Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 4/26/2012
This month, there are 3 of us living in one house together. We have hot water, bubble baths, amazing food, WIFI and telephones to communicate.
I never thought that I would be somewhere this nice and accomodating while I was on the race.
Yes, I am still on the race.
But, I'm at home. In little Lumberton, TX.
I broke my thumb at the end of Honduras, and was told by doctors there that I needed to fly home as soon as possible and have surgery.
WHATT?
I was shocked.
I was not expecting that.
A shattered thumb, okay, give me a cast, I can handle pain.
Leaving the race, I didn't like the idea of it.
Why?
That's what I asked the Lord multiple times that day.
not WHY did I have to break my thumb.
not WHY do I have to have surgery
but WHY am I going home?
Home was my comfort.
Home was the hardest part about leaving.
So why, after 3 months am I being put back into my "comfort" when I was just learning how to cope with being away for so long?
My mind was set on 11 months of not seeing family or friends.
Not 3.
But, The Lord had a different plan.
Before I flew home, I had complete peace from the Lord, that home was where I was supposed to be.
I didn't know why, but I was wanting to trust him in that.
I was thinking that I would come, have surgery, stay for maybe 2-3 weeks, and fly out to Romania.
Well, I had surgery on Tues. 10th. I had a plate, 8 screws, and 2 pins put into my thumb.
That does NOT sound like a 2-3 week recovery.
And its not. Its about 6-8 weeks.
OKAY, now, I don't get it.
Why God? I want to trust in you and your plans you have for me. But I wanna get back!
I'm supposed to be on the race!
I explained to people that I feel as if I am sitting on the bench during a game. I just want in the game. But there is nothing I can do until my coach puts me in..
But, my mind went from anxiously waiting for the doctors to release me so I could fly out to Romania.
To thanking God for the blessing of getting to come home.
To see my family. To be at my neice's 2nd birthday party. To see my best friends. To wash all of my stinky race clothes. To take bubble baths. To eat American food. To sleep in MY bed.
I started with the mindset that the Lord interrupted my plans of 11 countries in 11 months.
But now, I am thankful for this divine intervention.
Because, who am i kidding? This is the Lord's plan. NO WAY my plan would be better.
Being at home. with 3 people in one house, still running my race, is the PERFECT plan for me.
I may be broken. But I am so blessed.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 3/27/2012
I have been out of the country for 75 days.
For 75 days in a row, I have been amazed.
I wish I could explain the thoughts or my feelings, but it is nearly impossible.
This month we are in Honduras, living with a man named Tony, who is originally from the United States, but now his heart and his mission is here.
He is housing 11 boys, ages 10-20, from Los Pinos. Los Pinos is the poor area in Honduras where people are afraid to go because it is so dangerous.
Every boy has a different story.
Some of them were drug addicts.
Some were gang members.
Some were thieves.
Some didn’t have a home to go to at night.
2 brothers, Ariel and Roni, lost their father 2 days before our arrival here.
I was sitting with Ariel talking about family, and in broken English, and with hand gestures; he told me that his father killed himself.
How could this boy sit here and tell me this without crying. Why was he here in this house with us and not at home with his mother? My heart broke. I don’t understand.
I can’t wrap my brain around it.
There are so many things that I cannot process. I will never understand completely because I can’t say, “I know how it feels,” because I don’t.
All I know is that it is a blessing to live with these boys.
To view these boys the way that our Father does,
Not as criminals, not as gang members, or addicts;
Not as rejects;
But, as children of God,
Children who need to see the love and power of God.
Our entire squad is here this month. 41 of us in one location.
Sounds overwhelming, right?
Except, its not. It’s perfect.
We are a powerful squad. When we are together, things happen. Lives change. People break free of their past. We go deeper in intimacy with Christ. We make declarations. We speak truth into each other’s lives. We pray about EVERYTHING.
Just this morning Tony said, “ I don’t know what it is about you all. I have had squads here before. But, you guys are different. You are just different. And I love it.”
What a perfect mix.
You have:
11 Confused teens: rejected by the world. Seeking more.
To feel accepted, important, and loved. They are seeking a place that they can call home.
And then you have:
41 Passionate followers of God: rejected by the world. Seeking more.
To show that the world is not our home, Christ is. There, we will be accepted. Important. And experience love deeper than we could ever imagine.
