Dear viewers and followers,
We are leaving this BlogSpot to begin a new one under this new address:
Alegriana57.wordpress.com
We look forward to seeing you there.
John & Joyce
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
God's favor
God’s Favor
We have recently returned from a five day, all-expense paid vacation to Orange County, California and the whole trip was so full of God’s favor, we couldn’t stop thanking Him for days on end. When we accepted the offer of the vacation, we knew the weather would need to be warm enough the house water pipes and indoor citrus trees wouldn’t freeze and the animals would remain healthy outside. A kind neighbor agreed to watch over the animals so we had to wait and see what would happen with the house and indoor trees.
We drove to KC on Christmas Eve day to deliver a chicken coop we had built to a lady who lived there and then to spend the rest of the day and night with our daughter, Jenifer and her family. During that night, it was so cold that the remote on our diesel truck caused the truck to start up….twice. This woke us up and made us concerned that if we left our truck at the airport parking, would we have gas when we returned or would it start and run the engine dry? We knew the key would be to have downhill parking.
Christmas day, after a lovely celebratory morning with our grandson and family, we headed off to the airport. All the airport parking lot was on a downhill slope. Thank you Lord. We parked and had barely turned off the key when a shuttle bus pulled up behind us. The driver said he had to fight with himself to come over and pick us up at the truck since he is only required to stop at the waiting shelters but we knew it was the favor of the Lord. We hurried like everything to get our luggage onto the bus, thanking the driver generously, and shuttled to the airport front door hoping we hadn’t forgotten anything.
Once inside, we found our line to check in luggage that would go under the plane and then the line to go through security. The lady looked at our ticket, looked at us, drew a yellow line through our ticket and said, ‘Tell the next people you have a pre-checked ticket. You won’t have to take off shoes, coat, or anything.” Wow! We walked up to the security guards, showed our yellow lined ticket, and were waved on through. Then we looked at each other and asked, ‘What just happened?’ God’s favor just happened.
Our flights were some of the smoothest ever, were uneventful in a good way, were on time or ahead of time, and we arrived to our destination to have our ride waiting at the front door just a few steps away from the luggage pickup point.
Jonna would come by the same flight a couple hours later. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, Mike, took us to see a large neighborhood known for exhibiting Christmas lights and other displays. We met and went with his parents also, enjoying the hot chocolate and cookies she brought us to munch on. We were participating in one of their yearly traditions.
We spent five wonderful days with our daughter, Jonna, and with the Montellano family, visiting many of their favorite places and restaurants, having our anniversary celebrated again with a tiara on Joyce and a big bow on John. We were treated with the greatest care in their home, sharing Christmas gifts, snacks, and stories with one another. Sunday of that week, we all went to church together, had lunch, then met in a nearby park to finish up a wonderful morning with another family tradition…sharing what blessings they had experienced in the past year and prayer requests for the New Year. It was such a lovely time sharing and praying together as family. Monday, we would head home.
Our return home was much as it was going; it was smooth, it was uneventful in a good way, ticket agents rearranged other people to bless us with seats together (one of John’s tickets didn’t have a seat assignment), and we went through security with the least amount of trouble. We never even had to open our bags although, John did have to take off shoes that time. We were so favored.
But the story doesn’t end there. When we returned to the parking lot via the shuttle bus, we explained that we didn’t know which waiting shelter because the arrival bus had picked us up at the truck. It was cold and it was midnight. The bus driver asked us about where we thought we were, he found it easily, and let us off right at our truck. Yes, there was gas in it…all that we had left in it. It started easily and took us back to Jenifer’s. We stayed to celebrate New Years eve with them in prayer and the Word and to celebrate anniversaries together. This was the third anniversary celebration for the year. That set a new record for us.
That in itself was significant to us because on our anniversary day, while in our time of prayer, the Lord said, “This is a new year of your marriage.” We still don’t know all that means but it seemed God was confirming His Word after the third time of our celebrating it. The rest of the meaning we will wait to learn.
We finally returned home. All was well. All was well. God’s favor was just as evident at home as it was with us on our travels. We were in awe and praise for days as we considered it all. A new baby kid was born and the weather went to extreme cold, below zero just days after we arrived home. But, we were home and we had time to prepare. God’s favor was made evident even in that.
That is only one story. There is more and more and more.
We had a registered Nigerian Dwarf nanny goat given to us a couple years ago. She didn’t carry her first pregnancy the first year and the previous owner seemed surprised that she even became pregnant. We have been praying the Duet 28 blessing over her and expecting her to breed and birth this year. She is now preparing to give birth. God’s favor. What happens you’ll have to hear about next writing.
We have a friend to whom was given several rabbits. She wasn’t fully prepared for them so when winter came, they needed a proper shelter big enough to house the expecting broods of bunnies. John saw how to and built a rabbit hutch. In exchange, he is getting three female bunnies and several gallons of fresh cow’s milk.
Next is a change of story, but not of subject. Through the prompting of the Lord, we attended a ‘healing meeting’ in Springfield we were invited to. We didn’t know the church, we knew of only one of the two speakers, we had no idea of what to expect, but God put a strong urge in us to be present. We arrived a half hour early to find it already packed and we seemed to get the last two available seats up in the far corner of the balcony. That night at the end of the meeting, we saw and experienced God’s healing power. John was healed of an old injury to a shoulder that occasionally pained him. We saw that there was a revelation of how to minister God’s healing that we did not yet know and we decided right then that we wanted that. The speakers of Global Awakening had a school to train you in their perspective of healing. It was online and it was not free.
“Well, God…you led us there and put the desire in our hearts. We will wait and watch to see what next.” Soon afterward, a second computer (and Ipad) and the monies came to begin the first class that would cover eight weeks training from videos, books, and interaction with other students from around the world. Upon registering, Joyce asked if there were any discounts. From that rather funny question, we both were surprised to receive a scholarship towards our first class. We both would study the first level….for free. The monies given would be held for books and future expenses. That was God’s favor. We have now been in our online class for two weeks and look forward to all we can learn. The ‘rest of the story’ will be in next writings.
God decides; God provides
The title explains it all but, we would like to share a couple of recent examples from our lives.
We were at our weekly prayer meeting group early one Thursday morning. One gentleman told us all about a conference going on in Springfield and that there would be a free meeting, open to public, on Friday night; it was to be a healing meeting. God put such an urge in our hearts to be there at that meeting that there was nothing else that mattered from that point on. We had to be there. We had no idea what to expect, what we would see, what purpose God had for us, but we knew we must attend. We reached a half hour early and barely found two seats in the back corner of the balcony. The lady sitting there found out we were there free and questioned our rights to be there. She was so disturbed about it, because she had paid good money to register and driven far to be present, that she went downstairs to ask. They assured her it was a “free night”.
The meeting went on for an hour and a half before getting to the real message and purpose. We felt several times like leaving but held on to the end. Towards the end, because of a Word of knowledge, John received healing to a right shoulder that had been seriously torn and injured 17 years previously. He went home and did push-ups to prove it was totally healed. We also received our next instruction from the Lord while there. We were to enroll in their healing school to receive their new revelation and impartation that we might increase in this gifting. Some of you are puzzled here and a little hesitant to receive this thought but, if you review the life of Jesus, He preached, He healed, and He delivered. That pretty much summarizes the majority of His ministry. Listen to the prayer requests in your own church and 90% of them concern health issues. Today’s media and advertising is mostly medical and health related. It is a HUGE need today just as it was in Jesus’ time. We must not continue to just go to church but, to BE the church.
How in the world, on our income, were we going to pay the high cost of their tuition? There are twelve levels towards a certification (as this can apply towards a bible college credit). There are three classes in each level. The first three classes alone were $2,100 for both John and I to attend….online. But, when God decides, He provides. We now have $1,025 of that money and Joyce has received a scholarship for the first class. That was amazing to us. She asked if there was any discount available and they told her they were going to decide the following week on giving out three scholarships to incoming students. She filled out the application and received the scholarship. We are ready to start and how far we go will depend on God’s decision and provision.
A second example was when God put on Joyce’s heart that she needed to take a certain lady to lunch and spend time with her. Joyce was telling God, “Uh, you know I don’t have the monies for that so when you provide, then I’ll be happy to do just that. I need girlfriends too since returning home so it will bless me also.” A week later she was sharing this prompting she had felt from the Lord with a lady prayer partner. That prayer partner had been told by a third person that “the lady{ needed “someone to befriend her“. This prayer partner said she had been carrying around a denomination of cash just waiting to see what purpose God had for it. She provided Joyce with the money to get car fuel and take the lady to lunch. Can you see the thread? God had prompted three people to get involved in loving this one dear lady. He decided it should be done and then provided the way through three different people. Isn’t God something wonderful? Do you realize how very much He loves you today? He is at work on your behalf to bless you with a hope and a future, to make all things work together. Give glory to His Holy name.
The title explains it all but, we would like to share a couple of recent examples from our lives.
We were at our weekly prayer meeting group early one Thursday morning. One gentleman told us all about a conference going on in Springfield and that there would be a free meeting, open to public, on Friday night; it was to be a healing meeting. God put such an urge in our hearts to be there at that meeting that there was nothing else that mattered from that point on. We had to be there. We had no idea what to expect, what we would see, what purpose God had for us, but we knew we must attend. We reached a half hour early and barely found two seats in the back corner of the balcony. The lady sitting there found out we were there free and questioned our rights to be there. She was so disturbed about it, because she had paid good money to register and driven far to be present, that she went downstairs to ask. They assured her it was a “free night”.
