#arrowsintl

Surrounded by dancers and worshippers moving in unison, backed by tropical flowers and majestic mountains, I was amazed at the work of the Lord that had brought me to this place.  Over seven years ago, I arrived as part of the first team of Arrows International at Jubilee Worship Institute, never imaging the impact that this place and its people would have on my life.  Since then, I have returned again and again, allowing me the privilege of watching the community in Costa Rica grow deeper and more mature spiritually and artistically.  I have been able to see the influence of Arrows threading through the lives of the people, even though our visits are short.  Yes, we provide quality technical training that the dancers would not normally receive and share new Biblical revelation and ministry.  But more than the training, through our ministry we are able to demonstrate the divine value and priority of each life in a tangible, physical way.  Every single person that we meet has a beautiful story of God’s hand in their lives, a story in which we are so blessed play a part.  And I have seen my own life change in even greater ways. This first trip with Arrows set my feet on an unexpected path which has broadened my perspective of the way people live, given me a exuberant spiritual freedom and joined me to a global family more beautiful than I could have imagined.

~Elizabeth, Costa Rica 2016

On Wednesday, July 7th, Arrows International brought their gifts to share with us at YWAM Panama Boquete and the community. It was a full house and a beautiful night. They put on a concert that ushered in the presence of the Lord. It was felt in every dance and movement and word of the evening. The spiritual messages of the night were to Ra’ah and see clearly with vision in front of us, to step into LIFE that is open and available to us because of Jesus’ blood and to walk fully redeemed into the NEW. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so evident in the room during and after the performance. 

In one of the pieces of the concert called “Passover to Present”, the dancers walked through a door prop that represented going from death and fear into life and freedom. After the final dance, they invited all of us to physically step through the doorway as a testament to receiving freedom and fresh fire of the Holy Spirit. The Arrows team laid their hands on each of us as we walked through the doorway praying for us and prophesying over us. The room was full of the thick dwelling of the Holy Spirit. People were on their knees, dancing, singing and praying for each other. It was a beautiful night of community as we came together and stepped into the new. There was a release felt and we spent a long time worshipping and praising God together through dance and song. It was a powerful evening of release and new passion with unity and fire igniting us all to live for Christ in bold ways.

- Mora, YWAM Boquete, Panama

During our second day in Costa Rica, our team had the privilege of being a part of a worship event at the Tent of David alongside 120 other dancers from the area. These worshippers traveled hours from all over Costa Rica to attend this event as it was the first of its kind to be held in over a year because of Covid restrictions. The event started off with worship which incorporated a lot of congregational lead as is common in Central America— it was a powerful time as it was the first opportunity that many of us had since the beginning of Covid to worship with such a large group of fellow believers. Following worship, there were several performances, including an hour concert by Arrows. Despite various unexpected adventures, such as a long run through the rain to get between the dressing room and the tent, it was an anointed time and people were encouraged! Jeff gave a passionate message on the fire of the Holy Spirit, illustrating our need to be filled with the presence of God in order to have clearer vision to see how the Lord is moving. This message was a theme throughout our tour and it was a great encouragement to the body of Christ, especially during this time. 

Although originally unplanned, Jeff felt the Spirit leading us into a time of ministry. People were invited to come up and receive prayer— specifically, they were encouraged to step through a symbolic door of receiving more Holy Spirit fire. This time of open prayer was so powerful and it was evident that it was divinely orchestrated. God’s plans are so much better than ours! The worshippers streamed forward, many in tears, asking for prayer for healing, their businesses, family members who were suffering, and family restoration. God touched my heart in a special way through this time, giving me His heart of passionate love and empathy for the people present, but it was evident that so many lives were impacted that day! People came crying and on their knees before the presence of God, deeply moved by His Spirit, and we were able to share encouragement and the truth of Christ with each person, while interceding for them. One young man also gave his life to the Lord! For many, it was likely the first time they had received hands on prayer in over a year. 

Afterwards, a short workshop took place where everyone present learned a worship piece together— this process opened the door for fellowship with other dancers (even despite the language barrier!) and impartation of new skills for dance and worship. This was such a neat experience as it captured multiple nations working together to create a visual dance picture of the tangible presence of God. Overall, this event was so powerful— the Spirit of the Lord was present through every aspect of it, and so many people were deeply touched. Praise God! 

