ATOR Kenora, Two Days For The Price Of One

As promised, due to circumstances Tuesday beyond our control we are combining the reports of Days 6 & 7 into

ONE BIG MEGA SPECIAL
DOUBLE ISSUE
(With a cherry on top)

Day 6

Lura: Spent most of the day cleaning roses, but it was good. Got to visit with Christine and Amy. And went to Casey’s restaurant and handed out a few roses. There was one older couple I handed roses to and the lady thanked me and then the man said, “Oh, for men too?” I said, “Yes. God loves you.”

And then tonight we went to the First Presbyterian Church. There was a lot of spiritual warfare  in the beginning. A lot of contradictions between what you see, like with pictures on the wall, etc. And then the reality of where the people’s heart are. But Christine did a beautiful job with worship tonight. Really felt the presence of the Lord and I danced to a song I never danced to before. And I appreciated the young man, “Sir Lyle” and his passion for music. I felt the Lord draw him through his music and it was very touching to have him singing with Sally. And I feel that maybe he might have really connected with the Lord.  Had a great day. Had some great prayer, but please keep praying.

Jurgen: I went with Sally and Joan to the West End of Kenora and there weren’t many people on the street, but we went from business to business, place to place. One special place was an office of the First Nation people. It looked like a small house but Joan noticed a door was open in the back. She said, “There is an office in there.” So she knocked at the door and they invited us to come in.

As we walked in I noticed it was a big business meeting with quite a few people sitting around a long rectangle table with laptops open in business mode. They looked very surprised seeing us come in with armfuls of roses. They gave us permission to give each of them a rose and seemed to have a very positive reaction. We told them God loves them and also gave them flyers for the concert. This was a God-thing.  We had many personal, individual encounters and it was very encouraging.

We went to the Presbyterian church and because there was still time before the meeting started Yara and I went across the street to the United Church home shelter. People were sitting and waiting around in the grass and we gave them roses and invited people to come to the church right across the street and join the meeting.

One lady I met, her name was Anita, she was very kind. I was just hanging out with her and asking a few questions. And she responded and then we were just quiet. And it felt like really nice to just sit with each other and not to have to say anything. She came with us to the meeting. After the meeting I asked her if she wanted prayer. She said, No., but she liked the songs.

Later on, Joan came over and shared with her. I wasn’t sure if Anita was taking it in or even liked it. A few minutes later Joan hugged her and she really enjoyed the hug for a period of time. And Joan prayed over her. It was a beautiful encounter for me. I enjoyed sitting beside her during the meeting. I heard Lisa say, one of the Presbyterian elders, that she had not seen Anita be as open before.

Ammi: It was nice giving out roses in the hospital today. I heard one of the nurses say, “Oh. That was nice. We got a flower for a change. Sometimes we want them too.” That made my day.

Then later, we went to a church and the worship and prayer was nice. And before the service started God gave me an image. He showed me that the stained glass windows around the church shattered at a rumble, and light broke through. Before the service I thought that it was going to be an image of a person who came to the service and dramatically gave their life to God. But I think it was possibly a breakthrough that will happen in time as I saw Lisa have a look of  “Oh this is different” in the way we showed love to people. So I felt that her witness of the service that we did can cause a stir that the church needs.

Other than that, it was a pretty hard night for me. I felt like I took in the load of especially “Sir Lyle.” I felt like my heart was tight after hearing him and speaking with him. He shared with me that he was half Native American and half white. And that he has dealt with a lot of spirits that have been spoken over him by the tribes. And he told me there are negative energies in the Cree (a tribe).

I asked him about his music. Apparently he has been playing instruments since the third grade. So, being sensitive to the heaviness in him I saw he had a gift that was not being used as it could be. And when I talked to him I could see something alive in his eyes, but there was a shadow that was keeping that life coming forward. So I was carrying that load and had a knot in my heart because I am usually a type of person that will absorb the emotions of others.  However, Yara noticed me and she spoke the words that I couldn’t communicate in my heart. And she prayed for me. And I felt the knot release. So, going forward, I know we are here to bring light and life to the people, but it is not our job to take in their darkness.  It’s God’s job.

