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A Tale of Two Rings! |
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| A few days ago at breakfast, Calli and I were talking about going over to the burned out center and sifting through some of the rubble which is 3 to 4 feet deep in most places some more, some less. Anyway, I was thinking about our matching wedding bands that we had bought back in 1998 or so. They were gold and had crosses all the way around the rings. I told Calli if I ever find my wedding ring, I’ll never take it off again. In reality the odds were that it was completely destroyed with the house. We went over there and had been digging for a couple of hours and Calli reached the floor of the dining room which was completely covered by debris from the master bedroom on the second floor and the tile roof above it. A few seconds later she found a round black object and held it up wiping away the black as best as she could. Then she said, “I think this is one of our rings!.” It still had burnt rubble inside of it, she handed to me and said, “try it on, it’s one of our wedding bands.” So, I pushed the rubble out of the ring hole and cleaned it out a little and wiped it off so I could see it’s crosses, then slipped it on my finger. It was mine! We were so excited, because it had only been 3 hours or so since we were talking about it. Keep in mind 8,000 Sq. Ft. of mostly burned rubble and bent metal, etc. There it was. I took it out of the building and washed it as best I could and it was in great condition. It looked as though the finish was ruined on it, but I put it on and have not removed it except to wash my hands since. Miraculously the ring looks as good, or even better than ever now. Its finish is beautiful and I have it on right now. Thing is, after I started wearing it, it kinda came back to life and the finish returned. Yes, that’s a Wow!
I had another ring that I’d worn for 47 years that I bought from Vess Barnes ll at Barnes Jewelers in Amarillo in 1969. I had hoped that we’d find it also, but as the days went by, it didn’t look good. My gardener friend Julius that has worked for us for 13 years came out of the rubble with it in his hands. He dug down in a spot in the dining room again with a hole about 2 feet deep and 8 to 10 inches diameter and found the ring. I was so shocked. The bottom of the ring was burned off but the rest of it was still there and we’ll be able to restore it someday. Amidst all the destruction these rings are a symbol of restoration from the Lord. That stays with me daily as a reminder that God loves us and will never leave us, always picking us up after being knocked down and brushing the dust off of us so very gently and lovingly. Thank you Jesus for your unconditional, never ending love. Thank you all for being there for us during this tragic time. (Note from Calli: Ya’ll please keep praying, I’m still looking for my wedding ring and the ring my mother gave me before she passed away. We’re not sure what direction they fell as the house came down or if they survived. |
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Deep debris at Dunamis |
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We leased a house 8 blocks from the Mission Center! |
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| We found a house close to our mission center that was burned a month ago. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a month since we were struck by such a catastrophe and a tragedy that would change all of our lives forever on earth, but it has! This has been such a difficult month to go through for all of us including the kids. The first two weeks we didn’t have much communication because we lost all our phones and computers. Krystal and Erick saved their laptops but we didn’t have any Wi-Fi, let alone I personally could hardly breathe during that time. When I tried to talk to someone I would just weep. The grief that we felt at the loss of Felicity was almost unbearable.
We moved into this rental about a week ago. First we got a stove and refrigerator, then a washer and dryer. We were given 3 beds with mattresses. We had to go get all new driver’s license and immigration ACR cards and passports. God’s favor was with us all the way. The city hall helped us obtain the new driver’s licenses in one day that really helped, (It normally takes weeks here.) There’s been a lot of support helping us to get the things we needed to re-establish the office and set all the communication back up, plus take care of us before we got a place to live. We rented hotel rooms for two weeks. We are all very contented so it wasn’t out of our capability to find somewhere to hang our hat. The first two nights were given to us by a hotel nearby, then we stayed on for another 5 days or so. We moved to a place that had a stove so we could cook our meals. We had a lot of clothes donated by people here. The church we attend gave a lot of things that I could wear because they have several big Americans that go there. The pastor himself gave me a lot of shoes, such as sportswear shoes etc. I’m pretty well outfitted with sportswear. One pastor gave me a dress barong, but I don’t have pants to wear with it yet. I haven’t felt like shopping for those things up to now. We bought a lot of socks and underwear so we’re ok with that. Guys, I haven’t really cared much how I looked to be honest. I’m coming out of it, but still have a ways to go. Too busy trying to get Calli and the rest of the family back to a place of normalcy in their lives. We have been able to eat meals at the house for over a week and that really helped us feel a little more normal. Please know that we appreciate all the wonderful gifts that people all over have given. Many people did not know us, but gave sacrificially. I know all of us have been so blessed by people’s giving and their love and prayers from all over the world. Thanks from all of us from the bottom of our hearts. We will not give up the ministry that God has called us to, but will continue on with more passion for the lost, more strength because the word of God says in 2 Cor.12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” I have never in my life felt so weak. Thus, out of the death and destruction we will rise up stronger than ever to fight the good fight. |
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| A word for my family and ministry (Isaiah 61:1-7) | ||||
| God gave me a word for such a time as this that blessed me and my family as I hope it will you. God said we will preach the Gospel and set the captives free.
