Sunday, January 31, 2016

Year in Review, pt. 4

June 6th  was Coquille’s Gay 90’s’ Festival (has nothing to do with ‘gays’ but rather, the 1890’s), we set up a ministry booth and William carried the cross through town during the parade.   He was dressed in his white painting overalls, on which I had just finished embroidering “Servant of Jesus Christ” on the back, and his name on the front.  Anyway, he wanted to just be a common working man carrying a cross to give a visual of the verse about carrying our cross daily.  He must of made an impact on the community, because people were talking about him all day (I heard).

I manned the booth most of the day, while William and Scott (a friend from Ashland who had joined us for the parade) wandered around handing out bibles and bible tracts.  I had to put up with the hardest part!  So many people came up to argue with me, give me weird or bad looks, like I was the bad guy!  I had a table full of bibles I was handing out, along with those “Evolution Handbooks” (actually, should be called “Creation Handbooks” since it gives tons of proof FOR creation— http://evolutionfacts.com/Handbook%20TOC.htm).  I had a lot of good conversations, but a ton of arguments and bad comments!   What was even more shocking, was that 4 different people (independent of each other) said that Hitler was a Christian!  Is this what the world thinks Christians are?  This world has really gotten worse!

Anyway, here are excerpts from my Journal, with the days leading up to the event and after:
June 4 – It’s interesting, now that we’re getting ready for this parade/festival in this town, how much God is reminding us of the history of America.  From the 1850’s – 1950’s or so, there was a fight for man’s freedom, for the blacks especially in the South.  Then there was the fight to get God out of the nation and politics – it wasn’t an accident that God put one of His most powerful servants in the White House in the late 1850-s, early 1860’s (Abraham Lincoln).  Then came the full-scale war against the minds of the people - the advent of Darwinism and Evolution – the successful takeover of getting God out of this nation.  Then the fear and hatred of the KKK – to stop men by fear, killing (even whites who stood for justice) all who went against them, thus changing the politics (republicans vs democrats), thus winning the fight – those men took over the power of this nation.  The devil saw this and saw that taking God out of the young had to happen next, because there were still so many who (1930’s-50’s) looked to God for everything (all of which had been instilled from infancy on).  So, 1958-64 was the full-scale war against children, changing of textbooks, educational system, and finally taking God out of school completely.  The ‘spirit’ of the 60’s and all the revolutions all across society - the killing of babies made legal, the killing of the 3 great hopes for restoring this nation to God (Kennedy’s and King), power of women and the weakening of the man, the influx of the Southern mindset (democrats) realizing they couldn’t kill man’s freedom physically, so they took over society by supporting financially all social handouts, looking out for the interests of the minorities, until they’ve bankrupt this country socially and financially.  Where this country centered on God from the beginning, the country who were always sending out missions throughout the world, became the place where nations looked to us as a God-centered world power before, now that has been stripped away, the full course-changed philosophy of this nation and the re-writing of history, fear, hatred, and destruction reign in every aspect of society, making us the laughing stock of all the nations now.  Are we surprised now why judgment must fall?

I’ve been listening to Carmen’s song: “America Again”.  I need to learn that and sing it, or at least play it at every gathering we have.  We have realized through our preparations for this festival, that we are called to do much more than we ever expected at first.  We came to Coquille to work, earn a few $$ to pay off debts, and God has set us up here for a long-term work in all aspects.  We only realized a couple weeks ago that God wanted us to infiltrate this town spiritually in a bigger way, by kicking off our campaign for this town by doing this festival.  Wow, I am always amazed by God.  We don’t set out to plan these things; over and over God ‘sets us up’!  We ‘fall’ into these things clueless!  Then He starts ‘feeding’ us things little by little until we have this whole ‘program’ of sorts.   It’s no accident that the devil attacks us so relentlessly – by my little fit yesterday, by the depressions that keep trying to set into my mind by our ‘hard’ lifestyle.  It is not hard when you compare it to what those in China, India, or N Korea have to go through.  We are quite lazy and whimpy!

June 7 – wow, what a weekend!  The weirdest thing – Friday the 5th, I’m at a printer shop in Myrtle Point, getting prints done for this weekend’s festival, and it was so chaotic in there between my job, and 3 other people’s jobs.  It was a small space to hang in anyway, so I put my open wallet on the counter (because I thought the job was done and I was going to pay for them) and pick up the prints she was handing me so I could approve them or not.  Just then, William comes back in (he had been wandering around the town waiting for me) and he notices she had forgotten to print 3 other items.  I give her the flash drive again and we go over to her computer to find them and print them out.  In the mean time, (I didn’t realize this until later) someone walks off with my wallet.  When it was all said and done after about 45 minutes in the shop, everyone else is gone (their jobs done and taken), I go to pay for the printing, and can’t find my wallet – we tear the place apart looking, and William made the comment, “someone obviously walked off with it.”  Which the owner said, “no, I know all of those people and they wouldn’t steal.”  I find my little stone cross on the floor by the counter and explained how it was in my wallet, so obviously someone picked it up (since it was unzipped) and the cross fell out.  She still maintained, as we continued to look again and again at the same places, while William went to find a bank to get more money out, that no one stole it. 

Anyway, as it turned out, the next day, it was stolen and the ‘old’ lady felt guilty the next day and turned herself in at the police station.  Mom had gotten a call from the police earlier that Saturday, asking for me (because my driver’s license gives her address) and somehow the police tracked down her cell number.  She, being wary, didn’t want to give them too much info, told them I was at the coast and they then proceeded to tell her they had my wallet.  She immediately called me, I called them, and by 5 pm, a Myrtle Point cop actually brought my wallet to me personally, at my booth in the festival!  He told of how this lady had showed up at the station that morning, feeling guilty for stealing the wallet, had used $6 something that morning of it, replaced it (because there was $99 in there), and turned herself in.  They felt so bad for her, the chastised her just a bit and sent her on her way, then tracked me down. 

