Gods Hand and Us

I am sorry this has been down so long, we are going to make this a bigger priority from now on. God has been working on us mightily and now we are headed in the direction that He has directed us. We went to Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada for Thanksgiving and that was where we were given the final conformation that is where we are supposed to go. This all started out about a month and a half before thanksgiving when a missionary from Pickle Lake Ontario came to Bethany and visited with us about what he is doing up there and how hard it is to make any headway. He is working with the First Nation Ojibwa Indians from the Reserves. This was the first time that God really started speaking to me (Ross) about going up there to work with them. This was something that I thought Mandy would never go for so I rested easy, until I talked to her and told her what I was feeling. Then she about fell off her chair because God was talking to her at the same time, about the same thing. We just said we would pray about it for a while and if God wanted it He would bring it to fruition. Then about three weeks later we were sitting in church and we met a new couple that were just there visiting. We found out after talking to them that they were missionaries to Thunder Bay and had come down here to get there van fixed. A guy that is actively involved in Bethany Church (www.bethanytc.org) was told by God to fix there van after receiving there newsletter stating that they were low on funds and needed some desperate work done on there vehicle. This was a divine appointment that we hooked up with them, God knew what He was doing. We connected with them and that was a definite second conformation this was what God was pushing us towards. They went back home and we prayed that God would give us one more conformation this was where He wanted us.
We had made plans to spend Thanksgiving with a family from Mexico. This was going to be an exciting time getting to know some new people and just relax off campus for a week and take it easy, but they ended up getting a cat at the last moment and I couldn't be around there because of my allergies. We then quickly changed our plans and packed the car and headed up to Thunder Bay to spend our thanksgiving working on the streets of Thunder Bay. We met many people and lots of heartache up there, but most of all we met God's plan for our lives. As our class at Bethany starts working towards Indonesia, we start working towards Canada. Please pray for us as we start working towards fund raising, finding schools for the girls, and trying to find a way to enter into the country. Canada does not accept missionaries so we are going to have to find something else. We can tell you more about what we are going to do up there and what the needs are as things progress here also. Also, Please feel free to contact us if you want to hear more.

Gods continued goodness to us

I just sit back in amazement at what the Lord does for all his people that truly humble themselves to Him. I have been learning a process of obedience, that has been interesting. The Lord has just been showing me that His way is always the best way, not the easiest way but the best. I am so grateful for a God that is willing to used a messed up kid like me. I sit back in reverence to Him. We just had a kid that was friends with a lot of our youth group commit suicide the other day. The Lord gave me the whole group of his friend including his best friend that has never came to church before, to really be able to reach out and help them. The Holy Spirit showed up and I was able to walk away from the conversation we had and not feel like I didn't say the right thing or do the right thing. The Holy Spirit just flowed through me and did his work. I was just but a vessel to Him. After I got done talking to them I had his best friend come up and give me a huge and thank me for all that I shared. This was the kid that walked in very hardened and anger at life and walked away knowing who the true God was and what Jesus really did for him when he died on the cross. God is really doing something in this church here. The Lord is building up His army for the end of days. He is using young and old. I am quite saddened at the end of October always. Every were you look you see things that celebrate death and Satan. If you go into the stores you have to tell your kids to turn their heads or close there eyes because they don't understand all the evil things that are around them. Yet people celebrate this thing called Halloween. The saddest thing about all this though is that people that call themselves Christians or followers of Christ celebrate it right along with the people that don't know the Lord. They say that it is only fun and candy that it don't really mean anything. Yea right. That is why it is only celebrated as one of the most celebrated days of the year by satanist and witches. I would like to give you a verse that I found in the bible that talks about this very thing. Galatians 4:9-11 Now after you have known God, or rather are known of God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you lest I have labored for you in vain. This is one of the many reasons that we don't do Halloween.