The meeting went on for an hour and a half before getting to the real message and purpose. We felt several times like leaving but held on to the end. Towards the end, because of a Word of knowledge, John received healing to a right shoulder that had been seriously torn and injured 17 years previously. He went home and did push-ups to prove it was totally healed. We also received our next instruction from the Lord while there. We were to enroll in their healing school to receive their new revelation and impartation that we might increase in this gifting. Some of you are puzzled here and a little hesitant to receive this thought but, if you review the life of Jesus, He preached, He healed, and He delivered. That pretty much summarizes the majority of His ministry. Listen to the prayer requests in your own church and 90% of them concern health issues. Today’s media and advertising is mostly medical and health related. It is a HUGE need today just as it was in Jesus’ time. We must not continue to just go to church but, to BE the church.
How in the world, on our income, were we going to pay the high cost of their tuition? There are twelve levels towards a certification (as this can apply towards a bible college credit). There are three classes in each level. The first three classes alone were $2,100 for both John and I to attend….online. But, when God decides, He provides. We now have $1,025 of that money and Joyce has received a scholarship for the first class. That was amazing to us. She asked if there was any discount available and they told her they were going to decide the following week on giving out three scholarships to incoming students. She filled out the application and received the scholarship. We are ready to start and how far we go will depend on God’s decision and provision.
A second example was when God put on Joyce’s heart that she needed to take a certain lady to lunch and spend time with her. Joyce was telling God, “Uh, you know I don’t have the monies for that so when you provide, then I’ll be happy to do just that. I need girlfriends too since returning home so it will bless me also.” A week later she was sharing this prompting she had felt from the Lord with a lady prayer partner. That prayer partner had been told by a third person that “the lady{ needed “someone to befriend her“. This prayer partner said she had been carrying around a denomination of cash just waiting to see what purpose God had for it. She provided Joyce with the money to get car fuel and take the lady to lunch. Can you see the thread? God had prompted three people to get involved in loving this one dear lady. He decided it should be done and then provided the way through three different people. Isn’t God something wonderful? Do you realize how very much He loves you today? He is at work on your behalf to bless you with a hope and a future, to make all things work together. Give glory to His Holy name.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Dear friends,
We were reminded by the Holy Spirit, while teaching others, that all relationships begin, continue, and end with communication. This was part of our multi-cultural training and since then, has been our experience. We apologize to you that we have let our
communication to you lag. It hasn’t seemed like we had much of anything to relate and yet we have so much to relate. Its not always easy to put into words what God is doing and calling us to do in our lives, but today, we ask Him to anoint this letter with good, clear communication to you.
God called us to come home and "prepare" for all the change that was coming. Perhaps God knew that was going to be President Obama's battle cry, or maybe that is God's battle cry and He is speaking it through Mr Obama. :) Either way, there have been many changes in the world, in our home nation, and in our personal lives. We are "preparing" ourselves and others for the "last days". Our greatest calling is to "hear God and do what He says". This requires that we press into more of God through prayer and study of His Word, that we grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding, and that we speak what we have seen and heard, “that the Kingdom of Heaven is near“, and then watch God confirm His Word just as He did in the days of Jesus ministry on earth. We have seen Him do it in several other countries, but now He has called us to be HERE and that means to us He wants to speak and do the same things HERE. Is there anything more exciting that we could relate to you? We are certainly not the first or only ones to hear this. Many voices are reverberating with the same message: that the last days are here, prepare the way of the Lord; that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, rescue the perishing far and near.
God called us home but He has never changed our assignment or anointing. We have sat quietly for some years, waiting for His direction, learning from His Word, spending more time with Him. Our beginning here in the US is not unlike our beginning in other places. First and always is prayer. Without prayer, we know nothing, we can do nothing, we are powerless, and we are without relationship with or connection to the Head, The Lord God Almighty. We have been so thrilled to find a group of men and women who meet weekly with the purpose of praying and growing in corporate prayer as a part of the body of Christ. We have reveled in so many answered prayers there. Sometimes, someone comes one time to personally ask for prayer. They have never gone away without God showing up and bringing ministry to their lives in whatever fashion they needed. Others come regularly and their spiritual growth is so obvious that we rejoice together with the encouragement of seeing each other growing and being knit together in closer fellowship and unity of the Spirit. We are praying for and expecting revival, harvest, and harvesters.
The gifts of the Spirit, operating in and through the church, are for two specific reasons: to mature the Body of Christ, and to equip and send out the Body to produce more body of Christ in the world. We see the same operating in the physical realm: babies are born, grow up, and reproduce more babies. The beautiful difference is having godly babies that become godly and holy adults who reproduce godly babies who learn to overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony so that they do not love their lives, even if it means death.
Let me share some of the testimonies of answered prayers. Several different families have seen rebellious children come back to them and ask for help to get their lives straightened out. We saw a depressed, ragged youth minister come in, ready to commit suicide because of intense grief and struggle but, God delivered him from the afflicting spirits of his soul and gave him renewed hope of God's love and acceptance. We know of marriages that have been miraculously restored and got to hear personal testimony of one this past month that, after seven years, was being restored. We have seen people on their death bed in the hospital walk out of there within days after prayer was lifted up for them. We had one man walk into the prayer meeting recently to share his testimony of how God's love through the prayers of His people had caused him to be healed. He had been severely crushed at work from his waist down, was paralyzed, and never expected to walk again. Did we say he "walked into the meeting to share his testimony"!?
Yes! We have heard wondrous reports from returning missions trips of Gods power through prayer. We have a young policeman in our prayer group that tells how God's authority is displayed through his life as criminals submit to that authority instead of fighting him. Another young man came in devastated that his employers were going to "test" him in his welding skills and he felt sure he would fail and lose his job. God gave truth to him from different parts of the prayer group that restored and strengthened him. He later reported that the Lord brought him a very skilled welder, probably the best in all of Springfield, to teach him and help him improve his skills and he passed the tests successfully and praise-worthily. A young lady has been receiving wonderful visions from the Lord that have transformed her life, brought healing to her past, and is revealing the future, bringing encouragement to not only her and all of us. And the list goes on and on as the prayer meetings do.
There is no program, there is no method, there is no substitute for prayer, and even more powerfully is the corporate prayer of the Body coming together in agreement and unity. If one person puts 1,000 to flight, two put 10,000 to flight, how much more when multiple persons are present.
As we wrote above, God has directed us first to prayer. We have been praying specifically for our neighborhood, our communities and churches around us, and family members. That's our Jerusalem. We learned through a recent survey that only 25% of the people in our area attend church. That makes this area a mission field.
A policeman friend has made us aware that gangs, witchcraft, drugs, and perversion are on the increase in our city. There is a huge need for the Kingdom of heaven to come down and God's will to be done here where God has planted us. We are excited for every change we see beginning to happen as God's angels and Holy Spirit are working to bring that into being. We are so thankful for the relationships God is building for us in our neighborhood, surrounding communities, and for the continuing relationships with those we still hold dear and precious to us throughout the world.
A recent communication with our dear friends from India, who are missionaries now in Mozambique, told us of a government orphanage the Lord has drawn them to. Their going and participating in loving on those children in their spare hours is causing doors to be opened to those children that have never before existed. God has directed His focus on that orphanage and is now bringing His rescue to those children through His servants. We can't be there physically, but we are there in every way through prayer, asking God to complete His rescue and make that orphanage a House of Prayer, where children are changing the world all around them through changed lives and prayer.
Our assignment, our anointing has always been to make disciples of people
everywhere, baptizing them, teaching through the Word to operate in the
Spirit, training them to go and join the Harvesters all around the world.
In the past couple years, God has been bringing people to us, often to our
home, so He can speak into their lives, minister to their souls, their
bodies, and their spirits. One young couple spent the past year with
us learning the Truth while starting a home group of their own among other
young couples to spread the Truth. God has done a vast healing and
deliverance in their lives, has grown them up quickly and significantly, and
is ministering through them in a way that is so awesome. Along with studies
of the Word, we have had fun teaching them practical things of life like
processing a deer, canning vegetables, baking and sewing, leadership skills,
and even some marriage counseling. Then they got married. We don't see
them as often since they are adjusting to their new life but they try to come
monthly at least. As soon as they left to prepare for their marriage,
another couple ask to begin coming weekly and we are
getting acquainted and growing in fellowship with them while God teaches and
trains and changes their lives. What a rewarding task we have been given.
Our heart is being drawn more and more to seeing a Prayer and
Discipleship Center opened. This would be a place where anyone could come
to pray, be prayed with or be prayed for throughout the week. They could learn in small group settings how to grow from spectators in the church to being participators in
what Jesus is still doing in the earth today. They could learn from a
variety of different experienced teachers who have "been there and done
that". We know wonderful teachers from many different walks of life that
have rich things to share with those who are hungry to know and experience
more of God. God once spoke to us that "we would know who we are from the
inside out" because of the graces of God that He put in us before we were
born. So many people are still searching for that significance and
understanding of why God would create them when their life is nothing but a
mess. They are longing for a "way out" of the mess. Others have been
healed and are longing to know how to help others find their way out. So
many are hungry to have a more solid foundation of the Truth in their lives
and thankfully God is raising up teachers in a Big way through media that
can reach people even in their own homes. But being alone, learning alone,
maturing in these things alone aren't enough. We have got to connect, learn
how to love one another, learn to accept and be accepted by one another,
learn to submit to one another, learn the power of God and the authority He
wants to operate in and through us as a BODY. Like the Realtors learn to
say...everything is about "location, location, location." There is a great need in our immediate area for such a place for people to learn and grow together.
We also want to grow and know more. Recently, we attended a healing meeting at a local church. John was healed of an old wound to his shoulder and went home and did twenty push-ups to prove to himself he was healed. We believe in healing, we have been able to participate in healings, but these people had more tools that we feel would be very beneficial to us. They have a school where they teach and practice hearing God and seeing people healed; it can even be attended online. We very much want to participate in that. This would be another part of discipleship we would have to share with others. We simply lack the finances to register at $350 per person, per class....and there are three classes. That makes a total of$2,100. This is only the first of 12 levels. We don’t expect to need all levels as some are for special certification.
