The Father and the field

Chelsea Chaisson
Mar 7, 2018
16 min read

Video 1: Enjoy videos from my recent activities on the field in this Feb footage Video 2: Here's a bit of a dream piece I did with the Lord on how I want to engage, embrace, and empower kingdom kids in and around "the field". My last time making a video colab was titled Justice vs injustice 2013 (same year I learned about ywam, the link is attached in another one of my blogs), looks like the Lord didn't want me to just learn about both sides but to BE His justice, his hands and feet on the field. This project was for my Justice DTS track, we shall see how it unfolds through the years.

Luke 15: 11-32 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’But the father said to his servants ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Personally, I don't want to be as the prodigal ever again, squandering my inheritance, identified as a sinner, wasting my time and money on worthless pursuits, nor do I want to be so caught up in ministry and being a "difference maker", identified as a saint, that I am still in fact, not with the Father or in his house, at his party. No, if I go into the fields I know who I will find, for I too was once there, a minister of the gospel, tenacious and actually burnt out, a laborer or slave to works, or I may find my old self who was so sinful and unholy that I became a slave to fear and destruction...I want to stay with the father in the party, but He wants me to walk with him straight to the fields and roads leading to Abba father's house embracing the one on both sides, the worthy and the unworthy, meeting then and inviting them into the party and house as they are both sinners saved by grace and yet fully sons, coheirs with Christ where we are the Father's and all that is the Father is ours.

I don't want the make the story about me or my ohana, I want to tell of Jesus and the big Ohana we are all welcomed in, the Father and his house, the eternal city. Whatever side you may find yourself, I can relate, but I am here to stir your heart to hunger for A, the Father and B, His house & party.

Before I continue with this blog, enjoy some photos for context.

California:

My brother Kenny! This photo totally captures the essence of the title, "the Father and the field"

Cali ohana roommates (Louisiana, BC, MX)

My elders and beloved brothers in this huge God ohana (Hawaii, Montana, Louisiana)

Photo 1 that symbolizes my new Hawaiian name Kalamakukui (light bearer, oil)

What's in a name? Photo 2 that symbolizes my new Hawaiian name given to me by my new uncle from Hawaii

Wearing gifts given to me by various native fathers of the faith. To be a recipient of grace, love, and honor truly is contagious. ("He gave me a ring and a robe")

A painting in Angelus temple, prohetically emphasizing WHEN FATHER RUNS INTO THE FIELD, THROWS A PARTY, MAKES A CITY HIS DWELLING PLACE, a place of refuge, his eternal city

My new British Columbia sis/ roomy while in Cali +pictured with my mom

I've longed to visit this place since my high school days

Echo park, once a dark place, now clean and prosperous unto God's glory and the city's delight

I went from snowballs in Louisiana to shave ice in Hawaii to snow cone in California!

In God's kingdom we can simultaneously be Student and teacher.

Preaching on Luke 6:47-48

Reunion with my California cousin!

Giving God my native dance with sisters and brothers sporting many colors, tribes, and tongues

The view from Angelus Temple Hispanic

My Louisiana family

In the kingdom of heaven, we give our lives unto death and thus receive life.

A soon to be eternal city! A city of the SON

We are the light of the world, the city on the hill that cannot be hidden, shine your light and let the whole wold see. In this photo, I am standing in Angelus Temple Hispanic allowing the stained glass windows to soak on my skin and shine forth in this selfie. See the cross on the word "awaken"?

Above : Foursquare Native Connection hangs

Below: Meet up with my Holy Spirit fire friend and sis from NEW ZEALAND Jo.

The canteen finally made its way to me from Louisiana, thanks @Mcdowells, it has been a conversational piece and doubles as a drum with kiddos.

If you would like to donate towards helping us get SD cards in these various languages to hand out in our outreach in Cambodia to those God leads, please specify to me how much of the funds you send to me are to go towards this specific mission initiative. We will need to have them purchased at least two weeks prior to March 20th in order to insure the time it takes to make these SD cards at our UofN campus before we leave March 25th!!

