** A.J. and I were blessed to have Pastor Mario as our translator during the entire trip. Pastor Alejandro of Ekklesia Church in Oruro was so glad we had been willing to add Oruro to our itinerary because not many outside ministers visit there. He had planned a special meeting that night for all the evangelical churches in the city. When we arrived in the hall, all the pastors were sitting on the front row—and they had asked their wives to sit elsewhere! They did not realize my message that night would be focused on “How to Treat Your Wife.” Needless to say, many men came to the altar that night to repent for abuse and mistreatment—and a few of the pastors also came to the front. Later, when I opened up the altar for the women, they streamed forward to receive prayer for abuse and abandonment. Several also came to the altar for first-time salvations.

** Years ago I told the Lord I would be willing to go to the “out of the way places.” I was reminded of that promise when I as in Oruro. It was not a fun place to visit. The altitude is even higher that La Paz, so both A.J. and I got headaches. The hotel was cold and damp. The spiritual oppression was thick. But after we met pastor Alejandro and his wife Beatriz, and saw their courage and dedication, there was nothing to complain about. They are true heroes. I was able to encourage them a lot, along with the other pastors who attended the meeting. Pastor Alejandro also told me that he plans to do follow-up meetings now to help encourage the pastors to release their wives in ministry so they can combat the machismo spirit in their region. I am ready to go back there now.

** The next day we drove back to La Paz and did two nights of meetings at Ekklesia Church. I focused the first night on empowering the women. After the message I asked all the men in the church to form a prayer tunnel and we prayed for and anointed all the women. It was a powerful time of impartation. On the next night I addressed the men, and we allowed time for personal ministry for any of them who felt they had abuse issues because of the way their fathers treated them. We must have hugged more than 200 men at that altar the second night, and tears flowed freely. It was evident in both of these meetings that the Father is releasing His healing touch on Latin America in a tangible way.

**I was so proud of the way A.J. ministered at the altar. This 24-year-old pastor poured out his heart in each meeting as he prayed and prophesied over people. And he learned so much about ministry just by watching. Probably one of the most rewarding aspects of these trips is being able to mentor and train younger leaders like A.J. so that they can take this message much farther than I can. We must invest in the next generation!

** I preached in both services on Sunday morning, and the second service was televised in several places including Spain. I preached a message called “Jesus Broke the Walls”—about how Jesus broke the barriers of racism, gender prejudice, economic injustice and the generation gap. I emphasized the economic barriers because Bolivia is very divided right now between socialists and capitalists, and between the poorer indigenous population and the wealthy people from a Spanish background. Pastor Alberto has been involved in trying to bring healing to his nation at a time of intense political tension. He felt this was the word of the Lord for Bolivia at this time and he said he would be airing the message on television throughout the next week.

** There seems to be a strong grace for evangelism on me right now. It seemed to begin a few months ago and something kicked in during July when I started watching some videos of old Billy Graham crusades. It was obvious on Sunday morning when I preached in both services at Ekklesia Church. When I gave an invitation for salvation, dozens of people responded in both services. In the second service we hardly had enough room at the altar to accommodate all the people who needed counseling and follow-up.

** On Monday we flew to Cochabamba, a city that has the highest rate of violence against women in Bolivia. We fell in love with Pastor Zacharias and his wife, Estella, and his staff. I did a special meeting with his leaders that afternoon and then an evening service about “Breaking the Power of Machismo.” We were supposed to be there only one night, but our trip to Sucre was canceled because of strikes at the airport so this allowed us to stay two nights in Cochabamba. Pastor Zacharias was thrilled that we got to invest in his congregation another night. I did a prophetic meeting that second night and I was able to encourage a lot of his leaders. We also saw several people saved and a large number were baptized in the Spirit. Also on that last night, I asked A.J. to pray for all the teenagers. After he did that, parents began to bring their smaller children to him for prayer. Before the night was over he was praying for about 50 children and many of them were falling on the floor, overcome by the Holy Spirit’s power. It was so awesome to see how spiritually hungry these kids were—even some as young as five or six.

** On Thursday after we returned to La Paz, A.J. flew home to Florida and I flew to Bogota, Colombia, to speak at a women’s conference there. This was like a reunion because the other speakers included my friends Naomi Dowdy, Igna Suarez, Susan Combs, Esther Millian and Hispanic recording artist Kristy Motta from Guatemala. We also had a guest appearance from Danilo Montero, who used to live in Orlando. There were about 2,500 women at this event and they were so hungry. I preached three times even though I was exhausted when I arrived in Bogota. The Lord supplied the grace. I also preached on Sunday morning at Iglesia Filadelphia, and again I saw many come to the altar to make first-time decisions for Christ that day.

** If you would like to see photos of my Bolivia trip, they are posted on my Facebook page. (If you are not on Facebook, join me there! It is a great way to network.)

** God’s grace was on us for sure. We flew 20 hours to get there, and our bags did not arrive with us, but when Pastor Francois and his wife, Ansa, met us at the airport they took us shopping to buy toiletries and extra clothes. So we had a great bonding experience from the first day.

** The “Living Bravely” women’s conference was awesome. About 1,400 women attended for two days and I preached five times, packing as much as possible into those sessions. Several of the women leaders at Hatfield had spent months preparing for the conference and it was bathed in prayer. A victory had already been secured. Besides women from Hatfield, there were attendees from all over South Africa and from other countries including Rwanda. The women were like sponges, ready to receive all they could from God.

** On the first night there was a time of emotional and physical healing at the altar after I preached about the women with the issue of blood from Mark 5. The presence of the Lord was amazing during that ministry time and I know He was doing miracles in bodies and in wounded souls. I asked Pastor Francois and other men from the church to come on stage with me to kneel before the women and repent for the treatment of South Africa’s women. (By the way, you may not know that white women in South Africa did not get the right to vote until 1930; black women didn’t get that right until 1994.)

** The other speaker at the conference was Dr. Mimikie Molapo, a black educator whose husband is a pastor and business leader in South Africa. She offered a lot of practical help to the women regarding marriage and family. It was beautiful to see the racial mix in the conference---a perfect blend of white, black and other ethnic backgrounds—in a country that has been so divided by race in the past.

** On Saturday night I spoke on “Becoming a Dangerous Woman” and there was a sense of excitement from the first moment of that service. During the altar ministry time, all the women ran to the front to receive prayer for courage and boldness. God was breaking them free from fear and intimidation. At the end I asked the Sotho and Zulu women to release their African war cries and then everyone began to dance African style—including all the white Afrikaans women! It was a glorious time and no one wanted to stop. Pastor Francois’ wife, Ansa, was on the stage dancing with the black women, and she then brought up some of the Bible college students who had attended the conference. It was like heaven on earth for a few hours.

** I started getting feedback about the conference immediately. Ansa told me that this message of biblical women’s empowerment has not really been preached in South Africa, at least not to this group, so it was groundbreaking. When I got home I read this message from a woman who is in a key role in the government: “I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration that you brought to this conference. I have had a passion for a couple of years now to minster to women: To actually train and empower women. God is birthing this inside of me, and I am trusting Him for open doors. I currently work for the U.S. government in Pretoria, South Africa. Years of administrative and financial training have now come to a head, and I believe God is going to use my skills and knowledge for something bigger to glorify His kingdom.”

** I know that every woman who came to this event has a similar story. South Africa is in a strategic season right now, and it is time for the women to rise up and claim their territory. God sent this word to them at the right moment. One lady from Rwanda told me that her husband is an Anglican pastor and that their bishop was sending them to a very poor area to lead a church. She had been afraid of this assignment but God gave her the courage to embrace it as she listened to me talk about the fearless women in China who have been persecuted for their faith. God is sending His women on the front lines!

