CARRY THE FIRE - LLEVE EL FUEGO

Outreach and Evangelism

2011-05-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, we have been spending time with the leaders of Iglesia La Puerta in Nogales, Mexico as we continue in our efforts to help Pastor Rito coordinate the different ministries and maximize the outreach/evangelism being done by the church. On Saturday, we will be helping Fernando and Damaris as they do an outreach crusade in the Nuevo Nogales neighborhood of Nogales, Mexico. Fernando and Damaris are planting a mission/future church in that area similar to the mission that exists in the Las Torres neighborhood. Currently, the church has 4 mission plants in Nogales, Mexico. They are in the Las Torres, Nuevo Nogales, Avenida Cananea and Colosio neighborhoods and they have either started their work or are in the beginning stages. We are excited for the opportunities to meet and serve new people in these different areas. In addition to mission plants, La Puerta recently had 13 cell leaders graduate from the 3 month leadership class for cell leaders. They have already begun meetings in their homes and neighborhoods as we know this will be a huge key in advancing the Kingdom of God in Nogales.

What really impresses us is the vision, training and practical application of the Great Commission that we are witnessing. The members of Iglesia La Puerta are eager to go out into the community and find ways to bring the word of God to their neighbors and friends. As we go into the streets on some of the outreach crusades we are awestruck by the boldness of the people we work with as they talk to and evangelize anyone they see. What is even more impressive is the fact that we have all ages from youth group age to people in the "golden years" who go with us on these outreaches. Last week, the youth group rode the buses in downtown Nogales and, if the bus driver gave them permission, they stood up and began to testify about Jesus! How awesome!!!!

We are very, very blessed by the experiences we are having here and truly believe God is moving in this city. The willing and eager attitude of the people in the church to evangelize is inspirational and they force us to move physically and spiritually at a much higher level than we ever have. God is showing us that He desires a people who desire to advance His Kingdom and we know that He will be glorified in a great revival that is coming.

If anyone would like to bring a group down to minister in Mexico and witness the power of God as His Kingdom advances, please contact us. We would love to have the "fire" of the Holy Spirit rub off on people from the United States and that they would "carry the fire" back to their cities and churches.

"Let His Kingdom come, let His Will be done!!!"

Jesus is Returning!

2011-05-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

As we have been driving through Nogales, Mexico over the last several weeks, we have seen new billboard ads proclaiming that "JESUS IS RETURNING ON MAY 21, 2011". Further investigation finds that Harold Camping of Family Radio located in California has made this prediction and is spreading the news through all sorts of media. At the time I am writing this, you have 8 days and 15 hours (according to Camping's website) to get ready for His return. Included in Campings website are bible verses on the return of Christ (like a thief in the night) and verses on ensuring we (Christians) are saved.

Many may ask what's the problem with Mr. Camping's prediction? Many feel he is doing evangelism by spreading the Gospel and trying to get people prepared for Christ's return. The problem is that the bible refutes Mr. Camping's attempt to discern the end in Matthew 24:36 when Jesus talks about the signs of the end of the age (the return of Christ). Jesus declares that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father". When Mr. Camping announces he has figured out the date of Christ's return - he is saying that he is smarter that the Son of God! By his mortal research, Mr. Camping declares that he has been able to calculate and deduce the end of time but Jesus declares He doesn't know the day or time and that ONLY the Father knows. That is heresy in it's truest form as it raises Mr. Camping's knowledge and reasoning about the Son of God's. The other problem Mr. Camping has is that in 1992, he wrote a book in which he proclaimed that Jesus might return on September 6, 1994. To ensure he had an out, he also said it could be on May 21, 2011. As these days come and pass, Mr. Camping is revealed as the deceiver he is. We need to pray for Mr. Camping and his followers that they would humble themselves and step back from this deception. They do great harm to the Kingdom of God by making the world ridicule and disbelieve God's people more when their silly predictions fail.

Instead of buying into these "calculations" and "predictions" of the return of Jesus, we should keep ourselves prepared and evangelizing the unsaved at ALL TIMES! The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:3-4; "While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief." In closing, the only thing a believer needs to know it that Jesus WILL return and we should live and do the work of His Kingdom every day with all that we have. His return could be at any time on any day, it could even be today. Are you and your family ready? Are you doing all you can for His Kingdom? Let's rejoice because we can be confident in saying that he is coming and coming soon!!!!

The Christian Response

2011-05-02T16:23:00.002-07:00

As the news of Usama Bin Laden's death broke last night, we saw the whole gambit of responses on the t.v. and internet. We were in Mexico when the news was released and finally saw it when we got home late after church and dinner with friends. I have been waiting to post on it until now as I have meditated and prayed over the correct response. Finally, I believe God has guided me through His Spirit and postings from friends and family. One of the most poignant and accurate posts I have seen is on my daughter's blog "Chrystal's Corner" (http://networkedblogs.com/hmtgI?ref=nf). In her blog she quotes Proverbs 24:17 "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice." We should always pursue justice in our society as God's word says in Proverbs 21:15 "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." However, we should never, ever rejoice, gloat or party at the death of a person - especially one who will now face God's judgement and the torment of eternity apart from Him. For the people of God, His instruction is clear about justice and revenge in Romans 12:19 - "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Justice is approved, revenge is not. God will be the final judge and His promise is that he will avenge those who reject Him and bring harm to His righteous people.

So the question is, do we rejoice because we got revenge and the justice of man has been served? Or are we satisfied that justice has been served and terror had been brought to evildoers while grieving for the death of one who does not know the resurrection power of Jesus? Myself, I choose the second. God desires that none should perish without knowing salvation and that includes Usama Bin Laden. While we continue to seek justice in this war on terror, God's people needs to seek a final resolution to this war by prayer and working for the salvation of all the terrorists who need Jesus to change their lives.

This week, let's pray for the salvation of those who wish to bring harm to the United States. And let's pray that the people of the United States repent and seek the God of the founders of this nation.

To Him be ALL the Glory!!!!!

Culture - A Key To Ministry

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we will be attending our first Quinceañera in Mexico. In case you haven't heard of a Quinceañera, it is the celebration of a girls 15th birthday that marks her transition from childhood to young womanhood. We are excited to be a part of this ceremony and to continue to become more familiar with the culture of Mexico. As we attend the different cultural events of the people we serve, we become aware of the fact that being a representative of God's Kingdom means developing relationships in the culture of the people around us and then speaking the truth of God's word into that cultural context. That doesn't say we should compromise our integrity and holiness when advancing His Kingdom. However, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:22 "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." For too long, Christians have tried a "cookie cutter" approach to evangelism regardless of the culture they are trying to win. Over the years, we have developed a Christian look, lifestyle and language and expect all to fit in it as we evangelize. What we miss is that whether it is foreign missions, prison ministry, intercity evangelism or church planting in rural areas there are many different cultures with different looks, lifestyles and languages. As we are finding in our journey as missionaries in Mexico, their culture may be different than ours but the truth of the Gospel of Jesus has the same power to transform their lives as it has ours. We just need to know their culture and then share the Gospel in a way that relates to their lives. Just look at the different ways Paul reached out to the Jews, the religious scholars and the educated gentiles. Hey respected their culture and presented the Gospel in a way they could relate to and the Kingdom advanced rapidly.

Today, God is calling His people to;
1. Go into the world and develop relationships (Get to know people and their culture)
2. Take His unchanging Word and preach the Gospel into that culture in any legal, moral and ethical way you can.
3. Offer the eternal gift of salvation
4. Disciple people inside their culture so they can live Christian lives in that culture and reach out in even a more effective way to those like them.

Blog Changes

2011-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

After looking at several ways to blog on our website, we have decided to return to the blog format we used before because of the links it had to the social networks and how easy it is to compose and post a blog.

God has been doing many things with us and through us in our time as missionaries and we want to capture these events to give testimony to the power, authority, mercy and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has blessed us with the opportunity to see His kingdom grow and advance and we sense the Holy Spirit telling us that we are soon to witness and be involved in an incredible expansion of His kingdom as the Gospel is preached in all nations with signs, wonders and miracles following. It is an exciting time to be alive as we anticipate the return of our King.

We hope you enjoy the look and feel of our updated blog. Please check back often as we continue down the path God has given us for this time and age.

Dave and Toni

New Website - http://carrythefireministry.com/

2010-06-16T11:13:00.002-07:00

This has been a difficult and tiring season as we have been taking care of Dave's mom's estate business and tying up loose ends in Washington. We have been trusting in the strength of Jesus and relying totally on His strength and peace. As we take a slow trip home, we are resting and being restored by His presence. We are sensing a NEW season in our lives and our ministry and are looking forward to seeing what He has for us.

As part of this new season, we have initiated a website for Carry The Fire at http://carrythefireministry.com/. It is a "work in progress" and we will continue to add to it as we can. In light of this new website, we will no longer be using this blog site. As God restores us, we will begin blogging on the website and adding any new information about our ministry there. Please check out the website and become a member under the "Members" link on the top of the Home Page.

Thank you for following us here and we look forward to seeing you as a member on our new website.

Your Brother and Sister in Christ - Dave and Toni

El Salvador Miracle - Cancer Healed!

2010-04-21T20:08:00.004-07:00

Dinora Testifying About Her Healing

During our trip to El Salvador, we experienced God in a way that we never had before. It was the first time in our life that we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit for 24 hours a day for 10 days straight and we continue to feel His presence several days after we have returned home. Even though our assignment was to go down and minister with the word of God, give encouragement to pastors and churches, pray for people for miracles and show the love of Jesus to everyone we met, God did an incredible thing is us. For us and our ministry, we received revelation, inspiration, visions, confirmation, anointing, FIRE and an offer from the Holy Spirit to go higher in Him. As we shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God confirmed it with signs, wonders and miracles in the people we prayed for.

Today, we want to share the incredible, doctor confirmed, miracle God began our trip with. It happened during our first night of speaking and praying for people and testimony of it was given on the second night service. We had been scheduled to speak our first three nights in a town adjacent to San Salvador called Soyapongo. Pastor Nelson and his church are one of the two works La Puerta has in El Salvador. After Pastor Nelson gave us a fun, exhilarating, thrilling and exciting 40 minute ride from the house we were staying in to the church, we arrived just as the service was starting. We enjoyed a wonderful, Spirit filled worship time and then it was time for Dave to start speaking. Before diving into the word God had given him, Dave had the Pastor and leaders of the church come forward. God had spoke to Dave's heart during worship and given him these words; "That the miracles would begin in the house of the Lord." Dave anointed and prayed for the leadership and then began to preach. After giving the word of God, Dave opened the altars offering to anoint people and pray the prayer of faith (James 5:15) for any that wished to receive healing. Many came forward and Dave began praying with each one. While Dave was praying over several people, Toni was drawn to a woman who was standing, waiting for prayer. Toni found out her name was Dinora and began to minister to her. Toni gave Dinora a word that she had received for her and then found out that Dinora had cancer in her reproductive organs. Toni then prayed for her to have faith that she would be healed. We continued to pray for the others at the altar. As the service was concluding, Pastor Nelson brought Dinora back up and asked Dave to pray for her. Dave spoke a word over Dinora that confirmed Toni's word before he knew what the situation was. Then both of us anointed Dinora with oil and prayed for her with Toni's hand resting on her abdomen and Dave's hand resting on Toni's. You could sense God's sweet presence in the room and we could feel His power as we prayed for her. We then closed the service feeling very humbled by the incredible presence of the Holy Spirit and were eager for more of Him.

The next day, while seeing some of the sights in San Salvador with Pastor Rito and Julia, Julia received a phone call reporting that a miracle had occurred at Soyapongo involving Dinora. The details were spotty, so we waited until the service to hear the full report. When we arrived at the church that night, the Pastor told us that Dinora, HIS SISTER, had been healed of cancer and that she wanted to give her testimony. After worship was completed, we had her come up and tell what had happened. Dinora had been diagnosed with cancer in her reproductive organs and she had constant bleeding. When we gave the altar call, she came forward needing a miracle. She said that when she was being prayed over, she felt something "break" where the cancer was. She also felt an incredible faith in her heart that God was going to cure her. She went home and suddenly, her bleeding stopped and a "black" round object came out of her. The next morning, she went to her doctor and he did a battery of tests on her. He then compared the results of her prior tests with the new ones and he was amazed. He stated it was like they were from two totally different women and the newest tests showed, all Glory to God, NO MORE CANCER! Needless to say, Dinora was incredibly touched by God's power and we used her on the second night to help us pray for those with un-cured illnesses and injuries. She plans on sharing her testimony and ministering the love and power of Jesus Christ.

What a way to start our incredible adventure in San Salvador, El Salvador! We are so humbled that God would flow through us to work His incredible miracles. We take no credit for what occurred as we were just following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but we give all praise, honor and glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who did this miracle (and others during our time in El Salvador) as confirmation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are continuing to journal other amazing events that occurred and will post them once they are done.

Dave, Dinora and Toni

Fuego in El Salvador

2010-04-17T22:00:00.003-07:00

Thursday night at midnight we returned safe and sound from an incredible trip to El Salvador where we spoke in several churches and met the people of San Salvador over 8 days. The presence of God was so thick and incredible miracles occurred throughout the week. Over the last several days, we have been resting up and recovering from this wonderful, exhausting and spiritually invigorating time walking in the path God laid before us. Over the next week or so, we will blog some of the incredible experiences we had. God's Spirit of fire is on the move and we will take every opportunity to share the annointing he has placed on us!

Thank you Jesus!!!

"In Between" Times

2010-03-31T11:05:00.003-07:00

Have you ever been in the "in between" time. We are currently there and it is such an interesting time. One week ago, Dave's mom went to be with the Lord. While we are sad that she is gone, we are also secure in her salvation and rejoice that she is with Jesus in the full promise of glory that He gives us. Next week, we will be embarking on an exciting journey to preach and hold healing services in El Salvador. We believe that God is shaping up a trip that will be full of His presence and glory. We feel emotionally flat because we have all our different emotions swirling around us at the same time and we are on emotional overload! If we didn't know Jesus and weren't led by the Spirit, we would truly go mad!!!

It's times like these that we take comfort in the scriptures. One of our favorites is "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7. We have known that peace in our life in prior times of turmoil and stress and we claim that peace now. When your heart and mind are at peace, your spirit can walk in confidence even though your flesh is trembling. It's like one of those fighting movies where time slows down for the hero and he/she can make moves at ease because those around her are moving soooooo slow. God shows us how to slay the giants in our lives like David. I am sure that the peace of God came over David as he moved forward to face Goliath. His mind and body became true, steady weapons for the Holy Spirit to use to defeat the enemy. He gathered the right weapons (the rocks) and waited until the absolutely correct time to send the rock on a straight path to it's intended target. We all know how fear can make us do wrong things at the wrong time because we are just responding, doing anything. God gives us His peace so we can be totally open, trusting and yielding to His Spirit who will deliver us at the right time and in the right way.

If you would like to know this kind of peace, please pray this prayer right now;
"Thank you Lord for your peace that does transcend all our understanding. Help us to seek out Your peace to guard our lives through your son Christ Jesus. Let our lives be yielded to the Holy Spirit so we can be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing for You and Your Kingdom. To You be all the glory and honor and praise. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen"

An Incredible Miracle And Blessing From God!

2010-03-03T22:11:00.003-07:00

Today, at 5:30pm we received the keys to our miracle home. This tremendous blessing from God came to us through many supernatural steps. We are documenting God's great hand in this and will post it here soon. TO HIM BE ALL THE GLORY!!!!!

Please check out more pictures of the house at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=49915&id=1452063730&l=e0815ac7bb aid=49915&id=1452063730&l=e0815ac7bb

Going to El Salvador

2010-03-02T09:28:00.002-07:00

Carry The Fire has been invited by La Puerta Churches to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in churches and outdoor healing crusades in San Salvador, El Salvador. We leave from Tucson on April 6th and return on April 15th. We are praying for the salvation of many souls during the 8 days we will be ministering. To help defer costs, we will be staying in the homes of pastors and church members who will be feeding us. Please partner with us as we prepare for this exciting evangelistic trip. First, we are asking all prayer warriors to pray for these ministry events (especially the outdoor crusades) up to and throughout our trip. Second, we are looking for financial support to help pay for some of the travel costs and to be able to financially bless our host churches. Please help us sow seeds in this violent and depressed nation. Please send any financial support to;

Carry The Fire

1186 Zircon Court, Apt. 2

Rio Rico, AZ 85648

Please note that the donation is for El Salvador Crusade.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. You are our partners in the mighty things God has in store for Mexico and El Salvador.