What was so amazing about all that was after we left the printers, we prayed about the wallet and specifically said to make the person feel guilty and turn it in!  Wow, I was so amazed that not only was it returned, but all the money was in there.  Here we were spending money for a festival (printing) we weren’t gaining anything by financially, but rather, giving to the community, and God blesses us this way.

But it also chastised me as well – I was sure it was the teenage girl that had stolen it, was talking bad about ‘young people today’ and so on.  In fact, before I had left the print shop, I had asked the owner to call each of the people that had been in there, asking about it.  I could tell she didn’t want to do it, but I was insistent.  Two people didn’t answer and she left messages.  The third was the mother of the girl, and I was silently saying, “yup, she’s going to get in trouble when she gets home.”  When in the end, it ended up being the old lady who was in there.  It showed me how I still ‘judge’ others and shouldn’t.


Anyway, the 6th  was the festival; we were so busy setting up the booth Friday night and Saturday morning, then I manned the booth while William walked cross through town during parade, I didn’t have time to call the police and tell them my wallet was stolen.  I heard the coolest thing, this morning when I went to the library to get online (library wasn’t open, but the connection can be made by sitting outside), William sat on the lawn and talked with a father and son who had seen him and I know that was a God-appointed visit! 



A lot more happened over that year; however, I’m not going to bore everyone with every detail.  Suffice it to say, we had quite a year, ending up in the Rogue Valley again Aug. 29-Jan. 20, where we lived in my mom’s upstairs apartment, ministering to our various family members (lots of serious issues!).   We ended our stay, by connecting with the Jerusalem Center in Medford (where we went to several services the past month) and found the Holy Spirit really working with that congregation.  We look forward to coming back to the valley and working with them some more.

Year in Review, pt. 3

While William worked, I, on the other hand, ended up being a caretaker for two elderly people (I’m a teacher! I told God, not a caretaker—he taught me a big lesson in humility).  I had a bit of practice in January and February, when I had to run back and forth from the coast to the Rogue Valley to take care of my mom, who had open-heart surgery Dec. 30, 2014.

Again, excerpts from my journal: 
April 29 - Helping Ken and Gale – Gale is Ken’s live-in CNA, she, coming up on 60, is full of health problems, which is why she needed us to be here to help.  I have been going in at certain times to learn the routine.  Ken has thoroughly enjoyed talking with us, it seems, me especially, because we hit it off right away talking about our respective aviation experience (he flew a Cesna 182, I a Cesna 172), love of music (he plays in the old-time fiddler’s association – fiddle and bass ukelale), love of singing baritone and how he can’t do so any longer, his collection of classical music and love of good artwork (he told stories of his paintings around the room – given to him by the respective artists), how he misses his wife Anyway, I told him how I want to help in any way I can, just to let me know.
We attended Ken and Gale’s morning bible study – typical Baptist style, read the Word in a year, follow the schedule, miss the deeper meanings within, but just ‘getting the job done of reading’; however, since Ken spent most of his life as a pastor/preacher, we let him have his say and to ‘teach’ from tradition to show respect.

April 30 – We are both constantly learning from God, going through trial and tribulations, so as to strengthen our faith AND our resolve to never back down no matter what.  William was asked by Ken last night if he wanted to go with him to bible study at a local bakery this am.  He said yes, and this am, William helped Ken get his wheelchair loaded onto the car and they went.  Even though this guy is 88, though weak in body, is still wanting to do things himself and we need to be respectful of this and give him his dignity.  William just stood beside him and let him do as much as he could.  
When William came back to the RV, he was already in the throes of fever and shaking again and couldn’t warm up (it still is in the 40s at night even though it’s been in the 60-70s in the day, but the sun hadn’t heated this tin can up yet).  He crawled under the covers and I held him as he warmed, he told of the testimony he spoke during bible study.  I guess the study has shrunk down to only 2 men, Ken and Jim, so William was a welcomed addition.  William told of how, as they read the bible aloud, they were very quiet; however, William spoke the words loud and true for the whole bakery to hear.  He said he heard others talk of God because of it.  Anyway, he got to tell of a couple testimonies how God led him to Ted Haggard’s church and taught him to hear the Spirit, to be lead to speak healing and truth into people back in the 80’s.  These men really had no response (being old wineskins and unable to receive new wine), but later how Ken spoke of how the Word only needs to be preached.

Therefore, when William made his way back here, the enemy was mad and attacked with this physical ailment.  As William, lay here and spoke, I prayed over him, he fell asleep.  In 20 minutes, he was wide awake and healed, ready to go to Elizabeth’s to work.

The enemy has attacked me as well – actually, both of us in the knees, affecting our walking abilities lately.  My knee has been swollen off and on for 3 months or so, as I walk, I am unable to straighten it, giving me a limp.  It really flared up the worst yet, by my walking a very hilly path between Ken’s and Elizabeth’s house, which I did at least 5x yesterday.  My knee was so swollen last night, William got quite mad at me for not taking care of it properly and letting it heal – he asked why I continued to walk on it thus, and I said, “because I believe God is healing it.”  That is true that God will heal it; however, I do have to do the proper thing and put it up, put ice on it followed by heat and give it time to heal, not just walk on it as if there is nothing wrong with it.  I have been ordered to bed for the next 2 days to see it healed.

