Sept. 11—I left home today headed for parts north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. On the way I was stopping at the home of our friends’, Pastor Norm and Lori Gullingsrud, in Gary Minnesota. Norm was one of the elders in our first church we started in Twin Valley, Minnesota in 1983. It interesting to see how the seeds you plant grow over the years. God is still doing a work in that part of the world through the people we ministered to years ago.

We enjoyed a great farm dinner of venison-beef meatballs, mashed potatoes, juicyripe red tomatoes, and wonderfully-overripe Ambrosia variety sweet corn. Norm and Lori are doing well. Their children living nearby and two of their daughters are pregnant. Debbie, who is due in about 9 days, joined us for dinner.

That evening, we met with pastors from Mahnomen and Twin Valley to pray and strategize for future ministry. I spoke on “Weeping for the Lost.” When we realize the awful fate of those who don’t know Christ, how can we do anything but cry our eyes out for them. Thank God for the comfort and peace we have in Christ, but when we think of those who don’t know Him, we realize they are lost, strangers from the covenants of promise, without God, and without hope in this world. (Eph. 2:12) Weeping perhaps best put things into perspective for us and motivates us to reach out to a lost and dying world. We prayed and talked and strategized until after 10 p.m. The pastors then agreed to work together on a Hope and Healing Celebration in Mahnomen on Nov. 20-22.

Before getting to bed, I had a short visit with Susan on the phone. She had a hard night at work. We both were ready for some much needed rest.

Sept. 12–Saturday morning, I was off for Canada. I prayed at the crossing for favor and a smooth entrance into Canada. They are now requiring passports and asking probing questions like, “Do you have any weapons for protection?” No, I told her, I’m depending on the angels.” There is a temptation to be anxious when we go into a strange land, but we resist that and put our trust in the Lord.

Canada has just a little different feel to it. Perhaps it the signs, written in both French and English or the highways, which just seem to be more barren, or I don’t know, It’s just. . . so organized or something. It’s a different feel.

I drove all day arriving where I was scheduled to preach in Fairford, Manitoba north of Winnipeg on Route 6 at about 4:30 p.m. Pastor Wilfred “Robby” Bruce offered to take me for dinner, but I said I was more tired than hungry, so he went to town and brought me back a plate of chicken, for which I was thankful. I stayed in a small one-bedroom house next to the Robbie and Ester’s house.

I had called Robbie when I arrived in Fairford, and he came out to meet me on the road leading to his house. He said I wouldn’t be able to find it otherwise. It is definitely out in the bush. . . a good place to view the stars as night. This is called Interlaken area. . . between two large lakes. . . Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg. Fairford is located on one of the many native American reserves in Canada, called the First Nation of Pinaymootang.

That night I preached to small crowd. Two or three made commitments to the Lord. The music was hymns, like “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Are You Washed in Blood?” Pastor Robbie and his wife Esther led the music. Robbie plays guitar.

Sept. 13–On Sunday morning we had a wonderful service. I spoke on “Glory in the Church,” laying out God’s vision for His church, the body of Christ, to fill the earth with His glory. I encouraged the people that they were portable temples, carrying God’s presence wherever they went. As we sang, “I Surrender All,” almost the entire congregation came forward to consecrate themselves anew to the Lord and his service. One of those kneeling at the altar, was the nation’s chief, Garnet Woodhouse. He later told me that he prays every day for wisdom to lead the affairs of his people.

In the afternoon, Pastor Robbie gave me a tour of the Fairford area. The community is in midst of constructing a new lagoon for sewage and new road, preparing to build many new houses in the community. Rather than continuing to have houses spread all over the reserve, the nation plans to have centralized housing, to avoid polluting the underground water with multiple septic tanks.

We visited a pastor in nearby community of Little Saskatchewan, Pastor Wesley. Good name! This precious brother has been having difficulty getting his church moving. We prayed with him for his health and his church. He is having eye surgery this week.

Everywhere I went I found sold out, dedicated followers of Jesus Christ. At the same time, my sense is that the churches are struggling in this part of the world and need revival. Many people that once walked with the Lord are backslid. Also, some believers are not really committed to the local church, but rather run from place to place seeking a spiritual high. I pray that my visit will be a help to bring revival to this area.