To Jesus be all the glory.

Dave and Toni

Carry The Fire

Life Is Short

2010-03-01T07:12:00.003-07:00

Over this last month, we have been dealing with many of Dave's mom's health issues. On Friday, we made the decision to "enroll" her into hospice care as she returns to her nursing home from a stay at the hospital. It is hard being the decision maker for your parent, especially when it comes to health issues and "end of life" decisions. Thanks to the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives, we are at peace with our decision. We stand firm in the knowledge that Dave's moms future is in God's hands and He will take her home in His way and in His time. We also stand on His promise of peace and mercy for her and us.

As we have gone through the illnesses and passing on of our parents, God has given us a strong revelation of the shortness of our time here on earth. James 4:14 asks the question, "What is your life?" Then comes the answer to that question, "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." OUCH! What a blunt, but truthful answer. In comparison to our eternal life, our physical life on earth is a mist that disappears. There is no question that our time on this earth is short. However, the real question is, what are we going to do with the time God gives us? Will we pursue the false riches, fame and comforts of this world (all of which are temporary and will rust, decay and fade away) or will we pursue the eternal riches of the Kingdom of God? Each day, we are all given opportunities and divine appointments to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world if we are "tuned in" to the Holy Spirit. What we have learned on our missionary journey is that living a life focused on the things of this earth (as we did in our earlier life) drowns out the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. The word of God says that we cannot serve two masters. God continues to teach us to push away the things of this world and to seek the things of His kingdom. To us, the choice is clear. You can either serve the master of this earth whose kingdom will quickly pass away and be destroyed or you can serve a master whose glorious kingdom will never end. That is the choice that faces all mankind and there is no gray area in between. Do you serve your life and this world or do you serve God? As stated in Joshua 24:15; "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." We pray that is your answer also!

Friends, time is short as is our life here on earth. We challenge you to make a decision today, what master will you serve? Join us today as we seek to serve Him now more than ever. The clock is ticking and He's coming soon, are you ready?

God Keeps Opening Doors

2010-02-11T10:28:00.003-07:00

Last Sunday night, we attended a church service that had a guest speaker from Hermosillo, Sonora. He gave a great message from 2 Kings 20:1-11 about Hezekiah's Illness and God's healing of him when he repented. We are slowly understanding more Spanish, so we got about half of his message. One point he made was from 2 Kings 20:3 where Hezekiah reminds God of his walk before Him. At the end, before prayer time he told people to thinks of how we have walked before God. Can we remind God of it and, because we have been "upright" before Him, bring blessings to ourselves, or have we acted in ways we don't want to remind God of? Awesome message for us today. In the bible, God says "Be holy because I am Holy". It's time to pursue an absolutely holy life.

When came prayer time came, the power of God fell. We felt the burning sensation of the Spirit's presence as we watched from our seats as the speaker ministered to those who came up front. As prayer time was ending, the speaker all of a sudden came into the congregation and made a beeline straight for us. He called for someone to interpret for us and then he gave us an awesome, confirming word of what God has called us to do in Mexico and the world. The word included a ministry of "Fire" and miracles. He also told Toni that she would be a spiritual mother to many women. This man didn't know us, but he spoke words that have been prophesied over us several times before.

As the service ended, we hugged and chatted with people then we looked for the speaker to talk with before we left. Getting an interpreter, we told him how he had confirmed many prophesies spoken over us, even the "fire" thing which is the name of our ministry "Carry The Fire". We gave him our card and he invited us to come to Hermosillo and speak with the pastors there. He told us he was a "pastor" to the pastors there and would love for us to come and encourage them.

We are just blessed and awestruck at this awesome God who continues to bless us and open doors for us in Mexico. In addition to this blessing, we are currently in the process of receiving an incredible and miraculous blessing from God. Once the details are completed on this blessing, we will share it here with you.

TO HIM BE ALL THE GLORY!

Please pray over our new endeavour

2010-02-06T08:22:00.004-07:00

We are beginning a new program today helping Pastor Arturo and Lilia with Kids Kingdom in Imuris, Sonora. On Saturday's we are going to drive down to Imuris and help with their Kids Kingdom outreach that goes from 10am - Noon. They have 30-50 children who come and learn the Word of God every Saturday. After the Kids Kingdom outreach, we are going to start an english class for those that want to learn and improve on their english. We have been told by many people that this dramatically improves the chances of a good job when the kids get older. It's all just an excuse for us to love on these children as God has directed us to. Please pray for us as we move forward in this endeavour.

Prodigals Return

2010-01-30T06:48:00.006-07:00

God has been speaking to me lately about the church. He has been bringing me back time and time again to the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32. In this new year of 2010, I sense Him telling me that it is time for His prodigal church to return to Him. As I look in the first part of the story, I see the youngest son taking all his father had given him, packing up and leaving to a distant country where he squandered his wealth. As I ponder this, I think how many in the church have taken the wealth of our salvation and then headed out into the world where they squander it. Sure, they were on fire and zealous when they first received their inheritance, but as time went by things changed. Maybe it wasn't even a quick move away from the "father", but a slow slide. However it happened, many have gotten away from the protection, wisdom and comfort of our fatherly protector.

In mediating on these words, I ask God what is the evidence of this? His answer is, look at the LACK of impact my church has on the world today. It can be full of people on Sunday for the entertainment and good speaking, but where are these people when the hungry are at the doorstep? Where are they when the prisons are full of men and women needing comfort and the hope of salvation? Where are they when the schools are full of children being assaulted by every evil temptation Satan can hurl at them? In the story, think of the eldest son who stayed home. He stayed and did the work that the father laid out for him. What work has our heavenly Father laid out for His children? In Isaiah 58:6-7 God speaks of the kind of service He is looking for when He talks of the kind of "fasting" He has chosen for His people. Please, read this portion of scripture and then ask yourself, "Am I doing the father's work or am I off in a distant land squandering my inheritance." God's clear and distinct direction is for us to be "on the farm" doing the father's work. If you are one that is, praise God! However, as God speaks to me about the church, I am afraid that many in the church are not.

If you feel that you may be a prodigal, I want you to see the heart of the Father. God is not sitting around mad and wanting to punish you when you return. Instead, as we see in this story, after the son confessed what he had done and repented, the Father had this response "'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." If you are not serving God the way you used to, if you are entangled in sin or if your heart has been hardened then confess and repent. God has a heavenly celebration waiting for your return. God DESIRES for you to be back in His household, under His protection and helping with the work that needs to be done.

Right now, the Spirit of the Lord is saying, "It's time for my Church (the prodigal) to return to her first love and receive the wisdom, power and might to do the Father's work. It is then, you will see the long-awaited glorious return of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and you will dwell in MY house forever!"

In His Name!

Okay, I'm Sorry For Not Writing Lately...

2010-01-26T21:23:00.004-07:00

I have been very absent lately in writing to this blog. I want to apologize and I am at a point where I am re-dedicating myself to keep up. What happened? Nothing but laziness and an attack straight from the pit! No excuses, just dealing with my mom's health issues, hospital trips and her current situation has drained both Toni and I over these last six months. Early this month, we talked and made plans to work on our physical, mental and spiritual health. When talking about it, we both felt a heavy weight of oppression on us. We know those feeling would not be from God, so it confirms to us that we have been under attack.

To better understand the process we needed to go through, we had to ask ourselves, what do you do to fight an attack like this? The very simple answer is "Turn to God and claim his word." He tells us in Romans 8:15 - "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." So, we cry Abba Father! He also tells us in Isaiah 40:29 - "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." So we claim his strength and power in our lives. Finally, He tells us in Ephesians 6:12 - "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So we release our fight to God knowing that He is the only power we have to fight against these "spiritual forces of evil."

In closing, please don't be worried about us, God has lifted us into His arms and carried us through this time. During this period, Toni and I have been able to search ourselves even deeper and are working on more things to be better servants for the King. Through hiking, He has lead us to the beauty and majesty of his great creation where we feel closer to Him and to each other. He has lifted the oppressive feelings and is renewing our minds, bodies and souls. Prophetically, we sense that there are mighty things on the horizon for us and God is turning what was meant to discourage, distress and destroy us into something powerful for His Kingdom.

To Him be all the glory, honor and praise!!!

Quality, Not Quantity

2010-01-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

As we have gone through these last few years with Dave's parents and their health issues, God has been speaking a message into our hearts to share with the world. We have spent a lot of time in hospitals and nursing homes with the sick and quite elderly and have heard the Holy Spirit whisper these words, "Consider the quality of your life, not the quantity." Today's machines, drugs and therapies are allowing people to live longer and longer lives. However, our experiences have shown us that sometimes the physical body endures, but the internal human spirit declines and decays to a point of non-existence. Our culture (and Satan) has enticed us to keep worrying about living a long life, but tries to keep our minds off the quality of that life. Just look at the debate over health care and how passionate people are about it. It is correct to ensure we keep our "temple" healthy and in good shape. However, the key point is where the heart is first and foremost. What does God say about worrying about tomorrow and the future? Matthew 6:26 states: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" God wants us to live and have impact TODAY! Paul tells us how to run the race in 1 Corinthians when he states: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." He clearly tells us to run in a quality way. A way that get the prize. He doesn't say how long the race is, he just tells us to run every step in a manner that gets the prize. That speaks of a quality life, working hard for the kingdom, keeping our eye on each step TODAY. Each solid and strong step builds on the other to bring victory and the Christian life is the same. God is telling us to keep our eyes on today's steps and not to worry about tomorrows because no man knows the time or hour of the Lord's return and the same is true for the end of our lives if he should not come soon. We know that we are alive at this moment, so run the race NOW, not tomorrow.

In closing, God is telling us that to live this daily life of quality, we must dwell in His Spirit every minute while stepping forward with his promises of salvation, victory and power. After what God has been speaking to us, we don't desire a long, long life. Instead, we desire a God filled quality life for however many days He gives us. Our prayer is that each step we take, each moment we live be one of quality for the Kingdom with no worries about tomorrow.

Moral Compass

2009-12-15T23:29:00.005-07:00

Just watch the news and you'll have to agree that a lot of the world has lost it's moral compass. Moral compass is defined as "anything which serves to guide a person's decisions based on morals or virtues." People are making major, long-term (even eternal) decisions in their lives based on morals or virtues they get from news commentators, politicians, advertising, Hollywood, sports superstars, political correctness, or "whatever feels right for me". You know, God predicted this attitude in the Bible when Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3; "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." Instead of following the sound doctrine found in the Word of God, men have followed the flesh and sought out people who will tell them what they are doing and feeling are right, even though it goes against God's will and direction and leads to death and destruction.

Over 2000 years ago, a star shone over the birth place of the moral compass God has given us. Jesus Christ came to set the captive free and to deliver the world from sin. He gave us simple commandments like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." (both in Luke 10:27). In our lives, Jesus is the "star" we can use to calibrate our moral compass with so we can walk through this world without becoming lost. Does life seem dark, dismal, scary and hopeless to you right now? Seek out the star God has give us, Jesus and the Word of God, to re-set your compass and find the victorious life! Through this time of hustle, bustle and business, remember to put Him first and foremost in your life. He will guide you and keep you on a safe, secure and eternally prosperous path!

God bless you all during the Christmas season.

Important Carry The Fire Project - Please read...

2009-11-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Due to the recent change in the government in Sonora, Mexico, many humanitarian projects have gone without government funding for the last three months. The Youth Foster Center in Imuris, Sonora is one of the projects we are working with that has lost this funding and does not know if the new government will continue providing money to the Center. The Youth Foster Center is in need of funding and we are hosting a donation drive for them. Please read the flyer at http://issuu.com/carrythefire/docs/imuris_apron_project?viewMode=presentation for more information on this project. We pray that you will forward this link on to others and prayerfully consider donating to this great cause. If you need more information regarding this project, please contact us. God Bless

Be Still...

2009-10-29T20:22:00.003-07:00

Whew - Life gets busy and time passes quickly. The last month has flown by with two teams (one being our friends from Country Church in Spokane, WA), the Iron Sharpens Iron week-long conference plus a business/pleasure visit to Corona, CA to meet with our Carry The Fire board members, Lupe and Darla (plus their family). In addition, we have been fighting the crud (swine flu???) and are just starting to feel better.

As time has swirled past though, God has been speaking to me about how to maintain a close and intimate relationship with Him. In Psalm 46:10, He tells us; "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." No matter how busy and full our lives are, a key principal is that God will be exalted whether we participate or not. It is His intent that we are partners in His exaltation because He calls us to "be still and know the HE is God". It is so very important that we don't let this busy temporary life on earth push out our eternal relationship with Him. It is a day-to-day discipline that He wants us to learn well. Do you want to see Him exalted in your marriage, your family, your job and your life? Be still with Him. Quit asking, quit telling, quit moaning and complaining - Be still and seek Jesus high and lifted up!!! He is calling us to receive Him and His glory in our lives. That is where the victory comes from - Him and His glory.

Are We Ready To Be An End-Times Church?

2009-10-08T07:18:00.002-07:00

1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

God just keeps rocking my world. During my quiet time today He spoke to me about the times we are in and how they are an indicator of His soon and imminent return. Earthquakes, floods, wars and rumor of wars. People living life as they did in the time of Noah. Continual attempts at "peace" by world rulers who really desire riches and fame, not true peace. What really got me going was a testimony one of the women gave in the prison yesterday. A month ago, she received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and continues to amaze and delight us with the changes He is doing in her life. She has even said how strange her old self seems in comparison to this new life. She devours the bible and has begun praying. A few weeks ago she came and told me that God was telling her to fast, but she wasn't sure what that meant (she was "unchurched" before she came to prison)!!! God is really talking to her in a mighty way and wants her to go deeper. We discussed fasting and when I came to one of the different ways to fast, she confirmed that God had even told her that was the type fast she should do.

Yesterday, she gave a testimony of God talking to her during this time of fasting and prayer. One thing that struck me was her description of this "person" who was talking to her. Apparently during her time of prayer, she "sees" a beautiful and loving face of a man who she senses to be with her at all times, even when she can't see him. I'm getting goose bumps even writing this!!! She is being directly ministered to by God Himself. She goes on with her testimony to give this prophecy - "That a great time of trouble is coming for all peoples and that He is calling us to be prepared by studying the Word, because the answers are there." She concludes with "comfort will come to the people who truly know Him." WOW-WOW-WOW!!! This is truly end-times prophecy.

So, are we ready for His return. Are we living a Christian life that is "alert" and "self-controlled" (verse 6)? Do we "belong to the day" or are we in the darkness? Do we have "faith" and "love" as our breastplate and our "hope of salvation" as our helmet (verse 8)? The more I spend time with Him, the more He is asking me to "look in the mirror", ask myself these type of questions and then TRUTHFULLY answer them with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then, when I am guided to the areas of sin in my life and I repent of them, He willfully and powerfully takes my weakness from me and fills me with His power and strength. I know, that I know, that I know that, in these end times, He is preparing His bride to be Holy and spotless for His return. Are we ready? He is coming soon. I say Amen, come quickly Lord!

Darkness in plain sight

2009-10-05T20:34:00.002-07:00

Last week, we went to downtown Nogales, Sonora, Mexico with the CCOB team to do street ministry, visit a homeless shelter and do some shopping. We were pleased to have two of the teen girls from the Imuris Teen Foster Home join us. These two girls have especially sweet spirits and we always laugh and have fun with them whenever we see them. Unfortunately, Pastor Arturo could not lead us in street ministry as he had to take care of prescriptions for several other teens who were in the hospital. As always, God has a perfect plan and we met a street evangelist from The Potter's House who asked us to join him as he passed out flyer's for a weekend service and minister to those who we came across. After the CCOB team prayed for him, a woman vendor came over to us and asked for prayer. As the team began to pray for the woman, Toni stayed with the teen girls from Imuris as they watched. Suddenly, a man came up to the girls and began talking to them. The more he talked, the more they clung to Toni. Realizing something good was not happening, Toni walked the girls over to Pastor Thomas to ask him to interpret what was going on. After the girls talked to Pastor Thomas, he told Toni that the man basically was a pimp or a human trafficker who wanted the girls to join him. What bold arrogance to approach them when they were with Toni. Several times, I walked past the man's location and he was there most of the day looking for more opportunities. It wasn't until the next night when the CCOB team was doing their wrap-up that the magnitude of the situation hit me and I bawled like a baby. What would have happened to the girls we know if we hadn't been there? And even worse (could it be worse) is what about the girls who didn't have anyone to protect them?