I love it here.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
I will update as soon as possible!
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 3/9/2012
Our team name is LionSong.
In the Chronicles of Narnia, the lion, Asylan, walks through a dead forest. As he walks, he sings.
And immediately, everything is being brought to life.
THAT is LionSong.
We want to walk through the nations. We want to bring life to the dead while singing our song.
Our team has spent the last month in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, living in the home of "Mama" Guadalupe.
It has been such a blessing living as a family, even more so than in Guatemala. Our team has spent every hour of the day with each other.
We know when someone is homesick.
When someone is mad.
When someone is grumpy because they didn't get enough sleep.
When someone is broken.
When someone is struggling with something of the past.
We share it with each other.
And we have grown tremendously.
We have been beyond blessed with Mama Lupe, a true woman of God who loves us as her own children.
She brings us to the market and we get to carry her fruit and vegetables around for her.
We get to pray with her and proclaim healing from her arthritis.
We get to cry with her because she hasn't had anyone in her home in 18 years.
We have had the privilege of seeing how respected this woman is in all of El Salvador.
Her words bring power.
Her jokes bring laughter.
Her servant heart brings comfort.
Her love brings pure joy to the 6 team members of LionSong.
This woman of Christ has challenged us and encouraged us to walk closer with God. We have grown in intimacy with each other as we continue to grow in our intimacy with Christ.
We wrote a team prayer that we declare every morning.
This is our song:
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son by which we live this day.
We choose to live it in faith; the faith that takes you at your word and the strength to act upon that faith.
In faith we declare:
Life in dark places
Boldness in living and speaking the word
Hearts of spirit and truth, worship
As a team we:
Live this day with open hands and God-listening hearts
Have unity through Christ
Are led by the Spirit
Have deep intimacy with Christ and each other
Live in health and bring health because You are Healer
Have childlike faith, hope, and love
We walk in this authority given to us in Christ Jesus.
We love you.
Amen.
This month has formed our song.
We have written this song on our hearts.
We will sing our song through the nations.
From Guatemala, to El Salvador; now, to Honduras.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 2/4/2012
There are some things we can change. Some, we simply cannot.
I can’t change that the orphan doesn’t have parents or a family who loves and cares for her.
I can’t change the fact that the children’s hospital is filled with parents with hurt and confusion about their child’s illness.
I can’t change the life of the prostitutes in bars anxiously waiting for a man to walk in so that they can have money to survive.
I can’t change the dump environment of “homes” that are built on top of garbage of someone else’s trash.
There are some things we cannot change. Some, we can.
I can change the little girl’s face at the orphanage. I can play with her. I can swing her. I can make her laugh. I can hold her. I can kiss her forehead.
I can sit with a little boy at the hospital and color. I can sing and play guitar for a little girl. I can hold the mother’s hand while I pray for her child.
I can walk into a bar with a smile on my face. I can ask them questions about their family. I can rub their backs and make them feel beautiful.
I can let the children at the dump play my guitar. I can hug them. I can run around and race them. I can dance with them. I can sing songs to them.
One thing I can do …
I can love them.
So I do.
God demonstrates how to love. He has taught me to love. And he has sent me to love.
Who am I to choose whom to love? Who am I to decide who is worthy of being loved?
Even though I may not be able to change the way these people live in the short month I am here, I can show them what true love looks like.
That is why I hold the orphan and thank God for her safety.
That is why I sit with the hospital patient and thank God for His provision.
That is why I hug the prostitute and thank God for the plans He has for us.
That is why I dance with the little girl at the dump and thank God for His joy.
I am made to love. I am here to love these people so they view each day different than ever before. They view it with meaning and with purpose knowing they are not stuck in their “lifestyle,” but they are loved.
Not only by me, a stranger, but also by their Father, our Savior.
That simply cannot be changed.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 1/30/2012
This past week has gone by so fast.
Saturday, we had an off day and went to some waterfalls and had a nice relaxing day.
Sunday we went to church and put on a program for the children and then danced all morning with them. They absolutely love my guitar. Seeing the smile on their faces make lugging my guitar around the world worth every second.
Monday, I went to the orphanage and I played with Maria again. This time she was smiling. Then we went to the park and played basketball.. I am so out of shape!