It was interesting to hear how the Pentecostal churches got started in this area. Unlike many other areas, there was not Pentecostal missionaries that came into the area to initiate the work of God, but rather a sovereign move of God. A denominational pastor in Dauphin River, Manitoba, was preaching on a Sunday morning on Acts chapter two. As he preached, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he fell to the floor and began to pray in other tongues. Shortly after this, he was asked to leave his denomination. He started a new Pentecostal work and many people followed him. That church then sent out people to the nearby communities and the work spread.

At lunchtime at the restaurant we were talking about food, and I made an offhand comment about how I thought it strange that up here in the north woods, there seemed to be just ordinary food, like bacon and eggs, hamburgers, etc. “I thought there would be deer meat and bear steaks,” I said. The pastor’s wife must have took my statement to heart, so she talked to her sister, who had deer meat and walleye in the freezer and that night we had wonderful venison and fried walleye. Now, I feel like I’m in the north woods!

We talked after dinner about the condition of Jesus’ church in this area, and the needs in the community. There is a lot of drug use among the young people, teen pregnancy. I even heard of one 11 year old girl who had gotten pregnant.

On Sunday evening, we had church once again. I had told the people to invite someone and that I would be preaching a Gospel message. So I preached on the Prodigal Son. Interestingly, during worship an older woman got up to testify and tell about her recent stay in the hospital and her recovery. As she finished her testimony, she began to sing “Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by,” an old Pentecostal song. She then began to speak in tongues and holler for the Lord. Just then several of the women in the congregation came forward and began to pray, and stomp and wail before the Lord. I thought of Friday night when I spoke to the Pastors in Minnesota about wailing. I had read the scripture to them from Jeremiah:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation.” Jeremiah 9:17-20, KJV.

We haven’t seen a whole lot of this in the churches I pastored over the years, but in earlier days of Pentecost in the US, this was apparently very common. There was more deep groaning, intercessions and wailing in the church. Since then, our churches have become more sophisticated for better or worse. You judge.

About 4 or 5 made decisions for the Lord. that night and I was able to talk with most of them and encourage them. I also talked to a girl who was obviously under conviction, but was not yet ready to surrender to the Lord. Another girl said she had surrendered her life to the Lord that night. I encouraged her to talk to the pastor about baptism.

Sept. 14–I had breakfast in Fairford with Pastor Robbie and a young man who was previously in the youth group and had backslid. Like me he had traveled and moved around for years and been involved in drugs. He was also caught up in the gang lifestyle.

He said he had broken away from all that and was now settled in Fairford. I shared my testimony and gave him my booklet, “Filling the Void.” I asked him if he was a follower of the Lord and he said “Yes, but I don’t go to church.”

“I’m trying to get right within myself before I go to church. If I go now, I maybe a hindrance to others,” he said. I assured him that he would do well to return to church. The pastor also encouraged him. I felt it was a divine appointment.

On Sunday evening, I had heard that Chief Woodhouse’s daughter had a miscarriage earlier in the day. Before I left town I was able to talk with him and encourage him in the Lord.

From Fairford, I drove north on Highway 6 to Cross Lake, about 336 miles or about 540 kilometers. Robbie had told me the road was very bad, but fortunately there had been improvements in the last year and I arrived without damaging my car. Praise the Lord! From Fairford to Cross Lake there are only two gas stations. I stopped at the second one and filled up and bought a sandwich and banana. I don’t want to run out of gas up here. Mile after mile, kilometer after kilometer of trees, brush and asphalt. The last 100 K or so is gravel.

When I arrived in town, I immediately found the church. A metal structure with a gravel parking lot near the highway. I found the pastor’s house, which was next door, but no one was home. I traveled down the road to the gas station and bought an orange juice, and asked I they knew where I might find the pastor. They weren’t sure, but one young man there knew the Pastor Ron Castel. He then looked out the door and there was the pastor, standing in front of the station. God’s perfect timing! His son-in law was there as well, and said, “Welcome to Cross Lake.”

They took me to the church showed me an 8 by 10 foot room which would be my home for the next two nights. “The prophet’s chamber,” I quipped, thinking of the room the woman had prepared for Elisha, whenever he passed by that way.