Friends, it is time to wake up. Evil is everywhere and we can see the wounded and dying casualties of this war that is raging on our planet. We are called by God to take a stand in this war. In the flesh, I wanted to ram my fist into the face of this evil man. However, God tells us to take another approach that is more powerful and successful in Ephesians 6:11-13 that says;

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

People, I am so motivated and inspired to inspect my armor, strap it on, "grasp the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God", pray without ceasing and then stand firm for those who are weak and defenseless. In these evil times, it is time for us to take a stand against evil and advance the Kingdom of God into the darkest places of the world. In the name of Jesus, I proclaim His Kingdom over that human trafficker and his evil schemes. May God's glory bring that man to his knees and may the conviction of the Holy Spirit bring him to a desire to serve Jesus Christ instead of the evil one! IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!!!

9/11 Reminds Us

2009-09-11T09:07:00.004-07:00

This is a day of memory for all who witnessed that terrible day in 2001 when terrorists struck on U.S. soil. It is a vivid reminder of the evil that in this world. It stirs emotions of fear, disgust and anger that make us want to take action. I know on that day after seeing 343 fellow firefighters perish trying to save people from those evil actions, I wanted to strike out and fight against those who did this horrible thing. That's the reaction of the flesh in these situations that take us to war against those who do evil. However, God's word tells us that we are in a different type of war. One that's not being waged in the flesh, but in the "heavenly realms". Ephesians 6:12 tells us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Following this verse is God's instructions for putting on the armor of God and then STANDING when we are in this daily struggle.

Today, as we remember 9/11/01 please remember we are constantly in a war against evil and God is calling all his people to join the fight. As we remember those who perished on 9/11/01, God reminds us that today, there are souls who are spiritually perishing and who face eternal death. Friends in Christ, we are called to rescue them in His name! He is calling His army to be outfitted with His armor, to be prepared and to be in prayer. This is where the battle for souls is fought and won. In honor of those who perished on 9/11, please take time today to read Ephesians 6:19-18 and let the Holy Spirit speak to you about your armor, your preparedness and then take time to pray in the Spirit as His word instructs! The memories of 9/11/01 will fade into history, but the war against evil will continue until Jesus returns. Join the battle and engage the enemy with the armor and the weapons God gives us. Bring light into the darkest places and claim souls for His Kingdom.

Today is a day to remember. God is calling His people to remember His power against the god's of this world. "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago." Psalm 77:11 - REMEMBER!

Urgent Need for Funds to Buy Food and Clothes for Guaymas, Sonora Mexico

2009-09-06T23:22:00.002-07:00

Hurricane Jimena has had an incredible impact on the town of Guaymas, Sonora where our friends at the La Puerta Church in Nogales has a church plant. According to news on Friday, September 4th - "Guaymas and Empalme are isolated, there is neither light, nor telephone communications and the roads are closed," said Marco Antonio Marquez, from the state's civil protection service"According to Pastor Rito Garcia, the Pastor in Guaymas made contact with La Puerta and has told them he has lost everything as well as the people in the neighborhood he lives in.We are helping La Puerta try to find clothes and food to send down to Guaymas to help with the recovery. If anyone would like to help with this urgent need, we are requesting (if possible) cash donations that we can take into Mexico to buy food and clothing with. That way, all support can go directly to the resources needed and not into shipping costs.If you would like to make a tax deductible dontation, please send it to:Carry The Fire1186 Zircon Court - Apartment 2Rio Rico, AZ 85648Please make a note on the donation that it is for the Guaymas Food and Clothes Project. We will document any dontations and mail donation receipts at the end of the year for your records.In closing, this is an urgent situation that needs prayer and action. We challenge all the members of Carry The Fire to seek out friends, work associates and others to assist in this crisis.Your brother and sister in Christ - Dave and Toni Phillips.

Living a "He Is Coming Soon" Life

2009-08-31T10:13:00.003-07:00

I love the closing lines of the bible, they have spoken to men and women for over 2000 years and they speak to us today. Revelation 22:20&21 (NIV) states; "He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." John, the man who wrote Revelation as inspired and directed by the Holy Spirit, shows us two things.

First, Jesus makes the promise that He is coming back soon. To me that reveals the motivation the early church had to live fanatical lives and their acceptance to be martyrs for the Gospel. The absolute truth is that He is coming back soon, He will bring biblical justice with Him and He will ask for an accounting of our lives. This brings into perspective and clarity the distractions of this world versus the business of the Kingdom. Our whole lives should be dedicated to the return of our glorious Savior and King and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Second, I am touched and motivated by John's reply to Jesus' promise, "Amen, come, Lord Jesus". I don't think the words can capture the incredible emotion that John felt when he was writing them. This is a passionate agreement with Jesus' promise. Can any of us honestly say that we are eagerly awaiting His return? Do our hearts burn with love and a desire to see Him? Are we the eager and expectant Bride looking for the Groom? To me, that's the fire we are pursuing and are commissioned to spread throughout the world. That passionate, fanatical, eager and zealous love for Jesus that guides every part of our lives and being. Like John, I want my life to be a reply that shouts with joy - "AMEN, COME, LORD JESUS!!!"

Please pray for us a we continue to pursue that kind of life. We know that in the flesh, this type of life is impossible. However, we also know that a life filled with and guided with the Holy Spirit has the power to transform us into His likeness. This is our prayer for all believers in the One who is coming soon!

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

TIME TO TAKE A STAND

2009-08-23T05:49:00.005-07:00

God woke me up early this morning and I spent time just meditating on Him and His presence. I put on my I-Pod ear-bugs and spent a sweet time of worship listening to songs from Terry MacAlmon. God's presence was so strong and intense and as He ministered to me and spoke to my heart, I knew that He wanted me to share an important message that He spoke to me. It's time to take a stand for Him!

Over the last month, we've all seen the news with the sights and sounds of the protests that many Americans are having on the health care issue. Loud and raucous at times with much passion and spirit we see men and women speak out exercising their American right of giving input to their government. As God spoke to me this morning, I see that while this is a "right" given by man regarding the business of man, we have a "duty" given to us by God regarding the business of His Kingdom. That duty is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ without fear or compromise. In the well know "Great Commission" found in Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus tells us;

"19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

As God spoke this scripture to my heart, there are several things that burned inside me.

First, God showed me that it is time to quit spending so much effort on the problems and issues of this world. God wants us to be occupied with the things of His Kingdom and has given us His priority and direction. He wants us to GO (get out of the four walls of the Church and into the world) and make disciples of ALL nations. How do we make disciples? First and foremost, they must hear the TRUE AND COMPLETE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST and become followers of Him. They must hear the reality of heaven and hell as well as the mercy and grace of God. They then must repent and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. There is NO OTHER WAY into heaven! Jesus told us that NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him (Jesus). His word tells us that the gate to eternal life is narrow (only through Jesus) and that the path is straight. Beyond that, disciples are made by helping believers develop an intimate relationship with God, to know His word (the Bible) and to OBEY HIS WORDS without compromise.

In addition, God showed me in the portion of scripture that states; "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" that we MUST declare the truth of one sovereign triune God. It is time for us to make the stand of TRUTH in the face of the manmade doctrine of tolerance. No matter what the spirit of this earth says, God WILL NOT tolerate sin and false gods. God has shown us in His word that there is an absolute RIGHT and an absolute WRONG lifestyle. Man just chooses to blur the lines between right and wrong when it comes between us and our sinful desires. How much plainer can it be than the verses found in Galatians 5:19-25

"19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Bold highlights added by me)

In these verses, God is asking us to examine our lives through His eyes, not the eyes of man. There is a wrong way to live that leads to death and a right way to live that leads to life. Quite simply, are our actions those of the "sinful nature" or do we exemplify the "fruit of the Spirit"? Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I ask you right now to TRUTHFULLY AND HONESTLY evaluate your life in the light of God's right and wrong found in His word. Can you truly say that your life displays the fruit of the spirit? Just a He spoke to His nation, Israel, in the old testament, He is speaking to us today. We need to quit living lives full of sinful nature and really begin living our lives filled with the fruit of the spirit. No more denial, no more compromise and no more tolerance of sin in OUR lives.

This morning, God has given me a vision of His Church becoming sanctified, holy, living lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit and preaching the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has shown me that He wants His people to yield to the power of His word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to change our lives. He showed me that, as the heathen see His power working in His people, they will seek that power in their lives and He will pour out His Spirit upon them. At that time, there will be a great revival throughout the nations and His people will cry out for His return.

Dear friends, it begins with each of us who calls ourselves by His name - "Christian". It calls for us to take a stand in our lives and to live lives guided by what God declares is right and just. It calls for us to live lives that are holy and filled with the fruit of the Spirit no matter what the cost is. It calls for us to shake off the desires and temptations of this world that lead to death for the promises and hope of our glorious Eternal King that lead to eternal life with Him. IT IS TIME - TAKE A STAND WITH THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!

"The Bridge" Team Experiences True Fasting (Isaiah 58:5-7)

2009-08-17T10:00:00.006-07:00

Whew... What an awesome week with the team from "The Bridge". They came down here on a short-term mission trip and helped with a Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the church in Imuris. We began the week with a little over 120 children and, by Friday, we had well over 200!!! The team came prepared with games and crafts that the kids really enjoyed. Throughout the week, we saw many of the team make personal connections with many of the kids. They came and gave 110% to the VBS and made a great impact in many lives. The team had awesome times of worship and ministry at the Imuris Men's Rehab and Nogales Woman's Prison.

Their time here reminded me of the verses found in Isaiah 58:5-7. The Lord puts forward the question of what type of fast has He chosen for the people. His answer is found in verses 6 and 7 where God says;

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

In making this trip to Mexico and investing in the lives of the men, women and children we minister to, the team from "The Bridge" were living out the fast the Lord has chosen for us.

As Isaiah 58 continues, great promises of healing, provision, guidance and joy are given to those who follow these directions. For "The Bridge" as well as all the other teams that have come down to serve with us, we pray for all these promises to come true in their lives, the lives of their families and their churches. We have all faith that God does not make these promises without the intention of keeping them.

"God Is Good - All The Time"

2009-08-10T05:18:00.002-07:00

It's been an emotional and stressful 3 weeks as we have dealt with my Mom's fall that resulted in small pelvics fractures and then a second fall where a stroke occurred when she was in the ER. God has carried all of us through and we have now moved her into a nursing care facility for physical therapy (PT). On the heels of that move, we have also moved her out of her assisted living facility until we can determine where she can live, depending on how PT goes.

I've got to admit, it has felt like walking through waste deep sand as the days have been filled with Doctors, nurses, waiting rooms, hospital rooms, critical decisions and a lot of sitting and waiting. These weeks have truly been the "Weight of the World" on Toni and I and you can just feel the world (Satan) trying to drag you down into the despair of the lost on this earth. However, we serve a God that has mercy, grace, love and compassion for the long-term. These burdens, in comparison to eternity, are just a flash of time. God has a BIG plan and He isn't surprised by the circumstances that "pop" up in our lives. In our lives, we have seen miracles of healing and restoration and He is certainly capable of that in these kinds of situations. However, I believe it's when the storms are raging and we have to walk through them that His Glory is truly revealed. It's that peace Toni and I have felt through this time. The "peace that surpasses all understanding" when everything around you is in shambles. It truly proves to us that "greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world!"

We want to thank all the people who have been praying for mom and us during this time. Please continue to pray for Dave's mom as she still has a long road of recovery ahead of her. We firmly believe that prayers are heard and answered by our living God. We will not be crushed, discouraged or destroyed because HE IS A GOOD GOD - ALL THE TIME!!!

Please stand-by

2009-07-28T22:46:00.003-07:00

It was our intent over this week to keep posting the wonderful things God did at the La Puerta church in Nogales, Sonora. Unfortunately, Dave's mom fell and had a stroke this last Sunday night and we have been away from our computer and in the hospital most of the time since. It appears the rest of the week will be like this, so our computer time will be very limited.

We are not defeated or overcome by these circumstances because our God is greater than ANYTHING the world can throw at us. We continue to use His strength when we need it and rest in Him when we are worn out. Please pray with us as we ask God for His will to be done in this situation (on earth, as it is in heaven)!

We will continue to post updated blogs as time allows, but if you don't hear from us for a bit, please stand-by as we deal with this current situation.

God bless all of you!

Satan Tries to Keep Mr. "M" From Receiving Christ

2009-07-24T16:53:00.007-07:00

Another awesome "God" story from our time at La Puerta Church, Nogales Sonora...

During the worship, I noticed an older man in one of the front rows that wasn't joining in. He seemed to be alone, but he was intent on what was going on and stood while others around him worshiped. He didn't have a frown on his face, but he certainly didn't have a smile. During worship, God had me keep looking over at him, although I didn't know why. When it came time for me to speak, he was right in front of me, so I couldn't help seeing him the whole time. While my flesh would say, "There is a grumpy man who isn't into this church thing", the Holy Spirit was speaking to my heart and saying something different. The Spirit was saying, "He needs to receive!" As I finished speaking, I opened the altars so Toni and I could pray for people. As always (I won't speak if I can't pray with anyone who wants salvation) I asked anyone who didn't know Jesus as Lord and Savior to come accept Him today. God inspired me to speak briefly about the many deaths I had witnessed during my 30 years in the emergency services work. I spoke on how many of those people thought they had years to live, but their time was cut short without warning. With that, I also opened the altars for those who wanted to have "clean hands" and "pure hearts" to climb God's Holy Hill. The response was awesome as most of the church came forward. We began praying on one side of the church and went from person to person, ministering as God led us. Suddenly, Aaron and I were in the middle of the church and the man God had drawn me to was standing there wanting prayer! I asked him what Jesus could do for him. The man, who we will call Mr. M, said he needed prayer. At that point, the Holy Spirit kicked in and made me ask, "Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?" The man, who had been looking down up to this point, looked me in the face and said, "No, I want to pray that prayer!!!!" Aaron and I looked at each other with a mixture of surprise and joy. I said to Aaron, "Go ahead Pastor, minister to him in his language." Aaron then led Mr. M in the sinners prayer. HALLELUJAH - We know that our hearts were joining the angels in heaven as they were rejoicing!!! Once Aaron was done ministering to him, Mr. M began telling us a great burden felt like it had been lifted off of him. He then told us a he had never been to the church before. He was sick, had six children at home, things were rough in his life and he had no where else to go. Then he said, "When I was getting ready to come in the door a voice clearly told me "DON'T GO IN THERE!"" He said he thought it was a real voice telling him that. At that time, he paused, but then decided to go in anyway. WOW... Satan knew that Mr. M could possibly receive Jesus at the service and tried to scare him away. Aaron and I talked with Mr. M about the importance of surrounding himself with believers in Christ and attending a church, (if not at La Puerta, then any other bible believing, Christ centered church). In talking with him about what had happened at the door of the church, we didn't have to convince him of an enemy (Satan) that, as it says in 1 Peter 5:8 "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

We praise God, that even though Mr. M had a direct confrontation with Satan trying to lure him away from the church that night, the Holy Spirit's lure was greater. Now, through God's power, might and mercy, Mr. M is one of our brothers in the Kingdom of God. God brought him to La Puerta to receive and he received the most precious gift of all - eternal life. All praise, all honor and all glory for this event goes TOTALLY to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit - Our great, awesome and living God!!!!

Two Different Services - ONE MIGHTY GOD!!!

