Expanding Our Territory

Expanding Our Territory
From Newfoundland to Manitoba and the James Bay. We have had a wonderful, busy year. We spent almost two months in Newfoundland in the spring. Our summer saw us minister almost 100 times.
The year began in Ontario’s North and we have just come down from Quebec’s North. So many wonderful places and people and so many changes. I know the format is different than our usual newsletter but we did want to give you an update on what has been happening in our lives.
Answered Prayers
Over the past few years, we have been praying for a laptop to make our travel life easier. This year, God blessed us with a brand new Toshiba laptop. We have been transferring files over to Power Point. We can receive e-mail anywhere. The gift of the laptop has been greatly appreciated.
About five years ago, we were not travelling very much and so bought two puppies, Royal and Sasha. Then we went back on the road again and they travelled with us just about everywhere. As much as we loved them, their life was not ideal. They spent many hours in the van and tied up outside, so we prayed that God would provide a home for them. He did.
A few weeks ago, Royal and Sasha were relocated to Waskaganish with a wonderful family there. We miss them terribly but know that they are better off.
We have had some major car problems this year but they have been either before leaving home or after arriving at a location where repairs can be done. For that we are very thankful. We did have one repair enroute - a flat tire at night. Good thing there was a busy truck population. Now we have a flashlight in the van. :o)
Challenges Too!
My dad spent much of the year in the hospital before moving to a nursing home in August. He has also had both of his feet amputated. The last one just a few weeks ago.
Anya turned twenty-one this year and what a celebration weekend it was. She had four surprise parties in all. While on our way home from one of the parties, we stopped at McDonalds. It was late, and we were tired, especially me. I tripped over the curb and hurt my hand badly. It was not broken, but now two months later I still only have limited use of it. I was unable to work on the computer for much of the first month, which put our expected newsletter on hold - hence the reduced version.
We also never put out any of our Christmas advertising which ended up being a blessing in disguise.
A New Territory
Early in October, Ken Powell called from Queensway Cathedral in Toronto. Their children’s pastor had resigned and they needed someone to fill in the gap. We accepted and we are commuting to Toronto twice a week. We travel down Wednesday mornings and come home Thursday night. Then we travel down again on Saturday and come home after church Sunday night.
We have been enjoying our time there, but we are still honouring the bookings we had before we went. We expect to be there until at least the end of January.
Further Education
Another exciting change is also taking place. Joel is applying to Master’s Seminary for his Masters in Theological Studies. In January, he hopes to be taking one course just to get back into the swing of things. We are looking at relocating to the Greater Toronto area in time for the fall semester.
Thank You
We would like to say a special thank you to everyone that has prayed for us and also to those who gave financial blessings. We know that we would be unable to continue travelling without you. You share in the harvest of the over 400 children that have made decisions to follow Jesus.

