There's a knock on the door, then it slowly opens. An unknown voice calls, "May I come on back?" I answer and in comes a sister in the Lord. We've never met and probably will never meet again on this earth. "I was told I could come here," she hastily explains searching my eyes for a welcome. Within a few minutes we are one we know each other completely in the spirit our communication flows as the One in whose Name we've gathered stands in our midst.

This scene has been repeated again and again these last years in the sanctuary of this room where I have lay before the Lord. The hurts, burdens and tears have flowed before the throne unbelievable hurts, desolations, abandonment
unquenchable hunger for more of the reality and power of God, for guidance, purity and healing. They pass through like wounded soldiers, their stories and faces embedded in my mind as I carry them in my heart.

"It's so 'clean' in here the first time I can think and see clearly," says one who has been oppressed for months.

A child like young mother shares "we had to come home to learn how to fight the forces of darkness they're real you know." "Yes," I respond, "I know all too well." She then tells me of the unbelievable encounters her family has faced on the other side of the world.

A young man comes in trembling with his story and asks "pray God will completely break me." With fear and trembling and the witness of the Spirit, I pray a prayer I know will be answered. For days to follow I hear this brother sobbing in the night through the thin apartment walls. The Lord is answering his prayer and he is being drawn to the Cross to die to all that he was apart from God.

A group from Ireland, on the spur of the moment, stops in. I am drawn to a certain sister. The Spirit tells me she will face suffering as she returns and she is afraid. We pray and the Lord's presence fills the room with His peace. I don't want to let her go I cling to her as though I could shelter her from whatever lies ahead. An incredible love for her fills me. For days afterwards, I see her tear filled face and hold her up to my Father.

Spiritually, physically, emotionally broken they come. "Can I talk, would you pray?" These are the Lord's special chosen ones and He has honored me by sending them. Their stories are not told in public or in church. They would sound too much like failure to be accepted. But it is through human failure and emptying that they are becoming vessels fit for God to fill. I feel so inadequate to touch something so holy, but I continue to sow in tears and to say, "such as I have give I you" as I depend on God's Spirit to move through me.

Do you understand why my letters sometimes seem so heavy and urgent? The needs of God's people are so great and only to the extent that we know the Lord and have received of Him can we give true life to them. I am constantly stirred up to lay hold of God in bigger ways and be so filled with His Spirit that I might impart life into every area of death in Jesus' mighty Name. Although I am not yet nearly what I should be, it seems I have walked a path which brings the broken ones to me. If I had known ahead of time the cost, would I have chosen this path? probably not. But would I want it any other way now?
absolutely not. Though there have been years of sowing in tears harvest time must come and then I am going to reap with joy! And I believe that a long spiritual winter is finally coming to an end.

Our yard is always full of birds and I know them all by their voices and appearance. Recently I heard a new voice and sought to find its owner. It turned out to be a turtledove who now has practically taken possession of our patio. According to the bird book, he shouldn't even be here. I wake up to his continuous COO CA RRROOO and at dusk, during our evening devotions, he roosts on our fence post blending his voice with ours. I truly believe the Lord sent him.

"My beloved speaks and says to me, rise up my love, my dear one, and come away for lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land." (Song of So. 2:10 12) And so, when I am tempted to faint by all I see around me, a little bird, sent by God, reminds me to rise up because the Lord of the Harvest, He Who has promised me so much for His people is faithful and He will also do it. Hallelujah!

We thank God for you and pray that by the mighty working of His Spirit you will be made strong and fruitful in every spiritual season through the ever increasing knowledge of God Who is our wonderful Salvation. We love you and appreciate your continued prayers for us.