We are connected with other ministries and have been invited by several
to share in their work.
1. We are still connected with LAMP Ministries and the wonderful family we spent three
years in Mexico with. The Leader, James, has been traveling to several countries,
each of which are begging that someone come and train pastors.
2. We have a connection with a Baptist university student pastor who has been taking
students to the reservations in South Dakota the past four years. He was
showing us the extremely poor conditions of the people...equal to any third
world condition we have seen. He has discovered their bondage of
hatred and has been leading the students to go to the national monument, the
gravesite of the three hundred Indians massacred in the last great battle, to
intercede over it that God would deliver them of their hatred and give them the
truth that sets them free. There are less that 2% Christians among them.
3. We are connected with people who are regularly going to Haiti and
Nicaragua through Project Hope, a local ministry in Springfield Mo. who has
opened their building to us as a prayer meeting place.
4. We are connected with the Indian missionaries in
Mozambique, Africa that we mentioned above. We also have a brother in Kenya whom we met and ministered with in India. He has returned home and is doing effective work there.
5. We still have wonderful friends among the YWAM who have faithfully been
serving world-wide for many years. We still have strong connections with
men of God (our other families) in India.
6. We have a family connection with a single mom who is living in Costa
Rica and hosting orphans from Nicaragua in her home.
This is part of our greater vision because discipleship is not only about maturing the believer but, giving them opportunities to operate as part of the Living Body of Jesus Christ in the earth today. There are numerous opportunities both nationally and internationally, both locally and abroad, where those we disciple can be plugged into seeing Heaven come to earth and the Great Commission being fulfilled in the greatest Harvest of all time. Jesus is coming soon. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Hearing God and doing what He says....John & Joyce Clouse
Ministry donations to:
LAMP International Ministries
PO Box 14431
Springfield, Mo. 65814
(for John Clouse)
We were reminded by the Holy Spirit, while teaching others, that all relationships begin, continue, and end with communication. This was part of our multi-cultural training and since then, has been our experience. We apologize to you that we have let our
communication to you lag. It hasn’t seemed like we had much of anything to relate and yet we have so much to relate. Its not always easy to put into words what God is doing and calling us to do in our lives, but today, we ask Him to anoint this letter with good, clear communication to you.
God called us to come home and "prepare" for all the change that was coming. Perhaps God knew that was going to be President Obama's battle cry, or maybe that is God's battle cry and He is speaking it through Mr Obama. :) Either way, there have been many changes in the world, in our home nation, and in our personal lives. We are "preparing" ourselves and others for the "last days". Our greatest calling is to "hear God and do what He says". This requires that we press into more of God through prayer and study of His Word, that we grow in spiritual wisdom and understanding, and that we speak what we have seen and heard, “that the Kingdom of Heaven is near“, and then watch God confirm His Word just as He did in the days of Jesus ministry on earth. We have seen Him do it in several other countries, but now He has called us to be HERE and that means to us He wants to speak and do the same things HERE. Is there anything more exciting that we could relate to you? We are certainly not the first or only ones to hear this. Many voices are reverberating with the same message: that the last days are here, prepare the way of the Lord; that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, rescue the perishing far and near.
God called us home but He has never changed our assignment or anointing. We have sat quietly for some years, waiting for His direction, learning from His Word, spending more time with Him. Our beginning here in the US is not unlike our beginning in other places. First and always is prayer. Without prayer, we know nothing, we can do nothing, we are powerless, and we are without relationship with or connection to the Head, The Lord God Almighty. We have been so thrilled to find a group of men and women who meet weekly with the purpose of praying and growing in corporate prayer as a part of the body of Christ. We have reveled in so many answered prayers there. Sometimes, someone comes one time to personally ask for prayer. They have never gone away without God showing up and bringing ministry to their lives in whatever fashion they needed. Others come regularly and their spiritual growth is so obvious that we rejoice together with the encouragement of seeing each other growing and being knit together in closer fellowship and unity of the Spirit. We are praying for and expecting revival, harvest, and harvesters.
The gifts of the Spirit, operating in and through the church, are for two specific reasons: to mature the Body of Christ, and to equip and send out the Body to produce more body of Christ in the world. We see the same operating in the physical realm: babies are born, grow up, and reproduce more babies. The beautiful difference is having godly babies that become godly and holy adults who reproduce godly babies who learn to overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony so that they do not love their lives, even if it means death.
Let me share some of the testimonies of answered prayers. Several different families have seen rebellious children come back to them and ask for help to get their lives straightened out. We saw a depressed, ragged youth minister come in, ready to commit suicide because of intense grief and struggle but, God delivered him from the afflicting spirits of his soul and gave him renewed hope of God's love and acceptance. We know of marriages that have been miraculously restored and got to hear personal testimony of one this past month that, after seven years, was being restored. We have seen people on their death bed in the hospital walk out of there within days after prayer was lifted up for them. We had one man walk into the prayer meeting recently to share his testimony of how God's love through the prayers of His people had caused him to be healed. He had been severely crushed at work from his waist down, was paralyzed, and never expected to walk again. Did we say he "walked into the meeting to share his testimony"!?
Yes! We have heard wondrous reports from returning missions trips of Gods power through prayer. We have a young policeman in our prayer group that tells how God's authority is displayed through his life as criminals submit to that authority instead of fighting him. Another young man came in devastated that his employers were going to "test" him in his welding skills and he felt sure he would fail and lose his job. God gave truth to him from different parts of the prayer group that restored and strengthened him. He later reported that the Lord brought him a very skilled welder, probably the best in all of Springfield, to teach him and help him improve his skills and he passed the tests successfully and praise-worthily. A young lady has been receiving wonderful visions from the Lord that have transformed her life, brought healing to her past, and is revealing the future, bringing encouragement to not only her and all of us. And the list goes on and on as the prayer meetings do.
There is no program, there is no method, there is no substitute for prayer, and even more powerfully is the corporate prayer of the Body coming together in agreement and unity. If one person puts 1,000 to flight, two put 10,000 to flight, how much more when multiple persons are present.
As we wrote above, God has directed us first to prayer. We have been praying specifically for our neighborhood, our communities and churches around us, and family members. That's our Jerusalem. We learned through a recent survey that only 25% of the people in our area attend church. That makes this area a mission field.
A policeman friend has made us aware that gangs, witchcraft, drugs, and perversion are on the increase in our city. There is a huge need for the Kingdom of heaven to come down and God's will to be done here where God has planted us. We are excited for every change we see beginning to happen as God's angels and Holy Spirit are working to bring that into being. We are so thankful for the relationships God is building for us in our neighborhood, surrounding communities, and for the continuing relationships with those we still hold dear and precious to us throughout the world.
A recent communication with our dear friends from India, who are missionaries now in Mozambique, told us of a government orphanage the Lord has drawn them to. Their going and participating in loving on those children in their spare hours is causing doors to be opened to those children that have never before existed. God has directed His focus on that orphanage and is now bringing His rescue to those children through His servants. We can't be there physically, but we are there in every way through prayer, asking God to complete His rescue and make that orphanage a House of Prayer, where children are changing the world all around them through changed lives and prayer.
Our assignment, our anointing has always been to make disciples of people
everywhere, baptizing them, teaching through the Word to operate in the
Spirit, training them to go and join the Harvesters all around the world.
In the past couple years, God has been bringing people to us, often to our
home, so He can speak into their lives, minister to their souls, their
bodies, and their spirits. One young couple spent the past year with
us learning the Truth while starting a home group of their own among other
young couples to spread the Truth. God has done a vast healing and
deliverance in their lives, has grown them up quickly and significantly, and
is ministering through them in a way that is so awesome. Along with studies
of the Word, we have had fun teaching them practical things of life like
processing a deer, canning vegetables, baking and sewing, leadership skills,
and even some marriage counseling. Then they got married. We don't see
them as often since they are adjusting to their new life but they try to come
monthly at least. As soon as they left to prepare for their marriage,
another couple ask to begin coming weekly and we are
getting acquainted and growing in fellowship with them while God teaches and
trains and changes their lives. What a rewarding task we have been given.
Our heart is being drawn more and more to seeing a Prayer and
Discipleship Center opened. This would be a place where anyone could come
to pray, be prayed with or be prayed for throughout the week. They could learn in small group settings how to grow from spectators in the church to being participators in
what Jesus is still doing in the earth today. They could learn from a
variety of different experienced teachers who have "been there and done
that". We know wonderful teachers from many different walks of life that
have rich things to share with those who are hungry to know and experience
more of God. God once spoke to us that "we would know who we are from the
inside out" because of the graces of God that He put in us before we were
born. So many people are still searching for that significance and
understanding of why God would create them when their life is nothing but a
mess. They are longing for a "way out" of the mess. Others have been
healed and are longing to know how to help others find their way out. So
many are hungry to have a more solid foundation of the Truth in their lives
and thankfully God is raising up teachers in a Big way through media that
can reach people even in their own homes. But being alone, learning alone,
maturing in these things alone aren't enough. We have got to connect, learn
how to love one another, learn to accept and be accepted by one another,
learn to submit to one another, learn the power of God and the authority He
wants to operate in and through us as a BODY. Like the Realtors learn to
say...everything is about "location, location, location." There is a great need in our immediate area for such a place for people to learn and grow together.
We also want to grow and know more. Recently, we attended a healing meeting at a local church. John was healed of an old wound to his shoulder and went home and did twenty push-ups to prove to himself he was healed. We believe in healing, we have been able to participate in healings, but these people had more tools that we feel would be very beneficial to us. They have a school where they teach and practice hearing God and seeing people healed; it can even be attended online. We very much want to participate in that. This would be another part of discipleship we would have to share with others. We simply lack the finances to register at $350 per person, per class....and there are three classes. That makes a total of$2,100. This is only the first of 12 levels. We don’t expect to need all levels as some are for special certification.
