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PASTORFUZZ
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Name: Armond
Country: United States
Gender: Male
Interests: MUSIC, FISHING, GOLF, FOOTBALL (PLAYING) LIFTING WEIGHTS (BACK WHEN I HAD TIME) SOCCER, RACING (ACTUALLY DOING IT NOT WATCHING IT...YUK!) MOTORCYCLES, AMERICAN CHOPPER YESSS!
Expertise: PEOPLE.
Occupation: MUSICIAN / MISSIONARY
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
4/28/2006
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| MISSION MOMENTS WITH “FUZZ”
July / August 09’ MISSION REPORT FOR REV ARMOND S. FLOYD
www.bridgeofhopechurch.com
http://www.bridgeofhopechurch.com/pray4us.html
check here for update information & news from BOH
Written By: Rachel Floyd
SEPTEMBER
 This fall…, (really? Can I say fall already?) We had a really great  giveaway opportunity when Bridget, one of our hard working moms, started a Backpack for Back to School project. She had the parents of the kids on Wednesday and Saturday fill out index cards with some needs their children might have for back to school. She then took those cards to church and handed them out to the members of Bridge of Hope. We bought backpacks and filled them with the needs written on the cards (actually, I peeked; some people bought WAY more than what was asked for on the card! YEAH!) On August 8th, we had a party in the courtyard of the apartment complex and we got to meet the parents and kids and give them the backpacks. It was so much fun to watch their eyes light up. You know, you just can’t beat when God gives you an opportunity to love on people….you get so much more back in return!
Along with the youth and kids ministries, Armond also has the opportunity to lead the UNI College Gospel Choir. It was an honor to be asked to do this. Also he is starting a Gospel Praise Team for Bridge of hope And we are going to be singing on the 25th of October.
 Mick, one of the men that we have been ministering to since we arrived here in Waterloo, has made huge strides in getting his life back in order.  He gave up his life of selling/using drugs and drinking. He has been slowly but surely paying off his debts and this month he is not only being released from probation early for good behavior, but he is also graduating from Pathways. This is a program that takes ex-offenders through classes and assessments to enable them to get back on their feet and fit back into society. It is a tough program but Mick stuck with it and jumped through every hoop. We are very proud of him. He is on fire for God and the last three years has proven that this is not just an emotional high but a true repentance and healing from God. Mick’s life was a real mess. God has redeemed him and is giving him back his dignity. We are also very proud of Mick for holding down the job that Armond got for him for two years now and really ministering to the people there for the Kingdom.
There are so many things that I want to share but since the July & August letters were so full I wont however they are Good things….God things!
  Armond & I came minutes from being at a shooting a few blocks from our house. I did not stop at the store on the way home where it happened and Armond was just about to go back & get the items that we needed when he sat down with me to do a bible study that I was doing. Shortly after that we heard 8 shots down our alley. The young man died several days later after being in intensive care. The very next day after the first shooting there was another near where the first took place then another 2 days later. There have been numerous shootings in our neighborhood the last few months. They are mostly gang related. While it is a concern, we feel God’s hands covering us in His safety. We pray that our children will be safe as they play outside as well.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
 • We seek God’s hedge of protection around our home and family as the area that we choose to live in is not the safest.
• Pray for the kids (and adults) that Armond ministers to. Pray that we will continue to see progress in their lives…and their hearts surrendered to God.
• Please pray for those yet to be reached & the families of the shootings.
• Pray also for our finances.
As you know, the financial crunch has hit many people and as a result, we have lost a few supporters. We feel we need to be here. We feel God is asking us to be here. We are not worried about finances as we know God has us in His hands so please pray that we will be able to meet the people who will be willing to partner with us in this ministry by their financial support. Thank you all so very much who are already supporting us. What a blessing! Your help is crucial to reaching the teens and lost in Waterloo.
