Bizarre Gift Ideas and a Short Update of 2009!

Coming back to the US has been quite a shock after experiencing life in Africa. In Malawi both running water and electricity were infrequent, and it amazed me how incredibly hard the women work - walking up to 15km to find wood and working long hours to cook and clean. The children were so friendly, but sadly 90% of them reported being taken by witches at night. We saw the children repenting and taught them how to pray. After we had prayed for them the witches no longer came! The reason we were in the town of Ekwendeni was to pray - so every day for three weeks we visited homes and prayed for the people. An 18 year old Satanist who could not move well or talk for four months repented and was healed before our eyes. We were blessed to see 60 baptisms on the last weekend. I was amazed at how God spoke through me and allowed the Holy Spirit to break curses, heal people, bless the families, protect the children and teach them how to pray. If you would like to hear some of the amazing stories from this trip you can sign up to this email newsletter that I send out every few months reporting on more of the crazy adventures God takes me on or share it with others. (click here). It has been the adventure of my life spending the last five years in full time ministry. I remember the first prayer room I created in Florida Hospital in 2005 starting me out on this very unique journey to help inspire people to enjoy praying with power and spending time in His presence. I have continued to live by listening to God's directions and by faith for his provision and am amazed at how he provides. This year especially has been an intense time of learning, travel and ministry. I have only spent five weeks at my home out of the past entire year! Many churches have been blessed and many students have spent time in prayer rooms listening to God's voice and praying in new and creative ways. The year started in New Mexico with two children's prayer rooms for a children's ministry conference, then I produced a huge prayer room at Avondale School near Sydney that was one of the most spiritual rooms I have ever created. I was then blessed to see my beautiful family in Australia while I recovered from a small operation. Hawaii was the next stop with a four week prayer room at Hawaiian Mission Academy, where lots of students heard the voice of God for the first time, a prayer tree journey at a summer camp, a children's prayer tent at a worship festival, and preaching in different churches. Next stop was taking the gospel to the remote colorful Tarahumara in the Copper Canyon in Mexico dodging the drug lords. I flew in to stopover in Ireland and the UK to attend the 24-7 Prayer Leadership Gathering. This was a very inspiring time spending time with people that have sold out their lives to live like the disciples and spread the passion for prayer all over the world. (Free talks here from 24-7). The www.24-7prayer.com is now the largest prayer movement in history so it is incredible to work alongside these Spirit-filled people who live purely by faith inspiring other people to catch the passion for a Christ-centered life. I was then on my way to Kenya to the Masai Mara where I built a prayer room on the blood covenant at a women's retreat, mission and safari. Each morning the prayer room was surrounded by zebras and other animals. The needs in Africa are so great. The most touching conversation I had was with a young girl at a school. She was scared of going home for the holidays. Girls between the ages of 12-15 traditionally get circumcised and married in the Masai culture. If they can stay at boarding school they receive an education instead and have much healthier and happier lives, therefore positively impacting the whole village. It has been such a privilege and an honor to work for God for the past five years. Thank you to all those who have traveled with me and prayed me through sometimes difficult situations. The enemy has been working very hard to stop this ministry so those that support through encouragement, prayers and donations are appreciated more than words can say. There are so many needs in countries like these and I thought it might be a good time of year to share some unique gift ideas that may change someone's life or community forever. (See below!) As you know my ministry relies solely on the donations of generous people like you. So far this year I have only raised $4000 in the US for my taxable wage including cash donations. This has been used to pay for most of my travel, bills and living expenses so thank you for those who partnered with me in the US and in Australia. I spend most of my money on travel so I live simply and with minimal possessions. If you would like to continue to sponsor this full time missionary (Nicki Carleton) for the next year there are some options below! If you would like to see pictures or stories of more adventures go to: Pictures or Blog or Facebook Visit my beautiful new website www.blissfulministries.com Just a note: 'Nicki is an incredible resource to all those who are wanting to create prayer rooms in their churches or schools, facilitate creative interactive worships that engage the senses, who need to change the culture of prayer in their churches, for those who are interested in the 24-7 prayer movement and for those who desire to live radically like the disciples. She thanks you for your support and prayers'. Unique Life Changing Christmas Gift Ideas Save a beautiful Kenyan Masai girl from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Sponsorships at Olopikidong'oe are $350US and will pay a girl's schooling for one year, including a safe refuge at the school during term breaks. Those payments can be made to AMS at www.africamissionservices.com; Paypal button on the How You Can Help page, just include a note on the payment that it's for a sponsorship at Olopikidong'oe, and another girl will be able to safely finish her education! The Southern Africa Community Empowerment Cook-stove Project. To protect from deforestation and CO2 emissions and help empower women these Echo Stoves are only $340US and use only a few little sticks instead of charcoal. Go to www.echocookstoves.com At risk girls from the Nairobi slums will be beneficiaries of reusable washable menstrual products called www.lunapads.com - many girls drop out of school because they miss classes every month. You can change women's lives by making and taking these on mission trips. $30.00US per pack can be sent to Nicki. Sports equipment for primary schools - $50 can be sent to Nicki. Also there is a need for toilets in Malawi and all of Africa. One school had 1200 students with only 10 teachers and NO toilets. Please pray for this basic need and think about a mission trip to help. Sponsor Nicki for $1 a day for a year. $365 Sponsor Nicki for a month to go to a church to change the culture of prayer. $2500 Sponsor Nicki for a mission trip. $2500 OPPORTUNITY FOR NEXT YEAR She has been given the offer to teach at a discipleship and leadership school for one year. This position will be mentoring junior college students as they do their classes on line while boarding on the island of Kauai. There will also be a mission trip to the pacific islands. This is an incredible opportunity so for those interested please contact her. It comes with no salary so if you would like to sponsor her salary for one year she would be delighted. The term starts Aug 2010 to May 2011. Her clothes are also in need of replacement. Some have been going strong for many years but now are falling apart. She needs a travel wardrobe of culturally appropriate clothing. She hopes to raise $1000 for this purpose. She loves second hand clothing too. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact Nicki. Donations are tax-deductible in the USA. Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (a non-profit 501c3). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it to PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Have a life changing New Year, draw closer to God every day, listen to his voice and be abundantly blessed by a God who adores you. Nicki Carleton

Mission Trip to Tarahumara Mexico.

