A Journey in the Desert
LOOKING BACK It’s been a very full and very rich year. Looking back, we can hardly believe all the places we had the opportunity to travel to, the precious people we’ve had the privilege of meeting, and all the doors that were opened before us. We are amazed and deeply grateful to God for every moment of it and it is our delight and honor to recap some of it for you here in this newsletter - some of what we saw God doing f irsthand in the hearts and lives of people around the globe, including our own. “Now thanks be to God for His Gift, precious beyond telling…" (II Corinthians 9:15 AMPC)
2023 RECAP ITINERARY January Home for the Weekend Retreat - Oxford, Ohio February Women’s Retreat Three Rivers, CA
March Asia Outreach: Cambodia
April Asia Outreach: Thailand May Asia Outreach Report Night in Archbold, Ohio Driving truck/trailer back home to CA
August Oregon/Washington Tour September Newfoundland Scouting Trip Small Group Gatherings Women’s Bible Study October Visalia Oasis 2 Dessert and Coffee Fundraising Events November Home for the Weekend Retreat in Oxford, Ohio Small Group Day Retreat Creative Arts Worship Nights Sunday am Service and Ministry Report, AEC in Archbold, Ohio
June Israel Study Tour
December Women’s Luncheon in Morro Bay, CA Christmas in California
July Next Gen Leaders' Retreat for Believer’s Church in Pottersville, New York
January 2024 Oasis Retreat - Visalia, CA (TBA) HFTW Retreat - Exeter, CA (TBA)
Findin Meani the Des
One of the most treasured highlights of this past year came to us in the form of an unprecedented opportunity (thanks to a very generous FSM supporter) to take a 12-day study trip to the country of Israel! Daily, we visited 5-7 biblical sites, hiked many miles over rough terrain, listened eagerly to hours of historical and devotional teaching from our Israeli guide Dan and Tennessee Pastor Mark Whitehead (Arbel Ministries), and wept tears of awe and wonder that wouldn’t stop flowing as we experienced walking the very ground where our Lord Jesus did!
We were deeply impacted by what we saw and heard – places like the Emmaus Road, the site of Jesus’ baptism, the Mount of Beatitudes, sailing on the Sea of Galilee, walking on the streets in Capernaum where the woman with the issue of blood was healed, sitting under the 2000 year old trees at the Mount of Olives, standing in the possible site of Golgotha, and entering the Garden tomb – it was all profound beyond words. As one friend put it, it was like a “thin place” – where Heaven seemed so close that we could almost touch Him and where we were overcome with the deep assurance again that everything we’ve believed in, put our hope in, and built our whole lives upon is REAL REAL REAL! Realer than real! We came away with so many new insights and such helpful cultural context – information and impressions that we’ll probably be unpacking for years to come. One of those impressions had to do with our view of the “desert/wilderness”. Crazy how you can think a certain way about something and not even realize that you do.
“I WILL ALLURE HER AND BRING HER INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND I WILL SPEAK T E N D E R LY A N D T O HER HEART.” (HOSEA 2:14)
ng New ing in sert
We became aware of our subtle misconceptions of the desert several times throughout the trip when Pastor Mark would refer to the desert from God’s point of view, saying things like, “When God’s beloved children were poor in spirit, He led them into the wilderness so they could become rich in spirit.” And when he talked about it, his voice was tender and his eyes were soft, as if to communicate that the desert was a very special, almost intimate place to be. That certainly had not been our view of the desert. We began slowly to realize that our own natural impressions of the “wilderness seasons of life” were that they are bad, distasteful, and something to be avoided at all costs. We became aware that often we’ve wrongly assumed that a desert situation had come because we had done something wrong or that something had gone wrong and needed to be f ixed. And that the obvious goal, if one found oneself in a desert, would be to get out of it as soon as possible. At f irst glance, the desert does appear to be bleak, uninviting, uninhabited, even dead. But slowly, our hearts began to soften to the idea that in fact, for God, desert seasons and wilderness times are alive with possibility. They hold an invitation from His very heart for intimate connection. The wilderness provides perfect conditions for trust to be cultivated, where we can open up to Him, and be met in the realest places of our hearts by a loving Father who knows us better than we know ourselves. In Hosea 2:14-15, God says of His beloved Israel: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart. There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt.” In similar ways, we are coming to believe that God wants to re-story our desert seasons (whether they be because of sadness, fear, loss, or waiting for a promise He’s given to be fulf illed) into “doors of hope and expectation”, where He can speak tenderly to our hearts, transforming the hardship and trouble into a meeting place for connection. A place where we come to know and trust God in deeper ways than ever before.
