MISSION JOURNAL - NOVEMBER 2007

Monday-Tuesday November 19-20, 2007 Going home... Boy did that sound good. Serving the Lord is the most wonderful experience one could ever ask for. Serving the Lord surrounded by a team of brothers and sisters who exemplify love with every step and gesture is an honor beyond words. And yet after 2 weeks of planes, buses, strange beds, strange foods and daily intensive emotional investments, going home sounded really nice. The trip was long, but everyone seemed to fare pretty well. Even CarolMarie with her broken rib seemed to travel with tolerable pain.

I mentioned before that 12 of the 15 total team got sick on the second have of the trip. I just learned that one of our videographers "Uncle John" Sulack has ended up in the hospital on our return. He too got sick and passed out. He is apparently very dehydrated. The good news is that the tests will finally show what we have been battling. And even though many of the team were as sick as they have ever been, there is not one who would not go back and do it all over again. When you see the things we have seen, you would not trade it for the world.

As I write this, we are all safely at home (except John who will most likely be in the hospital overnight) getting ready for Thanksgiving; the American holiday designed to focus our attention on the blessings we have. For those of us who traveled to India this trip, we have much to be thankful for. As our minds reflect on our journey, it seemed an appropriate time to pass along the journal entries made by our team members.

Each of the writings that follow were made in a journal we carried with us from town to town as we worked together to share the Gospel of Christ to the lost. Some penned their words on the journey there, some during, some on the way home and even the following day. But as you read, keep in mind that each expression comes as a result of, or in anticipation of a real encounter with the Living God. We praise Him for loving us enough to involve us in His plans.

 

 

Kathy Voncannon: Wow! Can there be anything more exciting, more rewarding than being in a position for God to be able to use you. My heart is so full right now. Being with this group…I’m truly humbled. I’m excited and expectant to see all the Lord will do on this trip. To see His power, mercy, love and grace extended to the people we will be ministering to in India. To God be the glory! Praise you Father. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a part of all of this.

 

 

Gary Skeen: Praise the Lord! I’m amazed knowing God is using all of us as one body as a nameless, faceless generation of this ARMY for Souls. It is an honor to serve God be doing His perfect will. This trip is already so different than the other trips we have made to India. I know this trip is going to change our lives because of what God is going to do through us and the ONE MILLION SOULS that is going to be saved on this trip. People riding planes and buses are receiving the anointing reaping from us. I’m claiming everyone on this plane going to the Netherlands is saved in Jesus Name! I hear new beginnings in the Spirit for all of us. We are going to reach higher callings on this trip than we could ever imagine. Thank you Jesus!

 

 

Peggy Powers: Already the Lord is at work answering prayers and comforting His people. On the flight from Knoxville to Detroit there was a young woman who had come to the University of Tennessee trying to get a tennis scholarship. She did not like flying and was returning to France. She was seated by Tony Slay and across the aisle from Carol Marie and then Peggy Powers. Suddenly a spirit of fear gripped the young lady as we hit some turbulence. Carol Marie noticed and started ministering to her. Tony noticed the commotion awakening from a nap and Tony found Carol Marie praying and ministering to this young lady. Peggy started singing softly and peace came to the situation due to everyone flowing as a team in their gifting. The young woman was set free from fear of the flight. We gave her a Charles Capps book about speaking scriptures. As we left her we exhorted her about speaking the scripture and that it was the Living Word and could changer her situation and chase fear if it tried to attack her on the next flight. It was awesome watching God help her!

 

 

Teresa Feliciano: Although this is my first trip I feel I have been a part of what God is doing in India through Alicia. About 8 years ago the Lord gave me a vision; He reminded me of this vision on the way over here to India. In my vision I was taken to a part of the world I had never been before. The people and the place were unfamiliar to me. The sky was dark with many stars. People were worshipping the Lord. I could feel I was standing on Holy ground. The Lord told me tonight that the place was India and the stars represented the souls that have accepted the Lord as their Savior. I am excited for the people of India and that we will be walking down the streets of hold with them in Heaven! I am also excited to be a part of God’s plan for India.

 

 

Darlene Wells: What an outpouring of love towards people! God’s love that is…I’m so glad he’s not a respecter of people and all are welcome. He is great and greatly to be praised! To witness a hunger for God is such a privilege and most of all a blessing. I loved the part where Dr. Pete said “Run to Jesus!” and they started running toward the front. At home we are guilty of taking God for granted, so to see such a desire for Him was marvelous. I have already been touched by these people and look forward to more.  More of Jesus…less of me! The light of God shown on their face when they were led by saving grace. It all fits in His perfect plan as He is no respecter of man. For every kindred nation and every race surely God is in this place.

 

 

Dave Sulack: This trip has produced and greater urgency and a deepening holy discontent in my heart and mind.  Christ’s heart for: the lost, His church, and disciple making is burning hotter in me than ever before. 

