After an introduction of the team from USA and Ecuador, we broke for lunch. After lunch, the first session began with Pat speaking on being a servant leader. As long as I minister, I will always need to be reminded that Jesus has called us to serve and not be served. I think this session really set the tone for the entire weekend meetings. We then prayed for the Lord to guide our lives in such a way as to live as a servant leader, just as Jesus did.

 

Dr. Frank spoke in the second session about being spiritually healthy and developing good habits to maintain a strong walk. The part that got to me was when he shared how the Lord showed him to memorize scripture and that he has committed himself to that ever since. Pat and I looked at each other and knew we were both under heavy conviction to learn more of the Word.

 

After a short break, we separated the men and the women into separate groups to facilitate discussion on how to have healthy families, even though we are in the ministry. I remember that during the ladies session, they all started shouting some time into their meeting. I found out from Becky that a lady, diagnosed with a brain aneurism, was touched powerfully by the Lord. So much so, that there was a noise in their camp for several minutes! They began singing and shouting and then praying some more! I inadvertently led the men’s session as Pat, suddenly, was not feeling well. We talked about balance between family life and ministry; raising children; authority; order in the home and church and hearing God’s direction. It was a great discussion. The men were hanging out after and talking about the meeting with each other. Then we broke for dinner.

 

After dinner and some worship, Becky and I spoke on Unity and Agreement. We used some material from our Marriage Mystery Bible Study. We spoke on the power of agreement and how it can invoke the blessings of God into our lives, our marriage and our church. As I was speaking on the blessings of God, I had a young man sitting in front of me come up for a demonstration. I was talking about Deuteronomy 28 and through our obedience to the Word, the blessings of God will come upon us and overtake us. As I was saying this, The Holy Spirit came all over me and I realized that this was about this young man. I began to prophesy over him that, as he is obedient to the Word of God – and comes into agreement with what the Lord has said – the blessings of God would come upon him and overtake him. Then, I came behind him and wrapped my right arm over his neck and across his chest and held on to him. The Lord showed me that this was to encourage him that the only thing in his past is the blessings of God coming after him, for his past is broken off of him! This man began to weep and could no longer stand. He sat with his face in his hands almost the rest of our session. Pastor Pat had a testimony time the next day and he came forward and said that he had a rough childhood that always haunted him and told him he could not be in the ministry. His father left him as a very young boy. He said that when I held him, he felt the love of God wash all over him and the torment of his past being broken off of him! He said that he finally felt free. What a great God we serve!