Prayer for Ray’s healing

Ray got to call me tonight for the first time since he went to Port Au Prince, Haiti; he borrowed a cell phone from someone. It broke up a lot, but at least we got to talk, praise the Lord!  There are hardly any flights going out of Haiti now, so he’s not able to come home right now. He is going to try to be back within a week.

At the medical clinic (field hospital) he set up at pastor Jay’s compound, he said they are seeing an average of 250 people per day there. Haitians are coming in each day to stay at the tent city on the compound field, and then go over to the medical clinic, wanting to be checked for various injuries/problems.  Today a Jewish orthopedic surgeron, an EMT, and two nurses arrived from the U.S. to help Ray, so that is good news! 

Ray has an upper respiratory cough, so please pray for total healing for him.  He specifically asked me for prayer for physical strength (he is exhausted), and for food for pastor Jay, him, the medical team, and the patients as they are quickly running out of food. There is water, food, and medical supplies available in the area, but it’s locked up right now from government red tape and control, so please pray for God to get these needs into the hands of the people.

There are still bodies buried underneath the rubble, and Ray said it will take years to remove all the debris as the area is just in ruins.  Where he’s at right now is tolerable, but when you go more into the heart of Port-Au-Prince, he said the stench is awful. Bodies are still being burned and/or buried. That is the harsh reality of the situation. The nation is in mourning.

There have been a few very minor aftershocks since the -6.0 aftershock since he’s been there, but they are becoming fewer and not lasting very long.

He will be home as soon as he can.

If you would like to donate to Ray’s medical mission in Haiti to help pastor Jay, click here.

I don’t know this music artist, but I found this video tonight on You Tube about Haiti. It’s VERY GRAPHIC.  Please pray for Haiti.

The work done by our God

Photo: 16 year old Darlene Etienne was pulled from rubble 15 days after quake in Haiti. Doctors are amazed she is alive. She’s eating yogurt, talking, and regaining strength. Her mother said she is alive because God hears a mother’s non-stop prayers.  Darlene is being cared for at an offshore French hospital ship. (Fox news)

From Ray yesterday, here is the latest update in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti:

“Did not get to treat many patients today. Spent most of the morning running around Haiti with a security specialist attached to the BBC. Tried to get assistance from a warehouse stocked with medical supplies. “Fill out this form, etc.” The bureaucrats have arrived in Haiti. First time I have been out in daylight hours. Port au Prince is in ruins.”

When the earthquake first hit Haiti, God immediately gave me the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah petitioned the king Artaxerxes to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed. The enemies Sanballat, Tobiah, and others mocked and taunted Nehemiah and the people that it could never be rebuilt, because it was in ruins.

But with God’s help and the people’s unity and prayer, and by positioning men with their tools in hand, their swords, their spears, and their bows, they got it done. I believe that although the devastation is great in Haiti right now, and it looks impossible and hopeless, God will help the people of Haiti to rebuild it for His glory.

Ray is still working each day at the medical clinic he set up at pastor Jay’s compound, where the offices and the school are located. Please pray for God to bust through all the government red tape, and to supply the people’s continual urgent needs of water, food, and medical supplies. 

Shawn had to leave Haiti yesterday to fly home.  Ray will be there at least several more days to a week.  He’s not sure exactly when he is coming home.  Today I met with the editor of our local newspaper to do a story on Ray’s mission work there.  Please continue to keep Ray, pastor Jay, and the people of Haiti in prayer for God’s protection, encouragement, and blessings. God hears our voices on behalf of this devastated nation.

“Now the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty two days.  And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes, for they preceived that this work was done by our God.”  ~ Nehemiah 6:15-16

To donate to Ray’s medical mission work in Haiti for pastor Jay Threadgill, please click here.

Defeating Discouragement, Taking The Plunder

Have you ever felt really discouraged or defeated? Like a failure? Like God was blessing other people, but it just wasn’t happening for YOU? Or maybe you’re facing other discouraging situations like financial problems, marriage difficulties, friendship frictions, stress at work, health issues, trials in ministry, inability to get goals accomplished fast enough, etc.? Join Beth today as she shares practical tips from David’s example in battle with the Amalekites on how to defeat the enemy of discouragement – and to take the plunder, experiencing the BLESSINGS of God!

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Extraordinary hero

Ray Jones treating hand injury of a little girl in Haiti

Children grow up listening to stories or watching shows that depict heroes. These heroes inspire them, and are role models to them for courage, strength, gifts and talents, and character. Even as adults, we need people in our lives who we look up to and admire, and desire to emulate.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a hero as “a legendary figure endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage; an object of extreme admiration and devotion.”

Today I know one such extraordinary hero – my husband Ray.

If you have been following my blogs, you know that Ray and his friend Shawn are in Haiti right now on a medical-security mission trip, helping our pastor friend Jay Threadgill of Fishers Of Men International. The needs in Haiti now are endless; the workers, food, water, and medical supplies too few. But God is doing great things over there through the unselfish work of people like Ray, Shawn and pastor Jay. Here is the latest update from pastor Jay’s Fishers Of Men newsletter:

We have been able to see over 500 patients at our clinic.  These patients are predominantly children.  Some of the challenges we are facing are that many of them are dehydrated and malnourished.

There have been 3 babies born at Morning Star the past 5 days.

We had to amputate the finger of a little girl.  We had no medicines to put her under, so we did it with only general anesthesia.  If this was not done, she would lose her hand.

Medicines are holding for now but more to come in tomorrow (Thusday).

We have saved some 30 from dying because of the clinic over the past two days.  This is a real number of those who have been aided in staying alive and getting to a place where they may gain strength to live.