ENGEDI The f irst 2 days of our study tour in Israel found us in the Judah wilderness. It was dry, dusty, and hot. But on the third day, seemingly out of nowhere, we came upon EnGedi (pic on front cover). This oasis in the desert, some 3000 years earlier, is where David and his 600 companions had sought refuge from King Saul, who was pursuing David to kill him. It is from here that David penned a number of the psalms, pouring out his heart to God for deliverance. The walls of the caves still seemed to ring out with his honest cries for rescue and the might of God’s ever-present help. “I cry out to God Most High, to God, Who vindicates me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me – God sends forth His love and His faithfulness.” (Psalm 57:2-3)
ON BEING LED Often the Israelites referred to their time in the wilderness as “wandering”, but God doesn’t refer to it like that. Instead, He says, “I led you through the desert. You were never alone! I took care of you every step of the way. Your shoes never wore out and I supplied all your needs. I even gave you a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of f ire by night so that you would always know my Presence was with you to guide you!” (Exodus 16, 23, 40, Deuteronomy 8) In the last several years of ministry, we have sensed God leading us in much the same way. We’re f inding we don’t always know all the details of what’s ahead, but He has clearly been leading us by His Spirit. As the pillar of cloud and f ire settled over His people until it was time to move forward again, we have sensed God’s Presence directing our staying as well as our going. For instance, we’ll get an impression of where to go next on outreach or the f irst thing to do once we arrive, and before we know it, ten more opportunities will unfold before us that hadn’t originally been planned. It’s becoming quite the adventure – letting Him lead the way! We are learning to relax and trust conf idently that He is absolutely directing our every step and we’re f inding security in “staying right on His heels”.
Slow Moments
Invited by the leaders of the largest Youth with a Mission (YWAM) base in SE Asia, our Full Sail team spent 28 days in Battambang, Cambodia on their 13-acre campus, pouring into the 120 full time staffers (60% Cambodians, 40% US, Australian, European…) and 100 Discipleship Training School students (from several Asian countries) who live and work there. The leadership core team had communicated to us before our arrival that their staff was weary and in need of a “real rest”, something that just a vacation wouldn’t be able to remedy. These solid and committed staff members literally spend their lives, day in and day out, ministering to their students, their families, their country, and their world, often to the point of exhaustion. The need all around them is so mammoth, it can be hard to f ind margin for themselves, often pouring out until there’s not much left. So, our vision was, f irst and foremost, to simply come and spend unrushed time just BEING with them - sitting around the lunch or dinner table together, attending chapel or worship side by side, grabbing a cup of coffee, taking a walk, and mostly just being present to their lives, their worlds, their longings, their heartaches, and their dreams. Our f irst week on the ground looked like spending time building trust through relationship in worship and devotional sets, speaking in small group settings, teaching at the DTS school, offering some creative arts worship opportunities, and simply hanging out. The second week, we hosted a week-long Oasis Retreat (see page 8 for a more detailed description of Oasis), open 7am-9pm daily, geared specif ically to the YWAM staffers. It was so heartwarming to see so many of them taking the time to pause from the busyness of their lives and ministry, to sit in the quiet and risk opening their weary hearts up to God. Even more poignant was the sense that God was on the edge of His seat to meet with each one, being so affected by what moved them.
IN CAMBODIA
It seemed God was gently coaxing each one to bring Him their pain and longing, not minimizing it or rushing them through it or condemning them for their weariness, but just so lovingly and tenderly “being with” each one. The Oasis space felt like a truly sacred place as, day after day, hour after hour, from morning until evening, the room became a meeting place with the Lover of our souls. During the last two weeks in Cambodia following Oasis, we focused our time on individual prayer ministry “sets” - 25 hour-long prayer slots for any staff members who desired further personal prayer ministry with our team. In most instances, hard and often very painful things came up for people during those prayer times, but God’s Presence to heal and comfort and deliver was so real and available. It was beautiful working together as a team - listening to the Holy Spirit, trusting each other, flowing together, growing and learning and receiving so much grace as we went. And it was such a profound honor to listen to each uniquely beautiful story and to have a front row seat to see Jesus intimately encourage each person. At the end of our 28 days, a conversation was started about the possibility of returning to Cambodia in the not-too-distant future for another time of ministry. We are trusting the Lord to show us if, when, and how this might happen in the year(s) ahead.