Mission Trip to Tarahumara

In my travels I meet some fascinating people which included recently the artist Bill Baker. His amazing pastels are a beautiful record of some of the most remote traditional cultures around the world. So when he invited me on an extreme mission trip to Mexico I knew the Holy Spirit was planning another adventure.

My mission trip to Mexico was a little dangerous. The day we were to travel, the front page of my Yahoo had an article on the drug wars in Juarez, stating that 4,000 people had been killed recently and a total of 13,000 in the last three years in Mexico. We had to travel through Juarez twice for this trip and as stated in the article - one of the most dangerous cities in the world. We prayed that our car would be invisible! I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of my favorite states. Bill Baker and myself, with our interpreter, Eva, stopped off along the way to pick bags full of apples to take. I saw a Roadrunner (the state bird) run along an adobe wall and I was very excited. I took this as a sign of blessing from God as the mission trip we were on was for Roadrunner Ministries International. We drove through to El Paso, Texas and stayed the night on the border. In the morning we crossed Juarez and got our visas - Bill finally got his visa approved and we prayed our way to Chihuahua City. We then prayed our way through several thunderstorms and watched them move to our side. In the evening we made it into the Copper Canyon and Creel - a small town that reminds me remotely of a ski resort town. It snows here in winter but the weather was lovely this time of year. Bill told us that last year the entire police force in this town were killed by the drug lords. Hmmm more prayer! The next morning we drove into the Copper Canyon and found small villages along the way to minister to. We gave out CD's with the gospel in Tarahumara. The CD's had testimonies, the Gospel and some worship songs in their native tongue. All who received them were grateful and some had tears in their eyes, as this was the first time they had received such a gift. Some of these CD's will be played over and over and over and shared with their extended families. We continued through incredibly beautiful landscape - enormous rocks, fir trees and fields of bright green corn. We passed through many rivers and past log cabin villages. We decided to go to a remote town deep in the canyon. We took the 4WD up incredibly steep roads on mountain ridges till we thought we were lost on an old logging trail. Finally we came down into a valley where we could see houses. We had made it! We found a place to stay in the dormitory of the school. I played basketball with the kids and 'hide-and-go-seek' with some of the local boys around the huge magnificent boulders out the back. I had bought school supplies to give out and bubbles. The next morning we walked to each house taking photos and giving out CD's. The reason we took photos was because Bill Baker is an incredibly talented artist and he takes these photos back home and then paints with pastels beautiful scenes of these people to raise money for more trips. Bill has been to over 50 countries sometimes hiking for days to find the most remote people to share the gospel. He has many amazing stories of God's provision and protection from his travels to the ends of the earth! The Tarahumara are an incredibly colorful but rather shy people. They wear sandals made from old tires called huaraches and are known for their stamina as they can run for days chasing a deer until it drops from exhaustion. They are the fastest endurance runners in the world. They live in the valleys of the Copper Canyon, four times the size of the Grand Canyon. They evaded the Conquistadors for the most part, yet still attend a Catholic service every Sunday and hold festivals mixed between Christianity and their own religion. When ministering to a different culture it is important to consider the impact you may be making. Doing aid work, even being generous like giving a candy or a dollar to the children, can be very damaging to an entire community as they may not have dental services. Children may not go to school when they can earn more than the average daily wage by begging from tourists. Native people around the world are always in danger of losing their traditional culture and we as missionaries need to think 'in what ways will I be impacting and influencing this area'. The traditional dress of these villages is slowly disappearing with the men no longer wearing their "zapetas" (loincloths). The Mexican government is planning to bring hotels into the Copper Canyon to bring the tourists. This will increase employment in the tourist industry and the desire and ability to purchase western products. Coca Cola bottles and cans already littered the road on the way to these remote villages but Coca Cola built the dormitory and the beautiful school where we stayed. When entering these villages it holds a sense of sadness for what is to come. The young people are already out of control with drunken violence. They are poor yet with television are starting to see an outside world full of material goods and temporary relationships. What can we bring to them as Christ's followers that will not damage their unique identity and culture but treasure and strengthen it and bring them new life, freedom and joy. Will it be a western form of religion that tells them to worship in an 19th Century European style that isn't really working even for our young people? How often have we built churches with pews and given them some hymns in their language and suits and ties to wear and told them this is the true and only acceptable way to worship? Is this what we should continue to do? When will we start to think outside the box and see church as not a building or a set of behaviors but as a group of broken people living in community. The Tarahumara already have a Catholic form of religious worship yet have no real understanding of the gospel. The devastating tragedy of the first missionaries to Mexico and the Native Americans brought the threat of conversion to Catholicism or "we will chop off your hand"! How will we bring in the simple life changing power of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, who bought liberation from bondage and healed people physically, spiritually and emotionally? How will we teach the power of a personal relationship with Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit and learn how to hear the voice of God, to learn the power of prayer and how to love extravagantly, in families and in communities? I have been a missionary in the past and have seen the danger in being untrained in social anthropology (or another's culture) and even untrained in the basic gospel of Jesus. I could have done a lot of damage (I didn't do any good) and I felt that I had accomplished almost nothing except taught some people English and had fun in an exotic country. A few years later I attended a Discipleship Training School which changed my life forever, and I realised I had missed out on some essential training. Before I had been doing it in my own strength without any understanding of my true power in Jesus Christ, without an understanding of spiritual warfare or the importance of hearing God's voice. There are different ways of positively impacting different cultures, that don't detract from their God-given uniqueness, around the world and even cultures in our own countries. We need to be very aware of the impact we are making, the assumptions we make about what is good and evil in another culture, and we need to open our eyes to see where the real spiritual warfare is. Lets start to think about how to treasure the uniqueness of other people's cultures and help them deal with modernity that will help maintain their identity in God. Religion, church and Christianity doesn't need to look the same in every culture. Why do we think the way we do it is the way it should be done for everyone else? Maybe we should stop building church buildings that open one hour a week and start building community centers or discipling the Church as the group of sinners called the Body of Christ and think outside the box? Does anyone know any good books or articles suggesting a new form of missional approach to bring the power of God through discipleship to other cultures without the baggage of religious structured tradition? If you would like to discuss this article and give suggestions please comment at the end of this article. More photos of the beautiful Raramuri/Tarahumara in the Sierra Tarahumara/Madre of Mexico. For more information about Discipleship Training Schools around the world check out this video. If you would like Nicki to come to your school, conference or church to help infuse a passion for prayer please email: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

