The biggest Miracle of my Life.

I had just left Orlando, Florida, after three years in full time ministry, to move to my new base of Chattanooga, TN. I remember walking the dogs one evening and sharing with God the deep ache in my heart. I made up my mind in the next three days, no matter what the cost, I was booking a flight home to see my family in Australia. It had been over a year since I last visited and I was heartsick.

The very next day, my friend Reggie, phoned me from Orlando excitedly saying "I wanted to tell you Nicki, I have been given two free tickets to Australia!" I was eager to share that I was going to Australia soon as well and he must come and visit me and my family, but he said, "No, I don't have a passport , I can't go." I was disappointed and amazed at the same time so I asked him if the lady who was offering them to him couldn't find anyone to give them to, then I would be happy to use them!

The next day the telephone rang and Mary asked if I would like the two tickets to Australia. I was shocked beyond words and cried with tears of joy. But I found out there were very strict rules for these tickets; I had to travel with another person and the tickets expired on a certain date in a few weeks. I soon found a friend to go with me then I telephoned the ticket operator and found out that I didn't have to leave so quickly, if I booked the dates before they expired I was still ok! So I ended up booking the exact dates I had planned in my heart.

Ame and I stopped in to Sydney to attend the Hillsong Conference. While in the presence of over 50,000 people singing, I felt like I was in heaven. My heart filled up and overflowed listening to such wonderful worship. What an incredible blessing!

Thomas Austin, born 7.2.1908

While I was in Sydney I stopped off to see my grandfather Thomas Austin. He was staying near to my relatives in a retirement home. At 99 and a half he was as sharp as a tack and still played the piano in his unique flamboyant way. I visited him several times but as I walked around the corner after the last visit I heard a voice speak clearly to my heart, "This is the last time you will see him." I knew who's voice this was and before the tears welled up in my eyes I ran back into his room and asked a friend to take a photo of us. I also asked if he would bless me and he did. This was a happy yet sad moment because I knew that by living so far away in the United States I was cutting myself off from many family gatherings and experiences I treasure so much. So I was able to say a final goodbye to my eccentric grandfather.

I flew to Brisbane and spent wonderful times with my family refreshing my spirit and filling up my tank with love. Three days before I was to leave for Los Angeles, I decided to visit my local church conference office to visit with some of my old youth pastors that meant so much to me growing up and were still good friends. While I was in the office Gilbert Cangy asked me to talk about my ministry of curating Prayer Rooms, at a pastors meeting, and after that he suggested I create a large Prayer Room for the conference coming up in three weeks - Move With The Power II. I told him I was leaving in three days and the ticket was so strict that I couldn't possibly change the dates. He literally put the telephone in front of me and told me to phone QANTAS and ask them. He offered to pay the cost of changing the ticket but he could not pay me for my work of building the Prayer Room.

I made the call and much to my amazement they said that I could extend my ticket if I wanted to pay $200. I was in a little bit of shock. I realized that God was opening a door yet there was one thing that was not quite right. I told Gilbert that God had been speaking to me lately about the difference between being a volunteer and being in full time ministry. He was teaching me that a worker is worthy of payment whereas a volunteer gives of their time and excess for free as a gift. My prayer ministry is full time work and there is no excess to give, because I give everything. God was telling me that to work full time for free was sinning against myself and not following Biblical standards. But Gilbert had no more budget. I listened to God and he told me to accept the offer. I wondered, "How can I work for free without mistreating myself?" I then had a brilliant idea that if I received a donation of $1000 to set up the Prayer Room, I would be getting paid after all. The pastors were very excited and I was at peace.

So I stayed another three weeks! The first week was running around setting up the prayer room. During that week my grandfather was in the hospital because of a fall. In a few days we knew that he was not going to make it and sadly he passed away. The funeral was scheduled for the last Sunday of the conference. I was so overwhelmed that God had kept me in the country just long enough to be with my family at this important time. I was able to support them and be supported. If I had gone back to the US a week before this happened there is no way I could have afforded to return. I would have been heartbroken.

The room was full of people praying.

