I WAS JUST THINKING.....

It's 10:33pm on Sunday September 15,2013 and I am finally sitting down to actually write this update. This past year has been an emotional roller coaster for our family. We received a word from Eava Currence July 2012 that was short but timely. She said “Jerome do not fear the change that is coming.” I knew that this was directly related to EHC in some way. I kept this word tucked in my heart and when the Intercessory Missionary program ended I was thankful that the Lord showed me kindness and spoke to me. When the program ended we were not able to to raise funds through EHC anymore and the airplane that represented the prayer room needed to be landed. This threw us into relying on God like never before. I have repeated the cycle of anger, sadness, joy and eventually overwhelming peace multiple times since that day. My anchor during this time was the word that the Lord gave me in February of 2010. While reading about Nehemiah, I felt deep within my spirit that I was to help build The Wall. (To me this meant that I would coming along side of what the Hieberts were doing and giving my all, and eventually coming along Tanner and giving my all.) I am confident that the Lord has a plan to build His house of prayer here in the Springs. I am also confident that I have a part to play in this.

The biggest challenge we have had this past year is finances. My partnership development dropped significantly but I believe the Lord used this to answer my prayer. I have spent a substantial amount of time asking the Lord to help me to be faithful and steady regardless of my situation. Psalm 110:3 says Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power... I am aware that this passage points to other things, but I feel that it also point to the heart of the volunteer. From February 2010 until February 2012 I constantly sang and declared that His leadership over my life was perfect, that just and true are all His ways, that if the north winds or the sound winds were blowing up on me I would love him, that He is worthy of me embracing simplicity, that the knowledge of God was high on my list, that in the midst of everything I would seek Him as my one thing, and that in the darkest night of my soul I would be found singing. At some point our profession of faith gets tested and we see what has really taken root and what hasn't. I have not always been victorious during this time. I have had my share of compromise and being led astray by doubt, fear, and unbelief. But a couple of things never changed. Hilda and I have stood and remain in agreement and I have not stopped singing.

The last three months have been the most challenging but we are standing strong and unwavering. There are three specific things I want to share. First, the Lord revealed to me that I had felt like I was rejected and this caused me to draw within. The phrase He actually gave me was “The Turtle Effect.” Picture a turtle who is in a crowd of people but only sticking its head out enough to barely see and barely to be seen. When the Lord reveled to me that this is what I had been doing I repented and allowed Him to minister truth to me. Second, there was about a $1500 difference in what we were getting verses what we needed each month to survive. We received a word in Jan of this year that said “I am challenging you to trust me like never before.” This has rang true every single month this year. We have seen God provide in miraculous ways, and we stand in awe of His provision. We are behind in some ways and we are expecting that to change sooner than later. He has used this time to shake and begin to uproot fear in our hearts that was laying dormant. Thirdly, my eyes have been opened to the gift of relationship that he has surrounded me with. My wife is and has been a huge source of encouragement to me. I am blessed and overwhelmed that when we didn't know how things would work out she would look me in the eyes and say “Jerome you are doing exactly what you are suppose to be doing, and don't stop.” I am learning how to unwrap this gift of relationship, and it is bringing so much healing to my heart. I know this is longer than usual, but I wanted to give you a real time update of whats going on. I recently came to a point of utter desperation needing to know from the Lord if I was done and needed to move on to something else. After praying and sitting with wise council I know that I am to continue to remain faithful and steady in the place of prayer, and worship before the Lord. God is pouring out His spirit of revelation like never before in my life, and I still have some sorting to do concerning specific expression of my gift mix. Currently I am doing 12-15 hours at EHC, this includes devo sets, worship with word sets, intercession sets, (actively praying for the nations), and praying for the ministry and staff of EHC. I am spending anywhere from 3-8 hours a week at Mercy's Gate (in my next update I will share about how God is moving by His spirit there), I am also helping with High Place Ministries serving on a soaking prayer team anywhere from 2-4 hours a week, and I am also spending time strengthening prayer and worship at City of Jesus House of Prayer, Boulder Street Church (40 hours of prayer events) and other events as they arise. Hilda is working part time now at Gold's Gym in the house keeping department, and is teaching/coaching with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. We are down to one roommate and my 12 year old nephew from Denver is now living with us. We feel him moving with us is very timely and we see it as God's intervention in his life. He is now on a direct course with the destiny that God has in store for him. There is much grace on our lives to walk out the practicals and we are grateful for this. I will be looking for something part time until my partnership development picks back up. Thank you for your prayers, financial gifts, your words of encouragement, and for just running this race with us. We draw so much strength and encouragement from you.

Please agree with us in prayer
*For a $6000 debt to get paid off so Hilda can return to school to teach *For our partnership team to increase *For everything concerning our nephew living with us *For our Girls (Zion just entered middle school, and Zaria is 3 ½ years old...if you have kids you know) *For me to be faithful and steady *For us to walk through the correct doors *For our marriage (that we would walk in fullness in every area)

I WAS JUST THINKING.....