God bless you all,
Rachel (for Armond and the kids)
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| MISSION MOMENTS WITH “FUZZ”
July / August 09’ MISSION REPORT FOR REV ARMOND S. FLOYD
www.bridgeofhopechurch.com
http://www.bridgeofhopechurch.com/pray4us.html
check here for update information & news from BOH
Written By: Rachel Floyd
Dear Supporters and Family,
Summer time usually slows down for many ministries but we took it as an opportunity to dive in and reach the kids that now have nothing to do during the daytime. When schoo l lets out and parents still have to work, it can often mean kids go unsuper vised for hours. There is a housing complex that we have zoned in on and for some reason God has laid it heavy on Armond's heart to be a light to the kids there. He, and whatever volunteers he can muster, go out there every Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evenings to share some food (usually pizza that has been donated by Godfathers Pizza), cookies, ice pops, or whatever we have on hand, to the kids from that neighborhood and he also has them memorizing bible verses. If they don’t have a bible, they are given one from the Bridge of Hope Servant Evangelism Team that Armond has formed. It has been such a blessing to see how much this outreach means to the kids. I think our commitment and continuity  has paid off. The children have really latched on to us and they come running as soon as we pull in the parking lot! They know we aren’t there for just one afternoon…and also if we say we’re going to do something, we do it. It’s so bad now that Armond tries to sneak in if he needs to go the apartments because as soon as they hear his Durango pull up they hang all over him and he has to peel them off his back when it is time to leave again. (Don’t let him fool you, he acts like it’s a bother but he loves every minute of it!) And slowly but surely, some of the parents have begun to come out and meet us too.
This summer also was full of preaching engagements for Armond. He spoke for 6 weeks straight at Bridge of Hope on "The Position of Submission" pulling from the book of Jonah. Then we went on vacation in July where he spoke at a family reunion of over 700 people! Then while still on vacation he preached God's word to Adventure Life Church in Altoona Iowa and the exciting thing about this was it seemed like everyone I spoke to afterward shared how God spoke to them through that sermon and they felt God had brought us there just for them. One man, "Jeff" asked to talk to Armond afterward and upon his counsel went to the consistory of the church and confessed to them the life of sin he had been secretly living! What victory Satan could have had was thwarted because this man was obedient to God and repented! A few weeks later Armond was asked to be the speaker at a 4-day conference for the youth of a Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. We are thankful for these opportunities to share the Gospel of Christ across cultural and ethnic and denominational boundaries. Satan would love to see us stay apart but God is not bound by such nonsense!
As you know, mentoring is a very big part of what Armond does for teens in Waterloo. There are so many things I could share but time and space prohibits it, but there are two stories that I just have to tell you about.
One is Jade. This is a kid I have talked about before. Always getting into trouble, parents  treating him like he's worthless...and making sure he knew this, dropping out of school...etc. Armond took this kid under his wing and even went so far as to provide for him and literally walk beside him with a mower to help him get in his community service hours. He bought him spray painting supplies so that he could use his talents in graffiti for good rather than to get into trouble...he had him spray paint a huge Bridge of Hope sign that sits in the hall of Crossroads Theater still to this day. I know of several people who come to Bridge now because they had seen this sign when they went to a movie and came to check out the church that would use graffiti to advertise.  But the best thing is that Armond found a program called Job Corps. He walked Jade through the process of getting accepted there and helped him get his GED to be eligible. He even drove him down there...6 hours away! Well the other week, Armond got a text from Jade that made me tear up. It said, "Fuzz, PLEASE come to my graduation! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and I want you to be there to see me graduate. I thank God for this place and for you because you stuck with me and believed in me when no one else did." Not only is Jade graduating, but he has already landed in a job...guess in what field....yup, commercial and home painting! I am so proud of him!
The seco nd story is one that is just beginning. I often get on Armond's case for constantly being gone. Even on his "day off" he is usually helping someone or doing something ministry related. One Friday I begged him to just stay at home, ignore his phone, and help me get some projects done around the house. He was doing just that but his phone rang and he looked at me with that look...."please let me just see who this is!" Well it was a kid. Someone we have never met. He told Arm that he was always getting into trouble and he wanted some help. Someone who could answer some questions he had about God and just help him get on the right track. He said that someone had recommended that he call Pastor Fuzz. Well you should have seen Armond’s eyes then! Oh it was killing him to stay at home when everything that was in him wanted to run right to this kids house and help him....and with one nod from me, that was all it took. Armond was off! So this is a new relationship that is going to be a tough one because this kid is not only battling his home situation, but also is in a gang and we all know that that is a very tough thing from which to come out.