We are connected with other ministries and have been invited by several
to share in their work.
1. We are still connected with LAMP Ministries and the wonderful family we spent three
years in Mexico with. The Leader, James, has been traveling to several countries,
each of which are begging that someone come and train pastors.
2. We have a connection with a Baptist university student pastor who has been taking
students to the reservations in South Dakota the past four years. He was
showing us the extremely poor conditions of the people...equal to any third
world condition we have seen. He has discovered their bondage of
hatred and has been leading the students to go to the national monument, the
gravesite of the three hundred Indians massacred in the last great battle, to
intercede over it that God would deliver them of their hatred and give them the
truth that sets them free. There are less that 2% Christians among them.
3. We are connected with people who are regularly going to Haiti and
Nicaragua through Project Hope, a local ministry in Springfield Mo. who has
opened their building to us as a prayer meeting place.
4. We are connected with the Indian missionaries in
Mozambique, Africa that we mentioned above. We also have a brother in Kenya whom we met and ministered with in India. He has returned home and is doing effective work there.
5. We still have wonderful friends among the YWAM who have faithfully been
serving world-wide for many years. We still have strong connections with
men of God (our other families) in India.
6. We have a family connection with a single mom who is living in Costa
Rica and hosting orphans from Nicaragua in her home.
This is part of our greater vision because discipleship is not only about maturing the believer but, giving them opportunities to operate as part of the Living Body of Jesus Christ in the earth today. There are numerous opportunities both nationally and internationally, both locally and abroad, where those we disciple can be plugged into seeing Heaven come to earth and the Great Commission being fulfilled in the greatest Harvest of all time. Jesus is coming soon. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Hearing God and doing what He says....John & Joyce Clouse
Ministry donations to:
LAMP International Ministries
PO Box 14431
Springfield, Mo. 65814
(for John Clouse)
Thursday, March 7, 2013
We are hearing about many wonderful answers to prayer at our early morning prayer meetings but there was one that rocked the room today in praise and worship to such an Almighty, Wonderful, Loving, and Merciful God. Let me share it with you in part.
A man in our group has a neice who for the past eight years has been a heavy meth addict. This addiction had destroyed all her relationships, her income or ability to make and income, her small family of three children, and lastly, her health. She was living on the streets when she was whisked away to emergency and family was notified that she was quickly coming to an end with septis in the blood stream. She was so entirely full of poisen in her system that they could give her no hope. Our man, Mr M. and his wife, drove several hours south to see her before her passing. They walked into the hospital room and felt the heavy oppressive spirits that were all around her. They were so overwhelmed that Mr M passed out and was taken to emergency. Nothing was found to be wrong with him, so he was released and he and his wife left to get some dinner and spend time in prayer before returning to the neice's room.
Upon returning, they spent hours in prayer and reading the Word to the neice, snipping away at the bondages that were holding on to her life. Her greatess sadness was that she felt she had noone to live for; noone that cared for her because she had destroyed all such relationships. She had ostracized her own family for years and not spoken to or communicated with any of them. My M assured her to get things right with God and He would work out the rest so, she did. She submitted her life to Christ. Next day, they could find no trace of the septis; she was healed. They did find one ulceration of the heart so took her into surgery to clean that out. The surgery was supposed to require eight hours, but only took four. It too was healing.
During this time, her brother had taken an old picture that was of himself and his sister, had it blown up, and wrote on it "I forgive and love you, sis". Her father came in to the room and she took him by the hand asking his forgiveness. God was healing her relationships, just as He was healing her.
Shocking enough, she died. God took her on into His glory. But the story didn't stop there. Mr M was there to speak at the funeral and saw her young fourth grader son. He invited him to come up front and stand with him so the young man could experience the anointing of God at that pulpit. Mr M spoke, the presence of the Almighty drew near, and as Mr M looked around to see how the boy was doing, he saw that the boy's hands were in the air and he was praying over the people. The congregation was weeping and feeling the power of God all around them. The neice's entire family came to know Christ as their Savior.
How great is the Love the Father has in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. He chose the unworthy to clothe them in worthiness. He chose the wretched to clothe them in His righteousness. He chose the ungodly to clothe them in His holiness. What an incredible, wonderful Father God we have. We were all on our faces on the floor in worship to His majesty, THE KING!
A man in our group has a neice who for the past eight years has been a heavy meth addict. This addiction had destroyed all her relationships, her income or ability to make and income, her small family of three children, and lastly, her health. She was living on the streets when she was whisked away to emergency and family was notified that she was quickly coming to an end with septis in the blood stream. She was so entirely full of poisen in her system that they could give her no hope. Our man, Mr M. and his wife, drove several hours south to see her before her passing. They walked into the hospital room and felt the heavy oppressive spirits that were all around her. They were so overwhelmed that Mr M passed out and was taken to emergency. Nothing was found to be wrong with him, so he was released and he and his wife left to get some dinner and spend time in prayer before returning to the neice's room.
Upon returning, they spent hours in prayer and reading the Word to the neice, snipping away at the bondages that were holding on to her life. Her greatess sadness was that she felt she had noone to live for; noone that cared for her because she had destroyed all such relationships. She had ostracized her own family for years and not spoken to or communicated with any of them. My M assured her to get things right with God and He would work out the rest so, she did. She submitted her life to Christ. Next day, they could find no trace of the septis; she was healed. They did find one ulceration of the heart so took her into surgery to clean that out. The surgery was supposed to require eight hours, but only took four. It too was healing.
During this time, her brother had taken an old picture that was of himself and his sister, had it blown up, and wrote on it "I forgive and love you, sis". Her father came in to the room and she took him by the hand asking his forgiveness. God was healing her relationships, just as He was healing her.
Shocking enough, she died. God took her on into His glory. But the story didn't stop there. Mr M was there to speak at the funeral and saw her young fourth grader son. He invited him to come up front and stand with him so the young man could experience the anointing of God at that pulpit. Mr M spoke, the presence of the Almighty drew near, and as Mr M looked around to see how the boy was doing, he saw that the boy's hands were in the air and he was praying over the people. The congregation was weeping and feeling the power of God all around them. The neice's entire family came to know Christ as their Savior.
How great is the Love the Father has in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us. He chose the unworthy to clothe them in worthiness. He chose the wretched to clothe them in His righteousness. He chose the ungodly to clothe them in His holiness. What an incredible, wonderful Father God we have. We were all on our faces on the floor in worship to His majesty, THE KING!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
More we are learning about the Mind-the Mind of God
From the book: Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts
I Cor 2:5 Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
(God speaking) O My child, give Me your mind. I shall keep it in perfect tranquility. Give Me your thoughts. I will keep them in peace. If you allow other people to do your thinking for you, you will be distressed. If you try to think for yourself, you may be in error through limited knowledge or misinformation. But let the mind of Christ be in you. Let My thinking displace and supersede your mind and your reasoning, and you will be kept in perfect peace and order; you will know exactly and precisely what is right, what is true, and what is the proper course of action.
As you draw upon My Spirit for physical strength, draw also upon My Mind for wisdom, understanding, and peace of mind. Make this a habit in your life, and you will be astounded at the results, the accomplishments it will bring. Rather than being motivated by impulse, you will be directed by Divine Intelligence.
Have I not promised that if any of you lack wisdom, you may ask of God who gives liberally and without reproach (James 1:5)? I have not left you to flounder like a rudderless ship. I will freely share with you all you need of my thinking powers, just as I share of My grace for the needs of the spirit.
This is a reservoir very nearly untapped. This is why I commended Solomon, because he asked the highest gift. In adding the other benefits, I gave him only those things that shall surely always follow after this first. For the life truly directed by My Mind shall enjoy many other blessings in abundance.
You shall know who needs healing, and what the physical body needs, even the true cause of illness that healing may be complete in the whole person. You shall know who is speaking in error, and you shall not only discern the craftiness of the enemy but how to rebuke him in My Name.
You shall be unafraid when you face others, for wisdom is power. You shall be unashamed to speak, for you shall know that the words you speak are not your own, but Hi shwo sent you and made you His messenger. You shall be able to testify as did Jesus: "The words that I speak to yu I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:10) Know that I will do it. Trust Me to do it. You will rejoice far in excess of any joy you have yet experienced.
Amazing things await you. You have had but the tiniest foretaste. Launch out! The Mind of God is fathomless. Who can ponder the smallest fraction of the intelligence of the Creator? It is all at your disposal-a great repository from which you may freely draw. Draw then, for truly the well is deep.
A portion from another entry that lends to it:
Commit to Me your sanctification. Bring your thoughts into captivity and let your mind be under the control of the Mind of Christ. Do not curb the impulses of the Spirit within you, nor refuse to allow Me the freedom to manifest Myself through you by means of the gifts. You may resist me because you feel unworthy or unready to be used. This is a delusion of the mind. I do not use you when you feel prepared, but when I need you and you are yielded. When I use you, you will discover that I also work within you to edify your own heart and life.
You block the way to your own spiritual development if you hold me back when I would minister through you (see Eph 4:12, 16) Indeed, if the time would ever come that you feel ready, I would then be completely blocked by your pride and would be forced to use someone else.
From the book: Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts
I Cor 2:5 Your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
(God speaking) O My child, give Me your mind. I shall keep it in perfect tranquility. Give Me your thoughts. I will keep them in peace. If you allow other people to do your thinking for you, you will be distressed. If you try to think for yourself, you may be in error through limited knowledge or misinformation. But let the mind of Christ be in you. Let My thinking displace and supersede your mind and your reasoning, and you will be kept in perfect peace and order; you will know exactly and precisely what is right, what is true, and what is the proper course of action.