Here I have been sent, that while William is painting a house (charging only $10 an hour - $5 less than he usually charges), I am to care for Ken and Gale (who will be having hip replacement in 2 weeks) and I cannot even go in to minister to them.  Yes, when we first got here and we found out what God set up for us – a place to park the RV and to do these things, I had a problem with it since I have no experience, nor want to have the experience, of caring for old people!!  God is really teaching me a lesson lately in humility by having me care for my mom earlier this year, and now this.  I begged God not to have me change diapers and I am sure he will continue to teach me to be more humble by having to do so someday.  Am I willing?  Yes.  Will I like it? Emphatically no!

May 1- more spiritual attacks toward us physically:  yesterday, William’s fever came back, lot’s of body aches, extreme tiredness – he worked for a couple hours then had to come back and lay down.  It lasted for hours, but finally it broke.  We did more warfare prayer last night, focusing on Ken and restoration with his son David.  I was attacked again in my stomach – woke up this am saying “King of Kings, Lord of Lords” and extreme nausea – I thought I was going to throw up immediately; however, I cast that thing out and it went away.  However, later it came back.  When William came back for lunch, we cast it out again and had warfare prayer.  I kept my knee up today; however, the swelling is way down and feeling better.  We realize that the enemy is extremely upset and mad because we are a threat to them and their kingdom, so they are doing everything possible to mess with us.  They have nothing in us except to attack with health issues.

William went to work today full of energy and no physical problems at all!

This am when we went in to say good morning to Ken and Gail, we found out her youngest brother died last night (her other two have already died).  Here she is only 60 and riddled with physical problems, on disability, and going in for more surgery, family is all dead – God wants to do miracles for these people which is why we are here.  We understand more now.

May 4 – Wow, we’ve had quite the last few days: lots of spiritual attacks, lots of drama with the ‘old’ people, yet some awesome times as well.  We’re finding out that Ken is very prideful and very much stuck in tradition and doing things exactly the same way every day.  He is not at all tolerant if someone disagrees with him, makes him do or not do something he wants, or changes his routine – except with me.  He seems to really like me and will listen to me; whereas, like this morning, he yelled at William and was quite verbally abusive to poor Gail.

The spiritual attacks have intensified.  There is obviously a lot of demonic oppression around this place – physical issues (Ken in wheelchair, legs don’t work mostly, diabetes, memory issues; and Gail has had a hip and one knee replaced and will be going into surgery on the 12th for the other knee), control and pride issues, unforgiveness, etc and etc.  Anyway, we have both come under attack with pain/swelling of our knees the past several days and now yesterday, William had a very high fever off and on toward the end of last week and ended up with this huge blister on the end of his tongue (he’s never experienced this before) AND these huge blisters on his lips that ended up being very painful and was trying to prevent him from speaking and eating.  We ended up fasting and praying yesterday.  The pain in my shoulder has intensified over the past several months as scar tissue has made it difficult for me to use my L arm, but his past week, it intensified even more so than ever, to where I can’t even sleep at night for the pain.  Of course, we both have been plagued by intense and busy dreams all night, caused by the enemy – full of confusion, chaos, weird random events, etc and etc.  

We have been having pain and distaste in our mouths because of bad teeth, at the same time as all this.  We had dental appointments set up in Coos Bay for June (having to schedule months out), and when William (last month) tried to get in sooner due to pain, they switched him to Medford (which made all Coos Bay connections, even for his albuteral, null and void), they still made it for June AND messed up the whole thing – making it seem that I now ‘live’ in Coos Bay and he in Medford, making our food stamps less!  This whole system is a sham.  One cannot even get help any longer – what makes it even worse, we have to wait until June to get our teeth looked at, then wait however many more weeks to get worked on because they have to set up a ‘care’ program!  How stupid.  One cannot even go into a Dr. office any longer for an emergency of any sort without having to wait months.  Anyway, we’re going to get our teeth fixed this year one way or another AND get William set up with several inhailers ahead so we can get off this whole system by fall.  I do not want to be a part of any government program!

We went to the Missionary Baptist Church yesterday with Ken and Gail; we had a nice time meeting with the people and Pastor Mike that am and pm at the pastor’s house.  He only came to the church 3 years ago after having worked at the VA in White City for years.  The church, like the others we’ve seen, is happy just to sit and wait to go to heaven, rather than go out and find the lost.

May 5 - Since we’ve been praying for these people here in Coquille, went out Sunday to fast and pray all day, the attacks intensified; however, so did our warfare prayers.  We have seen a difference in those around us.  Ken and his son had a wonderful visit with each other this weekend (the first in years, so I understand), Gail has been getting relief and support from me so as not to feel so alone and overwhelmed with this, AND Ken is watching his tongue more.  He actually apologized to Gail for his behavior yesterday afternoon.  While William spent yesterday mowing his yard (that episode with the lawn mower, Ken and William – I haven’t seen William that mad in ages!  Trying to keep that old guy from getting on equipment and hurting himself is a chore), he and I cleaning the debris, I got Ken out pulling weeds and planting flower seeds so he could feel ‘useful’ again.  I will try to find other things around that he can do and not hurt himself with.  William went back to painting the house today. 

 When Elizabeth came by last evening to talk with us, we found out that when Ken had his wife in a nursing home 10+ years ago (she suffered dementia), he lost all his money, re-mortgaged his house (which he built/Elizabeth’s house was built by his father), he ended up losing all his properties which Elizabeth bought.  They made an agreement whereas Ken could stay in his home the rest of his life; however, we found out, that whenever Ken gets mouthy with her, she threatens to put him in a nursing home and kick him out.