One of our other challenges is that there is a lot of diarrhea.  This can be the beginning signs of disease (cholera, typhus, dysentary, malaria).  We dug a latrine pit and did training for our tent city.  We are showing them how to use it and the importance of using it.  This is important right now as people are relieving themselves wherever they can.  It could be very bad here in the coming weeks if this is not done.

Most of the dead are off the streets, but there are many still buried in rubble.  Between dead bodies and the bathroom situation, it could create some severe troublesome circumstances.

There are many with staff infections from the cuts and scrapes suffered from the quake.  This is why antibiotics are so critical.  The two year old boy severe burns and exposed bowel that we evacuated to the Dominican is alive and doing well!

We have spent the past two days networking with various agencies trying to secure supplies.

Today, we are making a run to the wharf to meet a ship that promised supplies.  Not sure exactly what they will be allowing us to get.  We are, though, hoping it is food and water.  We are getting low in those two areas.

There are still no guaranteed access to anything.  We are on the day to day lookout for a connection to provide for people.  We are hoping that will change soon.”

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For those of you who wish to donate to Ray’s medical-security work in Haiti through his organization SEMSAR, you can donate through Paypal here.

Food line in Haiti at pastor Jay’s school

A word of encouragement at just the right time

Sometimes we really need a word of encouragement from the Lord at just the right time. This weekend I flew to Phoenix, Arizona, to minister at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference and I was ministered to while there! 

Prophetess Michelle Weston began teaching on spiritual midwives (intercessors and the importance of pushing through obstacles in our lives with prayer), and God gave her a word for me that really blessed me– about how God sees me and what He has put inside of me for His glory. 

Here is a short clip of Prophetess Michelle at the conference this weekend.  I wish you all could have been there!  She and Prophetess Norma are beautiful, anointed, on fire women for God, and they truly blessed me and the women this weekend at the conference.

When you are needing a good word at just the right time, God will bring it to you to lift up your heart.  He loves you and He cares about you, and He wants to encourage your heart today.

Overcoming Defeat and Discouragement

Have you ever felt discouraged or defeated? Like you looked around at other people and it seemed that God was blessing them, but it just wasn’t happening for YOU?   This morning the Lord gave me the scripture 1 Samuel 30:1-25, when David and the men of Israel found that their enemy the Amalekites had attacked Ziklag and taken their wives and daughters captive. The men were angry at David, which discouraged him.  Join me today as I share on my vlog what David’s response was in the face of great discouragement.

Sing a new song to the Lord

In many of the psalms, David writes poems or songs to praise the Lord for all God has done for Him – for salvation, deliverance, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, protection.  Psalm 144 is one such song – a song to the Lord who preserves and prospers His people. 

I want to share that psalm here, then a short video clip of Bishop Ben Washington at this weekend’s Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  Bishop Ben has been pastoring a church for 16 years, and WOW, what a singing voice he has!  It blessed us women there so much, as well as his teaching on the role of a godly woman. Enjoy!

Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle – my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer; My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.

Lord, what is man that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of hm?  Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.  Bow down your heavens, O Lord, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.  Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.  Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 

I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, The One who gives salvation to kings, who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword.

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood- that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars sculptured in palace style; that our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of prodce; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; that our oxen may be well laden; that there may be no breaking in or going out; that there be no outcry in our streets. Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Woman on fire for God

This weekend I had the privilege and honor of being able to speak at a workshop on prayer Saturday morning in Phoenix, Arizona, at Prophetess Norma Washington’s conference, She Shall Be Called Woman. She and Prophetess Michelle Weston are beautiful, anointed, on-fire women for God.  Prophetess Norma is also such a scream; she made me laugh so much.  All the women there were truly blessed with the Word of God, great worship and praise, fellowship with other sisters in Christ, and best of all God’s powerful presence. Wow, what a conference!

To purchase Prophetess Norma’s book Saturday Morning Sisterhood, click here.

Here is just a short sample of Prophetess Norma in action as she preached and taught. It was an incredible weekend, and I was so blessed to be there!

God on a shuttle bus

This weekend I flew to Phoenix, Arizona to speak at the Saturday morning workshop on prayer at Norma Washington Motivational Ministries’ She Shall Be Called Woman Conference. It was incredible, and I was so blessed there.  Prophetess Norma and Prophetess Michelle Weston of Texas are anointed, on fire, beautiful women of God.  There was great teaching from the Word of God, beautiful worship and praise, women displaying their talents, and fellowship with some beautiful women of God – we all had so much FUN!

After I flew in Friday, I took a shuttle bus to the hotel and the only other person riding in the bus with me beside the driver was a young, pretty woman named Terry. As we shared why we were both in Phoenix, I learned that Terry’s mother has rectal cancer. Terry was flying there to take both her parents back with her to the Twin Cities to put her mom in hospice care. Her mom has been treated through chemotherapy and radiation, and now doctors are saying there is nothing they can do.

As I shared with Terry that I was going to be speaking on prayer this weekend and that I would pray for her and her parents and ask my friends to pray, too, she began crying and said she was glad I was on the bus with her. There is no doubt at all in my mind that this was a divine appointment…..God on a shuttle bus.

Please pray for Terry’s strength and peace as she helps to take care of them, and please pray for her parents as they are adjusting being in a new place and no longer in their own home. I am asking God for a miracle for Terry’s mom, to extend her days on earth, but that she would not suffer in pain.

No matter where we are, what is going on in our lives, God is always there. He loves us and He cares about our hurts. 

Here is a short video clip of me in Phoenix. You can see the pretty palm trees and mountains in the background from my hotel room deck.

Finding your spot

Do you have your own special spot to pray?  A place where you can have that quiet time with God every day, to pour out your heart to Him and to listen to Him? 

Sometimes it’s not always easy to find your very own place to pray, but it can be anywhere. God is always there, waiting for you, to spend time with you. Your heart is the holy altar.  

Click here to read more.

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