Half Moon Rising

I was just outside for a prayer time. Ever since I was a kid, I have preferred to go outside in the dark for a prayer time. I think the stars speak about God's faithfulness and that ministers to me. King David looked up at those same stars...so did our Lord Jesus. :)
It is mid January and my thoughts are stretching to the spring and summer. There is much to do. I find myself slowly taking on more of an administrative role for this work. The administrative work is not at the expense of the work we have been about for the past six years. I can't leave that, but I need to add several tasks to my agenda, too.
We have more requests to try to connect church short term missions teams with this work. If only it were as simple as organizing a construction crew for a work project. We don't really have those types of opportunities. What we really want to do is connect people with people. That means cross-cultural relations. To prepare volunteers to make these connections, they really need a crash course on what it means to relate cross culturally. So, I am developing a "distance education program" that will meet that need.
I also have commitments to the Coastal outreach. For three years, I have helped to develop a kayaking outreach near Nanaimo. It uses kayaks, archery, and survival skills to create a framework for relationships with the Native people on the coast.
I have been re-reading books on the subject of the deliverance ministry, and spiritual warfare. God usually puts a passion on my topical reading for a reason. I don't argue. I know that we deal with this topic rather often. There is a lot to know.
I have three preaching assignments to prepare for, and the regular Sunday night teaching time.
This is what Winter is for. :) It is like going back to college and taking a full course load for one semester. No college credits or a paper for the wall, but just practical necessary learning for the work. :)
We have been praying for six months to God to provide another vehicle for us. I believe He has answered that prayer. A local Christian offered a 2000 Saturn automobile for a very affordable price. We will take delivery of the car in February, and plan to use it on the furlough trip to the Mid-west, in the States. Once again, God has taken care of our needs. :)
So, may God help me get all the administrative work accomplished while the snow is on the ground. Thank you to all who shared your care and prayers for our healing from the loss of our dog. He has done a great work in healing us and we are back on track, without distractions.
Thanks again, and please keep praying. It is the prayers of the Saints that move this ministry forward.
~Howard :)

Christmas Time in Salmon Arm

Jannie and I were called to sit with Santa at the Christmas Party for the Adams Lake Band. We were called out with the other elders of the community. This was quite a surprise. It was an honor to be included with the community is such a visible way.

We led the community in singing Christmas songs. While singing, it occurred to me that you can get away with singing the Gospel story where speaking it would not be welcome. That gives me more to plan for next year. Perhaps, the Lord will open an opportunity for a speaking time, too.

Winter has arrived. We get a gentle snow almost every day. The picture on the left is the view from our kitchen window, looking east. The one on the right is the view from our front porch, facing north.

We had dinner with some elders recently. They told us how things used to be. How the community used to get together almost weekly. They used to play softball, but the softball field has not been used in three years. They used to get together and have potluck feasts. Now, the gatherings are catered affairs. As the elders spoke, their words bore a great weight of pain. Oh, that the old days could come back...but how? The welfare mentality is so prevalent and deeply ingrained. Instead of kids playing outside, parents buy them Playstation TV games, or an Ipod. Kids don't learn to interact and play with others, they are learning to isolate themselves. Twenty years ago, you could challenge kids with backpacking trips. Now, for the most part, we are encountering kids that are lazy. They don't want to be challenged. They want immediate gratification, and working for something, well...why do that? Why buy the cow if you can get it for free?

I can't fix a dysfunctional community, but I believe that if I can do something, I should do it. So, we submit our efforts with the Creator's Talking Circle in prayer to the Lord and pray that He will do a miracle in the lives of these children that come to the meetings. The kids seem to enjoy it, and we have enough adult staffing to make it work.