Dave: So we went to the church and we started praying for the church before the service. It was nice that Christine was practicing her worship set because it helped facilitate the prayer. So, for me, there was some prayer and then break and then prayer as I would inquire of the Lord what to pray for.

And then Sally shared about how Lisa told her there was someone in leadership who had been a teacher at the residential school and he was very angry about the reconciliation issue. And that he actually drove by the church while we were there when  Lisa was opening the church. After I heard that, I asked the Lord how I should pray. I heard nothing. So I prayed again and heard nothing. So I called Sally over and started to talk about how I was feeling and realized that I was offended by that elder and was actually angry. And Sally left me to pray.

So I began to pray for the man. I asked God to show me the man beyond his hurt and something else I heard Sally speak about was, “see the man in the monster”. And I felt some release, but then I started to pray for the First Nations people I had met on the street and I started to weep, because to me, they are beautiful. So I started to pray for them. And my prayer went from one of faith and confidence to almost pleading that God would save these people.

As I was crying Ammi walked up to me. I was leaning over the pew and she was on the other side. She got my attention and said, “I feel like the Lord wants me to tell you something. The Lord loves your people and you don’t have to take on that load. Let it go, because God loves your people.” Then she prayed that for me and she walked off. So as I sat there and thought again about the elder, this time I heard the Lord say to me, “Who cares if one man hates them? I love them. Who cares if everyone hates them? I love them. “ And I started to laugh. Joy entered my heart.

Sally ended the program and offered for people to receive prayer from the team members, if they wanted. And this dude gets up and walks over to Sally and leans on the piano while she is playing. So I go into full bouncer mode and I said “Sir Lyle” three times. Finally, after getting his attention I said, “Would you like prayer?” And he said, “No.” I looked at Sally. Sally looked back at me smiling as if to say with her eyes, it’s ok, Dave, but stay close. So I stayed close.

What I watched unfold was quite amazing—and yet terrifying. The juxtaposition of it all was quite palpable. I watched as this homeless man was intrigued by Sally’s playing. I saw how the music moved him on a very deep level. So much so, that he placed both hands on the piano so he could feel the music. So I saw that he wanted to sing. So Sally started feed him the words and the congregation immediately joined in as if to encourage him to sing.

He sang verses and choruses with almost a reckless abandon and my heart leapt, because I had prayed, “Lord, save him!” And I felt as though I finally saw him–who he really is. But somewhere toward the end, as he was singing, I saw him close his eyes, sing, and open his eyes and they were rolled back. It was surprising to me and quite startling. I watched as he sang the last two choruses with his eyes rolled back. And so, Sally closed the service.

He then asked if he could play and Lisa said it was fine. I was shocked at first to see how well he played. He played and then he paused, and then started up again. And the second time he started playing my stomach got into the tightest knot I’ve ever had and left the building. I have never in my life felt like I heard music where there were two voices talking to each other. And I felt like “I’m out of here.”

He continued and the more it built up, the more I started to feel like, “Is this right?” Should someone stop it? And so I started to pray and I didn’t pray anything like a curse. But I prayed, Lord if this isn’t you, have him stop. It was about 15 seconds later he stopped. I ended up clapping to signify that was it. And then we had cookies and Pepsi. The good that came out of it was I actually journaled at Tim Horton’s.

Joan: Jurgen, Sally and I went to Tim Hortons and the businesses in that area and I met a middle aged man at the drive through named Howard. When I offered him  the rose and told him that we were in Kenora to share God’s love and that God loved him he received the rose but said, ‘If he loved me he would heal my bum ear and fix me up from this stroke stuff’  He had a hearing aid in his right ear and it appeared that  one side of his body had been affected quite severely by this stroke.

I said, “Yes” and  asked him if he would like me to pray for him.

His response surprised me.