** Meredith was really encouraged during this trip too. Some of the young people from Hatfield hosted her and took her to see some local sites. She also went with me to Abba House, a ministry that is rescuing babies that have been abandoned. We held babies in our arms that had been left in drainage pipes and on doorsteps. Meredith also got to attend a church for homeless people that Hatfield sponsors in a poor area of Johnnesburg.

** I spoke at Hatfield on Sunday morning. There were least 4,000 people there I think. I spoke about how Jonah ran from God, and then gave an opportunity for people who have been running from their callings to come to the altar and repent. I was amazed to see how many responded—many were in tears as they turned from selfishness and reclaimed our mission to reach a lost world. There were also about eight people who came to the altar to be saved—including a woman who came to church for the first time. She boldly walked to the front of the auditorium in front of that huge crowd and gave her life to Christ. That is the greatest miracle of all --- seeing conversions makes these long trips worth all the hassles of losing sleep and luggage!

** A personal highlight for me on this trip was building a friendship with Pastor Francois van Niekerk. He leads this huge church but is such a humble servant. He is truly setting a new standard of leadership for his nation and for the global church. We spent a lot of time together, talking about the crises that Christians in both our countries are facing. After the conference, Francois and Ansa took Meredith and I on a trip to Pilansberg Game Reserve, two hours from Pretoria. We shared meals and rode around the reserve where we saw elephants, rhino, hippos, impala, zebra, wildebeest and many other animals. It reminded me of how much our God has deposited in the continent of Africa. So much is waiting to be discovered and unleashed. I am blessed to see the way He is moving today in this amazing place!

*** At the Nigerian church, Jesus House in Silver Spring, Md., I spoke at a women’s conference. I loved working with Pastor Omo Ghandi-Oloaye and her team. My heart was knit with these folks immediately because of my previous trips to Nigeria. They fed me moin moin (mashed black-eyed peas) and jollof rice—my favorite Nigerian dishes. We also had quite a time dancing. On Sunday morning I was drenched when the service was over!

*** The highlight was on Saturday evening when I zeroed in on the issue of marriage. From Numbers 36 I ministered on the story of the daughters of Zelophehad, and how they had to marry within their tribe in order to keep their inheritance. This is a crucial message for women who truly want to serve in ministry. They must marry within their tribe! If they marry a man who is not a Christian, or who does not believe women can be in ministry, these women could forfeit their dreams. This is crucial in the Nigerian church because there is so much pressure on women to marry by a certain age. I was able to pray for many single women who were being tempted to marry a man who was not God’s best choice for them.

*** By the end of the weekend the women were begging me to come back and minister to the men in the congregation. This is because Nigerian men can be very dominant, and they are not used to hearing preachers speak about treating your wife with respect or empowering her for her ministry. I am told that I will be getting an invitation to come back soon!

*** I then jumped from Nigerian culture to Russian culture. Did anyone else know that there are more than 600,000 Russians in Philadelphia? I spent the weekend at Word of Life Church, which is led by Pastor Nickolai Novik. He escaped to the U.S. from Belarus when it reverted to communism a few years ago. His son, Alex, and another young man, Gennady, have become dear friends of mine and I was there to perform Gennady’s wedding. Gennady has traveled with me to Peru, Bolivia and Nigeria.

*** Russian weddings are long affairs—this was lasted from 10 am. until almost 6 p.m! Everything I said in the wedding ceremony was translated into Russian. Alina was a beautiful bride. After the wedding I went to Gennady’s brother’s home, where we had an impromptu prayer meeting with some of the church’s youth. They are so hungry for God and I was able to prophesy over all of them.

*** On Sunday I did both morning and evening services. In the Russian Pentecostal community there are a lot of tensions between generations—over culture and traditions. Older believers don’t really trust American influences (can you blame them?) and the young people don’t want to speak Russian or do things the Russian way. So on Sunday night we had a powerful move of God. I talked about generational conflicts and then had the young people come to the front of the church and spread out in a long line. There must have been more than 150 of them. Then I asked the older folks to stand in front of them, and they prayed for each other for a long time. It was a powerful time of healing and a rift was repaired.

*** Later that night I had an altar call for those who wanted to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many came forward and there was a powerful time of ministry. During that time a Russian Jewish girl who was visiting for the first time asked Jesus to be her Savior! Also another visiting Russian man gave his heart to the Lord at the altar. I prophesied over many people in the church that night, including several of the youth leaders. It is obvious that God is moving among these Russian youth and He plans to use them to reach the United States.

** The Lord put together an amazing team for this conference. The speakers were Igna Suarez, an apostolic leader from Colombia; Milagros Aguayo, who pastors with her husband, Guillermo, in Peru; Mercedes Dalton, leader of the Global Alliance ministry in El Salvador; Andrea Francisco, a preacher and worship leader from Argentina; me; and the conference hosts, Jimmy and Aida Cornejo, who pastor the 4,000-member Centro Cristiano in Cuenca. Igna also brought her assistant, Susan Combs, an American missionary who was worked in Colombia for many years.

** Up to 2,000 people attended the sessions, which ran from Thursday night until Sunday. Many men came even though it was billed as a women’s event—because the men are hungry for God and they also want to change their view of women. We addressed the terrible condition of women in Ecuador and offered healing to them as well as teaching to help shift people’s mindsets about gender issues. Xavier, who runs the church’s tape ministry, said a record-breaking number of people were ordering the CDs from this conference.

** The altars were often jammed with women who came to be healed from a poor self-image, from the wounds of abuse, or from the lack of love from their fathers. So many women in Ecuador have suffered from rape, molestation and domestic violence. But the presence of the Lord was tangible in every session as He came to touch His daughters and heal them from the pain they have endured for years.

** What blessed me most about this event was the fact that the speakers all have experienced terrible abuse—and yet they have risen above the pain to become healers. One of the speakers was molested when she was five. Another was rejected by her father. One was raped by a young man in a gang. Yet today these women are mobilizing an army of compassion to reform Latin America. It is a beautiful testimony of God’s grace.

** It truly felt like we were on the verge of a revolution as the messages came forth. It was amazing how each speaker’s message built on the previous sermon. On Saturday I preached a message called “Donde Estan Las Reformadoras?” (“Where Are the Women Reformers?”) in which I challenged them from the Bible and from history to change society. It was obvious that God is empowering Latin American women to shift to a new level. When the women came forward in that session to be set free from the fear of speaking out, the Holy Spirit sent a wave of His fire.

** Women came from as far away as Quito, Ecuador’s capital, and from some rural areas as well as from the largest city, Guayaquil. Also on Saturday, just before I spoke, Aida invited a famous young woman named Cristina to give her testimony. Cristina has been in a wheelchair all her life, with no use of her legs. But after she spoke out against discrimination of Ecuador’s physically-challenged community she was elected to political office, even though she is only 22. Now she is being used as an agent for change in the country. I was able to prophesy over her—and she was very intrigued by what God was saying to her. We talked further about it during a dinner with the speakers on Sunday. Pray for this amazing young woman, who is seeking God for a full revelation of His love for her.

** The Lord handpicked my translator for this event, as He always does. This time it was the church’s youth pastor, Gabriel. I believe he will be taking this message all over his country. He also prayed for me to learn Spanish quickly so that one day soon I can preach fluently. It is awesome to see how God is raising up a new breed of men in Latin America today. They are strong in God but they want to be loving servants of their wives rather than tyrannical overlords.