OUR VISION: INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
Not only do we long to take the message of God’s love to the far reaches of the globe, but we love coming alongside full-time Christian workers and missionaries who are continually pouring themselves out to others for the sake of the Gospel. It is our great honor to offer listening ears, understanding hearts, and the time and space needed for an encounter with God for themselves personally – to set the stage for God to bring refreshment, healing, renewal, and rest to His beloved children.
“TO THAILAND WITH LOVE”: HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Our connection to Thailand began way back in the year 2000. While leading worship at our home church’s Sunday services in Visalia, we were introduced to Team 2000 – a team of 3 couples (Ricky and Karen Sanchez, Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters, and Andy and Carmen Owen) and their children who were embarking on a 10-year mission (which turned into 20+) to share the Gospel in the country of Thailand. The deep heart connection we experienced with them that Sunday not only culminated in fourteen different “To Thailand with Love” Outreaches, beginning in 2005 to present day, but also in some of our dearest life-long friendships.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS “‘When I got to campus, the first sign I saw as we pulled into the parking lot was Slow Down.’ This is what Geoff shared with our whole staff the first full day the “Oasis Team” (as we called them) was with us…and that is exactly what this time with them was all about… slowing down, getting perspective, taking time to just BE with Jesus! In a ministry like Youth with a Mission, that is always on the move, this time for slowing down was invaluable. The team also invested in the students from our campus elementary school called Cornerstone. It was a highlight of the year for many of our students. Cambodia is a highly artistic culture, so to learn how to use art to meet with Jesus, express their emotions to Him, and learn how to listen for His Voice speaking to them was truly memorable and so beautiful! And there is so much more I could say about what God did in and through this time…inner healing prayers, ministry nights, praying with and over my own kids, meals together and coffee dates, the Oasis stations…the four weeks the team was here was a timely gift from the very heart of Father God and was what I, my family, and our greater YWAM Battambang family needed. Thank you!” (Kovonne, YWAM Leadership Core Team) “Oasis helped me remember how much the Father loves me. It gave me the feeling that He is really with me. It was amazing – this sense of the Presence of God with me all the time. It was like God was saying to me, ‘I know you. I see you and I love you.’ I was deeply touched.” (YWAM Staff Member) “It was such a significant time of breakthrough for me and a re-establishment of intimacy with the Father after a season of distance due to hurt and disappointment. I went from just going through the motions to feeling a greater sense of connection to God and my calling.” (YWAM Staff Member) “I could tell you testimony after testimony of ways that Jesus came and personally met with these staff members. Many of them had been walking around with a ‘limp’, putting aside the difficult and painful places in their hearts just in order to survive the pace of ministry…A lot of our times of prayer seemed like ‘before and after’ moments for them... like God was setting up a pillar for them to often return to and remember: ‘That’s when I discovered this about Jesus’ or ‘That’s when things started changing’. It was amazing to see them leave with changed hearts and brighter faces!” (Jordanne, FSM Team Leader)
THAILAND Following our time in Cambodia, we took a few days to rest and then launched into the Thailand portion of our SE Asia Outreach. Beginning in Pattaya (a city in Eastern Thailand), we spent our f irst day with Nella Davidson of Tamar Ministries, whose vision and focus rests on the “bar girls of Pattaya”, women caught in one of the worst sex traff icking destinations in the world. We walked the streets with this mighty woman of God and listened to her mother’s heart for these girls so objectif ied and abused, many of whom were originally sent by their families in the North to get a good job and send money back home. Now broken and trapped, despair and hopelessness run rampant. We walked and prayed and dreamed into what kind of team we might bring in the future to specif ically target the needs of these precious young women. Then it was on to Chon Buri for a week of pouring into the staff and orphaned children of Abundant Life Home, established in 2013 by dear friends and missionaries, Ricky and Karen Sanchez, to provide a loving home and tender care for children, many of whom struggle with serious medical issues. We had the privilege of providing teaching, worship, and individual prayer times for about 15 of the house moms, staff, and children. It was such an honor to listen to each one’s longing or need and then to seek the Lord on their behalf, opening our hearts to hear His thoughts for them. And what a privilege to offer words of hope and encouragement from the heart of God for each one. Tears flowed freely and embraces were tender. Karen, with whom we’ve worked on so many prior Thailand outreaches, made the comment, “I wish I could have had every one of our kids and house moms receive prayer. I had to pick and choose just 15. But next time around…! These prayers are going really deep.”
