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Gabby - Future Hairstylist in Ek Balam
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Friday, June 11, 2010
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I will be visiting Ek Balam during my time in Playa del Carmen. While in Ek I am going to have the opportunity to teach and work with Gabby. She has a desire the Lord has put within her to do hair in her village. Here I get to join with the Lord's work, I am able to bring her the tools to start a career in this field and help her to work out the detail to not only provide for herself but have part of her income go into a kitty for her community. To help meet needs that arise, such as repairing their only corn masher in the village, or perhaps help to prepare the pump for their corn crops. We are not guessing to imagine how the Lord will use this to better and help provide for the Ek Balam community, but I am very excited to do my small part while I am there.  Gabby, future hairstylist in Ek Balam |
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Steve's Story
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Friday, May 21, 2010
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I repented and gave my life to Christ in 1961 (my HI school days)….
From that time until the present I have been involved in Christian service, primarily in Baptist circles, until Holly and I moved to Bend Oregon in 2000. We had great plans but thankfully God had greater and far different ones, little did we know! I found work in the Portland area and was commuting once or twice a week and after a month or more Holly told me on the phone she had found a great worshiping church that she really felt we should attend. My next weekend home we were off to Westside (Bend Foursquare).In a very short time my life would be greatly changed. We soon met John and Sonja Decker and became occasional attendees at their Spirit Empowered Small group. Next Holly then I joined the nine month Ministry Training Center classes at Westside Church on Monday nights, quite a stretch for a lad who had received extensive training on the hazards of association with those Spirit talking, hands on healer, types of folk. My life was soon changed by the practical Biblical teaching and the no nonsense practicum times when for myself I witnessed Holy Spirit Baptism and physical healing. Wow now I can put those pages back in my bible that I was taught were only for another time or a chosen few. God so changed my world and my testimony, growing my faith, giving me joy and hope, that I could pass on to others, that what was the ordinary for me for more than forty years just doesn’t work anymore. When we realize the value of the treasures of Kingdom living we really want to share it in a practical way with Christians who might otherwise not have the same opportunity that I did here in the comfort of Bend Oregon U S A… God’s vision to us, is to partner with you and take MTC training to Mexico and the Yucatan as licensed Foursquare pastors, sent by FMI, Westside, the Decker’s, and You who send us with your prayers and finances. God Bless You and Prosper You, Steve Taft
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Holly's Story
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Friday, May 21, 2010
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I have been a Christian for 17 years now, wish I could say I wised up long before then, but I guess I was one that wanted to have challenge in my life and walk it out on my own for way too long… I say that because years before the Lord had told me I would become a Christian… But when I came to that point in my life that the desire to walk alone fell away, and the Holy Spirit lifted me out of my seat and I purposed myself to draw that line in the sand, saying no more alone, I want my Savior! I sang in my heart, spirit, soul and mind “Yes” Lord take me, clean me, forgive me, except my repentant heart to be your own…. Then when I picked up the sword of truth and sliced open and removed blatant sin from my life, He chose to Godspeed me and reveal things to me that only He could use. The Lord has blessed me, stretched me and used me in ways that make me feel I am on the sidelines looking at myself but only seeing His finger prints on what I am doing and not my own. But isn’t that how He desires it to be. Let me back track a bit…. I have to say that my walk with Him has not always been so profound. When we desire to walk with the Lords guidance anything and I mean anything can happen, we need to be prepared to be stretched, step into the unknown and have our ideas and perspectives changed. That can pretty much sum up my experience with MTC… I knew in my Spirit there was more to being a Christian than what I was experiencing; I kept questioning the Lord on this very matter and THEN after beginning to attend Westside Foursquare Church in Bend Oregon He began to show me things. One of which would occur when I would see particular people, He would highlight them to me and I would literally feel tears welling up in my eyes. One of which happened to be Sonja Decker. I was now on staff at Westside and had met Sonja several times. With getting to know Sonja I was met by gentle and kind, but at the same time powerful and authoritative woman of God. This being a quality I had not encountered before all in one woman. The Holy Spirit prompted me to call her and explain my emotional state. And if you know Sonja at all you will LOL at her heart felt answer to me “Oh sweetie that is the Holy Spirit.” We talked and she agreed to meet with me in my home. I sensed something was about to change, but at the same time had no understanding how big and life altering it would be. Boy did I hit a home run. Sonja sat with me on my couch in the warmth of my own living room and kindly explained the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I knew this was the key to the door of what I had been missing, the piece of the puzzle to the more the Holy Spirit had whispered to me about in my times of quiet and reflection with my Savior… Next step, straight into the unknown of MTC! Bible teaching, life rocking, spirit empowered, lie revealing, devil rear end kicking MTC! Nine months of taking me from Bible basics right on through good ole deliverance! I came to understand the power and authority I have in Christ Jesus. My walk with the Lord has never been the same. Now that is what we want for Mexico!
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