** We are now forming an alliance of like-minded ministers who are addressing the problem of machismo in Latin America. I am really honored to be a part of this team with Igna, Milagros, Jimmy, Aida, Andrea and Mercedes. We are planning the next regional conference for Lima, Peru, in mid-March 2009.

** We had about 900 women at the African Woman Arising conference. They heard about the event through billboards, radio ads, magazine ads and church announcements. The conference was unique because most events of this kind are sponsored by one church and attended by members of that church. Interdenominational conferences are rare in Lagos, so we were breaking ground by uniting men and women from different churches. Each day a different praise team led the worship, and different pastors and their wives hosted the sessions. It was an awesome time of building bridges between ministries.

** All the speakers and the ministry team made it to Lagos safely, even though my baggage did not arrive with me—and neither did Barbara Wentroble’s. (In light of eternity, that was no big deal! We both got our bags a day later.) We had about 27 people on the ministry team from the U.S. and Canada, and these folks were real troopers. They never complained once even though we had to deal with Lagos traffic, African time delays, intense heat, power outages, bugs, thin mattresses, unusual food, miscommunication, thick accents and cultural differences. The love of God kept us in the Spirit and I was so proud of everyone who came to serve. I am especially grateful to Charlie Daniels, who volunteered to serve as the stateside conference administrator. He kept us all sane even when things seemed chaotic.

** Our local conference team in Lagos made the women feel so loved. My dear friends Jackson and Yinka Ekwugun, editors of Lifeway magazine, were the main conference coordinators. They took the designs that we made for the conference and printed beautiful gift bags for each attendee, and the bags had a notebook, a pen, a conference badge, a program and meal tickets. Dozens of women ushers from various churches showed the women to their seats and kept everything in order. Lunch was provided every day and it gave the women plenty of time for fellowship and interaction.

** Each day the presence of God was in our midst to heal, empower and restore. Each speaker had a relevant word and the women (and many men) took every message to heart. Barbara Wentroble electrified the audience with her prophetic teaching about Saul’s lowly concubine Rizpah, whose name means “pavement” (2 Sam. 3:7). Barbara challenged the women to rise above their circumstances and view themselves as overcomers. Each time Naomi Dowdy opened the Word she broke old mindsets of tradition and culture. My Nigerian mentor Mosy Madugba had the women jumping and shouting as he taught on what happens when women pray. Remi Ogunrinde, a Nigerian pastor living in Canada, reminded the women that this is the prophetic hour for Nigerian women to arise and seize their divine mandate. And Funke Adejumo, a pastor from Nigeria, offered some practical teaching on “Seven Relationships You Must Have to Grow as a Leader.”

** In one of my sessions I taught on the parable of the woman who put yeast in the dough, from Luke 13. I explained that Jesus, in His teaching, affirmed women by using domestic imagery. In this parable He foreshadowed the day when women would be empowered to preach the gospel all over the world. On Saturday I also got to tag-team a sermon with Mosy Madugba on “The Father’s Heart for His Daughters.” After that session the floodgates opened and many women came to the altar to be healed from mistreatment, rejection and emotional abandonment. In Nigerian culture, many fathers reject their daughters because they prefer sons. The Lord came in a powerful way during our conference to heal women from the effects of this crippling mindset.

** It was as if the Lord prepared a banquet for these women, and they feasted on the Word for three days. By the last day they were begging Yinka to schedule another conference next year. She was getting text messages each night from women who said their lives were forever changed. Mindsets were shifted. Old wounds were healed. Many women were able to forgive the men who had hurt them. And they shared their revelations with friends so that people were buzzing about the conference. In many ways it felt as if God had sparked a revolution that will spread throughout the country.

** This was my seventh visit to Nigeria and I wondered while I was there, “Lord, seven is the number of completion. Is my time here finished?” But the Lord told me that in this case, seven simply means, “The foundation is laid.” I have never felt such a burden for a nation, and I know I will be going back. In fact while I was in the conference some of my Nigerian friends gave me my new Yoruba name: “Akinwale,” which means, “the warrior has come home.” Nigeria is my second home when I am there.

** There is so much more work to be done in Nigeria. Current laws do not safeguard women who are beaten by their husbands. In fact I met a woman in our conference who has tried to run a domestic shelter. But the police have actually arrested her for hiding a woman who had been put in a coma by her abusive husband! I am convinced that the key to change in Nigeria is in the hands of Christian women. They will rise up and bring reformation as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Please pray that what began in Lagos in March 2008 will spread like a holy fire!

** After the conference, all of the speakers spoke in different churches on Sunday. I spoke at House of Grace Church in Lagos, pastored by Omar and Jane Pela. Jane is one of the leading worship artists in Nigeria. I shared a groundbreaking message at their church about how men are to treat their wives with respect, dignity and affection.

** The next day I took Charlie Daniels and four other Americans to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, to speak at a smaller women’s conference organized by Pastor Eunice Enujuba. I helped launch Eunice into ministry six years ago when I first visited the city of Port Harcourt. Today she has a thriving church and also a ministry called Women of Substance, a network of women who are in government, church leadership, business and the arts. Our meeting in Abuja was incredible. It seemed like when I spoke there, sparks were falling on gasoline. The women were so hungry for a word from the Lord. The first night I preached on Hannah’s persistence in birthing a reformation. On the second night I gave them a mandate when I preached a message called “Where Are the Women Reformers?” They took the challenge and they seem eager to work to reform their country for Jesus Christ. Charlie, Ruthanne, Valerie, Terry and Donna served as a dynamic ministry team during that event. One of the women in the meeting was Liz Benson, a well-known Nollywood actress who became a Christian a few years ago. Another woman named Deyo, who is a professional emcee and media host, was so touched by the first night’s message about Hannah that she wrote a song about the sermon and sang it in the meeting!

** It seemed that everywhere we went on this journey God was opening new doors to Africa. One female pastor in Lagos who has a burden for French-speaking nations has asked me to come with her to do conferences in Benin, Togo and Congo. The women in Abuja want to do a full-scale African Woman Arising conference in their city soon. There are other doors opening in Liberia, Ghana and Uganda. My dream is that what began in Lagos this month will spread to every African nation. Also, I was able to strengthen many relationships with my Nigerian friends including Pastor Ladi Thompson (who I hope to partner with in doing ministry in northern Nigeria), Miracle (my son in the Lord who I helping to get into Emmanuel College in the U.S.) and Kelechi, a brave evangelist who is reaching dangerous militants for Jesus in southeastern Nigeria.

** In Abuja, a Nigerian woman named Obii Pax-Harry came to the conference on the second night. She had heard about the meeting from her friend Deyo. This woman, who was based in England for years, released a prophecy on the Elijah List several months ago in which she said that God was going to begin something unusual with the women of Nigeria in March 2008. Barbara Wentroble and I had seen this prophecy recently, after we had planned the AWA conference. When I talked with Obii in Abuja she was ecstatic because she felt the meetings we were involved in were the fulfillment of the word she received from the Lord. God had all this planned in His perfect timing!

** Many of you have asked if I got all the money needed for the conference. I want to offer thanks to the Lord for that. He came through in an amazing way. One month before the conference, when I still needed more than $17,000, a widow sent me $25 and included a note saying that she had prayed for the gift to multiply. She said she felt God told here there would be “more than enough” and that we would have “12 baskets full left over.” I am not sure how much money is in 12 baskets, but I can testify that God met every need! I am still paying some leftover bills and the money has not run out yet. While we were in Lagos, Funke Adejumo took up a surprise offering and it covered all the expenses on the Nigerian side of the event. Meanwhile people sent funds to me from near and far and every expense is covered. I stand amazed at the Lord’s goodness.

Thank you all for your prayers and partnership.