God not only provided for my YWAM lecture phase Jan-March but He has paved the way for the outreach phase as well April-June. I just need $350 then this second outreach fee (YELLOW) IS PAID IN FULL.

Praise the Lord, He blessed me to be able to purchase my typhoid vaccines! I still have miscellaneous needs like funds for a Bible Core Course (I'll be a teacher of English but a student with locals for this course, 3 months school in Poipet base with local khmer), laundry while in Cambodia, Cambodian phone plan to keep connected to my outreach team, but I am not worried, God is the provider and I have seen him come through time and time again.

Thank you for believing with me and for partnering either in Prayer, donation, or encouragement in any way, shape, or form. I will still need prayer and financial partners into July-December as I’ll be considered Cambodia base YWAM staff (only $250 a month needed for those last 6 months of 2018).

Hawaii:

This past week, just days after returning from Cali, students and staff alike celebrated Jesus publicly via baptisms in the Pacific Ocean! Jesus OHANA gathered around in the water or on the pier to cheer on and champion these warriors and there testimonies of faith! It is the most beautiful of imagery, when Heaven and earth collide, field and Father...BAPTISM= where dead things come alive. I love that we were in such a public venue. We definitely planted seed to the crowds forming and asking questions to some of us, “what is this? “What does this mean? “Who are you?”

The place of this very blog @ the UofN Prayer room during an all night Burn (worship and prayer)

Blog continued:

I'm living in the tension between a heaven and earth reality. On the one hand I am living in a bubble full of the goodness of God, where faith is the norm and fear is to be overcome. Then, I step outside into the so called real-world and suddenly quiet down and deeply question...what the heck do we have in here, truly...and why arent we sharing it? Recently I took a brief trip from the Big Island back to the mainland. My new rhythm of life in Hawaii as a YWAM student suddenly a distant memory. Now I was to come face to face with blood and denominational family again, my life as a student aside, I was stepping into a few more promises from God and becoming a teacher again. Somehow in leaving my blood relatives behind in Louisiana this past January, I knew that I truly didn't lose them as God was big enough to keep us by His Spirit and in His time could make a way to bring us together. I knew that I had entered into a new season of faith last year into this past January where THE GOODNESS OF GOD truly flows out freely, where one gets plane tickets covered, food provided, transportation, and lodging. Yet I know the trip to California didn't come about because of anything that I had done, could do, or am, it came simply because God is good, and when we step into God's will for our lives, God covers it all and paves the way smoothly. So I stepped off of one island inside of a Jesus faith bubble and stepped right into another one. The power of God truly ministered to my calling, destiny, life, and renewed a sense of faith and encouraged me to keep trusting God with my life. The Lord gave me a message to share that had been burning in my soul especially since leaving Louisiana and my loved ones behind...like Abraham, I had to follow God to this new land, Hawaii, now, very soon, Cambodia and this journey was to be a testimony to share there of building my life on Christ my Rock.

In California, God held me together tightly and more than invited me into a beautiful Ohana filled with natives from/ of Hawaii, the Americas, and even New Zealand. Here in Cali, I was given gifts and even a new name. I was noticed and loved, very similarely to the way I've been noticed and loved in Louisiana, and in my YWAM OHANA (around the world and Hawaii).

In Cali, I shared lodging with my parents, a British Columbian, Mexican, and a Kiwi. We became Ohana through gift giving, story telling, eating, sharing the bathroom, similarly to the Ohana activities me and my 3 roommates in Hawaii share. In California, the time was brief but the connections and conversations were very meaningful and impacting. I ended up briefly at the Dream center and was offered a free meal, which me and my mom took. My heart was eager to share a meal here and perhaps with someone of the street.

The lady I sat next to in the dream Center caf didn't speak English, she finished her plate and left before I had time to really engage. At least I had 3 Hershey kisses to hand her before she left. We women love chocolate, so I wasn't surprised when she took it, smiled, and left. Then another lady sat next to my mom, I was eager. Finally someone who needs what I have...nope, she's staff and a Christian at the Dream center. We chatted with her and she gave me and my mom a brief tour of the place.

