Hey friends and family,
Merry Christmas and much love to you from Redding, California! It's been awhile since I've written an update about what's going on in my life out here in CA since I came out west in early September.
I'm living in Redding, in Northern California, and I'm in an amazing ministry school called Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, based out of Bethel Church (www.ibethel.org). I first came out here to Bethel about a year an a half ago to a conference and had a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit that significantly affected me in the area of seeing the sick healed, especially when I was living in France. Bethel's mission is to equip and deploy revivalists (people who carry the fire of God in them) who passionately pursue worldwide transformation in their God-given spheres of influence. In plain English, what that means is to see the will of God done on earth as it is in heaven.
I decided to pursue the Bethel School of Ministry, which started in September, and goes through May, and have really been experiencing major transformation and greater freedom in my own life, and rediscovering how real God is! It's such a privilege and exciting place to be. The leaders of Bethel are empowering and are really like mothers and fathers who champion the students in our dreams that the Lord has given us. I'm learning so much about how we are built and wired to co-labor with God, and not to be driven from a servant's mentality that receives orders from the "boss"; but instead we are sons and daughters of a Father who dreams with us.
There's about 500 first-year students and about 200 second-year students here at the school, and a smaller group of third-year students. I love the community of people here...authentic and genuine, but at the same time so hungry and desperate for more of God. It's a common thing to hear stories almost daily of Bethel people praying for people who are sick in malls, restaurants, businesses, and healing is a normal part of everyday life around here. Just about every week, we hear testimonies of Jesus completely healing people from cancer. We're wired and created to walk in the supernatural as we follow Jesus. The gospel is good news, and Jesus commissioned us to be carriers of His tangible presence that actually does transform people and cities.
One thing I love about Bethel is that it is a place where the grace of God is foundational. What I mean is, a good part of what we are doing in school is encountering Daddy's love that frees us to be who we are. I find that walls and hurts in my own heart are coming down and getting healed because of that environment of grace, love, and acceptance.
I want to share a brief story about a lady that several of us have been spending time with, named Granny. We adopted a neighborhood in Redding--this neighborhood is known to have a good bit of drug activity and other crime. We had the privilege of meeting Granny, who's like the neighborhood grandmother. She had a stroke 16 years ago and is in a wheelchair. She knows Jesus and believes in Him. So we asked her if we could pray for healing...her left leg has been paralyzed from the stroke, and she wears a brace on her left foot. She was happy to have us pray for her. As we laid hands on Granny and invited Holy Spirit to come, she started feeling a sensation of heat go down her whole leg. And her foot started twitching, which is amazing because that whole leg was paralyzed! Granny started getting excited. So we asked her if she'd be willing to take her brace off and get up out of the wheelchair and walk a little. She didn't want to take off her brace, but she did get up and she said there was less pain! Granny promised us that the next week she'd get up and walk WITHOUT the brace. Sure enough, the following week, Granny stood up out of her wheelchair and walked around some without her brace on! There is a progressive healing that Jesus is doing in her! Come on.
I love to see people touched by God. It reminds me on a firsthand level that God is really real and that He really is ready to love on people.
Another part of what is happening this year with the school is a short missions trip. There are quite a few teams going out all over the world, and I'll be going with a team of 40 people to Mexico City in April for about 11 days. We will be ministering in partnership with one of the fastest growing churches in Mexico. Our team will be involved in organizing and running a three day Youth Encounter event, to inspire and train teens through supernatural worship, evangelism, discipleship, and street encounters. Our team will also be ministering in 5 local churches through healing, the prophetic, teaching and preaching ministries. Our team will also be involved with community outreaches, such as praying for the sick in hospitals, being a part of a "dumpster" ministry and possibly helping to start a new ministry to the homeless.
I'm trusting and believing God for Him to provide all I need financially for this school year, both for tuition costs, the missions trip, rent, etc. The school costs $3,200 for the year, and I've been able to pay $900 towards that already, yay God. That leaves about $2,300 left for tuition. The trip to Mexico will cost $1,000, and the airfare has to be purchased on January 30th. Lots of you have been really generous financially in investing in the ministry I've been involved in over the past few years, and I am so appreciative and thankful for that. Not one bit of this would have been possible if it weren't for your generosity. Thanks!! If you would like to help out with either the missions trip or tuition for the school of ministry, I will give you that information at the end of the email.
I want to thank you again so much for your generosity! Much love to you from Redding,
Adam
WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY:
1. If you would like to contribute financially to my school tuition, you can make your check out to BETHEL SCHOOL OF SUPERNATURAL MINISTRY, and mail it to: Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, 933 College View Drive, Redding CA 96003 USA. In order to receive a tax-deductible receipt, leave the "Memo" area of the check blank. Include with the check a separate slip of paper that includes my name on it.
2. If you would like to contribute financially to the Mexico City Missions Trip, you can make your check out to BETHEL CHURCH, and mail it to Bethel Church, Attn. Kristie Joyce, 933 College View Drive, Redding CA 96003 USA. For this to be tax-deductible, you have to leave the "Memo" area blank, and include a slip of paper that has my name on it along with the name of the trip, which is Mexico City.
3. If you would like to contribute financially to help with my personal expenses as I do school (i.e. rent, food, gas, etc.), you can make out your check to ALL NATIONS, and mail it to: All Nations Support, c/o Walsh Washburn, 5330 College Boulevard, Overland Park KS 66211 USA. This is also tax-deductible as long as you leave the "Memo" area blank, but you can include a note with my name on it.
4. If you would like to contribute financially online (this is NOT tax-deductible), you can do so by going to http://support.forkedexpressions.com/supportadam.html. Then just click on "Make a Donation", and you will be redirected to PayPal's website.