** Pastor Andy Byrd and I preached for three days at the Bless Bihar Conference after arriving in Patna, in the north Indian state of Bihar. Two intercessors from Florida, Maureen and Jackie, joined us for this portion of the trip and helped with prayer ministry. They also taught the women in a separate session. About 300 pastors and young church leaders took part in these times of encouragement, training and empowerment.

** All the teaching was great, but the best part of this conference was the tangible love of God that was so evident. Every morning when we arrived at the retreat center we would hug almost every person in the conference. Most of the people at the event were Dalits, or “untouchables,” yet our constant affirmation was healing for them. God broke our hearts with His compassion for these precious people who have been at the bottom of the Hindu caste system. The Lord is tearing down this cruel system of lies today.

** In one session with the men, more than 60 publicly confessed to abusing their wives. This is a serious problem in India, so it was encouraging to see these men weeping at the altar in deep repentance. Meanwhile the women in Bihar tend to be very timid and withdrawn. By the end of the three days we could see a new boldness and confidence rising in them.

** Our host, Pastor Biju Thomas, has been working hard to reach Bihar, which is one of the least evangelized states in India. His church sponsors a home for 15 orphan boys. I am praying about helping Biju and his wife start a similar home for girls. Because of the discrimination against women in India, girls are at a serious disadvantage educationally and this makes it harder for women to emerge as leaders. I believe The Mordecai Project can help change this situation in many parts of India.

** From Patna we flew to Hyderabad and then drove to Warangal with members of Rev. Harry Gomes’ team. Harry was doing a city-wide crusade in the city, and he arranged for me to speak at a two-day women’s conference in the mornings. About 600 women crammed into a Baptist church, and on the second day an additional 200 gathered outside the building to listen through the windows because there were not enough seats. On that second day, about 400 women were baptized in the Spirit at one time! It reminded me of what happened in the house of Cornelius in Acts 10.

** I spoke at the crusade that Tuesday night, and Harry asked me to pray for the sick that evening. Harry said about 50,000 were in the crowd. Normally after Harry preaches he kneels on the stage and prays for various diseases to be healed. He let me do this because he wanted to encourage me to move out in the miraculous. It was an amazing time and my faith was stretched. I prayed for about 15 minutes, and then people began to line up and testify about various healings. One lady said her entire left side had been paralyzed but she now felt normal. Tumors vanished, pains went away and so many other miracles happened. The testimonies lasted for an hour.

** Andy and I both received so much from Harry Gomes. He models Christlike humility and has an incredible prayer life. We asked him a million questions and received a lot of mentoring. On Wednesday we traveled to his home base, Coimbatore, where we visited his boys’ home and then spoke at a pastors’ conference. Again I challenged the pastors to treat their wives with dignity and respect—and to view them as equals. When I challenged them to repent of abuse, many came to the altar even though their wives were in the auditorium. One of the pastors told me that the subject of wife abuse is never addressed publicly in India. We felt we were a part of history. I know the message we preached there will spread.

** I hope to partner with Harry Gomes to launch a girls’ home and school similar to the one he has for boys. In Coimbatore, people in one area routinely kill baby girls after birth because they believe female children will suffer too much if they live. When I learned this I was stirred to the core. We must do whatever we can to stop this genocide.

** Andy and I were exhausted when we flew from India to Australia on Feb. 17. I had misunderstood the schedule of the conference in Sydney, so when I landed there at 7:30 a.m. I discovered that I was preaching in the 9:30 a.m service at Penrith Christian Life Centre. Yikes! It was a stretching experience but the Lord gave me grace that day and throughout the event. I preached five times that week and it was a life-changing week for everyone.

** Penrith Christian Life Center, pastored by Jack and Carol Hanes, is an amazing church. They are totally committed to planting churches in the developing world, and in 2007 they planted more than 700 churches in India. My heart was knit to Pastor Jack and the other speakers who came from the U.S., Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. I taught a message about the importance of releasing women for the harvest, and the Aussie women were overwhelmingly inspired. I believe God is mobilizing the women Down Under to head to the mission field.

** We had a very special moment on Thursday when I spoke on the importance of reaching our Samarias—the places near us that are culturally or racially different. At the end I invited an Indian brother, Philip, to come the stage. He is a Dalit, and he had shared with me a horrible story about how he had been treated in India. Some people of a different caste had told him that he would have to wash the floor where he walked because he contaminated it with his “untouchable” feet. I washed Philip’s feet in front of the crowd and asked God to heal him from the rejection caused by the caste system. There wasn’t a dry eye in that place that day. The Lord poured out His compassion for those who have been marginalized or mistreated, and the Aussies were also challenged to reach the Aborigine population in their country. (Just before we arrived in Australia, the national government issued an apology to the Aborigines for their mistreatment during the early days of Australia’s history.)

Thanks to all of you for praying for me and my family. I have posted photos of my trip on my Facebook page. If you are on Facebook please tag me so that you can have access to my page. Also, I wrote three columns about my trip and they are available on my blog, fireinmybones.com.

** January 9: It was an honor to address the Charismatic Leaders Fellowship, a group that has been meeting for networking and dialogue for more than 30 years. Some of the pioneers of the mainline charismatic renewal movement attend this meeting each year—representing Lutherans, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Catholics and some independent charismatics. Francis MacNutt, whose amazing healing ministry has touched hundreds of thousands of people, convened this meeting. Lance Wallnau and I were the speakers this year. I shared for a full day on the seven paradigm shifts the American church must make in this season. There was a precious sense of God’s presence during the ministry time when we prayed for these veterans to receive fresh oil and new strength. I see these men and women as true veterans who deserve spiritual medals for their years of service to the body of Christ. We need them to hang around several more years so they can impart their wisdom to the younger generation.

** January 18: I flew to Atlanta to speak at the annual Breakaway young adult conference. This event has been held for about 15 years and is sponsored by Family Discipleship Minstries (FDM)—a loose federation of charismatic churches in Georgia and Florida that focuses on youth and college students. About 200 young people jammed into the Georgia FFA camp for a weekend of worship, teaching and football (and snowball-throwing, thanks to an unusual temperature drop on Saturday). We had a blast.

** I was introduced to FDM last year when I spoke at Christian Heritage Church in Lake City, Florida, pastored by Eddie and Beth Taylor. We struck up a friendship and they invited me to be a part of the FDM family during this conference. It was so encouraging to find a family of churches that stress the importance of evangelism. I don’t see that everywhere. I met many awesome people, including Rodney Thrift, a pastor from south Georgia who is effectively reaching the city of Waycross. Rodney is one of the few men I know with a heart for “the bubbas”—rural Southern men (i.e., rednecks) who prefer deer hunting over church. In Waycross, they like both!

** I taught two sessions on Saturday, challenging the young people to surrender to the power of Pentecost. Some were baptized in the Holy Spirit and others repented publicly for racism. That night I preached on “Becoming Wild for God” from Ezekiel 1. We had a large group of people come forward to acknowledge a call to cross-cultural missions, and I prophesied over some of them. During worship, which was led by an awesome praise band called Simple Fool, I noticed that a young man named Jake was doing total backflips on the side of the auditorium. So after the message I asked Jake to do his backflips in front of the crowd to help us shed our inhibitions in worship. Everyone gathered at the altar and we began to dance. For the next 30 minutes people passionately worshiped the Lord—even those who felt shy about dancing. A powerful sense of liberty was released over the group, and I think they carried it home.

