Please know that, although this is a school, you are also partnering with us as we minister to many, many people here. Living in this Bethel "kingdom culture" gives us much opportunity to build relationships with students as well as visitors and our lives are spent speaking into people's lives, ministering Jesus' love through prayer, and much time spent praying for people for healing, provision, and a deeper relationship with God. It is so wonderful to see how God can touch people through the hearts of his children.
Healing
We have been busier than normal this past couple of weeks. Last week, Randy Clark was here with a healing conference that filled the Redding Convention Center day and night for 4 days. We attended during the days as students, and nights as prayer servants when people came from all over to attend free night services. There were many healings of blindness, deafness, lung disease, arthritis, pain, etc. One of the most remarkable was people who had metal screws and rods in their body were healed of pain and they were able to move and flex as if they had no metal in their bodies. This happened, I think, to about 25 people.
Ministry Work
Rick continues to work on Sundays, cooking and cleaning in the Bethel kitchen as they serve hundreds of homeless who come to eat and also low income families who bring their children. Many stay for church as well.
I volunteer for the church's "Pastor on Call" ministry team for three hours one day a week. We pray with people over the phone who call in for prayer. My first day was last week, and I talked to about 5 people from around the country who called in. Two other people worked the same morning. The phones were busy. I am learning so much by doing this ministry. I am also filling in for the testimony writer at the healing rooms while she is in Haiti with the Bethel team that is on its way there. I did that for the first time last Saturday and it was quite an experience to talk with so many people who had experienced a healing touch from the Lord that morning. I'll be doing that again tomorrow morning.
Rick and I love to host some of the students for dinner occasionally. They love a home-cooked meal and we love to get to know them better in this way. They are remarkable young people from around the world that have such a heart to serve the Lord and love Him so intimately. We are learning so much from them, and I think they like and need to be around us mom and dad type people.
Remembering to "Be Still" ...
Rick has a job lined up for tomorrow installing a garage door opener. We are still asking for God's hand in a job he can do around school hours. I've been so busy with Bethel this past two weeks, that I haven't been able to work much for the paper. But they did approve six ideas I had for stories that I'll start working on next week. I find myself so drawn to all that Bethel is doing for classes - both school and night classes - and wanting to volunteer that I realize I can't do it all. I have to cut back. Most importantly I can't forsake the quiet time I need every day with the Lord - learning to listen - learning to rest in Him. From that place I get direction, clarity, energy and creativity. Whew - we all have to remember that important secret place with God. It's not about us being busy doing His stuff. It's about our relationship with Him - our quiet times with him - and out of those, understanding what He's doing and entering into that. So...I am spending the weekend rearranging and cutting out some of the extra things I'm doing so I can still do my job with the paper, have my quiet time, and keep up with school.
By the way - I'm on Facebook - find me and be my friend! I'm listed under Christine Krohn Tracy - Northern Colorado
Love to you all!!!
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