Fresh Fire Reports

Hi Ladies,

A week ago we had an awesome women's event at Lift Church in Venice with quest speaker Rev. Dawnita Istre. The attendance was the best ever since I've been Rep. and we were thrilled!

You see, when planning these events you never know how many churches or ladies will participate and at times that can be discouraging. We are so thankful for the lives that were touched and changed and I want to share just one of the many testimonies of God's goodness! It makes it so worth it when you see and hear of the fruit that comes from these events.

We certainly don't plan them for our health, because I'm usually a nervous wreck before them and relieved when we are done and they are over. It's then I feel I can breathe again! LOL!

This year was a so easy I must say, with the ladies at Lift Church taking care of all the details and they did so beautifully! Can't thank them enough for all their hard work! Thank you Pastor's Gary & Rhonda and Jeanne, Women's director! By the way, the ladies bathroom is gorgeous! Can't believe you took that project on too!

Please read below the powerful testimony.

I just wanted to take the time to tell you how life-changing Saturday was for the ladies from our church. Pastor Dawnita preached such a timely and powerful message, and confirmed and restated so many of the things that we have been preaching on Sundays. I'm always tickled by the impact of a fresh voice to restate what God has been saying to someone, but she/he hasn't been able to completely receive it because it has been coming from her/his home pastor. (You know, the "Momma Issue") Then during the prayer time, I had been praying for 2-3 of the ladies from my church, and felt that God told me to pray for some of the other ladies standing near us. As I walked away, I saw Pastor Dawnita come toward our little group, and stayed where I was so as to not distract them from what God had in store.

Then Pastor Dawnita called me over to pray too. As I stood there God gave Pastor Dawnita five words to say to one of my ladies--5 words!! And the power of God hit her, and she and I started to sob, because they were words that she needed to hear so desperately, but they had to come from someone who didn't know her situation, her past life, her family, etc., or she wouldn't have believed that it was from God. Pastor Dawnita told me to stay with her, and I did, and I watched as God literally took 10 years of guilt and shame off of her shoulders and face! I heard myself saying that God was going to give her a new song to sing (she used to sing in church and lead worship--I didn't know this before!), and He would give her a new prayer language, one that had nothing to do with who she used to be, but one that reflected her life now filled with deliverance, restoration and victory! It was fantastic!

Her husband (a baby Christian, and not sure about the whole Pentecostal experience), commented on how different she and her daughter were looking and acting, and she tried to explain what had happened and what God had done. He listened, but didn't have much to say. Then yesterday morning, she came up front during worship to sing and worship in the altar area, and in a few minutes, he came up too! I believe he wants what he sees her having, but doesn't even know how to ask. But God is up to something with the two of them!

Thank you for taking the step of faith to have this kind of event during the Summertime. I know that each time you sponsor an event, it is a step of blind faith, and you aren't sure who will come and who will promote it. But I personally feel sorry for the ladies who do not promote both your events and the district events, because every time I go and take ladies, God shows up--and not just for the crowd, but for us each personally. And we bring this recharged, excited spirit back into our churches!

Thank you to my sister who wrote this! I'm so encouraged and most importantly I give the Lord thanks for His goodness! "To God Be the Glory!"

Love & Hugs,
LaDonna