TESTIMONY TIME

Even though the world appears to be in utter chaos right now, we believe that God is still on the throne and that Jesus is still the victorious one. We have been privileged enough to see God work in amazing ways in and through our lives as well as our local community. Below are a few stories that represent merely a fraction of what God is doing in and through our community never mind in the world right now. We hope they fill you with faith and hope for your community and your breakthrough:

Ashley:

Kids Camp

• This summer I (Ashley) was asked to take the lead on a 2-week summer camp for middle school kids here in Kona. It was so much fun and so powerful to see the many ways God met and encountered these kids and to see how hungry they all were for more of God. I have always had such a passion to see youth trained up and equipped to start walking in the fullness of relationship and life with Jesus at a young age and to show them that they have access to “do the stuff” that Jesus models through the power of the Holy Spirit that is in them. One of my favourite testimonies from the camp is a healing of one of the youngest boys in the group named Truman. As one of our speakers was sharing her own personal testimony of how God had miraculously healed her when she was 12 of spinal problems and one leg being shorter than the other and how this moment had revealed to her the bigness and realness of God, he came over to my chair with eyes wide and told me he also had major back pain and thought he might have one leg shorter than the other before and wanted prayer. Sure enough, his one leg was much shorter than his other and so my co-leader, Christian, and the speaker who shared the testimony prayed over him and before their eyes, his leg grew out to be even with the other. Truman’s eyes filled with tears as he said God’s presence filled his body and he got up to test it out freaking out saying “wow I can jump and it doesn’t hurt anymore!” Wow! God is so powerful and so so good!

• Another sweet testimony from the camp is one of the kids Zayden who was filled with so much boldness and a major heart for the lost during the two weeks. At one point in my teaching, I was talking to the kids about how Jesus is so much better than anything the world has to offer and specifically went into how the joy, peace, and love we find in Christ are drastically better than the counterfeits the world offers in drugs, alcoholism, partying, porn, etc. We talked about how this fact that nothing of this world comes close to comparing to Jesus is the great big secret we get to share with the world that the enemy doesn’t want anyone to know. Zayden was so struck by this that he kept bringing it up and wanting to pray over people deceived by the enemy. At one of our prayer room mornings, Zayden asked if we could take time to pray for anyone who was addicted to drugs so that they could know that Jesus is better and be set free (so powerful and so so sweet!). At the end of the week, we got to take the group to the beach for a fun day and as we were getting ready to leave the beach, Zayden noticed a man at the edge of the parking lot who was smoking and actually doing drugs right in broad daylight. Rather than being intimidated or judgemental, Zayden got so excited and said with so much boldness, “Look! That guy is doing drugs! We have to go pray for him and tell him all about Jesus!!!” It was the best! Zayden, one of his friends and one of the other adults with us that day went over to the man and shared about Jesus and prayed over him. You could easily tell that the man was so touched and so encouraged by these kids love for him and kindness to approach him with love and compassion.

Jaco:

Commission the city

• Over 300 participants took part in this 4-week online activation course. I (Jaco) had the privilege of leading a small group with around 6 people in it. The group was extremely diverse ranging from newly saved participants to a pastor of 30 years. Our discussions around the Gospel, hearing the voice of the Lord and local impact were incredibly fruitful and deep. One of the couples recalled how they had been missionaries in the Philippines for many years however have since lost their zeal and fire. The testified that this course helped to reignite the fire inside of them for the Gospel. They were able to engage their extended family in the course content and even started stepping out, sharing and pouring into young people while they were away on holiday. Another lady started a young mom’s club in her neighbourhood gathering mothers on a weekly basis for a Bible study and fellowship. Another lady along with her pastor organized a public open-air worship event. All of these people have day jobs and are not in full-time ministry, however through this course they learned that what they do day to day is worship and they have an opportunity to partner with Jesus and the Holy Spirit on a daily basis right where they are at.

If you feel like your fire has dimmed a bit, or you would like to learn more about how to hear God’s voice for yourself and others and want to get encouraged and equipped to have an impact in your local setting please click here to learn more about Commission the City.