I laid down and got a bit of rest and began to think about the evening service. I felt led to share on “Healing is the Children’s Bread” about the woman in Luke 13 who was healed by Jesus. Jesus said she should be healed because she was a “daughter of Abraham.” This is a message for all people and all nations, because we all can become children of Abraham and children of God by faith in Jesus.

The night I arrived a young man attempted suicide in town. In fact, I saw him on the way to the restaurant. I thought he was swimming in the lake, but apparently he was under the influence of a drug and was trying to take his own life. His mother is a Christian, and one of her sons had already succeeded in taking his life. God help these people!

I spoke briefly on the phone with Susan and the pastor directed me to a local restaurant where I had a hamburger and bowl of soup. It was election night in town. They were electing the new chief and Council. I picked up a brochure at the restaurant from one of the candidates named Garrison Sette. In it he gave his qualifications, which included the fact that he was a Pentecostal Christian and served in his church. When we started our church service, Garrison came in and asked for prayer. We anointed him with oil and I prayed for him, asking God for bless and help him with the leadership of the people. I found out the next morning that Garrison had won the election by a wide margin and was the new chief.

For various reasons, our service started quite late. Little by little a few people came straggling in. Most of the community was at the election headquarters, watching the results. After a long time of singing and testimonies, I started preaching at nearly 10 p.m. I preached for about 45 minutes and gave and altar call. Two people raised their hands to be restored to fellowship with the Lord. Others had needs for emotional and physical healing. We had a wonderful time of ministry in prayer. There were some prophetic words also for the people, including one for the pastor, and also for another couple, who the Lord was indicating would touch teenagers for the Lord. I didn’t know it, but the couple were the youth leaders in the church. I went back to the “prophet’s chamber,” locked the door and rested from a long day.

Sept. 15–Went to the local restaurant this morning. The poster with my photo was on the bulletin board and a woman there recognized me. She asked me if I had been into drugs previously. Turns out she has been doing drugs for the past 10 years, smoking every night, I am assuming crack cocaine, which is very prevalent here. She said last night she did not smoke for the first time. She has several children and the oldest one is noticing her drug habit and asking her about. This is the reason she want to quit. I told her about the power of the Lord to set us free of addictions and shared briefly my testimony with her.

Just as I was writing this, Clara, the pastor’s wife came by. She said the service last night was “beautiful.” Her and her husband were very encouraged, she said. She visited for a while and as she was leaving, she said, “Oh, do you want to go on the radio for 45 minutes and share what you have on your heart for this community?” At 3 p.m., her husband, Ron, will come. I better get ready. . .

Well, I had a great time at the local radio station, which I found out, not only reaches Cross Lake, but a large area, including Norway House, where I will be going tomorrow. So I was able to promote my upcoming meetings. I talked about “change in the air” with the new election and also a spiritual change. I said I believed the community was ready for change, which would come as the people yielded their hearts to the Lord. I encouraged the Christians also to plug into their local churches and help their pastors, rather than running from place to place. We then prayed for the new chief, council members and also for the pastors and spiritual leaders in the community.

I then preached on “You must be born again” from John 3:7. I told them that there is no way to enter into heaven without the new birth. The message included why you must be born again, what it means to be born again, and how to be born again. I shared my testimony about deliverance from drugs and alcohol and told the people that God would set them free of addictions also as they follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. I love ministering on the radio. I really sense the anointing to preach to the lost and backslid through that medium.

At 6 p.m., the pastor and his wife took me to a celebration for the new chief and council members. About 500 people were there. They ask me to pray over the meal and to bless the new government leaders, which I did. The meal was moose ribs (at right), caribou, deer, duck, wild rice, Bannock (Indian Bread) and much more. Once again, I was truly in the North Woods.

We started the evening service at 7:30 p.m. with three people. Me, the pastor and one older lady. For an hour or more, that was it. Then suddenly the youth minister and his wife showed up with about ten young people, and some other people came drifting in. As we continued to have music and testimonies, it began to get late and the children needed to get to bed to prepare for school tomorrow, so Clara, the pastor’s wife brought them up for prayer. I asked if they had received Christ, and some had not, so I asked if I could speak to them. I gave them a mini-sermon on the fall, and sin, and the cross, and receiving Jesus as Lord. They all said they wanted to make Jesus Lord of their lives and I prayed with them to accept Him.