I am currently in the UK meeting some incredible people and attending some alternative worship events. I am preparing to join the European leaders of the 24-7 Prayer movement in Amsterdam for a conference before heading off to create prayer rooms in Kenya and Malawi. I am currently needing over $3000 to cover the airfare and other expenses so if you would like to be part of this incredible mission opportunity by sponsoring me I would be so grateful. I am looking for monthly sponsors so if you would like to partner with Blissful Ministries and become part of this creative ministry sharing the passion for prayer, it would be a great blessing. Because of the spiritual warfare in these countries I need a solid covering of prayer. I invite you to become a prayer warrior and whenever the Spirit prompts you to pray for the work I will be doing, for protection in mind, body and spirit and for adequate financial resources. I am grateful that God has provided for my needs and even for the desires of my heart, I am constantly amazed by his provision. He is a God who spoils and gives above and beyond. I have not regretted living this lifestyle with the adventures and faith and dependence it is teaching me. For a while it may seem easy and possible to live on almost no income but for the long term there definitely needs to be money coming in for bills and health insurance. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (donations are tax-deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer. Blessings, Nicki Carleton I believe! Blissful Ministries PS. The above photo has been selected by Bill Baker to paint and I am very honored. If you would like to bid on the finished product please let me know! This church in Cusarrure looks after all the poor children in the community and these two precious girls are sitting at the foot of the cross in the church yard.

Prayer Rooms Update If you are in the location of a prayer room and would like to help or participate in a conference or mission please contact me. NOVEMBER: Malawi, Africa Three week Prayer Room and helping at an evangelistic meeting. OCTOBER: Amsterdam, Kenya Women's Mission and Safari, Masai Mara, Kenya October 9-15 Building a 24-7 Prayer Room Attending the International Gathering for 24-7 Prayer Leaders Europe October 1-4 SEPTEMBER: Ireland, UK, sharing at Newbold College. AUGUST: New Mexico, USA Mission trip to the remote Tarahumara People in the Copper Canyon Mexico. Sharing the gospel.

Is Ministry Burnout Possible in Hawaii?

Is Ministry Burnout Possible in Hawaii?

Several times I found myself saying "I can not get burnout in Hawaii. That's just not right!" Somehow it just didn't seem possible. Afterall, people come to Hawaii for a vacation not to work. Yet I was working long hours in ministry. The first six weeks were working at a school with a prayer room that went for five weeks! So I came to a point when I knew I had to go on a hike and just soak underneath a waterfall and pray and feel all the stress wash away. But I was also glad that there were so many new friends to share with and I was so blessed to be part of so many unique ministry events.

Family Worship is something that needs to be restored, revitalized and treasured. Sometimes our spiritual journeys become so individualized that we are not always aware of what our children believe. This may be because we trust someone else with their spiritual training. Imagine if we taught our children to hear the voice of God, to pray powerfully because of the purity they possess, to enjoy being in the presence of God and to have fun learning about God! Let's pray like we believe in miracles!

In June, A wonderful Prayer Warrior, Michele Seibel hosted a Family Worship Festival at her house for all the Wyndward area churches. It was such a beautiful time. We lazed around under tents outside and sang some fun songs - then we entered into a time of worship and didn't want to stop singing. Next we had some food and the kids could play or go through the prayer tent or do the Bible treasure hunt while the adults talked, then had a workshop on how to make worships fun and relevant for the kids.

We then had some more songs and worship as the sun set. I felt the need to pray for our families to be united in prayer and for us to learn how to bless each other, forgive each other and pray over each other. So we broke up into family groups and spent time encouraging and blessing one another. It was a beautiful time. We then ended the night by watching a family movie out on the lawn and drinking root beer floats.

All through the day people could enjoy the Prayer Tent that was set up exclusively for the children although it was great to see some dads go through by themselves too! (We need to keep praying that fathers become spiritually strengthened to lead boldly with the Holy Spirits power.) The prayer stations were set up in a real camping tent which was really cute to put together with some of the stations outside as well.

