working at “Beautiful Gates in Cape Town. At “Beautiful Gates” we will be working with orphansand “at risk children and families”. We may also workwith prison ministries and juvenile homes.(James l:27)I will be back home February l8, 2008!! I AM NEEDING MORE MONEY FOR THE OUTREACH PHASE. I need $2100's by December 5th. If you would like tomake a donation you can mail it to my home and my momcan deposit it in my account which I have access to inBarbados. My home address: 40 Black Bear Ct.,Browntown, VA 22610. Thank you for your prayers and support. Pleasepray for our protection and health, open hearts tomake a difference, unity in the teams and that Godwill provide all the needed funds. God bless you, Krista Rose Parker

Hey,
I'm so sorry for not riting on hear. Well let me just say life is bissy.
School and home work is taking up so much of my time.
I will be leaving for South Africa on Dec.28th.. WE will be working with Orphans and the poor.
I know God has So much in store for us as we go and love and help as much as we can.
God has been rilly working in my life. I am growing so much. It is not always fun at all but I know God is forming me in to some one that in the end will be more beautiful. Even if it hurts to get to that point of Beauty...
I need as much prayer as I can get. I need more money for my trip and so bus a lot of my team.
So just hold me up in prayer as I stand in fath...
Thanks and God Bless!!
Krista,