We continued to sing and finally I was able to start ministering the Word, sometime after 9 p.m. (estimated). I preached on “Walking with God” and “Seeing Jesus.” and prayed over them. We finished at about 10:30 p.m. Good night!

Sept. 16–I got woke up around 7 a.m. and had some time of prayer and reading. At 8 a.m., I was supposed to be at the pastor’s house for breakfast. When I went in Clara was preparing breakfast. Nathan, their foster son, was also there. Ron worked the night shift as a security guard at the arena, and arrived a few minutes after eight.

We had bacon and eggs and hash browns for breakfast and Clara got ready for work. Ron and I talked until about 10 a.m. He shared about God’s dealing in his life, visions that he had seen, and miracles in his ministry. I think it was a great time of encouragement for both of us. We talked about the possibility of me coming back some day and holding some services in the arena. Maybe next time, I’ll come by plane.

Ron needed some rest and I need a shower.

The drive to Norway House was uneventful, with the exception of the ferry across the river near Norway House. I was praying to see a moose, but so far none. I found the Rossville Pentecostal Church and approached the house next door. “I’m looking for Pastor Myrtle Mukego,” I said. “You found her,” came the voice from the older lady sitting at the table with dark hair and curlers. “Come on in.”

Pastor Myrtle shared with me a brief history of her life. She told me how her grandmother had prophesied over her at the age of 16. She said Myrtle would marry a trapper (which she did) and have 8 children (which she did) and live to an old age (which she is) and that she would have a ministry that would touch many lives. At the time, Myrtle was not saved and laughed off her grandmothers prophecy, but 16 years later she gave her live to the Lord and all these things began to come to pass.

To date, Myrtle has served the Lord for 42 years. For many years she traveled in ministry and preached in various towns in this part of the world. More recently, her assignment from the Lord has been to “watch after” the Rossville Pentecostal Church, which she does with great zeal.

Being in the presence of this woman of God is a great experience. She is one of those who you experience a tangible anointing when you are with her. In fact, I experienced this several times also in talking to her over the phone. She is partially blind and unable ot read the Scriptures, but the Holy Spirit brings the Word to her remembrance and speak to her a current Word of God on a regular basis. It’s wonderful to be with someone who really knows God. The fellowship is quite rich. I hope I am an encouragement to her also.

I was hungry and a bit tired so I went down to the diner and had lunch and then went to the place where I was to stay. No one was home, so I tilted back the seat in my car, grabbed a pillow and took a nap.

I spoke on “Healing is the Children’s Bread” with a special emphasis on our inheritance in Christ and our spiritual authority.

Sept. 17–Had a good time today in the Word and prayer. Spent time thinking about the future of the ministry. I made some plans and committed some things to the Lord concerning needs for the ministry. I spent some time going over some of my sermon notes and looking at the big picture of the direction God is leading me in the ministry of the Word. Thought about some media outreach, some books I need to write and other dreams and visions.

Talked to Susan on the phone twice today. I bought a phone card before I left since roaming with the cell phone in Canada is 40 cents a minute. With the card, it’s about 3 cents, as long as I can find a place ot call. No one was home here today so it was a good time to visit and look forward to being together soon. We always pray on the phone for one another also. My traveling is difficult for her also, but sometime she will say when I tell her about the needs of the people or someone who has been touched through the ministry, “I’m glad you’re there.” I am too, but it is lonely sometime.

Last night, I was starting to feel sorry for myself a bit, and right away the thought came to me about the troops in Iraq, and I thought, “I don’t have it so bad.” The scripture says “Endure hardness as a good soldier.”

I felt like God wanted me to minister on the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5. Decided to call it “Touching Jesus.” I spent some time meditating on the text and developing some points to share. May God touch hearts and heal the people spirit, soul and body. I invited a lady named Lori to come to the service with her son, Morris. She has diabetes, asthma and other ailments. Her son has a liver disease and a heart defect.

I’m finding that the people here have a great many problems. Besides a lot of diabetes, there are a multitude of other problems, such as alcoholism, drug addictions, suicide, depression, gang violence and vandalism. The list goes on. The people need Jesus. And the church needs encouragement and hope. May God bring them the help they need. May laborers be sent to this part of the world. At one place I was, they said it was a long time since an evangelist had come to their area.