“Your damn right I do! “

So I placed my hand on his right ear and asked  Father to open his ear as he had mine a few years ago and to restore his body to health so he could testify how God is good and loves him. I prayed a few other things as I was lead and he left with a look of surprise that I had met him at Tim Hortons and given him a rose and prayed for him. He thanked me.

Another man I met was in his work truck and in his work clothes.  He me gave the most positive response I’ve received from a labourer about the concert.  He was so excited to be  invited. He raved how the community loves this kind of thing and how certain he was that many would come. He was so excited he would be off work on Saturday and said he would definitely be there.

This evening at the church meeting it was a pleasure to meet Lisa who works there and to pray together with her for the meeting and to bless her. I was so blessed by her gracious reception of us and her attentive  kindness. There was a homeless  man  who said his name was Sir Kyle, who came to the meeting. He sat right in the front row and at one point he stepped up to watch Sally’s hands as she played the piano. He had said he played piano and guitar and before we began the service I had said that when we were done the service maybe he could play for us. It turned out he sang really well too.  He sang very loudly and  with focus  ‘You are my hiding place’ right beside Sally after the altar call for prayer.    It was powerful to watch.  He was willing for Sally to  pray for him  and then with  permission granted he played the piano for us.

His first song I found very worshipful like a gift. It was a sound of hope and peace. The whole time I was thinking “This is what we are bringing to Kenora. This is beautiful.  Father you are moving through this man’s creativity. You have gifted him.”

    The next seemed prophetically a representation of the turmoil of Kenora and his own heart. It was so dissonant and startling and dark and confused. I was very uncomfortable in my Spirit and it felt dark and painful. I thought this is the pain of the people here. Kyle understood it and was able to somehow capture it in song. My heart was moved to  intercession.

The third song as he played became very much like warfare and a powerful battle of light and darkness.  I found that my Spirit was interceding for Kenora and that Light would break forth in victory. I actually went out of sight of the meeting, into the foyer, to pray in the Spirit,  to dance in worship, cry out to God for Kenora and the people we had met, to declare the victory of Jesus over Kenora and bind the things Father brought up in my Spirit. This was a real battle I felt in the Spirit.  I was pleading for Father to bring resolve in this situation and reveal His victory.

The cool thing was as I finished this intercession the song also resolved and Kyle ending his musical creation with a peaceful and hopeful sound.  It was amazing to  see this song reflect what Father was showing me in my Spirit.

Kyle spoke to me after the meeting, “Remember when you set me up at the piano in Fort Frances? I’ve improved, hey?”

Then I remembered we had met once at the soup kitchen.  He has definitely improved very much. I didn’t get a chance to speak with him during snack as I was visiting with another lady.

Stephanie: When I was at the church before the service I was looking at the hymn book and then I put it back and the light was coming in from one of the windows and it fell on the hymn book. Then a word came, “Praise is a weapon to cut the darkness and bring the lights that heals.”

And then I was out in the lobby and got a picture of dark clouds parting as from a storm to sunlight, and the glory of God shining down as Christine was doing worship. Then I came in and sat down and later on Joan went over to the native lady behind me and I thought maybe I would pray with them for her, but instead I turned away and just prayed for Joan. And then, when the guy was singing with Sally and then Sally prayed for him, and then he started playing the piano I was a little surprised.

But he seemed to be able to express a lot of different emotions. Started out with peace and then troubled and then back to peace. So the second or third piece he played I was praying the word I had just gotten. And then when he began playing the darker stuff I could feel it and I had shivers. So I began to pray in the Spirit and I prayed that way until the end of it. And I prayed for his mind to clear and to understand and accept God’s love. And for the glory of God to rise up in him.

Christine: Ammi did worship this morning and it was really nice. She shared a little about her life. Ammi was really encouraging. And then I was feeling a lot better. I did a lot today. I didn’t take a break or anything. We worked on roses for hours. And then we went to the Presbyterian church and I practiced and did worship. It was just fun and felt light to me. It was nice.