** January 21: From Atlanta I flew to Colorado Springs to minister to the international board of Protestant Women of the Chapel, the official women’s ministry of the American military. Most of these women are wives of servicemen, and they conduct Bible studies and discipleship programs on U.S. Army bases. It was exciting to learn that most of the leaders of this group are Spirit-filled women who are hungry for God and passionate about reaching military families for Jesus. They specifically wanted me to pray and prophesy over each member of the board. The Lord was with us that night—I prophesied past 11 p.m. and God really encouraged these sisters. He also released specific strategy on how they can make more of an impact in this needy mission field.

Here is a short summary of the wonderful things God did through The Mordecai Project this past year:

** I traveled to eight foreign countries in 2007: Bolivia, Canada, El Salvador, England, Indonesia, Nigeria, Peru and Singapore. Here in the United States I did conferences and other events in 11 states: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and Vermont. If I counted correctly, I preached 93 times.

** The “Daughter of the King” television show I taped in Egypt began airing in the Middle East in June. According to our latest reports, the offices are being flooded with responses from both men and women from Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco and some European countries. The sponsor of the program is also distributing the “Daughter of the King” booklet in Arabic to all those who respond by mail. An amazing door has opened in the Arab world to touch women with the gospel.

** The TV shows I did in Bolivia were aired nationwide and to many other Spanish-speaking nations. Men and women in Latin America are learning that Jesus can change the machismo culture.

** My book “10 Lies the Church Tells Women” was translated into Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese and Russian in 2007. Those versions will be published soon.

** The Lord used me to bring personal prophetic encouragement to many people as well as to congregations.

** Here are my Top 10 Highlights from this year’s ministry trips:

1. Seeing hundreds of men and women saved in La Paz, Bolivia. Also, on the second night of the conference, we made a bold prophetic statement by using a drama about “El Pepino”—a clown who represents machismo to all Bolivians. After I called the clown on stage he was tackled, “killed,” and put in a coffin. People all over Bolivia heard about this or saw the video, and they spread the news that “El Pepino is dead.” It made a profound impact on the nation.

2. Changing mindsets in Peru. After the conference I did in Lima with Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow, the network of churches that sponsored the event decided to begin ordaining women. Recently they sent the first of many trained, empowered women into Peruvian villages to start churches.

3. Speaking at the Apostolic Women Arising conference in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. I will never forget the night we gave every woman in the audience a plastic baggie of Georgia red clay as a prophetic token to remind her of her spiritual inheritance. (Thank you Jacquie Tyre for digging up that dirt!) It was awesome to see the women of the South be commissioned and empowered.

4. Reconnecting with my friends Bill and Rebekah DeConna, who pastor Victory Church of Gainesville on the University of Florida campus. I spoke there two weekends in 2007, and my daughter Gloria has been visiting there now that she is a UF student. This is an awesome church!

5. Getting to see Trinity Christian Centre with my own eyes. This is the church that Naomi Dowdy pastored for 30 years until she handed over the leadership to Dominic Yeo. The church has grown to 6,500 people and it is involved in missions in more than 30 countries. When I spoke there in February, they took up their annual missions offering—and it was more than $5 million U.S. dollars. It was awesome to see how God has raised up believers outside the U.S. to lead the way in spreading the gospel.

6. Seeing many people filled with the Spirit in 2007. This seemed to be a trend throughout the year. So many people are hungry for this experience and God was faithful to send His power.

7. Washing the feet of immigrant pastors from Africa and India at a meeting in south England. We held our leadership retreat at Ashburnham Place, an English manor that is several hundred years old. Many of the church planters in England today have come from Africa, India and the Middle East. I asked the British and Welsh leaders to wash the feet of the immigrants, and as we did we prayed that God will deliver the church from racism. It was a powerful moment.

8. Eating a strange-smelling fruit called durian in the streets of Jakarta with my Indonesian friends who lead worship for Pastor Indri Gautama. Some people (including Indri) hate durian, but I got a great sermon illustration from that experience. Durian is like a personal trial: It looks ugly and thorny on the outside, and it smells terrible, but on the inside there is something sweet!

9. Climbing an active volcano in El Salvador. i did this with Juan Carlos, Norberto and three other guys from Kemuel Church. It took us three hours to climb up and one hour to slide down!

10. My “wild ride” from Warri, Nigeria, to Port Harcourt with Al, Gennady, Anthony, Bill and our driver, all crammed into a tiny four-seat taxi along with 16 suitcases. We are still praising God that we did not get carjacked that night. Ministry in Nigeria is always an adventure!

** Ministry is not a one-man or a one-woman show—it is about partnership. And I am really grateful for the awesome people I was able to minister with this year. I am especially thankful for the people who provide spiritual oversight for me and my ministry: Barbara Wentoble of International Breakthrough Ministries has been a huge encouragement to me this year and I am grateful for her; her husband, Dale; and the IbM family. I also am so thankful for my mentors in the Pentecostal Holiness Church, especially Doug Beacham and Bane and Barbara James. And of course my Nigerian father in the faith, Mosy Madugba, continues to encourage me. There are also seven men who have been a “circle of accountability” for me—Chris Maxwell, James Graham, John Chasteen, Bruce Ladebu, Robert Ricciardelli, David Cannistraci and Bill Palmer.

** I was also blessed to minister this year with Naomi Dowdy from Singapore; Indri Gautama from Indonesia; Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow from Atlanta; Max and Nina Myers from Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Pam Anderson from Dallas; Harold and Kathleen Presley, missionaries to England; Jill Austin from Los Angeles; Kirk and Jeanelle Wade from Indiana; Bev Abt and the Getting Free ministry team; Femi and Remi Ogunrinde of Canada; Kim Daniels from Jacksonville, Fla.; Mary Jo Clouse from Orlando; and many others.

** I really hate to travel alone, so I am grateful for the men who were able to travel with me during 2007—Andy Byrd, Charlie Daniels, Brandon Duck, Anthony DeGreef, Steve Ghiringhelli, Charles Gregory, Bill Pahl, Gennady Vitorsky and Al Yorker. I am also blessed that Ruth Alpha, Carmen Rendon and Sandra Figueroa-Torres could be a vital part of our ministry team in Bolivia.

** Finally I am so thankful for the many new friends in ministry I made this year: Alberto and Sylvia Comacho from Bolivia; Carlos Paredes and Adan Carvallo from Peru; Yinka and Deola Ojo from Nigeria; Harry Gomes from Coimbatore, India; Norberto Bernabeu from El Salvador; Sola Osinoiki from England; Eddie and Beth Taylor and Chris and Terra Jones from Lake City, Fla.; Andy and Zella Byrd from Bluefield, West Virginia; Terry and Beth Bailey from Baltimore; Danny Morgan from Baltimore; Paul G. from India; John Stitt from Norman, Okla.; Tim and Sheila Zellers from Naples, Fla.; Randall Hollman from Naples; Terry Wise and Doug Houghton from North Carolina; and the awesome eldership team from Grace Outreach Church in New Hampshire.

Thanks to all of you for your amazing friendship. I pray that 2008 is a year of fulfillment, spiritual fruitfulness and great advancement.

** A special highlight of that trip was having my friend Andy Byrd come from West Virginia to be with me. Andy, who pastors with his wife, Zella, in West Virginia, is planning to go with me to India in February. Andy has a real passion to minister in the gift of healing. I was also really blessed to spend time with my friend Max Myers, who is the director of the school. Max and the other leaders at Global are praying that the Lord will unleash a new wave of supernatural grace on the American church. And I want to be a part of that!

** On the last day of class I had lunch with Randy Clark. That was a real treat. Since the mid 1990s Randy has seen incredible miracles break out in his meetings all over the world. Yet he is a very humble man and he has not allowed the attention to go to his head. He laid hands on Andy and me and asked the Lord to impart a greater grace for miracles. I am expecting the supernatural to follow me whenever I preach the glorious message of salvation in Jesus.