What is God's Blessing

What is God's Blessing
OH, Lord, bless me indeed! A greedy, self-centred prayer? A believer’s right? What is it about these few words that has created such a whirlwind?
We first heard about the prayer of Jabez through several organizations in regular mailings that we receive. The letters assumed that we knew who and what was being talked about. However, we did not, and all the talk about the "bless me" part made me a little bit cynical. Everything we saw and heard seemed to be more conducive to our North American materialistic lifestyle than discovering God's plan for our lives. Then we discovered that the uproar was caused by a small, devotional style book by Bruce Wilkinson, called The Prayer of Jabez.
Just in case this is the first time you recall ever hearing of Jabez, let me give you a little bit of history. Smack dab in the middle of the genealogies, we find him in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Interestingly enough, we do not know who his parents or his descendants are. But he does make a bit of a splash among the begots. We know that he was not an only child as he was more honourable than his brothers. We also know that the time surrounding his birth was difficult. Why? The naming of a child was very important. The name created an identity and even a promise. Jabez' name meant "pain". Talk about an identity crisis. Every time he was called, his self-esteem would receive another hammer blow. Somehow, in spite of this, Jabez knew that God could make a difference. So he prayed,
Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil that I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN. And God granted him his request. It was while staying with friends that we first read The Prayer of Jabez and we also saw some videos of Bruce Wilkinson as a guest of 100 Huntley Street, a Christian Talk Show in Canada. It was then our attitude began to change. I am not sure if it was something in the book or on the video that sent my thoughts back about six or seven years.
Gary Smalley and John Trent authored a book called The Blessing which was about the importance of the patriarchal blessing throughout Scripture, and the importance of us passing that blessing onto our children today. The patriarchal blessing included: 1. Meaningful touch 2. A spoken message 3. Attaching “high value” to the one being blessed. 4. Picturing a special future for the one being blessed. 5. An active commitment to fulfill the blessing.
Every morning, just before Anya, Charity and Rhian would leave the house for school, Joel would bless them. Often the blessing would be similar to this: Joel would place his hand on the head of the one being blessed and would say something like, “I love you. You are going to have a great day. God is going to keep his hand upon you today. I know that you are going to be a great lady for God.” Then Joel would kiss them and they would leave. Before long, two of Anya and Charity's friends, who came from fatherless homes, began arriving in time to receive a blessing as well.
It was during this time that Joel suffered the accident that eventually cost him his index finger on his left hand. He was injured at work and underwent surgery that tried to repair the hand. A friend brought the three girls in to see Joel when he came out of surgery. Still groggy from the anaesthetic, Joel called the not be home when they left for school in the morning. Joel would have no memory of that event but it left such an impression on Charity that she told every one about it.
When Anya, Charity and Rhian were again being home schooled, the daily blessing was sometimes forgotten without the daily routine of leaving the house. One of the girls would often come and ask, "Daddy, can you give me a blessing?”
Joel's answer was always, "Yes." Was he ever offended that they asked for a blessing. Of course not! What were they asking for? Money? No. Health? No. A new car? No. Guidance? Maybe? Assurance of love? Definitely.
So why do we automatically assume that when we ask God for His blessing that we are being greedy? As a father, Joel loves to bless his girls. As a Father, does not God want to bless us also?
So if God wants to bless us, what is the blessing He wants to give? That is where I think the confusion comes in. We are so attuned to thinking that God's blessing is financial or material in nature that we are preconditioning ourselves to only see that. But God's blessing is so much more. It is also God's choice, not mine. The girls never told Joel how to bless them, they just wanted Dad's blessing. In the same way, God, our Father, knows exactly what kind of blessing we need.
In October, we were challenged to pray the same prayer that Jabez prayed and see if anything happened. So we did.
After beginning this, I began to analyze why praying this simple prayer seemed to change people's lives and I came up with several reasons why I think it works.
1. First of all, people are praying. Some people, although professing to follow Jesus, may not talk to Him outside of the obligatory table grace and bedtime ritual - if then. Now they are praying and circumstances in their lives are changing. They are requesting God's blessing and He is faithful to meet them at their greatest need.
2. People are not telling God how to bless them. They are simply asking for His blessing. The way God chooses to bless us may not be the way He chooses to bless you. This idea transcends material blessing - although that may be how God chooses to bless you. For our brothers and sisters in countries closed to the gospel, His blessing may be freedom from fear or discovery. For another it may be the grace to endure pain, comfort in sorrow, or peace in the storm. God's blessing may be safety on the road, good health, or learning to depend on Him completely. The blessing may be the certainty of knowing a heavenly future awaits you. Whatever God's blessing is, you can rest assured that He is doing exactly what is best for you.
3. People are anticipating God to move on their behalf. Then when a blessing comes they are thankful to God for it. Very often we receive what we expect. When a church calls us to come and minister with them we can thank God for that blessing, or we can justify that the church would have called anyway and think of it as our just rewards. So when we anticipate God to move on our behalf, our eyes are open to see what God is doing.
Have things changed at our home since we began asking God to "bless us indeed"? Indeed they have.
When we wrote our last newsletter, it was a difficult one for us to write, and our October - February calendar was pretty bleak looking. We began to pray and God began to move. Most of our weekends in November and December filled up. We were very busy.
In November, we were privileged to attend a worship conference for kids in Ohio. We were thoroughly blessed. There were over 300 people, mainly children and youth (ages 6-18), with parents and children's leaders, at the conference . On the Saturday afternoon, this group of people interceded on behalf of our world and the war on terrorism for one and a half hours. One of the children at the conference wore a T-shirt that proclaimed, "Children Prayed, Revival Came". It then listed on the back of the shirt all the revivals that began because children prayed. One of those revivals was the Welsh Revival which so influenced my grandparents. So maybe because children prayed in Wales, our family ministers to children today.
In December, we returned to Waskaganish, in Northern Quebec, for a children's weekend and had a fantastic time. Over 90 children attended each service with over 60 children responding to an altar call to accept Christ. That was not the only miracle of the weekend either.
After leaving Matagami, the last town before reaching Waskaganish, we would travel 340 km without seeing a gas station, coffee shop, or any of the conveniences we were used to. We may have seen five other vehicles, and the weather was bad for the last 150 km.
We arrived safely in Waskaganish only to discover that as we came to the conclusion of our journey, we had a flat tire. That tire could have gone flat anywhere in that 340 km of barrenness but it stayed usable until we reached our destination. Joel attempted to have the tire replaced the next day but it would need to be flown in. It should arrive by Monday when we needed to leave.
Monday morning arrived and there was no tire. It would maybe arrive Tuesday or Wednesday. We were in Quebec’s north and it was December. We had no idea what the weather forecast was but we did know that the sky looked like a storm was brewing. Both Joel and I felt strongly mpressed that we needed to leave that day. So we began our trek out with a donut tire on the van and no spare. These tires are only rated for 100 km. We had already put over 500 km on ours and now we were going for another 450 before we could buy a new tire. We actually travelled for 770 km, praising God the whole way. By Christmas God had blessed us with new tires all the way round on the van.
January saw our territory being expanded as we were invited to be part of a local TV station’s Christian talk show. We were blessed to be able to present “He Took My Place” and “Healing the Brokenhearted” on the air.
Now we are looking at a reasonably full calendar for the next seven months. Yes, God has definitely blessed.