This all makes since now that it’s been explained .   Anyway, where he thought he was using up all his time doing ‘free’ things for Ken, he found that Elizabeth will pay him to do this yard work and fixing up around Kens place as well.  I will not charge; however, for caring for Ken and Gail.  I believe that God sent us here to be servants; therefore, He will continue to provide all that we need.  I went to the local newspaper and the local museum today, talking to a couple people about trying to help Ken feel useful and still a contributor to society – maybe interview him for an article or two, to ask him to do something he is capable of to contribute in some way, and to get people to come out to visit him (I asked the pastor of his church to do the same – I guess in the 3 years he’s been here, he has not made the effort to do so).

May 7 - My shoulder is finally getting better.  I was in so much pain the other night – it was as bad as when I injured it while at the lighthouse a couple years ago.  Our knees are getting better and we are more mindful of exercising properly to keep our strength; however, the enemy still torments us nightly with very weird, chaotic dreams, pain in our joints to such an extent that it throbs continuously.   Every time we get around infirmed, crippled people, this happens – those evil spirits are constantly trying to speak disease on us.  We continually praise God and rebuke the evil one’s suggestions; even amongst the trials, knowing these will continue to strengthen us, keeping us mindful of continuing to fast and pray periodically and do spiritual warfare regularly.  We know we are making the enemy mad, because we are taking back territory!  William and I continue to minister to the people God has put us with every day – William, with his Christian music blaring, his constant praising God and preaching off and on as God leads him, to Elizabeth and her boyfriend with their various discussions, and me, helping Ken and Gail in a variety of ways.

In the end, several miraculous things happened (including reuniting with children, attitude changes, etc.), and by the end of August, Gail went to live with her daughter and Ken went to a nursing home.  They were both happy with the outcome. 


This year, Elizabeth has asked us to come back and get the house they lived in ready for the market, which we plan to do April through July (or thereabouts).
Ken, Gail, and I

Year in Review, pt. 2 - Our Coquille Experience

The end of April, William was hired by Elizabeth to paint her house in Coquille. God had bigger plans all along.  Not only did William end up working on her house, but helped her ‘flip’ another house (which ended up selling in 2 weeks on the market!),  I ended up as caretaker for 2 elderly people and we also ended up setting up a booth in a festival in June (among other things);  we were there until the end of August.  God led us there and there is no question about that.  Again, here are excerpts from my journal:

April 27 – we contacted Elizabeth (the lady in Coquille that called him 2 weeks ago because of a craigslist ad he posted to get a job) and told her we were on our way to her place.  We got there about noon.  We talked with her briefly and found out that she only wanted 3 days of work this week (Wed.-Fri) and that she wanted him to come back on the 23rd to help a guy put in above-ground planters for a garden.  We had brought the RV and car over thinking we would be there for the next 3 or so weeks painting her house!  We had very little money and almost empty gas tanks.  William tried to start the RV for more than a ½ hour and got very upset.  It finally started and we went back to the beach.

When we got back, William took a nap and I walked the beach – spent some great time talking with God (I feel closer now than I have in months) and finding treasures in nature.  I picked a Sweet William and as I was enjoying looking at it, God said that the outer part of the flower was like God the Father, the next was like Jesus, and the closed part in the middle is where the Holy Spirit cocoons us in His arms.  There were 7 little flowers on the branch I picked.  It meant so much to me.  William has been so weak and tired the last several days.  When he got up from his nap and I got back from my walk, since he was still very agitated, he went into town and couldn’t seem to get released.   He came back and told me how Jeremy Camp’s song, “I know you understand it all” had been ministering to him.

I, in the mean time, took my book and a chair to the beach to sit in the sun and “escape”, but God wouldn’t let me do that – I started praying for William, went back and got the bible (read Mark 9 and 10, James 4 and 5 – God has really been working on me about judging others) for God’s will in what He has for us, etc and etc.  I’ve noticed that by praying in tongues lately, it’s been changing, intensifying.  Anyway, while I was sitting there, God said to tell William to, “take the tent to the beach tonight and sleep in the sand and I will give you rest”.  I immediately thought 2 things:  that it would be a comfortable physical rest for him and he needed that and that I didn’t want to tell him because I wanted him with me.  I told God that I would tell him if he gave me a ‘sign’.  When he got back a couple hours later, he told me how he couldn’t shake this agitation and said that he needed rest.   The word ‘rest’ triggered my memory of what God told me and I told him what God told me.   He sat there a minute and thought about it, then answered that he would do that, thought he really didn’t want to do that, but he believed that God told me to tell him that.  That just broke me down because I’ve been wanting to hear from God again lately and be sure of his voice because I want to do what He wants me to do and say.  This past winter had been so hard, I hadn’t heard his voice so clearly as much as I had in Fountain, so by me saying this (and what I said the day before) confirmed in me that God is speaking clearly to me again and that I’m not just ‘imagining’ things.