2009-07-21T11:12:00.015-07:00

On Sunday at the La Puerta Church, God set two distinct different tones for the services. The first service at 10am was a more serious time of looking inward and having the Holy Spirit convict us of the things that keep us from a total "hilltop" encounter with Him. God had led me again to Psalms 24 where the question is asked, "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?". We have all sensed the touch of God in our lives and may have had glorious encounters with him but many times our encounters are like the Israelites who stood at the base of Mt Sinai and saw God's glory from a distance (Exodus 19). God is looking for people like Moses who saw the burning bush and turned aside from his daily routine to see what was there (Exodus 3). His life was changed from that time forward and he continued to climb mountains to be in God's presence. So, I asked the congregation, how do we become mountain climbers like Moses? How do we become one who stands (or in most cases kneels) on holy ground? Because it is there that we find all the answers, all the love, all the power and all the incredible things God is. As I've written before, Psalms 24 tells us the answer - "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." God inspired me to challenge all there to look at their hands and see them with God's eyes. Are we doing things God doesn't want us to do with our hands? If yes, then they are dirty! Are we not doing things God wants us to do with them? If yes, then they are dirty! During the service, God challenged us to take a real look at our lives in light of His word. When it came to discussing idols, God brought to my mind the biggest idol in most peoples lives - ourselves. God so wants us to take the idol of self off the place of prominence and put Him there - ALL HIM, NONE OF US!!! When it came to prayer time, people came forth to repent and to put their lives back in correct order. There were many who wanted more of God and to climb that mountain and be in His presence. It was such a time of tears and conviction, but God did it in such a tender and life changing way. Several people told us afterwards of a great burden being lifted from their lives and a release in their spirit. We had one man who accepted Christ (we'll call him Mr. M) despite Satan's attempt to stop him - I'll do a separate blog post on him at a later date. We also had a couple (we'll call them L and L) who told us that the Holy Spirit convicted them, even though they are strongly serving the Lord in ministry (This will be another post for later too). When we went to pray for many people, we didn't have to even touch them and the power of God fell. At the end of the first service, there were many hugs and tears of joy as people had repented and now felt ready to seek a "mountain top" experience.

We were emotionally drained as we left the service and went to have lunch with the pastor's son and his family (Aaron, Karla and their children). After lunch, we were able to go home and rest for several hours between services, which was quite a blessing. During that time, God spoke to our hearts about a different message for the evening service than we had prepared. Now that people had spent time with God cleaning up their lives, God was telling us he wanted to have a "Poder" (Spanish for Power) experience with them. During this time of rest and preparation, God gave a word to Dave about Le Puerta becoming more of a Pentecostal, power-filled church that would preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ first and then see signs, wonders and miracles to follow. We drove into Mexico again and when we arrived, you could tell that the Holy Spirit was already in the church. When the service began, Aaron was led to do some very "lively" worship. The place was electric and on fire as we worshiped. This spilled over into the message as God led Dave to walk through Acts and the First Century Church. As the message came to a climax, Dave opened the altars for people to come and be prayed for. The three things we specifically felt called to pray for was 1) Salvation prayer for those who wanted to accept Christ, 2) Baptism of the Holy Spirit or 3) a new and fresh filling of fire from the Holy Spirit. Almost all the church came forward as Aaron and the worship team played. As we looked down the line, there were so many to pray for!!! We grabbed our interpreters and dove in. The Holy Spirit led us to pray many things that night. Many were touched by God's power including one who came forward to receive Christ. He prayed the prayer of salvation and almost immediately was overcome by the Holy Spirit. Dave was getting ready to pray for another young man when God stopped him and told him to just hug the young man and tell him Jesus loves him. As Dave wrapped his arms around the young man and had the interpreter give the young man the message from God, he broke down, grabbed Dave and wept. Dave held onto him for as long as he needed, then God told Dave to move on. After the service, the young man came to Dave with a big smile on his face, hugged Dave again, told him "Thank You" and left. GOD DID WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE!!! God gave us other words of wisdom for people and one women came to Toni after the service and asked her how she knew about her specific situation. HOLY SPIRIT!!!! We even had one man freed from an spirit that was in his heart (will blog about him later also). As Aaron kept worshiping and we kept praying, God's presence got more and more intense and the joy of the Lord continued to build until finally, when we had finished, we began to dance in front of the Lord. We were absolutely drenched with sweat once the service finished. As the service ended, the people came to us with many hugs and kind words. God bonded us with the people from La Puerta as family members in Christ. What an incredible day of the Lord!!!!

Finally, we left the church and had dinner (Carne Asada Tacos!!!) with Aaron and his family. It was a great time of fellowship that sadly had to end as we left to come home. The SENTRI line was closed by the time we got to the border (10:15PM) so we had to wait an hour in the normal line. We were tired, but felt full of God as we enjoyed the sights along the route to the border. We have been so blessed by God as he has placed us in the right place at the right time for His Kingdom work.

Aaron, Karla and kids - Family photo

WOW!!!!

2009-07-20T20:03:00.002-07:00

We spoke at two services in Nogales, Sonora yesterday at La Puerta Church. We are humbled by what God did and are still a little speechless after 2 power filled encounters with Him. As we gather our thoughts and emotions from yesterday, we will begin blogging more about the services including an awesome tale of a man receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior! We have posted pictures on Facebook which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26069&id=1452063730&l=d9abb12161. God is awesome and is His Spirit is moving in Mexico!!! More to come...

All Are Without Excuse!

2009-07-13T08:09:00.003-07:00

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

This last week, we went down into Mexico and spent a couple days at the Sea of Cortez for Toni's birthday. We walked by, swam in and sat by the ocean and marveled at how incredibly beautiful it was. Beyond that, God also talked to us about how incredibly complex and "designed" the land, sea and sky are. In drinking in His creation, we can't even imagine anyone thinking this all occurred by some fluke or random chance. If you just take a look at the interaction of the animals (land, sea and air), you can see His hand at work. While each one is designed a specific way to camouflage, escape or defend itself to survive, each one has also been designed to nourish another. It's all in a perfect balance that could not be obtained by another other way than the powerful and divine hand of the Creator! Man has continued to seek answers to the creation and the smaller (sub-atomic) or larger (space) we go, the answer is clear. We are living in a universe created by God. And as science continues to unravel the complexity and beauty of this world, we are without excuse. God's work is in plain sight everywhere we go. The Author and Creator of all things in revealed if we slow down and look at His creation with Kingdom Eyes.

Today, as you go through your day, take the opportunity to look at some part of His creation. As it says in Romans, UNDERSTAND from what has been made and SEE His eternal power and divine nature. For Toni and I, it makes us want to break out into spontaneous worship of this great King we have. No other power, no other might and no other wisdom is greater than our God and creation reveals that to all!

What are you doing with your freedom?

2009-07-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. - Galatians 5:13-15

Yesterday being 4th of July obviously brings thoughts of freedom and the price that is paid for freedom. We honor the men and women who are serving and have served our country, especially those who gave their lives for our freedom. However, we as Christians have a Savior who paid the ultimate price for our ultimate freedom and He is due more honor and worship than we can give Him (more than just a one day holiday). As we had time to relax yesterday, I was able to reflect on the freedom Christ gave us and the Holy Spirit led me to Galatians 5:13-15 (posted above). As I read this passage God challenged me with the simple question of "What are you doing with your freedom?" We've been freed from a life of bondage to our own desires and lusts of the flesh. We have been released from a sentence of death and given life. We have been truly freed from Satan and death. So, now that we are free, we can party and do whatever we want, right? We can just kick back and be busy with whatever life we want while we wait for the Savior to return because we are now free. Some Christians have taken this direction in their lives, but the word of God says differently. Look in verses 13 and 14 again, God directs us to not "indulge the sinful nature" and to "love your neighbor as yourself". That doesn't sound like living whatever life I want until He returns! These are the responsibilities of living in God's kingdom. A lot of people in America scream out that "they have rights", but you rarely hear a whisper about the responsibilities of living in this nation. With rights comes responsibilities. The same is true in God's Kingdom. To be responsible citizens of His Kingdom, God has made our burden easy by having us be "born again" into a new mind and nature plus he has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Not only do we have a King who paid the price for us, He also helps us be responsible and active members of His Kingdom. That's true love because He also made us co-heirs of His Kingdom when we accepted Him.

Today as we continue to celebrate the 4th of July holiday weekend, ask yourself the following question. "What am I doing with the freedom God has given me?"

Fire Falls Again in Imuris

2009-07-02T11:21:00.002-07:00

"And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even your servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." Joel 2:28 & 29

God's fire descended on our service in Imuris, Sonora again last Sunday and we were left awestruck and moved by His presence as He did a mighty work of conviction and a release from bondage for those who came to the altars. There were tears, crying out, shaking, kneeling and other signs that the Spirit was at work as we prayed for those who came forward.

Through these services, God is teaching us some very important things about sharing His word and "Carrying the Fire" as He has commissioned us to do. He is actually having us "un-learn" many of the things the "conventional" church has taught us and we are learning to do things His way. One big lesson Dave has learned is the way to prepare and speak when called upon. Sunday, Dave didn't even know he was going to speak until mid-way through the worship portion of the service when Pastor Arturo came up to Dave and told him he was going to preach. In the past, that might have freaked Dave out because he didn't have a polished and prepared sermon with notes (three points of course) printed out (double spaced and large) and ready to go. Sunday was different though. God has been showing Dave that the best way to prepare is through our daily devotions in the bible plus continue learning to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Over the last several weeks, Dave has been chewing on the last blog entry scripture of Psalm 24:3-5. As soon as Arturo asked Dave to preach, the Holy Spirit confirmed THIS was why that portion of scripture had been consuming him over the last few weeks. The Holy Spirit led Dave to speak on climbing the hill to God's presence and the need for "clean hands" and a "pure heart" to go even higher. The Spirit was leading us in a "Holiness" message to bring us deeper into His presence so He (not man) could minister to us. The Spirit of conviction hung heavy in the air, but the promise of His presence was even heavier. When the altar call was given, many came forward in tears and with repentant hearts. As we began to pray for those who came, His presence fell and we all were touched by Him. Some immediately went to their knees, others stood and wept (men and women). One woman began to tremble and cry out and finally fell to her knees weeping. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was in that place and He was doing a mighty work in the hearts and lives of the people gathered there.

In our lives, this is a time that reminds us of Joel 2. We are seeing His Spirit poured out in mighty ways. He has confirmed in our hearts that He is calling His Bride to Holiness and His Word to prepare for what's coming. In our hearts, we sense a mighty advance of His Kingdom is coming. The world is being prepared for the gospel of Jesus Christ and His people need to get out of the box of "religion" and dive fully into relationship with Him. The spiritually dead and dying people of this world are in need of an encounter with the power, majesty, grace, mercy and glory of God. Only a holy, spirit-filled people of God can bring others into His presence. Our prayer is that He continues to refine us with His fire so we can climb further up His hill and deeper into His presence so that, like Moses, we go into the world with our faces (and lives) "aglow" with His Holy Spirit to proclaim salvation to the nations. Let it be so Lord God!

Standing in His Holy Place

2009-06-23T08:21:00.001-07:00

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Psalm 24:3-5

God has been doing a work in me over these last months that I cannot ignore and I have to share. God is calling men, women and children to come and ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place. He is seeking those who will earnestly and truthfully seek Him. There is such a need for HOLY people to go into the world and share the FULL gospel of Jesus Christ, even when it offends people. Think of the ministry of Jesus itself, it wasn't politically correct or culture sensitive, it was KINGDOM sensitive. His ministry was about souls and a questions that God asks us all is "Are we TRULY concerned about souls that are condemned to an eternity separated from His glory in hell? Is that the focus of our Christian walk? Or are we continually trying to find "what's in it for me" (my blessing, my prosperity, my anointing, my miracle, etc...)? If you are a born again believer, here is the truth of the matter, we have received MORE THAN WE DESERVE when our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Yes, seek more of God and a deeper relationship with Him, but we need to quit trying to force His hand by trying to get what WE WANT. In this hour, He is telling me that we need to wait upon Him to hear what HE wants. He tells us that in Psalms 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, will be exalted in the earth." What a command with such a promise. My prayer is, "Oh Lord, help me be still so that I may know more of you" and "I want to see you exalted among the nations!"

So, how do we ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place? Psalm 24 makes it clear. We need to first ask the Holy Spirit to help us examine and prepare ourselves so we can have "clean hands and a pure heart". In this day, believers need to seek the spirit of conviction and ask for a heart to yield to it. Then, and only then, can we ascend the hill of the Lord and be in His presence. That is where we truly can receive from Him, when we are in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! When the fire fell in Imuris, Sonora several weeks ago, we were brought to our knees and faces because of His presence. In that moment, I know that all I ever needed or wanted is found there, when I was in His holy place! The fulfillment of our existence is found in His presence, for we were made to be in His presence.

Prophetically, God is showing me that the winds of change are blowing. No longer can we be a people who are OF this world. God's word tells us to be IN the world, not OF it. We are also told to be "aliens and strangers". Toni and I now know what that feels like when we work in Mexico. Believe us when we tell you as "aliens" we stand out and are different wherever we go. To be aliens and strangers in this current culture we need to be a holy, spirit filled and spirit led people. This last Sunday we attended a church just to receive from God. The worship and word was anointed and the pastor said something that rang true with my Spirit. He asked, "Could this time be a discipline for the believer and the church"? God's word shows us how he disciplines us out of love, just like any loving parent disciplines their children. God has shown me it's time to heed the discipline and search out the errors of our ways. He is calling us to look at our hands and heart. Honestly ask yourself whether or not they are clean and pure according to His standards as found in His word? If they aren't, then confess, repent and accept His cleansing! Then begin to ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place and hear from Him. I believe a time of deliverance from bondage for many is coming and He is calling His people to become servant leaders like Moses!

Revival In Imuris - FUEGO!!!

2009-06-15T08:53:00.006-07:00

WOW - That's all our human minds can come up with to describe how we felt as we had FIRE fall in Imuris, Sonora Mexico on Sunday morning. While the three evening services (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) were powerful with many touched by God, it was in the intimate setting of Pastor Arturo and Lilia's church where God arrived in a heavy cloud of His presence and the Holy Spirit moved with FIRE on the congregation, primarily the young men and women from the orphanage.

Pastor Arturo is being led by God to not do church as usual, and Sunday was far from usual. It began with worship and prayer, and then one of the men from his church taught - not preached, but taught (about 1/2 hour) - out of Revelations. Then, Pastor Arturo called on Toni to give her testimony and say a word. Toni gave a quick testimony about how God came into her (and our) life when we were a mess and how he saved us and changed us. Then, led by the Holy Spirit, she shared her morning devotion from Isaiah 61 (which is the scripture God commissioned us with long ago). She shared on how this verse spoke to her in her devotions that morning as the Holy Spirit illuminated to her the place where Jesus quoted this scripture in Luke, saying he had fulfilled this prophecy. In Isaiah 61, it states that Jesus was sent to "proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Toni felt that God was saying that this was for today, and especially for the teens in the orphanage, that it was for them. Toni told them that she has felt that things from her past had bound her up and held her in place. Things outside her control, like people not treating her right, her parents deaths and being disappointed in things people have done or not done. She confessed that even though she is a Christian, these things have gotten in the way of receiving ALL of God's blessings and anointing and that she was a captive and a prisoner to those things. What she felt God was saying to her was that Jesus had come to remove those hurts and pains completely and it's time to give them up to Him. It was one of the most Spirit filled messages on emotional healing that I (Dave) have ever heard. As I looked around, I could see moist eyes on the teens, especially the young ladies. The Holy Spirit, through Toni, was bringing a healing message to the people.

Arturo then talked to the congregation on the power of witnessing to people outside the church by declaring Jesus Christ as Savior. He then began calling on the young men and women from the orphanage to come up and testify about Jesus. He painted the picture of them being in the town square in Nogales, surrounded by the homeless, the drunks and the prostitutes and they were to testify there. We have to commend them, because they came up and tried with some success (some better than others), but they lacked power and authority. Finally, as things were winding down, Dave asked Arturo if he could share what God had put on his heart about the night before, the teens and their testifying for Christ.