In this trip the needs have been understood more in my dialogue with Bishop Ernest and other Manna Ministry leaders.  It is harvest time in India.  Manna’s ministry is just a tip of the scope of what is going on in that country.  The needs are so great and the people are so hungry!  I have sensed an increased openness with Manna ministry to work with other movements in India to make disciples.  This will greatly help in making disciples and planting churches.

I marvel that God would allow us to be apart of this harvest and partner with Manna Ministry.  This is definitely a God thing!  We’re all very human and God uses us by His grace and mercy.  It is humbling to see how God has sovereignty connected us to so many godly groups in ministry.

This all has created this holy discontent in my own life for a deeper ministry in the Spirit and an increasing experiential knowledge of God.  A selling out to Christ. The urgency is produced by the signs of the times of Christ’s soon return.  I don’t believe we have much time.

The ways that God is working in lives on our trips is overwhelming!  Our God is soo GREAT! 

 

Pastor Jeff Sorvik: For me the word that God is revealing over and over this week is humility! Pastor Dave taught on it earlier this week and we are seeing it over and over again. The passion with which the people pursue God and run for prayer is very humbling. They are such a visual reminder of the hunger we are to have for God. Probably nothing has been a better picture than the children…I see again with fresh clarity why Jesus used their faith as an example for us. To see their joy, excitement and contentment in the midst of simple poverty was truly beautiful. So too, the humble living circumstances of the pastors and the way they so gladly serve Jesus is faith building. All of these things remind me again of the call to love God and to walk humbly. The harvest has been great and it is an awesome privilege to know that we can have a small part in seeing India transformed by the blood of Jesus and His amazing power!

 

 

Dr. Tony Slay: Lots of pleasant surprises and we begin our trip to India. The first surprise was a young lady from Paris, France who was having a panic attack on the plane. Carol Marie and Peggy all prayed with her until the peace of God fell on her. It was a powerful witness. Glory to God! Seeing that I’m here to do Pastors Conference’s and minister to the team it was a great surprise to see they had printed 5000 of our year one Ministry International Institute for the pastors. Praise God! We had communicated this desire months ago but thought it was been dropped. It was great teaching the pastors out of our text book. Pastor Dave and Pastor Jeff want to teach out of our book at the second crusade. The pastors were so happy to have a helpful resource. We were marched through the crowd again to honor the team. God had given me a word of warning to the team not to be afraid. They did well even though Bishop Ernest didn’t know about it. Praise God!

 

 

Justin Schnichels: It is awesome to be back in India! I know God has huge things in store for this trip. Every time we come back God’s power seems to get mightier and more evident. It is exciting and humbling to serve our Lord and be part of something as powerful and moving as Matthew 10. The trip in February was my first trip and it changed my life. I can only begin to imagine what this trip is going to do to further that change. My prayer for this trip and the prayer I have asked others to pray is boldness and humility. May we be bold in presenting the Gospel no matter what form of resistance we may face. But, Lord keep us humble because it’s not about us, it’s all for Your glory. Thank You Father for this opportunity to serve You.  Thank you for this team, what an awesome assembly of brothers and sisters you have brought together! I can’t wait to see what you are going to do in Nellore Lord!

 

Holly Rector: I’m so thankful to have had the chance to come here and obey the Word of God. This was my first trip to India and I really didn’t know what to expect, but I believed that the Holy Spirit prepared my heart for what was to be “IN” His Spirit during my time here. I took one week to pray and fast before I came to India and during that time I had 3 dreams and heard the voice of God speak during my prayer and worship times. The dreams were about demonic attacks which now that I have been here I see exactly what God was preparing me for in that way since were under attack in so many ways including division between doctrine and physical sickness. But in the dreams the demons were unable to stop the will of God although their presence was very real and distracting. During my prayer time the Lord spoke to me and said that He would reveal His glory in a way that I had never experienced before. And man did He ever. During our first night of prayer with the team I actually felt the hands of God touch my hands. And I had 3 visions while I was here praying for the night services. The first one was while praying for healing after sickness hit. I saw a stream of blood flowing with arrows, many arrows bring darted at the stream. But when the arrows hit the stream of blood they broke and fell. It was after that vision that God supernaturally strengthened my body and I was no longer sick for the rest of the trip. As well as many others who were helped by a doctor that I believe God sent specifically for our team. Plus Dr. Sulack never was sick and the word and power of God was set forth and not stopped by the arrows of the enemy. The second vision was the same night during the crusade while we were worshipping. I saw a golden snake crawling throughout the field and I thought “Oh Lord what does that mean?” But later that night Dr. Pete preached about the golden serpent that Moses picked up and the people gazed into its eyes as a substitute for Christ. Amazing! And finally the last night during our time of prayer I saw the 3rd vision of people in the field praying for themselves and their own people. And later that night Bishop Ernest lead the people in prayer and told them to being praying for their neighbors and their city and the people prayed. It was awesome! For some people all this may seem trivial but for me, I’ve never had visions like that before, it just revealed God and His power a little bit more to me. And if I can know God and know even just a little bit more of Him and His ways, then to me it makes the experience special and faith building. I love the Lord so much and He continues to show his love and His faithfulness in my life and for that I am so thankful. This trip to India has been one that I will never forget. So many people gave their heart to Christ and to be able to see that and experience God’s glory and power in such a way will always be a highlight of my life. I hope and believe this is just the beginning of many more trips to come not just to India but other countries in the world who want and need but do not know the Gospel of Jesus and His salvation for their souls and life.