The God Who Hears THAILAND
Our next stop was the city of Chiang Mai where we stayed with another close friend and longtime missionary, Cynthia Friesen and her adopted Thai son, Maceo. In addition to spending hours over heart to heart talks, praying, playing games, and sharing good meals together, we had the beautiful opportunity of joining her in her world of ministry in a girls’ juvenile detention center, visiting the homes of several brand new believers from their newly-launched house church, leading worship and prayer ministry for the members of her Life Group, and praying individually with several of the women at Naomi House (a refuge for at-risk women to learn a trade and f ind f inancial, spiritual and emotional stability). The 10 days with Cynthia went so quickly and it was hard to say goodbye to this friend who feels so much like family. Our last destination was the city of Mae Sot, a city on the border of Burma (Myanmar), where we ministered to several small groups of men and women who had literally fled for their lives from the Civil War happening in their country. In each setting, we spoke to them about a God Who hears the very cries of their hearts and is leaning in close to meet them right in their places of deep pain, trauma, loss, and fear.
In one of the meetings, the man sitting next to Geoff asked how he could be freed from fear and healed from the PTSD he was experiencing. He had watched his best friend get shot and killed right in front of him as they were fleeing the country. Geoff looked into his eyes, and took a moment to really see this dear young man in front of him. Looking in his eyes and loving him. Then he prayed, asking God for healing and the power to forgive such horrif ic offenses. God was present. Jesus was in the room. And the Holy Spirit knit their hearts together as this young man, and many others around the room, began the process of releasing their lives into the hands of God. It was a powerful, beautiful, and life changing moment. “Geoff and Jill came with the joy of Christ that was so desperately needed among the Myanmar people who have taken refuge in Thailand. In our neighborhood alone, there are over 200 refugees, many of whom are widowed or single women. Jill was able to share her testimony with a small group of them one Saturday evening and the gospel was received by several women. On another occasion, the Holy Spirit came powerfully at a women’s ministry night at the church and many of us were met in a special way. My own family of four was blessed as they mentored us with their presence and gentle wisdom through our final week in Thailand...I’m so glad God sent the Ludlows to Mae Sot for such a time as this.” (Ryan & Logan, Short-term missionaries in MaeSot, Thailand)
HAVE A CONNECTION WITH A LOCATION OVERSEAS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HOSTING A FULL SAIL TEAM?
If you would like to connect us with a missionary or full-time Christian worker somewhere outside of the US, please email us at info@fullsail.org or call our off ice line at 559-627-8202. Even now, we are praying about possible International Outreaches for 2024. So let’s chat!