Tuesday, we went to the children’s hospital and I was in the girl’s room and we sang and played guitar and colored with them.
I gave my testimony at church on Tuesday night. It is crazy how what I planned to say became transformed into what God wanted me to say.
He put 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 on my heart.
And I was like- really? Everyone knows that verse.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.’’
That is love. God has opened my eyes to the fact that for so many years I thought that I was loving people, but I wasn’t. Because I wasn’t patient. I was self-seeking. I was rude. I didn’t love the way God wanted me to love.
Through the years, God has continued to love me and provide for me even when I haven’t loved him or his people the way that He tells me to love.
So now- It is my turn to love. I must be patient. And kind. And be selfless.
Because without love, I have nothing. But with the love of my God, I have everything.
What was crazy was that after I gave my testimony, and spoke on true love, the preacher at the church said how she was going to speak about love. And about that verse that night.
Coincidence? I think not.
Wednesday, we went to the special needs school and played with the children. We were human jungle gyms. I LOVED it. I have such a passion for little kids. Seeing them smile makes my day. After the school, we went to the elderly home and sang and danced with them and Fernando ( a man there) played my guitar and sang for us.
Thursday, I slept until lunch because unfortunately, I got sick Wednesday night.
But, I’m good to go now. My team went down to the bay, and some got in the water, but I could do nothing but sleep. It was nice to rest though. Then we went to the bars and visited with the prostitutes. Some recognized us from last week, so it was good to be able to be a light and love on them this week.
Friday, we went to the dump. I couldn’t process anything. All I could do was stand and play my guitar and sing “you’re the God of this city.” It is hard to fathom that these people LIVE on top of trash. That is all they know. They get excited about new loads of trash coming in because there is a chance that there is plastic bottles that they can recycle and get money for.
Saturday we decided to the beach and relax on our day off. 23 of us were piled into a panel van and it was just lovely. The beach was so beautiful. I was standing under a palm tree looking into the ocean and thinking, “this is my life.”
What an amazing experience.
Still, quite the process.
Every day is so different.
We experience new things every single day.
We meet new people every single day.
In one moment, I will be turning facing the city dump, and then i turn around,
and all I see is God's beauty. Revealed through the mountains.
In one moment, I will walk past a naked child who is gnawing on the core of a piece of fruit,
and all I see is God's joy. Revealed through the smile.
Even though every day changes and every day is hard to process-
one thing remains constant.
My God, and his love.
I'm holding on to that love that he is revealing to me.
And I'm taking that love and spreading it to the people that I pass.
So that maybe... through my smile, they can see God's joy shining through.
Yo tengo alegria alegria en mi corazon.
(I've got the joy, joy down in my heart)
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 1/21/2012
Leaving the country is a process. We are now in Puerto Barrios, Guatamala. There are 13 of us living in a house. It is way beyond my expectations. We had 26.5 hours of travel time trying to get here, but it was so worth it.
I have now been here exactly a week, and I have seen and experienced things that I never thought I would have a chance to see.
Monday was my birthday and I woke up at 5am to lights flashing and loud noises going off next to my bed, (yes, I get a bed!) Come to find out, it is tradition to pop fireworks in the room and sing Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday.) It scared me so bad I almost fell off of the top bunk. Now, THAT is a birthday greeting I will never forget.
Later that day, I went to an orphanage for the first time in my life. I met a little girl, Maria. I’m pretty sure she has my heart now. She is about 9-12 months, I can’t really tell. I first saw her on the ground crawling around. I immediately went to her and she shut herself off. She was very quiet. Even in her mild cry when I first picked her up. Then I just started singing to her. Jesus Loves Me. And in the next hour and a half, I held this baby as if she was my own, and she wouldn’t let me go. She just laid on me as if she found rest and contentment in me holding her. I mean duh- she doesn’t have a family. Of course she wants to be held and loved. And that is exactly what I did. I loved her. I made her thick black hair into a fohawk (naturally.) She just laid- and I loved. She didn’t interact- She didn’t really want to. Until, an hour and a half later, I go to lay her down and she was just laying there staring at me with those huge dark eyes and I started tickling her and she laughed and laughed and laughed. Oh my gosh. My heart was melting. I was so overjoyed to see this baby smile because my heart had been hurting so much for her.