 

 

 

Lester Rector: The word says that obedience is better than sacrifice with this being said, you cannot have one without the other. Obedience will always cause you to sacrifice and sacrifice will always demand consistent obedience. This trip has been such an experience. Not only as an act of obedience, but a sacrifice of every aspect of my life. The great thing about this is you never go alone; the Lord is involved in every aspect of the process. I believe that worship is not in the songs we sing or in the words and phrases we use to define who God is, but in the life that we live and unless it’s a life of obedience than it is not sacrifice (praise) at all. I have been greatly impacted by the hunger of the people. Every night at the crusade offered a new level of hunger, expectation and with this a new level of glory. I consider myself blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful journey and look forward to many more.

 

 

John Sulack: When Pete called me Thursday before the trip and asked is I was willing to help video tape the story of Matthew 10, the crusades and events, I said yes. He then said that I would never be the same after experiencing the trip to India. My first night video taping the crusade ended in tears as the people came running to Jesus. Their hands in the air, stretching to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Tears were running down their faces in hope of meeting their Lord and Savior. Thousands came the first night and thousands the following evenings. I watched the pastors hunger to learn more about the teachings of Christ, sitting for hours taking in all they could. Many were taking notes as they followed along in their bible. The team is blessed with great teaching pastors. I photographed widows who prayed for the crusade and pastors meetings. They were dressed in colorful clothing with their eyes and ears glued on the speakers. They were hungry to be a part of the church of India. I witnessed hundreds of children in homes who had no parents, sleeping on floors and dressed in uniforms. Children who learned chapters of the bible under the leadership of Christian house parents. They danced and sang for us and their faces were filled with smiles. I walked into the homes in small villages and was greeted with stretched out hands. Their houses were very small in most cases just two rooms. They were proud to show their homes to us. We have so much in America.

Will I ever be the same? No one could. To witness all this and stay the same is impossible. Thank you Matthew 10 for new eyes for this world.

 

 

Stevi Rouse: What an incredible journey! It has been so awesome to be a part of Matthew 10 and to finally see what the ministry is all about. Although, I am sure that by this time next year, the ministry’s dynamics will have evolved in so many ways that is will hardly seem the same.

The circumstances surrounding my final decision to make the trip are to be noted: I have had a desire to travel with a mission organization as a photojournalist for the past two years and I have had a heart for traveling to India specifically. To finally be a part of a team and to be used by the Lord has allowed me to see the past 2 ½ years of training in photography begin to fulfill their purpose. It has given me a reason to no longer believe the doubt I carried about my time spent this field and that I need to trust even more that the Lord placed a calling on my life to be a missionary photojournalist.

Over the past two weeks, I have seen so many life changing things. Everything from Hindu temples decorated with thousands of colorful gods and lit up with hundreds of glowing candles to tens of thousands of Hindus running to the alter for the first time with a desire to seek Jesus’ heart and salvation. I know that I was able to document and capture some of this emotion through my lens, but not nearly enough. I just look forward to next time and pray the Lord prepares the way for more people to hear His word.

Being surrounded 24/7 by a team that truly loves the Lord has been an encouragement beyond measure. I really loved getting to know each one of you and consider it a privilege to have worshiped with you. Thank you so much for all of the encouragement and physical support…carrying bags and tripods! (A very special thanks to Jerry here)!

Now, sitting here in Tirupati airport at the conclusion of our trip, I anticipate the journey home, but even more, I wait in excitement for the next time the Lord will use me as a part of Matthew 10! 

 

 

I know I speak for everyone on the team when I say Thank You for your prayers and support. Currently we are scheduled to launch our next visit in mid January... However, we are in desperate need of funds. Each Crusade we do costs approximately $100,000 so funding another so soon is a monumental challenge, but one that is NOT too big for God.

If you were touched by what God has done through Matthew10 and the souls saved in India, your gift of any amount will help us continue our work and our journey to win 100,000,000 souls to Christ. If you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to help, go to www.matthew10.com to make a contribution.

I have been honored to be able to share this journey with you through pictures and pen. We thank you so much for what you do to make these trips possible. God Bless you all.

Mike Wadel - HisStoryTeller

 

PS - (Thanksgiving Day) Just heard that John was released from the Hospital last night and is home with the family. That's one more thing to be thankful for this day. Blessings. MW