Greg

• On Sunday mornings I (Jaco) have been drinking coffee with a good friend at one of the nearby beaches. This particular morning I was running about 20/30min late, I proceeded to go to the beach and hang out with my friend. After about an hour I felt like it was time to go and so I walked back to my car, as I was about to get in a man approached me asking me for water. After some conversation, I felt in my spirit that I was supposed to take the man to Target so that he could buy himself some water. On our way there he started asking me all about what I was doing and what my job was. I explained that I have the best job in the world, I get to travel around the world telling people about my best friend Jesus. As I said this his eyes lit up and when I asked him if he knew Jesus he said that he knew of him but he didn’t know that he could actually have a relationship with him. I realised I needed some more time and asked him if he would like to hear more of the story. We ended up going through the MacDonalds drive-through talking about Jesus all the way. He was astounded at how relatable the Jesus of the Bible is was and is. He was thrown aback at the prospect of being able to know God. Long story short we sat in the Target parking lot for a good 40-50 min and at the end of our talk he asked if he could invite Jesus into his heart. I got to minister and pray for him as he started his relationship with Christ Jesus. God is so good, and God loves to work with us and through us, I remember praying over the last few weeks that God would give me divine opportunity to share his goodness in my life with someone else. I want to challenge you as you read this pray that prayer. Pray that God would set up a divine meeting this week for you to share your story of faith, and what God has done in you and for you. Pray for a chance to share His message of Salvation and Lordship and who knows you might just get to partner with the living God in loving on someone who desperately needs it.

In our Community:

RTC (Respect the Corners)

• RTC is our campus functional fitness and CrossFit ministry. They have been pouring into the local fitness community and local high schools for the past few years and have seen God open incredible doors. Over the summer, the door opened to host a sports camp for a local high school. A mixed group of boys and girls came for a week intensive. During this week, 30 students gave their lives to Jesus! For the next 2 months, they came to campus 3 times per week for extra coaching as well as discipleship. This has been an incredible opportunity to pour into the local community.

Leadership track

• Frenchie Gamora, one of our staff members here with YWAM Kona has been running a local youth group, however, when he was asked to lead it he agreed as long as he could activate the youth not just teach them. This has led to some incredible events and testimonies of prayer and worship walks and even to the door to door evangelism of whole neighbourhoods. God is on the move through the simple yes of everyday believers! These youth have seen their own family members get saved and healed, and they have witnessed God do mighty miracles in and through them and they are getting the tools to live that out in a tangible way.

Prayer Movement on Campus

• Prayer changes things, prayer moves the heart of God. Intercession shifts the atmosphere and has to be our first line of defence and offence. These are basic beliefs that we have to carry as followers of Christ. As a campus, there has been a renewal of the awareness of our need for intercession and worship. Especially in the climate and circumstances that we are facing globally as the body of Christ right now.

• The spirit of prayer, intercession and worship has gripped our campus and there has been a fresh hunger and zeal to not only fight for our breakthrough, but also for a breakthrough on behalf of others. To fight for breakthrough over the unreached and unengaged peoples groups of the earth; breakthrough for the bibleless languages and people groups. Breakthrough for those that are oppressed, broken, downtrodden and captive. It has been breathtaking to witness our campus take ownership and responsibility by committing to a minimum of 1 hour per day of gritty intercession.

On top of this as a campus we have been studying Acts and focusing on:

• The power of the Holy Spirit

• Spiritual disciplines like worship, fasting, prayer and preaching.

• Community and the church

• Local impact

• Family as the birthplace of revival.

There are so many things we could say about each of these topics, but I want to challenge you to slowly read through Acts and be on the lookout for each of these areas and see what God wants to say to you and through you. Maybe God wants to use you to impact your local setting, to birth a hunger for worship and intercession. Maybe he wants to use your family to show your community what his standard for family is. Maybe He wants to use you to be a culture setter in your workplace. Maybe He just wants to give you permission to chase after Him with wild desire like never before.

As a community, we are gripped and this prayer movement has been the catalyst for so many of the testimonies on this page, and so many more.

If we look back at history, to every major/minor revival or renewal or piece of reformation, they all begin with a remnant (a small group) of faithful intercessors who are willing to dare to believe God is who He says he is. No matter what area of breakthrough you are contending for or trusting for in your own life, community, workplace, family, church, do not despise the day of small beginnings. You might just be the first person that God wants to use to catalyze that breakthrough and change. All we have to do is to be faithful to go before Him and partner with Him in intercession.

If you would like to know more about intercession, where to start, what to pray or just need some encouragement, please reach out to us. We would love to pray with you and see what God wants to say.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you have any questions, comments or feedback please feel free to reach out to us.