I finished curating the beautiful Prayer Room. Our aim was to have the conference covered by continuous 24 hour prayer. Soon youth pastors and leaders were streaming in from 11 different countries for the conference. Speakers were flying in from the US. That Friday night I got up on stage and talked about the power of prayer and asked if anyone would like to pray through the night and sign up for a one hour slot. If they wanted a spot they had to come to the front and write down their name. I had people racing to the front to sign up for 2am. It was incredible. The prayer room was full most of the time with up to 12 people praying at 4am in the morning! They were blown away by how a simply decorated room could hold such a powerful presence of God. They also loved the unique prayer stations and how they found it easy to pray for long periods of time in these new and creative ways.

On Sunday I flew to Sydney for the funeral of my grandfather who almost made it to 100. I was able to be there for my family, a few in particular, who were very distraught. The funeral service was actually lots of fun and a happy celebration of his life and love for God. I remember my four year old nephew commenting at the graveside, when my brother told him Grandpa was going to be with Jesus in heaven someday soon, "but that is the wrong way!" It is beyond our comprehension, but I believe as the Bible teaches us, that death is like a deep sleep (Ecc 9:5), we await the resurrection of Jesus' second coming, which to the dead will be the very next thing they see! My grandpa will then be raised to go to heaven with Jesus!

Drawing Prayers.

On their way back to Townsville after the funeral, my brother and nephew, and father and aunt all came to experience the prayer room which was such a blessing to me. But the enormous spiritual warfare was evident as I was being picked up from the airport a tire blew out on our car, and two other leaders from the camp had to leave because of immediate family members passing away. But God won out in the end in miraculous ways. He showed his glory, he showed his love and his compassion. On the last day someone put an envelope in my hands and it contained $1000 cash. I cried as I hadn't even taken the time to pray for the money, I had just believed it would be provided.

My nephew Ethan saying 'I love you' to Jesus.

The Prayer Room was a wonderful experience for so many and the idea of 24-7 prayer and interactive Prayer Rooms spread to many more countries. I was so grateful to God for this opportunity to do more creative prayer ministry, for the free tickets and the opportunity to see my grandfather for the last time. God delayed my leaving so I would not be heartbroken. He allowed me to bless my family. He showed me that he is not only taking care of my body, my food, clothing and housing needs but he is taking care of my heart.

He knows exactly what we need in this life. He knows us inside out. We just have to trust him. Listen to him, follow him and let him hold us in his arms.

Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

I am planning to do it all again at Move With The Power III in Brisbane, Australia on August 12-16, 2011. These international conferences only happen once every four years! If you would like to be a financial sponsor please contact me. I also need extensive prayer covering as I make the transition to move back to Australia after seven challenging yet wonderful years in full time ministry in the United States.

For more photos see my facebook photo album Move With The Power II. Click here.

Spiritual Dreams

I never dream dreams, normal or spiritual. (I asked God to help me never remember my dreams as I always seemed to have horrible dreams as a child). Sometimes I have seen pictures from God in my mind when I am awake - but never have I been given a Dream or Vision from God. But a few weeks ago I was lying in my bed and as I was sleeping I saw clearly a green snake curled up beside my head ready to strike. It had two heads. I woke up in a fright and leapt out of bed and turned the light on and it was gone. "Maybe", you say, "this was just a normal dream/nightmare." But for me I had never had such a vivid experience or dream. I had no idea what the dream/vision meant but knew to seek confirmation with a discerning spirit.

A week later I was (not dreaming but in reality) walking in the forest with a friend, and his dog almost stepped on a snake in the path. This snake was a water snake, speckled brown. It was ready to strike but when I looked closely it had two heads because it was actually two snakes curled up together. This is very strange because even though I have done a lot of bushwalking, I have rarely seen a snake and never seen two snakes together in my life (and I am from Australia!)

So with the dream confirmed in reality I knew that both experiences were warnings from God. I am still praying for insight and protection and ask for your prayers also as the ministry I am in often has intense Spiritual Warfare associated with it. The devil loves to attack and destroy people in prayer ministry. He knows that prayer is a weapon that will always defeat him. The more we learn how to pray with power the more he loses his power, his strongholds are broken, his oppression is released, his snares are loosed and his schemes revealed and his angels repelled. That is one of the main reasons I am currently writing a book for teaching children to pray by using creative and sensory activities - I am teaching them how to hear and discern God's voice and pray with power.

Thank you for your prayers and I pray we will all continue to learn how to pray powerfully!