7A M O A S I S D E V O T I O N S B AT TA M B A N G , CA M B O D I A
NEWFOUNDLAND It had been over 8 years since we were last together in Newfoundland – the Rock as it is endearingly called by those who hail from there. Geoff was born and raised in this beautiful place full of wind and waves and rocky cliffs, and we had been longing to get there, not only to grab some precious time with Geoff’s family, but also sensing a nudge from God that He had some ministry moments planned for us there. And indeed, that is what unfolded. First, Jill was invited to share at a women’s Bible study at Bethesda Pentecostal, the church Geoff had grown up in. We began by leading in worship and then Jill spoke about how our desert/wilderness times can actually become tender meeting places with God and not just something to get through. It was such a sweet and personal time, ending with a prayer of encounter, accepting Jesus’ invitation to meet us where we really live, and choosing to trust Him and His timing. We felt deeply honored and delighted to meet with these ladies. On another occasion, Jill was invited to spend the evening with Cheryl Cann’s ladies’ small group - 8 women who have been “doing life” together weekly in a beautiful circle of trusted friendship in her living room for the past 5 years. Jill was quickly and warmly invited into that loving circle. Drawing from John 11 and the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, she shared about the tender heart of Jesus and how He met each of them personally in the reality of their lives. He really does long to sit with us in the honesty of our sad, lonely, broken, confused, scared, stuck moments of life and make it a meeting place. A place where we’re given new grounds for believing His heart for us. What an honor to end the evening by praying over each of these precious women. The next morning, one of them messaged us this reflection: “I spent part of my morning trying to form the right words to put in my journal about my feelings from last night. I can truly say Jesus has shown me how to open some doors for Him to enter and help me clean up some of the cobwebs and to be like Mary and just sit at His feet and absorb everything He wants to say to me. Lots of tears and a wonderful letting go. Thank you for being a vessel helping with that.” Our f inal opportunity came in the form of sharing stories from this past season of ministry with Ralph and Cheryl Cann’s couples small group. Each person was so engaged, listening intently, asking great questions, and rejoicing with us in the wonder of seeing God so beautifully at work in the lives of people around the world. Ralph closed the evening by saying, “Geoff and Jill shared their hearts and warmed ours in doing so” and later, he wondered about the possibility of a return trip to host a retreat for the small group leaders from Bethesda. We were excited about this possible opportunity and felt reminded once again by God: “Take the f irst step I show you and I will unfold the rest.” We are learning to follow His lead, even when at f irst it isn’t clear. He knows where we’re going!
THE HEART BEHIND OASIS
Our most recent Oasis took place in a friend’s event barn in Visalia, California – the f irst one we’d done in town in 5 years - and what a refreshing time it was. People came hungering and thirsting for time with God and He did not disappoint us. In fact, one friend reflected afterwards, “I came longing to hear something from God and I was astounded that the moment I stepped into the room, He began pouring His thoughts into my heart.” Another f irst-time attendee who didn’t even know what the retreat was about but simply came because her aunt invited her, said that the moment she pulled into the driveway of the barn, she began to weep, feeling God’s Presence so powerfully all around her. It was like God was eagerly waiting to meet with each person who came. What a privilege to facilitate such private moments for people to connect intimately with God. “It felt so inviting and easy to connect with God. As my feet were being washed at the foot washing station, I got a strong sense of what God was speaking to me, and it continued when I did the Communion station. I felt so clearly that He was present to me and specifically drawing me in closer, affirming my desire to be fully present with Him.” (Oasis Attendee) “When I arrived, I instantly felt God’s presence and felt His invitation. It was such a space of being able to let down. The foot washing prayer times we had felt so significant! God had something so unique for each person and it felt weighty and personal and like it really connected. Also, as the person praying, I felt pressure-free, easy, relaxed (which it not always the case!!!). Thank you for creating a space and setting the table for others. What a gift, what extravagant hospitality.” (Full Sail Team Member)
New Oxford dictionary def ines oasis as “a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found; a pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a diff icult, troubles, or hectic place or situation”. Oasis invites people to their own personal retreat with God. Through devotional thoughts, prayer, and interactive Reflective Stations, Oasis provides un-rushed time and space to come away from the hectic, troubled, and daily grind of life to focus their thoughts and attention on Him, and to receive the healing and refreshment He longs to give.
“I loved the Reflective Stations at Oasis. The first one I went to was Bowl of Tears. It was such a restorative moment for me as I poured out what I long for most – an even closer connection with God. The second was the Hands Station. That was redemptive. The moment I felt God taking my stress and burdens from my hands, I felt such a weight fall off me. I have an amazing life, but sometimes the stresses of so much responsibility can have a draining affect. The third station was New Name. It completely wrecked me. The new name He gave me is ‘My Darling’…Thank you so much for all the effort and energy that goes into Oasis. You are loved much.” (Oasis Attendee) “As a very busy person, getting solitude in my week is a challenge. I’ve given up on daily solitude, but I do manage it at least two times a week. This retreat helped me value solitude even more than I already do. I totally get that Jesus met God in solitude and that is how He knew how to follow His Father’s will…This event cemented that value and I am thankful we could attend. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” (Oasis Attendee)
CO M E WI T H M E BY YO U R S E LVE S TO A QUIET PLACE AND GET SOME REST. MARK 6:31
WANT TO HOST AN OASIS R E T R E AT I N Y O U R A R E A?
If you would like to f ind out more information about hosting an Oasis in your area, email us at info@fullsail.org or call our off ice line at 559-627-8202. We will be traveling throughout North America in 2024. Maybe we will be near you! So let’s chat!