God said He will comfort, and console all who mourn. He will give the garment of praise for the spirit of Heaviness. God said we will be trees of righteousness planted by the Lord that cannot be uprooted by the wiles of the enemy! God says we shall rebuild the old ruins, and raise up the former desolations. God will give us beauty for the ashes in our lives. Out of the fire will come righteous might to set fires of evangelism that cannot be quenched or put out. God says the sons of foreigners shall be our plowmen and our reapers to harvest the fields that are white and ready for harvest throughout the world. We shall be named the priests of the Lord and they shall call us the servants of the Lord. God says therefore in our land we will possess double, and more (a tsunami harvest), Amen? Note from Calli: When I heard the words that He will give us beauty for ashes, He reminded me of the Soul Mate Bible I had just opened up and wiped the ashes from inside it, pulling the pages apart so I could put it in my purse ready to be used. I saw all the beautiful souls coming to Jesus through this very Bible the Lord brought through the fire. The enemy thought he would crush us (which he did), but instead he’s just caused us to dig in and go on with more strength and power than ever (God’s perfect strength). Don’t get me wrong, the grief is still there, coming in waves. But with it now I can also feel the Lord bringing us through it, carrying us through it, because I don’t think we would have had the strength to walk through this. Praise the Lord we don’t have to, His grace IS sufficient! |
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Our Daughter Felicity |
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| Felicity, couldn’t have been a more perfect daughter. She grew up loving those around her, filled with Jesus’ love. We miss you baby. -Dad | ||||
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Picture of Felicity we found in the rubble of the Mission Center |
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| Once as a little girl, Felicity came to me and said “Mama, do I have to leave home when I grow up?” Knowing she would someday be ready to leave, but not wanting her to worry about it, I replied, “No, honey, you don’t have to leave home until you want to.” That seemed to set her heart at ease. Then a few years later, she told me, “Well, I might leave home, but I would move just down the block.” I smiled to myself, thinking she would change her mind someday. Little did I know how prophetic her words would be. Even though she and Erick did have an apartment for a few years when they were first married, they quickly grew tired of tossing the rent money away and began to stay with both his parents and us while saving for their first house. Through all that time she would be at the Mission Center everyday helping every way she could, even with Miles and Bree in tow. When Tony asked she and Erick if they would like to build their house on the Mission Center property to save the cost of buying land they jumped at the chance. During this last year they stayed on mostly with us while they worked tirelessly to complete their home. Her childhood words came back to me as we were always seemingly on top of each other. She was actually going to do just as she said, “Move just down the block.” (More like just across the yard!)
I told Erick at the end of her wake here that she seemed driven to get their house completed, it became her last gift to him and the kids. Her touch is all over it. When we first walked through it after the tragedy, I thought how will we be able to be in this house with her all around us? But now I walk through it and am comforted that she is all around us in every detail she lovingly placed in her home for her husband and children. –Calli |
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| Back to the battle front as the War for men’s souls continues! | ||||
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Stealth Evangelism in Cagayan de Oro! |
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| About 3 weeks ago, just a week after the devastating tragic fire that took the life of my precious daughter Felicity, my staff and I went to Cagayan de Oro, on Mindanao Island and there were 3,094 people born again during the evangelism exercises in the seminar. Praise God for that black eye for devil. There were 33 pastors and leaders at the seminar and about half representing different churches there. This lit perpetual fires of evangelism that will continue till Jesus comes. These leaders were trained with the Stealth Evangelism Program. As they return to their churches and train a group of their members with the same standard of excellence, revival can break out in their churches. The 3,094 souls they won in the class is only the beginning! | ||||
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Stealth Evangelism in Cebu on March 29-31! |
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| Cebu has 2.7 million people and our seminar is going to train approximately 60 pastors representing 40 to 60 churches. Another wave of evangelism launched in Cebu, Amen! | ||||
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Stealth Evangelism in Zambuanga City on Mindanao Island! |
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| Zambuanga City is about 55% Catholic, 35% Protestant and others and a lot Sunni Muslims etc. We’re excited about going there because there will be a 100 pastors or more and they have a good sponsor putting the pastors up in a hotel and furnishing a good venue for the seminar. With that many pastors and leaders attending there will be many thousands of people come to the Lord. We’ll let you know.
These seminars do cost money to fly the team in and to pay for all the materials that will be used and the food for all the pastors during the 3 days. It costs between $1,000 to $1,500 to do a 3 day seminar with more than 50 people. Consider the size of the harvest and the perpetual harvest that is created by each seminar. We do need help with these seminars. We lost a lot of supplies in the fire that destroyed our mission center, but a hundred manuals and a few thousand Bibles miraculously survived the fire so we are still in action. We’re going to continue the battle against the devil as God provides till this world is reached and we have breath. So please partner with us with your financial gifts no matter how small or how big they all matter in the reaching of the lost. Thank you Jesus for more souls brought into your Kingdom in the upcoming weeks, months, and years. You are good all the time and will never let us down! Thank you Father for your steadfastness! You never fail us! All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called to His Purpose! Remember the only thing you can take to heaven from earth is the souls of men. You don’t want to go to heaven with any regrets about what you could have done. Let’s do it! Amen? Love you all, and God bless you more! |
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People in Cagayan de Oro praying and asking Jesus to come into their hearts! |
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| “Win the Philippines! Win the World!” Let’s do it together! |
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| Revival Fire Ministries International P.O. Box 30487 Amarillo, TX 79120Phone #: 1-806-416-2313 |
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| www.dunamisinternational.org | ||||