 Along with you, our supporters, there are some businesses that have been instrumental in helping us accomplish some of our events. We want to thank Waterloo Boats for their donation of life jackets, a paddle and some electrical switches for the boat and St. Vincent DePaul’s also for the boat accessories which will enable us to use the boat to take the teens on outings. Thank you also to Crossroads HyVee Food stores, Mick @ the Cedar Falls God Father’s Pizza, Neil @ Crossroads Bonanza and Crossroads Wal-Mart for all of their donations to our ministry. We couldn’t do this without their help!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• FOR THE OUTREACH MINISTRY @ BRIDGE OF HOPE
• FOR THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF THE FLOYD FAMILY
• FOR THE HEALING OF THOSE IN OUR CONGREGATION
• FOR OUR YOUTH CHURCH TO FLOURISH & GROW IN CHRIST
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| MISSION MOMENTS WITH “FUZZ”
April, May, June 09’ MISSION REPORT FOR REV ARMOND S. FLOYD
www.bridgeofhopechurch.com
http://www.bridgeofhopechurch.com/pray4us.html
check here for update information & news from BOH
THE WORD: Matthew 25:35-46 “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink…; ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’’
 FAMILY NEWS
What a blessing God has given us in Chiropractic care… Richard is now seeing a DR.C here in Waterloo that is also a neurologist and has determined from the MRI that Rich’s brain is processing all his information through the right side, his blood pressure was higher on the one side than the other and that the part of his memory that is controlled by the left side was weak. He has given exercises and routines for us to follow along with adjustments & stimulating exercises to help… And it has been! His headaches are growing fewer & further between and the intensity is diminishing praise God!
What is also exciting for Rachel & I is that his Iowa basic scores were right where they should be and on top of that his scores were high in Science! And my dear Harmony’s Iowa scoring was that of a high school Junior! She scored of the charts in Reading & Comprehension and in Science as well I am a very proud dad. She just knows what to say to keep me in stitches and we have some great conversations. Yay! Aria Is a vibrant brilliant and bright-eyed little joy to be around. Since there was no testing for her we do not know what genius lies behind those big eyes. But we do know that she is darned smart! That girl just seems to have a handle on life &how God intends for us to live it. In fact all three do & we are happy & content parent in the Lord! As for Rachel & myself we are doing well & enjoying family & ministry even though she has to keep the reigns tight on me so that I do not over do it!
 ENCOURAGING HAPPENINGS
One day Harmony brought a neighbor kid in the house while we had some of the church family over for a get together. She said dad can he & I go into my room and I gave her the “are you kidding?” look. That’s when she says “I want to show him something in the bible”… of course I say yes and after a while the kids go out to play, all but Harmony who calls me into the room to ask me a question.
Harmony: “Dad I was talking to “R” about God & what he thought it took to get to into heaven… He said “either you could do good works or get saved.” And I told Him “Well… Actually the Bible doesn’t say that… it says that there is only one way to get into Heaven & that would be Jesus.” I wanted him to see it for himself so he could see what God says & that’s why I asked you if we could go into my room dad.
We had a great conversation she & I about how proud of my little evangelist daughter I really am. I encouraged her to continue reading, retaining & believing in the truth of the word and to keep on telling the truths to others when the Spirit moves.
 EXCITING THINGS (OUTREACH MINISTRY)
There are more wonderful things in this life that the newest toys or latest gadgets… There is the absolute joy you get from serving others for the sake of the Lord. Being out just being a presence for the Lord almighty lifting Him up by feeding those who need to see the Lord in the flesh. Having a kind word, sharing time & giving time to others simply to be doing it for the service of the King is a blessing that you cannot put a  price tag on! We have been reaching out to the community serving them with the newly formed Servant Evangelism Team or S.E.T. Here are a couple of fotos of some outreach. The Logandale/Cedar Crest kids & myself with some guys from the "facility". I would like to thank the following food & other items contributors to our outreach events. Neil the manager of the local Bonanza, Mick from the God Fathers Pizza chain in Cedar Falls, the Wal*Mart Corporation for their grant, Art Store Director of Hy-Vee Crossroads, Kyle at the Crossroads Starbucks and Jeremy of the Waterloo Panera Breads.