The next month I was invited to preach at several churches. This was my first real attempt at preaching and I know God blessed my efforts. One of my passions of ministry is to change the culture of prayer in churches. So I went to prayer meetings and taught about prayer even if it involved getting up at 5am in the morning. Central Church is really excited about developing a permanent prayer room for their church and community so hopefully soon they will have someone on fire with the Spirit say they will take on this amazing prayer ministry! It was so fun to be involved with the prayer teams and to encourage them to pray in new ways - especially to wait and listen to God before praying for someone. I preached on the different ways God speaks to me and told some of the funny stories and incredible miracles that have been part of my journey. At the end of the sermon we invited anyone who needed prayer for any reason to come down the front where the prayer team ministered to them. It was an incredible time of prayer with the team sharing later that God had really spoken through them and touched the lives of those who needed prayer. They are now continuing the garden of prayer after every service and listening to God before they pray. This means that people coming to church will always have opportunity to pray with someone and will not have to leave with brokenness or heaviness still troubling them. What a gift to offer the congregation. I am very excited to see this happening as our churches turn more and more into houses of prayer.

I was asked by the Youth Director, Jesse Seibel to design a prayer tree for the summer camp. YES A PRAYER TREE! Now there is no limit to how creative you can be about prayer stations. There are so many ways to make prayer fun. Prayer journeys, walks, prayer stations, prayer treasure hunts, prayer rooms and fun interactive creative worships. This one was centered around the Tree of Life. The summer camp had a beautiful tree right in the middle so I designed about 15 stations that were attached to or near the tree. This was a very fun experience. A lot of the kids loved praying here in the beauty of the outdoors.

During the summer camp I took a morning off to go down the street to a beach that is known to have dolphins visit in the morning. Unfortunately I missed them but a lady told me to snorkel out to the boey then turn right and I would find a giant rock that was home to up to a dozen green sea turtles. I swam out and found about nine turtles resting and swimming around - this was a beautiful experience - I even cried into my mask... thanking God for giving me such a precious moment to treasure. I then drove to one of our favorite snorkeling spots at electric beach. The power plant pumps warm water through huge pipes out into the ocean and is a haven for the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.

As I was driving up to the beach I prayed and asked God if he would , that day, allow me to swim with dolphins today (as it would bring me a joy I could not describe in words). When I pulled up and looked out into the ocean I could see dolphin fins circling around. I put on my sunscreen and fins and swam out to sea. I soon found myself surrounded by hundreds of dolphins. I even saw a little baby dolphin in a pod (about two feet long). The green ocean was crystal clear and up to 50 foot down to the snow white sand on the bottom. I was out a long way from shore and by myself. This was a surreal and intense spiritual time of worship for me. I felt so close to God and was so grateful for this gift. When I got out after about an hour I watched the dolphins from the shore. They started to play and one dolphin made twelve triple summersaults in a row!

I had been working so hard that it was nice to escape into nature and see the incredible beauty that was so rich in Hawaii. A few weeks before, my friends had swum with these dolphins in the very same spot and had some waterproof cameras (if you would like to watch them playing with the dolphins see the link below).

The beauty of Hawaii is breathtaking. At every opportunity I tried to go on a hike. Saturday afternoon was usually a time when friends got together to explore new hikes. Hawaii is full of the most beautiful people I have ever met. If you ever get a chance to experience the islands you will be blessed.

I am overwhelmed that God would send me to do ministry in such a beautiful place. I hope that this is an encouragement to all of us who are in full time ministry - even though we sacrifice many things that others may think essential to happiness, God really knows our hearts better than anyone ever will. As we work with him, he will take us on incredible adventures that will end up blessing us as well as those we minister to.

I met some incredible prayer warriors, friends that will be for eternity, life-changing mentors.

To those who sponsored me financially thank you so much. To Chaplain Mark Hughes, for his house and car while he was on deployment and the Seibels for their hospitality - I could not have done this without you. To those who blessed me through prayer and encouragement bless you! My time in Hawaii was an incredibly intense time of ministry with God revealing to me a much deeper level of understanding into spiritual warfare. I was witness to three separate demonic experiences. This was the first time in my life it has been so real to me. I do not recommend having to experience this to understand the power that we have through believing in the blood of Jesus Christ. The gift of discernment is one I would beg every Christian to find and hold on to for dear life. This is the one gift I desire above all others. There is so much deception around us. There is no time to just coast to heaven by sitting in a pew. Its time to get out the nitrous. To get serious. To take the Red pill. To be ready to go 'All in'. To be ready to say "I did everything I could, I gave everything I had and I finished the race hard and yes, it was worth every step."

More photos of the Children's Prayer Tent and Childrens Prayer Workshop.

More Photos of the Prayer Tree and the Beautiful flowers of Hawaii.

The beautiful You-Tube video of swimming with wild dolphins at Electric Beach.

If you would like Nicki to come to your school, conference or church to help infuse a passion for prayer please email: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

Interesting Fact: Spiritual Warfare is real without a shadow of a doubt. Every time I create a prayer room I have intense spiritual attacks against me. I am learning what they look like so I can be prepared and be attentive to God's Spirit. Then when I am finished I have things happen that will try to steal my joy, to stop me praising God and giving him glory for what has happened in the prayer room. I have written about some of my experiences on my BLOG about the dangers of experiencing Centering Prayer and Experiencing Demons. We need never be afraid of anything that can come against us - we must also learn the power that we have in the name of Jesus. An article coming soon to this blog! I would love to find people who would become monthly sponsors and/or, intercessors - praying for my protection from spiritual attacks, praying for my financial needs and praying for God to work and speak and create through me to touch the lives of those I minister to. I am grateful that God has provided for my needs and even for the desires of my heart I am constantly amazed by his provision. He is a God who spoils and gives above and beyond. I have not regretted living this lifestyle with the adventures and faith and dependence it is teaching me. For a while it may seem easy and possible to live on almost no income, but for the long term there needs to be money coming in to support this prayer ministry, as well as for bills and health insurance. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (donations are tax-deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer. Blessings, Nicki Carleton I believe! Blissful Ministries PS Check out my new website www.BlissfulMinistries.com

Prayer Rooms Update

If you are in the location of a prayer room and would like to help or participate in a conference or mission please contact me.