Recently Published Article

Recently Published in Story Harvest is a very short testimony of my amazing Life Changing Moment with God ten years ago.

"I was sitting at my computer one day wondering where I could volunteer for the next six months, but frustratingly no doors were opening. I had just finished studying at a university in Toronto, exchange from Australia, but because the passport control office had mistakenly allowed me to stay for an extra six months until May 31, 2001, I was looking forward to the next new adventure. Suddenly a very distinct voice spoke clearly into my mind... "

For the rest of this short story CLICK HERE. I hope you enjoy!

Fun Creative Prayer Together

Very Different Prayer Room

Last week I was contacted by a new friend in Brooklyn, NY to help her come up with ideas for a Prayer Room she wants to create in her house for visitors and friends who are coming to support her during the home birth of her second baby. How beautiful for people to wait in a sacred space where they can create blessings for the baby, pray for it's future, pray for the family and be part of this most spiritual moment.

The Next Big Adventure

I recently put in an application for Graduate school to do my Masters (starting Nov, 2011) at a seminary called Mars Hill Graduate School, so will be traveling to Seattle for the interview in two weeks - more from Seattle in the next newsletter!

Spectrum Magazine Article - The Prayer Room Experience by Nicola Carleton

I accidentally stumbled into this ministry of building prayer rooms. I felt like a musician discovering that perfect instrument or an artist finding a new medium that perfectly expresses the profound inspirations of the heart. Finding ones niche, ones sound, ones passion, ones ministry is like a dream come true. It is like finally finding out the specific way you were uniquely designed to worship God. So I worship God through my God given gifts for creating these sacred spaces, places where people can experience a relationship with God and learn to enjoy prayer. I seem to be a cross between an installation artist and a minister of the Gospel. An alternative worship curator.

The Levites were the first example of artists creating beautiful things for the glory of God. In fact it is recorded in Exodus 31 that the first people filled with the Spirit of God were artists, given the wisdom, understanding, knowledge and skill, to make designs and engage in all kinds of crafts. The Prayer Rooms are really modern day contemporary Sanctuaries. They also needed symbols and used the senses to illustrate the profound concepts of the love of God and created an environment where God could interact with his people.

Now for over five years I have been sharing this ministry full time, travelling all over the world creating Houses of Prayer and Healing in hospitals, Weeks of Prayer at academies, building permanent Prayer Rooms in churches and worship art projects. It is one of the most incredible ministries I have ever been part of. I have seen people healed physically, emotionally and spiritually and most importantly I have seen people fall in love with Jesus.

So what is so special about these Prayer Rooms? How can a room help people have a profound experience with God?

A Prayer Room is simply a space that is set apart for God. It is designed to feel comfortable and at home in. It has relaxing couches and prayer stations to help people pray in new ways. Often you will find a map of the world where you can pray for different countries. Maybe there will be an Addiction Wall where you consider the things interfering with your relationship with God. Sometimes you can draw your prayers on the walls or turn your prayers into art. Each Prayer Room will be unique and different. Each Prayer Room has the intention, that as you go from station to station you will be discipled in your walk with Jesus. The room has peaceful music and is designed to help you be quiet long enough to hear God speak.

Hearing God's voice seems to be a lost art in this fast paced world. Yet listening makes up 50% of each conversation we have with a person we are interested in fostering a relationship with. When it comes to our relationship with God, how are we to pray powerfully and effectively if we do not know his will? To know his heart we must first listen, then God will be the one that inspires us with what to pray for. Then miracles will start happening! How many of our prayer times are just one sided?

I find it difficult to pray as do most people. A Prayer Room inspires me to pray when I run out of things to pray about. I remember one little boy coming up to me and asking how on earth he was going to pray for an hour but being surprised when he stayed in there for four hours! Listening to God is a difficult discipline to learn too but the Prayer Room creates an environment where we can expect God to share his heart as we share ours.

Catering to Different Learning Styles.

Jesus loved to teach through the senses and in three dimensions using the world around him as symbols to illustrate deep spiritual concepts. I can relate to this method of teaching as I am a highly kinesthetic learner. Visiting many churches I realized that they are mostly made up of, and therefore cater mainly to, the auditory learner who is actually only around 20% of the population. I wondered how many kinesthetic and visual people had left (80%?) because they could not relate with the style of teaching so I encourage churches to create a Prayer Room or different worship experiences so people can connect with God in different ways.