Dave started by talking about the previous night. As we prayed inside the church before the evening service, God had led Dave to Genesis 1:2 where it says "and the Spirit of God was hovering (brooding in KJV) over the waters." Dave pondered on that, but didn't receive clear revelation on it until we went outside as the service was beginning. As we looked at the sky, our eyes were first brought to a brilliant rainbow against a cloudy sky. As we looked, it became a double rainbow. Then, we looked at the clouds and they were some of the most awesome clouds we have seen. The Holy Spirit spoke to Dave saying this is like the "brooding" he had read about. The atmosphere was thick with impending rain as the service began and soon, the rains came. We all moved chairs into the church and continued the service. The service was great and the prayer afterward was anointed, but the display was really for Sunday morning. Dave told the congregation that God gives us signs on earth of what is going on in the supernatural. The rainbow, of course, speaks of God's promises and His eternal faithfulness to fulfill them - and we had a DOUBLE rainbow! The clouds show us His Spirit "brooding" over us, waiting to do miraculous things in our life when we open up to Him. And the rain shows the baptism and anointing of the Holy Spirit that is available to all who desire and seek it. Dave then went on to share about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and used an example of the believers in the upper room and how, once they received the baptism, they came out and spoke in power and confidence. Dave then told the congregation that God's Spirit was telling him the rainbow on the previous night was to show us that God's promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for today and that the Spirit was brooding over us in the church, waiting to be invited in. Dave then did an altar call asking those who wanted to receive this baptism of the Counselor, Comforter and Supplier of Power to come forward. Everyone came forward to stand at the altar! The air was thick as Arturo, Lilia and us went as a group to each one, anointed them with oil, laid hands on them and prayed for the Spirit to come. We began on the left side of the altar and as the first few received, we began to hear sounds from the right side of the altar. It was the sound of soft crying at first, and we continued to pray for each one. Then, when Dave was praying for one of the orphan girls, we stopped because God gave him a word that came from Toni's testimony. With our hands still on the girl, Dave spoke to the whole group and told them that the Holy Spirit baptism certainly was for the advancement of the kingdom, giving us power, confidence and working signs, wonders and miracles (healings) through us. However, it is also for those who seek and receive it. In that moment, God had shown Dave that the baptism of the Spirit was also for healing of those who received it and that there were those in the room that needed His Spirit to heal the deepest parts of their hearts. That's when the fire fell. Many of the girls began crying and the boys sat down in the front row chairs praying. As we began moving down the line we came to one girl who began crying out a word as we prayed for her. I asked Lilia to interpret, but she couldn't tell what the word was. As we prayed more for this girl, she got louder and the tears kept flowing down her face. Finally, she lurched forward and knelt at the altar and Toni joined her to pray for her and minister to her. The girls we prayed for wept, as they received the Fire of the Holy Spirit. When we were nearing the end of the line, one girl was leaning against the wall, crying and clutching at the wall with her hands. The moment we touched her and began praying for her, she fell to the ground and wailed. The more we prayed, the more she wailed and the Spirit told us we were dealing with a deep, past hurt. Pastor Arturo leaned over to me and told me some deep issues she had been dealing with. We immediately began strong, warfare prayer and slowly, the wailing and rolling on the ground subsided. We finally left her with Lilia who continued to minister to her on the ground. It seemed like minutes, but we probably prayed for an hour. No one was left standing and they were either at the altar, or sitting with their heads bowed in chairs. We (Dave and Toni) had no strength left and returned to our chairs, knowing we had been in the presence of God and His Spirit had moved in a mighty way. Pastor Arturo finally brought the service to a close, but no one wanted to (or could) get up out of their seats. As they talked about their experience with God, many said their legs and stomachs were "shaky". One girl reported a feeling of "warmth" deep inside her that grew the more we prayed for her. All felt they had been touched by the Holy Spirit and ministered to in a new and fresh way.

How awesome is our God? To be so near and readily available to us, if we see and hear with kingdom eyes and ears! And He loves us so much that He sends His Spirit to comfort, empower, guide and heal His people. All we need to do is ask, seek and pursue. And as we told the congregation, it doesn't have to be a onetime event that happens only in a church. We can pursue Him at any time, even when we are alone, and find Him. That is His promise and we need to stand on that promise daily.

THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR AWESOME PRESENCE IN IMURIS!!! We cry out for you to fill your people with your Spirit, so that they may go out and fulfill your Great Commission.

PICTURES
Check out the pictures of the three day Revival in Imuris at:

REVIVAL PICTURES - DAY ONE
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22931&id=1452063730&l=82a3ca9a29

REVIVAL PICTURES - DAY TWO
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23178&id=1452063730&l=2cd3c0ade1

REVIVAL PICTURES - DAY THREE
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23181&id=1452063730&l=432b4780cc

Feeling the Heart of God

2009-06-03T07:11:00.004-07:00

On Saturday, May 30th, we went with Pastor Oscar and some church members to the very edge of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora Mexico. This area was once a large dump that has been flattened and covered over. This farthest out area has no power and no water. However, it is now being used as land for housing by the poorest people in San Luis. Pastor Oscar and several members of his congregation were going there to hand out clothes and toys to the people living there. As we came into the area, our hearts were immediately touched by the sight of these shanties and the people living in them. Sand and dirt were everywhere and most of the shanties were open to the outside air, using whatever they could find to build the most basic shelters. Once we arrived in the area we were going to, we found that many of the people had gone to a political rally being held in one of the San Luis parks because they were giving out free "stuff" to anyone who attended. There were several families we were able to minister to, even praying for a young woman who had a tremendous stomach ache (see the pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21964&id=1452063730&l=a37bfae7db).

These sights, sounds and smells are impacting us greatly. To see humans just trying to exist in these hard conditions brings tears to our eyes and a desire to help in any way we can to our hearts. In Luke 4, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1 and 2, then proclaims "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." This gives us an insight into God's heart. He sent His one and only Son to "preach good news to the poor", "bind up the brokenhearted", "proclaim freedom for the captives", and "release from darkness for the prisoners". God's heart goes out to the "down and outers" of society and He sent Jesus to minister to them. Now, it is our time to be the hands and feet of Jesus to fulfill Isaiah 61. Whether it is in a foreign land or in your own backyard, people are suffering throughout the world. And in these trying economic times, there is great need for the life giving gospel and love of Jesus Christ.

Please be in prayer for the people of the San Luis Rio Colorado dump area. And please pray for us as we go into these areas. We are in need of prayer covering for safety, health and the resources to be the hands and feet of Christ as we continue to seek and feel the heart of God.

Project Need - Nogales, Sonora

2009-05-20T22:34:00.006-07:00

Phase 1 and 2 side of property

More and more, God is beginning to open doors and expose us to people and projects that are

expanding His Kingdom in Mexico. Today, we stopped in Nogales, Sonora and met with Pastor Victor and his wife Elizabeth. They wanted to show us some property they had obtained for a church project they want God Is On The Move and Carry The Fire to partner with them on. The following is a brief description of the project.

Pastor Victor and Elizabeth Chavez are the senior pastors at “Hermanos y Amigos” (Brothers and friends) church in Nogales, Sonora. This rapidly growing church of over 1,000 members currently rents a building used for throughout the week for dances and parties. They rent the facility on Wednesday night and Sunday morning to hold meetings and services. They are located on the South end of Nogales on a busy, major highway that leads to Heromosillo. It is very hard to access the church and parking is extremely difficult on Sundays. A major problem they are facing right now is that there is no place they can currently rent to house the over 200 children on Sunday mornings. They have outgrown all previously rented locations and no one else in the area has a facility large enough to handle that many children.

The church has recently purchased land and is working to clear dirt from approximately 1/3 of the property to begin building. The current plan is to build the facility in three phases. Phase one would be a one-story building for immediate use for children’s ministries and eventually church offices. Phase two would add a second story for a sanctuary and Phase three would expand that area for more church growth.

If you are interested in helping on this exciting project in any way, please contact us at (509) 954-6011 or by e-mail at pastordavep@yahoo.com

Phase 3 side of property

Serving the King

2009-05-16T10:10:00.004-07:00

This last week, Toni and I have been in and out of Mexico every day of the week. We were discussing our excitement and joy that God has given us to serve His Kingdom down here and never thought we would "commute" into Mexico on a regular basis like we have been this week. One of the great blessings this week was going to the women's prison and doing a formal tea for them. What made this even more special was the fact that we had not seen the women for 2 weeks because the prison had been closed to visitors because of the flu scare. A praise report there because we found that none of the women in the Nogales, Sonora prison had gotten the "swine" flu. Praise God for His covering and protection of these sisters in the Lord.

The tea was fabulous and the women had a great time. Joy spent several days preparing the tea and Toni gave her a hand her on Tuesday preparing some of the wonderful deserts. Del and I were waiters for the event and they took great joy in taking advantage of the situation when calling for more tea or food. We even had Spanish names - Del was "Ricardo" and I was "Juan". We finished the tea with several games of Bingo with candy, chocolate and food being the prizes. Needless to say, they were very competitive and had great fun and many laughs during the games. The day ended with big hugs and kisses as we packed up and left the prison.

As I have thought about this day, I remembered the deep joy we had loving and serving these women. No scriptures were studied or quoted, no bible study or worship was done, but I felt like this had been a very holy day. That's when God brought this well know portion of scripture to my mind;

"When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?” The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:39-40

Without really realizing it, we were DIRECTLY serving the King through these women. By loving them, having fun with them and serving them, He gave us access to His presence! Talk about having your eyes opened to Kingdom things (something we've been praying for more of). Simple acts of love, kindness, compassion and charity put you smack dab in the throne room of heaven MINISTERING DIRECTLY TO GOD!!! I get goosebumps just writing this. It's not "religious" acts that God is looking for, but Christ-like living that makes Him smile. Having true love and compassion for the poor and down-trodden and taking action to comfort those is the work of God's bride as she waits for the Groom. Our prayer is that God continue to open our eyes more to see those in our "everyday life" who need a word or touch of comfort. We desire to serve our King and the opportunities in all communities are endless. How awesome, all these chances to be in His presence, serving Him. What a way to live!!!!

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." John 4:35

2009-05-04T08:13:00.006-07:00

Now, more than ever, the people of Mexico are in need of the Gospel of light and life! With a crumbling economy, drug cartel violence, earthquakes and the swine flu, many people are living a confused and fearful life. A newspaper recently interviewed a women after the recent earthquake and she stated that with everything going on in Mexico, it was like the "apocalypse"! How prophetic!

Over these last several months, God has given us a strong message for Mexico, America and the world. Jesus is returning soon and it is time for His "Bride" (us) to be prepared and eagerly waiting for Him! It is also time for His "Church" (us) to go into the fields for the great harvest before His return. It is a season to make sure that first, we are truly ready and in close relationship with Him (as outlined in the Bible), and then for us to bring the Gospel of Salvation and Eternal Life to the spiritually dead and dying around us. It is time for us to not only say we are followers of Christ, but to truly live as followers of Christ. No longer can we be compromised by the culture we live in, but we must be truly righteous and holy as Christ calls us to be. We are to be IN this world, not OF IT!!! God's mercy is complete and without compromise and so is His justice. He has no gray areas in regard to sin, so we need to quit living in and condoning those gray areas in life and return to the light. And if an issue is not clear to us, we should error on the side of eternity and pleasing God, rather than pleasing man and winning man's approval!

As God has spoken to us, we continue to examine our lives and our relationship with Him. He is looking for sold-out, radical and passionate followers during these last times and we want to be counted in with Him, not the world. As we seek God for the power, strength and confidence to live this way, He is releasing more of the Holy Spirit into our lives. We know that the more we trust and yield to the Holy Spirit, the more we will live the lives God has designed us for! Are you ready to be an "end-times" follower of Christ? Do you feel the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart? Be bold right now and pray for God to reveal His true way of living to you! Ask for Him to reveal and remove the "gray areas" in your life and ask for forgiveness of any sins you may be committing. Then ask Him for the power, strength and confidence to walk in this world as a child of the King speaking light and life into the nations. Ask Him for a Holy Spirit anointing like you've never know before. May God answer your prayer in a mighty way and release the Church (you) into the harvest field!!!

How Time Flies

2009-04-23T07:15:00.003-07:00

Since our last post on April 9th, we have had a whirlwind two weeks comprised of travel and appointments for ministry, business and personal reasons. From April 9th to the 13th, we went to the mission base in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora Mexico just below Yuma. During our visit there, we met the pastor of the local church that Bill and Fayth work with. We attended his church for a wonderful Easter service and we were asked to say a couple words to the congregation during the service. Afterwards, at dinner, the pastor asked Dave to come back and speak on May 31st at the church. We are very excited for that opportunity. During our time there we also saw several of the ministry opportunities in San Luis including the men's rehab and the portion of the community that is built over the old town dump.

We returned home on the 13th and had time to do our laundry and a few things around the house and then we left on the 15th to drive to California to celebrate Dave's birthday and visit our friends, the Mireles family. On Dave's birthday, we went to Disneyland and used his "get in free on your birthday" promotional coupon from Disneyland. We spent two great days at Disneyland, then spent the rest of our time with Lupe, Darla and the kids in Corona, CA. We had a great time of fellowship and fun with them. We also had a time of Worship and the Word with them at their church on Sunday morning. We then left early (5am) on Monday morning to get back home.

We got back home on Monday the 20th at about 2pm and took a nap. When we got up, we made sure the house was ready for the Lewis family (daughter, son-in-law and two boys) the next day and went back to bed. The next morning (the 21st) we left to pick them up at the Phoenix airport (about 2 1/2 hours away). We were quite excited for them to come and were praying that the boys (Nathan 2 and Jordan 1) would do well on their first airplane rides. We got to the airport about 45 minutes early, found where they would come out and then waited for them. Finally, their flight arrived and they came out through security. What a joy to see them and hear how well the boys did on their flights. We drove back to our house and are now enjoying our time with them. We will post more on our adventures with them after they leave on the 29th.

WHEW... These last two weeks have been busy, have been fun and have been very awesome. We just feel the great blessings of God as we have been obedient to His call. He gives us great times of ministry, fellowship and joy as we go through our days. Daily we pray for God to bring "divine encounters" our way and he does that through friends, family and total strangers. We have seen His power, mercy and grace poured out on many people in many different ways during day-to-day living experiences. By living a "Spirit filled" life out amongst the world, God is confirming to us that this is how the body of Christ can make the most impact on the world. Meeting people where they are and having relationship with them opens the door to sharing the love and power of Jesus Christ with them. We are excited to see God moving in Mexico, the U.S. and the world as we prepare for the return our Lord and Savior - Jesus!

A day at the Women's Prison

2009-04-09T08:33:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, we went to our Wednesday bible study at the Nogales Women's Prison. In Facebook, we journaled the day and took some pictures to show what we are doing there. Please check it out at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17828&id=1452063730&l=f3fdb077b3. This important ministry is in need of financial support to keep it running. The state of Sonora, Mexico is closing all it's other women's prison and moving all women to the Nogales prison where we go. We believe this will mean an increase in the number of women we will serve in the near future. We need funds for basic toiletry items, food, curriculum, toilet paper and other items that bring comfort and support to these women. Please contact us if you are interested in supporting this great outreach and discipleship program.

Miracles Do Happen!!!

2009-04-06T20:01:00.011-07:00

Want to see a miracle? Want to know the testimony of a God who wants to heal, save and set the captive free? These two pictures were taken less than 5 days apart. In the first picture, Jordan was a very sick, mad and miserable boy in the hospital. In today's picture, you see a young boy full of joy - abundant joy! Healed and restored in a speedy and miraculous way. Now some skeptics will chalk it up to good old human knowledge and the individual skill of the medical professionals (and we truly give them thanks for their work). However, we know that we serve a God whose wisdom, guidance and supernatural intervention worked through the hospital staff and within Jordan's body to heal him miraculously. It is time to rejoice and testify as David did in Psalm 34 when he testifies about God's deliverance...

PSALM 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

David's words stir our hearts as we realize it is time to stand up and testify about the Power, the Might, the Justice, the Grace and the Mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The enemy seeks to oppress, crush and destroy EVERYONE and God desires that NONE should perish. Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me." This is real, this is eternal and this is still the truth, even in this day of overwhelming secular humanism. There is ONE God, ONE Way and ONE Truth. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior - NOW IS THE TIME!!! The clock is ticking - the signs are pointing to the end and HE wants you in eternity with Him forever! There is no fence riding, no "gray" area, no "wait and see". When it is finished, either you are a follower of Jesus Christ or you aren't. If you aren't - it is an eternity in Hell, plain and simple. If you are - it is an eternity of everlasting peace and joy in the presence of the King.

If you want to give your life to Jesus, please call us anytime at (509) 954-6011. We will pray with you and give you some guidance on what to do after you have accepted Him. This blog posting has been burning in our hearts as we have gone through this time with Jordan in the hospital. We want to testify about the real God. Much prayer has been laid before our God and these pictures testify of who He is! He loves Toni and I, He loves little Jordan and HE LOVES YOU AND IS WAITING FOR YOU! Take His offer, take His miracles, take the life eternal He is offering. Miracles are happening all the time and it's time for your miracle of everlasting life!

Miracles do happen!!!

Urgent Prayer Need

2009-04-02T21:26:00.004-07:00

Our little grandson Jordan (18 months) is in the hospital with RSV and Pneumonia. Today is day three and Jordan, his parents (Jeremy and Chrystal) and his brother (Nathan) are having a rough go of it. Please join us in prayer (see below) for Jordan's speedy and thorough recovery and for peace and comfort for the rest of his family.