** I preached at both Sunday morning services at Lighthouse Church of Deland, a community about 45 minutes north of Orlando. The pastor, Dave Walker, sometimes asks me to minister in his church when he is on mission trips—and I don’t mind being a “substitute.” We had an awesome day. I preached about the lost axe head from 2 Kings 6, and reminded the people that we cannot see true kingdom results until we recover the supernatural power of God that was on display in the New Testament church. Almost everyone in the church came to the altar for a fresh infilling of the Spirit.

** The weekend before Thanksgiving I did a special conference on the Holy Spirit at Victory Family Worship Center in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. My friend Pam Anderson from Fort Worth spoke, along with the pastor of Victory, Bruce Ladebu. We had an awesome time of stirring people’s spiritual hunger. I did a new message called “Becoming Wild for God”—which is based on Ezekiel’s vision of the four-faced creature in Ezekiel 1. I talked about how God has called us to have the apostolic strength of the bull, the evangelistic boldness of the lion, the prophetic vision of the eagle and the humility of a man. God wants to transform us into bold people who will do exploits for Him!

** One of the things that seems to be happening most in my meetings lately is that people are getting baptized in the Holy Spirit. We had several come to the altar in Deland to receive the baptism in the Spirit for the first time. This also happened when I went to Victory. In fact, my favorite moment at that conference was when the Holy Spirit zapped a young lawyer on Saturday night. He has been going to the church for a while but had never had this experience. He stayed at the altar for a long time, basking in God’s presence, after he received his prayer language.

Thanks so much for your prayer support. I am really thankful for your friendship.

** I thought of this when I went to Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, last week. You don’t usually get crowds in Abbottstown. It is not exactly a metropolis! But God met us there and people’s lives were changed in our conference. I often heard these comments: “Thank you for coming here. No one ever comes here.” And while no one was raised from the dead that night, many women in that place had a life-changing experience with the Lord. A majority of them came to the altar for prayer because of abuse.

** My favorite part of ministry is teaming up with awesome people who love Jesus and want to extend the Kingdom. In Pennsylvania I worked with Ken and Janelle Wade, who base their ministry in Indiana but do a lot of work in the Harrisburg area. I look forward to working with them again. I was also blessed that my young Russian friend, Gennady, and two young women from his church in Philadelphia came to Abbottstown to be with me. Ruth Alpha, who was part of my team to Bolivia, also joined us. Gennady and Ruth ministered with me at the altar.

** After my evening in Abbottstown I flew to New Hampshire and spent the weekend ministering at Grace Outreach, a church near the campus of Dartmouth College. This was my fifth time ministering at Grace, and this trip was the best ever. I was able to spend several hours praying with and consulting the elders of the church as they are facing leadership challenges. I did two services at the church and spoke on Sunday afternoon at Logos Fellowship, a campus church attended by international students. We had Koreans, Chinese, Nigerians, Ghanaians, Japanese, Kenyans and Caribbean islanders. And the best part is that about 12 of these students came to the altar at the end of the service to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This campus outreach is pastored by Nicole Doyley, who was part of my Nigeria team last year.

** My favorite moment in New Hampshire was on Sunday morning, when a spirit of joyful praise broke out on the congregation. People could not contain their jubilation. One of the elders, a distinguished older guy who raises money for Dartmouth, began running around the sanctuary with a flag. Several others joined him, including Richard, a Dartmouth professor who teaches astrophysics. I told the congregation that when an astrophysics professor runs around a building to show His love and praise to Jesus, you know you are in the middle of a miracle. I believe it is a sign that God is going to pour out His Spirit on Ivy League schools, where atheism and intellectual pride once ruled.

It was so great to be with my friends at Victory Church of Gainesville, a growing congregation that is poised to reap a great harvest at the University of Florida. Pastor Bill DeConna asked me to speak on Sunday morning and evening so that there would be plenty of time for personal ministry. On Sunday night I did an anointing service and about 14 people came to the altar to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I was also able to encourage a lot of people through personal prophetic ministry. It was really special to have my daughter, Gloria, who is a student at UF, come to the meetings with me.

Report from Naples, Florida (Oct. 13-14)

My friend Charles Gregory went with me to Naples, where I spoke at the Motivated By Love women’s conference on Saturday and then at two churches on Sunday. The women in Naples were really hungry for the message of empowerment. I taught about “The Daughter’s Inheritance” and then had an extended ministry time for women who did not have a father, had a bad relationship with their father or were abused. As is often the case, the majority of the women at the conference came to the altar. It was an intense time of emotional healing. I am continually amazed by the level of pain that women in the church carry. But I am even more astounded by the grace He releases during these times of personal ministry.

I loved the ministry time at Parkway Church of God on Sunday morning. I preached on “The Full Purpose of Pentecost” and challenged this growing church to break out of all racial barriers to reach the entire city. The Lord is really challenging churches in this hour to become multicultural.

I have been praying lately that the Lord would use me more in personal evangelism. Then I read a new book by Joy Dawson called Jesus the Model that really convicted me about our lack of concern for lost people. On Friday night when Charles and I were in a TGI Friday’s restaurant, I began to share the Lord with our waiter from Haiti and he was very receptive. He ended up coming to the church I was speaking at on Sunday and he brought his wife and other family members. He even came down to the altar for prayer at the end of the service. Please pray that Harry will get plugged into this church.

Report from Dallas (Oct. 18-19)

I just returned from the International Breakthrough Ministries retreat in Dallas. IbM is a network of ministry leaders directed by my friend Barbara Wentroble. It was a refreshing time of fellowship, and I was able to connect with a lot of new friends. I also got to participate in an ordination service on Friday in which we commissioned several IbM ministers. Barbara also gave an insightful teaching about how to embrace the new paradigms of leadership and teamwork that the Lord is emphasizing today. I left this meeting challenged to break out of old, unfruitful mindsets so that I can shift into all the new things the Lord wants me to embrace.

** Barbara Wentroble and I ministered at a women’s conference held at Lighthouse to All Nations Church in Regina, Saskatchewan. My friends Femi and Remi Oginrinde, a Nigerian couple who have lived in Canada for several years, pastor this church. We were also joined by Falma Rufus, a powerful woman of God from Dallas who serves as the lead intercessor for Barbara’s ministry. The Ogunrindes are helping to equip Canadian Christians to advance and take the land. Women came to this event from Saskatchewan as well as the surrounding provinces of Manitoba and Alberta. They got a full dose of encouragement and fresh anointing.

** On Friday I preached from the life of Hannah—delving into the three negative voices that tried to stop her from giving birth to her promise.
Afterward there was a powerful time of emotional healing for those women who have been abused. There was also an emphasis on healing from spiritual abuse from pastors and leaders who refuse to recognize the call of God on women. This has been a subtle but rampant problem in Canada.

** On Saturday I asked a friend from the church to bring a sheaf of wheat from a nearby wheat field (It was harvest time on the farms there). I gave a message about the urgency of harvest and why we need a fresh anointing for evangelism in this hour. I preached this just after learning of the death of Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida. He was the pioneer of the Evangelism Explosion ministry. His death that week sobered me as I pondered how weak our evangelism efforts are today. I reminded the people that Isaiah
61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…” The anointing of the Spirit can give us goose bumps, experiences, visions, dreams, and spiritual gifts—but the primary purpose of the anointing is for evangelism. We must reclaim this!

** The women in Regina (and the many guys who came) really responded to this call and we had an anointing service, commissioning them to win souls and step out in their ministry gifts. Everyone also got a stalk of wheat to remind them of the message. My prayer is that we will see women stepping out in new ways to reach the harvest in Canada as a result of our time in Regina.