Scientists have discovered that environmental stimulation is essential for healthy brain development in children and adults. Studies also show that learning effectiveness improves 90% with the use of environmental stimulation in workplace training. Simply changing from fluorescent lighting, hanging paintings, playing Mozart, using fresh flowers, regular 'brain' breaks and providing toys to play with can save money for employers on training and produce innovative employees.* If the business world is finding out how important our environment is to brain health then we need to pay attention too and bring art and beauty back into church! When we walk into a creative space our right brain switches on and our left brain with its to-do lists switches off allowing us to relax. I like to think the Prayer Rooms are like Spiritual Spas for our Souls! Imagine if office buildings, hotels, schools and homes all had interactive creative Prayer Rooms?

Healing Environments.

Each Prayer Room is like a room full of art therapy. The room is such a safe place to express anger, frustration, sadness, and joy. The more time we allow God to work on us the more we will be changed by his Holy Spirit. The most amazing prayer room I created was at Florida Hospital open 24-7, all day and all night. People who would never set foot in a church found themselves safe in the Prayer Room praying, crying and sharing their heart with God. Watch a short video here.

A Prayer Room Ministry is incredibly rewarding but also incredibly hard in so many ways. The enemy tries everything possible to stop people praying. Unfortunately funding is also extremely limited for prayer ministries but with a little creativity a room can be transformed into an oasis of God's presence. When creating a Prayer Corner in your house or classroom or a Prayer Room at your church the senses are an important aspect to think about. Allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you! There are resources available on the internet to help or you can buy the 24-7 Prayer Manual.

The aim of Prayer Rooms are simply to get more people, praying more. The more people pray the more miracles we will see. We can help inspire more people to pray powerfully for their families, their community and the world and see transformation take place.

I have many stories from people who have experienced God in the Prayer Room. One teen boy came up to me this week and said, "The Prayer Room is amazing, I really like going in there!" One Theology student shared with me he had the most spiritual experience of his life in a Prayer Room...

Why? Because if someone seeks an experience with God, He will reveal Himself, He will speak, He will be found. Jer 29.13, Romans 10.20, Proverbs 8.17, John 10.22-30.

'God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us, and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. "We are his children," just as some of your poets have said.' Acts 17.27,28

Nicola Carleton

Bio: Nicki is a sojourner who travels the world creating interactive prayer rooms and experiences to help people fall in love with Jesus, hear his voice and learn to love prayer. She lives by faith as a disciple living simply, depending purely on God's provisions through donations. She loves to experience new cultures, doing things she has never done before and being in a state of wonder.

www.BlissfulMinistries.com
Contact: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com
Part of www.24-7Prayer.com which is now the largest prayer movement in history.
*(How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci – Seven Steps to Genius Every Day By Michael J. Gelb)

Resurrection Pageant Prayer Room

The last few months have involved a Prayer Tent at SonRise, traveling to Hawaii to dream with Kay Kuzma of writing a book and then on to Australia to visit family and friends. I am so blessed to meet people along this journey that are taking seriously the call to discipleship. Each one of you encourage me greatly.

