Paul's Recap of Tijuana

   Thank you to everyone who supported and prayed for me on my Tijuana Missions trip. It was an amazing time where God came and encountered Tijuana on so many levels. When we live our lives in faith and take radical risk it’s amazing how He continually comes and blesses us and other people beyond what we thought was even possible.

   On the first day, I had an encounter with the Lord that forever changed me. I learned that if I never did any great miracles or led anyone to Jesus on the entire trip that I am accepted and loved by my Father. I feel like it shook my identity in a  wonderful way. The great thing is though, God still loves to do miracles and loves people so much that He was going to use me to show them. We had so many miracles happen, but I’m going to share a couple that rocked me to the core.

   On Friday, we went to a church where joy was not in the building. You could tell they were sincere, but were not experiencing the love or joy of our Father. I was on my way to the bathroom during worship (don’t judge me), when I saw a lady coming out of the bathroom with crutches. So I asked her what was going on (and couldn’t really understand-I don’t speak Spanish) so I just decided to pray for her knee. I put my hand on her knee and command pain to go. I asked her how it felt and she says there was “fuego” on it, which means “heat or fire”. I said, “that’s good,” then I get this thought to blow on it. I put my hand on her knee and blew and felt it popping. She started crying and said it was completely better! By the end of the night the church was so touched by Papa’s joy they were all dancing (including the lady who came in on crutches). Isn’t God awesome?- He will use us even in the bathroom.

   On Saturday we did an outreach at Revolution Street, which is the red light district. I saw people get healed and God used me to bring several people to an encounter with the Lord and that caused them to surrender their lives. We even saw a couple transvestites give their lives to God. I love how He doesn’t discriminate. On Sunday, we had an amazing church service where several people got healed. Then we went to the hospital where a gang member/heroin user gave his life to God and saw about 15 additional healings.

   One healing at the hospital that really was crazy. There was a little boy who was 13 and had broken his collar-bone that day. He was standing outside with his dad who had called us over because he himself had had his knees healed in the waiting room. Three people were praying for the boy when I had the thought again to blow on his shoulder (reasoning that as believers if Christ is in us, we have the breath of Christ). So our translator asked him permission and he said sure. So I blew on his shoulder and he said he felt electricity. I said, “that’s a good sign, lets me do it again”. So as I blew, I had my hands on his shoulder and literally felt his bones pop back into place. We asked him to try it out. When he lifted his hands with no pain his face dropped. He started swinging his arms and was completely healed. That was our last day in Tijuana, but it didn’t stop there. Our team got to host a service at a Vineyard Church in Laguna Niguel where we saw lots of people get saved and healed. The one thing I really experienced on this trip is that when God heals he heals the whole person!

Theo Judah Lanphier

   So mind-boggling to see that the last post I made baby Theo was still in my tummy (the 40 week pics)! I really love reading people's birth stories so just stop here if you don't. I don't want to scar anyone with graphic birth details/pics ;)
   As I wrote before, I was scheduled to go into the hospital Sunday night and then they would start me on Pitocin Monday morning. My mom literally got into Redding from Sacramento at about 6 pm and my brother Turner and her came up to the hospital for moral support. I am convinced that Theo literally waited until his 'Nonnie' was present before even thinking about being born!

Checked in.

Happily not feeling any contractions at this point...

   7 pm I was hooked up to the monitor and our nurse was surprised to find I was having regular contractions 5 minutes apart- I couldn't even feel them! I was thrilled because we had been praying that I would go into labor naturally- I really wanted that experience. My mom and brother left for the night and Paul and I tried to get some sleep- 'tried' because at 2:30 am my water broke and let me just discreetly say that: that was an experience! As my contractions got stronger they gave me something through my IV for pain, so I was a little buzzed. Also, no one tells you that your water breaking can continue for an extended period of time. I may or may not have told Paul through some tears that I felt like a 'juice box' !?! Yes, I am very sensitive to narcotics. I was evidently pretty upset with the levels of fluids they were shooting into me as well because it was revealed to me that I also confided in Paul that there was a hospital conspiracy to make pregnant women look 'puffy' when they were giving birth. I do remember Paul nodding sympathetically and asking if we could discuss it later... It must have not been a pressing issue to me because it didn't come back up.