As you draw upon My Spirit for physical strength, draw also upon My Mind for wisdom, understanding, and peace of mind. Make this a habit in your life, and you will be astounded at the results, the accomplishments it will bring. Rather than being motivated by impulse, you will be directed by Divine Intelligence.
Have I not promised that if any of you lack wisdom, you may ask of God who gives liberally and without reproach (James 1:5)? I have not left you to flounder like a rudderless ship. I will freely share with you all you need of my thinking powers, just as I share of My grace for the needs of the spirit.
This is a reservoir very nearly untapped. This is why I commended Solomon, because he asked the highest gift. In adding the other benefits, I gave him only those things that shall surely always follow after this first. For the life truly directed by My Mind shall enjoy many other blessings in abundance.
You shall know who needs healing, and what the physical body needs, even the true cause of illness that healing may be complete in the whole person. You shall know who is speaking in error, and you shall not only discern the craftiness of the enemy but how to rebuke him in My Name.
You shall be unafraid when you face others, for wisdom is power. You shall be unashamed to speak, for you shall know that the words you speak are not your own, but Hi shwo sent you and made you His messenger. You shall be able to testify as did Jesus: "The words that I speak to yu I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works" (John 14:10) Know that I will do it. Trust Me to do it. You will rejoice far in excess of any joy you have yet experienced.
Amazing things await you. You have had but the tiniest foretaste. Launch out! The Mind of God is fathomless. Who can ponder the smallest fraction of the intelligence of the Creator? It is all at your disposal-a great repository from which you may freely draw. Draw then, for truly the well is deep.
A portion from another entry that lends to it:
Commit to Me your sanctification. Bring your thoughts into captivity and let your mind be under the control of the Mind of Christ. Do not curb the impulses of the Spirit within you, nor refuse to allow Me the freedom to manifest Myself through you by means of the gifts. You may resist me because you feel unworthy or unready to be used. This is a delusion of the mind. I do not use you when you feel prepared, but when I need you and you are yielded. When I use you, you will discover that I also work within you to edify your own heart and life.
You block the way to your own spiritual development if you hold me back when I would minister through you (see Eph 4:12, 16) Indeed, if the time would ever come that you feel ready, I would then be completely blocked by your pride and would be forced to use someone else.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Crocheting
Joyce has been relearning to crochet. Her grandmother Spohn had taught her as a child and she remembered making the doilies that most usually became hats. But here, one of the ladies at church is a crocheter and is reteaching her the basics once again. Pinterest has sparked a lot of motivation by giving new pictures, ideas, and patterns. Crocheted items make splendid gifts, especially for the grandson. Crocheting makes nice times of fellowship with friends. She has been helping others relearn as she is learning. Here are a few of the items for beginners that she has made. You may even see one of them in your next gift basket.
Twins
Greenhouse in progress
We had hoped to start a greenhouse this winter so that it would be ready for early spring. After finishing the front room...which we really need to get pictured and posted here too...we were busy in the garden harvesting and canning. It didn't seem like we had quite enough materials to start a greenhouse and Joyce was a little too weary to do the heavy labor it would take to erect the framing. A nephew of John's tore out and donated old deck materials to us so that filled our need for enough materials. We were fortunate that a couple of young fellows, John's brother, Thomas, and a distant cousin, Jonathan, had a day to give in a labor of love. They worked hard but got us started to a point where Joyce could begin to help. The rafters went up, the framing began, the windows went in, and the building began to take a shape. Joyce's mother donated the new materials that were needed for the roof. That was our Christmas gift. Here it is to that extent.
The front isn't yet completed. We are waiting for more materials, mainly another window like those on the sides. We got those for $10 apeice and know it would be a miracle to get another at that price. Also, another siding glass door set. We found some of our collected ones had fogged and would no longer be useful, especially on the front. 
Since we couldn't quite finish the front, we put plastic up to shut out cold and let some light in. Then, we tore pallets apart, actually cutting the nails with a sawsall, to panel the back wall. John installed an exhaust fan to pull air through the building and out the north end. Benches were covered in more pallet boards to make work tables. Notice the two blue barrels at back. The rain gutter is over head the roof and at that point, where the barrels are, we will bring hosing down from the rain guttering to the barrels to catch rain water for watering the plants.
We had some wire shelving given to us that had been taken from a grocery store. Instead of resetting them as they were, we are using the sides and hanging them from chains to make swinging shelves that are airy, light, and more flexible in spacing.
The pots are being located from here and yonder and being stored inside. One work bench will be boxed in for mixing dirts, feeds, and minerals to make potting soil. There is more to do but we will try to keep posting regularly to keep you updated on how it is working. We truly hope to start plants for ourselves and others and to later have some plants during the winter months. We have a lemon tree donated that will soon fill our space. We shall see what else will come into our building. There are a couple of lawn chairs already and we have enjoyed a few coffee times sitting in our new room. We thank the Lord for all His provision.
Since we couldn't quite finish the front, we put plastic up to shut out cold and let some light in. Then, we tore pallets apart, actually cutting the nails with a sawsall, to panel the back wall. John installed an exhaust fan to pull air through the building and out the north end. Benches were covered in more pallet boards to make work tables. Notice the two blue barrels at back. The rain gutter is over head the roof and at that point, where the barrels are, we will bring hosing down from the rain guttering to the barrels to catch rain water for watering the plants.
We had some wire shelving given to us that had been taken from a grocery store. Instead of resetting them as they were, we are using the sides and hanging them from chains to make swinging shelves that are airy, light, and more flexible in spacing.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Five Purposes of Shaking
Taken from the book: Bait of Satan-John Bevere
1) To bring closer to the foundation
2) To remove what is dead
3) To harvest what is ripe
4) To unify or mix together so it can't be separated
5) To awaken
We came across these purposes in some old journals and believe we can see these are relevant to seeing revival. These are worthy to meditate on, to apply to our lives, and to pray for ourselves, our immediate neighborhood, our church, our community, and surrounding area. Join us in making a "shaking" and "awakening" a part of your heart's desire and earnest seeking today.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Recently, John and I were studying about the Sycamine Tree from Rick Renner's book, Sparkling Gems from the Greek. Following that, we met a friend of Gary Smalleys and he told us about meeting with a neuroscientist whose research showed through MRI's the tree form often found in the brain. We found it to be a very profound and shared both connected studies at a local prayer meeting. The results in all of us were profound as the Holy Spirit began cleansing our lives. Luke 17:1-6
1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:6 Mulberry tree/Sycamine Tree-Sukaminos-Grk word
From: Sparkling Gem from the Greek By: Rick Renner-Dec 27-29
Jesus taught His disciples about bitterness and unforgiveness and how to remove these evil forces from one’s life. Jesus likened these forces to the sycamine tree.
Characteristics:
1. Similar in appearance to the mulberry fig which was a sweet fruit for the wealthy
2. The Sycamine produced a bitter fruit, a fig for the poor, to nibble slowly
3. Very difficult to kill-would come back if any root left
4. Endures extreme conditions of high temperatures, low moisture
5. Preferred wood for building caskets and coffins
6. Vigorous, quick growth up to 30 plus feet
7. Deepest root structures of all trees in Middle East -would take over rapidly
8. Pollinated by wasp when they stung the heart of the fruit, not naturally pollinated
Sycamine tree-example of bitterness (resentment) and unforgiveness.
1.Bitterness & Unforgiveness go deep into the soul. Must be dealt with to the roots or it springs up again. Fed by any offence; tends to resurface over and over.
2.These two evil forces grow quickly out of control.
3. Flourish where spiritually dry conditions exist.
4. Are deadly to your whole being. They steal your joy, kill your peace, and cancel your spiritual life. They cause many deadly diseases and illnesses in the body.
5. The poverty stricken, the poor, are usually those most eaten up with bitterness & unforgiveness
6. Bitter people are heard saying, “I’ve been stung by that person before, but never again.” (wasp of bitterness)
7. Bitter feelings, like the bitter fig, are chewed on for a long time
Gary Smalley flew to NY to meet with a Nueroscientis. He asked what effect words have on the brain. She reported through research of MRIs of the brain, negative thoughts, words, or actions create a black tree form in the brain. This prevents or short-circuits the electrical nerve pulses from the brain to the body parts. Depression shows up in the form of a cloud. These forms bring illness, disease, poor decision making and responses, and slow learning processes. It was recorded that the brain worked at an optimum in those who had love in their lives and relationships resulting in a positive attitude. Love could even dissolve this black tree form in the brain. This follows the first commandment to love God and love your neighbor as yourself…(and that means to also love yourself). God is love and He commands us to love.
Speaking to bitterness and unforgiveness is necessary.
Greek word, lego, a strong, stern, serious, deeply felt kind of speaking. Rick Renner writes:
1) If you don’t speak to your emotions, they will speak to you.
2) If you don’t take authority over your emotions, they will take authority over you.
3) If you don’t rise up and conquer your flesh, it will rise up and conquer you.
Luke 17:6 states that the Sycamine tree should be told to go into the sea. Sea-salt will kill the plant. The bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness will never re-root, never grow back, never hound us again. They become dead issues to us, buried in the sea of forgetfulness so the roots can never regain a foothold in our soul.
Its time for you to do the speaking, take command of your thought life, and take authority over the enemies of Bitterness, Resentment, and Unforgiveness. Only the smallest amount of faith speaking out will cause them to be eradicated, permanently removed from your life. Order them out of your life now.
“Be uprooted and removed forever!”
Clean out the wellsprings of your life and let the fresh love of God fill you to overflowing.
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
Luke 17:6 Mulberry tree/Sycamine Tree-Sukaminos-Grk word
From: Sparkling Gem from the Greek By: Rick Renner-Dec 27-29
Jesus taught His disciples about bitterness and unforgiveness and how to remove these evil forces from one’s life. Jesus likened these forces to the sycamine tree.