NOVEMBER: Malawi, Africa
Three week Prayer Room and helping at an evangelistic meeting.

OCTOBER: Amsterdam, Kenya

Women's Mission and Safari, Masai Mara, Kenya
October 9-15
Building a 24-7 Prayer Room

Attending the International Gathering for 24-7 Prayer Leaders Europe
October 1-4

How did a Missionary end up in Hawaii?

I thought I was on my way to California to create a prayer room for a school's Week of Prayer but when they didn't call me back to finalize I suddenly found myself looking for a new school. A new Facebook friend, Shilhi Seibel, encouraged me to come to Oahu and put on a prayer room at Hawaiian Mission Academy. There was no funding for it, but we would watch God make it happen. And so He did.

God helped me find a really cheap flight from Tennessee to Oahu and a week later I found myself in beautiful Hawaii. The chaplain was excited to make the prayer room happen and said that if it opened the next week it would be perfect timing for the week of prayer... That meant I had to get a prayer room together in three days. The next few days were a blur of getting lost in a big city, surviving on little sleep and trying to create a prayer room from a $150 budget. And there it was on Monday ready to go thanks to the help of some incredible volunteers and students.

The Prayer Room created quite a bit of excitement as many of the Bible classes went through the Prayer Room for their Religious Studies. It was a new concept for most of the students but more and more kids came in , especially at lunch time just to hang out. After the first week, the kids wanted it open for another week. So we convinced the principle to extend it and that was wonderful. Here are some of the experiences:

• Julia shared that she had a close friend she was very concerned about who had not contacted her in over six months. She prayed and released her concerns over to God at a prayer station. Three hours later the friend called her. Julia was very excited at how fast God had answered her prayer.
• One girl had a car accident on the way to school and used the prayer room to praise God that she was not physically hurt. It was also a safe place to debrief and let out her tears as she was very shaken up emotionally.
• Colleen wanted God to speak to her and show her a sign in answer to her prayer. She asked that God would make her teacher say a specific phrase when she walked into her next class. The teacher said the exact words and she was so excited when she realized that God really wanted to talk to her and answer her prayers.

During this time of prayer revival, a student unexpectedly lost one of their parents so all the closely knit students were very sad and going through a time of grieving. This was close to exams so after the third week the teachers got together and begged the Principle to keep the Prayer Room could remain open for a total of five weeks until the end of term to minister to the kids through this difficult time.

As the needs of the school changed I created five new prayer stations for grieving and created a sacred space where it was safe to cry and express the pain of loss, praying for their own family members and sharing love and support for the grieving family.

Some comments from the room:

"The prayer room was amazing! You felt God's presence right away once you entered the room. The stations left you thinking and at peace. The room was all together powerful and touching. It was a-never-forget-experience!

"This week I really needed to go into the Prayer Room. I felt so overwhelmed with all that was going on in my life and also my best friend's. When I went in I let them all out to God and let Him take care of them. Peace came over me. God was in control.

"I love the prayer room, it felt like it brought me closer to God. And it helped me open up more to God.

"The Prayer Room touched me!! I felt God in the room... At first when I helped out setting up the Prayer Room I was unsure about this... But once it was finished... I felt like only me and God had a chance to communicate and I loved it!! I cried... I wish we could keep the prayer room permanent.

Praise God for the seeds that were planted at HMA. I pray that God would continue to speak to these kids and that they would keep listening with discernment, learning to pray big bold prayers while watching their lives and communities transform.

Another major event I was blessed to be part of was the Unveiled 2009 Womens Conference. As I love teaching in new and unique ways that are creative and interactive I chose to do my workshop a little differently. I wanted to show how the Old Covenant and New Covenant were illustrated profoundly by the Hebrew Blood Covenant Ceremony and mirrored in today's Wedding Vows revealing the incredible depth of God's love. So I found a young married couple, Faith and Neil who took part in the Blood Covenant Blessing Ceremony where we acted out symbolically the Hebrew Blood Covenant and talked about how each step paralleled today's wedding vows. It was almost as if they were renewing their vows. This was an incredible experience and many ladies were so touched afterwards as they saw how God was the Bridegroom and we are the Bride. It also reveals how much God wants us to enter into the New Covenant with him so we receive the Holy Spirit, become his children and receive all his blessings and eternal life. This is an incredibly deep understanding of the extravagant love of God and how nothing can separate us once we have entered into the New Covenant except turning our back on God.

Working so hard for those six weeks was spiritually and physically draining to me so after the Prayer Room finished I slowed up a tiny bit and was able to see some of the beautiful sights of Oahu. I found a beautiful beach that I would go to early in the morning and read and study the Bible. I also made some wonderful friends and we would go hiking on the weekend to the waterfalls and snorkeling at the beach. I must admit Hawaii is a lot like I imagine heaven will be. I felt very spoiled by God that he would allow me to minister in such a spirit refreshing and breathtaking location.


If you would like to see more Photos of the Prayer Room at Hawaiian Mission Academy. Click Here.

For more photos from the Unveiled 2009 Women's Conference and the Blood Covenant Blessing Ceremony. Click Here.

If you would like Nicki to come to your academy to create a unique Week of Prayer experience, preach or teach a Childrens Prayer Workshop at your church please email: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

Interesting Fact: For the first 21 years of my life I had Social Anxiety Disorder - an intense and constant fear of people. After meeting an awesome doctor, I experienced the feeling of happiness for the first time. I escaped an obsessive boyfriend and went to live in London where I finally found independence and could say with a smile, "I belong here". Healing comes in so many forms. Seek healing in Jesus from all your past issues and wounds. There is freedom to be found. I would love to find people who would like to become monthly sponsors and/or, intercessors - praying for the needs of this ministry so I can continue to teach and inspire people to pray and find healing through an intimate and powerful relationship with Jesus Christ. I am grateful that God has provided for my needs and even for the desires of my heart, I am constantly amazed by his provision. He is a God who spoils and gives above and beyond. I have not regretted living this lifestyle with the adventures and faith and dependence it is teaching me. For a while it may seem easy and possible to live on almost no income but for the long term there definitely needs to be money coming in for travel, bills and health insurance. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (donations are tax-deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer. Abundant Blessings, Nicki Carleton I believe! Blissful Ministries

Prayer Rooms Update

If you are in the location of a prayer room and would like to help or participate in a conference or mission please contact me.

