I hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying this holiday season and spending lots of time with family and friends. Recently, Joshua, Anna, and I went to El Salvador to minister across the country for the week. We were preaching at Nuevo Pacto Christian School all week, at a youth conference and at churches across the entire country. I also got the chance to lead worship several times, both in Spanish and English.
We have some exciting news to share with you! As you know, for 17 years we have been ministering all over the world, and we have had such great fruit throughout the years. We have seen God do amazing things in the lives of the people we have had the privilege of ministering to and God’s power has been so present in every place we have gone. That being said, we are ready to take our ministry to the next level. There are a number of things we are doing to expand our ministry, but we believe that perhaps the most important thing we are doing is to start an intentional prayer initiative with our partners! We know that many of you have already been praying for the ministry we are doing, but we want to help you pray more specifically and intentionally.
As the end of the year approaches, we are so thankful for all that the Lord has done this year and we look forward to what is ahead. As the year ends, I want to share a word with you on the tremendous value of partnership. Partnership is a wonderful gift created by the Lord to greatly expand the resources, abilities and rewards of every one of His children.
I just got back from preaching another Revival in Cuba, and after spending another set of fruitful days in Cuba, I am convinced that I need to ask you all to do something absolutely vital: I’m asking you to pray fervently that the people of Cuba—nationwide--would choose to serve Jesus Christ at this pivotal time in their history! Let me explain…
Nothing is impossible with God! I have just returned from our crusade in southeast Asia, which is a miracle, years in the making. For the past two years our ministry has requested visa access to this country three times, and each time we were denied by the anti-Christian government. It would have been easy to give up, but we could not, not after hearing about the city awaiting us. The pastors and churches in this city were begging for us to come. Each time our visa was denied, they were devastated, but they refused to stop praying and believing. They joined with us in fasting and praying for this crusade to come to their city. You see, this city is one of the most remote places we have ever been. Less than 1% of the city is Christian as almost every person is either Hindu or Muslim. This city was so remote that it does not have a hotel, many of the people have never seen a white person before, and almost all of them have never heard the name of Jesus.
First of all, I want to thank you so very much for praying for our Crusade last month in the capital city of Madagascar—Antananarivo! Jesus truly did awesome things at this event. In 3 days, we had 60,000 people attend! And 10,000 of those same people received decision cards, indicating that they had repented of their sins and made either first-time or first-time-in-a-long-time decisions for Christ! Hallelujah for Harvest!
I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of our ministry. Without the financial and spiritual partnership of people like you, what we do would be impossible. This month begins one of the busiest stretches in our ministry’s history and we need your help in order to accomplish all that the Lord has in store. I want to highlight what we are getting ready to do so that you may pray for us and give as you feel led to do so. We believe in the power of prayer and we are asking for you to join with us in prayer for the upcoming months. Let me tell you about what is in store!
In July 2013 our ministry partnered with many other ministries for an historic event in the nation of Honduras: 1 Nation 1 Day. We took a team of 25 to the island state of Roatan, while other ministries simultaneously did the same in each of Honduras’ other states. The entire week culminated with crusades in each of the states’ capital cities where hundreds of thousands received Christ. What is so encouraging is the sustainability of what occurred. A year later violence had decreased by 40%, school attendance was at an all-time high, the largest gang in that nation disbanded and for the first time in decades, the country had a peaceful election.
We have had the privilege of traveling to many incredible continents, countries and cities over our 15 years of ministry. Many are surprised that we have ministered in so many different places, many of them very dangerous places, and one of the more common questions that we get asked is, “How do you decide where to go? Why do you choose to go to the places that you do?” This is a great question, and I want to answer it today. There are a number of factors that go into our decision of where to minister, but one of the primary reasons is because of the prayers of the people to whom we are ministering. We truly believe that when we go to minister, we become an answered prayer to the people in that place. Let me explain.
