Seeing God's hand at the General Conference...

I still find it hard to believe how God has blessed ARME Bible Camp and the united prayer ministry over this past year. If you read my post from October 1st, you read all that God has been doing since last Annual Council and how He has opened multiple doors. It's amazing. I've just returned from this year's General Conference Annual Council 2011, and all I can say is, "God is good. He is really good! And He is at work in His church."

We had a prayer room again, where we spent many hours a day praying for our leaders and the heavy decisions they were making. We also prayed with any of them that came to visit or had a few minutes to spare. Elder Wilson even came by the prayer room for a few minutes to pray with us. What a treat that was!

Our team this year consisted of Martin and Liana Kim, Erik Kelly, my old roommate from Loma Linda, Susy Solomon (who is really passionate about prayer), and myself. We also had help from a couple volunteers from the GC - Debbie and Lazarus. As usual, the time together praying really bonded us all closely together.

Our theme for this year's Annual Council was REVIVAL and HIS WORD. Very fitting for where we are in ministry with ARME. The first evening for opening meetings, Jerry Page called me to the front and gave me the microphone to share about what God has been doing in our united prayer ministry through this last year. I didn't have long, but was able to give an over-view of the revival and reformation we've been seeing everywhere we've been. I shared a testimony from Adventist University of the Philippines, and then I asked Pastor Ratsara to share what happened last year after Annual Council in his Division. The time was brief, but I felt so blessed as God helped us know just what to say...

After we prayed together at 7pm (in honor of the 777 prayer initiative), we came off stage. Then I was surprised as Elder Page immediately started sharing about our newest "Praying for Rain: Mini Handbook for United Prayer" that we have put together to help spread the word about how to start united prayer groups. This booklet was originally written just for ARME Bible Camp attendees and our prayer room participants, but now has expanded to be a joint effort between us and the GC, as they are promoting the book as well. (They've just ordered over 30,000 from the first printing and gave away over 3,000 during the Annual Council to their delegates and leaders.) So we praise God for how He is helping us get this resource out and spreading the power of united prayer! (At the bottom of this post, I'll tell you how you can get your own copy as well!)

After this Elder Page also talked quite extensively about Operation Global Rain, a grassroots initiative started by our own Pastor Myers that thousands of churches have been part of these last several years. He showed the poster materials they had made to get the word out, as well as a promotional DVD. (You can view the Operation Global Rain promo HERE!) It's exciting to see how this is beginning to really take root within the church as a whole, and how the word is getting out. (If you haven't heard about this 10 days of united prayer - it's happening January 4-14, 2012. You can read more at: www.operationglobalrain.com)

Elder Finley has also written some additional resources to go with Operation Global Rain. You can see these, as well as our mini prayer handbook, "Praying for Rain," at the GC's Revival and Reformation website.

The meetings this time at the Annual Council seemed to be quite heavy and intense. (More so then last time I think. I think they had bigger issues to address this year as the new organization is getting into place.) Yet, we still saw God at work among the leaders, and the overall spirit and unity was amazing.

Each morning we took turns leading united prayer before the meetings began. For this we had anywhere from 20-70 leaders in attendence. God blessed. It was a blessing to hear the leaders praying even in their own languages.

However, in addition to getting to lead united prayer before each meeting, we also got to lead united prayer after the morning devotional. This was when everyone was present!!! Each morning someone important spoke…like Barry Black, Chaplain of the US Senate, Elder Damsteegt from Andrews, Shawn Boonstra, and others. Then Liana, Martin, Erik and I took turns leading each day. Since there were probably 400 present, after we explained how things were going to work and gave a brief thought focused on the power of prayer, we had everyone divide into small groups, and then we facilitated between each theme from the front, as well as led a few appropriate songs. It was amazing.  More then once, I thought I heard the angels singing in harmony with us! It was so beautiful. Afterwards, Elder Wilson even publicly thanked us. It almost made me cry. What a privilege to get to pray with God's leaders.

While we didn't have as many leaders come through the prayer room this year, I think largely due to the heaviness of the agenda items and meetings, since our presence was much more public because of the joint prayer time every morning after the devotional, we feel that the impact was greater. So God worked all things out! Many of the leaders thanked us and told us they wanted to see this unity happen in their regions. Some even talked with us about their desire to see ARME come to their conference. Also had good interaction with President of the NAD and his wife Donna. Donna came to our prayer room multiple times and was very supportive of what we were doing. So we will see where God leads. As a bonus, the morning that Martin and Liana led, they also got to share a few pictures of their united prayer travels through Asia and how God was bringing conviction to hearts everywhere they went. It was beautiful!

We saw many answers to prayer during the week, from success and unity in meetings, to health restored to those that were in need. One lady came to the prayer room and was discouraged because her brother had been thrown into prison for his faith. She was a Union President's wife from another country. We all prayed for her and her brother that God would strengthen their faith. The next day she came back with her face glowing. She told us that she had just received word from her brother that he was doing well and had already won three souls to God in prison, just since we had prayed. She was so happy and knew that God had allowed him there for a reason.

Personally, what was one of the most special aspects of this whole event, was having Liana as a roommate. Coming into the week at the GC, I was already struggling with exhaustion. Due to stress the last few weeks and many all-nighters as I was preparing posters and flyers for the event, I had not been feeling on top at all, and sleep had been difficult for me. So my first night at the GC, I slept like 10 hours. I didn't have an appointment until noon that first day, so it was fine, but still. I was literally dragging…..but I had told God I didn't just want to lead united prayer, I also wanted to have strength to pray behind the scenes as well and really see miracles happen. And because of Liana, God answered that prayer.

When she got up early to pray Sabbath morning (about 4am), I woke up too…and my mind was clear as day. So I'm like, "OK God, I'm just gonna stay up and pray!" This was like 1am West Coast time, so this was no small miracle. But this personal miracle didn't just happen that first day…God did it every day during Annual Council. And we even had time to pray together, some of the time, before we got ready for our day. It was such a blessing and helped me feel much more prepared for whatever we would face in the prayer meeting or with the leaders. Praise God for His sustaining strength!

The first miracle we saw was with how well the Friday evening meeting came together. We heard from many that it was the most spiritually uplifting and encouraging opening meeting they've had at the Annual Council in a long time. Even Elder Wilson was sooo excited about it that he even had to call and tell his wife about it on the way home. God really blessed…. 

Over the course of the meetings, there were many in leadership struggling with their health. But we saw God answer prayers in miraculous ways and sustain strength time and time again. We just praise the Lord.

Below, I'm pictured with the Wilsons. I was really privileged to get to talk with them more this time. What an awesome couple God has placed in leadership at the head of our church.

So…we just praise the Lord for how He led and is continuing to lead, and we see many more open doors before us. 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isa 55:8-11

So let us press forward, FORWARD ON OUR KNEES!!!

Click on the book cover below to get your own downloadable copy of this prayer handbook. Or e-mail us at: armebiblecamp@gmail.com and for a donation, we'll send you some hard copies.