Honor

So many of you got the email from my mom about praying for me and a few of my team members because we felt the call to cross the Darien gap. Going to all the unreached people groups and possibly encountering the Gorillas (rebel gang), but that is not even the worst part. The jungle is so thick and coming to the end of rainy season would just make it a lot worse. No one has crossed the Darien in a long time because of the rebel groups and other dangers. However, me and 3 others felt the call to go no matter what. The people in that area have to be reached. We had a lot of conflict and a strain was put on the unity our team carries. So we met and talked about it. The majority of the team feels it is the wrong time for us to go. Some of us disagree, but out of the respect of the team and wanting to honor them we are not going at this time. We still feel the call and the intense burden to reach these people and to plow the ground for future teams to go in, but we also feel some grace in staying. some feel more grace than others.... But I know God is stilled honored that we were willing to say yes to the call and are still very willing to go if He provides a way!

Me and my brother Breck are still praying about hitting the Colombia side of the Darien once the whole team actually gets into Colombia. which is a process in itself!

As you may have realized we are still in Panama. But God has given an amazing house to stay in as opposed to sleeping on pews and on the floor of a church far away from everything. The house is owned by a family who has a surfing ministry and built a house for surfers to come and stay and be ministered to. The house is so nice! Hot water, Wifi, Beds, ping-pong table, and a big kitchen. We feel so so so blessed as we wait for God to open a door for us to get to Colombia. Which has been a huge process.

I don't have time right now, but I will update you soon on all the incredibly amazing things God has been doing here! SO many healings and just amazing things!

Please keep me and my team family in your prayers through the Holidays as we are all missing our families, but finding community with each other!

Hope you all have amazing Holidays and I miss you all so much! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!

LOve and many blessings,
Rachael Michelle

December.

Hello Friends and Family,

Sitting down and writing this blog seems to be a huge task. I am not sure what the last thing I actually wrote was, but I am sure it was while I was still in Nicaragua which seems forever ago. I have gotten to where I never know the actual day of the week they all just seem to run together.

The team and I left for Costa Rica (I wish I could tell you the date). We had a contact, but non of us felt the call to go there. Because of that we had no where to stay. For 3 days and 4 nights we stayed on Playa De Coco (Coco Beach). It was very beautiful even though we had no running water (other than the ocean), no electricity, and no toilet. SO we made one. A tarp and tree and a shovel that's all you need. The camp fires ever night and the cool breeze made it that much better. However I could have done without the tourist trap just around the corner making food buying so expensive! Also we learned about the 2^nd day in we were staying in one of the most dangerous places on the beach. 3 of our team members who were staying in one of the pop ups got a lot of valuable and necessary things stolen from them (computers, hard drives pictures, cameras, toiletries $2,000.00 worth of stuff between 3 people). It was all really difficult, but God gave them grace through through it. While in Costa Rica we stayed in another tourist area on the coast for one night because we left to late to make it to the border for Panama. We didn't do to much ministry while in Costa Rica besides the occasional person on the street, but I believe God gave the team and I that time to rest because we have a lot in store for us in Panama and in Colombia.

On thing I have been learning while on this trip is how God wants so much to partner with us opposed to just telling us what to do. While in the car one a driving day (which is where we are literally driving all day, hence the name) my car was listening to a message from Chris Valatton. At one point in the message Chris says something that God was saying to him and it struck me really hard. Jesus Said to him “what kind of friend would I be if we only did what I wanted to do.” When I heard that I had to quickly repent for the way I had been praying because I had been praying as if I was a slave not a friend of Jesus. Really striving when I prayed begging God to tell me what to do. When He already said go to Latin America and I said yes now He wants to partner with me and the team and some amazing things! That was a really cool nugget to receive.

The Panama border was hectic and crazy I think in total we were there about 7 hours waiting in line for our stamp in the passport, trying to get the cars insured, and inspected. Finally we made it though and hit the road again stopping for food and potting every once in a while. Trying to make it the whole 10hrs Just to put you into perspective what would normally take 7 hours takes us 10 because we are a huge caravan of cars and trailers) to the YWAM base in Panama City where we are staying. Needless to say New wine (our van camper) Broke down and we had to tow (and when I say tow I mean a rope hooked up to one of our other cars) it to the closest hotel we could find. The manager of the hotel we found was so sweet! He gave us and entire section of parking to let us set up camp and we only had to buy one room. The room was awesome and there was Hot water in the shower which was amazing! The hotel was beautiful and the food in the restaurant was great! The next morning We got all the cars fixed and headed to Panama city! We only got 2 flat tires along the way. We arrive at the YWAM base and we are sleeping in a church and the directors of this base are so nice and have so anticipated our arrival. I am so excited to see what God has in store for us here! It is just one of those places you can feel in the atmosphere God moving.