REFLECTIVE STATIONS
“a stopping place for deep thought”
Home
THE HEART BEHIND HOME FOR THE WEEKEND
FOR THE WE E K E N D
We had the privilege of hosting our sixth Home for the Weekend Retreat, this one for 7 people in the home of Dave and Katie Bear in Oxford, Ohio in late January. The Lord came in signif icant ways to each one who attended – speaking profoundly into identity and sonship, rest and purpose. After a follow-up prayer time, one of the individuals said, “Apart from the day I gave my heart to Jesus, this is the most signif icant day of my life.” We are astounded and deeply blessed by God and His ability to go right to the heart of the issue and bring healing and restoration in astounding ways!! IN THEIR OWN WORDS “I’ve spent many years teaching others who they are in Christ. During Home for the Weekend, the Father revealed that there are many things I have taught others that I do not take hold of for myself… He spoke to my fears, short comings, and declared who I am in Him. I felt His deep love for me as He revealed wounds and healed my soul. It truly felt like home.” (HFTW Attendee) “At Home for the Weekend, I watched God minister to my thirteen-year-old daughter. He spoke to her fears and said, ‘I got you’. She continues to hold onto this promise. We now use some of the activities from the weekend with all of our kids and it is fun to watch them as they hear from our Father.” (HFTW Attendee)
In Home for the Weekend Retreats, we dive into what we believe is an invitation to us from the heart of God into Home as He has def ined it – a place in His heart where we can live freely – completely known, deeply loved, and truly safe in His care. This two-day retreat, set in the living room with a small group of trusted friends, offers time and space to steep in the reality of f inding Home in Him.
“Home for the Weekend was truly a life-changing experience for me. Somehow, in a living room that I am in constantly, the Lord showed up and did a work in my heart that I was utterly unprepared for, and it was the greatest gift. The team facilitated a slowing down, and peace-filled environment where I learned to hear the Lord in new ways and where He had the space to do a literal life-changing work in me. He met me where I was and gently led me to a new intimacy with Him. I left that weekend a new person: freed, known, loved, and joyful (so much so that several of my closest friends asked in the following month ‘What happened to you, because you look lighter, different?’). There simply aren’t enough words to really explain all that the Lord did in me (and frankly, in every person in attendance). Suffice it to say, I am His, and that has changed everything.” (HFTW Attendee)
“Home is the perfect term for what this weekend retreat felt like- a loving place where I was able to fully rest in the presence of my Father. It was when I let myself truly rest in Him that He revealed to me just how much He had been longing to show me His insurmountable love for me. The freedom and joy I felt after is still with me, many months later, as I carry the knowledge of His love for me everywhere I go.” (HFTW Attendee)
WANT TO HOST A HOME FOR THE WEEKEND RETREAT IN YOUR HOME? If you would like to f ind out more information about hosting a HFTW in your area, email us at info@fullsail.org or call our off ice line at 559-627-8202. We will be traveling throughout North America in 2024. Maybe we will be near you! So let’s chat!
NEXT GEN RETREAT Mid-July found us in the Adirondack Mountains of New York with 28 leaders from Believer’s Church Next Gen Kids’ program. Throughout the week, we invited them into the quiet with Jesus, to be seen by the One Who really sees us. His gaze brought such healing, forgiveness, comfort, and freedom. One leader reflected afterwards, “My experience at camp was truly life changing…I encountered the Lord so powerfully, and I’m so grateful that space was created where I could meet the Lord there…”
The Heart of Full Sail… OUR VISION
PLEASE PRAY WITH US
We believe that all people were created to live in a direct relationship with God that is unencumbered by shame. We’ve seen in our own lives and in the lives of others that when people are invited into true freedom in Christ, everything changes. Our goal is to create environments and moments where people are receptive and ready for the Holy Spirit to move in fresh and powerful ways. We know that when we are faithful to make space for Him, He is faithful to show up and change lives.
+
That we would live in union with God as our Source and that knowing Him would be our highest call.
+
That we would love one another deeply from the overflow of being loved by Him – in our marriage, in our family, in our close relationships, and in our interactions with each person we meet.
+
OUR MISSION
That we would cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He continues to lead us on a journey to true freedom and wholeness in our hearts.