NOVEMBER: Malawi, Africa
Three week Prayer Room and helping at an evangelistic meeting.

OCTOBER: Amsterdam, Kenya

Women's Mission and Safari, Masai Mara, Kenya
October 9-15
Building a 24-7 Prayer Room

Attending the International Gathering for 24-7 Prayer Leaders Europe
October 1-4

SEPTEMBER: Ireland, UK and France. Building Prayer Rooms, speaking at Newbold and Cologne Colleges.

AUGUST: New Mexico, USA
Mission trip to the remote Tarahumara People in the Copper Canyon Mexico. Sharing the gospel.

JULY: Hawaii, Oahu
Preaching and working with prayer teams at different churches to change the culture of prayer at their church. Blood Covenant Blessing Ceremony at Manoa Church.

JUNE: Hawaii, Oahu
Childrens Prayer Rooms and Prayer Workshops, Visioning for a Permanent Prayer Room at Honolulu YWAM base, Preaching on Hearing the Voice of God.

MAY: Hawaii, Oahu.
Five week Prayer Room at Hawaiian Mission Academy.

Avondale Prayer Room

Being blessed with the opportunity to go home to Australia and create a prayer room at Avondale School has been one of the highlights of my year. The special place we created with chaplains Mel Lemke and Leighton Heise was one of the most spiritually impacting prayer rooms I have seen so far. I pray that you are blessed and inspired as you read their story. Upcoming trips to Mexico and Kenya. Enjoy.

Avondale School Prayer Room. I still call Australia home... so it was delightful to see my family again, smell the eucalyptus trees and feed the kangaroos. The adventure started in Sydney visiting cousins while building a prayer room at Avondale School. The chaplains of the school, Mel Lemke and Leighton Heise are seriously championing the love of Jesus Christ to these incredible kids. and they were preparing for a history making week of prayer. It was so much fun to build the room with so many eager volunteers from the school and community. They already knew what an interactive prayer room was so they were more excited than I was - if that is even possible! Miracles happened and we ended up with two classrooms to use. Now we started dreaming big and decided to put a tunnel between the classrooms so the students would feel like they were walking through space... Now to build this seems like a rediculously difficult task but Leighton was up to it - with an electric drill, lots of chicken wire, fairy lights, black material and fluorescent painted balls. The tunnel was designed to illustrate to the kids that the power that created the entire universe was now living in them, through the power of the Holy Spirit and when He works through them they can do more than they could ever hope to dare, dream or imagine. Eph 3.20 The rooms started to come together in a beautiful way and we sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit even before we started. Each time I do a prayer room a new issue moves my heart and this time I strongly sensed a need to offer a place to heal from sexual abuse. I knew I needed a cocoon to deal with a station on 'Fear' and didn't have time to make one. Now I wanted a very specific cocoon. One I could imagine in my mind - one big enough and cute enough for a small person to sit in. Now these are not just lying around in anyone's closet - in fact I had never even seen one before. But I asked one lady if she knew where I could possibly find a cocoon - and she knew exactly where one was and it was delivered that afternoon to the school - exactly the same as what I had imagined. When you don't have much time God can lead you to just the right person! Healing Sexual Abuse, Fear, Letting Go of Past Trauma, were all stations that were new so we created a beautiful 'cocoon' room where kids could enter in and privately pray. This was such a lovely space. We also encouraged kids to go to the school counselor if they had any further questions. I know without a shadow of a doubt that there was inner healing taking place in that room. God yearns to transform us and give us a new hope, a new identity and a new nature, releasing us from our past. For many I know the first steps took place in that prayer room. Just about all the Bible Classes came through the room giving them a taste of the prayer room. Once they have experienced it and knew how sweet it was they would want to come back. Lunch times started to get busier and busier with most of the 45 prayer stations occupied. An Olympic medalist came to speak during the Week of Prayer, outlining his addiction to sport and other things and sharing how nothing could satisfy him until he found Jesus. He brought in his outfits and medals and left them at the addiction wall. This was very powerful for the kids to see - that success and fame does not necessarily lead to the happiness they desired. The kids also wrote hundreds of letters to persecuted imprisoned Christians around the world and were personally delivered to Voice of the Martyrs representatives that were visiting Avondale College the following week. The room provided a wonderful opportunity for the community and school to experience Jesus in a completely new way. I was honored that my relatives and church friends came to support and experience the room for themselves. My favorite memory was when a senior boy came up to me and declared, "This is incredible - I want to come and work with you next summer!" I know that reaching teenage boys with the intimate love and power of Jesus needs a bit of creativity! This is who I aim to reach so its nice to know it works. It was also nice to see the younger kids come through - even a class from kindergarten experienced the room! The school counselor revealed some healing times and break-throughs with a few kids she had been trying to work with for a long time. Many kids heard God speak to them and just about all of them felt His presence in the room. The kids and teachers loved the experience. Here are some comments: The Prayer Room is awesome. As soon as you walk in you feel that God is there. Thankyou. I Think the Prayer Room is great, like I feel God through me. The prayer room is so amazing I've never felt so close to God. Thank you so much for this prayer room. I really encountered Jesus and felt loved in there with Him. Lord bless you and may His love be with your heart always. Why was this the most spiritual prayer room yet? Maybe they just keep getting bigger and more extravagant? Maybe the spiritual leadership of the chaplains made it that way? Maybe it was because many kids at the school were not Christian so they had a more inquisitive mind and no predetermined opinions about whether God would speak to them or not? Maybe these kids were just more open to receive God's touch? Maybe it is because God showed up! For me it was an honor to be part of this glorious experience! If you would like to see more pictures from this Prayer Room: Click here. If you would like to see more pictures of Children's Prayer Rooms: Click here. The Rest of the Trip After Sydney I made my way up to Brisbane to have a small operation and while recovering spent time with my close family. Praise God I have not been sick a day since the operation and can now breathe normally for the first time. I then went up to Townsville to visit Brad, Naomi and my 3 nephews. While I was there I put together a Children's Prayer Workshop for a local church. My favorite memory was my eldest nephew Ethan saying "I don't want to go to church" but then when the workshop was finished he stated,"can we go back again every week? I love church!" I believe we can make prayer and experiencing God fun for all ages not just kids! I also had the opportunity to speak at a Worship Conference talking of how experiential and sensory teaching is so powerful in symbolizing the deep aspects of God and allowing Him to become real (more life changing than just analyzing or talking about Him). If you would like Nicki to come to your academy to create a unique Week of Prayer experience or teach a Childrens Prayer Workshop at your church please email: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