Then we prayed over the children, and we left. I was standing beside her rubbing her belly as she was laying and looking up at me with a smile and I took one step to the door and she got up and crawled to the bars of the crib and started screaming. Screaming. I went back to calm her down and I did for a while until the same thing happened again. And here I am- walking out of this orphanage with a baby crying out for me to hold her. To love her. It tore me up. All I could do was pray though..So I did.
And I also prayed for the ministry that we will be doing and the different people we will be touching.
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On Mondays we will be going to an orphanage of about 25 people and then at night playing futbol in the park with children.
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Tuesday we go to the children’s hospital and then church at night
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Wednesday we will worship in the street and attract people and minister through music in the mornings and during the afternoon we will go to the Nursing home and then church at night
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Thursday we will go through the markets and evangelize to people and then Thursday night we will go into the bars and pray for the prostitutes (they live in the bars.)
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Friday we will go to the dump. There are children who live in the dump and wait for things to come in so that they can dig through the trash for food or for things to recycle so that they can get money
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Saturday is optional, but as a team, we will come up with some ministry to do.
Please be praying for all of these things that we are going to be doing. That we are able to touch the lives of the people and that our light shines through the darkness.
I know that this team of 13 is meant for this area. God is moving. ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads straight, and the rough smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’
We are here to prepare the hearts of those that we meet in the same way as John the Baptist did. His purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord for his coming, just as we are to prepare now. I remember how John was put in a position to easily accept the glory for the things that the Lord was doing through him, but instead, he humbled himself and declared that there was one more powerful than him. And he gave all of the glory to God. He just allowed God’s light to shine through him. That is my heart’s desire for us during our ministry here. We may be the only light that some people see- but that light is not ours- it is our Fathers’. All of the glory and honor and praise be to him.
I know that I only shared about Monday, but I have so much that I want to say. I will be journaling/ blogging as much as I can.
It absolutely breaks my heart every day to see the hopeless and broken. It takes a while to process the things that I see. I am still processing the things I saw and felt from Monday. Please pray for the people. I love and miss you all.
“Rejoice in the Lord, Always.” Phil- 4:4
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 1/13/2012
Last day in America.
I am sitting in the airport of Miami, FL, waiting to fly out to Guatemala. Wow. This is really happening.
All week long I have been clinging to the things that I know- instead of the emotions I feel. Of course
I could feel lonely, and I could be scared, and I could fear what is to come. But instead, I remain positive.
I king I the fact that my Father loves me so much that he allows me to be a vessel for his Kingdom.
He loves me enough to have a perfect future set before me if I only choose to allow his plans to fall into place.
I hold on the the times I have been on my knees and he whispers sweet stillness inside of me that calms every nerve. He is saying, "you are exactly where you need to be."
That is so full of truth and power. Our God constantly speaks truth into our lives if we just allow him to work and move inside of us.
For me- I get in my knees. There is something about completely humbling myself before the Creator of the universe. As I am on my knees, I can't help but to be thankful.
To always think:
Without you, I could not stand on my own.
Without you, I would not have the blessings that I do.
Without you, where would I find my hope? My comfort? The truth?
Without you, I would be lost.
Without you, I would be nothing. Nothing.
But by your grace, I am set free.
By your love, I have been made new.
By your provision, I am here.
By your promises, I am something.
And with you, everything is possible.
Rejoice in the Lord, Always.
I sing that to myself.
It is what gets me by when I want to cry because I miss home, or because I only got 2 hours of sleep and it was on hard tile floor in the Miami airport, or just because something isn't going my way... I sing. I rejoice in the Lord.
My prayer is that I continue to rejoice in the Lord. Because He is good. He deserves it. He is worthy.
And I hope that you all can pray this same thing for my heart. And do the same in your own.
Thank you for following me. Thank you for praying for me and donating to me financially. The Lord has truly made each of you a blessing in my life.
And the journey is just about to begin..
Big things are to come. My team and I will be in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala for the next month. We will be doing different mission work. Working with the orphans, children in schools, the homeless, and bringing food to people in the mountains.
I will be updating my blog the next possible time. I cannot wait to share my stories that I get to experience with all of you. It is going to be amazing.
This experience is completely humbling. I am so blessed. Thank you for being a part of it all.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 12/13/2011
God remains faithful even when we are faithless.