It's at times like these, when we feel helpless about a situation like this, that we need a God who understands us and has "been there". Jesus was God, but also human at the same time and he walked through this world of pain, misery and suffering. In Isaiah 53:9, we see God's prophetic word regarding Jesus when it states; "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows." That is where we put our faith when the tough times of life are upon us.

This brief blog is meant to be a testimony of the power and might of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is "the way, the truth and the life". There is none other that can be relied on. Toni and I are resting in His hands and trusting that He has a plan and it is perfect.

"By the blood of Jesus by whose stripes we are healed, we declare healing for Jordan and peace and comfort for his family. In the Holy Name of Jesus we pray, AMEN!"

Hard for words to convey...

2009-04-01T21:38:00.003-07:00

Last Wednesday night, I had the chance to talk to a men's group at a church in Nogales, Sonora. It has taken me a week to digest it enough to write about it. God was awesome and poured out His Spirit at the service in a mighty way. The men were hungry for the Word of God and excited by His presence. I am truly humbled that He would use me to reach these Men of Valor ("Hombres el Valor", a worship song they sang) who are wanting more and more and more of Him. They began with an awesome time of worship with a man's worship team, then straight into me speaking. The 100 or so men listened intently and responded loudly many times during the message (about Moses and his "turning" aside to seek God on the mountain). Then, when the altar call came, they ALL came forward for prayer and many were slain in the Spirit. The prophetic word came and as God led me to some men, I challenged them about their faith (which caused me to wonder what was going on). Finally, after I was done with the last man, Pastor Victor got up and spoke. When he reached his conclusion, about twelve or so men stood up. What caught my eye is that the group included the ones God had me "challenge". When I asked what was going on, I was told that Pastor Victor was giving a salvation call and these men were responding! I had assumed this Men's Group consisted of saved and sanctified believers. I was also taken aback that over 100 men would attend a Men's Group meeting on a Wednesday night (and dress up for it) and be HUNGRY for more of God in the way they were. Right then and there God confirmed in me that in our ministry, the unusual will be usual and to no longer do things the "churchy" way we have been taught but to instead totally follow the lead of His Holy Spirit.

To add to what God is doing with me (and Toni), we had an awesome bible study time with the women today at the prison. They don't want theology, philosophy, "Christian-ease", prosperity doctrine or anything fancy. They want to know how to live a victorious Christian life in prison (under much oppression and spiritual attack) and, when released to home, how to live that way in the same environment they got in trouble in. They desire to live in the promises of God including the promise of Holy Spirit power that is promised for the believer who desires God's fullness. How humbling again to see the simple desire for God's presence and power in poor and needy lives.

What has really made me meditate is how much God is at work in MY life. My eyes are changing to God's eyes and how he see all people with love and as worthy of salvation. My vocabulary is dumping the highly "religious" words and terminology to words of simplicity and relevance from God's mouth (the Bible). My heart is being broken by the stories of these men and women who are going through life simply trying to survive and their need for hope. I am becoming humbled, broken and honored by what God is doing to and through Toni and I. This is a wonderful way to live, daily in Him and daily for Him. As Pastor Thomas would say; "He is up to something...".

A Lot of Opportunity for Advancing the Kingdom

2009-03-21T19:05:00.002-07:00

This week has been a busy week of ministry for us. Whether it was our meeting with Pastor Victor Chavez and Pastor Moses in McDonalds to hear Pastor Moses' heart for reaching the people of Nogales, Sonora, or going to the new homeless center in the heart of Nogales, or the bible study in the Nogales Women's Prison or attending Pastor Omar's cell church service in Magdalena, Sonora we have seen a lot of poor, lost and hungry people in need of Jesus. We are also seeing men and women of God being fueled by the Holy Spirit in the advancement of God's Kingdom. As we continue to seek God, pray and come in contact with the people of Mexico, we are sensing an exciting time of restoration and revival that is just ahead. And we believe that this time is not just for Mexico, but also for the people of America if they choose.

At this time, our two nations are joined in an oppression of darkness that comes straight from the evil one. As drugs flow into America for men, women and children to consume and destroy their lives with, money and weapons flow into Mexico to fuel the fight against the government and the people while cartel bosses live in rich excess. While we may see these issues as physical, worldly problems (substance abuse, greed, power and fulfillment of self) the bible tells us the truth. In Ephesians 6:12 God tells us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm." That means that substance addictions might be able to be resisted by current psychological and pharmaceutical science but it cannot be really defeated except by the power of Jesus Christ because the root cause is spiritual bondage. For many years we have been subjected to the humanist brainwashing that tells us religion cannot cure these problem, science and the wisdom of man can. From our viewpoint over the last few years, we would like to ask the rhetorical question of "How's that working for you?" The simple answer is IT IS NOT WORKING! It is time to speak truth into these issue and begin believing the word of God. In John 8:36 the truth is revealed in the words "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." It is time to proclaim this freedom to the nations. Jesus Christ the Son of God has come to set us free and he will do it in miraculous ways if was ask Him to. Are we saying to deny medical and psychological care that God has given us the wisdom for? Absolutely not! What we do believe is that we have been relying too much on humanistic means for freedom from oppression and slavery and have ignored the power of Jesus to free us from us from the rulers, authorities and the evil powers of this world and the heavenly realms.

On Thursday night, Pastor Omar made a statement that has stuck with us through the last several days. His heart is for Magdalena and he made the statement that "Magdalena is like a stone that needs to be broken." Regarding the major issues facing Mexico and America, we believe God is saying that both countries are "like stones that need to be broken" by the power of Jesus Christ. Let's submit to Him and seek His power in our lives and the lives of our families. Then we can take His power out to the nations and see the revival He is calling for!

Carry The Fire Newsletter

2009-03-15T21:20:00.003-07:00

We have been busy developing and editing the March 2009 Newsletter for Carry The Fire and have finally finished along with a letter requesting support for our ministry. These are posted at http://issuu.com/carrythefire for you to look at. Please take the time to read them and pray to see if God is calling you to partner with us as we "Carry the Fire of God to the Nations". It is our prayer that you can help us with this exciting ministry.

God bless you!

Being in the place HE wants us to be

2009-03-12T05:50:00.002-07:00

Since we have arrived 2 months ago, we have had very busy weeks here. Getting unpacked, learning the lay of the land, getting to know our team, getting Dave's mom settled and then hosting 3 teams on short-term mission trips have made this time fly by quickly. As God walks with us through this journey, we feel the peace and confidence that He has us exactly where He wants us. We are beginning to build relationships with the men, women and children we are ministering to and God is giving us great joy in spreading the Gospel of salvation, hope and love to them. As we look at the doors God is opening for us in Mexico, we see great opportunity for us to minister and potential for a mighty move of God.

Today, we are taking the team from Vermillion, South Dakota into Mexico for their last day. We are hoping to finish the sheet-rock in an addition at the Imuris Men's Rehab. Monica (the Director's wife) is preparing Tamales for lunch and then we are going to have a service with the men. Pastor Anthony from Vermillion speaks good Spanish and has a heart for evangelism and proclaiming the freedom of Jesus so we are expecting great things today. Please be in prayer for the men at the rehab as they claim Jesus for freedom from addictions and the devastation that occurs from substance abuse.

Next week, we are hoping to journal more of the things God has shown us and talked to us about. This journey has just begun and we are so amazed at how much more of the love and power of the name of Jesus that God is revealing to us. We really do serve a King who loves us, cares for us and is concerned about our struggles and pains. He desires more than anything for us to give our lives totally over to Him so He can walk with us and guide us through life during both the good and bad times.

It Is Time To Declare It!

2009-03-02T20:15:00.007-07:00

The word God continued to speak to us this last week was "Power". Specifically, the power of Jesus Christ to save, heal and change lives. Over and over again throughout the week we heard testimonies from the orphans at the Imuris Church, the men at the Imuris Rehab Center, the women at the Nogales Women's Prison and the members of the Calvary Open Bible team. Each one testified to the life changing power that came on them when they called for Jesus Christ to come into their lives. We heard about physical healings, freedom from substance abuse, family restoration, peace in terrible circumstances and much, much more. As this message from God began to sink in, the wonder of His mercy and grace became more and more evident. What an awesome God we serve who can change lives and circumstances in a split second. Through our experiences this week, God gave us an glimpse of Revelation 12:11 where it states "They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." WHOA! We are literally seeing the Word of God come alive as the grip of Satan is being destroyed by the blood of Jesus Christ and by the testimonies of those who declare Him Lord and Savior.

Dear friends, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us right now that we cannot quickly overlook the importance of this revelation. We must declare throughout the nations of the power of Jesus Christ! We must not overlook or downplay the testimonies of those He has saved. There are so many in the bondage of sin and eternal death that need to hear of the freedom that has been given to us through the blood of the Lamb. Now, more than ever, the body of Christ needs to be heard loud and clear. Jesus has the ONLY power that saves. No other man made theory, religion or science has this power, only our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us go out into the world and declare Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The time is short until His return so let's declare it in our lives - "JESUS IS LORD!"

(Picture above Ramon, Ishmael and Alonzio from the Imuris Men's Rehab)

Back from Mexico

2009-03-01T20:43:00.003-07:00

We just returned from an awesome week long mission trip to Imuris, Sonora Mexico with Calvary Open Bible Church from Springfield, Oregon. Even though we are tired and are catching up on things here at our house, we feel extremely blessed by all the awesome things God is doing in Mexico. Keep checking back this week as we journal the events from the past week.

Spiritual Prisons

2009-02-19T22:15:00.005-07:00

This last week, we went to the bible study at the Women's Prison in Nogales. We had an awesome time of fellowship and a bible study led by Joy Brown. The women are memorizing scripture and several of them perfectly repeated several scriptures they had learned over the week. We discussed Joshua 1:8 and had the women tell us how reading and memorizing affected them. Each one that had been working on it said it made a huge difference in they way they felt inside and how they treated others. Their lives reveal the truth in the last sentence of this verse that says "Then you will be prosperous and successful." What an awesome testimony of the power of God's word!

We then asked if anyone needed prayer. One of the women who has been in the group for a long time began sharing an issue of hatred that she had for one of her roommates in her cell. As she talked about the feelings she was having and how they were affecting her, God began showing me the "spiritual" prisons some of us live in day-by-day. We may have a life that looks "all together" but inside, Satan has us tied in knots and unable to move into the destiny God has for us because of a hidden, unshared and reoccurring sin. The more we try to hide, deny or fix the issue, the higher and closer the walls get until we are truly shackled and imprisoned. Meanwhile, we keep putting on a front that "everything is okay" or "I'm in control" instead of seeking the help of God and other believers.

When she finished sharing, Joy asked Toni and I to pray with her. God spoke to Toni as we began to minister and she shared with the woman that we all have had feelings like hers and that she was showing that she was growing in God by recognizing the problem and by asking for prayer in front of the group. God also showed Toni that this women had been hurt and that she had closed her heart to people. Toni prayed the love of God over this women and release from the feelings of hatred that she had. When it came time for me to pray, God really spoke to me from Ephesians 6:12 that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood". Even though her hatred was for a "flesh and blood" cellmate, the true struggle is against powers and principalities. That is where the fight is and that is where we should gain our victory, through the ONE POWER and ONE PRINCIPALITY, Jesus Christ. Toni and I continued to pray the blood of Christ over the women and we called upon Jesus to bind the spirit of hatred that comes over her. God also led us to pray that when she saw this women, she would see her with God's eyes of love. The same love God has for the women we were praying for. When we were finished praying, we instructed her to vocally cry out to Jesus when the feeling begins to come over her. We also encouraged her to find at least two other women in the group to pray with to form that three stranded cord scripture talks about (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Too soon, it was time to leave, so we hugged, wiped the tears from our eyes and said goodbye.

Toni and I would like to honor this women as she became vulnerable, opened the window into her "internal prison" and then receive the ministering of the Holy Spirit that was flowing through us. While ministering to her, I really felt that God was teaching us such an incredibly important lesson. We need to fling open our lives to God and to the Christian men and women he places around us. For too long, our social training has been self reliance and private suffering. Satan has used the "divide and conquer" tactic to isolate God's people by encouraging us to build our own, internal spiritual prison. It's time to shake off this bondage and to be free. John 8:36 says "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." True freedom, with Jesus it is within our grasp. Let's go for it!

If anyone reading this blog feels they are suffering in a hidden, internal prison, it is our prayer that right now the Spirit of Almighty God would speak truth and freedom into you life. We pray that you would open your life to someone you know that will pray with you and help you be accountable in the area you are struggling in. We pray that as you admit to and repent of the issue that is holding you in bondage, the power of the Holy Spirit would bind the enemy and grant you a freedom you have never known. We pray this in the Name of Jesus who came to set the prisoner free - Amen.

Please contact us if you would like us to pray with and for you.

(Picture of the women from the prison - December 2008)

Carry The Fire Now Accepting Tax Deductible Support

2009-02-14T21:57:00.003-07:00

Want to partner with our ministry? There are several ways.

1. Pray for us - We need prayer warriors for the dangerous areas (spiritually and physically) we are going into.

2. Make a monthly, yearly or one-time support commitment. Support can be mailed to our home address and it is tax deductible. Make any checks out to "Carry The Fire".

3. Coordinate a short-term mission trip down to Mexico with us. Contact us for more details.We prayerfully ask that you consider partnering with us anyway you can.

Blessings - Dave and Toni

Pictured above: Men from the Nogales Men's Prison #2 as Toni and Dave help The Freedom Team during an outreach inside the prison.

God Is Great!!!

2009-02-11T11:46:00.006-07:00

We just received word today that our 501(c)(3) certification was mailed yesterday and it should arrive here in the next several days. With this certification, we can get "Carry The Fire" in motion as a ministry and look for funding. We have been working with the Full Gospel Fellowship (http://www.fgfcmi.org/) and their staff has been incredible. I would also like to thank the other members of the Board of "Carry The Fire" (Lupe and Darla Mireles) for their wisdom and guidance. We know that God has his hand on us and this ministry and we are excited for what the future has in store for us and the Kingdom of God.

What can you do to be a part of this incredible ministry? First, be sure to read our Mission and Purpose Statements on the right border of this Blog page. Then pray for guidance from God on how you should connect. There are several ways to connect with this ministry including financial support, short-term mission trips and (extremely important) we need prayer warriors to cover us, our associates with "God Is On The Move" and our extended family as we stand on the front lines in the fight for souls. If God moves you to support us in any of the ways listed above (or any other way He directs) please contact us so we can put you on our mailing list to keep you updated on this ministry.

May God bless you deeply as you consider being a part of this ministry.

Yours in Christ,

Missionaries Dave and Toni Phillips
(Pictured Above: Men at Imuris Rehab Ranch chopping wood so they can prepare their meal)

End of a long, fulfilling week

2009-02-05T21:22:00.003-07:00

The team from Huron left this morning after a great week of work, ministry and fellowship and we are sitting in our kitchen still basking in the afterglow of a great time with our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. We have much to contemplate and much to write about over the next several days. Over the last 6 years, God has done incredible things in our life and we are full of wonder and awe that we are here and praise Him for His faithfulness and perfect timing.

We have posted pictures of us from the last week on our facebook page. Please take a look by following the link posted below.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13082&l=6beb1&id=1452063730

Check back over the next several days for postings of our thoughts and insights from the last week.

Blessings - Dave and Toni

Team Huron, South Dakota

2009-01-31T07:04:00.002-07:00

We are currently in Mexico with a team from Huron, South Dakota. We are at the Men's Rehab in Imuris framing up a wall and roof for an addition to the house of the couple who oversees the rehab. These men are a great group and we are blessed to be working with them. Due to schedule and limited internet access, we will update whenever possible.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

2009-01-27T22:14:00.005-07:00

Today, I went with Del to the Men's rehab in Imuris to help install a water line to a faucet in front of some on the existing and future dorms. The trench had already been dug by some of the men and today we were going to install the pvc pipe and hook it up. All the materials were at the men's rehab or in the back of the van, so we were confident it would be an easy and smooth job. As we laid out the work, it was my job to lay out pipe ahead of Del on stakes laid across the ditch to keep them out of the dirt until the ends could be glued together. This meant repeated trips up and down the trench while some of the men watched as they moved about with their chores. Several had just arrived at the rehab from the streets and were still getting the substances out of their system. As I went back and forth and chatted with these men, God spoke directly to my heart. He reminded me of 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Many of these men had come from unspeakable, horrible and/or evil backgrounds. And even though they were in many stages of recovery, those who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior were new creations. They had been eternally healed and reconciled with God and their bodies were working on catching up.