The lady and her son who I invited to the service didn’t come. The pastor testified that she received a refreshing in her body and she was able to lift her left arm up the first time in a long time. May God give us more signs and wonders to bring glory to His name.

“By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” Acts 4:30, KJV.

After the service I shared the Gospel with Lori. She said she had already received Jesus as her Lord. I prayed for Morris, her 8-year old son, for the liver problems and heart defect and for her for the diabetes, asthma and back problems. I left her a Healing CD. Later, I heard Morris singing and playing on the guitar, “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know.” It was a sweet sound.

Sept. 18–I woke up at about 3:30 a.m., and spent the early morning hours praying for a release of the miraculous in my life and ministry. I read the passage where Elisha asked, “Where is the God of Elijah?” This is what we need today, the God of Elijah. the God of signs wonders and miracles in the name of your holy child Jesus. We need to see that with the God that we serve “nothing is impossible.” Thank God for the healings, but the Lord wants to move us into creative miracles where the lame walk and the blind see, This is right in the realm of possibility if we draw upon His power.

I left Norway House at 8:30 a.m. and drove straight to Winnipeg, arriving at about 7 p.m. My hotel is in the heart of the city, next to the civic center. Crashed at about 10:30 a.m.

Sept. 19–Spent the day at the hotel. Haven’t yet heard from the pastor. Had a good time with the Lord praying and studying about miracles. Went down and had breakfast at about 11:30 a.m. and took a walk around the area. I’m so glad I don’t live in a city.

This is a needy place. . . so many are obviously without God and without hope. Heard a group of young girls and later a young man using ultra-fowl language. God help us to reach them. I think of Ninevah which was about to be destroyed, but the warning of the reluctant prophet saved them. Like the the shipmaster in the boat carrying Jonah, the world is looking for God’s people to wake up and call upon their God, that the people of this world might be saved.

“So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.” Jonah 1:6, KJV.

May God wake us up and send us to Nivevah, before it’s too late. Hopefully, we don’t need a trip to the bottom of the sea, in a fish’s belly to head the call.

I preached at the First Nations Family Worship Centre with Pastor Raymond McLean. The church has an excellent full-blown worship band with some great guitar playing. The crowd was very small to start with, but a number of people came in as the service progressed. I preached on Healing is the Children’s Bread, and taught about the the blessing of Abraham which has come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. About 6 or 7 wanted to prayer to be forgiven and restored in their relationship with God. I ministered to people with a variety of emotional and physical problems and many were touched. There was a blind man there who did not come up for prayer, but he told me he was believing God for his healing. Like many of the people, his physical problems were the result of diabetes. A young developmentally disabled man came for prayer for a broken heart. He had recently lost his mother to a disease.

Sept. 20–Since there was no Sunday morning service, I thought I would catch some preaching on television in my hotel room, but there was little to be found. It seems we (the church) are giving over the air waves to the ungodly. Too often the preaching that is on television has little Gospel content.

I had a good day seeking the Lord in prayer and studying about the miracle ministry. It seems the more I see the needs of the people, the greater the desire comes to move into the working of miracles according to 1 Cor. 12. This is what we need to reach a sin-sick and blinded word, mighty signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. God says we will find him (and all his power) when we seek for him with all our hearts:

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13, KJV.

I preached in the evening on “Touching Jesus” concerning the woman with the issue of blood. The message was developed a bit more this time. I used to preach a lot on this text in years past. I read a testimony from a native woman who was healed of colon cancer after the Lord touched her through the passage on the woman with the issue of blood. I shared that testimony and many others from my own experience. A lot of people came to the altar for prayer. I’d say about 10 of them were looking for forgiveness and restoration. I prayed for cancer and other ailments, addictions, family problems, marriages, and emotional problems and spiritual issues.

The service lasted nearly 4 hours, which I’m finding is not uncommon among the native churches. A man I had prayed for the night before testified that the Lord had touched him, giving him victory over a curse that had been place upon his life about 7 years previously. I told him as a follower of Jesus, no curse could stick. “How can you curse what God has blessed?” At the end of the service they had me come up front and received a love offering for my ministry. The people warmly came and greeted me and blessed me.

Sept. 22–I left Winnipeg at 9:30 a.m. and drove home, arriving at 8 p.m. Total miles: 2,240. Ah! It’s good to be home.