How beautiful is our God!
I was thinking about how God takes us, accepts us for who we are, and through Him, he gives us the ability to become so much more. We become people through him that we could never fathom being on our own.
He gives us beauty for ashes:
Beauty in a broken heart
Beauty in pain
There is beauty through the storms of life that send nothing but the rain
Beauty in selfishness
Beauty in fear
There is beauty in feeling alone when no one is near
Beauty in our failures
Beauty in lust
There is beauty in losing our best friend's trust
Sometimes the beauty is knowing that we're stripped of everything we know.
Beauty in feeling these things
Beauty in feeling so low
Beauty in the valleys that lead us to the peaks
Beauty in the strength of God to help me when I'm weak
Beauty that my Daddy loves me for me, not who I was
Beauty that my heart is now filled with his love
He gives us beauty for ashes.
There is beauty in that.
Beauty for ashes,
How could i ever go back?
As I was writing this, I couldn't help but to think how my life would be like without God.
Ashes. The remains of something destroyed.
Yet, I am made new, and made beautiful.
It is so beautiful how my Maker can take all of the things that I have done, and somehow use them for his good. For beauty.
I am forever thankful.
Followers, thank you so much for keeping up with my blogs, and supporting me, financially, and through prayers. I have about a month left in the country before I leave, and the Lord has continued to remain faithful (as always). He has given me over $13,000, and I need a total of $15,500. What a blessing!
I am so thankful for each of you. I hope that you continue to follow me as I embark on this journey that the Lord has laid out in front of me.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 11/5/2011
God opened my eyes to a seemigly "impossible" task.
BE LIKE JESUS.
Impossible? Well, I've definitely had my doubts.. I feel like I always read those words and understood that we were supposed to strive to be like Jesus.. but...he was perfect. without sin. without flaw. PERFECT.
I know that I have sinned, and I'm pretty certain that I will sin again. But, why would I allow this to hinder my everyday walk? BE LIKE JESUS.
I was reading my bible the other morning before work, and 1 John 2:6 flew off the page and hit me so hard.
"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
Wait. I claim to live in him.... so.. I MUST walk as Jesus did?
wow. What a thought.
It doesnt say.. If you claim to live in him, please try your best to walk as Jesus did. Nope, it says MUST.
It's a command for us. But we automatically view it as impossible.
As humans, we handle tough situations two different ways:
1. when someone tells us its impossible or too hard, we stop. We give up.
2. when someone tells us its impossible, we try our hardest to prove them/ourselves otherwise.
For instance, when we hear that it is impossible to lick our elbow.. What is the first thing that we do? Well, personally, I attempt "the impossible." And, I fail. but since i was so so close, so i try again. and again. and again.
So... Why is it that we are so headstrong in being successful in useless and petty things?
and... why is it that when it comes to being like Jesus, we usually choose option #1.
We justify it by saying, he was special. I'm not that good. I could never do the things he did.
But thats not what i read.... we MUST.
Which shows me that God would not put an impossible task in front of me.
Challenging? Without a doubt. But not impossible.
The verse in 1 John 2:6 has changed my life.
I will no longer choose #1. I will be headstrong, confident, and trusting, that I too, can walk like Jesus Christ.
You may see it as a seemingly "impossible" task, but now, I see it as an incredible challege.
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Posted in General Posts by Hayden Furlow on 10/22/2011
My eyes have been opened during training camp to the fact that I am not a sinner. I should not see myself or use that word to describe myself. Do i sin? Yes, of course. We all do.
Romans 6:11 says, "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
I am dead to my sin. Alive in Christ.
It is a choice. Daily. Hourly. To remember- I may sin, but i am not bound by my sin. I am alive because of Christ and I am living to bring glory to my God. And now, I see more than ever how important it is to have a reminder of:
"Hayden, you are a saint. You are a daughter of Christ, and his plans for me are far beyond what I can see.I trust in you God. Let me be a saint in this world. Let people see your glory through me when most of the time, all this world sees is a sinner."
Yesterday during training camp, my team went Wal-Mart to talk to people. I felt that God wanted me in the parking lot. I didn't step foot inside of the store, but i picked up trash. I had Christ inside of me and I was more than happy to serve the people that God loves.
God used me to see how being a saint comes with the fact that should also serve.
I am a servant for my God.
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