April 21st of this year marked the first time since 2007 this day fell on a Saturday.  This date in 2007 was a day that sent our family into a season of a ton of change!  

Saturdays for us now are usually busy.  This day was no different.  We had dance for Libby and then I (Jamin) needed to go Isaiah 61 teaching (which is always awesome).  Today Stephen told his testimony and how we are told to “remember what God has done.”  So many of us can recall all the wrongs done to us.  We could hold offense against God for taking our comfortable lives away from us with a tornado 5 years ago.  This was a home He gave us!  We offered over $10000 less than the asking price and they accepted it.  It was a beautiful home that we could spend forever in!  Sarah’s almost dream home.  Most today would be upset still and bitter as well.  Most people would help us justify the wrong done to us on that Saturday.  That Saturday we had planned to go to church but did because of storms and the job I had (could have easily been called in to work- electric company).  So…..Stephens teaching has sent me on a journey to the past 5 years.

My mindset has changed drastically! (healing has come through this well)

We were in the basement (Sarah was down there for at least a good hour with Libby and Cushette-our dog).  Boom!  A train sounded like it ran over us.  Wow!  Dirt comes flying in!  Libby and Cushette still have not made a sound!  How many angels were in that basement with us ministering to us?  One day I will ask!  I, a 27 year old man, was scared!  I wanted to scream!  I was scared to go up the stairs!  I remember talking to my brother and Dado on the phone (they let me know when it was ok to step out).  We sat down there, asking, what is left?  It was a mystery.  We KNEW this was a time of change!  But how?  For what?

Libby was 5 months old!  She did not latch on well so we were bottle feeding her breast milk.  Sarah was pumping all the time.  We had a good storage for this milk.  By us staying home that day, we were able to salvage this food for Libby and get the necessities for taking care of her.  Cushette was also with us and would have been home alone (in her kennel) if we were not there.  God, in His love and mercy, kept us home in this event, and protected us!

How were we protected?  

I (Jamin) have seen thousands of tornadoes growing up.  I saw the track of this one.  It had hit Olton Texas (approximately 45 miles from us) and stayed on the ground with a path to the north of us.  I was watching this tornado and it was on the ground but on the other side of the grain elevator (opposite side of the highway from us).  I knew it would miss us.  But I wanted to watch!  Sarah yells, “Jamin, get down here!”  So I did.  BUT…..I forgot to shut the metal door!  The tornado hits us shortly after.  We had a huge Mulberry tree in our back yard.  It was gone!  But the tornado lifted.  I did not know there was more than one tornado on the ground in that storm.  There were 3!!!!  The one I saw missed us.  One did not though!

The next few years were not easy.  The next few months were not easy.  Many many hard decisions made.  Many people left without answers.  Most things just did not make sense to our (mine maybe most of all) small human minds.  All we had was a still small voice and a yes in Sarah and my heart.  “Will you trust Me?”  

Trust is something that grows in a safe place!  A place that is secret and intimate.  I still tear at the song “Beautifully Broken” by Jeremy Riddle.  I remember driving around alone with this song cranked up and singing to the top of my lungs and then just crying!  I did not understand what was happening.  I was learning to hear His voice!  I was learning about TRUST!  Like David, when he was running from the man (King Saul) who he thought was going to be his mentor.  This man who he so loved and looked up to.  But this man betrayed him and longed to murder him!  This man that was so jealous of David’s anointing.  Davids story is one that fascinates me.  No matter the cost, David would obey His voice.  He made mistakes in his weakness, but was truly a man after God’s heart.  

God is love!  When we love God, His response is more love!  I want more!  So much more!  To get more I reveal more love to Him.  

Out of a single event that is usually seen as tragic and horrible, He has restored for His glory and for ours as well.  God is so good!  

‎”The enemy wants you to use your circumstances to challenge God’s goodness. No! You should take His goodness and challenge your circumstances! It doesn’t matter whether the situation is good, bad or ugly; it cannot separate you from the goodness of God.” Graham Cooke

I can go on and on.  God has moved in our lives so many ways.  More will come later!  

Dear Beloved Friends,

The adventure with God continues on!

It is an exciting season for us. Over a month has passed since the trip to Ghana and the ministry position change for Jamin. It has been an up and down month for us. Sarah is now about to step out of ministry and hair to be mom and take care of herself. Libby is loving the warm weather and is getting so smart. She is loving ballet and dancing in the GPR as well. Jamin has been working hard to help in the “nesting” season and learning about spiritual warfare, healing and deliverance. He is building a team of men to minister to sexually broken men. There are over 40 applicants to receive ministry here on the missions base. IHOPU and the internships are now attracting a more diverse group of young people and the need for healing is growing as fast.

God loves to show us his goodness! In Prisoners of Hope we have been contending to see physical healing as well as the emotional and spiritual. We have seen some breakthrough in this over the last month. One of our girls, was running and sprained her arch. She was at service and received prayer and was healed. Jesus loves to restore and heal.

Forerunner Evangelism is a department within the IHOP-KC missions base that focuses on training and equipping evangelists. They have weekly events to go minister at various locations locally. They also have specific outreaches at major events. Here in KC we have a large party for St Patricks day. This department ran a large outreach with 2 school buses and many shuttles. One of thousands of testimonies is one young lady was walking in a lesbian lifestyle after falling away from God. After a few questions she was convicted by Holy Spirit she was in sin, repented and came back to Jesus! We have a training intensive for those who want to grow in eveangelism. Our Forerunner Evangelism Intensive (FEI) is a training program designed to raise up evangelists to call the lost to Jesus Christ.

With all the new changes, finances have changed as well. The Lord has continued to show Himself faithful providing for all of our needs. God has blessed us with Sarah being able to do hair, but with Gideon coming soon, we will be losing this help for a season. She has averaged about $500 a month. Also with budget cuts at IHOP-KC we have lost another $500 monthly. We want to ask you to pray in this season for our finances as we believe the Lord wants us to minister freely without working in the marketplace as well. We thank you so much for your faithfullness in giving and in prayer.