Life Connections

Dear Friends,

We have had an amazing year Bringing Life to the Nations! I just got back from a very powerful trip to Uganda where we were involved in a wide variety of ministry opportunities. We visited prisons, schools, churches, hospitals and even some of the IDP Camps in Northern Uganda.

I have been doing this work for about 11 years now, yet I learn something new on every trip. One of the biggest lessons I learned on this trip was no matter where the Lord sends us . . . even if it’s a place where joy and life are non-existent . . . the very presence of God in us brings life and a time of rejoicing to those we serve. And in the process, we too are blessed!

We experienced many blessings in Uganda, but I want to share the specifics of two particular memories. On the very first day of our trip, we were asked to go speak in a local prison. We divided the team in two: the women went to share at the ladies prison and the guys headed towards the men’s facility. I had no idea what to expect and, quite frankly, was a little intimidated as to what I should offer these men. How could I relate having never spent time in prison myself?  I was expecting the surroundings to be a very heavy and oppressive, but when the men started to sing and worship, it was like the flood gates of heaven had been opened! The sincerity of these men and their hunger for the Word of God was absolutely amazing! I remembered the scripture that reads,” The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). I watched this verse come alive as these Ugandan prisoners poured out the contents of their broken hearts to God. It was truly a wonderful experience.

On another occasion we traveled to the city of Gulu in northern Uganda and visited a children’s ward at the local hospital. It was not easy to see so many sick little children with barely any medical attention. Many just laid in bed, not wanting to move. But our team went in and just started loving these kids, praying over them and playing with them. Before too long the entire atmosphere had changed. The heaviness we first experienced had been replaced with laughter. But then, that’s what Life Connections is all about . . . bringing God’s life . . . sharing God’s joy, even in the toughest situations.

Our goal at Life Connections is allow members of Christ’s Body to serve as vessels of light in a dark world. Maybe that dark world is in Uganda. Maybe it’s in our own backyard. But wherever the Lord takes us, it is our prayer that we impart to others what He has so freely given to us!

Thank you so very much for being a part of Life Connections as we heed our Lord’s call to bring life to the nations!

And now . . . here’s a brief report on some of our most recent activity.
 

Denmark
 

This past July, Christy joined me as we took a team of seven people to partner with our friends Weyman & Susan Howard and Thom Wedge of Healing Waters Ministry in Denmark. Originally from the Los Angeles area, the Howard’s have relocated to Denmark in response to our Lord’s call that they share the message of love and unity with the Danish people. We were able to join them and be a part of the largest summer family camp in Denmark . . . about 3,000 people attended! And what a response! God is using Weyman and Susan to walk through doors that have been shut for centuries. Our team served in a variety of ways, including worship. Devon and Becki Ryan traveled with us to share their music with the Danish people, and the Danes loved it! The rest of us had opportunities to share our testimonies, to teach, and simply pray with our distant brothers and sisters. We came as servants, yet watched as God advanced His Kingdom.

New York
 

After we finished in Denmark, Devon, Becki and I flew to New York where we joined another LCI team headed by Lyle Randles, our Director of Prayer Ministry. For an entire week we served the people of New York City. We distributed food to the homeless in Brooklyn, participated in a community outreach in Harlem, prayer walked through the heart of the City, and even had time to sit under the trees and worship God in the middle of Battery Park. On one particular evening we had the pleasure of partnering with Raven Ministry (a part of Times Square Church) in an outreach to some of the street kids who hang out at Union Square. I’ll let Lyle tell you about it!

When we arrived at Union Square, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just wanted to stay “open” to the Spirit’s lead. We all gathered for a quick prayer, divided into teams, and headed off in different directions. Each team carried sandwiches and lemonade. My team headed towards the north side of the Square, and as we rounded a corner, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach. Just ahead of us was a small herd of some of the toughest looking kids I had ever seen . . . all dressed in black . . . all looking as tough and as mean as possible. “These kids won’t relate to me,” I thought to myself. “I’m almost 60. What can I possibly say to any of them that will make a difference?” O ye of little faith! We served up sandwiches and I poured out the lemonade. Within 20 minutes we were sitting in small groups, talking about life, and answering questions . . . just making friends. The Holy Spirit wanted to touch some of those young people that night, and He did! He even used an old clay pot that was pretty unsure of himself!
 

Mexico
 

In August, I had the pleasure of taking a team of 21 people to Mexico to work with Baja Vision and City of Angels Ministry. In the midst of our work projects we served the local children by playing games, painting their faces, making food, and just loving them. We were also pleased to bring a rather sizeable donation from Metro Calvary Chapel to help the children cover school fees and transportation costs for the next year. What a huge blessing this was to the local ministry!
 

Los Angeles
 

In early September we were pleased to partner with the Wesley United Methodist Church as they hosted their second annual community outreach in South Central Los Angeles. The festival included barbecued food; face painting, games for the kids, and a food distribution. All the while there was worship music in the background as LCI team members and members of Metro Calvary Chapel circulated through the crowd looking for people who needed prayer. The highlight of the day was when we had the opportunity to pray with a man whose daughter had recently been the victim of gang violence. While his young daughter was lying in a hospital bed with a bullet in her head, this man had promised God to make changes in his life if only his daughter would live. She did, but he forgot his promise . . . that is, until the day of the festival when God reminded him. When he heard the words, “Can I pray for you,” Juan remembered his promise. And what joy we had ushering this brother into the Kingdom!
 

In October, LCI had the pleasure of hosting and facilitating a prayer summit for pastors ministering on the Westside of Los Angeles. The summit was held at the beautiful Serra Retreat Center overlooking the Malibu coastline and the Pacific Ocean. It must have been what the doctor ordered. All who attended agreed that we needed to plan more of these events in the future!

India
 

In October, we sent Daniel Bernauer to work with Yuvalok Foundation (the Indian equivalent to Young Life) in Bangalore. Daniel is a photographer and will be documenting the awesome work that God is doing in that City.