A takeaway-I just loved that the street folk had known the Dream center as I had meet a few street folks just before actually going to it/& the center's thrift store was nice and clean. This reminded me of Hawaii life as well. Many people especially of the street right away pick us out and ask us if we are ywam. I have seen people come to our Ohana Court on Mondays or Thursdays for corporate prayer and worship gatherings. In both lands, We, Christians, are known in our neck of the woods hopefully because we have something beautiful to present to the world. I truly loved my time in California and I love being back in Hawaii, but I can't help but feel a little sad as to why WE get to live in such kingdom luxury of ohana, and provisions, and peace, and lodging, and our buildings, when the lost and hurting are seemingly more numerous than the stars all around us outside of the "house". They unknowingly long for this peace and love, joy, family, and faith we so wealthily carry. If I'm honest, this week I have been wrestling, in this tension of 'I want to be in Louisiana again where things are predictable, family is known, friends are close, streets are safe, kids are mentored...' but 'I know that God is holding down the fort there and pushing back darkness so much so that I'm actually not needed there.'

I read a quote recently, "wherever I'm needed the most, that's where I want to go."

Yes, Louisiana, Hawaii, and California have need, trust me walking in California's streets briefly with my mom or in Hawaii near homeless folk sleeping right on our base footsteps, I see the need, hear it, yet I know that God has got it covered there/here. Yes looking into the western world, we are essentially in the "house", or at least have initiatives bridging those in the the fields with the Father. Or do we really? My burning bush...the Lord Gave me a revelation recently while I was @ the burn prayer and worship gathering at the upper ywam Kona UofN campus.

The Lord led me to walk the steps up the campus, to the prayer room, it was representing my journey, these steps. I came up sweating and feeling strong, and was immediately greeted by ohana. Then I walk out to the soccer field which represents the mission field or unreached, those who don't know Jesus nor have the Bible in their own language, etc, "the lost of the world". He lead me there to look at the mountains in the north, east, west, where in the distance I can see the crowds, the people, the lights, the world, surrounded in darkness. Just to the literal south of me, I see the UofN campus, full of peace, blooming even at literal night, a place where the presence of God is at the center; it's a hub of prayer and worship, literally, day and night.

God took me to the field, and I saw that in order to reach them, "the lost", we need this hub, or hubs like this, resting places for the presence of God. Suddenly I heard a noise and saw a cat coming my way as I stand in the middle of the soccer field. This cat seemed curious and sneakily watched me, then came a little closer and closer. I was eating almonds and started to call for the cat.

Growing up, I loved cats, but came to discover they were not trustworthy, but were in fact manipulative and dangerous animals.

Naturally, as I saw this cat I was dismayed. "What should I do Lord?" I wondered, "should I scare it away or beckon it towards me?". I could hardly see in this moonlight cloudy night. I waited there while suddenly another cat came forth. They seemed to fight with one another then both took off running wild on this field.

Earlier this very day, I had played sort of capture the flag with some friends and had fresh adrenaline and strategy in my belt. I wasn't so fearful of these cats, I was just more cautious and curious, not turning my full back on them. Besides the Lord was showing me how people of the world, prostitutes, gang bangers, drug dealers, pimps, "Johns", etc. act as if their identity is one of an animal. They treat others viciously and truly try to just survive in life, in fear, flight, or fight mode all the while the Father invites them into His hub.

They, "the lost", aren't scary though they may have claws, sharp teeth, & fast moves; they are small children at heart and are misinformed on their true identity as children of God is all.

So I watch these cats fight amongst themselves then run straight across the field together on the opposite side of me. I can't see them as well here and I wonder what to do. I've fed animals before with good and bad experiences attached and so I waited for Abba to tell me what to do. I took out 3 almonds held them in my hand and discussed with God the options, "do I really want to feed them up close or should I just toss it to them from where they are".

Before I could think further they sprinted towards me and in that moment I hit my water canteen, the one pictured above that doubles for a drinking well and drum, and immediately they dashed away...my only weapon was the sound of my well, quite literally and spiritually speaking. I stood my ground and hit the drum canteen once more. The sound of there fast bodies was quite thunderous, so I decided to leave a seed of those almonds right where I was on the ground and left the field. Immediately leaving the field and walking the concrete pavements of the campus, I felt stronger and more at peace here.