And then Sir Kyle came in and we were praying. I remember looking over because he sat next to my stuff and the thought flashed in my head, I hope he doesn’t steal anything. And then I rebuked myself, that’s not Godly. Then he picked up my ukulele and I freaked out a bit. I went stiff. I started listening to him and thought, he’s really good. He’s playing it like a Spanish guitar. So I just kind of calmed down again. And then after we finished praying I thought, I don’t know how I will get it back but it’s ok. I got it back.

And then I remember when he was singing with Sally, Oh wow, she’s teaching him how to worship and I joined in thinking God doesn’t always use only Christians to get the Spirit moving. So I worshiped with them. And then he started playing his own music and I thought of my cousin who is also homeless and has mental issues, and I couldn’t shake the feeling I needed to pray for her and for the guy while he was playing. I was crying and then I was laughing, because I was crying about some crazy guy playing and I thought I will never forget this moment because he’s really good, but he’s also not all there. So it was just surprising. I found myself not knowing how to respond the rest of the night because I was taking in so much. I heard almost everything he said tonight and thinking about my cousin and things she has talked about and seeing how similar it was. I know that God wants prayer for her at this moment because of something my family has asked for, but I’m finding it very difficult to find my words to pray.

NOTE from Michael: What occurs to me as someone who was not in attendance during this service is the classic film Rashomon. A violent crime occurs and the movie shows the event four separate times from the perspective of four different witnesses. As it applies here, an event happened during the concert, an unexpected one. And you have just read how each person who spoke about Sir Kyle experienced the event. No two accounts were the same. The stories were vivid and nuanced in their telling. It would be quite interesting to have been able to include Sir Kyle’s version of the evening as well. I know the team would wish for all our readers to keep this man in your prayers as he finds his way.

Day 7

Christine: Dave spoke today for Devotions and he spoke about Gideon. I love that story. He brought up a point about how God deals with Gideon. In other places in the Bible God would tell someone else to do something and give them a chance, and even if they obeyed him and did it tentatively, God would kind of punish them. But with Gideon he had a different way of doing things.

During Dave’s talk I was praying “What is that about?” and I felt God tell me that thing that parents say: It depends on the child. That is amazing! That gave me a little bit of joy in the morning. I stayed behind again to clean roses and I got to talk with Joan today. I didn’t realize that I needed to talk to her, but she basically answered a prayer I had been praying about for months.

Tonight at the church Dave spoke again about how he accepted God and slowly worked with God to become who he is. It was very inspiring and a lot of people felt God working in their own hearts to pray for these sort of things. I prayed for a woman tonight and she said that she didn’t like her husband. She said, “I could give you a list but it would take way too long.” She prayed that God would take the scars off her heart so that she could love her husband. So I prayed for her. I had words of knowledge. That scared me a little bit because they were very right-on. And then when I was done praying I could hear her under her breath whispering, “Thank You, thank You, God!” And then she started praying for us and for me. It was a very good moment!

Jurgen: Today was another beautiful, warm day. We went back to the town to give away roses. And this time Sally took her keyboard along to worship God on the street. Stephanie and I walked together through the town, giving roses away. We both were full of joy and peace. Meeting people in different buildings, stores, and shops, also Subway. It was just amazing how for example, Subway management opened the doors for us to not only give staff the roses but also the customers who were sitting at the tables and lining up to give their orders. We also gave roses away at the Chips Truck where there were 2 second grade classes came to order food. The children just eagerly approached us to receive a rose and we ran out. The teachers allowed us to give out the roses. It was really good.

It was really nice tonight being part of the Calvary Pentecostal Church meeting. Beautiful time of worship and David and Sally sharing about forgiveness. And then prayer time. I went up for prayer. There is one person in my life that I have forgiven, but I felt the Lord was going to release me from the burden tonight. Joan prayed for me and I asked the Lord to forgive me and released forgiveness to that person. I felt pain was released through weeping. God is good.