** After the Regina conference I flew to Vancouver to reunite with the people at West Pointe Christian Center. This was my fifth time to be with this church in the past seven years, and they have become like family. I did a Sunday morning service as well as two evening meetings at the church. I brought some teaching but also did a lot of personal prophetic ministry and spent lots of time with the pastors, John and Cal, and the other leaders including Kirk, Chris, Murray, Rose, Heather, Peter, Darlene and others. This church has weathered a lot of storms over the years, but there is a sense of faith and positive momentum building there for harvest in Vancouver.

** On Sunday night I also spoke at a city-wide prayer service held at Glad Tidings Assembly, a church that has been used mightily in past days to fuel revival in Canada. People came to this meeting from churches all over Vancouver: the crowd included evangelicals, Anglicans, charismatics, Mennonites and others. My favorite moment was when a multiethnic group of people lined up and prayed one after another in 17 different languages that are spoken in Vancouver.

** That night I shared from 2 Kings 19 about the supernatural victory God gave King Hezekiah over the armies of Assyria—who were breathing constant threats. Canadian Christians today battle a lot of intimidation from secularists, atheists and other anti-God forces. I believe the Lord sparked new faith in His people for a miraculous turnaround.

Breaking Cultural Bondage in Atlanta

** Our first Apostolic Women Arising conference in the Deep South was a great success. It was so great to have my wife with me this time. Barbara Wentroble and her awesome staff deserve a medal for the way they organized the event in the face of many obstacles. All the hassles were worth it because, in the end, women were powerfully changed. One woman I know from Athens, Georgia told me last week: “My ministry in the marketplace has shifted to a totally new level since AWA. I feel like I was clothed with a regal garment of authority.” That is what happens at AWA—women discover their authority in Christ as old mindsets and limitations are broken off of them.

** Barbara Wentroble, Naomi Dowdy, Indri Gautama and I ministered for four days in Atlanta. On Thursday night I did a message called “Your Cultural Bondage Is Gone With the Wind”—which was about how we must break free from old Southern cultural ideas about women and their “place.” I felt that all week we were warring against the old Southern strongholds of racism and gender bias. In my message I made several references to the movie Gone With the Wind and how culture pressures us to conform to wrong views of God and gender. At the end of the ministry time that night, the pastor of the church where we were having our meeting (Rev. Buddy Crum) got up and asked to share something important. He told us that his church’s property was once owned by a book publisher. He said that many years ago the author of the novel Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell, came to that very property and arranged to have her book published. We felt that God ordered that tiny detail to let us know that He is unraveling some powerful strongholds that have paralyzed women in the South.

** That night I led the women in a prophetic act. After challenging them to take their spiritual “territory”—their ministry, spiritual gifts, etc.—I asked them to come to the altar to get a small baggie of red Georgia clay. I had asked local Atlanta intercessor Jacquie Tyre to bring several hundred bags of this dirt for the meeting. The women held onto that dirt and we began to make prophetic declarations over them, asking God to shift them into a new level of authority so they can take territory for God. It was such a powerful moment. I was especially blessed that we had so many African American women with us in Atlanta. We truly broke through into a new place of racial unity and it was wonderful to see these black women claiming Georgia for the Lord. I believe we are going to see a release of women from Georgia going on the mission field.

** On Saturday I did a message called “Dealing with Your Men Issues.” I have done versions of this message in the past and it seems that every time I preach about it, women come in large numbers to the altar to receive healing from abuse, whether it was from husbands, fathers, brothers, boyfriends or pastors and spiritual leaders. There is always a sovereign outpouring of grace and healing that is poured over the women and they just begin to weep while some are delivered on the spot. I believe this is just a manifestation of the Father’s incredible love as He is rescuing His daughters from the bondage of their past. Thank you for praying for this precious anointing to increase.

Building Bridges in Baltimore

** Immediately after the Atlanta meeting I flew to Baltimore to do a series of meetings at Kingsway Christian Center, led by my friend Terry Bailey. It was a powerful time of prophetic ministry and teaching. My heart was so knit to the people there. It was also special to have my young Russian disciple Gennady with me during most of the event, and he was able to share his testimony and do some music ministry during the week.

** It was prophetic that Gennady was with me, because a lot of what I shared had to do with immigrants and why God is bringing them to the United States. The Kingsway church has a strong call to reach immigrant communities in the Baltimore/DC area. On the second night about 80 members of a Hispanic church in suburban Washington, D.C. came and sat in the balcony. They were using headsets to hear the message in Spanish. During the ministry time I asked them all to come to the altar and I began to prophesy over the pastor and his flock, and several individuals. Bringing these precious Spanish-speaking people to the front of the auditorium was God’s way of including them and honoring them—because many of them feel rejected and unwelcome in Anglo churches. By the last night everyone in these meetings understood that God is serious about mobilizing His church for a true Pentecost—which involves reaching EVERY ethnic and racial group for Jesus.

** One the last day I addressed a luncheon for area pastors. I taught on why we must shift from professional Christianity to relational Christianity—and how we must reclaim New Testament love and humility. After the message I asked five people to come forward to have their feet washed by some of the leaders there. The five people represented five groups of people we must empower and serve: 1) women; 2) African Americans; 3) Hispanics and other immigrants; 4) marketplace people/business leaders; and 5) the younger generation. I had the privilege of washing the feet of Danny Morgan, a 20-something associate pastor at Kingsway. It was a powerful moment and a demonstration of the way Jesus is breaking down barriers that have separated His church in the past.

God’s Healing in Nashville

** About a week after Baltimore I flew to Nashville to be a part of James and Michal Ann Goll’s Frontline Women’s Conference. James and Michal Ann have really battled for their lives this year—as both of them have forms of cancer. Yet God came in those meetings in a powerful way and it was such a blessing to see James and Michal Ann leading the services and making a sacrifice of praise. I am really honored to know these humble servants. Please keep them in prayer and ask the Lord for their total healing.

** Our meeting was at the historic Belmont Church, the church where Amy Grant and Pat Boone got their start. Cindy Jacobs, Jill Austin, Jane Hamon and Beth Alves were some of the other speakers. In my first session I was blessed to be able to minister right after Dabney Mann, a member of Belmont who has traveled to China many times in recent years to smuggle Bibles. It was a set-up from God that she spoke just before I did, because she represented the kind of humble women of character I am urging to come forward in these days of revival. I did a message on “Six Women Leaders to Avoid,” challenging the women to avoid the “diva spirit” that is running rampant in the church today. In the afternoon I did a message on spiritual abuse and, just like in Atlanta, women rushed to the altar to be healed from the pain of the past. You could almost hear chains falling in that place and women were delivered instantaneously. I am so grateful to be able to see these moments of restoration.

** Our time in Lima, Peru, was amazing. Pastor Johnny Enlow and his wife, Elizabeth, brought a team of about 14 people from Daystar Church of Atlanta to support the conference and serve on prophetic teams. The two men I brought with me, Charlie Daniels and Gennady Vitorsky, fit right in and we loved ministering with the Atlanta folks. I spoke three times during the conference and we saw both men and women delivered from the effects of machismo. Johnny brought powerful messages about how the church must take the “Seven Mountains” of secular society; meanwhile Elizabeth did an awesome job teaching the Peruvians about intimacy in worship.

** I proclaimed the message of gender equality throughout the week, using Genesis 1:26-28: Egual (equal) is not a word that men commonly use in Peru to refer to their wives or other women. But the Lord shook old mindsets and challenged old religious and cultural traditions. It is becoming obvious that the Lord is igniting a spiritual reformation in Latin America as the church confronts this issue.

