As I stepped off the plane in June of 2018, my eyes darted from one corner of the airport to the other looking for any semblance of the English language. A wave of culture shock crashed over me as I began walking through the airport. My heart raced with nerves and at the same time I felt a sense of peace and excitement rising in me. I was alone and thousands of miles away from anyone I knew. As I gathered my luggage, my nerves shifted into focused energy. “All I have to do is make it to my hotel room,” I thought. “I can do this.” I looked around at the signs which would point me to the correct shuttle. The language was so foreign to me that there was no deciphering what it actually read. I froze, looking back and forth, trying to decide which shuttle to take. As throngs of people passed to and fro, I called out to a passerby, pointing to the name of my hotel written on my itinerary. Looking up at the signs, he pointed off to the right and was off again. I trusted his finger point and decided to head that way. A half hour later the shuttle pulled into a hotel. Indeed, it was the correct one! Praise God! After much needed sleep, I awoke the next day, took the shuttle back to the airport, and met up with the mission team. Making our way through the busy city, we found the apartment we would call home for the next few days.

I found myself face down on the floor of the apartment. The sound of an acoustic guitar filled the air as I was deep in worship and thanksgiving to the God I serve. It seemed surreal to be in this place: an other-worldly foreign country full of trash, poverty, and temples erected everywhere you turned. At the same time, there was a sacredness about this place. It felt as if I had time travelled to biblical times walking as one of the first disciples had walked. At once, Holy Spirit came upon me in a way I had never experienced prior. It was powerful and it was new. As we finished worshipping, I held this experience close to my heart, not sharing with anyone. I felt His presence upon me from that moment on and throughout the trip. There were words of knowledge for people in the village we ventured to, there were prophetic words for people in their dirt floor homes, there was a knowing of what to speak when I stood in front of the group of women we ministered to. Trepidation fought for my attention, but the power of Holy Spirit overshadowed it at every turn. I had travelled with the organization Adventures In Missions and we were there to lead a Beauty For Ashes retreat. None of the attendees had ever experienced a retreat like that before. Some had travelled from several villages over. One woman in my group had never held a crayon. There was bondage- a lot of it. They didn’t understand they had God-appointed worth. It was foreign for them to experience tangible love.

What power there is in God’s redeeming love! The women entered the retreat downcast, heavy, and burdened with weights they were never meant to carry. They left with gratefulness in their hearts, wide smiles, joy-filled tears, and most importantly, hope. Their circumstances had not changed, but their lives had been transformed. Our team experienced the same; our lives (my life) had been transformed.

I returned home and continued to lead Beauty For Ashes retreats locally. The story here was the same as it had been 9,000 miles away- women came in downcast, heavy, and burdened with weights they were never meant to carry. They left with gratefulness in their hearts, big smiles, joy-filled tears, and most importantly, hope. Life may look different across the globe, but we all have a few things in common: hurts that need to be healed and hope that God wants to give.

Two years later, God would birth Sixty-One Acres, inspiring numerous other retreats in addition to the Beauty For Ashes retreat I had experienced and learned to lead.

God has opened the door to take our Hearing God retreat back to these same women. While there, we will travel to the same village where the Lord first poured himself out in such a powerful way to me. Again, I have trepidation. I have questions and my human doubts rise to the surface; “What if He doesn’t speak to me? Worse yet, what if He doesn’t speak to them?”

Yet in this, I also know He is and always has been faithful! He would not open doors and lead us somewhere just to leave us! How could I doubt for a second after I’ve seen what He has done these last 7 years? He will be glorified. The women will be transformed. We will be transformed. I believe. I trust. Trepidation fights for my attention, but the power of Holy Spirit will overshadow it at every turn! Will you please join us in prayer for the women? Will you consider financially supporting us? Will you commit to praying that we are led by Holy Spirit?

We are excited. We are expectant. And so we say yes to this open door, yes to more of Christ, yes to His remarkable plan, and yes to more of His glory!

-Christi, 61 Acres Founder, Teacher

Interested in supporting us financially on our South Asia Mission Trip? Go to https://www.sixtyoneacres.com/giving/ and choose “South Asia mission trip” in the drop down menu.

Interested in going on a mission trip to lead Beauty For Ashes? Go to https://adventures.org/trip/programs/womens-mission-trips/ to find out more!