Characteristics:
1. Similar in appearance to the mulberry fig which was a sweet fruit for the wealthy
2. The Sycamine produced a bitter fruit, a fig for the poor, to nibble slowly
3. Very difficult to kill-would come back if any root left
4. Endures extreme conditions of high temperatures, low moisture
5. Preferred wood for building caskets and coffins
6. Vigorous, quick growth up to 30 plus feet
7. Deepest root structures of all trees in Middle East -would take over rapidly
8. Pollinated by wasp when they stung the heart of the fruit, not naturally pollinated
Sycamine tree-example of bitterness (resentment) and unforgiveness.
1.Bitterness & Unforgiveness go deep into the soul. Must be dealt with to the roots or it springs up again. Fed by any offence; tends to resurface over and over.
2.These two evil forces grow quickly out of control.
3. Flourish where spiritually dry conditions exist.
4. Are deadly to your whole being. They steal your joy, kill your peace, and cancel your spiritual life. They cause many deadly diseases and illnesses in the body.
5. The poverty stricken, the poor, are usually those most eaten up with bitterness & unforgiveness
6. Bitter people are heard saying, “I’ve been stung by that person before, but never again.” (wasp of bitterness)
7. Bitter feelings, like the bitter fig, are chewed on for a long time
Gary Smalley flew to NY to meet with a Nueroscientis. He asked what effect words have on the brain. She reported through research of MRIs of the brain, negative thoughts, words, or actions create a black tree form in the brain. This prevents or short-circuits the electrical nerve pulses from the brain to the body parts. Depression shows up in the form of a cloud. These forms bring illness, disease, poor decision making and responses, and slow learning processes. It was recorded that the brain worked at an optimum in those who had love in their lives and relationships resulting in a positive attitude. Love could even dissolve this black tree form in the brain. This follows the first commandment to love God and love your neighbor as yourself…(and that means to also love yourself). God is love and He commands us to love.
Speaking to bitterness and unforgiveness is necessary.
Greek word, lego, a strong, stern, serious, deeply felt kind of speaking. Rick Renner writes:
1) If you don’t speak to your emotions, they will speak to you.
2) If you don’t take authority over your emotions, they will take authority over you.
3) If you don’t rise up and conquer your flesh, it will rise up and conquer you.
Luke 17:6 states that the Sycamine tree should be told to go into the sea. Sea-salt will kill the plant. The bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness will never re-root, never grow back, never hound us again. They become dead issues to us, buried in the sea of forgetfulness so the roots can never regain a foothold in our soul.
Its time for you to do the speaking, take command of your thought life, and take authority over the enemies of Bitterness, Resentment, and Unforgiveness. Only the smallest amount of faith speaking out will cause them to be eradicated, permanently removed from your life. Order them out of your life now.
“Be uprooted and removed forever!”
Clean out the wellsprings of your life and let the fresh love of God fill you to overflowing.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Why blog? We have left it off for some time now but the Holy Spirit has been pressing it on my (Joyce) heart that we need to pick up the “pen” and write again. We share little things on Facebook but they are there for a day (or less), and then they are crowded off. Furthermore, we are not at liberty to write fully all that God is doing in our lives. For that reason, we are back to blogging. We need and want to be in communication with others.
To catch up the news of this year, we will begin when we returned home from Mexico in April. We traveled a month visiting family then jumped right into gardening and building. We finished our little front room and were thrilled to have our all our family at home this September for the first time in three years and have enough space for everyone. Jenifer and Kevin have blessed us with our first grandchild, baby boy Jayden. Kevin’s mother (I call her my Asian sister) Betty came with them. Jonna was able to bring her boyfriend home with her to meet some of our extended family. It was a memorable occasion.
The garden survived and produced a harvest despite the extremely dry summer we had. We canned tomatoes, green beans, and sweet potatoes, then froze broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and green peppers. We made kraut from cabbage and dried the herbs for tea and seasoning for the winter meals. Recently, we were given treated lumber from an old deck plus additional materials to begin building the greenhouse we had hoped for. The new metal and polycarbonate roofing will be a Christmas gift from family. We expect to finish it before the new spring season and be ready to start garden and flower plants ahead of the planting season. A dear friend of ours is saving us a lemon tree in her own greenhouse for our new one when it is finished.
Being home this winter for the first time in several years, we get to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends. We have had surprise reconnections with old acquaintances and we are building stronger relationships with neighbors and local friends. What a joyful and blessed time we are having. Life is all about people. God was all about people so why wouldn’t our lives be the same…all about people loving people.
Meanwhile, we have been praying….much. We have been seeking God’s direction, His vision, and our purpose for being home. We have visited all the churches we could find in the local area and have been seeing how much they all desperately need revival. That spurred us on to more prayer. Before coming home, God had told us to start a prayer meeting. We still have not found others to join us. We still have not found a place to hold a weekly prayer meeting. But, we have continued in prayer for revival in ourselves, in our neighborhood, and in our community. We see that for a beginning God had called us to be here, in the north of Springfield, to intercede, to be watchmen for the north. That was the way our work began in north India so we are simply starting over again, laying the foundations for the work God wants to do here, through prayer. After visiting many different churches and loving them all, we still felt we needed to have a home church to attend. The last church we visited welcomed us with such open arms that it was almost like being drowned in loving arms. It is a small country church of very few people but they are precious and John felt from God that they are Key people for this area so we are attending there currently and enjoying the family atmosphere.
We have prayed often as to what job we need to be seeking. We were talking to a couple of our supporters recently telling them we have consistently asked God if we should take a job, and if so, which job but, as yet we simply have not had faith to get a secular one. We are still called of God to full-time ministry, even though we are home, even though our income is low, even though it doesn‘t look like we are working full-time in ministry. God has been faithful to provide and recently He has been opening doors of opportunities to minister and disciple. We have a young couple coming weekly for teaching and training. They have brought others with them from time to time. We attend a weekly prayer meeting in Springfield early, early Thursday mornings. Things are changing in the spirit realm and we are preparing our hearts through prayer to see things change drastically in the near future. Drastically. This is exactly what God told us before coming home from India. This is exactly what He repeats in our spirits again these days. “Things are going to change drastically and happen rapidly”. This was foretold to us in Amos 9:13 “Behold the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes, him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.” We fully expect to see this happen here.
We would like to take this opportunity to share another personal praise report. John experienced a severe gall bladder attack in November. He couldn’t eat or sleep in his bed for four to five days and was in the state of recuperation for more than two weeks. We began praying for our Creator to give him a new gall bladder rather than a healed one. We desire to travel to other countries to encourage the brothers and sisters we have known and worked with so it would be best for him to have the liberty to eat whatever, whenever. We believe God has honored this prayer as he is back to eating anything spicy he enjoys, except sugar. God did communicate to him that “sugar is your enemy” and he has mostly cut that out of his diet. It will be better for the both of us if we eat healthy alternatives. Okay, I still keep my small stash under the counter out of the way of temptation to John. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to be tempted or to mind.
Let us introduce you to some other key people. People we know well, have trust in, and would like to support in any way we can.
Peter Badia - We worked with Peter several years in India while he was in university there. He spent days in our home studying and talking about the Word with us and more days on the road traveling to minister with us. He has since returned to his own nation, married a godly lady named Olive whom we have met, has two small children and is working to promote the kingdom of God in nine neighboring countries. Part of his vision is to network ministries together to encourage and support one another in all areas. He strongly promotes prayer, intercession, discipleship, and caring for the widows and orphans. He believes it is more important to keep orphans in homes, like foster children, so that they are kept culturally connected and accepted. He works hard to provide the foster parents (often their own relatives) with enough money to school, feed, and clothe the kids. He works among many refugee camps, traveling to preach and teach and encourage struggling churches, holding conferences and classes where he is invited. He’s a great motivator, encourager, and overseer of what is needed for living in this world and in preparing for eternity. He is currently desiring a $5,000 copy machine to be used as a supporting business for his family and his people in ministry with him. If God lays it on your heart to help him in any way, you will advance the kingdom in great measures. Peter does nothing by halves but will often neglect himself to order to care for others. We have seen him do it quite often. More about Peter and his ministry can be viewed at his website: http://www.apostolicmissionsnetwork.org/
Kuldeep & Leena John - We were closely connected to Kuldeep and Leena while living in the same community of north India. We watched their lives as they had freshly come to Jesus and began to grow spiritually. Joyce was blessed to have Leena’s friendship and spent time discipling her in the Word for more than a year. They moved from there some time later to do full-time ministry to people in the slums of Bombay (Mumbai). We were privileged to visit them there and see what God was doing in and through their lives. They are a commited, dedicated family to serving and loving others. Kuldeep has a compassionate pastor heart. Leena is gifted in hospitality. Now, they are working in the slums of Mozambique, Africa. God has continued to grow them and stretch them. Moving to another culture is always a big step of faith and adjustment. They have two of their children with them. The youngest daughter seen on the right and a son, not pictured. The oldest daughter, seen on the left, remains in university in India. Leena’s mother has recently taken a fall twice and broken both hips. We rejoice to learn that it has shaken her sufficiently that she has finally given her heart to the Lord. However, Kuldeep and Leena, working on their limited missionary income, are trying to cover the medical costs of this dear mother back home. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to set them free financially to do the work they have been sent forth to do? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to cover the medical costs of $10,000 that are pending so they can effectively minister to the needs of Mozambique? They currently work through Oasis Global out of England. You can view the vision of OG on their website: oasisglobal.org but the link to the pages of each country wasn’t operating when I last tried to pull them up. Maybe later.
Cherie McCullah - Cherie is a single lady (sister to our brother-in-law) that is sacrificing her life to serve the multitude of orphans from Nicaragua in Costa Rica. According to our understanding, she is endeavoring to supply place, people, and cost of living and education all the way through university or tech training thereby enabling the children to become beneficial Christian citizens when they return to their own country of Nicaragua. Individual homes, housing ten children each, are being set up as “families”. This way, they will be trained not only educationally, but socially so as to be family-oriented, and learn good character in relationships one with another.