** On the second night a very dignified lady came into the meeting and sat on the front row. I did not pay much attention to her since I tend not to look at people’s faces when I preach. After the message I asked the men to form a prayer tunnel, and then all the women began to go through the tunnel to receive prayer. It took about 40 minutes since there were at least 600 women there that night. The dignified lady went through the tunnel and then went into a room in the back of the church with some ladies on the team. I later learned that this woman was a national senator—and she got saved that evening! The rational side of my brain would tell me that a senator would not want to go through a prayer tunnel or watch people falling on the floor after being overcome by the Holy Spirit. But God touched this woman in a deep way.

** Because of Johnny Enlow’s many connections in Peru (he grew up there), we were asked to go to the National Congress building to pray in some offices. The president of the Congress, a wonderful Christian woman, asked us to pray for her staff. Two women who assist another senator were saved after we prayed and prophesied over them. Then on Friday I joined with one of the prophetic teams to pray over the president of the Congress, who has had many political battles recently. She was powerfully touched. Then on Saturday the general of the entire Peruvian military arrived at our hotel (with three armed vehicles) to receive prayer and prophetic ministry from our team. It was amazing to see how the leaders of this nation are so hungry for a touch from God.

** Sunday was an intense day because I preached in four church services. Since it was Father’s Day it was a perfect time to challenge the men to break free from old mindsets and reflect the Father’s heart for His daughters. And they were thrilled to hear that my oldest daughter, Margaret, is headed to Lima in July for a two-week mission trip with her college.

** I know that a rich deposit of God’s Word was made in fertile soil, and that the message will spread far beyond Lima. Many pastors from different parts of Peru came to the conference and were stirred when they heard the message about gender equality. Few people are preaching this in South America but they realize that the women are suffering greatly. Many pastors are asking for me to return. I have already committed to go back soon to a city called Tarapoto, where the indigenous women are horribly abused.

** After saying goodbye to the Atlanta team, I flew to La Paz, Bolivia, with Charlie and Gennady. Three women from Life Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania—Ruth, Carmen and Sandra—joined us there to serve in the conference and pray for people. We were overwhelmed by the love and humility displayed by all the leaders and volunteers from Ekklesia Church. Pastor Alberto Salcedes and his wife Sylvia have done an incredible job building this congregation. The church in La Paz, has about 12,000 members and they have planted dozens of other churches in Bolivia and in other nations.

** We arrived in La Paz at God’s appointed time. The local indigenous people were actually celebrating their New Year the day after we came—so we felt it was a prophetic moment to announce God’s new plan for restoring men and women to their original design through Jesus Christ. Bolivian women suffer horribly from abandonment, violence, neglect, incest, molestation and discrimination. The need for our message was overwhelming.

** In the mornings I was the featured guest on Pastor Sylvia’s live TV program, “Vaso Fragil” (Fragile Vessel), which is seen in dozens of nations through Enlace Television and other networks. We confronted the tough issues of machismo and domestic abuse, and many women called into the program to tell their stories and to ask for counsel. It was exciting to realize that God was taking the message so far beyond the confines of the one church where we were doing the conference. During one of the broadcasts I knelt in front of two women who had been denied ministry opportunities by church leaders. Everyone who saw this said they felt a powerful anointing on that moment and we believe the Lord was releasing healing throughout the region as viewers watched.

** Each night of the conference was a different crowd. Wednesday was for women, Thursday was for men and the last night was for men and women together. The women packed the place out, with 3,000 in the main sanctuary and another 500 in the aisles and foyer. It was impossible to do an altar call for abused women because most of them would have needed to come to the front and there was no room. So I had to trust that the Lord was moving among the women and doing His work. I was able to do an altar call for salvation and more than 120 women came forward to receive Jesus!

** The men’s meeting was incredible. That night I had arranged for us to have a visit from “El Pepino,” a clown who is known in Bolivia as being a symbol of machismo. Every year in a festival, El Pepino comes out and starts hitting women with a stick while everyone laughs at his antics. They just view machismo as being a funny part of their culture. In the festival, El Pepino is carried to a cemetery and “buried,” but he is “resurrected” every year to continue his foolishness. When El Pepino came into the back of the auditorium on Thursday night, I ordered him on the stage. I took away his club, hit him on the head with it and told him that his days were over. Then a group of men wrestled him to the ground and we placed him in a casket. As he was carried out, I declared that El Pepino is not coming back from the dead anymore. Machismo is over! The crowd went wild and this scene was captured on the conference DVD. We learned that everyone was buzzing about “the end of El Pepino.”

** At the end of the men’s meeting at least 60 or 70 guys got saved. They also stood in long lines to receive a hug from me or the guys on my team. The Father’s healing love was truly present to heal these men at the deepest level from their own abuse issues.

** I used a lot of drama in my sermons and the Bolivians loved the visual aids. We acted out the story of the Samaritan woman, the woman caught in adultery, Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, and the creation of Adam and Eve. All of these moments were recorded on DVD and we have heard that the messages have been selling widely. That means that even after we are gone the gospel will continue to spread beyond La Paz.

** The Lord was with us, and he helped us overcome sickness and the challenges of the high altitude in Bolivia. My young disciple Gennady did not feel good in La Paz and had to be on oxygen some of the time, but he still was able to pray for men and receive impartation from the conference. On Thursday night after the breakthrough in the men’s meeting I got hit with terrible stomach pains. I did not sleep all night, and the next morning the church’s doctor told me I had food poisoning. A few minutes before the TV show I threw up, but then they put some makeup on me and made me look normal! The Lord gave me the grace to do the show and to preach that night even though I felt weak. We saw wonderful healing released to married couples, abandoned women and abused women on the last night. When we are weak, He is strong!

There were so many other things that happened on this trip but that is the summary. I know that it would not have been successful without your prayers. It was so obvious to us that the Lord was covering, protecting, guiding and empowering us every day.

If you know women who are called into ministry (whether it is church leadership or leadership in the marketplace) or if you know male pastors and leaders who want to understand God’s plan for gender partnership, please let them know about this important training conference. It is going to be a life-changing event for all who come—and I am so thrilled that we are finally doing this conference in the Southeast.

Here are the details:

Where: Atlanta, Georgia
When: July 18-21, 2007
Venue: Life Center, 2690 Vernon Rd., Atlanta

Speakers: Barbara Wentoble of International Breakthrough Ministries, Dallas;
Naomi Dowdy of Global Covenant Network, Singapore;
Indri Gautama of Apostolic Generation Church in Jakarta, Indonesia;
Kim Daniels of Spoken Word Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida;
And myself.

** This is an intensive training conference for women (as well as men) who want to discover God’s new paradigm for gender partnership in ministry. You will learn from seasoned women leaders who have proven apostolic ministries, and you will gain a new vision for the way God intends men and women to work together in the Kingdom.

** The Mentoring segment of the event will take place Wednesday, July 18 (9 am to 9 pm) and Thursday (9 am to 4 pm). Then the conference portion will begin Thursday night and run through Saturday, July 21 at 1 pm. (Those who drive can get home on Saturday night if you life in the Southeast.) The mentoring sessions will include opportunities for questions, interaction with the speakers and plenty of hands-on impartation.

Cost (Before May 25): $100 for mentoring segment, $60 for conference.
(after May 25): $120 for mentoring segment, $75
There are special prices for married couples and students.

Hotels near the church are reasonable ($59/night).

To register:
** You may go to www.internationalbreakthroughministries.org or call (972) 870-0208.

Please spread the word: It is a new season for the church in the South!