An Interactive Prayer Tent for the 2010 SonRise Resurrection Pageant. We were so excited to get permission to create an interactive and fun prayer tent this year at SonRise 2010. Every year Southern Adventist University near Chattanooga is host to an incredible interactive walk through experience that puts you right there at the very scene of Christ's final days leading to His death and resurrection. The cast was made up of 500 people with about 15,000 visitors walking through markets, court houses and gardens with Jesus and the disciples witnessing very moving scenes from this powerful reenactment of history. Thousands of people walked through every half hour and after the final moving scene of Jesus' resurrection they came outside for free refreshments and could take time to contemplate and process the resurrection they had just witnessed, in the Prayer Tent. This beautiful sacred space was full of people all day. Families, children, costumed characters, skater kids, newly arrived immigrants, people from the community, people from other countries and from other states, all entering in to wrestle with the concept of Jesus as their Savior and how they could invite him to become their best friend, mentor and guide. It was a very diverse crowd so it was wonderful to see so many people enter into a prayer space where they could talk to God and God could talk to them. The feedback from those experiencing the prayer tent was overwhelming. The most interesting insight was from a young man who stopped by to help me pack up the tent after an exhausting day! He shared that the prayer room I created at his academy a few years ago had really impacted his life spiritually when he was at a really difficult place in his life. He wondered why there weren't more creative spaces set up like these prayer rooms in churches, schools and in the community to help those people who need different ways to connect to God by providing unique ways to help them on their spiritual journeys. I could not agree more! It is such a beautiful thing to know that rooms like these can allow God to speak powerfully into teenage boys lives (and everyone else). If teenage boys can be challenged, moved, inspired and reached spiritually through worship experiences like these, it seems that every church and community should be building them! In May, I was living in Chattanooga and writing my book called, A Pocket Guide for Travelers. One day I was asked by author Kay Kuzma to visit her in Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands to talk about some discipleship programs at her son's wonderful yet small struggling school at Kahili. (They need volunteers if anyone is interested?) So, as is my usual procedure before booking flights, I asked God what he thought about where I was going and when to book and for how long. I opened my Bible to the verses in Acts 28 that said, 30 "For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." ...11 "After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them." Since I had just spent a delightful winter in the Chattanooga area and a total of two years in the Sines house, I knew God was speaking to me through these texts and answering my questions specifically. So I knew he wanted me to spend three days in Honolulu where I had spent time last year ministering to many churches and spend a week with Kay on the island of Kauai. For all those who don't regularly ask God for help in major life decisions, I highly encourage it because who else knows all things? God definitely speaks and he will guide you with even the smallest decisions that happen every day. I used to book dates and worry about whether I was doing the right thing. Now I don't have to worry about any decision. I have complete faith and trust that God wants me there for a purpose and he will open all the doors and provide for all my needs while I am there. God has been speaking to me more and more and I am overwhelmed by his insights and revelations. I encourage you to chase after hearing the voice of God throughout your day. A great book that inspired me is: Forever Ruined for the Ordinary: The Adventure of Hearing and Obeying God's Voice by Joy Dawson. The week in Kauai with Kay was wonderful and busy but we managed to dream together and start writing a book that I am working on right now called Teaching Children to Pray Creatively. It has lots of creative ideas to make prayer fun and uses the senses to help children pray in different ways. If you have any unique ideas please let me know! I booked my ticket to Australia in order to do the Week of Prayer at Karalundi an aboriginal community school in WA. At the last minute they could not find the funds so I spent the time catching up with family and friends and encouraging and being encouraged by spiritual disciples I met along the way. More photos of the 2010 SonRise Prayer Tent. Official Photos of the SonRise Resurrection Pageant by Sherrie Williams. If you would like to volunteer as a teacher or gardener or housekeeper etc or STAY at the beautiful Kahili School and Retreat Center you are most welcome! Photos. 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 Books Nicki is Currently Writing. A Pocket Guide for Travelers. This book will contain Travel Tips, Cultural Awareness and a Discipleship Guide that will equip, challenge and inspire new ways of doing missions overseas. For tourists, pilgrims, and disciples. Teaching Children to Pray Creatively. 101 Creative ideas that make prayer fun! Includes prayers that are with the family, outdoor prayers, prayers that use art, how to build a prayer corner, prayer journals and prayers that use the senses. It will also teach children how to listen when God speaks.

Thank you to all those who are supporting this powerful ministry - I could not do this without you. 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. Please email me to be on the prayer list at blissfulministries@yahoo.com. 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 to Flash Ministries PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for bank account details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer. 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 an upcoming conference or mission please contact me. JUNE: Southbend, Indiana and Atlanta GC. JULY: Southbend, Indiana. Future Missions possibly to Nunavut Arctic Circle to build a Prayer Room and India to do prayer ministry. (These are still in the dreaming stages and still need funding.)

Adventure to Kenya

I was so blessed to be sponsored to speak at and build a prayer room for the Women of Faith and Excellence Retreat and Safari In Kenya a few months ago. Spending time in Africa was life changing and I fell completely in love with Africa. To see such happiness yet such poverty, such beauty yet such brokenness is heart wrenching. Africa is different to other places. Very different.