Starting in January, we will be directing our thoughts to the Spring and Summer months. We will be evaluating each reservation and community to see what opportunities may be available. We did a lot with the Adams Lake Band in 2007, but we don't want to miss opportunities with the Squilax Community, the Tappan Community, and new opportunities with the people 30 minutes to the south, in Enderby. We expect another week of canoeing with the excellent help we have received from Rick, John, and Steve from Racine, Wisconsin. Two other churches have expressed an interest in sending out short term missions teams to share in the work here. While that is good news, it means a lot of planning from this end. This is a cross-cultural ministry. At the moment, we don't have construction projects for volunteers to focus on. So, if people want to come out here on a short term trip, they need to accept some training so that they can engage the Shuswap culture with respect. Developing long distance training programs and implementing them take additional time and effort. So, January will be a time of evaluation and adjustment. We need to keep on building relationships, but we also need to assume more of a supervisory role, too. May the Lord assist and direct us in being responsive to all that He is doing! :)

Recent Updates

Tis a season full of opportunities. Christmas and Easter are great opportunities to naturally open conversation about spiritual themes. We plan to lead music and carol singing for the Adams Lake Band Christmas party. Children that attend the Creator's Talking Circle will join us in singing. I have a brief contextualized Christmas message ready, incase I get the chance to share it. That is for Sunday afternoon.

Jannie is baking up a storm! Last year, we delivered 30 plates of Christmas cookies to various homes on the Reserves. This year, she is talking about 50 plates to deliver! (It is a good time for me to stay out ot the kitchen.) :)

We had a Bible study with Lori on Thursday. At the time of the house clearing, I told her that it is common for spirits to come back and see if they could regain their place. So, I asked her if they had come back. She said, "Yes, for about four days, they tried."

"What happened?", I asked.

"Well," she started, "each night I would lock up the house. That meant locking the door knob lock and the dead bolt. In the morning, I would find the front door unlocked and ajar."

"So, what did you do?", I asked. I had hoped that the house clearing was a training time for her so that she could take charge as learn that she had authority over evil spirits.

She answered, "I prayed over that area and over the whole house. I told the spirits to leave and not come back. Since then, the door stays locked all night."

May God bless us all, each and every one. :)

Creator's Talking Circle Christmas

When the world was new, all was good. It was perfect! Something happened to change it to the world we have today.
An Evil spirit being called the Light Bearer, tricked our first parents. Light Bearer told the first people that they could be happier if they didn’t worship the Creator.
The first people, named Adam and Eve, listened to the lie, and for a moment, they rebelled from Creator.
This rebellion made their hearts twisted and sick. No longer did Adam and Eve get along. They became selfish and angry. All the generations were born with this sickness and they fought each other and even killed each other.

The good spirit helpers looked on with horror at what was happening to the earth and people. What could be done? The rebellion caused by the first people deserved punishment. Creator had warned Adam that if he rebelled, he would suffer death. So, death was the punishment for man’s rebellion.

Creator watched as people tried to fix their twisted hearts. People made many religions. Every religion hoped that it might restore the broken relationship with Creator. All the religions had lots of rules. Many religions tried to show devotion by shedding blood. Sometimes animals were sacrificed, sometimes humans were sacrificed. All those efforts were to try to pay for the offence of rebellion against Creator.

Creator looked down at the suffering of man and He felt sad. The religions man created only increased suffering.

To the great surprise of all the spirit beings, both good and evil, Creator had a plan to help the earth and people. He decided to come to earth himself and live with the people.

Creator could have come to earth, floating down from the sky with great ceremony. He could have come to kings, chiefs, and the powerful rulers. He could have come to speak with the smartest people. Instead, Creator chose to come to a small nation of only 8,500 square mileswhich was much smaller than the territory of the Secwepemc Nation. He chose to come into the world through birth. He chose to experience what it was to be like you and me.

Two thousand years ago, Creator came to earth as a baby. His name was Jesus, which means Creator Saves. But he didn’t stay a baby in a manger. He grew to become a man, so he could do for mankind, what we could never do for ourselves. He came to be a sacrifice to pay for the rebellion of Adam and Eve, and you and me, their children.