Stephanie: I teamed up with Jurgen to pass out roses in town. And it seemed like there was a little more openness to receive the roses, and they were still surprised that they were real and free, and a gift for them. We gave roses to staff and customers in different places. When we got to this little area near Subway where the Chip Truck was. There was a group of elementary school students. They were going around us wanting to have a rose. We ran out of roses and came back to get more roses so everyone could have one—and they did. I started giving roses to people in line at the Chip Truck. One guy wanted to pay for them. I said No. This is not for donation, it’s a gift for you and for your city. He finally put the money away and said thank you. I was delighted that we could give out all the roses we brought in buckets. Dave also talked to a member of the church we went to the evening. He shared about the town and had a nice conversation.

Tonight Ammi and Dave and Yara’s worship was fabulous. This was the first time I heard David’s full testimony. Wow. The Lord has taken him on a journey. He has overcome a lot.

I prayed for two women. The first woman was dealing with a lot of health issues—cancer, blood pressure—so I prayed for healing and that she would be at peace. The other woman with her was a prayer warrior and intercessor and asked for a fresh anointing. I prayed for her also, that the Lord would increase her anointing and that the word would come alive to her. Then Lura was right there so I asked the intercessor lady to pray with me for Lura’s health.

Ammi: It was nice handing out flowers today. I felt like I had a lighter spirit and town people did also. I got to visit a native women’s cultural center and the lady in charge of that place advised us to go to the Ne-Chee Friendship Center Aboriginal Family Support. So we went and it was nice to see the mothers with their children smile at the simple gesture of being given a rose. Later, it was also nice for me to be able to visit a mental health association, considering the recent background with my family. We were able to give roses to staff and thank them for the work that they do. And we were even able to give roses to some patients/clients.

At night I helped Dave and Yara by playing the guitar for worship. And it was a blessing to use my talent to minister to the people of the church. During prayer time many people came up to the team, but I was the only one who didn’t have someone come up to me. Then finally, an older woman got up and came to talk to me. She told me, “I saw you standing here alone and I felt I needed to come and talk to you and tell you anything encouraging.”

She said that the worship was a blessing and that I play guitar beautifully. So I felt the nudge to give her a hug. After the hug she looked at me in the eyes and said, “This is very strange but you are like an angel to me right now. You honestly don’t have to say anything. You can just smile and I am already blessed.” That really touched me and made me feel valued. I told her, “Thank you.” It’s funny because you’re the one who looks like an angel to me. I prayed for her because she recently had a stroke and she teared up and said thank you. Then we held hands and smiled at each other.

It seemed like that was enough for both of us. As she was about to leave I embraced her again and I told her, “You are deeply loved by God.” She said, “I know.” And I told her, “I know that you know, but this is a physical reminder of God’s love for you.”

When the church service was over another older woman came up to me and she said that she wanted to get prayer from me earlier but didn’t have the chance. So I shared with her my name and age, and she said, “Oh wow, that is my granddaughter’s age. And she is the person I wanted you to pray for.” As I was praying for her I mentioned that the granddaughter is a princess of God and I prayed that she would believe in that identity. When I finished praying the lady was crying and told me that, “It touched me when you mentioned the word princess in your prayer because I call my granddaughter “Princess.”” I encouraged her and told her I would be praying. Before she left she said, “You are also a princess.” So I felt blessed by God tonight and reminded that I am His daughter and I am loved.

Sunny: When we were prepping the roses in the dining room at the Super 8 a woman came by and asked what the flowers were for. Somebody said we are giving them out around Kenora and she asked if she could have one. And we said, “Yes, you can. They are free and it’s because God loves you.” And she looked at us and said, “Oh. Does that mean I have to go to church?” And we said, “Only if you want to go to church, but you can talk to God anywhere—the kitchen, your dining room, a walk in the woods.” Then she said, “I have a friend. Could I have one for my friend also?” So it ended up she wanted roses for 3 friends and Joan had some of the cards to give her for the roses. Our only request was that she tell them that God loves them. She came back a half hour later with a man named David, and he had just had cataract surgery. She asked if he could have a rose also. We gave it to him.