Masai Mara is Africa's greatest wildlife reserve and as we climbed up the escarpment we looked out over the plains scattered with thousands of wildebeest. The animals were waiting to migrate to the Serengeti when the rains came. But the rains had not come! The roads were sadly littered with the bodies of the dead cows from the nomadic Masai who had trekked up to 300 miles looking for grass to feed their livelihood. The Mara was very dry and the cows were very skinny, even the wild animals looked hungry, except the lions!

Mara West is a safari retreat center with wonderful views overlooking the 'Out of Africa' valley where individuals and groups come not only to see the animals but to give back to the Masai community. We were welcomed into a community Boma and gave out soap, toothbrushes and clothes. We ran some health clinics and donated bibles, mosquito nets and washable pads. I have mentioned before these incredible life changing gifts to girls so they don't have to miss school and drop out. While we were there we helped Iris paint a clinic with bright animals and helped out some of the local schools. At the Olopikidong'oe Masai village school two girls shared with me how scared they were and asked me if there was female circumcision in Australia. I said 'no' but I knew that some people in western countries still performed it on their young girls illegally because of these traditions.

In different communities Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) takes different forms and is highly painful, unhygienic and causes problems for them for the rest of their lives as well as for their husbands and marriage. The girls were scared to go home during the cold December break as this is the time when most girls (12-14) are circumcised and a few weeks later married off for a dowry because the parents can not afford school or to keep girls around. I realized that for all the girls in this area it was an issue they had to learn about from a young age. The school does an incredible job in empowering them and they performed for some poems about how proud they were to be Masai. Poems on Youtube: The Story of the Masai and Masai Girl.

Two of the girls Trelline and Jane, wrote and recited this poem.

We have been doomed, doomed, doomed and indicated that our work is -
One - taking care of animals
Two - looking after young kids
Three - hooking milk and
Four - fetching water and firewood
Back at home parents take us as investment making us to suffer and boys too benefit.
We rebuke this idea and say YES WE CAN.
Now in our offices we lead, lead and others follows? Why?
Professors and doctors - ah 100%, teachers and pilots - ah 100%, engineers and trainers - ah 100%
We now rebuke, rebuke and rebuke
One - female circumcision
Two - unequal opportunity
Three - early marriages
We now say when the going gets tough - the tough get going.
Bravo, girl, bravo.

The girls are taught they can say 'no' and some are brave enough to run away if they are forced. Some of the girls are needing sponsorship to stay in school so they avoid circumcision and early marriage. When they return home they are warmly welcomed and their families are proud they have received an education and encourage other girls to be like them. It is sad to see beautiful traditions in unique cultures slowly change due to the influence of the western world around them but luckily the Masai have resisted and retained much of their original cultural ways. The good thing is a negative tradition like FGM can be changed in a healthy way that improves the lives of everyone in the village.

This tradition started in the not too distant past - by Muslim men possibly, who wanted to keep their wives faithful while they went to war and it then spread throughout parts of Africa. Yet why is FGM now encouraged to continue and performed by women? Because women in Africa do most of the work - they build the houses, get firewood and water, care for the house, cook and care for children. They find little else in their lives they are able to control. The answer lies with the empowerment of women so they can make better decisions for their lives and their families. It is a wonderful opportunity for the churches to become places of healing, teaching and empowerment especially for the women. Yet there are some churches in Africa where FGM is not talked about and even some pastors are giving in to the cultural norms and sending their girls out to be circumcised. Circumcision for girls can also be seen as a spiritual attack by the enemy to attempt to destroy lives, physical and emotional health and marriage, the beautiful symbol of God's love.

Some traditions can certainly be changed with the beauty of their culture staying in tact so their identities still remain strong. God celebrates each unique culture, and they in turn worship and glorify God in their own unique way. Churches have changed culture and traditions for years; this is both a blessing and a tragedy. People are transformed when they decide to follow Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet they still glorify God with their culture. We must be very careful how we as missionaries start to influence and change people's traditions and culture. For centuries we have devastated cultures through either our ignorance or ethnnocentricity. Are we replacing their old traditions with our (just as old) western traditions like wearing suits and ties and singing 18th Century English hymns? Imagine if we told the Masai to stop dancing and to stop wearing beads? What a tragedy. Here is a short video of Masai Church. It brings both sadness to me and joy that they still worship with the beauty of their culture yet you can see the influence of western church practices that are not necessarily even biblical. An interesting discussion raised in the book I am writing on discipleship speaks to the question of what church should look like in different communities around the world.