Pray for this generation

The Vision from Red Moon Rising: The visions is Jesus –obviously, dangerously, undeniably Jesus. The vision is an army of young people. You see bones? I see an army. And they are FREE from materialism. They laugh at the 9-5 little prisons. They could eat caviar on Monday, and crusts on Tuesday. They wouldn’t even notice. They know the meaning of the Matrix, the way the west was won. They are mobile like the wind they belong to the nations. They need no passport. People write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their strange existence. They are free yet they are slaves of the hurting and dirty and dying world. What is the vision? The vision is holiness that hurts the eyes. It makes the children laugh and adults angry. It gave up the game of minimum integrity long ago to reach for the stars. It scorns the good and strains for the best. It is dangerously pure. Light flickers from every secret motive, every pure conversation. It loves people away from their suicidal leaps, their satanic games. This is an army that will lay down its life for the cause. A million times a day its soldiers choose to loose that they might one day win the great “Well Done” of faithful sons and daughters. Such heroes are as radical on Monday morning as Sunday night. They don’t need fame from names. Instead they grin quietly upwards and hear the crowds chanting again and again: “Come On” This is the sound of the underground the whisper of history in the making, foundation shaking, Revolutionaries dreaming once again. Mystery is scheming in whispers Conspiracy is breathing… This is the sound of the underground and the army is disciplined. Young people who beat their bodies into submission. Every soldier would take a bullet for his comrade at arms. The tattoos read, “To live for Christ an to die is gain.” Sacrifice fuels the fire of victory in their upward eyes. Winners. Martyrs. Who can stop them? Can hormones hold them back? Can failure succeed? Can fear stop them, or death kill them? And the generation prays like a dying man groans beyond talking, with warrior cries, sulphuric tears, and with great barrow loads of laughter! Waiting, Watching, 24-7-365. Whatever it takes they will give: breaking the rules. Shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide. Laying down their rights and precious little wrongs, laughing at labels, fasting essentials. The adversary cannot hold them. Peer-pressure is powerless to shake their resolve at late night parties before the cockerel cries. They are incredibly cool, dangerously attractive inside. On the outside? They hardly care! They wear cloths like costumes to communicate and celebrate but never to hide. Would they surrender their image or popularity? They would lay down their very lives – swap seats with the man on death row- guilty as hell. A throne for an electric chair. With blood, sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights, and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God, and live as if it all depends on them. Their DNA chooses Jesus (He breaths out, they breath in) their subconscious sings. They had a blood transfusion with Jesus. Their words make demons scream in shopping centers. Don’t you hear them coming? Herald the weirdo’s. Summon the losers and freaks. Here come the frightened, and forgotten with fire in their eyes. They walk and talk and the tall trees applause, skyscrapers bow, mountains are dwarfed by these children of another dimension. Their prayer summon the hounds of heaven and invoke the ancient dream of Eden, and this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon. How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is His today. My distant hope is His 3-D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great “Amen!” from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ Himself. And He is the original dreamer the ultimate winner. Guaranteed!!!

trials and temptations

today was a such a relaxing day, I believe that God has finally delivered me from the valley that I have been going through. I have been praying about "stuff" in my life that I found was so deep rooted in my life I didn't know that they even existed. The Holy Spirit revealed them to me and the battle was on, it was me against my knowledge of God. I tried everything to hold on to what I knew was wrong, but knowing that it was wrong was what kept me fighting. There are things that I just cant explain but when you get up at 2 am or 3 am night after night after night because you are in a mental battle that you cant fight on your strength and you call out to God with doubt in your mind saying a prayer that you only half mean drives you to utter brokenness. That is the time that you finally call out to God in a humble, broken, submissive spirit and call out to God, "not my will but Yours be done" and mean it with everything in you. God has taken me and broken me and rebuilt me and wow what a feeling. I have been open to the realization that there is far more out there that God wants us to experience, but because of us as people we will not until we find God, and not just God, but the "I Am that I Am" God. I thank the Lord for revealing this to me this early in the game. I did not go through this for me, so if anyone needs to talk about this with me feel free to call me or e-mail me because I have finally found the God that wants to deliver, the same God that was killed by His creation, for His creation out of pure love. I thank you all for praying for me as Mandy and I are undergoing this life changing schooling, and missions preparations.
PS. We are currently looking at the country list possibilities so please pray for us as we try and figure out what country we are going to spend the next couple years of our lives in.

Crazy times

Wow it has been so busy around here lately. School has been so intense especially for Ross. Youth group has been awesome though. Last wed. a girl that was demon possessed excepted the Lord. I have never experienced anything like that before. I am so thankful that God is so GOOD. I now have a new sister in the Lord. I just attended a youth conference called Battle Cry it was very good. Please be praying for this generation they have so many things going against them. My mom and Linda came down about three weeks ago. It was so wonderful to see them. They were really able to see what life was like here for us. They see how happy we are here. I think it eases a little bit of worry in there mind. We went to a ministry called Street Level this last weekend. It was awesome, we went down to a tougher neighborhood in Minneapolis I had a few drug deals go down around me when I was sharing my faith to some people, also a lot of prostitution. It made me real realize how much Jesus came to love EVERYONE even the people that some comfortable Christians wouldn't want to deal with. The Lord has been helping me start to memorize scripture. This has always been a difficulty of mine. I am very thankful that the Holy Spirit is living in me and helping me to do this. I just found out that my aunt Sharon has cancer and they have given her anywhere for three months to a year to live. Please be praying that she could come to know the Lord during this time. Zoe is also sick, I think she has bronchitis or something along those lines. Please pray for her.
Mandy

Where Have We Been?