- Melissa Doberstein, Arrows International 2021 Summer Team

First in the line of vehicles carrying two other groups from the YWAM Boquete base in Panama, we turned in at the sign for Campamento Ngäbe No. 2, and I watched from my perch in the van with curious anticipation as we drove into a grassy wooded area. This “camp” houses indigenous peoples (of the Ngäbe people group) who come down to the area to work on chicken farms. We drove through a stream with children playing nearby in the warm Panamanian sun, and past the barbed wire fence which doubled as a laundry line, finally parking near a long apartment-like, concrete building. We made our way precariously under the fence to the field, which would be our church building that morning, as curious little faces began to appear in our midst. As we scoped out and set boundaries for our dance space, we stomped down clumps of dirt, moved rocks, and took note of the anthill to avoid. You couldn’t help but smile at the statement “this mud puddle will be center.” Oh yes, we were doing this. Stage preparations complete, we turned our attention more fully to the growing cluster of children, now happily playing follow the leader games. Little ones soon found their way into willing arms and laps of the team. Two small rambunctious boys preferred to break up the group rather than join. Jeff, rather than shooing them away, seized the opportunity to show that even mischievous ones with too much energy are to be loved. How sweet it was then, when they later voluntarily sat down with him, knowing they would be accepted. And isn’t that like our heavenly Father? Always willing to be patient with us, always delighting in the pleasure of our company? 

 “Where are your mommies?” came the question from the pastor as we prepared to start. “Go get your mommies too.” Some pointed to women who had gathered, others ran off to follow the instruction. Soon students from the YWAM team began singing worship songs. By this time, I had a quiet 2 year old on my hip. She was content to stay, rather than sit with the other children, so I held her and sang “grande es tu fidelidad a mi!” Looking back, I am amazed by the blessing that while my limited spanish allowed me to not do much more than ask a name, age, or favorite color, by God’s grace, I could declare “great is your faithfulness to me.” I knew the song because it was one he put on my heart to choreograph as a solo for the trip. So I sang, marveling at his faithfulness to bring me to that place, in that moment, able to sing such truth over the sweet girl nuzzled into my neck.

After some songs and a testimony of God’s healing from one of the YWAM students, we danced, shared more stories of God’s healing, provision, and love, and prayed over the gathering of children, mothers, and even a few men watching from afar. Now if all we did was brighten the day of some children, show love and attention to them and their mothers, and bring food to the families, would it be worth it? Yes. That is what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus. But God is so much bigger. We were also able to pray over these people, and through our movement, declare God ‘s blessings over them. Truths of God’s strength and faithfulness, and the joy, hope, and freedom found in Him, were shown in such a way that will not quickly be forgotten. And we know that God who does exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine, also did more that day than what we saw.

- Naomi Cedarleaf, Arrows International 2021 Summer Team

My name is Bethany and this is my first year in the Arrows International Levitical Trainee Program. This is also my first international tour with Arrows and it was absolutely wonderful in so many ways. I entered this tour with an expectant heart, and God delivered and moved mightily. I'm excited to share a moment of ministry with you, orchestrated perfectly by our perfect Father. 

We were attending a Sunday service at one of the churches that we were partnered with, and during worship a woman walked in. She was not like the other women, which is why she stood out. "She's like me!", I immediately thought. She had white patches on her skin, a noticeable sign of vitiligo, which is a hereditary skin disease that I also carry. In that moment, God highlighted her to me and I knew that I had to talk with her. During the service I kept receiving words for her, the Lord was showing me things that she had been through, feelings that she had felt, and most importantly, what she needed to hear. After service, we began talking with people and encouraging them. My goal was to get to this woman, but I was pulled away by others who wanted to speak with me. I finally was able to slip away and began to look for her. I felt crushed because I thought that she had already left since I couldn't find her. She then turned around and I made eye contact with her. I made a beeline straight to her and pointed at my skin and then to hers. I told her "We're created the same." she didn't understand much English, but I knew she understood that because she grabbed my hands and said "I saw." We stood smiling at each other for a minute and then I shared what God had been telling me in very short phrases so that she would understand. The moment was short but needed. I could see in her eyes that what I was saying was impacting her. We encouraged each other in our make and design. We talked about how we were created beautifully despite what others say. I met her children and her face shone, I could tell that her children were her pride and joy. She had to leave so I said goodbye to her and promised to keep her in my prayers. It was a small moment, but a powerful moment. It's a reminder to me that God uses everything, even a skin disorder which is something of this broken world, to reach the one that He loves. What an honor to have been chosen for that moment. 

- Bethany, Year 1 Trainee (Alabama)

Earlier this year, during our US tour, Mr. Jeff said something that really impacted me and caused my mindset to shift. We were preparing to perform in a retirement home the morning after a really powerful and significant church outreach. As we were warming up, he said, “Dance with the same heart, surrender, and anointing that you danced with in the church.¨ Even though we weren't in a church, we could have the same heart and release the same joy, hope and healing. If we put our whole heart, including our struggles, in surrender to God, He would also release His heart to completely flow through us.

I began to understand this concept more deeply during our trip to South Asia. One day, we went to perform in a school. When we got there, we realized that we didn't have a room to change or even a place to dance the way we had planned. Our ¨stage¨ was a dusty cement floor just inside the gates of the school's courtyard. We realized that we couldn´t use our costumes or the shoes we were planning on wearing, and that our program would need to change because we couldn't do all of our pieces in the small space. That was not a problem for Arrows at all. We were prepared to be flexible with everything.