As I pondered on this, God continued to give me a word for Mexico. He told me that the work His Holy Spirit is doing in Mexico through faithful servants throughout the world is one of reconciliation and the outcome of reconciliation is spiritual, emotional and physical healing for the people as well as the country of Mexico!!! God then reminded me of my time of reconciliation with Him. I will never forget how He changed me as I allowed Him to make ME a new creation (my "old self was ugly, evil, corrupt and condemned) cloaked in His Glory. The unleashing of God's love, grace and mercy into our lives releases the supernatural power of the Creator of the Universe and the miraculous occurs. And it is the testimony of the "New Creation" that occurs in our lives that makes us "Christ's Ambassadors" (see verse 20) of reconciliation. God showed me that as the Gospel of Christ's sacrifice for our reconciliation is shared in Mexico, that many signs, wonders and miracles are going to accompany those who step forward for reconciliation with their Heavenly Father.

So, many of you may ask, what about America and the rest of the world. Don't worry, God gave me a word for all. In this time of question about all the former "stable" things of this earth (government, banks, homes, jobs, money, etc...) God wants to remind us all of the one stable thing in this universe, Him and His desire that NONE should perish. God spoke into my heart that 2009 is the time for reconciliation for ALL who hear His voice and follow Him. In verse 20b, Paul makes it very clear when he emphatically states, "We implore you on Christ's behalf; be reconciled to God." His message is first to us, because our eternal life depends on it. Then, Paul's message is for us to take out to the world as Christ's Ambassadors. God gave me a challenge that I will pass on to you also. When was the last time I implored anyone on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God? What an awesome responsibility and, at the same time, an awesome privilege. God's Spirit confirmed to me that ALL who take on this Ministry of Reconciliation through Jesus Christ that Paul is talking about, will see a great outpouring of God's power and might as they minister to those around them.

I give God all praise, honor and worship as He has spoken to His servant today and given much promise to people in Mexico and throughout the world. God, consider me an Ambassador for your kingdom wherever you may send me.

In His Name I write,

Dave Phillips

Nogales Women's Prison

2009-01-22T21:28:00.003-07:00

On Wednesday, we had an awesome time of food, fellowship, worship, communion and prayer at the women's prison outside Nogales, Sonora. The morning began with Joy, Tom, Carla, Dave and Toni doing food preparation in Rio Rico. This week, we kept it simple and cooked hotdogs for the girls. Del was at the men's rehab and Bill and Fayth were at a pastor's meeting in Nogales, Sonora. Once the food and drinks were finished, we loaded the food and ourselves into Del and Joy's truck and drove into Mexico. We were stopped at the border inspection point, but when we told the inspector what we were doing and where we were going, he waved us on. Dave offered him one of the lemon bars Toni had baked for the women, but he declined with a smile. We arrived at the prison and the Sergeant was at the front desk. He was quite friendly and really lit up when Bill and Fayth arrived. We were checked in and, after being stamped and leaving our I.D. and keys at the desk, we were ushered into the prison. As usual, the women we met going in were friendly and offered us a cordial "Hello" or "Buenas Tardes". We quickly (except Bill talking with all the girls he met) made our way to the chapel and spread out the food. The women slowly made their way in and we again exchanged loving greetings. Fayth then prayed and we served the women lunch. Once everyone got their food, we had a great time of fellowship with Bill kidding everyone and everyone picking on Bill. We then began a sweet time of worship and praise, IT WAS AWESOME!!! Joy completed her teaching on the Lord's Table and we then all participated in communion together followed by a time of upraised hands and thanksgiving to God. We could feel the Spirit move throughout the room. Joy then had us break into small groups for prayer. We ended up with three women, one of which did her best to interpret for us. As each one shared the worries, needs and cares that they had, we began to pray for them. As the annointing came on Toni, God gave her discernment for the inner feelings of the women and her prayers became focused on the heart of each ones issues. During prayer for one of the women, God reminded Dave of Joshua 1:9 that he had read earlier in the day. When Dave had read it, God spoke to him that it would be for someone that day. As Toni asked some questions of the women, we found she was a little fearful and scared because of her imminent release. It was then God confirmed the scripture with Dave and he told her about it. She burst into tears and Toni prayed a powerful prayer for confidence and wisdom. We then asked the last women her needs. She adamantly wanted us to pray for her husband who was an addict. Dave took the woman's hand and began a Spirit led prayer for release from bondage for her husband. By the time we were finished praying for the women, we all had tears in our eyes and everybody hugged. We were moved by this simple time of ministry that meant so much to us, but also meant so much to the women. What touched our hearts the most was that the women didn't want us to pray for their release or provision, they wanted prayer for their families. WOW, what a humbling attitude. Women that are facing severe hardship in prison who, when asked what they want prayer for, immediately ask for prayer for others. We have so much to learn about living a sacrificial life, thinking only of others.

The Spirit of God is "brooding" over the earth looking for those who will serve. When He finds selfless servants, he releases the supernatural and miracles occur. That certainly happened today in the Women's prison in Mexico. Thank you God for this privilege to serve your kingdom.

Prayer Site for Carry The Fire

2009-01-19T07:17:00.001-07:00

Pray for Carry the Fire

Divine Encounters Pop-Up Where You Least Expect

2009-01-17T20:49:00.011-07:00

God is amazing in how he puts together divine appointments. Today, after doing some shopping in Nogales on the Arizona side, we decided to go across the border and do some site-seeing. Last Saturday, we were going to go into Mexico, but when we got near the border, we found the area almost deserted with virtually no one going into Mexico from Nogales. Based on what is going on in Mexico, we decided to play it safe and stay in the U.S. Today, however, was much different. The U.S. side of the border was buzzing with activity and we could see numbers of people going into Mexico. On a spur of the moment decision (could it have been the Holy Spirit?) we decided to go across the border. After parking at the Burger King parking lot (you can pay $4.00 to park there all day) we walked into Mexico. Based on the last time we went in on foot in December 2008, today was "busy" in comparison. We walked around a little and just looked at the sights and the people. We then went into one of the shopping "groups" (see the upper picture) to look around and see how things were going. As we walked past the shops, we had to continually turn down offers of free shots of Tequila from the shop owners (must be the latest come-on) and looked at what each shop offered from their front displays. As we were strolling through the shopping area, we were drawn to a young shop "seller" who came up and asked us to look at his "stuff". He was very happy because apparently he was new and had made his first sale just before we came by. His easygoing and happy personality made it impossible to turn him down, so we went into his shop. As we went in, Dave asked his name and he said "Israel". That name obviously was an interesting one to hear in Mexico, so Dave went on to ask him what was behind the name. He said his mom had chosen it and he liked it, but he probably wouldn't be naming his son that when God blessed him with a wife and children. We chatted a little more and then prepared to leave when suddenly Israel asked where we lived and what we did. We told him about our move to Rio Rico and how we were missionaries to Mexico. Once we said that, he told us he was a christian and asked us to pray for him. He said he didn't have any "big" sins (he drank a little, but no drugs) but he was struggling with the things the devil was putting in his path. We asked him if we could pray for him right then and there and he said he would love it. After he turned down the radio, we laid hands on him and prayed for him. In a busy, loud and smelly shopping area in Nogales Sonora Mexico, we had an awesome time of prayer and could sense the power of the Holy Spirit descend in that place. After we finished praying, Israel was so very thankful and told us that was the best thing that had happened to him today (even above his first sale)!!! As we left, Dave asked Israel if we could take his picture and he willingly agreed. He asked if he could have it taken with Toni, so she joined in (see the lower picture). He then bid us farewell with a large grin on his face and we left, humbled by this awesome divine encounter. Little did we know that God was going to bless us and allow us to pray for Israel. We can't ignore the irony of praying for a man of Mexico with the name of God's chosen people, especially during this time when Israel (the nation) is at war. When God's kingdom comes to this earth, the supernatural and physical merge and anything can happen. We know this is just a taste of what is to come and we are so excited for each and every day God has for us.

Mom Update

2009-01-13T09:56:00.004-07:00

Today we are praising God! In answer to all our prayers, the logistics and circumstances came together and yesterday, my mom was able to tolerate flying to Phoenix with my brother and the ride in a car from Phoenix to Green Valley. Their day started early because they had to catch an 8:25am plane in Spokane. The staff at her former Assisted Living facility got mom up at 5:00am to ensure she was dressed and ready for the trip. After an uneventful flight and drive, she and Bob arrived at her new facility at about 3:30pm our time. After getting "checked in", we took her to her room and unpacked her stuff. Then, the four of us went to a wonderful restaurant called Solaris in Green Valley for excellent food and fellowship. Then, after a long day for everyone, we all went to our different places for a good night sleep.

This kind of day reminds us of God's promise in Romans 8 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." For us, God worked for the good of all of the Phillips' involved in this move. His blessings have flowed from the time we said "yes" to His call throughout the last month (up to and including today). It's amazing the things that occur when we yield to God's will instead of trying to force our will on Him. We are so thankful that we serve a caring and loving God who stays with His people through our time in this tough world. Thank You Jesus for who You are!

God's Heart

2009-01-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to you neighbor "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" - when you now have it with you.

Proverbs 3:27 "

God's heart is displayed in these verses from Proverbs. He calls us to give "good" things to those who deserve it. As we walked around the border on the U.S. side yesterday, we saw many poor from Mexico going into the "discount" shops set up at the border buying necessities for life. What a stark contrast to walking around a mall in any U.S. city and watching Americans buying the "nice" things of life. Not that there is anything wrong with celebrating the abundance God has given His people. But, He is very clear that we need to do good things for those who need (deserve) it "when it is in your power to act". What a conviction for us, because we do have the power to act almost every day of our lives. We all have the ability to do kind acts and give words of encouragement and blessings to everyone we meet. And even if we don't "feel" like it, we have the Holy Spirit in us to give us the power to do it - IF WE ASK FOR GUIDANCE AND LISTEN TO HIM SPEAK! And then, if we truthfully look at the "wants" of life versus the "needs" of life, most of us have abundance beyond belief with an ability to share with those less fortunate around us. Today, look for those opportunities to give good to those who deserve it. It will open doors to relationships that have the potential to become eternal, because the best we have to give is the message of salvation and eternity with God in paradise.

In closing, why does this verse have such impact? It is because God Himself modeled it when he did not withhold His best (His son Jesus Christ) and gave to those He thought deserved it - YOU AND ME!

Pray this prayer today;

Thank you God for being such a loving, caring and giving God. Thank you for considering me worthy and giving your best, salvation through your Son Jesus Christ. Give me your heart today as I go out into the world. Help me see all as deserving your love and give me the power to act when I see a need. Help me be a faithful steward of the abundance you have poured into my life. Give me divine appointments today to bring your Kingdom to this earth. In the name of Jesus I ask this - Amen.

Carry The Fire Update

2009-01-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

We wanted to give a quick update on the formation of Carry The Fire. We have obtained our EIN number and, on January 2nd the Board of Carry The Fire had it's first meeting and adopted our Bylaws. In that meeting we confirmed the Mission and Purpose of Carry The Fire. To ensure people know what we are about, we have posted them here in our Blog.

MISSION
The Mission of Carry The Fire is to glorify God by meeting the physical, emotional, spiritual and educational needs of the poor, disadvantaged and downtrodden in the United States of America and abroad.

PURPOSE
Carry The Fire is organized to carry out the charitable, humanitarian and educational purposes as outlined in the Word of God and, when possible, to support those who carry out those purposes.

Some of the actions that meet the purpose of this organization are:
· to feed the hungry
· to clothe the naked
· to house the homeless
· to visit and meet the needs of the sick and injured
· to visit and meet the needs of widows and orphans
· to visit and meet the needs of the addicted and the imprisoned
· to visit and meet the needs of those effected by disasters
· to educate those in need of change to their current habits and lifestyles

As you can see, the Mission and Purpose are large, but we serve a God who is larger than all this put together. We are excited on the progress that has been made and our final step is the application for 501 (c) (3) status which we will do this week.

We are humbled by this call that God has put in our lives and we pray for the wisdom and strength to carry it through.

Where is the world is Carmen San Diego (or Dave and Toni)?

2009-01-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a fun, crazy and amazing trip this last week and we haven't had a lot of time to update the Blog. This afternoon, we arrived in Rio Rico, Arizona and are now in our new place. We are hoping that our stuff will arrive tomorrow and we will be unloading and unpacking over the next few days. Tonight, as we sit on our inflatable matress in our bare townhouse, we are thankful for a God that has provided a wonderful experience for us these last few days. Over and over, He has confirmed that we are on a Spirit led journey and that we need to keep trusting Him in ALL THINGS. As things normalize here, we will begin documenting our lives as missionaries to Mexico and will pass on the things God is saying to us and doing through us. Please keep us in your prayers as we will keep all our friends and relatives in our thoughts and prayers.

For pictures of our travels please check out the following links:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9812&l=6adea&id=1452063730

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9928&l=946d0&id=1452063730

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10093&l=7ee9f&id=1452063730

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10240&l=f47ab&id=1452063730

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10418&l=faf90&id=1452063730

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10516&l=39ba8&id=1452063730

New Year - New Beginning

2009-01-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

To start with, we pray for a blessed New Year for all our family and friends. May God invade you and your household this year in a way you have never experienced. We are a year closer to HIS return, let's all be prepared for the groom with lamps that are full of oil. Our hearts are full of anticipation of the amazing things God is doing in our lives and we pray that your life will be full of His presence and blessings.

Today, as we continue our travels toward our new assignment in Rio Rico, Arizona, we are reminded of the theme of Habakkuk "The righteous will live by faith". For us, 2009 is the year of living by faith. On this date, we are unemployed, without health insurance and all our things are in some truck somewhere (hopefully it will show up in Rio Rico). For us, God is removing all the safety nets of this world and asking us to live a life of faith daily. This is a tough lesson because throughout our lives, the world has taught us to "make it happen" by our strength and wisdom. God is teaching us to have Him "make it happen" through His strength and wisdom. And how do we do that? Relationship with Him, time with Him and learning to hear Him and following His lead. As we have begun to trust Him more, we are seeing Him release more miracles into our lives (both large and small). Truly the righteous do live by faith. Join us in 2009 as we let go of the security of this earth and grab onto true, unwavering faith in Him. May God bless you with abundant faith in this New Year.

The pictures from Days 2 and 3 of our travels (The one from above is Toni at Mt. Shasta) can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9928&l=946d0&id=1452063730

Day 1 - The Journey Begins

2008-12-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we left Elk, Washington and began a journey that God had planned for us before time began. Day 1 was a day of bittersweet emotions with the excitement of following the call of God and the sadness of leaving behind friends and family. Our first stop of the day was in Deer Park at 8am. We met Craig, Amy and Sophia for breakfast at McDonalds. It was a sweet time of playing with Sophia (she is so cute) and talking about things ahead. Craig prayed for us and read a Psalm and he and Amy let us know how proud they were of us. Then the time came to leave Deer Park, so with tears in our eyes from saying goodbye to our sons family, we drove away. All this time it had been snowing and as we left, the intensity increased. The next stop on our journey was Jeremy, Chrystal, Nathan and Jordan's house. The boys were excited and running around when Grandma "PeePee" and Grandpa "PooPoo" arrived and Nathan immediately gave us both hugs and kisses. Jordan even warmed up quickly and was a sweetie boy. We talked for awhile and then we asked Nathan where he wanted to go for lunch. It was no surprise when he said "McDonalds". So we loaded up and went to McD's in Liberty Lake and watched the boys play as we talked about our future travels. In way to short a time, it was time to leave, so with tears in our eyes (AGAIN) we got hugs and kisses and we left Liberty Lake to head for Kennewick. All the time we were there, it snowed heavily, so our drive on I-90 through Spokane to Sprauge was at 40mph due to packed snow and ice on the road surface and blizzard like weather conditions. Then, amazingly, when we got to Sprauge, the snow had stopped and the clouds parted revealing a beautiful blue sky. For Toni and I, God's glory filled the truck as the stress of weeks of moving and extreme winter weather were immediately wiped out by the light and warmth of the sun. It reminded us of what the "SON" can do in the lives of all people if the let Him. To an unbeliever or the backslidden believer, the world is a dark, cold and hopeless place. That can all be replaced by a pursuit of Him who made the sun, a relationship with His son Jesus Christ and an indwelling of God Himself through the Holy Spirit. We know in our lives that God has continued to bring light, warmth and life continually into our circumstances WHEN WE PURSUE AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM! That's the key. He is faithful, but we have to make the CHOICE to pursue Him. Our ability to choose is His love for us displayed continually. He could have made us robotic servants, but He chose to allow us the freedom to love Him on our own. What an awesome God we serve!!! And when we choose to love Him, he pours the "Son" light into our lives.