Below you will find what I will be up to for the next few months. JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2013 Over the next three months I will devote myself to encouraging the body of Christ within my sphere of influence to 1st grow in love for Jesus, and 2nd to pray to the Lord of the Harvest for souls to be saved. I want to help believers identify and overcome barriers/hindrances in their personal prayer lives resulting in being able to see or know God’s heart for them and for others. I would also like to come along those who are already in a place of prayer and be a resource and help strengthen them. *I will attend prayer meetings *I will provide teaching and general encouragement in the place of prayer *I will demonstrate the union of prayer and worship through leading worship at prayer meetings *I will come along side others who desire to mobilize prayer in this city and abroad *I will serve and spend time praying with the lost On-going serving opportunities Mercy’s Gate: I plan on leading devotionals on prayer I plan on praying directly with the lost I plan on providing materials on prayer (25 book and 25 prayer maps) I plan on encouraging believers in the place of prayer I plan on demonstrating the union of prayer and worship by leading an intercession set with staff members I plan on meeting with 20 staff/volunteers I plan on meeting with 72 neighbors I plan on spending 63 hours serving over a period of three months High Place Ministries: I plan to pray with believers to help them identify hindrances/blockages to prayer I plan to provide materials for prayer (30 books, 30 prayer maps, and 10 kid prayer maps) I plan to prayer specifically with ministry leaders, and missionaries who work directly with the lost I plan to pray with military personal I plan to talk to 25-30 volunteers I plan to pray with a total of 36 people I plan to spend 20 hours serving over a period of three months Prayer Corps: I plan to spend 15-20 hours a week mobilizing prayer in the prayer room, through leading worship sets, intercession sets, and spending time in the prayer room. I plan to help mobilize and equip prayer through fueling the evening section with intercessors and musicians. City of Jesus House of Prayer and New Wine Fellowship: I plan to lead times of prayer for the lost and for the nations I plan to provide materials on prayer (15 books) I plan to spend 36 hours serving over a period of three months Special serving opportunities Church of God by Christ: (Pueblo, Colorado) I plan to help mobilize and equip prayer for a 24 hour prayer event through leading sets, gathering other musicians, intercessors and providing materials for prayer. (50- 75 books/maps) Boulder Street Church 40 hrs of prayer I plan to lead intercession sets for the city of Colorado Springs My intended outcome is to have a 100 plus people know that they are loved by God, and that He loves to meet them in the place of prayer. I intended to see believers encouraged to stand before God in worship, in devotional prayer, and to see a spark of prayer ignited for intentional steadfast prayer for the harvest.

I WAS JUST THINKING.....

I pray that this update finds you walking in the fullness of His of love, joy and peace. While spending time in prayer for you as my financial and prayer partner’s two passages of scriptures were highlighted. Jeremiah 33:3-Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Song of Solomon 2:14-O my dove, in the cleft of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me hear your voice, for you voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. There is an invitation from the Lord to call to Him. Why? Because He wants to hear your voice and He wants to see your face. I dare to take it further and say that He not only wants to hear you call to Him but He loves it. Yahweh, the One from the beginning, the one who is the soon and coming King, the creator of Heaven and Earth lends His ear to weak and feeble humans. The creator beckoning His creation to come set aside time to ask, seek, and knock. This blows me away and encourages my daily prayer times. And just to take it a step further He hears and then responds and reveals things that we didn't know. WOW! I pray that this encourages you, and stirs you to have a “little talk” with Jesus; your friend, your redeemer, your comforter, your present help in the time of trouble, the Lover of your soul. The last three months I have felt this tension in my heart that made me a bit uncomfortable. I love sitting in the prayer room, singing, and meditating on the beauty of the Lord. But I felt a shift within my heart that I didn't immediately understand. I had this longing to see the body of Christ equipped and mobilized to pray. After much seeking, crying and working through misunderstanding I feel like the vision in my heart has been redefined. When I first moved to Colorado Springs I had just left a season of building the local house of prayer and serving the Body of Christ in Michigan. I dove into building the Lord a resting place but neglected serving His bride. I misunderstood the Lord's wooing for me to serve in a greater capacity. I at first thought that He was calling me away from sitting in the prayer room because I had this strong desire to actually go out and do other things. This may seem strange to some but keep in mind that for the past 3 years I have sat in a room (sometimes empty) and just poured out my love to Him through song and intercession. About six months ago I was at an altar call and as the minister was praying over me she saw me as a Cedar of Lebanon that was rooted and being fed. She then saw the tree with feet and it began to walk around to different places and eventually it became a table (a place of encounter for people). I just jotted this down in my journal and didn't think much of it until recently. I feel that is the season for this word, and I am sure that it will continue to unfold in ways that I can’t see yet. While serving as a Prayer Corps Missionary at Every Home for Christ, and running with a couple of other ministries in the city, I will be joining other places that are stirred to pray by coming along side them and using all that I have learned during my time of just simply sitting at His feet. Hilda and the Girls finished up the school year successfully. Zion Graduated from the 5th grade and the teachers say that because Zaria was at the school so much with Hilda that she graduated also. Hilda served as PTO President, Volunteer Coordinator, and the school rep for District 11's accountability committee. The girls will be missed because of the impact that they had at the school. We are looking forward to what the next season of life will bring. This fall Zion will begin her journey to middle school and in the fall Hilda will be enrolling in school to finish up her degree in music education. We are glad that you are in our lives and we look forward to connecting with you on a more personal level. We appreciate your partnership; we know that we would not be able to be fully given to the work of the Lord without you. Prayer requests: *Please continue to pray for our marriage *Please continue to pray for our daughters *Please continue to pray for our partnership team to grow *Please continue to pray for Colorado Springs (we know God has a good plan for our city)