We have confidence in the integrity and spiritual lives of these people. They are people we would like to network with and see the kingdom of God advance through. We are praying for them that we can bless and help them, that we can visit and encourage them, that we can be a part of what they are doing in each of these places. We are so thankful for the modern day convenience of computers and international phones as we have been able to keep in close contact with these brothers and sisters in Christ, to hear their prayers, their needs, their hearts.
We celebrate thirty-seven years of marriage together this December. The years of commitment are reaping a greater love, unity, and appreciation for one another. We give all the praise to our God who promised to enter into this covenant marriage with us and keep all that we have committed to Him “till death do us part.” He has been faithful and has blessed us to remain faithful. Our family grows as we acquire sons (in-law) and their families. It grows as we continue to meet more brothers and sisters in Christ here and wherever we travel. God is with us and we desire with all our hearts to be with Him, to be “known” by Him. May your New Year be blessed to know God more. Seek Him with ALL…and you will find Him.
Blessings to everyone of you.
John & Joyce
To catch up the news of this year, we will begin when we returned home from Mexico in April. We traveled a month visiting family then jumped right into gardening and building. We finished our little front room and were thrilled to have our all our family at home this September for the first time in three years and have enough space for everyone. Jenifer and Kevin have blessed us with our first grandchild, baby boy Jayden. Kevin’s mother (I call her my Asian sister) Betty came with them. Jonna was able to bring her boyfriend home with her to meet some of our extended family. It was a memorable occasion.
The garden survived and produced a harvest despite the extremely dry summer we had. We canned tomatoes, green beans, and sweet potatoes, then froze broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and green peppers. We made kraut from cabbage and dried the herbs for tea and seasoning for the winter meals. Recently, we were given treated lumber from an old deck plus additional materials to begin building the greenhouse we had hoped for. The new metal and polycarbonate roofing will be a Christmas gift from family. We expect to finish it before the new spring season and be ready to start garden and flower plants ahead of the planting season. A dear friend of ours is saving us a lemon tree in her own greenhouse for our new one when it is finished.
Being home this winter for the first time in several years, we get to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends. We have had surprise reconnections with old acquaintances and we are building stronger relationships with neighbors and local friends. What a joyful and blessed time we are having. Life is all about people. God was all about people so why wouldn’t our lives be the same…all about people loving people.
Meanwhile, we have been praying….much. We have been seeking God’s direction, His vision, and our purpose for being home. We have visited all the churches we could find in the local area and have been seeing how much they all desperately need revival. That spurred us on to more prayer. Before coming home, God had told us to start a prayer meeting. We still have not found others to join us. We still have not found a place to hold a weekly prayer meeting. But, we have continued in prayer for revival in ourselves, in our neighborhood, and in our community. We see that for a beginning God had called us to be here, in the north of Springfield, to intercede, to be watchmen for the north. That was the way our work began in north India so we are simply starting over again, laying the foundations for the work God wants to do here, through prayer. After visiting many different churches and loving them all, we still felt we needed to have a home church to attend. The last church we visited welcomed us with such open arms that it was almost like being drowned in loving arms. It is a small country church of very few people but they are precious and John felt from God that they are Key people for this area so we are attending there currently and enjoying the family atmosphere.
We have prayed often as to what job we need to be seeking. We were talking to a couple of our supporters recently telling them we have consistently asked God if we should take a job, and if so, which job but, as yet we simply have not had faith to get a secular one. We are still called of God to full-time ministry, even though we are home, even though our income is low, even though it doesn‘t look like we are working full-time in ministry. God has been faithful to provide and recently He has been opening doors of opportunities to minister and disciple. We have a young couple coming weekly for teaching and training. They have brought others with them from time to time. We attend a weekly prayer meeting in Springfield early, early Thursday mornings. Things are changing in the spirit realm and we are preparing our hearts through prayer to see things change drastically in the near future. Drastically. This is exactly what God told us before coming home from India. This is exactly what He repeats in our spirits again these days. “Things are going to change drastically and happen rapidly”. This was foretold to us in Amos 9:13 “Behold the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes, him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.” We fully expect to see this happen here.
We would like to take this opportunity to share another personal praise report. John experienced a severe gall bladder attack in November. He couldn’t eat or sleep in his bed for four to five days and was in the state of recuperation for more than two weeks. We began praying for our Creator to give him a new gall bladder rather than a healed one. We desire to travel to other countries to encourage the brothers and sisters we have known and worked with so it would be best for him to have the liberty to eat whatever, whenever. We believe God has honored this prayer as he is back to eating anything spicy he enjoys, except sugar. God did communicate to him that “sugar is your enemy” and he has mostly cut that out of his diet. It will be better for the both of us if we eat healthy alternatives. Okay, I still keep my small stash under the counter out of the way of temptation to John. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to be tempted or to mind.
Let us introduce you to some other key people. People we know well, have trust in, and would like to support in any way we can.
Peter Badia - We worked with Peter several years in India while he was in university there. He spent days in our home studying and talking about the Word with us and more days on the road traveling to minister with us. He has since returned to his own nation, married a godly lady named Olive whom we have met, has two small children and is working to promote the kingdom of God in nine neighboring countries. Part of his vision is to network ministries together to encourage and support one another in all areas. He strongly promotes prayer, intercession, discipleship, and caring for the widows and orphans. He believes it is more important to keep orphans in homes, like foster children, so that they are kept culturally connected and accepted. He works hard to provide the foster parents (often their own relatives) with enough money to school, feed, and clothe the kids. He works among many refugee camps, traveling to preach and teach and encourage struggling churches, holding conferences and classes where he is invited. He’s a great motivator, encourager, and overseer of what is needed for living in this world and in preparing for eternity. He is currently desiring a $5,000 copy machine to be used as a supporting business for his family and his people in ministry with him. If God lays it on your heart to help him in any way, you will advance the kingdom in great measures. Peter does nothing by halves but will often neglect himself to order to care for others. We have seen him do it quite often. More about Peter and his ministry can be viewed at his website: http://www.apostolicmissionsnetwork.org/
Kuldeep & Leena John - We were closely connected to Kuldeep and Leena while living in the same community of north India. We watched their lives as they had freshly come to Jesus and began to grow spiritually. Joyce was blessed to have Leena’s friendship and spent time discipling her in the Word for more than a year. They moved from there some time later to do full-time ministry to people in the slums of Bombay (Mumbai). We were privileged to visit them there and see what God was doing in and through their lives. They are a commited, dedicated family to serving and loving others. Kuldeep has a compassionate pastor heart. Leena is gifted in hospitality. Now, they are working in the slums of Mozambique, Africa. God has continued to grow them and stretch them. Moving to another culture is always a big step of faith and adjustment. They have two of their children with them. The youngest daughter seen on the right and a son, not pictured. The oldest daughter, seen on the left, remains in university in India. Leena’s mother has recently taken a fall twice and broken both hips. We rejoice to learn that it has shaken her sufficiently that she has finally given her heart to the Lord. However, Kuldeep and Leena, working on their limited missionary income, are trying to cover the medical costs of this dear mother back home. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to set them free financially to do the work they have been sent forth to do? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to cover the medical costs of $10,000 that are pending so they can effectively minister to the needs of Mozambique? They currently work through Oasis Global out of England. You can view the vision of OG on their website: oasisglobal.org but the link to the pages of each country wasn’t operating when I last tried to pull them up. Maybe later.
Cherie McCullah - Cherie is a single lady (sister to our brother-in-law) that is sacrificing her life to serve the multitude of orphans from Nicaragua in Costa Rica. According to our understanding, she is endeavoring to supply place, people, and cost of living and education all the way through university or tech training thereby enabling the children to become beneficial Christian citizens when they return to their own country of Nicaragua. Individual homes, housing ten children each, are being set up as “families”. This way, they will be trained not only educationally, but socially so as to be family-oriented, and learn good character in relationships one with another.
We have confidence in the integrity and spiritual lives of these people. They are people we would like to network with and see the kingdom of God advance through. We are praying for them that we can bless and help them, that we can visit and encourage them, that we can be a part of what they are doing in each of these places. We are so thankful for the modern day convenience of computers and international phones as we have been able to keep in close contact with these brothers and sisters in Christ, to hear their prayers, their needs, their hearts.
We celebrate thirty-seven years of marriage together this December. The years of commitment are reaping a greater love, unity, and appreciation for one another. We give all the praise to our God who promised to enter into this covenant marriage with us and keep all that we have committed to Him “till death do us part.” He has been faithful and has blessed us to remain faithful. Our family grows as we acquire sons (in-law) and their families. It grows as we continue to meet more brothers and sisters in Christ here and wherever we travel. God is with us and we desire with all our hearts to be with Him, to be “known” by Him. May your New Year be blessed to know God more. Seek Him with ALL…and you will find Him.
Blessings to everyone of you.
John & Joyce
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Last Days
Last Days
Now don’t presume from the title that we are talking about the book of Revelations. No, we are simply reflecting on and sharing about the last days of our recent time in Mexico.
The last six months have been spent in intensive learning of the Spanish language. It was a joy to learn under teachers that cared about you as a person and about your spiritual condition. They were there to help in every way they could and they did. Then, there were the students. They came from different places to learn for different reasons. Some already work with Hispanic people and need the better communication skills. Some train from the simple interest of learning a second language and then become so excited about the culture, the people, and the mission field experience that they find it difficult to leave. Living in different local homes gives them new perspective into the lives of the Mexican people and how friendly and hard-working they are. The village we lived in, Cacalotte, was focused on fishing the seas but holidays were always welcomed for the community rooster fights, rodeos, parades, singing, dancing, eating, and unfortunately, drinking alcohol to excess. However, the bible school campus and local church have made an impact and many families are being drawn toward knowing Christ.