We finally ended up in Kennewick and spent a wonderful evening at Jack, Sharon and Grant Robinson's house, our dear and close friends for about twenty years. They cooked us a wonderful meal and we talked about old and new times. Dave had to beat Grant several times at Ping-Pong while fun discussion swirled in the air. When bedtime finally came, around midnite, we knew we had lived a full day with many emotions. We also felt that "fullness" that comes when we let God guide our footsteps as we pursue His purpose in our lives. We are so excited for the days to come.

Check out the photos from yesterday at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9812&l=6adea&id=1452063730

Hero of the Day

2008-12-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today's hero of the day is Ken Taft. Anyone who knows Ken knows he has the gift of helps and he lives it out in a quietly awesome way. IF the trailer is going to be picked up on Monday, it has to be easily accessible and the access HAS to be plowed. Ken came over today (as he has many times over the last week), jacked up his truck on the snow, put on his chains and plowed the parsonage parking lot. He also committed to keep an eye on the trailer and the access and he will keep it accessible after we leave. Once he was done, he took off his chains, said good-bye and headed off to Pastor Thomas' house to repeat the process so Pastor can get to church tomorrow. What is an awesome testimony to Ken's christian walk is the humble and unassuming way he does these tasks and he doesn't look for accolades or praise.

As I have said before, Jesus made the ten commandments easy when he condensed them into two. First, love God with everything you are. Then, serve man in love. People like Ken model this and it should be our goal follow this model. Jesus came and served all mankind and His desire is that we should follow His footsteps. It is my goal during these next weeks to stop focusing on my situation and to look around and see how I can serve others. As Ken shows us, heaven comes to earth when we take on that attitude.

A quick update on our move, we should have the trailer loaded tomorrow and the house cleaned out. We are praying that ABF will remove it from the parking lot on Monday and then it is their problem until they deliver it to us in Rio Rico in about 10 days. We are planning on hitting the road on Monday to the Tri-Cities to visit our friends Jack and Sharon Robinson. From there we will head West to Portland and hop on I-5 towards California. We will take our time from there, stopping in Corona to visit the Mireles family, then going to San Diego, before heading East towards Rio Rico. As we travel, we will keep updating this post and will journal any "divine appointments" we have along the way.

Load The Trailer Day

2008-12-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today, we woke up at 5:00 am and couldn't get back to sleep. Laying in our bed (mattress on floor) we decided to try and load the trailer before the big storm that is supposed to hit tonight. We did a great job, but had 3 pieces we couldn't lift by ourselves. We want to thank Bernie Smernoff soooooooo much for coming over and helping us get those pieces in. With his help, we almost made it. Right now, there are several items left in the house and a couple more in the garage staged for tomorrow. Our prayer is for God to give us the strength to finish tomorrow so we can seal up the truck and prepare it for pick-up on Monday. Tonight, we are sleeping on our air mattress, so we hope we aren't too sore to get up in the morning. We also want to thank Ken Taft for keeping us plowed and ready to go when we can. Looks like Monday might be our "launch" day.

See pictures from today at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9568&l=1d47a&id=1452063730

Christmas Celebration

2008-12-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve at Jeremy and Chrystal's house. It was such a blessing to us to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our family. We've posted some of our pictures on our Facebook page. See them at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9499&l=5e11f&id=1452063730

We pray that all our friends and family have had a blessed Christmas like we have.

Tired of Snow - Lesson from God

2008-12-24T09:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, enough is enough. A white Christmas is awesome, but this is overkill.

We have been working hard to get everything ready for the move in spite of this winter weather. Everything is packed up in the house and the boxes are staged in the Food Bank so they can go out the garage door. We did everything we could to have all our stuff in the trailer yesterday, but God had a great lesson for us. Even with the best plans and action on our part, we are never really in control. He is and sometimes (actually a lot of the time) His plans are different from ours. Ever since this journey began when we accepted His call to become missionaries, we have rejoiced because of all the miraculous doors that opened so we could get down to Arizona. It seemed like miracles fell from heaven daily. Then, just when we are ready to load and leave, crippling snow hits Spokane. Soon, we found ourselves getting crabby and grouchy because our plans were being affected. We probably reminded God of the people of Israel in the desert. One moment they are rejoicing and praising God because of His miracles and the next they are grumbling because things aren't going their way.

So, what is the lesson we learned? It is easy to be holy and righteous when our plans line up with God's and things go smooth and easy. However, it becomes a lot harder when our plans don't seem to be hitting the mark and God possibly has other plans for you. He reminded us that we need not worry about tomorrow and that today is the day to keep looking for the "divine appointment" He has for us. Why are we not going to be able to leave on our planned date, but several days later? We don't know, but after some prayer and careful soul-searching we are leaving it in God's hands. He has impressed on us that more than ever, it is important for us to be seeking His presence and His voice during this time of waiting. We know from past experience that this can be a great time of blessings, growth and maturity for something He has just around the bend. What an exciting time to be serving Him!!!

For all our friends and family, may God bless you with His presence during this time we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The King came to earth 2000 years ago and His second coming is imminent. Let's worship the King this season with all we have. He deserves much more than we can give, but he desires all that we are.

Another Update

2008-12-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

We haven't written for several days because of how busy we have been with transferring our duties at the church and foodbank, dealing with the artic cold and packing. Yesterday, we received a record snowfall in a 24 hour period of 19". It took Dave 1 1/2 hours to dig out the truck and clear it off. That won't help much because we don't think we can get to Collins Road and, if we did, it isn't plowed anyway. For a picture album from this snow storm, please follow this link - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9059&l=39805&id=1452063730

Oh well, God must have a great sense of humor because we are trying to get out of here to move to Rio Rico, Arizona where they rarely get snow and when they do, it melts in the morning. This snow will be here until April or May. We are praying that church goes off on Sunday, because we are scheduled to do the services as our "Missionary Send Off".

Quick Update

2008-12-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, please note the picture. This was taken at 10:15pm on Sunday night. That's right, it is 1 or 2 degrees. By Tuesday morning, the low is supposed to be 10 degrees BELOW ZERO!!! And of course, we have about 4" of snow on the ground. Gotta love winter (NOT!). We have been busy packing and getting things ready to close out at the church and food bank this week. We have gotten alot done on our "To do" list only by God's strength and guidance. On Friday, we received our EIN and the next step is our 501 (c) (3) status that Dave will work on this coming week. Next Sunday, we will be doing our farewell services (9:00AM and 10:40AM) in "missionary" fashion. Toni will be showing pictures of the work in Mexico and I'll be speaking. We invite any and all friends to join us for these services.

We are beginning our pursuit of support and would kindly ask any and all who read these Blogs to prayerfully consider supporting this ministry. We also covet all prayers for Toni and I as we take these steps for the Lord.

If you would like to commit to supporting this ministry, please contact us at pastordavep@yahoo.com.

Blessings...

How Many Souls On-Board?

2008-12-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

As we flew home last week, I was reminded of the many times I flew in helicopters at forest fires. There were many procedures, rules and briefings that occurred before we climbed in and went on our missions. What always stuck in my mind was the radio transmission that the pilot would give just before take-off. He would give the helicopter i.d., where we were going, what our mission was and then he would end with the statement 3 SOULS ON-BOARD. What a way to look at things, not how many people are on the helicopter, but how many SOULS are there. Travelling this week jogged that memory and God began working on giving me a new perspective when watching people in public areas. HOW MANY SOULS ARE "ON-BOARD"? The Bible says the He desires that NONE should perish. In other words, He wants to see all souls "On-Board" with Him. During our three hour layover in Las Vegas airport, I watched a large number of people pass by the table Toni and I had claimed (partly because of the people watching vantage point it had). The Holy Spirit kept whispering these questions as I saw groups and individuals pass by; "Is that man's soul on-board?", "Are that mother and daughter's souls on-board?", "Is that teenagers soul on-board?". In a crowded room, this question can be asked over and over again. Then God hit me with the zinger. "Dave, do you really care if they are "on-board?" Ouch, that hurt. I know that many times we look at evangelism in the scope of our little personal worlds. This friend, that loved one or maybe that somebody we work with. And yes, these are important, but God was showing me that His desire to save is much bigger that than that. He desires that NONE (Not even one) should perish but that ALL should have everlasting life. And what is God's plan to do this? He left His Church (YOU AND ME) to find them, love them and to speak truth to them wherever they may be. That's all we need to do because God will deal with the rest. We are called to be seed sowers, the Holy Spirit harvests the crop.

The next time you are in a crowded area, start really looking at people and asking that key question in your heart, "Is their soul On-Board?" Then listen to the Holy Spirit and I know for a certainty that He will give you opportunities to spread light and life into people who are lost, discouraged, hopeless and dying an eternal death. Let's get as many On-Board as possible because the final trip we take, with God as our pilot, is going to be incredible!

Important Ministry Date

2008-12-06T09:11:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note on an important upcoming ministry event. Dave and Toni will be at Country Church of the Open Bible (Elk, WA) speaking at their farewell services on Sunday, December 21st. The services will be at 9am and 10:40am. This will be our last "official" action at the church and we are going to speak about our upcoming mission journey. Please come and celebrate with us as we move into our new season in His service.

Romans 8:28 Journey

2008-12-04T08:16:00.001-07:00

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

This really describes our trip down to Rio Rico this week. We had alot of daunting tasks to do including finding a place for us to live and finding an assisted living facility for my mom. After much prayer, we arrived last Sunday in Rio Rico and when the sun came up Monday, we began our search. We first began looking for our home and through a quick tour of the area, we were led to Jon in a property management company. Jon asked a few questions of us and then quickly gave us a list of rentals that met our needs. Toni and I drove to each one for an outside look and came down to 2 possible places. We then went back to Jon's office and he showed us the interior of each. Toni and I both knew that the second location (two story townhouse in picture) was the one. From that point on, God took control, opened doors and the place was secured and ours by Wednesday. Not only that, but utilities were taken care of and we can move in the moment we arrive with our stuff. We then pursued a place for my mom to live. We have had a deposit on a place in Green Valley (about 20 minutes from Rio Rico), so we went there to tour it. The place looked wonderful and the services are comparable to what my mom has now. We were a little discouraged when we were told that there were no openings at the moment, but several moves were occurring and possibly something would come open next week. Toni and I left to drive to Tucson (20 minutes North) to see if something might be open there. Stopping for lunch, we prayed that God would guide us to find mom a place to live. Not more than 10 minutes later, the place in Green Valley called and, PRAISE GOD, offered us a studio apartment for mom. God answered prayer in a great way. We returned and secured the place on the spot. We were basically done with our all tasks (and more) on Wednesday - 3 days for completion.

What makes this story more amazing is that Toni had been bitten on the forehead by something the night we left. By the time we arrived in Rio Rico, her forehead , her left eye and her glands were swollen. She alternated between stabbing pain and and severe itching. So in between driving and paperwork, we were going to clinics and pharmacies and praying for Toni to be healed. God began healing Toni on Wednesday and today, she has marked improvement in her pain and swelling.

God truly does work for the good of those who love Him. The last 3 days have been miracle upon miracle for the good of Toni and I. We serve a God who has moves heaven and earth for those who serve Him and He continues to do so today. Our faith and belief continues to grow and we are excited to see what God will supernaturally do to advance His Kingdom on this earth.

The Seasons

2008-12-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

Psalms 74:17b states that "You made the summer and the winter". God is a God of seasons both in the physical and the spiritual. Today, I am in Rio Rico, Arizona watching the sunrise over the southern Arizona mountains and God has been talking to me about His seasons. No matter what the season is or our "preferences" (ours is summer), we sometimes forgot about Him that created and controls the seasons. We also forget that He designed one season as a preparation for the next. All are linked with purpose and promise. Even in the depths of a cold and dark winter is the promise of a coming season of light and warmth. As it is in the physical world, so it is in the spiritual. God takes us through seasons in our life with purpose and as preparation for the next. As I look at our season changing with our upcoming move to Rio Rico, I am awed by the wisdom, experiences and insights that God has given us through our past seasons. God continues to deepen and strengthen us by helping us develop perseverance and steadiness through Him, especially during those "winter' times in our spirit. God continues to reach out with promise and hope of our future with Him and here's the key nugget, HE ALWAYS DELIVERS ON HIS PROMISE. Just as night turns to day and winter turns to spring, he consistently and constantly holds true to His promise. What an awesome God we serve. No one else in this world keeps a promise like the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

If you are in a season of cold and darkness, reach out to Him now. Reach out for His promises, reach out to His fire that will warm you and give you hope of a coming change in your season. Trust is the one that created the seasons and He will deliver you, that is His promise.

You Can Never Go Back

2008-11-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

I was at my old job yesterday doing some contract computer work and I struck up a conversation with some of my friends there. During that conversation, I had one of those flashes of longing to go back to the old and familiar. I mean, this being called out by God, working at the church and the food bank has been hard at times. My carnal side began building "memories" of a better, more stable and secure past. And this isn't the first time I've had these thoughts. When the hard times have really pressed in on me, I have had thoughts of going back to the old. It's at these times that God gently reminds me of the Israelites in Exodus 14. The Pharoh had finally allowed them to leave and I'm sure there was great rejoicing as they gathered the people and began their journey. At that moment in time, following God was easy to do and the path ahead seemed easy. Then trouble came. Pharoh "came to his senses" and realized they had let their slaves go and there would be no one to serve Egypt. He gathered his army and began to pursue the Israelites. As they saw the Egyptians approach, the Israelites felt that disaster was upon them. They had the Egyptian army on one side and Red Sea on the other. Then, in verses 11 and 12 out comes the natural response that we've all had at these times;

11They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Didn't we say to you in Egypt, "Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert."

I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE OLD AND COMFORTABLE (No matter how bad it really was)!!!

God's chosen people had lost their desire to follow the will of God and wanted to return to what was known and comfortable. Never mind that God had promised them a kingdom in a land flowing with milk and honey. Never mind that he had worked incredible miracles for their release from Egypt. Never mind that the Lord himself went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Bad things were pressing in on them and the old was looking good right about now.

It's at this time that God shows us that we should stop leaning on the natural and to trust His supernatural presence. He will not go back on His promises and He moves heaven and earth to be true to His word. In the case of the Israelites, he parted a sea to allow them to safely pass, then swallowed up the army of Pharoh in the water when they followed. Pretty incredible way to ensure His word and promises stay true! And my lesson yesterday is that He is doing that kind of thing for me, if I will just open my "spirit" eyes to see it. A couple months ago, I would have told you that the promise God made Toni and I to serve in Mexico was on the shelf and barely alive. A year ago, I would have probably told you it was dead. Even though His promise was loud and clear when He gave it to us, I had allowed doubt, discouragement and fear to blind me to His supernatural plan. Things that seemed to be disaster to us were actually pieces being moved and molded into His perfect path for us. And throughout this journey, He protected us and even carried us when our strength was near failure. What an awesome God we serve!

In closing, I am sure of one thing. God wants us to keep moving forward in following His plan no matter how scary it may look. In verse 15b the Lord instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to "Move on". God was telling them (and us) that you can never truly go back. I know that I would rather be suffering while moving ahead in the journey God has me on than living in the good old days of the past. The promises for our future that He has made to all that serve Him out way any pleasure of this earth.

First Post

2008-11-23T22:40:00.001-07:00

Hello all - This is the first post at our blog sight. We are at home in Elk preparing to make the move to Arizona to begin our missionary work with "God Is On The Move Ministries". As we pack and prepare, we are excited about what is on the horizon. In 2002, God deposited a call in our lives for the people of Mexico that we have not been able to shake since. In October this year, we took a trip down to visit Bill and Fayth McConnell and God spoke to us and released us to make the move from Elk to Arizona. As we drove home, God confirmed it through several unrelated people, including Pastor Thomas when we returned to Elk. Now, it is a matter of following the path that God has laid out for us and looking for divine encounters daily. This blog will be our record of this journey and the insights that God gives us on the journey. MUCH MORE TO COME!!!