Yet, God showed me something...yes, I am to go into a dark world with food to sew into the fields for the hungry, truly without fear but with confidence because the weapons of my warfare aren't carnal, but when I tap into the well-that is the living Word of God, all the while praising the God who lives, Jesus, -there is a sound released that freaks out the enemy and reminds the world of the power of God, through confident sons and daughters, all animal natures flee and children are invited into "the house".

Guess what though, as I walked back to UofN, the joyous laughter and fellowship I heard and saw from students was God's reminder to me that we were all apart from God before we came here ourselves. We were living life as if we were animals, surviving and fighting, fleeing, and freezing before we entered in His house, His party.

As I was in the field, I impacted these cats with my sound, but left a seed and walked onwards toward the campus, which was like "the city of the Lord". They knew where to find me, or rather the food which I had, it's in this city, open to the public, free to all, standing as a beacon of light and a city of hope, where when people come in, they lay aside their animal tendancies, and truly become sons and daughters, truly humans, like Jesus. Here they learn in a Kingdom culture, like a school, where the children teach and are students at the same time. Not for their own sake but for the building up of believers so that all can then go out into the very world/ fields from which they came and make disciples, of the nations, inviting all off the field and into the Father's house. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."- Matthew 5:5 The tension I mentioned earlier was that of a righteous anger. It's not right to keep these keys to the literal kingdom of God to myself. I know where the well is, I've found the weapon of warfare, I know a place of faith where no fear abides or survives. I am equipped and wise to face the world confident that the enemy can't steal the patches I have on me, as I'm too wise like a serpent and harmless like a dove to fall for his tricks or ways of ganging up. Why? Because I know who I am, who's I am, and where I'm from. I am fully human and dead to sin, thus alive in Christ. I'm a child armored with a voice and a sound that penetrates and freaks out the darkness or those acting like wild animals. I help stir up hunger in a dying and thirsty world. I have eternal bread and enough to share to those I meet on the field. I must go to the field to stir up hunger and lead the lost ultimately back to my resting place, my home of refuge and strength, the very presence of God, this city of God where sons and daughters become kings and queens. As the Father left his house or the party to invite His sons in, I too want to leave my rights, comforts, and dreams to invite God's children into their true purpose, identity...into a place where they can learn, while also teaching, in meekness, inheriting the earth, enjoying not just the house but ultimately right relationship with their heavenly Father.

So what does this look like, those of the field colliding with the Father? A city on a hill that cannot be hidden. I'm praying for that to be the case in my new Cambodian abode. That it will be a city on a hill, where sons and daughters come in because of hunger, and leave changed so much so that they go out into the fields and do likewise, sharing their food, fully equipped, and confident to lead and lure others onto the path onward, to home, to the eternal city, the place of God's dwelling, literally and spiritually speaking. In this place, there is ohana, there are roommies, blood relatives and those that Abba aligns. Here, they'll give you a new name, celebrate you. Of course we aren't all in the eternal city to stay there unto ourselves, but we will go out into the field again and again and invite others into the party of the father, where the Father is provider, leader, lover, friend, and OHANA.

In Cambodia we are going to be doing just that, embracing those in the markets or churches, inviting them into our literal abode to teach them English, learn from them khmer, and together dig deep into the world via the Bible Core course. We will embrace the prostitutes and the pastors. Why? Because we are all ohana, sinners saved by grace, kids of the one true king.

Not just any old "Cat" but Aslan standing side by side His son, cohier, a prince in Aslan's house/ this weekend I watched the Chronicles of Narnia with kiddos from "the field" and in "the field"

Movie night with the Marshallese, this photo speaks "eternal city of God"! And a quote from Lewis on Aslan in his book,'is he tame? No! But he is good"

Homelessness is very common here in Hawaii. This field is crying out.

On route to that movie night with the Marshallese with a great crew, going from our Hub to theirs.♥️

Kingdom OHANA where We have so many differences and yet can have so much in common! These fellow YWAM peers/ladies are beautiful and a blast to hang with!