Joyska's Journal: February 2007











Wednesday, February 28, 2007



woo hoo... new glasses, much clearer than my last ones... and much cooler! haha
even spiritually it feels like it is significant. In the phone book, it goes from vision to visitations! I could agree with that!
Joyska at 7:22 PM
11 comments

nerdy glasses




farewell glasses... i get NEW ones TODAY!!

WOO HOO!!!! (i'll post pics tonight!) 3 BIG points!

Joyska at 9:48 AM
0 comments

Monday, February 26, 2007

What did you do during the oscars?

I decided it was time to paint and rearrange my living room. I took the pics the "morning after" the 4 hour Oscar extravaganza, but between all the lists of thank yous it gave me something to do! woohoo! Some of the pics are a little dark, but it looks BEAUTIOUS!




To see what it looked like before... look at the post about the Canadians...
Joyska at 1:28 PM
7 comments

Thursday, February 22, 2007

waaaahhhh... i broke my glasses and my head hurts!

But, besides that, let me tell you my experience today. HMM how do I put this...

Picture this:
Me, Joyska, in a car with a woman who has lived a very "colorful" (you can fill in the blanks there) life, and for the last two weeks has been successfully fighting an ugly addiction, and sitting behind me is Johnathon who has been free from his addictions for 2 weeks. They were talking about the struggle and the reward of the fight. They talked of how there are many other ways to find a "high" but the drugs was the easiest, but also the most destructive. They also said, and I love this, "Jesus is the MOST HIGH"... woo hoo!

I was humbled. We all go through struggles, we all fight, but the strength of these two overwhelmed me. The strength to stand against something that once had hold of you is a strength greater than I know.

I'm so proud of these ones, who through their love and faith in Jesus, are finding the strength and courage likened only to one like Joshua.
Joyska at 7:40 PM
4 comments

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

what Canadians do to pass the time...





enough said :)
Joyska at 1:41 AM
4 comments

Saturday, February 17, 2007

the trip so far

Ah the joys of visitors! Lots of talking, laughing, eating, and very little sleep! :) What is it about seeing people you haven't seen for awhile that causes you to choose such a crazy life? hehehe

Yvonne, Rhonda, Jon, Odia, and Larry are all here from the great white north... only to find it colder here than Winnipeg! We have been hit by another snow fall and blowing bitter winds. I laughed as all these hearty Canadians were wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags on Thursday night in my living room. You would think that I never turned the heat on or something. The problem (as if you really want to know.. but for those of you who are interested) is that I have SINGLE PANE windows and a sliding glass door in my living room! ANY heat that is sent through the vents goes straight out the windows and doors in a quick and quiet exchange with the cold air blowing through the single pane windows! Really... it's NOT me! It was a little warmer today (not much) as we spent most of the day in the prayer room, coffee shop, and cold apartment.

Yvonne came in tonight "I'll give you $10.00 if you'll turn up your heat for TEN MINUTES!" I guess I have gotten used to the "wet cold" down here in comparison to the dry cold of Winnipeg. I have pictures of how Larry kept warm, but I am in the prayer room and will have to post those later.

Yvonne did GREAT tonight! She sang at the Encounter God Service (here to known as EGS) at FSM (Forerunner School of Ministry) where Mike started a series on Song of Solomon. I was proud of my friend!

So after some doing, we went through the McDonald's drivethrough, and at about midnight, someone had the bright idea of going to Wal-Mart! No trip to Chez Joyska's is complete without a post midnight trip to faithful Wally's Mart.

the wimpy ones went to bed shortly after the snowy drive home, but myself and two others who shall not be named (one blonde, one a littles less blonde) stayed up talking about how to change the world and how the world changed us til a little after 5:00 am. For some reason, they were tired, and I came over to the prayer room... because... well, I wasn't ready to sleep. It's the way I work. If you are still awake after 4:00-- what is the point of sleeping? haha...

Now on Saturday am at 6:30, Ron's team is faithfully singing "wave after wave after wave after wave crashing over me... i want your holy spirit over me, just like a water fall, falling over me" Not a bad way to start the day!

Alright, well... Matt C. is praying for the city of Kansas City, time to join him! Have a day!
Joyska at 4:12 AM
7 comments

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

enough to make you cry

I'm not, in my opinion, a person who is overly emotional. In fact when I took a personality test YEARS ago (when I first moved to Winnipeg!) I was labeled as ENFJ. The "F" in said test said I was a "feeler", and an extreme one at that. Now before I get comments saying that IS who I am... let me say that my dear friend Marja said it best when we went to a tear jerker movie and I didn't shed a tear:

"You are an extreme feeler with a problem!" I'll never forget that! :)

Well yesterday at Hope City (don't get too excited, I didn't cry) at our prayer meeting downtown there was an incredible sense of the Lord's favor and grace on what we were doing. Yesterday, we prayed two more into the kingdom! Kris and Butch, both confessed with their mouth that Jesus was Lord in their lives. It was awesome.

Kris is a great kid who is "working it out". He just came out of a short time in jail and part of his probation is to go into a 3 month live in program. It's a great thing and a difficult thing as he won't be able to join us 3 times a week and be with "positive praying people". We know the Lord has His hand on this man and are thrilled to see his progress. Pray for him though, we long to see him truly embrace the new life that is in him. It was wonderful and heart wrenching as I heard him say to Pastor Ray "I'll be back, maybe not for three months, but I'll be back because I need you guys!"