+
For Spirit-led connections and wide-open doors of ministry at home and abroad.
+
For the implementation of new creative projects (books, resources, music) and new events we have in development for this new year.
+
For clear direction, timing, and details for the ministry opportunities before us.
+
For every resource needed to accomplish the plans in His heart for us – time, money, personnel, creativity, and vision.
+
That our lives would authentically and lavishly display His heart and His glory in all we do and say.
We focus on providing space and un-rushed time for spiritually thirsty people to have life-changing encounters with God. We use beautifully crafted settings, artistic expressions, life-aff irming teachings from the Word, real life stories, Reflective Stations, and prayer ministry to set a space for the Holy Spirit to draw people into deeper intimacy with the Father. Our retreats and outreaches take place wherever the “Wind” of God blows, be it locally, domestically, or internationally.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER JOINING OUR TEAM OF FAITHFUL PRAYER SUPPORTERS?
GIVING WITH RESONANCE
+
We send out regular email blasts that keep you up to date with ministry opportunities and prayer requests for Full Sail Ministries. Will you take a moment today to be sure we have a correct email address for you? You can use the enclosed envelope, email us at info@fullsail.org, or phone our off ice line 559-627-8202.
+
You can start by joining us in praying for the requests on previous page.
The heartbeat of Full Sail Ministries is to create un-rushed time and space for people to make real and intimate connection with God. We have poured our hearts and souls into creating that opportunity for people the world over – knowing how life-changing it is. If this resonates with you, we want to invite you to join us by supporting this work. Your f inancial support and focused prayer, we believe, cause miraculous things to unfold for God’s Kingdom. It’s like our individual notes, when joined together, build a chord, which, when joined in the Spirit with others, plays a song of Love to the world.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER BEING A PART OF OUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TEAM BY… +
Giving a yearend gift today? $50, $100, $500, $1000 or more will help to set us up for the brand-new year before us.
+
Committing to a monthly, quarterly, or annual gift. Partners who consistently give $25, $50, or $100 per month help solidify the f inancial foundation from which we can freely offer ministry to everyone God brings our way.
+
Giving a gift in kind: +
Geoff is in need of a new computer. Cost: approximately $4500
+
The ministry is in need of storage space for both our Full Sail Ministries’ trailer and all of our Oasis materials/ministry supplies (20x20 space)
CAMBODIA TEAM WITH KOVONNE S A N , YWA M CO R E T E A M L E A D E R FULL SAIL TEAM LEADERS
HOW CAN I HELP? If you want to be a part of what God is doing through Full Sail Ministries, please use the enclosed envelope or visit www.fullsail.org/give to make a monthly or one time financial gift. If you’d like to give a gift in kind, please email Geoff at geoff@fullsail.org or call us at 559-627-8202. We are very grateful for your support.
GE O F F + J I LL LU D LO W
FULL SAIL MINISTRIES c/o Tulare County Outreach, Inc. PO Box 1772 Visalia, CA 93279-1772
What a difference a desert makes. Days become weeks, which then beget months of the sun’s burning Our skin, exposing a longing through all the heat and drought. They have a way of drawing need to the surface of the soul. This thirst is matched by the dryness felt deep in our bones. He is here among us with the cloud by day And we dare not move until there’s a lift. He comforts us at night with a standing flame To warm us to the truth that He keeps us safe in the dark. It’s here, in the wild, where we learn dependence And where our true identity is revealed As we trust that His love for us will send the rain, While laying bread, from no harvest of our own, outside on the ground. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday all we could see was land, a gray-barren, gone dry. Today the earth awakens with a hue of the deep dark brown colour of life Brought on by the steady fall of rain through the night. This water hails from some faraway place and is not afraid to press down to our need. Low to the ground, it’s willing to seep far enough to give root To a seed long dormant and perhaps assumed dead, Not lost by the Wind’s memory of the forests of seasons past. The seed left low for days, weeks, and months long begotten, begins to reach for the surface. We will come into the land of promise in time, but for now we learn the rhythms of the desert. From slavery’s Exodus to wilderness, the fast to bread, the drought to rain, and death to life, We’ll worship as we travel, watching seeds long forgotten spring alive as He tends to our souls And let His affection grace our faces as with each drop of rain. What a difference a rain makes. BY GEOFF LUDLOW