all ministry is personal

After reading what I wrote in the last post it occur to me that I didn't really say anything personal . In reflecting on our ministry it is obvious that everything they do touches people's lives . I just wrote a report to the Board on what we did it in Russia. I look back over the photographs and began to remember how many of the people I saw there had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit as we talked and prayed.

I remember clearly the night we met with our team and they asked us to teach the more about it the family of origin and healing the family tree. The very first person we helped that night had a a family history that is all too familiar in the former Soviet Union. The young lady who talked about her family shared a history of abuse that is very difficult for us to believe in the United States.

The young lady we will call call Alexia began her story with her great grandparents . They had been wealthy landowners and owned a retail store before the revolution in 1917. Soon after the Revolution a group of soldiers came to their house in the middle of the night, one snowy freezing winter and told the family they had to leave their home .

The father mother and six children all left their home to wander in the snow. Before the ordeal was over only two of the six children had survived. Alexia's grandfather and his older sister lived but the other four children perished in the winter snow. It is hard for us to imagine the depth of pain and emotional devastation suffered by this family and this kind of pain builds from generation to generation.

Before the night was over we placed Alexia in the center of our circle and prayed that God would heal the emotional pain from the past generations. Several of our team experienced the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way. Two people saw clear pictures of Alexia and her family while others received scripture, insights and words of encouragement .

After our time I mentioned to Galina that almost every family in the Russian had suffered from similar kinds of trauma under the Soviets. Galina mentioned that in the past hundred yearsRussia has suffered through nine wars and two revolutions. It is hard to imagine the depth and extent of devastation suffered by the Russian people during these traumatic times.

That night our team was able to minister to only a few people . The way the Lord touched them was . However, it also told us that we have an awful lot of work yet to do . In fact, if we were the only ones doing this kind of deep inner healing work there would be little hope that Russia could ever balance back from Communism. However, our goal is to raise up hundreds and even thousands of pastors and Spirit filled Christians to carry on this vital ministry .

Please pray for the Lord of the harvest to raise up mature men and women both here and in Russia with gifts of wisdom and healing.

You may send your tax deductible financial support to
Life Way Ministries, Inc
11161 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45242