Mara West is a beautiful camp where you live in tents and are surrounded each night by wild animals and a gazillion stars while being protected from the lions, elephants and leopards who wander through camp by a Masai Moran Warrior. Some mornings I would watch the sunrise down over the Mara from the porch of the 24-7 Prayer Room. The tent was surrounded by zebras, wildebeest, antelope grazing and monkeys playing. The prayer room was based on the illustration of the Blood Covenant to reveal the love of God for us from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. Livingstone first described the African Tribal Blood Covenant as never being broken (it was an agreement for life) and is almost identical to the Hebrew Blood Covenant as found between David and Jonathan and Abraham and God. The prayer room showed how the marriage vows/covenant of today is symbolically identical to the African and Hebrew Blood Covenants. When we believe in the New Covenant which is symbolized by the marriage of Christ to the church it reveals the incredible love God has for us because he will never break this covenant. The benefits of agreeing/believing in this covenant are incredible and the promises are profound. For more information visit my website www.BlissfulMinistries.com.

I danced with the Masai, kissed a giraffe, visited an elephant orphanage, crossed the equator at an altitude of 9100 chilly feet, saw and learned about Africa's largest slum Kibera and visited Kendu Hosptial where I fell in love with baby Douglas who is HIV+ but hopefully in two years with the right nutrition will be HIV-. We spent a day in Lake Nakuru National Reserve where we saw rare Rothschild's giraffe, white rhinos and flamingos. Then off to spend time with the kids at Mary and Ivan Budilica's Mission in Action orphanage. It was so beautiful to hear as we put them to bed 'can you please pray with me' and 'me too', 'me too'. I had the opportunity to preach at Maxwell Academy in Nairobi on Hearing the Voice of God and inspired them to build a permanent prayer room in the girls dormitory which they love.

Unforgettable.

Whats Coming Up?

For those who would like to go on safari there is another expedition run by Bob and Joy Butler that is going for 11 days from March 30 to April 11 2010. My mom is going! Enjoy!

If you would like to donate to any of the above causes please email me.

If you would like to see 1st album pictures of the trip to schools and hospital in Kenya or pictures of the 2nd album 24-7 Prayer Room, Art of Kenya, and the Animals on Safari click here.


Please Pray:

• For FGM to cease and also the other attacks of the enemy through blood, cutting, witchcraft and the destruction of marriage and family.For more girls to receive sponsorship to go to school in Africa.
• For the slums (estimated worldwide that 600 million children slum dwellers by 2015) for programs for missionaries and for help for the kids.
  
• For Christians to stand for peace when violence erupts in their communities and for war to end in African countries. Some directly caused by the sale of diamonds.
• Pray that Christians will choose not to buy into this corrupt industry. For the communities in Africa to openly talk about issues such as HIV, sexual abuse, battery, multiple wives, wife inheritance, the empowerment of women, for poverty to end, for people to learn how to pray and hear God's voice and that true discipleship will become a way of life.

Nicki has just been interviewed on a worldwide radio station called Crossroads (www.3abnradio.org) It will be scheduled at various times in the coming months. It is an hour long! Please pray people will be listening, challenged and inspired! She is talking about prayer rooms, hearing God's voice, her Africa experiences and discipleship.

Nicki is also needing to raise support for 2010. She continues to live her life as a disciple, listening to God's voice and following him to the ends of the earth sharing the gospel and setting people free through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. She needs the help of the Body of Christ to do this as she lives only on donations. If you would like to donate with direct deposit or send a check please visit her website at www.BlissfulMinistries.com

She is currently writing a book titled: A Pocket Guide for Travelers - Everything I Wished I Knew Before My First Mission Trip. It mixes travel tips and cultural awareness with discipleship guides. It challenges the way mission trips are currently done and calls for Biblical discipleship to be the way we evangelize and do missions overseas. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as she writes.

I look forward to the coming adventures of 2010 and I pray you do too! Have a life changing year, drawing closer to God every day, listening to his voice and being abundantly blessed by a God who adores you.

Nicki Carleton
I Believe!

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