We’ve spent three years now going to Oaxaca, Mexico and we have loved being there. The local church is growing and experiencing revival. We were commissioned to go and “come alongside for a time and then God brought us back home. Our time in Mexico is finished for now. Loving the missionaries that work there, loving the local people of the village, loving the students attending from all parts of Oaxaca, loving the culture of the area, made leaving difficult for us. We crammed as many times of fellowship as possible in between studying and finishing our final exams in the Spanish school. By God’s grace, we finished well.
But the most difficult experience was leaving our landlords; a precious retired couple who were small in stature but big in heart. We swapped stories, ideas, and meals. We saved our compost for feeding their chickens and received eggs. The week we left, we received meals, plants, and seeds. We had to leave the plants, distribute the seeds, but we ate the meals. Two chickens were killed during the week in our honor. That was such a huge message to us…we were loved. Friday, as we soaked our clothes with sweat while loading the truck, sweet, juicy slices of watermelon came into our hands to refresh us. Wow! Saturday morning we woke them up early as we were preparing to leave at 6am. After hugs and blessings were passed all around, we finally left. They were the BEST landlords ever.
A week before leaving, a brother walked up to us and asking when we were leaving, he told us he was available to drive with us to the border. We had been planning to ask him but what a blessing to have him suggest it first. Bro. Isidro helped us drive all the way to the border making the trip in 21 hours a smooth, swift one. We watched an accident happen in front of us on one turnpike and scooted quickly out of the way as a semi-truck was following us and we didn’t wish to be sandwiched. Fortunately for the other two vehicles, the big truck was able to stop just at their bumpers edge. God prepared our way and kept us and our vehicle all along the way and with the great number of praying people covering our trip, we had the best, blessed trip yet. We did have a little surprise when we reached the border. At 4:30am we discovered the bus station had closed and moved with no forwarding address. That was a little disconcerting as Isidro needed this mode of transportation to return home and it was rather early to find someone who could tell us where it was. However, we found a small convenience store that was open 24 hours and found the new, improved station was just around the corner a few blocks. Whew! Thank you each and everyone of you for your prayers.
In closing, to quote our daughters, “whenever something ends, something new begins and it will be fun to see what God has for you next.” So, we re-enter the American culture desiring to enjoy family, increase strength of relationships with friends, plant a garden, wait for our first grandbaby (it’s a boy) to be born in August, and wait to hear what God has for us next. We are so thankful for each of you that have continued to be partners with us in our unusual life style supporting us in prayer, finances, and communication. We always need you. Keep writing, keep praying, keep giving as God blesses you.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Spanish School & friends
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| Laura & Becky singing at the Christmas concert |
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| Nellie |
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| Jesica |
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| Dr Eder & Maestra Paulina with Nelie |
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| Maestro Ruben |
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| Grammar teacher, David |
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| second downhill path before we hit sandy road |
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| School bound |
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| Choral group |
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| Juan & Ruth |
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| Ruben, Adriana, Jesica |
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| Serjio, notable guitarist Music Teacher |
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| Eli decorating her Christmas tree |
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
San Lorenzo outreach
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| Where's the highway? |
We are back to Roca Blanca after a three day trip to San Lorenzo, a new
church plant about two years old. We arrived and walked across muddy road
construction and then walked a steep incline up to where the church sat
overlooking the village. It commanded a great view which is usually the
location of the catholic churches in the village. We hustled to set up
clinic and saw probably thirty patients that evening, entertaining the
children on the side with songs and games. They fed us well...all weekend
and housed us in separate places. John and I were led to a in a newly built
room with one hammock and one cot available. We were thankful there seem to
be no mosquitoes because it was necessary to leave our door ajar to get any
cool breeze that might become available. We had bathroom facilities
outdoors and were grateful for cold bucket showers during our stay.
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outreach dinner |
On Friday, we saw patients off and on all day. A dentist came that morning,
Adrianna who is wife to one of our Spanish teachers, and John and I helped
her with about 20 plus tooth extractions over Friday and Saturday. We held
flashlights, sanitized instruments, led patients in and out, sweep floors,
and whatever we could do to be helpful.
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| roadside barber |
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| delighted patient |
When working with the children, we were both involved in a drama that was recorded into the Mixteco language. Usually the children know Spanish from going to school but many of the adults do not so we always have interpreters. We had a visiting retired
surgeon with us and his wife. He had two interpreters to translate; one from English to Spanish and then another to translate from Spanish to Mixteco. He is only in his eighties and still going strong.
Friday afternoon, we took a break to have a church service at 5pm. It
started with a Mariachi style band that was very rousing and cheerful. I
thought then how boring the Catholic church would seem to the people by
comparison. The band made it sound more like a fiesta along with all the
dancing, clapping, and singing. The musicians set up in the small concrete
church building where we had been holding clinic. We were sitting outside
under tarps...till it starting pouring rain. At first, we would lift and
dump the tarps where they sagged so they wouldn't seep through but pretty
soon, it was a loosing battle. Some took shelter in a small overhang, some
of us took shelter in the kitchen shed. It was rather distracting to hear
any preaching with rain pounding the tin roof and people shuffling to find a
dry place but there were two preachers and they shared the Word for about an
hour. Many of the locals were still under sections of tarp listening with
all their hearts. Afterward, everyone was served hot weak coffee and a
sweet bread roll. We had a time of fellowship then tramped carefully
through the dark and muddy street under construction to our abodes.
Some of the interesting food we had was scrambled eggs in a real chili
powder/tomato sauce, chicken/rice soup, shrimp/Spanish rice, and entomatadas
which are tortillas dipped in bean soup and served with crumbled cheese over
the top. All entrees except the last came with beans and hand ground, hand
made hominy tortillas cook over the fire on a large clay plate. There were
8-10 cooks most of the two days with several servers. They had some
kneading the tortilla dough, some pressing it in a metal press, and several
cooking them around the plate. Other fires held the huge pots for cooking
beans or meat. They fed our group of 28 plus interpreters and then fed
their men and helpers so they were feeding about 50-60 every day.
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| morning devos |
We are thankful every time for the opportunity and privilege to share the
love of Jesus with these needy people. John and I are thankful for the
wonderful truck the Lord provided us with to come here as we are always
carrying people, luggage, and other supplies when we go. It gives us a
double opportunity to serve. Thank you for your faithful prayer and
support. For each of you who participated in this way, you are the arms
that stretch forth the hands. You are those whom make it possible.
God's blessings on you with our thanks to you.
John & Joyce
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Shrimp tamales...what next?
Just when we think we have seen it all, we get yet another surprise. One evening, we had become quite tired of studying and needed a break. Not only did we need a break, we also needed some practice speaking our Spanish we were learning. So, we went outside to see what aunti and uncle were doing. Uncle was sitting sedately on the porch just watching aunti in her kitchen.
Her kitchen is outdoors under a thatched roof. It is where uncle starts the fire every time she is ready to cook. It is where the laundry is done, the dishes are washed, and food is prepared in small or large quantity. The so called “house” is really only a bedroom with a bed, television, a dresser, some nails to hang up clothes and other assorted necessities, and with boxes for storing this and that under the bed or anywhere on the floor something else isn’t taking up the space. There are chairs but they are outside as much or more than inside as they even watch tv from outside on the porch where a breeze might blow and cool them off a bit.
So, John sat down with uncle on the porch and watched me enter the kitchen with aunti. She had a basket of small live shrimp and a bowl of green sauce into which she was putting handfuls of these shrimp. She continued to push them under the green liquid until they gave up surfacing. She proudly told us about going to the nearby river and netting in the shrimp. She showed us the bag of them in the freezer and another bag in the refrigerator that had already been boiled. But, the shrimp she was drowning in the sauce were neither boiled nor dead. We visited for some time and then headed back to the books.
Today, when we reached home, she came running saying, “esperame” which means “wait for me”. She grabbed up a pretty clear glass bowl and grabbed a handful of tamales to put in it. Yes, you guessed. They were shrimp tamales made from their home grown and ground corn and those shrimp that had succumbed to the thick herbal chili sauce.
John didn’t feel too inclined to try them. I pulled the whole shrimp out and ate the tamales. They were very tasty!
When in doubt, pull the bugs out and eat the rest!
Her kitchen is outdoors under a thatched roof. It is where uncle starts the fire every time she is ready to cook. It is where the laundry is done, the dishes are washed, and food is prepared in small or large quantity. The so called “house” is really only a bedroom with a bed, television, a dresser, some nails to hang up clothes and other assorted necessities, and with boxes for storing this and that under the bed or anywhere on the floor something else isn’t taking up the space. There are chairs but they are outside as much or more than inside as they even watch tv from outside on the porch where a breeze might blow and cool them off a bit.
So, John sat down with uncle on the porch and watched me enter the kitchen with aunti. She had a basket of small live shrimp and a bowl of green sauce into which she was putting handfuls of these shrimp. She continued to push them under the green liquid until they gave up surfacing. She proudly told us about going to the nearby river and netting in the shrimp. She showed us the bag of them in the freezer and another bag in the refrigerator that had already been boiled. But, the shrimp she was drowning in the sauce were neither boiled nor dead. We visited for some time and then headed back to the books.
Today, when we reached home, she came running saying, “esperame” which means “wait for me”. She grabbed up a pretty clear glass bowl and grabbed a handful of tamales to put in it. Yes, you guessed. They were shrimp tamales made from their home grown and ground corn and those shrimp that had succumbed to the thick herbal chili sauce.
John didn’t feel too inclined to try them. I pulled the whole shrimp out and ate the tamales. They were very tasty!
When in doubt, pull the bugs out and eat the rest!
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