While we were discussing this, Elizabeth called back and said she wanted us to come back because her 88-year-old neighbor had fallen and hurt himself and needed some help (he walked to his barn and while opening the door, it caught his foot, he fell over and was too weak to get back up.  He lay in 87 degree sun for an hour before Elizabeth found him).  William was upset with himself for not doing what God told him to do (see below) and told her we would be back tomorrow morning.
William told me the below story and while doing so started shaking and got this fever (it had to have been over 100) and it began to become intense with an upset stomach.  I held him for awhile and comforted him while we talked.  He told me that while we were at Elizabeth’s, he was so mad because he had assumed he would be working, that we would get the car payment $$ in on time (due the 20th, but had 10 days grace period – they’ve been really mean lately about our payments because we owe less than $2000 and they are just looking for an excuse to ‘steal’ it from us) and that we would have $$ to operate with this month, but instead, because of whatever misunderstanding/miscommunication, we went back to the coast specifically because of this job.  While he was trying to start the RV that ½ it took of trying again and again (the worst it had ever done before was 15 min. and that was only once – it usually takes 5 min. or so to start it), God said to him several times that he was to go to Elizabeth and tell her that he was supposed to stay here tonight.   William kept quenching that voice because he didn’t want to look the crazy person to go say that to her, so he just got madder while he kept trying to start the RV. 

While he was going through that fever experience, he realized that God was chastising him for not obeying.    He knew that he had been holding back from God lately.  He felt that God kept putting him through the ringer lately. That him, being a prophet, could not disobey God because people’s lives were at stake, so he agreed to go to the beach tonight to see what God wanted from him.  The fever then broke and he quit shaking.

April 28 – William got back to the RV this am around 7 and told me what happened.  No sleeping bag, only 1 blanket, cold but God met him.  Scripture about David & Saul II Sam. 2:11, chapters 9 and 10 and 22.  Saul didn’t listen to God either and he suffered demonic attacks and that William didn’t want to reject God’s perfect will.  God told him that he would prove all this (and the story above) by starting the RV up right away with no problem this am to go back to Coquille.   We read 2 Cor 4 this am before leaving. 

We had a healing and restorative day and night last night.  On the drive back to Coquille, I was thinking how slow I am in listening/gaining wisdom from God and I said to Him, “I’m so slow at times.”  He said to me, “We all are at times.”  What caught my attention was the “We”.  I asked, “what do you mean we?”  He told me how when He was a man on earth, he was like us, while learning to listen the Holy Spirit, sometimes, He too was slow.

April 29 – William woke up at 3 am with heavy conviction.  God talked to him about meaning of the sand he was to sleep on:  Sand represented the people, like it did Abraham.  He’s got many people He’s bring home.   Because William didn’t listen the day before, these kinds of things can cause someone to not gain salvation.  So disobedience to anything that God says has great consequences.  William had to lay on the hard, cold sand, full of symbolism, he is set aside in the tent (tabernacle, belly of the whale) when someone is willing  - living sacrifice – to do anything God says, then God can bring much to many souls when someone is willing to sacrifice – it gives birth to those people in the Spirit, like the sands in the sea,  he had to see that as a visual to be laid out for God ,there is a price, but the consequences are much fruit and much reward and God can win souls when we just say yes and not argue with what He is saying, nor be worried about how scared you are in speaking up.   William was thinking that he didn’t trust God’s word and didn’t want to be embarrassed if it didn’t happen.

William started prepping/painting Elizabeth’s house.  He found that he could only work 5 hours due to the fact he is weaker than ever before doing this kind of work.  God was really faithful to us in this – here she was thinking for William to do a few handyman works around the property off and on (not worth our time or $$ to come over here because it wouldn’t even pay for itself), and William was thinking he was to paint her house (as she said over the phone originally) – God really changed up the circumstances and made a way for us to be real servants and still be willing to do anything God says.


Several days during Jan.-March were in the 60's

2014-2015 Year in Review

This is really an overview of the year after we came back from Colorado.  I keep a ‘spiritual diary’ and have written a great deal, so these are clips from that – I give more detail to the stories I spoke of in the January 2016 newsletter.

God has called us to a unique life – traveling from place to place, as God leads, ministering to a variety of people in a variety of ways.   It is not an easy life, yet more fulfilling than anything I have ever done.  The enemy attacks us especially hard in areas of finance, health, and material possessions (RV or car especially) to try to discourage us and make us stop what we are doing (Paul went through such trials as well – 2 Cor.11:23-27).  Quite the opposite happens; however, we rise up in praise to God even more, dancing and singing, warfare prayer, fasting, and miracles happen!  God has carried us through some of the hardest times because of our faithfulness to His Word!  You will see through these stories, how God has been so faithful and good to us.  He says in his Word that when we are faithful in the little things He has given us, He will give us more – that He has!

One of our biggest lessons coming back to the Rogue Valley Oct. 2014, was in the area of spiritual warfare BEFORE setting foot into an area.  We left Colorado with less than $600 and went to Coos Bay (Oct. 10-13) for a brief time of relaxation before going to my mom’s in Central Point.  Here are a few examples from my diary of what we went through:

Oct. 28th –This has not been an easy two weeks.  William is staying at his mom’s and I at Bethany’s – we only see each other a few hours each week.  But we’re going on anyway – living on faith. 
The whole thing with mom’s motor home is a nightmare – she said we could use it to take to the coast for a month or so, but when we went over there Sunday to start it (jerry rigged in the first place) we couldn’t go anywhere because the clutch went out!  Still transmission problems – they said they fixed that last time they used it.  Now I don’t know if we can take it – it depends on whether or not it can get fixed in the next day or two.

When we first got back into the valley on the 9th and went to mom’s, we got there late afternoon/early evening, she had originally told us we could stay in her upstairs apartment and that it was available.  When we got there, she informed me she still had a tenant living there, dying of cancer.  William proceeded to just go upstairs (in her house) and lie down, but he felt uneasy, came down and told me he was leaving and going to his mom’s to stay (we should have been clued in at that point in the spiritual realm).  Methias was with us, having followed us from the coast, and told mom he would work for her in exchange for parking his truck there to sleep.

