I arrived in Namibia on August 30th, having left Kim and Breanna in the USA. My desire was to work on walking through some open doors so that we could get our work permits, as well as to scout around for a school for Breanna and for housing. I was also wanting to meet the leaders of the church here and the other missionaries.
God has really blessed and I was able to do much of this and the icing on the cake was a conference on the HOly Spirit. I didn't know about it when I originally planned my trip to Namibia, but it just so happened that it coincided with this conference up in Otjiwarango. It was phenomenal! A whole week of daily workshops on the Holy Spirit and Pentecost, and then in the evenings we had pentecostal services.
What powerful manifestations of the Spirit there were. At one altar call when the speaker was talking I could feel the Spirit of God all over me in such a powerful manner that I couldn't wait to lay hands on the lady in front of me. All I could think about was, "Wow, when I lay pray over this lady, is she gonna get sloshed in the Spirit." I didn't even get a chance to pray for her. The manifestation of the Spirit was so strong that she fell down under the power even before I got a chance to lay hands on her.
A whole bunch of children responded to the altar call, so they said, "Kids, go over to that corner and Pastor Mark will pray for you. When the kids came over I started praying over them and they started going down one after the other. I thought, "Well, you know how kids are. One sees the other one fall down, so they go down." I didn't want it to be someone just copying someone else, and I wanted to make sure that these kids were really getting a hold of God. So the next kid that I prayed for that fell down, I lifted back up and asked him, "Why did you fall down."
The child responded, "Ohhh, it's the Lord."
I said, "The Lord, the Holy Spirit? Do you feel Him?"
The child responded again, motioning in a circular motion on his chest. "Yes, I can feel Him right here!"
I told the boy (about 9 years old), "Listen, this time I'm going to pray for you, but don't fall down. Just stand there and talk to Jesus about how much you love HIm."
As I started praying for the young boy, whoosh, he went down again and you could see him on the ground with his mouth moving, praising the Lord, speaking in tongues.
Then, a woman put her three year old in front of me. "Pray for my daughter too! she said."
I thought, "This kid doesn't have a clue about what's going on. She even looks a little afraid. But, Jesus never turned away any kids, so I'll pray for her."
I went to pray for the child. It was just going to be a "blessing." To put my hand over her and gently touch her head and pray for the Lord's blessing over her life, and the next thing you know, she's swooning around, and then she falls down. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen a child that young get "slain in the Spirit." But when you looked down at her, there was no expression of fear or anxiousness, just peace. Real peace.
Praise the Lord. What grace. What awesome manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit! That's definitely worth travelling half way around the world for, following the Lord's leading.
Please Keep in prayer - Monday - meeting with the deputy minister of home affairs of Namibia for our work permits. please pray for grace and favor for the processing of our work permits so that we may move to Namibia. I can only stay here for 90 days on a tourist visa.
Tuesday the 25th of Sept I go to Angola for a couple weeks -Grace, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Also, please pray for Breanna and Kim who are back in Georgia and have been without me for almost a month now.
Thanks
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
MONSTER TRUCK OUTING
Did I mention that I took Breanna out to a MONSTER TRUCK RALLY? You might not see this in my newsletter, but hey, Kim is from Georgia and Breanna has to get a taste of her mother's heritage.
hahhahh.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Visit to the USA January - March 2007
NOT PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
The beginning of 2007 found us down in Georgia and Florida, traveling and ministering in churches, schools, and restaurants. Yes; restaurants: and I’m not just talking about Full Gospel French Fries, or laying hands on some Pentecostal Pizza. Often we are invited to speak at Men’s or Women’s breakfasts or luncheons, or in January’s case, to a Biker Club. We take these opportunities, remembering that we’re just the envelope. We simply carry the message. Of course an envelope without a stamp isn’t going far, so we submit whatever message we bring to prayer and the Heavenly Postman puts His stamp of approval on it. We might be the envelope, but only with the Postman’s help it will the message find its way into the heart.
Besides bikers and school kids, we were blessed to be able to help the New Covenant Church of Tifton for a short while as interim youth directors. Usually in December and January there’s not a whole lot of demand for missionary services, so we had a bunch of Wednesdays that were just open. This allowed us to coordinate the Wednesday night youth services as well as do a few outings. It’s been a few years, but Youth Ministry is still a blast! In the times of worship and altar call you can sense the deep love the Father has for teens and how awesome it is to be around the altars with them as the Holy Spirit would touch us with grace and love. But I must admit: as much as I love youth ministry, my body was suffering when it came time to do the snow tubing. The day after, the Spirit was willing, but the flesh was just sore!
How quickly we forget the pain though! I’ve already signed on with the New Jersey District to help out at Jr. High Youth Camp for this summer, right before we plan on heading back to Africa. I want those kids to be able to go home and say, “I got to go to camp with a real missionary and he ate lunch with me and told me cool stories, and (etc.).”
I know that kids and youth camps aren’t the place for missionaries to raise their budgets, but they are places where kids’ lives are forever changed and if one kid ends up serving Christ on the mission field, it’ll all be worth it.
And while I’m traveling around the East Coast these days, Kim is still down in Tifton, helping lead that youth group.
We’re living the Adventure!
Porcupine Quill Society
I was down in Florida, scarfing chalupas at one of Florida’s finest culinary establishments (Taco Bell) with Nicolas, an 8 year old missionary. He wins kids to Christ at his school and his plan is that when he grows up that he’s going to be a missionary overseas. He’s got it ALL planned out: he’s going to be the missionary and his brother’s going to be a millionaire and support him. Sounds like a great plan to me.
