August 2007

Our summer outreach programs with the children’s and ladies got off to a magnificent start this month. We all are very excited about what God has already begun to do, not only within the children and ladies but, also within us. Months before heading up the children’s ministries, I found myself praying intensely about leadership. I knew that I was willing to pick-up the slack in this area, but deep within I knew that children’s ministries was not one of my better callings. Yet, I was willing to do whatever God had placed into my hands so that His work would continue. Evidently, God loves to test our availability towards Him just to see if we would be willing to work for Him even if it means getting out of our comfort zone. After praying and seeking God for His anointing through the teaching and leading of this study on “Salvation,” Trudy and I started working together weeks prior to our first program to make sure we had all our “T’s” crossed and “I’s” dotted. As Trudy and I discuss which songs would be appropriate, she asked if she could use the guitar. As Trudy sat there playing the song “Our God is an Awesome God” and singing it from the bottom of her heart, unexpectedly the Holy Spirit said to me, “She is the One.” Now, I found myself sitting there hearing Trudy sing but more importantly listening to the Holy Spirit. I was reminded, by the Spirit’s prompting, of a prayer time one night last December with Diane Smoot and her team members. They were praying with me for the ministry when Pastor Gary spoke a Word regarding the children’s ministries. In his word he said, “God would now lift up that one that has been afraid to step forward in children’s ministries.” I was listening so deeply to the Holy Spirit that I had not realized that Trudy had finished singing the song and was waiting for my response. Indeed, she had performed wonderfully. I could not help to question her as to why she had worked two years for us and had never mentioned she could play the guitar and sing as I was witnessing at that moment. Then miraculously again I heard, “Ask her is she the one?” By now she had already went back to playing the song when I interrupted to ask “Are you the one?” She looked up with a shocked look on her face and said, “What do you mean?” Three times I asked and then she said, “Yes, I am the one.” Excitingly, she began to raise her hands toward heaven and looking up she said, “Praise God I finally said it.” A look of relief came over her face as she spoke those words. Then, she began telling me of the night (without me saying anything) when the team prayed over me and how she felt and knew then that God wanted her to teach the children, but she was afraid to voice it aloud to God or me. Suddenly, there was a different light being shown within that office and we both stopped to pray for God’s blessing and anointing upon the leadership for the children’s ministries. New things are now taking place each week as Trudy yields to the call that God has placed upon her heart. Years of volunteering with Ms. Lyn, before she became staff, is now becoming visualized as to why God places people within our paths. I have noticed that Trudy has her own style of teaching the children. I can say for sure she has taken up the torch and is now doing an exceptional job of leading the children’s ministries each week. Our first week into the children’s program we had a packed room and when we gave the altar call we had seven children come forward to give their hearts to Jesus. To God be all the Glory!

We have now kick-off the computer classes, but we have run into some difficulty. We still have only two computers because the others were not able to be repaired. Please, pray with us regarding these classes. The children love this time even though it is only two computers for the moment. I am taken back as to how well the children are doing with the course. We are in need of more computers and tables so that we can sit the classroom up properly. As of now, we have made make-shift tables by using old stools we had at the foundation and some of the old left-over lumber in the building. Please pray with us that we will get funding to find some old second-hand table and computers. Also, we need tables for the children’s ministries because, while I am tea

ching computer, Trudy works with the other children in activity time. This is also new for the children because we have always been outdoors and was not able to teach arts and crafts. The children love this time, but at the moment they are having to get on their knees and use their chairs for coloring. Please help us pray that God will provide these extra materials so that what God has placed upon our hearts will be successful.

Our ladies Bible studies started off with a blast as we opened our first program with around 20 ladies. The Holy Spirit pressed on my heart that the opening session should be used in demonstrating how we can freely receive God’s free gift of salvation. Trudy and I gathered gift items from the humanitarian building to use as object lessons. Our first week was to introduce our study materials. Also, we demonstrated that God has provided a free gift for us all, but in order to receive we must willingly come forward to take what has been given. For those of us who have been in church all our lives, that may sound a little elementary, but I have seen a need to make these studies as simple as possible so that the message can be perceptible.

Also, this month I was praying that we would be able to purchase Bibles for the ladies. I wanted to be able to provide each of them with a large print complete Bible. It wasn’t long afterwards that I was talking to Mrs. Wanda Martin on the computer program “Skype” about our need for Bibles that she told me; they would put the project before their church. Within a day she calls and tells me to purchase the Bibles. We have already purchased them and have them in our office ready for our next session. What a marvelous blessing for these ladies to receive a full version/large print Bible. Nevertheless, these Bibles have gone up to around $15.00 each so it is much more difficult to purchase Bibles than in the past. Thank you, Pastor Dave and Mrs. Wanda for your willing hearts to help with this project.

Thank you all for your monthly support through your prayers and financial gifts. We are truly grateful to God for using you in such a remarkable way to help us continue to share the love of Jesus. Each month as we minister through all the different programs we cannot help to remember that if God had not used you financially we would not be able to go and teach of God’s precious gift of salvation. Thank you so much for allowing God to use you. We love you and pray for a rich return on what you have sown into this ministry.

· Continue to pray with us regarding the high raise of inflation?

· Continue to pray for the construction work on the building in Ferma Larga.

· Continue to pray for the Ladies Bible Studies and children’s weekly programs.

· Continue to pray for the weekly computer classes and our need for computers and tables.