Testimonies

Dec 13 2014

Is Summer Just a Memory?

Now that the majority of people are facing colder weather, what better time to share the warmth of God’s love. God has been doing some remarkable things and sometimes it’s difficult to catch my breath, so let me take a few minutes to recap the summer for you.

36 people from 6 different churches, ranging in age 9 to 58, comprising 3 mission teams, headed to Arizona, Virginia and Maryland to share love and labor.
We conducted sports camp and a kids weeklong camp. The teams distributed school backpacks, helped with two community outreaches and performed renovations on a home in Arizona and 2 common rooms at the Peninsula Dream Center.
A monetary investment in the kingdom totaled $24,720.
The teams also provided employment for 6 people during 2 of the trips.
If that weren’t enough, God worked in the hearts of people and we saw 78 first time salvations, 14 water baptisms and 12 Holy Spirit baptisms.

God was working on so many layers during these trips it was awe inspiring to watch. I watched individual’s worldview change as they experienced new cultures. I saw inclusive teams become all inclusive of the new people they met on the teams. I watched youth groups draw closer together and I saw relationships built between team members and the people they met on location. Perhaps some of the most touching moments I was allowed to watch were the relationships that were growing between father and son. As I watched them pray together and share the day’s events or as I watched them work and play side by side, I couldn’t help but think of the relationship that Father God wants with each of us. He wants to be part of our everyday lives. He wants to hear about our challenges, concerns, heartaches and needs as much as he wants to hear about our successes, joys and dreams. When we allow Father God to truly be our father, then we will see our lives become FULL!

Team members weren’t the only ones to feel the presence and power of God over the summer. One of the most powerful moments for me was the day we took camp to the river side and baptized 14 children in water. Each person chose who they wanted to perform the baptism. Some chose their pastor or a parent but for me seeing some of the kids choose a teen team member to baptize them, now that was special. As the entire camp stood on the bank and watched, 13 children and 1 adult made their way into the water where they were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. What a sweet spirit next to that river. What must it have been like or felt like when John baptized Jesus in a river as the people stood on the bank and watched?

Though summer is behind us, who we have become was impacted by the remarkable moments and memories we experienced. This past summer changed lives for eternity and that is something that can NOT be forgotten.

Jun 13 2014

Finish the Race

I have been consumed with planning for the upcoming summer ministry opportunities. The amount of details can be overwhelming and I’m thankful that I do have an administrative streak in my personality. But that being said, the details do get exhausting and it would be easy to just throw up my hands and say “enough is enough, that detail can go by the wayside”.

After a 14 hour day in the office yesterday, I made it a priority to get out today for a run and some running prayer time. I was 3.25 miles into the run with .75 miles yet to go and I said, “I’ve had enough. I’m texting my husband to come get me”. Now that in itself would be a miracle because I don’t generally get cell signal here but I sent the following text message regardless, “Come get me. End of road”. At that point my phone went dead. There was no more battery. Was that a sign from God. Was I also done? How would my husband know what road? I hadn’t told him my route. I couldn’t call or text any further details. I sat down hoping beyond hope that he had received my text but I had my doubts so I did the only thing I could in the current situation. I got up and began walking, up the .75 mile incline to our house. This is the same hill that my kids would ride down on their bikes to go to their grandparents house and then call us to come pick them and their bikes up so that they wouldn’t have to pedal or push their bikes back home. I kept telling myself, “I can finish this. I can make it to the house”. 12 minutes later I was in the driveway and pretty proud of myself for pushing on and finishing the run, even if the last .75 miles was walking. I had finished the race.

Acts 20:24 says, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” This summer for me is about finishing the race and completing the task that Jesus has given me – the task of sharing the gospel with kids. The details can be overwhelming and exhausting but they are part of the task. No race is easy and not all tasks come without effort and challenges. I am honored that Jesus has given me the task of sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus with children and I will run the race until He has told me that I am finished.

Credit for the runner in the pictures goes to a good friend, Ben Emmons. He’s not only a marathon runner but a spiritual runner and is impacting lives for eternity.

Oct 31 2013

In The Masters Hands!

It’s been about 2 months since the teams completed their work on the Apache Reservation in Whiteriver Arizona and I am still sharing testimony of what God was able to accomplish through 66 obedient men, women and children. It still amazes me that God orchestrated 3 teams in such a way that I saw sheer perfection in how we were able to complete 2 weeks of sports camp, 1 week of VBS, a bathroom renovation, a laundry room addition, repairs to the church, the building of an outdoor storage shed and the complete renovation of a room that would provide a bedroom for 6 children. Let me share how God’s hand was on this team from the very beginning.

As teams were submitting their applications to be part of the 3 weeks in AZ, I could not have purposely organized the teams with such strategy and wisdom. Each week seemed like random selection to me but in the hands of the Lord the teams were created into a masterpiece.

The projects we would undertake were determined in advance of the teams arrivals. Week 1 of the trip we needed skilled laborers in the areas of masonry, flooring, and drywall. We had people on the team that could perform those tasks and we had no one skilled in plumbing or electrical. Yet we had the people needed for that week

Week 2 we were ready for rough carpenters, inside carpenters, and plumbers. We had people on the team that could perform those tasks and no one that could do masonry or electrical. We had the people with the skills needed for that week and no more.

Week 3 we needed an electrician, painters, inside carpenters and room decorators. We had people on the team that could complete the projects that had been started and no masons, or plumbers as part of the team. But, we had everyone we needed to finish that work. No more or no less.