Then Albert came in – I hardly recognized him.  He looks like a 70 year-old man!  And I saw the spirit of death all over him – I could hardly look at him it was so strong (that should have been my second clue).  He informed us that he too had cancer.  I stayed on mom’s couch that night in the front room.  Above the large windows is this hideous painting of a fat man’s bald head, dripping with colors.   Even though the couch was extremely comfortable, I could not sleep – I heard ‘whisperings’ and ‘mutterings’ all night (I should have really been clued in by then). 

The next day, Methias got to work tilling the garden and I with her mess on the front porch (I ended up falling and hurting my knee - it swelled up real huge!), sorting it all out.  That night, she cooked a pot roast and I was starving!  I took a few bites of it and got nauseated , unfortunately, I attributed it to stress and didn’t eat any more.  Again, the next night, I made stew out of the leftovers and got nauseated.   I made enchiladas the next night and same thing.  Not only that, but William said he was nauseated from that meal as well (the only meal William came up to join us with).  I was throwing up by Friday.  However, I felt perfectly fine whenever we left the property – when William came to pick me up various times throughout the week and we went sightseeing or whatever, or when I ate anything at all at St. Vinnys or our picnic in Ashland, I was perfectly fine.

What really weirded Methias out was that he ‘felt’ the weird spiritual things going on as well – he got up before sunrise Friday morning and took off to the coast.   Mainly because of that, but also because his dog got a hold of one of Albert’s pet chickens and he threatened to take a gun to the dog.  Overall, Methias said he felt too weird there.

During that same time, I could not sleep nights and was tormented all night.  That weekend, I was throwing up violently and by Sunday morning, I called William to come get me out of there.  I was finally clued in that something big was going on spiritually.  I spent that Sunday night at his mom’s still not feeling well and I called Bethany, who took me in.  I spent the next week throwing up constantly, taking a lot of baths (I think that is why I stayed hydrated), and trying to get rest.  I finally got a break through that Wednesday night after Bethany went to her prayer meeting; however, I felt no physical relief for several days – I just sensed a spiritual breakthrough.

Anyway, the whole end if it all is that I learned a huge lesson – several in fact.  Never let your guard down!  What we had forgotten was that the enemy saw us coming.  Because of the work we had done in this valley prior AND through a generational curse.  Because my mom is a non-believer, I placed myself under her authority by staying there!  That is why my brother looks like he did – he placed himself under her authority.  What William and I should have done before coming into the valley, was to go into warfare prayer and make sure we were covered.  Never again, will I forget that – even if I’m going on vacation! 

Nov. 11 – Wow, what a hard time it’s been.  I was walking the beach this morning and was so thankful that God has once again renewed us spiritually and emotionally.  Thankfully, William and I started out in Roman’s 5 this morning and prayed together – we hadn’t done that in a while.  We have both just come out of a dark place (I was really getting bad mentally) in the past couple weeks, we have to remember to start our day with God or the bad starts to take over again.  I think the enemy is so mad at us that we got away from him again in the valley (despair and anger) that when we got to the coast on Mon. the 3rd, that he doubled the attacks on us this past week (health problems, constant pain, overwhelmed, despair, cold, no $$, etc.)

Actually, I was walking the beach this am thanking God for bringing us to such a beautiful, mild place, so that this time that we’re living in that tiny RV, being cold a lot, having to move every day, tote in water (from up above at the Bastendorff campground), going to find places to wash dishes (in cold water), taking showers (either at the B campground – sneaking in, or 2 tokens for $1 for 6 minutes in the Charleston harbor), etc. and etc.  It isn’t really that bad for the most part, at least we have a some-what indoors situation, even though very small.  There are several just camped in the open on the beach, in the dunes, trees, etc.  There are so many homeless living in cars and tens, I’m thankful for what we do have.  I’m sure God has the perfect place picked out for us to spend the rest of winter and next year.

I am so thankful William said to go in and get foodstamps – we got $307 worth on the 5th – we got to eat decently for the first time in ages!!  Thank you Jesus!  (Before leaving the valley, a friend of mine from Talent gave us 2 boxes of food – those pre-packed, 30-day survival boxes, bags of apples and pears – thank you Jesus!)

Nov. 21 – devotional Nov. 4, 7, 8th – we discussed the power of money by giving it away.   We have been quite sick again lately – I have had bronchitis (which I used to get all the time in the 80’s and 90’s) which I haven’t had in at least 12-15 years!!  I’m coughing so much, it makes my stomach hurt.  I’ve been sick all week – the worst yesterday and today.  William was sick last and this week – the worst the last 2 days – such a fever, chills and heat, headache, coughing – he thinks he may be getting pneumonia. 

Nov. 26 – William is sick again, even worse than before.  His back keeps going out on him as well.  Not only that, but he has been getting severe knee pain as well.  Poor guy just can’t get a break!  We are running of propane so we haven’t been using the heat much.  It’s been raining a lot, this RV leaks a great deal, we are constantly wet and cold.  Water drips on my head all night and my pillows are soaked, as is most of my blanket and mattress below.  I may be wrapped up in the blanket all night and warm, but it is still wet.  What’s even worse is that I’m in a hole – to make the bed work so we both can sleep , William has to have that narrow blow-up mattress (real hard) which leaves me about a foot and a half of room, which is down from his mattress about 2 or 3 inches.  I’ve got it built up with the layers of sleeping bags, but during the night, they get bunched up and move so I go down about 6 or 8 inches or so.  I can’t put any weight (when I turn I like to put my knees up) on his mattress because it makes him bend funny which puts his back out again.  So I’ve been quite uncomfortable for the most part; however, God is letting me sleep well!  Amazing. 

