2011 Mission Trip!

For more information, please contact Heartland Christian Center, or Team Leaders Ken or Sandy Ressler at 

Kenressler@yahoo.com 

resslersandy@yahoo.com

  www.hccwooster.org

Exciting Updates! (March 26, 2011)

Hello!

There have been many exciting things taking place here, and we have fallen a little behind in updating everyone. SO sorry about that! Here come a few new and exciting updates of what God has been doing through us the past few weeks!

 Saturday, about 3 weeks ago, we went to the Family Life Center and held the weekly children's ministry program. Since we have some young men, ages 11-14, coming and they are a little overwhelming for the young ones to be in the same group, I (Al) have decided to take the older boys upstairs or outside for a separate ministry time. I have a time of sharing my faith and testimony then we play ping pong or something else. This week I went outside and set up the Ladder Ball game I had made. Soon we had several observers and so I set up the Corn hole boards. We ended up with 15-16 young men from the immediate neighborhood playing and visiting. It was a great time of introducing ourselves and just showing our light to these guys.
 After the regular weekly program, Kathi, Danielle and I spent the day with Arton and Didarje and their boys. We had a good time playing Corn hole and made hotdogs and baked beans for lunch.
                At 6:00 p.m. we had our first weekly worship meeting at the second location. We had 6 of the regulars from that area and two young men who visited. Praise God, Holy Spirit showed up. I was able to share with the folks about the need to be filled with Holy Spirit daily and we had a good time. We prayed for people after the service and again Holy Spirit healed one man who had been having chronic neck pain. When Arton came up for prayer I asked what he wanted from Jesus. He replied MORE OF JESUS. We were prompted by Holy Spirit to have him raise his hands and ask audibly for more and we prayed with him. Soon he was on the floor in the presence of God. His brothers’ 17 year old son was one of the visitors and came next for prayer. He looked very depressed and we asked him what he wanted Jesus to do. He said "I want my life to be different"! Apparently he has seen the change in Arton and Berati and wanted some for himself. We started to pray for a touch from Holy Spirit and felt like this guy needed more. I explained the four spiritual laws, Al's abbreviated version, taking him from creation to Jesus’ resurrection and asked if he wanted to receive Jesus and His sacrifice as payment for his sins. I asked if he wanted Jesus to be his Lord and Savior and take control of his life to which he said YES! Astrit led him in a short prayer of salvation and then we prayed for Jesus to touch him. Soon this young man was lying on the floor, not ever having seen or experienced this kind of thing before! Arton and this young man, Edmir got up from the floor with a great sense of peace and joy in their hearts. They both felt the presence of God in an indescribable way. Didarja was next. She had been having great anxiety over some recent decisions and poor choices. Kathi had ministered to her earlier in the areas of repentance and forgiveness. She said after prayer she felt all the stress go from her and she was smiling like she used to when she first came to Jesus. One of the 13 year old boys who has come to the children's ministry but doesn't like the fact that we "talk about God all the time" came into the meeting late. He was very confused and concerned about what was going on with these people "falling down like they were dead". He left before I could talk with him but I will make sure Arton takes the time to explain that they had been touched by the living God and the peace that came along with that. Can hardly wait to see what God will do with that one!

All in all we were very pleased with our first weekly meeting in that neighborhood. Holy Spirit was evident to all who were there and lives were touched and changed. Salvation, healing, and restoration!!!! Does it get any better??? Praise God!

Sunday morning was interesting as many of the folks forgot to change their clocks. Even those who came late were blessed.  Holy Spirit healed Faton of some pain in his stomach area as we prayed and laid hands on him. We had borrowed/ paid an interpreter from another church and as we prayed for people he said was feeling Holy Spirit very strongly. Good weekend!