This is the million dollar question. I will talk first, then let Mandy. I have been through a lot lately, and I must apologize to each and every one of you that I have not talked to, e-mailed, or prayed for. This is the first time that we have had a bit of down time and I must catch you all up on what we have been doing and I know reading these is not that cool, so here it goes. First God provided us the ability to keep the kids on campus instead of dragging them across town everyday for daycare, that is huge!! Then we started praying for individual growth and God has been really pruning us on many levels, the refiners fire is blazing. This is all for the glory of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ, and not for us. We are heavily involved in the youth here and seeing many miracles take place there, Glory be to God!! We are heading to street level ministry this Friday evening until midnight-- CANT WAIT--. We will be witnessing over by the twins stadium,please pray!! We also got connected with some friends that are setting up a training camp in Chile and they may need some help after we graduate from here if God wants. That is pure speculation so I have no plans, just letting my mind wander is all. I have to go now and I will let Mandy chat a while. God Bless you All, and please pray for us here to stay focused, and continually draw closer to God.

mmmm good Indian food

Today was another great day. We went to church and had a house full after church for lunch, us and three other families. Then we cleaned the house a little. For supper we went to a awesome couples house for real Indian food. It was terrific. My face was very red and my mouth was on fire but it was so worth it. We have tomorrow off too. What a way to get to start school!! We are going to a cookout. I am excited not just because it is a cookout but a Mexican food cookout. Can you tell I love ethnic foods!!! It is at a wonderful couples home, they have just took us in and made us feel so welcome. Thank God for them. God really talked to me today throught the pastor. I was really able to make some choices in my life that were holding me back from all God wants to do throught me. I was able to forgive and ask for forgivness to someone. It is so good to be in the Lords presents. Thank you Jesus for everything. I love my life. Mandy

Great day

We had such a great day today at the mall of America. We went to the shark exhibit. It was so awesome. For those that know me well they know that I am weirdly intrigued by sharks. I think my daughter (Alyssa) is getting to be more like me everyday, she loved it too. God is sooooo good. I am so thankful that we have the time to spend together as a family and that Ross is such a awesome dad. He is always there for his family. I can't wait to start school. I always hated school before but this time it has a higher purpose for it. God has already started such a purifying process in us and is cleaning us of lives impurities. Thanks Jesus. Love and miss every one back at home. Peace out. Mandy

School Kicks Off

Tomorrow is the big day, we have got all moved in and things are ready to kick off in the morning. We are all alone now, mom and step-dad left today and I got that deep down feeling in your gut. Two times in one week. We both felt the same thing with both our families and friends, not so much that we are sad to be separated from them, but to know that their loved ones are leaving them. It isn't hard for us to walk away, but it is hard for them, and that is what was the hardest this far. For all of you, that are reading this, that believe in God, please pray for our family. We need prayer for knowledge, and guidance. Thank you and God Bless. Ross

The Next Phase

Ross-Well, the second day at the college has come and gone. We are so in love with this place that it is hard to explain how much peace we feel in our lives. This place seems so surreal that we are still reality checking. The friendships and the life bonding are EXCELLENT. Our neighbors have a sign on their door that sum's it up, "multi-cultural, multi-language, multi-wonderful". I have to keep reminding myself that we are here for God and not for us. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and the things that don't matter in this life but the fullness of life that comes when you are following God and living HIS will for your life is like nothing that I have ever experienced. I was always so happy and in love with life, but I am at a place in my life that had never been experienced before. I think of the way that I have lived my life before and I get a kinda sick, regretful feeling and I wonder why I didn't follow God when he gave me the calling on my life a number of years before this. All I can say is that I am sorry to my King and I need to keep on rededicate my life to him and seeking his face. I have decided that we can never be as close to God as we need to be as long as we are on this earth and we need to make it our life calling to continually grow in him following his face. Like on of my friends said, "Are you content, I hope not" That is what I keep reminding myself when I look around at what God has blessed us with here. Our girls have also made new friends already and they are settling in well, and it is only the second day. God is Good.

Mandy-Well were to start, these last few weeks have been a whirl-wind not having our own home and the girls not being very comfortable not having there own things for security, but now that we are here it is better than I could have ever imagined. The girls have adapted so well. They have already met new friends and love there new room. The apartment is awesome, very comfortable. Can't wait to just be able to chill for a day with my family and do nothing. We went to the daycare today, God truly blessed us there. I don't now how we were so lucky to be able to find this daycare in a town that is this big let alone never living here before. The girls wanted to spend the night and not come home they liked it so much. I can't wait to go to church here again it was so alive and on fire when we went last time. I just want to give a huge shout out to my Lord and King Jesus. Thanks for my life and for always helping me through , even when there seems to be no way. Forgive me when I doubt and try to do things on my own. I know you got my back. Peace Out Mandy

Our Journey Of Faith

This is the first post of hopefully many to come. We have just moved out of our house and said goodbye to any since of normality that we once knew. We are living at the in-laws house's. We have finally nailed down a permanent date to move and we are packing the trailer this week-end. Hopefully we will be moved into our place in Minnesota on the 23rd of August. School is set to begin on the 4th of September. We are ready and excited to see what God is going to begin to do in our lives as we set off in our faith adventure. As many of you know, but some don't God blessed us with the opportunity to go to Central America in 2001. We both received the call on our lives at that time to follow him no matter what the cost or where it may be. We have been trying to achieve that goal for many years now but with God holding the reigns and us continually trying to throw our own weight around, we finally surrendered 100% wholly to God and his desires, and that is when things began to start happening. God now has blessed us with 2 beautiful children Alyssa and Zoe, 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. We are headed now to a Missions College to further study what God has for us and pray about which direction we are supposed to be headed from there. Please keep us in your prayers and we hope to be in contact with all of you throughout our traveling and witnessing, until God call's us home.