This journey has been…well…challenging to find words to express. It has been much more than we all expected. It has been an example of abundance. Abundant time, laughter, praise, truth, fellowship, prayer, testimony, HOLY SPIRIT, learning, beauty, experience, growing, joy, protection and so much more.
A family picture late Friday night. The middle picture is of security guards talking with us and praying for healing. (More below). The picture to the right is with a fella we met – Scott. He was such an encouragement and now a friend for life. Praise God!
A beautiful new friend from Charlotte. This brother made such an impact on SO many of us. With the gift of encouragement he allowed the Holy Spirit to flow and touch many hearts. Jack was someone that he ministered to almost every day we were here. Jack had SO many people speak life over him and encourage him. Random people would just walk up to him, pray for him, bless him, pay for his coffee, share their stories, teach him, exhort him, and just love him for who he is. He cannot wait to come back! We are so blessed!
Sophie was anointed with oil and prayed for by this faith filled security guard. We met two guards, in fact, who prayed for Sophie to be healed from stomach issues related to gluten and dairy. Bless their hearts and their faithfulness – I have never seen Sophie so joy filled!
A testimony from the night before:
We were sitting in a service that had a beautiful message on the need to receive the Holy Spirit. At the end, Andrew asked those who knew they needed the Holy Spirit to raise their hands and then come to the front to receive prayer to welcome the Holy Spirit into their lives. I noticed that the gentleman next to me raised his hand but then never proceeded to go all the way down to receive. I knew at that point that there was a reason God appointed our seating.
I noticed that he was wearing some pretty neat cowboy boots.
“I like your boots!”
And then came the best, thickest southern accent. “Why thank yuh mam.”
He explained that everyone wears them back home.
“Where is home for you?”
“Missouruh, mam.”
We chatted a bit and then I said, “this may seem forward, but I noticed that you raised your hand and then didn’t go down to receive.”
“I don’t like going to the front like that. When I received Jesus as my Saviour, I didn’t go down,” he said in a gentle and extremely polite way.
“Well, would you like to receive the Holy Spirit right here, right now?” I asked.
Immediately, he said, “Yes, mam.”
I didn’t need to re-explain the importance of why, but I did explain the how. To allow his mouth to open, his tongue to move, and his voice box to make sound. God doesn’t use us like a puppet. It is a matter of choosing, through faith, and obedience to start the process. Put a foot forward (or rather a tongue forward) and move in your free will.
We prayed and He received! Hallelujah!
He share how excited he was (in his very calm but very apparently pleased way) to go home and share all that the Lord had done this week in his life. With some more chatting, we found out that he is a funeral home director. How amazing is that!?
Please Pray for John’s journey home to Missouri and that he will see the fruits of the spirit, the gifts of the spirit and the edification in the spirit because of his faith to receive and move forward in this awesome journey with the Holy Spirit!