I have some great news for you—Our Crusade in Ethiopia last month was sensational—Praise Jesus! Thanks so much for praying and giving so that we could go. It was probably the most obvious week of spiritual warfare I have ever been a part of. Let me tell you all about it…
I recently had the great honor and opportunity to travel to Cambodia and hold a 3-night Evangelistic Crusade, as well as a Leader’s Conference. By the end of our time in Cambodia, we had witnessed many local pastors ministered to and encouraged to lead their churches with new Holy Spirit empowerment, as well as a great number of people saved and healed. It truly was an experience that I will never forget, as it was my very first trip preaching at all the Crusade and Conference meetings. I learned so much about what it means to follow Jesus, as well as about the ministry that each and every one of us is called to do while we live on the earth.
For over 15 years now we have been bringing the message of the Gospel to some of the most unreached areas of the world. Some of you have been partners with us from the beginning, while others are only more recently part of our ministry. Whether you are new or old, we want you to know that we so greatly appreciate your support and partnership that is making a difference around the world.
Thank you so much for praying for our recent Revival in 2 remote cities in southern Egypt! Jesus used your prayers mightily to impact many lives for the Kingdom. I preached 11 services in 6 days. One night was a Teen Revival. Another day was a Children’s Revival. And every day and night, the churches were packed with hungry believers in that Muslim nation, eager for a touch from Jesus Christ—the one true God!
Recently Joshua and I had the pleasure of spending a week in El Salvador with some of the most friendly, accommodating, loving people I had ever met. In a week the two of us preached over 30 times to people of all ages and saw the Lord do incredible things!
“He’s completely healed!” “What?” I responded. “Are you serious?” “Yes,” they replied, “The doctors are amazed. God has done a miracle!” For the third year in a row I have had the privilege of traveling to Reynosa, Mexico and ministering with an incredible Church down there. Last year when I was there ministering I met the Reyna family.
As I look back on this past year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. In 2015 we have had the privilege of traveling among the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In February we held a crusade among the Buddhist people in Cambodia. In March we had a Crusade in the middle of the Amazon in Peru. In April we ministered to the Muslim people in Egypt. In July we took a team of 38 to the Dominican Republic and helped bring transformation to the entire nation. In August we traveled to the island of Madagascar for a groundbreaking crusade. In September, we returned to Egypt. In October we did nationwide ministry in the Central American countries of Cuba and El Salvador. As I recap the year, I am blown away by the grace of God in our lives and how He is using us to reach the nations of the world with the Gospel.
Have I got some stories for you! Last month, I preached Revivals in 2 different cities in Cuba. From the start, we knew it was going to be an amazing week—a week of divine appointments! We were the last to leave the airport when we arrived in Cuba. When we saw our friends outside, I did what I typically do—I yelled “Hallelujah” loudly! That’s when the fun began. A lady came up to me and said, “Are you a Christian?” Enthusiastically, I said, “Yes,” and she said, “Well, I have something for you!” She had smuggled Bibles into Cuba, and gave them to us to give away that week! Here’s who we gave them to…
I’ve got good news for you, friends: Muslim North Africa is hungry for Jesus! I just got back from preaching a revival there, and it was powerful. Every night, the church was packed with hundreds of precious people. I preached strongly against sin and for repentance through the blood of Jesus. Many repented of their sins each night. One Muslim woman had a demon cast out of her and the blood of Jesus healed many people. It was a dynamic breakthrough for the power of the Holy Spirit, in a city that had never hosted a revival like this before.
There are few places in the world that are farther from North America than Madagascar. On arriving, we were certainly ready for a good sleep. Pastor Jules’ son, Tank, picked us up from the airport around 1:00 AM, and, while we were driving to his home, he explained I would be picked up at 5:00 AM that morning. I was scheduled to preach in a city a few hours from Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, and would head there early in the morning. It’s probably obvious to you that I did not get my full eight hours… So, with the sun still yet to rise, I stepped into a small car and met the beautiful young family that would drive me.
In 2013, we, alongside dozens of other ministries, invaded the nation of Honduras as a part of 1Nation1Day with one common goal: to see national transformation take place. Working with the highest government officials, the key business leaders, and virtually all pastors in the nation, we were able to see God work in miraculous ways. Since that trip two years ago, violence in the nation dropped nearly 40%, the largest gang in the nation was disbanded, school attendance is at an all time high as they are teaching biblical values in their curriculum, and the church is stronger than ever.
