It’s been an incredible journey.
On the first trip to the Middle East our team ministered in the only church in that particular nation that believes in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We’ve since become very good friends with the pastors and leaders of this church over the last couple of years. They are currently under-ground due to persecution. They’ve been going through some really tough times.
During this first trip the women were shut down, frozen and afraid. They stayed glued in their chairs with frightened looks on their faces as the Holy Spirit moved through the room. The men were free to flow with the Lord in prayer, worship and general Holy Spirit swimming, but not the women.
Now, just a few years later, they are falling more in love with Jesus, finding their voices, their gifts and allowing their passion for the Lord to awaken into fullness. We’ve seen this happen in the other Middle Eastern nations as well. Every time we go back we see more and more life brewing within these women.
During this last conference in Beirut (with all the churches from all three nations) we held our first women only sessions. These ladies were astonished! They were so completely excited at the chance to be addressed as honorable women. We had a great discussion on being CALLED as women… that our calling on this planet can only be accomplished by us being women. Their jaws dropped. They had always seen their womanhood as a handicap… nothing more and nothing less. You see, in their culture many of the women don’t share their lives together with the other women in their community. They don’t talk of their challenges, or share their joys or pains. For most of them this was the first time they had heard of the sufferings the women around them had been living through. They have so many questions about trust. They’re hungry for healthy, intimate relationships, and they’re ready to learn.
There’s so much to tell you, but this would turn out to be a book! Let me just say this; The pastors of these churches are passionate about seeing the women come forth in their gifts and callings. They are creating an atmosphere of mutual honor and freedom. This is so rare in this culture! These are truly honorable, humble, God-fearing men. The pastor of the church in Beirut spoke forth a prophetic word that there will be great Holy Spirit movement upon the women, and upon the churches in the Middle East. Now they’re opening the door for us to come in and call these women forth.
The momentum of the Holy Spirit is moving and I feel that the Lord is saying now is the time. This November we’re going to hold our first ever women’s conference in the Middle East. This is, in and of itself, pretty awesome. Women who are in underground churches will be coming. Women from terribly abusive homes will be coming. This will be such a valuable time to heal, encourage and strengthen these amazing believers.
But my heart is beating with excitement over my personal mission to begin a full-blown Middle Eastern women’s ministry that spans over several nations. The pastors wives of three churches are very strong, gifted women. While we are there in November I will be working with them to help plant a women’s ministry that will pour life into many many Middle Eastern women. I want to give them all the help and support they need, but my goal is for this to be led by a team of Arabic women.
.
Please join me in prayer for this event! I have heard the Lord declare “All hands on deck!” If you feel your heart beat in this direction, please feel free to contact me with any questions whatsoever. Please get the word out to anyone you think may be interested in this! We need so much prayer, as well as strong financial backing. I deeply believe that the Lord is calling together the army of prayer warriors and financial supporters to come along side this mission.
Thank you for reading 🙂