We went to the health center 2 days ago and they told us we couldn’t see a doctor because we had no insurance and they didn’t do sliding plans or anything (we didn’t have $$ anyway), but these very nice ladies at the Waterfall clinic actually took time (after we waited in the waiting room for over an hour) to expedite us through the medical insurance system so we can get help – William was so sick, he actually thought he was going to die two nights – he said it brought up so many memories from when he was a kid and suffered through serious asthma attacks, losing his breath so much, he didn’t think he’d breath again.  This happened to him again, he’s been sitting up a lot at night because he can’t even lie down and breath.  He’s had such a fever he’s been soaking everything – then he gets the chills so bad, he shakes the bed!   He’s been sitting up until 2 or 3 every morning because he’s putting off lying down.

Anyway, after another hour or so, we got in the system, got the paper work we needed, they told us that until we got our card, we could only go to the emergency room.  William was feeling so bad after that, we just went back to the RV and went to the emergency room on the 25th.  Bottom line, we managed to get him a lung treatment for asthma, got some antibiotic and steroid  (thank God, for free) for him to breath.  We couldn’t get the inhailer or the muscle relaxer for his back though – those cost over $100!  His back had gone completely out on him the 24th while he was having a coughing fit.  He couldn’t even move for quite some time.  What was really cool; however, Methias managed to get William an inhailer a few days ago on the streets AND not only that, he had some antibiotics that he had kept back from something months ago – William started taking them the 23rd, so when we got the prescription, I started taking the stuff Methias had and William got the new stuff.

Dec. 2 – I had to come up with a way to earn $$  (I had applied at the local community college and even followed up with e-mails, but so far, no luck) and with William being so sick, I knew it fell to me.  So I decided I was going to play on the streets and put out a hat; however, it has been raining so much I couldn’t, so the week of the23rd, I started going from place to place (restaurants, mall, Egyptian theater, etc) and asking if I could play my flute there.  I played for 3 hours the day of Thanksgiving at the Italian restaurant and for 2 hours each night at the Blue Heron.  That was the first time I’ve ever done that – played for money like that.  I used to play ‘formally’ for weddings, etc . back in the 80’s and 90’s for $$, but never by putting a tip jar out.  Wim de Vriend has been so wonderfully nice to us – letting us eat dinner for free at his restaurant those 2 nights.  He wants me to play every weekend through Christmas and for the week before Christmas .   My neck and back hurt so bad after and the next day; however.  I haven’t played this much in ages.  He took us to church on Sunday and gave us $200 for what we lacked in the car payment – he heard our story and wanted to help.  What was so cool, was that on the 1st when I called to pay the car – I didn’t get charged the late fee!  God is really blessing us! 

Dec. 29 –  Methias has been massively impacted by us, said that we were the ‘realest’ people he ever met.  Even though we’ve been through so many rough things the past couple months, he has witnessed us still praising God every day, no matter what.  I guess, if being a witness changes a person, then I guess it was all worth it.

We ended up having a very nice Christmas and week – we parked the RV at the Mill for $150 and we had full use of the hot tubs, pool, and weight room – which I especially took full advantage of.  We couldn’t really afford it, and in the end, we don’t have the $$ to pay the car payment.  We spent Christmas day at Wim’s house – he invited us to come for Christmas dinner at 4 with him and his family.  We had a good time talking with various people and in the end, his wife gave Methias a hat and scarf she had made – he was so happy and surprised he got a gift.  He wears it every day!  They ended up giving us this huge basket of fruit and Dutch treats.  He has been such a blessing to us this past month.

Wim really enjoyed singing while I was playing my flute.  Every night I played at his restaurant, he had me play his Dutch Christmas carols and a variety of other German songs, while he sang them.  There are several Dutch people who live in this area and several came into the restaurant over the past month – Wim would single them out and sing the Dutch songs to them.   We also went to Wim’s church – a Baptist church in New Winchester, where I played my flute a few times.


Mom ended up giving us that motorhome in January as an early birthday gift to me.  We’ve been very thankful to have it!

Discipleship

God says in His Word, we are to “go out and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19).  We take that literally.
The winter 2014-15, God called us to disciple a very special person—Methias.  He came with us (in his own truck) from Colorado to Oregon.  While we spent the winter living on the beach, he ‘lived’ with us.  Due to a variety of circumstances and issues, his wife took his 3 kids (she was pregnant with the 4th) and left him (Aug. 2014), then he was evicted from his apartment (he was our neighbor in Fountain).  Being homeless, he started living in his truck in the mountains outside of Colorado Springs.  When winter started setting in, he started freezing (since his truck had no heat), so we took him in.  He was depressed, suicidal, very angry, and claimed not to believe in God.   

We just did like we usually do when we hang with someone or take someone in – talk about God all the time.  We do this when it’s just the two of us, so we don’t change when someone is around us.  At first it bothered him, he constantly tried to argue, but we were patient and kind and didn’t let what he was doing intimidate us.  God was in this the whole time, winning Methias to Himself.  We lived, struggled, had our own issues with our own circumstances, praised God, studied His Word, and sang through it all winter (like we always do, no matter what, when, how, or where). 

We witnessed his struggle and growth and praised God continually for his salvation.  By the time he went back to Colorado to win his family back, in March 2015, he was a believer in Jesus Christ!  It took him a few months, but by August, he had his own gutter business in Denver, got a house, and got his family back.  He calls us periodically and says he thinks of us and our time on the beach.  He (and his wife) say they love us very much and miss us.  WOW!  How awesome it is to be a part of someone’s life to such an extent that that much of a difference was made in 6 lives!  Thank you Jesus!

