Abundant Life Church is now holding two services on Sunday, one in the morning and one evening. We began the weekend after the conference and we are believing that we are making room for a double harvest!  Its been interesting working out the changes and while we do so, many of our leaders and helpers are serving double time.  We know that it is worth the extra effort as we enter into this new season.  We are excited at the opportunites this is opening up for us as a church.  Please pray for us in this time, for wisdom as we are taking this new direction, and for all of the servants, that they do not grow weary, but remain refreshed and encouraged  in the Holy Ghost!

It’s always a treat for me when visitors come because it means that it will get a break from my routine and enjoy some time showing people the sites of my beloved Lebanon.  For this year’s conference we had several visitors from my home church, so it was a special treat.  My senior pastor, Larry Stockstill, and his daughter Melissa arrived in Lebanon two days early to be able to see the cedars of Lebanon.  I had not yet been, so I got to tag along for the tour.  It was really amazing to see these trees, some they say have been there 6,000 years, even surviving the flood!  These trees have grown large and plant roots, not in a fertile valley, but on arid mountaintops; their persitance to survive in this condition is amazing!

We had several other speakers for our conference, and one of them, Tony Foster, had been my youth pastor for several years at Bethany.  His wife, Margaret, has discipled me the past few years, keeping up with me while I am in Lebanon.  I visited them in Malaysia where they are now missionaries, so having Tony in Lebanon was like having family here.  We took several of the speakers for a tour around Lebanon.  While these sites I have seen several times, it’s always nice to see the tourist side of this beautiful nation.

It had been a while since I’ve taken a break from the city life and took time to see Lebanon.  As always, I am amazed at the beauty of this nation, and I am so proud to call it home!

We had a powerful time ministering to young ladies in the nations of Liberia and Ivory Coast.  Rana and I used the life of Esther to  give hope and encouragement.  The recurring theme in each of our messages was “leaving your past and fulfilling your destiny”.  We encouraged them to not let your past determine your future.  Esther did not come from the best background, yet despite her circumstances she became queen.  Rana pointed out that if Esther had not entered the competition, she would have never been chosen.  This may seem like a simple enough revelation, but how many times do we not enter because we have decided that we will lose before we even begin.  Don’t quit before you get started, but believe that despite what you feel, God will use you for His glory!

One thing in Esthe,r’s life that challenged me, and that I shared in the conference was that when Esther was given the chance to choose whatever jewelry she liked, she decided to chose only what Hegai suggested.  With Hegai representing the work of the Holy Spirit in oulives, we have to shoos what the Holy Spirit is telling us, for He is showing us what pleases the King.  We may be choosing things for our life that pleases us, or it looks real good to the people, maybe even looks real “spiritual”; but, it is not pleasing the King.  We have to make the decision to not choose what only looks good, or just what pleases us; but we have to choose only that which pleases the King.

There was so much that was shared in these conferences, I wish that I had the time to share everything with you.  Many were challenged and encouraged that God will use them in His harvest.  There is so much need in West Africa, and it was an honor for us to be a part of encouraging and equipping the laborers.

We finished our time in Abidjan by ministering in the Sunday morning services  Rana   shared in Pastor Agnus’s on the importance of having a secret place with God. Afterwards, we prayed a prayer of blessing over each member of the church. 

I had the opportunity to minister in a church that I visited seven years ago.  On my first visit, though, there was not building but only dirt.  Our team had prayed for this pastor and the church that would be there.  So, it was a great joy to be able to minister to this congregation of Harvesters Miracle Church.  This trip showed me so much the faithfulness of God.  I was so encouraged to see the work that has continued in these seven years, and I was also encouraged by the work that God has done in my life since then.  Many times on this trip I was reminded of old dreams that I had (when I thought I would one day live in Africa), and many times I felt like I was   through these dreams.  I was encouraged to see that things that I only dreamed of are now a reality before my eyes.  Just has God has caused these hopes and dreams come to pass.  I know that the dreams I still hold in my heart, for my life and ministry, and for God’s work in the Middle East – I will see as a reality before my eyes!

      For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
      But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
      Though it tarries, wait for it;
      Because it will surely come,
      It will not tarry.

      Habakkuk 2:3

We flew from Liberia over to the neighboring country of the Ivory Coast.  I spent two weeks in this nation seven years ago and I was more than happy to be back.  Rana and I were working with Gregory Bangura and his wife, Agnus, to hold our second Esther’s conference in their church, and also to minister to the youth of the church.  The conference was really great, and even though it was the same theme, we could see how the Holy Spirit was speaking specific things to this group.  We held the sessions in the evenings, and the attendees were coming from work, and some nights coming in heavy rains, to be in the meetings.  We had a smaller crowd in Abidjan, and we were happy minister this group.  We were able to spend personal time with the attendees and get to know them and their lives and minister to their specific needs.

We had a fellowship with the youth and spent time getting to know them, what they are doing and their plans for the future.  Several shared with me their desire to travel and be missionaries in neighboring African countries.  It really blesses me to see Africans who have a desire, not to go to a better country, but to countries inn more need than theirs.  I shared with them lessons I’ve learned, and the work that God has done in me to prepare me to be a missionary.  I am looking forward to hearing about what God does in their lives!  I know that God will do great things in with this group of young people!