Feeling the burn

   So from 2:30 am until 9:30 am I rode out the contractions with no longer than 3 minute intervals of rest and was getting really worn down. Also, my Dr. had them put me on Pitocin at 6 am even though I was in labor to speed up the process. The pain was manageable and I was progressing quickly (for a first time mom), but decided at 9:30 am to get the epidural and I thank the Lord above for modern medicine. It was as if liquid gold was poured into my back and I gave our anesthesiologist a fond nick-name "the candy man." For the rest of the morning and until lunch time I rested and enjoyed my family. Paul, my mom, and brother Turner spent the whole day with me. We listened to worship music, they ate (I had broth), and talked together. I literally felt like there was a blanket of peace in the room and just was so excited about meeting my baby. If you know me, this is a big deal since I HATE hospitals, needles, and PAIN with a FIERCE FIERCE PASSION.
  Our nurse that day was excellent. Pam had a very dry sense of humor and was very type A personality, but she knew her stuff. She had been a labor and delivery nurse for 27 years and worked 3 shifts at the hospital and also taught at the nursing school. It was crazy how she predicted the timing of my progressions so accurately. 
   Finally, at 2:30 pm I was at 10 cm dilated and it was time to push. We decided that Turner (my 19 year old bro) would stand waaaaaaaay far up by my head to take pics and record while my mom and hubby stayed at my side. Turner has since said that being present for Theo's birth was the best experience of his life. I pushed for 1 hour and by 3:29 they were saying "look down! here he comes!" Let me just say that there is absolutely nothing in the entire world that could prepare me for seeing my baby for the first time. As the doctor grabbed him and held him up I started weeping with such an intense flood of love that I felt like my heart was going to explode. It was the single greatest moment of my entire life. We all cried, but I cried the hardest. I cried because my son was perfect, I cried because he was safely in my arms, I cried because it was so special to have my family there, and I also cried because I was so darn happy I had gotten an epidural and didn't have to feel a nearly 9 lb baby come out of me (and not to brag, but no stitches were needed).

Almost there...

Here he is!!

No words!

So in love.

This was the sweetest thing... EVER!

    Like I said, having my mom and brother there was amazing because it feels like you can never describe how wonderful a moment like that was. It's nice to know that with them we don't have to try- they were experiencing it right alongside us!

Theo meet Nonnie!

Theo meet Uncle Turney!

   If you have been following my pregnancy post on this blog you will know that we didn't have a name picked out- and we weren't lying! We really and truly did not decide on 'Theo' until about an hour after he was born. Paul was very adamant that we name him quickly so he didn't feel like he "had no identity" ;) We had 3 options we really liked, but when Theo came we knew what his name should be. I'm not going to lie to you, "Theo" is not his full name. His birth certificate reads "Theophilus Judah Lanphier." Theophilus is referred to in the gospels and means "loved by God," "friend of God," and "lover of God" depending on which book you look at (not a bad set of meanings though right!?!) However, we don't want him made fun of on his first day of school and so he will go by Theo ;). Judah his middle name, means "praise" and also refers to the biblical reference of the "lion of the tribe of Judah." My brother Turner asked Paul and I over the summer if we liked the name Theophilus when we heard it mentioned at school one day (Bethel). The funny thing is a few days later my dad was preaching to his youth group out of the book of Luke and came across the name and jokingly told everyone "Theophilus will probably be my grandson's name." He had no clue that we were actually considering it! I do think he came out looking like a Theo though:

Baby Theo not a happy camper.