God had orchestrated the team with members that could perform the skills needed on each particular week. What I thought was being left to chance was “The Master” orchestrating every detail so that His will could be accomplished.

I stand in awe of Him!

Nov 02 2012

I Have Cancer. Please Pray!

I feel as if I fell off the social grid from June through September.

For a children’s missionary the summer months are the busiest. God did great things! We rejoiced with a minimum of 121 first time decisions to follow Jesus, 8 baptisms in the Holy Spirit, 12 children called to ministry, 28 healings and countless lives changed for eternity. In all that was done over the summer I can only credit Jesus with the transforming power I saw working in the lives of kids.

The following story will give you an idea of what God was doing in the heat and humidity of these four months.

It was the beginning of the fourth week of kids camps. God had really spoken to my heart as I traveled the hour and half to Gore VA. This was the year to focus on the fact that “Jesus Saves”. The staff had been oriented, preparations were complete and we anxiously awaited the arrival of more than 250 campers and chaperones. As each church arrived, kids were greeted, chaperones given instructions and Jesus was invited to be part of all that happened that week.

Right before service, I was handed a letter, written on the back of a Sunday School paper, and it read,

As I read the letter tears came to my eyes and I was hit hard with the reality that Isaiah, more than anything needed the healing power of Jesus. As I shared this letter with Josh, the other director, I could see the wheels turning. The next thing I heard was let’s call Isaiah and have the entire camp pray for him over the phone. And that we did.

Two weeks later, while ministering on the Chippewa Reservation in Minnesota, I receive an email from Isaiah’s children’s pastor. Here’s what it said, “First off, his mother told me that when we called him from camp and had the whole camp pray for him, there was a nurse (an unbeliever) taking Isaiah’s vitals while we were praying. The nurse began crying and told Isaiah’s mother that that was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed! God used the prayers of children to touch this woman’s heart!!!

Second, Isaiah went in for a PET Scan yesterday…they couldn’t find any evidence of cancer in this chest, lungs, etc. The only thing they saw was that his spleen was enlarged and looked like it had a spot. The doctors were going to run another scan on Monday, but today they decided to go ahead and scan the area again…they couldn’t find anything!!! They have declared him cancer free!!! The spleen is still enlarged, but no cancer!! As a precaution, the doctors want Isaiah to have 2 more chemo treatments…but, we’re believing that God will complete the healing so that he won’t have anymore treatments.

Please share this with your kids and keep him and his family in your prayers!

Can you say…….GLORY!!!! Blessings, LaDona”

Isaiah continues to be cancer free. As I’m traveling I take every opportunity to share Isaiah’s testimony. We need to be reminded that God not only hears but also answers our prayers and the prayers of children.

Isaiah is not the only kid that faces difficulties, struggles, hardships and yes, death. We can’t forget that adult issues are becoming more and more prevalent in the lives of children. We MUST pray for children and through the knowledge of Jesus, give them hope and a future. Thank you for being part of our ministry. Thank you for praying for us. Thank you for your words of encouragement. But most importantly thank you for sharing Jesus with others.

Jun 12 2012

Fish Tank from Heaven

Has God ever provided you with something you needed without even asking? Well, in my case it was a 10 gallon fish tank. Let me explain.

I had been planning to speak at a girls retreat for three weekends in June. As part of my planning I generally have a long list of props that I need to gather together that will help demonstrate my message. This year the topic was “That None should perish” and God gave me this great object lesson using fish which naturally needed a fish tank and in this case I needed two 10 gallon tanks. I had one tank stashed away in our garage but needed a second.

I began my search by asking family, friends and Pastor LaDona at my home church. But, to no avail. After exhausting my resources I had reserved myself to the fact that I would just have to buy one. A $30 investment to help the girls understand the importance of sharing the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness, a small price to pay although I certainly didn’t like the idea of spending $30 on a tank that I might never use again. Oh, well.

Pastor LaDona was helping me with some of the other props on my list as well as some much appreciated printing and laminating. You’ve got to understand that I will beg, borrow and steal, well not steal, but I will beg and borrow anything I can to avoid buying an item that I might need. I’m pretty well known for that. Anyway, I knew that Pastor LaDona had been gathering together some items for me and out of the blue I called one morning to see if I could stop by and pick them up. Without hesitation she told me to come by and what she didn’t have gathered together we would go retrieve from their wealth of props in the church.

When I arrived we pulled everything together and she said that as she drove in that morning she happened to notice something outside of the “Shoe and Clothing Drop” container in the back parking lot. I’ve used this container in the past and it is clearly marked “Shoes and Clothing ONLY”. LaDona had seen what appeared to be trash placed outside the container. She drove by to see and thought she’d have to take it to the dumpster but upon further inspection thought it was a fish tank and suggested I drive by and take a look before leaving. She knew that I was looking for some type of tank.

Knowing that LaDona would never lead me down the wrong path, I loaded up my stash and headed to the “Shoe and Clothing ONLY” container to check it out. To my surprise there in front of the container was a 10 gallon fish aquarium, exactly what I needed. God had placed a fish tank in front of the “Shoe and Clothing ONLY” container on the very day and time that I would be gathering up other props. Perhaps this could be considered the “steal” part of the beg, borrow and steal because right there and then I scooped up that tank, put it in the back of my prius and off I went as happy as a clam. I proceeded to call my closest friends to share in the excitement and jubilation of knowing that God provided a fish tank just for me.

God cares about the details and wants to give us every good and perfect gift from above and on this particular day that perfect gift happened to be a fish tank.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.