Update, May 2015

Dear Saints Anticipating Pentecost,

Sunday is Pentecost!  At school this week we have been spending time in listening prayer every day to hear what God would say to us about attitude, plans and offerings.  The events of Pentecost in the Bible focused on SOUND and the WORD.  God thundered and His Voice issued the ten commandments from Mt. Sinai; a SOUND roared through Jerusalem and the tongues of fire released the 120 faithful to proclaim the WORD of Salvation to the multitudes.  We have been listening for the sounds from heaven and His Voice to give us directions.  We are intently praying for God´s purifying fire to roar through us and Tambo.   The children´s joyful firstfruits offering lit-up the eyes of their Heavenly Father and brought tears to mine.

In our last update, I mentioned that a dear saint from Texas came down for a week at our request to help at the school.  Klancy works with children and is gifted in helping the kids recognize what God is saying and verbalize what they hear.  She worked several days with our children in taking the obvious things around them, asking God what it means to them, and then speaking it out as a declaration or blessing.

      God shows me, Sharman, a person´s emotional state so I can pray and prophesy healing into them; God shows Klancy a person´s gifts so she can give them God´s counsel and direction.  She, Kjersti and I went to our high school affiliate in Quito one day to pray for the Director, Maria, and whomever else God would put in our path.  This is a distance learning institution that does not have scheduled classes but open rooms with teachers available to answer questions and give tests.  The students come and go at random.  Many of Maria´s students have been rejected from public schools, or rejected by parents and are running on the edge.  The kids come to this school because they WANT an education to have an opportunity to succeed.

Many of the staff had been alerted and were waiting for us. We entered one classroom with an eager teacher and six unsuspecting students.  One young man was by himself, head down and headphones on, trying to ignore us.  Klancy began to pray and speak into each one and I grabbed the young man with the headphones and told him he could not escape.  Klancy told him he was a leader, to which all of the students and staff agreed and giggled nervously.  Later, Maria confirmed that Brian is a gang leader and evidently well-known.  Klancy spoke godly counsel and revelation into his life.

The highlight of Klancy´s stay was a visit to an indigenous church about 45 minutes away.  The pastor was blest to have us come and minister to his flock after the service.  We took five teens, graduates of our school, with us to pray with the people.  The meeting was sweet and the Holy Spirit flowed through the ministry time in a powerful way. Everyone was really surprised to be prayed for with such insight and Godly revelation by our young people.  God is raising up a generation of movers and shakers for the Kingdom – hallelujah!

We praise God for His divine timing of Klancy´s visit and the catalyst she was in taking all of us to a higher level of moving in the things and understanding of God.

Last month, we wrote about Pastor BJ Stavness´ visit to officiate at Erland and Mayra´s wedding and then lead in the wonderful time of baptism in our village.  Almost immediately following, Klancy came down to be the inspiration to take more territory for God´s Kingdom.   Although it was a stretch for us to have events so close together, I knew this was   God´s plan to drop us into a new arena – again.

For the last few years, I have had the desire to start a Bible study at Maria´s school but one must wait for God´s timing.  After Klancy´s visit,  He opened the door.  Good-bye to my limited, preconceived ideas, hello to God´s strategies and hanging on to His hand for dear-life.

We offer a basic English language class as part of Maria´s curriculum.  Usually two of us make the hour and a half trip into Quito, teach an hour, share and pray with Maria for a while and then drive home.  On April 15th, our neat little routine changed.  Carrie and I arrived early that day and Maria informed us of a new law from the Ministry of Education.  Now, every school MUST start their day with an inspirational message (20 minutes) of values and morals!   How great is that!  God prepared the way and we ran through that door really fast.  We started class and told the kids that the new law mandated a spiritual inspiration moment and we would be giving a devotional every week before class for those that were interested.  The holy presence of God filled the room immediately!  I began to share with the 15 kids that were on time how precious they are and how much God has planned for each one.  They sat with amazing hunger in their eyes drinking in every word.  I told them that if they wanted prayer we would meet them after class.

Carrie and I left class and met two boys who were waiting in nervous anticipation.  One was Brian, the gang leader Klancy prayed over, and the other is his second in command (Alex).  Lonely, fearful boys looking for someone to trust and believe in.   We went to a quiet place where the boys sat listening to everything I had to say – how precious they are to God and that He has a destiny for each one.  They both wiped away tears.  The Lord then prompted me to explain the plan of salvation so they would have the help and strength they needed to change.  They agreed to take the step and read the sinner´s prayer.  What rejoicing there was in heaven!  Carrie´s comment was she was amazed that  they respected me so much that they made no move to leave nor showed disinterest.  I hugged them tightly and they hugged back.  We had not even started the “Bible Study” but the harvest began.  Not by might, nor by power but by HIS Spirit.

The next week was our first prepared-for devotional time.  I prayed and decided to take a boom-box and wild music to start the spiritual inspiration time. The boom-box would not cooperate, the music did not seem to fit and it did not feel like a success. However, the Lord´s presence came into the room anyway and the dozen kids that were there, listened intently to what the Lord had to say to them. It was tremendous.  I have decided I am not afraid to do whatever He tells me to do even if it appears it might fail or I will be “humiliated”.  I must be dead to myself and alive in Christ.

The first of April, Maria complained to me that her students were not applying themselves to their studies, they did not care, they were not finishing anything or taking tests – general blah.  Then we started the devotional.  Neither the “Values Class” nor the English Class are compulsory. We post a large sign that states what time each starts. The first two weeks of the devotional class we had a dozen kids that came and listened attentively, including at least six tough boys. The Lord had me pull two girls and two gang leaders out of the English class that followed to pray individually over them. The girls wept and the one young man drank it in.  After those two sessions, Maria told me there was a notable difference in her students´ attitude and study activities (the atmosphere had changed).

Now the devotional time is the rage!  Kjersti and I are in awe – cuz it sure ain´t us.  The kids came early this week to get a seat and there were over 30 that listened to what God wanted to tell them.  The most amazing part was that at the end of English class, about eight young men were persistently waiting outside the door for the test-takers to leave.  When only one older student was left, Brian and Alex pushed their way into the room leaving their buddies outside, loudly saying they wanted to see what English exams they needed to take, and they closed the classroom door.   Since Alex has taken almost all of the tests and Brian has not come to even one English class, I was a bit suspicious.  So, while Kjersti talked to and prayed with the last test-taker, I sat with the two gang-leaders to find out what they REALLY wanted.  What they REALLY wanted was MORE PRAYER!!   They are desperate.  Brian has the saddest look in his eyes.  Kjersti and I prayed protection and growth so they can truly be the godly leaders the Lord wants them to be. Who would have thought?  Do we know what we are doing?  Not a clue – we are out of our element with young adult street kids.  But we can preach, share, love them and pray, and use the gifts God has put within us for His honor and glory.  Does God know what He´s doing?  Absolutely.  It is so obvious that the Holy Spirit is drawing these souls into His Kingdom and not man.  We know that what HE starts He will be faithful to bring it to completion – the harvest!

The Harvest, pray for THE Harvest,  Pentecost is coming!! Thank you and we pray you have a blessed time rejoicing in the Lord this weekend.

Together for the Kingdom,

Dave, Sharman and Kjersti Injerd