There is a lot of suffering in this world: bullies, fighting, war, and broken homes. Jesus came to fix the relationship between us and Creator. He also came to help us fix the relations we have with each other. Christmas, the coming of Jesus, is the best gift of all.

Rescheduled House Clearing

"Lori" connected with us and explained that she had been detained from making the appointment on Thursday. She expressed a desire for us to come over and help deal with the spirit activity at her house. So, we plan to go there tomorrow, Monday morning.
I'll update the blog with the results of the Monday meeting as soon as I have news to report.

We had the meeting with Lori today. We had a topical Bible Study on the subject of spiritual warfare first. It was important to present a Biblical cosmology on the topic, as the Native cosmology is quite different. We examined what the Bible had to say about the origins of sin, and demons. We presented a simple but clear understanding of what the Gospel message was. Lori affirmed a personal faith in Jesus Christ and we went on to the house cleansing.

We presented her with some clear teaching about spirit activity and how to deal with it. She also had information of how to break ancestral curses that might be a problem. We plan to have a Bible study on Thursday in the Gospel of John.

Thanks to everybody for their prayer support. The peaceful meeting was probably a result of all the prayers in support of this event. Thanks again!!

Spiritual Warfare

We showed up for a house clearing meeting, (exorcism), but nobody was home. The lady, Lori, doesn’t have a phone, so connecting with her has proved a bit challenging. While Jannie wrote a note, I walked around the house talking to the spirits.
I said, “All you rebellious spirits, come to attention. I am Howard, a servant of the Most High God and Jesus Christ His Son! I am here to serve you notice that your time here at this property is going to end. We will be back, and you will leave! Today was only begging time for the inevitable, you will be evicted! I bless this property in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and speak the Peace of Christ on this house. We will be back!!!”

I was irritated that we could not engage the enemy today. I wanted to see the bondage to fear broken at that home. I also want to see the hold the enemy has on that community shaken and weakened.

Our prayers laid up for this fight were not in vain. Let’s keep praying for Lori, that God makes an appointment that won’t be broken. Pray that the power of the enemy will be weakened. When the exorcism happens, we will surely report about it. Blessings,
Howard

New developments

Recently, I have had crippling back trouble and a cold. It has been hard to function. On the up side of things, the back is better, and my head cold is in remission. It is good, since I have Creator's Talking Circle, a bow making class tomorrow, and a preaching assignment on Sunday.

A new Bible Study on the Reservation is going well. We are meeting in a haunted house. Yep, no jokes. The Mom and kids all tell of things that fly around, go bang and bump, and a ghostly figure that walked through the door.
We explained that we would be happy to send the unwanted guests packing, but it would have to be on Bible terms. That means letting Jesus do it, and that he gets the glory. She listened and was very receptive to the teaching. So, in the near future, we will be involved in some spiritual warfare as we evict the enemy from the house. Please pray.

A relationship I began with a Native man six years ago is growing in depth. He just opened up to me today and began telling be about some concerns he has for his son. Then he told me two dreams he had recently. The first, he found himself at a Christian Summer Bible camp on the north end of the lake. There was a convention of sorts going on. Display booths from people from all nations on earth were there. He looked up and was surprised to see his son looking at the booths. So, he went to his son and suggested that they go in a direction, but the son resisted and saith, "no, I think I'll go this way," and he departed.

The second dream featured his son and seeing his soul depart from his body. They looked all around for his soul, but couldn't find it. Then after a week, the soul returned and jumped back into the body. The dad told me that before the dream, his son was lethargic and kind of depressed. Immediately after the dream, his son perked right up. His hockey play is more energetic. His attitude in the day is more positive.

I told my friend that I had some explanations for the dreams, but it would take some time to explain, and the present busy location would not do the topic justice. So, we plan to meet son and talk about these things. Please pray for God's wisdom so I will speak as the Holy Spirit intends.