Tonight at the church we were standing up front, waiting to pray for people and this guy caught my eye and signaled me to come over. And I said, “Can I pray with you about something?” And he said his wife was at the back of the church and she had a bad leg cramp and it was so bad she thought she would throw up. So I said I would come and pray with her. I started praying for her and after a bit Lura came up and joined me. And we asked how her leg was and she said the pain had gone down a lot, and she was able to get up and move around.

Dave: When we went out this afternoon to give out roses I wanted to stay near Sally to watch over the roses and hand them out to the other team members. So the other team members went out and gave roses. That gave me the opportunity to pray and worship as Sally led worship in the streets. Then slowly but surely I had my opportunity to give roses as well. And the majority of the reactions were appreciation and delight. And then when Yara and Ammi came back to get more roses a First Nations gentleman walked up and at first he was listening to Sally worship. Then I think Ammi walked up and made contact with him. So I was sitting there and I saw that he looked interested so I motioned for him to come over.

I asked him what his name was and how he was doing. He told me his name and then I asked him if there was anything I could pray for. He said that he had lost his mom and sister. And that’s why he drinks because he misses them. Then he started crying and then fell into my chest. So I just hugged him and told him I understand. I told him I lost my daddy too, and then I prayed God would comfort him. Then he lifted up his head and I asked him if Jesus was his Savior. And he said yeah, and he cried. And then we hugged again. But this time I hugged him tightly, and then I prayed for him and then he walked away.

Then we had the opportunity, me, Yara, and Ammi, to lead worship at tonight’s service. And I believe it went really well. I got to share my testimony, and at the end Sally asked if people needed prayer. We all got up and stood at the front of the church making ourselves available. At first no one came forward and actually 3 people left. But a brother and sister came forward. And I asked the guy, “Can I pray for you?” He said, “Yup.” And I said, “What can I pray for you about?” And he, “My right knee hurts.” So I said, “Let me ask you two questions. Do you believe Jesus can heal? And then do you believe Jesus can heal you?” And he said yes to both questions.

Then I asked, “Can I lay hands on your knee?” And he said yes.  So I prayed for him and I felt the Lord move. And as I looked up at him he was very stoic. Then he started a conversation and said his wife has Alzheimer’s and is in a care facility. So I felt led to pray for his wife. And again I felt an anointing and the Lord moving. I looked at him but he was very stoic again. He literally said this, “OK. That’s the end then?” I said, “Yes, but let me encourage you to look for it. Look for your knee getting better and for your wife improving”

And then the pastor came up and said, “Would you pray for worship here? We have lost some worship leaders because they moved on. They got jobs in other cities and left.” He wants worship to be established there and the Spirit of God move. He mentioned the church he pastored before was like Bethel or Elevation in their worship, and he longed for that again. So I prayed for them in his ministry and for those leaders to come for the worship. And then he turned and prayed for me. I was greatly blessed by everybody.

Yara: Today I had a very good time passing out roses with Ammi. The people today seemed very happy. Some were even knocking on windows of restaurants, telling us to come in so they could get a rose. When we told people what the roses were for they were very grateful. One lady even said, “You are making me teary-eyed.” We had an opportunity to visit a native women’s cultural center just as they were having lunch The leader invited us in. She remembered us from last year and she told us to tell the group what we were doing. So we had an opportunity to share why we were giving out the roses. And then we were able to pass each person a rose.

Then the leader of the group told us to go down about a block to a different women’s program. We arrived at the right moment. A lady was just walking up to the door to unlock it. We explained to her what we were doing and she let us in right away. She took us right up the stairs and she told us to go right into the room. And there were a lot of women and children in this room. They were making jewelry and we were able to bless the with a rose. They asked what it was for and we explained to them. They said, “Thank you so much!” God really gave us favor.

At the church tonight and Sally asked if Dave, myself, and Ammi would lead worship. It was a real blessing! I really felt God in the worship. My husband gave his testimony and I really felt God speak through him. We all had a chance afterward to minister to someone in the church. I thank God for this day.

Joan: So I learned a lesson tonight.