Anyways, he asked me, “Missionary, why is it that when the missionaries visit our church, they never come back to talk to us kids in children’s church?”
I asked him if he ever asked the pastor to send a missionary back to speak to the kids in children’s church. “No.” was his response.
“Well, you have not because you ask not.” I said. “You need to go and ask the pastor if a missionary is just doing a 10 minute window with the adults; if he would go back and be with you guys for the rest of children’s church.”Great!” He responded. “My Dad’s the pastor, and I’m going to ask him today!”
The result: The next month I was in his city, back with him and the rest of the kids in his children’s church.
Nicolas has such an evident call on his life for missions, I decided to give him one of my Angolan porcupine quills. I’ve been doing that quite a bit recently and my stock is dwindling.
When I give the quill out, I explain to the child that the quills are the porcupine’s shield. Without those quills he’d be an easy target for any lion. Faith in God’s Word is our shield. One quill represents one Bible verse you’ve memorized. Imagine if the porcupine only had three or four quills sticking out of its back and a couple on its tail. It would be a tasty treat for any predator. Imagine a Christian who only has three or four Bible verses memorized and maybe a couple chorus songs. I’d call that, “Sitting Duck Ministries” – an easy target for the enemy when that person starts sharing Jesus with the lost. That’s why God tells us (Colossians 3:16) to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY.” No matter how dangerous the environment is that we are living in; if we are full of God’s Word, we’re safe. Shields are up, nothing’s getting through! When anyone or any devil attacks us, we also respond the way the porcupine does – let the quills do the work – speak or act on God’s Word. Only God’s Word can make the devils flee in pain and cause those people who hurt us to change and ask forgiveness.
The beginning of 2007 found us down in Georgia and Florida, traveling and ministering in churches, schools, and restaurants. Yes; restaurants: and I’m not just talking about Full Gospel French Fries, or laying hands on some Pentecostal Pizza. Often we are invited to speak at Men’s or Women’s breakfasts or luncheons, or in January’s case, to a Biker Club. We take these opportunities, remembering that we’re just the envelope. We simply carry the message. Of course an envelope without a stamp isn’t going far, so we submit whatever message we bring to prayer and the Heavenly Postman puts His stamp of approval on it. We might be the envelope, but only with the Postman’s help it will the message find its way into the heart.
Besides bikers and school kids, we were blessed to be able to help the New Covenant Church of Tifton for a short while as interim youth directors. Usually in December and January there’s not a whole lot of demand for missionary services, so we had a bunch of Wednesdays that were just open. This allowed us to coordinate the Wednesday night youth services as well as do a few outings. It’s been a few years, but Youth Ministry is still a blast! In the times of worship and altar call you can sense the deep love the Father has for teens and how awesome it is to be around the altars with them as the Holy Spirit would touch us with grace and love. But I must admit: as much as I love youth ministry, my body was suffering when it came time to do the snow tubing. The day after, the Spirit was willing, but the flesh was just sore!
How quickly we forget the pain though! I’ve already signed on with the New Jersey District to help out at Jr. High Youth Camp for this summer, right before we plan on heading back to Africa. I want those kids to be able to go home and say, “I got to go to camp with a real missionary and he ate lunch with me and told me cool stories, and (etc.).”
I know that kids and youth camps aren’t the place for missionaries to raise their budgets, but they are places where kids’ lives are forever changed and if one kid ends up serving Christ on the mission field, it’ll all be worth it.
And while I’m traveling around the East Coast these days, Kim is still down in Tifton, helping lead that youth group.
We’re living the Adventure!
Porcupine Quill Society
I was down in Florida, scarfing chalupas at one of Florida’s finest culinary establishments (Taco Bell) with Nicolas, an 8 year old missionary. He wins kids to Christ at his school and his plan is that when he grows up that he’s going to be a missionary overseas. He’s got it ALL planned out: he’s going to be the missionary and his brother’s going to be a millionaire and support him. Sounds like a great plan to me.
Anyways, he asked me, “Missionary, why is it that when the missionaries visit our church, they never come back to talk to us kids in children’s church?”
I asked him if he ever asked the pastor to send a missionary back to speak to the kids in children’s church. “No.” was his response.
“Well, you have not because you ask not.” I said. “You need to go and ask the pastor if a missionary is just doing a 10 minute window with the adults; if he would go back and be with you guys for the rest of children’s church.”Great!” He responded. “My Dad’s the pastor, and I’m going to ask him today!”
The result: The next month I was in his city, back with him and the rest of the kids in his children’s church.
Nicolas has such an evident call on his life for missions, I decided to give him one of my Angolan porcupine quills. I’ve been doing that quite a bit recently and my stock is dwindling.
When I give the quill out, I explain to the child that the quills are the porcupine’s shield. Without those quills he’d be an easy target for any lion. Faith in God’s Word is our shield. One quill represents one Bible verse you’ve memorized. Imagine if the porcupine only had three or four quills sticking out of its back and a couple on its tail. It would be a tasty treat for any predator. Imagine a Christian who only has three or four Bible verses memorized and maybe a couple chorus songs. I’d call that, “Sitting Duck Ministries” – an easy target for the enemy when that person starts sharing Jesus with the lost. That’s why God tells us (Colossians 3:16) to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY.” No matter how dangerous the environment is that we are living in; if we are full of God’s Word, we’re safe. Shields are up, nothing’s getting through! When anyone or any devil attacks us, we also respond the way the porcupine does – let the quills do the work – speak or act on God’s Word. Only God’s Word can make the devils flee in pain and cause those people who hurt us to change and ask forgiveness.
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