Where we are staying in Panama City is literally Is really cool it is literally about 50 feet from the Panama Canal. The YWAM base doesn't actually have a base yet, so we are sleeping on the floor in a little church. The past couple of days here have been amazing! Yesterday we went to one of the worst ghetto neighborhoods here in the city and God really showed up in one of the apartment buildings. There were about 30 kids we got to bless and play with. As well as a woman who has been in a wheel-chair for a year not able to walk without people holding her up got up and walked around the entire room by herself! She was crying and so was everyone else! Praise Jesus He is good! We held a service today and God really blessed a lot of the people. Later on in the week we will be ministering in mental hospitals, prisons, aids houses, and going and living with an indigenous tribe for a night!

Community living with the team for the most part has been very smooth and there isn't much conflict at all. We are like one huge family and we work as a unit. Anytime someone is down we pray for them anytime someone has a need people try and fill it. It is amazing how God can appoint 22 people (from 6 different nations so far) for something and they all come together, as diverse and I mean diverse as we are, and function as a unit. By no means at all is our family perfect, but everyone at least tries and has a learning spirit. I am so thankful for the amazing brothers and sisters He has given me. While driving we have walky-talkies to make communication easier between vehicles and every hour we switch off interceding for the team and the places we are going. It really is amazing how we all function together so well. I can honestly say every person on this team is needed in one way or another.

We plan to leave Panama within 4 or 5 days where we will be shipping ourselves and our vehicles across the Panama Canal into Colombia. Where we will be for a month (at least that is what I heard at one point, but everything changes constantly so no one ever knows what is happening).

Well I am not sure when I will have internet again! I hope everyone has amazing holiday times. I miss you all so much! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me! Please keep me and the team in your prayers! We really need all the prayer we can get. There is Continual opposition! But our God is Greater!

Much love and Many Blessings,

Rachael Michelle Singleton

P.S. Sorry I am being so bad about pictures! I had some up, but I am not sure if anyone else can see them? However, they are on facebook! At least ones from Nicaragua!

The Transition.

Dear Friends and Family

I have been with my Iris group almost a week. We are still in Nicaragua because one of our Rv's is getting its transmission fixed. We should be leaving first thing Friday morning. Susie and I moved out of the La Quinta base two nights ago (Tuesday Night) because we thought we were leaving Wednesday morning. It was a very difficult night. Having to say goodbye to all the kids, my friends, my house mama, Juanita. My heart still hurts for this place. However, I know God has so much more in store and He has told me that when it is time I can have any nation I want. He is such a good Daddy.

Emerging into team life has not been the easiest. There are so many of us and so many different ideas of what needs to happen that it all gets crazy at times. Almost like a giant game of telephone. Something gets said then gets passed through the group by the time it gets to the end it is very different from the original need or idea. Costa Rica is up next Then following is Panama where we will be crossing the Panama Canal. I am not sure what God has in store. The living situation is not so bad. Very crammed, but there is grace for everything. It will only make us closer in the end. The people in the group are amazing. So many different types of people with the most amazing gifts. God truly had his hand on appointing each person in this group. Sometimes I just sit and think about where I am in the world and what I am doing and How amazing God is that He chose me for this moment. I am so humbled and honored to be His daughter.

We Lost Valued members this week Serena, Victor, and Maria. They are being called to other places for the time! I am sad they are gone, but am so proud they are following the spirit!

I had a bit of a bad yesterday, only I am not sure why. I was on a beach with amazing people bouldering on some of the sweetest boulders right next to the ocean. But a church service at the Nueva Vida (another base within Mateo 5:16. Where the team has made camp) was going on and all I could think about the whole time was how badly I wanted to be here to see all my friends. It has been a very difficult last couple of days for me. I am ready to move on but the car issues are prolonging us being here. I am not sure what God is doing. Also having the team here as been hard on the ministry because they had such high expectations for us as a team that are not in line with what God has told us to do. I tried explaining this to Lynne and Glen, but I am not sure how it was received. I also believe that is partly why God sent me here ahead of the team. So have more time to convey the heart of Iris. So the ministry would not be left calloused toward Iris. I talked to some of the team members and they say it has been happening with almost all the contacts they have meet. The contacts have there own agenda and expectations for the team and that is not what God has guided us to do. So the contacts are left with a sour taste in there mouth. Please be praying for every contact we have from now on that they understand the heart of this trip and the heart of the team. Also be praying that our team is hearing correctly and only doing where Holy spirit leads! I hope all of you are well and are having great Holiday times with your family. Don't forget about me. I am really missing my family lately. I just hope I can get to where This team is family enough so I feel more part of the group. I love you all Please keep praying. And I pray blessings 100 fold back onto you! Thank you for all your support. I love you all!

-Rachael Michelle