Making History. My immediate financial needs are for a mission trip to the Tarahumarra People in the Copper Canyon in Mexico documented in a 2008 National Geographic. Three of us including the artist Bill Baker are going to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray with and see what God has us do for these beautiful people. Bill has visited over 50 different countries to some of the most remote places of the earth to share the gospel. Please pray for us - for physical and spiritual protection as we make this trip from the 6 - 13 August through one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Then in October I will be traveling to Kenya to put on a prayer room for a Women's Retreat, Mission and Safari in Kenya - if you would like to come too please contact myself or Joy Butler at joymariebutler@gmail.com. After this I have been invited to Malawi for a three week evangelistic mission. Both these trips will need to be sponsored so I am looking for people who would like to partner with me, people who would like to become a monthly sponsor or an intercessor - praying for the needs of this ministry so I can continue to teach and inspire people to pray (and have an intimate and powerful relationship with Jesus Christ) by creating prayer rooms. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (all donations are tax deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer in our churches and communities by making prayer fun and enjoyable and enabling people to spend time in the healing love and transforming presence of Jesus. I hope to encourage and inspire you to find or create your own special sacred spaces in your life, home, church or community and would love for you to share your stories with me. I am on facebook under Nicki Carleton. If you would like me to come out to your church, school or retreat or if you would like more information about prayer rooms please contact me or www.24-7prayer.com. This is now the worlds largest prayer movement in history, so I invite you to be a part of this incredible story. Blessings, Nicki Carleton I believe! Blissful Ministries

Farewell to Hawaii

My journey in Hawaii has come to a close. What an incredible four months of sharing God's passion for prayer with so many beautiful people. I have made wonderful friends here and thank each one for the Aloha spirit and will miss the smiles, the ohana and the white sand and turquoise waters.

I want to thank especially Lt Chaplain Mark Hughes who allowed me to use his house and car while I was on the island and he was on deployment. Without this incredibly generous sacrifice there is no way I would have been able to stay and do so much ministry. I am so grateful. I found my way here because of the Seibel’s encouragement and hospitality and am overwhelmed to have been so blessed.

It will be a joy to leave knowing that God is taking me on a new adventure and has things to accomplish through me in different places around the world. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty because I enjoy traveling, seeing beauty and doing new things so much but God knows what makes me happy and gives me the desires of my heart as I follow after him - other people have stability and jobs and family but luckily I am able to travel and do some random unique work that other people may not be able or want to do so I happily oblige... I love being a pilgrim, a missionary, a disciple.

I would ask that you continue to pray for me as the Spirit may prompt you in the next few months. My ministry usually involves an incredible amount of spiritual warfare but as I enter into new territories I know that it will increase. Here is my mission:

Sharing the gospel with the remote Tarahumarra People in the Copper Canyon Mexico .

Flying back to my base in Chattanooga Tenneesee to establish a permanent prayer room in the Collegedale Church .

Flying to Ireland , where I will be going to UK, France and Amsterdam working with 24-7 Prayer Boiler Rooms as they build prayer rooms in schools, and visiting the international gathering of the www.24-7Prayer.com leaders. I may also be putting on some interactive worship events at Newbold and Cologne colleges.

I will be helping to host a Women's Retreat, Mission and Safari in Kenya in October - if you or others would like to attend this incredible opportunity in Masai Mara please contact me.

Then I have been invited to go to Malawi for a three week evangelistic event for prayer and sharing the love of God.

How do I know God is my guide? My little miracle story...

The day I was to book my ticket to Europe I asked God, “Do you really want me to go to Europe it feels so selfish... is this what you want me to do?” I have been wanting to go to a 24-7 prayer gathering for two years now to find encouragement with other people in full time faith ministry like me that build prayer rooms and change the culture of prayer all over the world. So I asked God to speak to me and give me a sign as a confirmation. I asked him to guide me as I opened my Bible. I asked him to make the first text I looked at an encouragement to book my ticket.

Here's where me eye fell to the instant I opened my Bible.

Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

²³But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, ²⁴I plan to do so when I go to Spain . I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. ²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem . ²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. ²⁸So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. ²⁹I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. ³¹Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, ³²so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. ³³The God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15.23-33

As the tears fell I realized that I had God’s blessing and that his desire was to travel with me and we would enjoy doing this ministry together. I always thought I was working for God. At the same time I also knew that my ministry was 100% God and 0% me. I knew that his Holy Spirit was the one that inspired and produced all the ideas and gave me the strength to do it. Now I was seeing it from a different angle ~ I was assisting God on his mission and he enjoyed my company! I love this revelation of God’s heart and hope that you are encouraged too by this. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will be protected and guided and comforted, that all my needs will be supplied. I also look forward to some incredible times of ministry where I will be surprised by God. My faith has been increased as I know that it is all completely within God’s will. Great things happen with great faith and a Great God.

This is not the first time God has confirmed his will in such a razzle-dazzle way. Be encouraged to seek the heart and will of God. To hear his voice and confirm it so you are living and breathing the will of God.

Be blessed on the journey.

Nicola Carleton (Nicki Carleton - facebook)

i Believe!

Blissful Ministries

407-873-2809

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation in support of this ministry please email me!

PHOTOS: Different prayer rooms in Hawaii

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

A song of ascents. Psalm 134

New Mexico, New Years and Worship Art

It was my birthday and I had to go to work! I had only one day off in Tennessee (my home base) after creating the prayer room in Jamaica so I had just 24 hours to repack for the next job.

But I was actually excited for three reasons:
1. I was to fly on a plane to New Mexico. (My favorite state).
2. I was going to meet up with a bunch of people as crazy as me.
3. I was to help create and build more prayer rooms! (My favorite thing to do!)

And there they were waiting to pick me up as I got off the plane. Two rather scary looking guys - Eddie and Skye. I soon found myself surrounded by a group of extremely passionate Christ followers who had huge hearts and great faith. These weren't the average Christians. Here was a group of six people who had sold out completely to be modern day disciples of Jesus. They were part of a group called Cultiv8ers who set up prayer rooms all over New Mexico and beyond at the request of churches or youth groups. They just pack up and go and create a prayer room at any church! What a blessing but what a lot of work! www.cultiv8ers.com

I met Eddie's wife Amy and remembered meeting her at a conference two years ago and selling her the book 'Red Moon Rising' by Pete Greig (which is the best book ever written on prayer and gets people so excited to start prayer rooms and change their perspective on prayer - I highly recommend this book). Funny how things turn in full circles! So why was I now in New Mexico? To help these guys build a prayer room for New Years Eve and to be encouraged and just to hang out in beautiful NM (which included a couple of visits to the Navajo).

The New Years Eve Party was incredible - we painted a huge community art project - everybody was guessing what it would turn out to be and had to wait until we put it together on the wall like a jigsaw to see that it was a huge lion. We had food and worship then I spoke about how we are each designed to respond to God in worship through our own unique creative ways. We were created and designed to bring him joy and we need to find out how we do that best. We then had a beautiful communion service at midnight and then lit candles to launch the first 24/7 prayer room for 2009 at Corrales Church.

For the next three weeks people faithfully attended the beautiful prayer room. During that time I took Bible Classes at the academy teaching them how to create 'worship art'. For one class I was inspired by a 24/7 artist to take the secular song from Saving Jane to analyze the lyrics and see how it was our own journey of struggling to listen to God.

You Say by Saving Jane

I've been calling and calling for you
But you answer and I shut my mouth
I've been searching and searching for you
But myself I don't want to be found

You say I am, You say let go
You say Believe... But it's not that easy for me
You say wait
You say right now
Don't you see you're already one foot in the ground
you say...

I've been wicked and wild and wrong and i've wondered
the price of my shame
I've been hiding my face for so long, it's a wonder that
you know my name..

You say come home
You say I'm here
You say there are some things you just can't control
You say let me
You say Believe
Why do you search for the answers you already know
You say...

I am the way and the light and the Truth
Don't be misled by the flight of your youth
Faith in the things you can't see to believe
What if you had faith in me...

You say rest here, this is your home
Don't you see that you knew I was here all along
You say...

It was a great experience taking the four wheelers out to the magnificent canyons, a road trip to Taos and Santa Fe, walking at the top of Sandia Peak and eating snow, seeing the tumbleweeds roll in the wind, enjoying green chili and honey on all my food, playing the Wii. I want to say thank you to Cultiv8ers for making me feel so 'at home' and to the Aruaz-James family for allowing me to use their home and car while they were away - at exactly the time I arrived there and they got back the day I left - small miracles. I hope to go back soon.

The reasons that I love New Mexico:
The people. The art. The chili.
The crystal clear blue skies.
The snow falling on Sandia Mountain.
The adobe houses.
The sunsets.
The work God is doing.

If you would like to see more photos of the prayer room and art we created in Albuquerque New Mexico please go to my facebook photos at New Mexico Prayer Rooms.

The time has come for me to ask for sponsorship to continue this ministry. After five years in full time ministry and three of those years earning less than $2000 per year (I have only had enough money to cover gas but have always been blessed to have a place to stay and enough food...) I realize now that I desperately need support from the Body of Christ, through your prayers and financial giving. I am seeking $2500 per month so that I can continue to teach and inspire people to pray by creating prayer rooms.

I'd like to send a special note of appreciation to those individual's who have felt led to support my ministry with a gift of $1 per day for the next year. Your generosity has been such an encouragement and blessing to me.

If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (all donations are tax deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details.

Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer in our churches and communities by making prayer fun and enjoyable and enabling people to spend time in the healing love and transforming presence of Jesus.

I hope to encourage and inspire you to find or create your own special sacred spaces in your life, home, church or community and would love for you to share your stories with me. I am on facebook under Nicki Carleton. If you would like me to come out to your church, school or retreat or if you would like more information about prayer rooms please contact me or www.24-7prayer.com. This is now the worlds largest prayer movement in history so I invite you to be a part of this incredible story.

Blessings,

Nicki Carleton
I believe!
Blissful Ministries