Then there was Butch. He got to us yesterday. Butch lives in an assisted living situation. He's a big man who 4 years ago hit his head and went into a coma, so there are some residual mental issues that we are awaiting the Lord to heal. Yesterday, we saw him walking down the street with a thin t-shirt and a wide open jacket, ripped sweat pants, and no socks in his shoes! Keep in mind, in Kansas City right now it's belowing freezing, lots of snow and a bitter wind.

When we got him to the prayer meeting, we asked him why he wasn't wearing socks. "I asked for help to get em on this morning, but the nurse said I wasn't going no where and didn't need em". His basic need aren't being met there and it was killing us. (We did go get him a pair of socks and put them on for him!)

These are precious ones in the kingdom. We love them and we see the Lord moving on and in them. We can't wait til they lead us! It's enough to make you cry!

Once again... A quick update on Pat. It is a crucial day for him today and is really in need of our prayers. He is have a traqea done today and because he's been a quadrapalegric (spelling?) for 33 years, his muscles aren't like ours, and it's going to be a difficult procedure. Please lift him up today in prayer!
Joyska at 6:35 AM
4 comments

Thursday, February 08, 2007

One more in the kingdom! woo hoo!

Yesterday 2-7-07 the Lord added one to His family!
We have been hanging out with another young man from the inner city who has been living on the street for some time. With this cold weather he has found some places to stay, but he has never been sure from day to day where he was staying.

Yesterday, in the back of Ronna's car, after asking some great questionsJonathon gave his life to the Lord. He was visibly touched and moved by the Spirit, and went directly to the prayer room after His experience. There he felt the Lord showed him some very specific things about his life. He is so excited and so are we!

God is moving so powerfully at Hope City. It's been fun to see these guys come to the Lord and start to see changes in their lives. The "kids" that I've mentioned before are all working and we are seeing an interest in the things of the Lord sparking in them.

What a privilege. What an honour. And what a joy.
Joyska at 9:03 AM
7 comments

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

OH CANADA



Can you tell what I'm thinking about today? HA HA! As of February 4, this Canadian (who truly looooooves Diet Coke) has been state side for TWO YEARS! Wow, it was only yesterday that I (Jacob actually) crammed everything I own into a van and with fear and excitement headed to Kansas City. Time goes fast.

I have been missing Canada lately. The people for certain, but the country too. Where else can you experience -52 temperatures and still want a slurpee? Where else(to steal a phrase from Arrogant Worms... a wonderful parody band) is "the right to bare arms" about getting a sunburn?

Where else can you spend three weeks in the hospital and not pay a dime?

Don't get me wrong, I am happy to be in the U. S. of A. and have no immediate plans for departure, there are just some days when you miss "home".

For instance, I miss being able to get to any area of the city by bus. My whole world here is in the "bubble" unless some kind soul takes me out of it. I guess I could get a car, but that costs money that this intercessory missionary doesn't have, AND that isn't the point. When I lived in Winnipeg, I would get on a bus and THEN decide where I wanted to go. It was usually to wander the great expanses of some mall and then hit a movie theater.

Some would say I am better off where I am. And honestly, there IS something wonderful about 46 degree weather (F) and the sound of birds chirping in February that has it perks. I also am HIGHLY privileged to be 227 steps from the prayer room that never ceases *and I don't take that lightly*, and I am THRILLED to be a part of Hope City as God is breaking in in such a beautiful way... but again, some days you just miss "home".

In 9 days, part of home is coming here. Yvonne and company are headed this way and I say "couldn't happen too soon". I'll get my shot in the arm of Canadians and go on my merry way! But you know, if you are from Canada, and want to send me a bit of "home" somehow, this Canadian wouldn't complain :) My Canadian flag in my window has faded from Red to Orange to a pale pink... that can't be good!

One thing I know for sure: I sure could use a diet coke! haha... what else is new?

Joyska at 7:14 AM
4 comments

Friday, February 02, 2007

The "right" side of history

What do you do at 1:00 AM, when you need to sleep, but for what ever reason you can't?

Well, when you live at IHOP, you can go to the prayer room, but I just came from there...
so, instead, I BLOG. Good thing, cause, it seems like it's been awhile!

I want to describe an amazing and profound thing that happened last Tuesday. I don't know how many of you caught the FOX news story about the TENS OF THOUSANDS of people in Lebanon that were filmed shouting "Death to America, Death to Israel!", but if you saw it, I'm sure it disturbed you... at least a little bit.

Well, here at IHOP, without knowledge of what was happening in Lebanon, at least not at that moment, the Tuesday prayer meeting from 10-12 am was focused on praying FOR the SALVATION and BLESSING of the middle east. Praying in the opposite spirit... Death vs. Life.

A friend of mine, when recognizing this said it best... "I'm glad to be on the right side of history on this one." I can't do anything but agree and join in with the prayers for the middle east, and trust that God is soveriegn and in control.

I need to add this, though a totally different subject!

Please pray (and continue to) for PAT BICKLE. He is once again in ICU, this time with Pneumonia that caused his lung to collapse. Beyond the physical, pray for hope in him, this is 33 years of in and out of the hospital. Please join us in prayer as we call out to God for his healing!

AND... since it's now only 1:11 AM and I still am not sleeping, check out HOPE CITY's blog at hopecitykc.blogspot.com... hopefully it will inspire you too! :) Leave us a comment to, tell us what you think!
Joyska at 11:00 PM
4 comments