   One of my favorite things about being a parents is that I get to do it with Paul. My mom has commented so many times how calm and patient he is with me (I was freaking out the first night home about Theo not getting enough to eat). Paul is such a natural with Theo (and me ;) )and constantly wanting to hold him and love on him. It is so fun to hear all the things he say to Theo. We already have a million more nicknames for him too. We are absolutely obsessed and have had more than one moment crying together because we can't believe how much we love we feel for him... it's literally almost scary. So now this blog has added on a new Lanphier... there are officially 3 "Lanphiers Remembering" from now on...

Theo. Born 2/20/12 at 3:29 pm 8 lbs 7.7 oz 21 inches

Paul's Missions Trip to Tijuana

   So of course I had to post my husbands prayer letter he sent out by email to my blog. It's a big deal! Missions trip :) I want to remember it! Please pray for him if you think of it and me too since I"ll have a one-month old baby :) I love how he writes...

“I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” -John Wesley

   Nine months ago, Emily and I moved to Redding, Ca. We were praying about the next season of our lives and we felt the Lord saying Redding. We had heard a little bit about Bethel because of Jesus Culture and the music, but other than that we were very naïve-and thank God for that! We had never heard of a fire tunnel or people singing in the Spirit, or a grace-filled environment and the biggest change was this thing called a Culture of Honor.

   When you grow up in churches that value law over love a lot of life is based on keeping the rules and performing. So I became really good at this while convincing myself that I was free. I wanted to make sure that my outside appearance matched up with what the church thought it should look like instead of what Jesus thought. This caused an unnatural need to succeed, driven-ness, judgment of others, and comparing because in church good behavior and success is matched with spiritual promotion. So when we got to Bethel, the Spirit-filled life they were living didn’t match up with mine. Can you guess who changed? I started learning about my identity in Christ and that I am no longer a sinner, but a Saint who is called to co-labor with Christ. I started learning that Jesus actually trusts me and didn’t need to control me, but wanted to love me. So, to say that my life has been changed would be an understatement.

   Now when I share about the fire of Christ I am living it out daily in love and experience and I desire to share this love with those around me. I want everyone to know that they are royalty- sons and daughters of the King. They are called to a life of greatness and power in His name. With the encounter I’ve had I owe the world an encounter. So, if you feel led, I am asking you to pray for me and/or give money to my Mission’s trip to Tijuana. It costs $400 (I only need $300 more). We are going to Mexico to share the love of God, set the captives free, heal the sick, cast our demons, and enjoy the Acts 2 experience with our soon-to-be brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that as you read this you start to encounter the loving nature of God and feel your destiny being called out. God is setting fires everywhere and he wants to consume you. You’re amazing and any thoughts that don’t line up with that have to go.  The quote at the very beginning is how I want to live my life. I want people and myself to be consumed by the loving fire of our God.

Thanks for your consideration!
Love and Blessings,

Paul Lanphier

Here is the Bethel link if you’d like to give towards my missions trip to Tijuana (March 27- April 3):

https://www.ibssm.org/?action=donate&target=missions&student_id=213444

Here is the link if you feel led to give towards my school tuition (excess donation to missions trips cannot be applied to tuition, but extra tuition money can be applied toward missions).

https://www.ibssm.org/a/donate/secure-form?student_id=213444&target=tuition

COME HOME PAUL

   I miss Paul. I may try and put a brave front on, but I seriously cry myself to sleep everynight, I've quit eating and I have written about 20 love poems to him.. and it's only day 11! Ok-JK! but I seriously miss him.    

   He and Keith have left Alaska and are in San Francisco. He calls me two times a day and texts me all the time so at least I feel connected. It's HARD but hey at least we like each other :)

   What am I doing in the mean time?: Spending time with my momma, watching movies with the family, getting together with friends, enjoying meeting with various WAG girls, hanging out with my sis-in-law Sarah and my nieces Delaney and Aves, running, reading, and working.

   We'll keep this post short and sweet. I'll write more later- Over and OUT!