Anya's Additions
It is difficult to believe that we are already into the new year. I have finished my first semester at college and has the time ever gone by fast.
College has been great and I have made new friends. I am looking forward to this next semester as well, although I did enjoy the month that I had off between terms.
One of the courses that I am taking this winter is Children's Ministry. It sounds like something that will really interest me - especially since I have been doing children’s ministry for over fifteen years.
I am looking forward to my day-care placement and actually working with the little ones. I spend every Thursday afternoon with the four and five-year-olds.
It has been such a blessing to be able to attend college and watch as God provides for each of my needs and I am so glad He is there for me.
I had a great time last year and I expect this year to be even better. God will still provide and lead me in the direction He wants me to go. I will keep following Him every day.
I love you all.
Keep living for Jesus.

Charity's Chatter
Can kids touch God? Do they have the ability and the desire to have more of God in their lives? To know about who God is, what He does, and what He can do in their lives? Yes, I believe they can. Why, because I have seen it first hand - children seeking after God; interceding for Him to move. God has placed in each one of us the desire to worship Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.
So why is it assumed that desire is not there until we hit our teen years. Why do we place all our efforts and money into the youth, music and adults so that all the children receive are the left overs. People say that the youth and the children are the church of tomorrow, but they are not. They are the church of today. If we do not invest into the hearts and lives of our children then there is not going to be a church tomorrow. If there is nothing in the church to hold them there, they will go the way of the world.
Have you ever gone to a banquet and there was all this delicious food on the tables? It was hot and steaming, just taken from the oven. The smells were absolutely heavenly and you could hardly wait to sink your teeth into one of those juicy steaks, creamed potatoes, glazed baby carrots, or hot gooey apple crisp. Then just before you reach out to take the food someone steps up and says that the food is not for you. Then they take you off to the nursery where you receive cookies and apple juice or they take you to kids church and all you get are hot dogs and flavoured water. Pretty disappointing, eh?
Sometimes that is what we do with our kids. Our adult services are on fire for God but we send the children off to their church where they have a song, three minute Bible story and then it is snack and craft time. We believe we are reaching the kids at their level but we are not challenging them to be all they can be in God.
I know that children can worship, they can touch God. I have seen it. They can have that desire placed within them and they can be tools in God’s hands. We need to challenge them, on a level that they will understand. We need to allow them to worship as children not as little adults or they will never reach the full potential that God has for them. They can make such a mighty difference for Him when they are still young.
It is my desire to see children, all over Canada and America, become the great and mighty warriors that they are in God. But that will not happen unless they are taught that God wants to pour out into their lives His Holy Spirit and His power. God is seeking worshippers who will abandon themselves to Him and give Him praise that is right when it is done with all of your might. I believe that God is building up an army of worshipping children that will go before us into battle.
God Bless.

Rhian's Remarks
Mr. Son, Son, Mr. Glorious Son. Please shine down on us...
Last year, the Lord shone down on us as a family and in the ministry. He has blessed us in so many ways we can't even count it on our hands and toes and that's with our socks off. Children, youth and adults came to the Father in all the programs we did.
In this new year, we are hoping for great and new things - ‘out with the old and in with the new.’ Isaiah 43:18-19 tells us “‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old, Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it.” Let God do something new in your life this year.
In 2002, remember that whatever you do, do it for Him as we are told to in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Remember to keep us in your prayers and when you do pray make this prayer yours: ‘Oh Lord, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand will be with me, and that you would keep me from evil; that I might not cause pain. (1 Chronicles 4:9) And you will see God’s blessings.
God bless,
Joel & Mary
Anya, Charity and Rhian