The same with Justin—such a testimony to God’s Grace.  We met him on the streets of Ashland in 2011, William took him in.  At that time, he was 35 and had been on the streets since age 14.  He ended up being a heroin addict (among other things), ended up in prison by the age of 19, where terrible things happened to him.  By the time we met him, we had quite an attitude.  After so many years working with him (he lived with us several times, sometimes a few weeks to a few months), and never giving up on him, he is finally set free and a dedicated follower of Jesus!   Every time he got to ‘the bottom’ and would call us up and say, “please help me”, we would always take him back.  He would always ask, why we never gave up on him and we would say, “God never gave up on us, so we won’t give up on you.  God’s got a plan for your life.” 

After an episode in Feb. 2014 (our rule was, if you go back to drinking or drugs, we have to kick you out again, but we will always love you), we kicked him out and he ended up in jail.  We visited him regularly and when he came out, we took him in again.  After another episode, he was back in jail and ended up going to this wonderful ‘New Life’ program – a Christian rehab farm in Ft. Collins, CO.  He graduated in July 2015 (after being in 13 months), got his CDL license (first license ever), was given a car and money to start a new life – what a miracle!  He has told us that was the best thing that ever happened to him – he actually praises God for that last episode that happened, that set this change in his life in action.  But the best of all, he spent several months going to various high schools, talking to the kids about staying away from drugs/alcohol/violence and giving his testimony!  Praise God!  He now works at an airport in Texas, drives a truck for them, has his own apartment, and is living a clean life.  He was also restored to his family.   He says he wants to come back to Oregon to join us in the evangelism efforts! 


These (and many other stories) are why we are out there, giving our lives for the souls of others!  Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to serve you!

Methias and his dog Buster on Bastendorff Beach

Friday, January 29, 2016

Calling for other Modern Day Circuit Riders

I know it’s been a year since most of you have heard from or of us, but I didn’t feel God wanted me to put out a newsletter or write a blog last year.  Not that a lot wasn’t accomplished for the Kingdom, on the contrary, much was done!  However, I have felt that now is the time, because God has made it clear to us that this is the year (2016) for the big revival, and He’s got us on a new mission.  As you saw in our last newsletter (Dec. 2014) and blog: http://godshouseofvision.blogspot.com/  we left Colorado and came back to Oregon.  As you will see, we were quite busy along the Oregon coast and in the Rogue Valley.
Sometime last year, a friend of mine from Indiana e-mailed this to me, and I found it quite true, encouraging, and pertinent:
Others May. .  . You Cannot
If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will put upon you such demands of obedience that you will not be able to follow other people.  In many ways He will seem to let other people do things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it.  If you attempt it, you will meet with failure and rebuke from the Lord.

Others may boast of their work, of their successes, of their writings but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into deep mortification.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but God may keep you poor, because He wants you to have something better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him.  He will supply your needs day by day from His treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

He may let others be great, but keep you small.  He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work without knowing how much you are doing and may even allow others to get the credit.  He will then make your reward ten times greater when He comes.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has the right to do as He pleases with His own.

Tucked away in my journal from 1990 

Reova Meredith, Ed.D.

We send out our newsletters and write our blogs to encourage other believers, not to pat ourselves on the back, but to build up the workers in God’s Kingdom.  We believe there is a silent army, God’s warriors that are out there feeling alone, scared, yet given a commission from God to share the Gospel and spread the Kingdom of God in America no matter what they go through. 

We have started a new campaign:  The Braveheart Campaign (influenced by the movie), because we are fighting a battle for the hearts and souls of men.  The war is won (Jesus won it at the cross), but many a servant of God throughout the ages have fought many a battle and seemingly lost (death by beheading, burned at the stake, and many other ways), suffered persecution, felt discouraged with few to build them up, gone without the basics of life, yet knowing our God will carry them through.  We hope to connect with these other warriors out there—we are a new breed of Circuit Rider.  These hearty souls of the past suffered much, yet never faltered in their duty!  We only hope we can do as well.  If this is you as well, please contact us.  We would like to put together a web page of all that are out there doing the work, to connect us together, to give us strength and encouragement.

As we have heard from God and many a preacher the past few years saying, God is doing a NEW thing!  We are in the most unique period of all of history—the END OF TIME!  Workers are needed in the streets, not holed up behind their walls doing their usual programs!

Unfortunately, there are many fellowships across this country that preach and think that if one is going through hard times, financial difficulties, lacking a home, or basic necessities, being persecuted, or mostly not ‘acting or living like an American Christian’, that they are out of favor with God and are being punished (the Jews used to think this too).  Quite the opposite.  When all of this is going on, it is because we are a spear in Satan’s eye!  He’s mad and is trying to get us to quit what we are doing!

Here is the story of one of our dear friends and workers in Christ:
Joe  – such a testimony.  Here is one of God’s poorest servants, running around the northern states all the past 2 winters in a broken down, old small RV, constantly without heat and basic necessities, but totally on fire for God, preaching in the streets, getting arrested, harassed, persecuted etc; yet, in the midst, God encouraging him with believers helping in many ways and salvations by the hundreds, constantly getting kicked out of towns, yet still getting the chance to preaching the gospel to thousands.  How faithful he has been over the years and such an encouragement to us.   Recently, God gave him a new RV and a car!  What a blessing when others see the need and meet it!
This is the norm for the street preachers in America today!
William waterproofing the roof!