While we were dancing, I was watching the beautiful faces of the children and their excitement. They were extremely excited and happy! As I looked in their eyes, I knew that the Holy Spirit was moving through both the performance and the short moments of speaking in between. I could see that we were completely giving our hearts and it made me remember what I heard Jeff say during the US tour. The feeling was the same as if we were dancing on a big stage with all the lights and costumes. 

Then God made me think about Jesus. He is the King; He was in Glory with the Father, with all comfort, perfection and excellence. Yet, He came to the earth as a man, feeling everything we feel and facing all the challenges with all the limitations we have. In the same way, if Jesus was a dancer I would say that we didn't have a room for Him to change or a proper floor, so He left behind His “costumes” and “special shoes” and walked with the sinners. He didn't have the best appearance, but He had the best heart. He surrendered completely. He gave the best performance without the perfect external garments, just to relate to us and reach our hearts. We were not prepared for a fancy performance, but because of His humility we still received the most excellent one. He brought what was most important, the Kingdom of God.

 I discovered that it is not the environment that will dictate how much we will give our hearts to something, or how excellent our work will be. But it is our heart in total surrender that can change the atmosphere and bring excellence. So, what we were bringing ultimately was not only dance, but the most excellent gift: the Kingdom of God in a dance package.

- Paloma, Year 1 Trainee (from Brazil)

Just before our usual lives and high-fives were cancelled, I somehow spent my last days of normalcy in a different world.

If Jesus were to have sat me down and given me a pre-trip pep talk, it would’ve sounded something like this: 

“YES, in the middle of uncertain times, you’re still going to South Asia. You’re still called to dance in the heat and dirt of South Asia. Your movement will shed light and your hands will high-five hundreds of outstretched baby hands in South Asia. You’ll get sick and feel fear grabbing hold of every part of you, but it won’t be able to stay long because my father’s heart will make you feel well taken care of. Then, you’ll feel that father’s heart for every single man, woman, and child that steps forward and asks you to lay hands on them. It won’t be you laying your hands on their blind eyes or tiny shoulders, it’ll be Me. Oh, and you’ll cry every time; it’s My heart for that person in you. You’ll have to say goodbye much sooner than you planned and experience the longest days of your life as you travel home on the frontlines of a world gripped with fear, but I’ll still be in the middle of it all. Just GO. Eyes are ready to be opened; ears are ready to hear.”

None of this trip was normal, except it WAS normal because it was His beautiful plan. To go and to be used, just for a moment before the door was closed was His plan. That’s what it’s about, people; be used, now, in the new unknown world we’ve stepped into. His plans should be our normal, and the fear of unknowns will melt away.

- Rachel, Year 2 Trainee (from Georgia)

When I look back at the two weeks we spent in Wisconsin and Illinois, I see God’s hand in every moment. I’m sitting here in awe of His work and the strength He gave us to press into what He had in store for each day. My name is Emma and this is my first year training with Arrows International. These past few months of training have led me to new heights and deep relationship with the Lord.  

I want to share a journal entry that I wrote near the beginning of our tour on February, 11th: “This morning I woke up to the noises of the city. We started the day with an outreach at a retirement home, Applewood in Milwaukee WI. We had a small audience, small performance space, and very small changing area. But, we were right where God wanted us to be and each person there was there for a reason. I love going to retirement homes because the people are always so sweet and kind. I spoke to the nicest man named Don. He had tears trickling down his face while he told me how touched he was during the performance. Those are the moments of outreach that I love! I was feeling discouraged after the performance but Don reminded me why we do what we do. I pray that I will be reminded of Don whenever I’m feeling those feelings again. I’m so glad that God uses all of our movement, even our flaws, to bless different people in different ways. Don was so touched and God spoke to him even though I didn’t feel that I had performed my best.”

This little moment with Don brought back to remembrance a saying that I used to hear quite often in Sunday school: In our weakness, God is strong. I’m learning that when I don’t feel confident in myself, I need to press more into the Lord and find my confidence in Him. This concept is one that I am still exploring and growing in daily but has already changed my perspective on everyday life. While on tour there were several moments when the enemy found his way into my thoughts. When this happened, I had to choose one of two ways to respond: to believe those lies and doubt myself, or to cast them out and speak God’s word over the situation. There is so much power in His name to cast down strongholds and placing my confidence in His word is one of the most effective things to do in those moments. One thing the Lord continued to reassure me was that I didn’t need to be worried about taking the right step or swinging the right arm. God was going to guide me and use my movement in a way that would show His glory if I placed my heart in His hands. I am so thankful that God carried me despite the personal battles I had. I was entirely blessed to have the team of beautiful, Godly women by my side and I will never forget all of the incredible lessons each of them taught me.