Greetings, I hope this email finds you all well. It is a beautiful sunny day here in Orlando, and I must say that i am enjoying it A LOT! It has been a while since I have written one of these and for that may I say that I am extremely sorry. I have an extremely bad habit of procrastinating that I am trying to break. There has been so much going on that I am not exactly sure where to begin, I guess the beginning will have to work.
As many of you know in January of 2009 I attended a training program for six months lead by an organization called Youth With A Mission (Y.W.A.M.). It was during this training program that I was inspired by God to begin developing a new kind of ministry at my home church in Southwest Michigan. One Evening while reading a book by the name of " Red Moon Rising" by Pete Grieg and Dave Roberts, I was completely inspired. This book is about different prayer movements that have begun all over the world, and the journey that shaped the life of the founders. It was through this book that a vision formed inside of me, and this is what I saw."Peoples from all denominations coming together worshiping God. Praying and interceding for the nations 24hrs a day 7 days a week 365 days a year. A place where creative juices can flow in Music, art, and dance. A place where discipleship can take place any hour of the day in an environment desirable for fellowship. I see city evangelism being sparked by the ignited passion that comes through living out worship and prayer as a lifestyle. A place where intimacy with God is encouraged and cultivated. Where prayer can happen individually without distraction and corporately without intimidation. I see the people of Southwest Michigan fully engaged with God through prayer and worship as a lifestyle. I see marriages being restored. Sickness being rare, and lives being made whole through the power of faithful and expectant prayer.
That was the vision God gave me for my Hometown. God wanted to start a prayer movement and use me to do it. When I began to see this all unfold in my head, of course I struggled with all the usual thoughts of being incapable and handicapped much like Moses when God told him he would be the one to deliver the Hebrews(Exodus 3:11-13), and truth be told a bit like Jonah when God told him to bring the word of God to Nineveh (Jonah 1).
This Vision excited and scared me all at the same time. Upon receiving this vision I began to ask God what the next step was. At this time Youth With A Mission had begun offering a new training program called " School of Ministry and Development(S.O.M.D)". This school was centerend more on developing the call that God has placed over each persons life. This was the next step towards that vision for me. So once my discipleship training school ended in June of last year, I took on several Jobs to earn money that was required to attend this next school. Through that Hard work and the miraculous hand of God, I was able to attain just enough for the first half of this School of Ministry and Development.
The School of Ministry Development began this last January 2010, and Honestly I had no idea what I had gotten Myself into. This school has been filled with LOTS of reading and practical teaching to help anyone develop their ministries. Things like Conflict resolution, understanding your call, developing that call, evangelism, revival of the heart, Identity, and so on! Along with these classes came things like Prayer, worship, intercession, LOTS of required reading, and things of that nature. Needless to say things were and still are, busy. The one thing that you may not know is that through most of these teachings, God has been slowly and frequently been breaking off little pieces of the stone walls that completely surround my heart.
As God began this work in me I made a sincere decision to be completely obedient to God and His leading even if I don't get it, and even if it seems a little crazy, and even if I lose the approval of those whom I had been looking to for acceptance and approval. Through out this school I have also been praying and asking God what the next step is for me. I Prayed about weather I was to go home and begin working to develop this vision, or stay here in Orlando and continue to be discipled in the areas that God has been challenging me to grow in. I really prayed hard into this and felt like God was telling me that going home to Michigan was ok, and staying in Orlando was ok. Which left the decision completely up to me. Later after some intense prayer with a few of my leaders, the question came up "What would be better for me?" So I prayed more into this and felt like God was really moving in me, challenging me and more importantly CHANGING me here in this setting and that possibly the growth might be hindered though unintentionally if I was to return home at this moment. I made the decision to stay here in Orlando.
This is where I am at now. The class room section of this school ends within the week, and I am completely living on the faith that God will provide the $2000 for me to stay here and continue to grow, and serve. I am looking forward just as much though to when I can go back to southwest Michigan and begin developing this ministry God has called me to. I know that there is still much work to be done in my heart by God, before I will be ready to be released into this ministry. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support in all of this. I have a few prayer request for those of you who are praying for me and lifting me up before God. Please pray that God would provide the finances for me to stay here and continue to grow. Pray also that I will be focused in the next coming week on what we are learning, fear of what's happening next is huge in me right now. Pray that will just continue to speak and work in me as he has so faithfully been doing since I have been here! Thanks so much! I will be doing better at keeping all updated on what is going in my life in the future! Love you all and God bless!
His servant,
Crystal Huff
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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