 RACHEL’S RAMBLINGS
What an amazing time of year it is! There is rebirth, growth and life happening all around us! Easter Sunday was just Amazing! (Which fit right into Kevin’s sermon series called “Amazed. ”) We had record attendance on Easter of 134. What made it exciting was that the visitors that were there were not just out of town family members of our regulars, they were people for whom they have been and praying to come to church. They couldn’t have picked a better day to come. We had two talented artists there, Alvin Hepler and Derek Sallis. Each one did their interpretation of that moment when Christ arose. They were absolutely beautiful! It was so cool to watch the scene unfold on the canvas. We were able to see them work on the big screen as they painted. We also had the children sing a song and Teresa Bresson and Bridget Saffold played their violins during the praise and worship.
While all of that was… well… amazing, perhaps the best part of all happened at the end. Armond gave an altar call and slowly but surely, 7 people went forward. While they weren’t told to do so, they all knelt at the foot of the cross as they gave their lives over to Christ!!! It truly gave me goose bumps. What a better time to open your heart to Christ… at the celebration of his death and resurrection!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
➢ Please pray for the church that we as the body & bride of Christ would be as Bold about the truths of the word as Harmony is.
➢ Please pray that God increases our territory that we may bring glory to his name
➢ Please pray for our community that as we reach out to them they would receive God’s love from us & be changed forever more.
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| MISSION MOMENTS WITH “FUZZ” Jan. Feb. March 09’
MISSION REPORT FOR REV ARMOND S. FLOYD
www.bridgeofhopechurch.com
http://www.bridgeofhopechurch.com/pray4us.html
check here for update information & news from BOH
THE WORD: John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Wow! It’s amazing how the time slips by you when you don’t stop long enough to document your doings! For the last few months I have been saying “ I really need to get that news letter out” I know how it feels to be anticipatory of news both good & bad. I look forward to being kept in the loop and I am put off when I am not! Please know that I am very sorry for those of you that need to hear from us every month.
FAMILY NEWS
 Well to get right to it… There has been a lot of things that have changed as to be expected when church planting. Our family has been doing well for the most part since Rachel’s Christmas/Valentines letter! The biggest concern that we had was that Richard developed headaches… Then a nose-bleed came & we were very concerned because of the severity & location of the headaches along with the nose bleeds. We had a CT scan done that took a week and a day to come back… He is clear!!!! Praise God & thank you for your prayers even though some of you did no know he was sick. We now are going to have his sinuses & eyes checked. Harmony & Aria are doing well and all three are a blessing & a joy to have around. I am a proud daddy. They each have done very well in school & they are simply great children because they have a heart for God & His ways! Rachel is a beautiful and delightful blessing to me from God I enjoy spending time with my wife & I look forward to when we get a chance or two to go out with out our kids. Don’t get me wrong I love my children desperately, but I love my wife & the time we get to spend on a date night or simply having conversation alone just as much.
MINISTRY MOMENTS
 Well let me say that when you pray that God gives you purpose, meaning & work to do for Him you better be ready when it comes cause it comes in abundance. The meaningful parts, the purpose of it & the workload itself all come to you in abundance! All however is so very tolerable! The work is clearly more meaningful, rewarding and fulfilling. And to do it for God is the ultimate gift! I know that the word says: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. —Colossians 3:23-24 And that is definitely something that you can bank on brothers & sisters in Christ!!! In all that you do you can trust that the Lord has your very best intentions at heart!
D’Airio
 Here is a little friend of mine that has been coming to church & even has managed to bring his family of five along with him. He is 14 years old, and is the eldest son in a sibling set of four. They live near some of our other members, the Saffolds. We were able to include this family in our “Operation Christmas” project. He comes to us by way of RaQwon Reed one of the teens that I mentor. D’airio lives by RaQwon and has been coming to our services on & off. He has invited his family, al together there are six of them, and they visited together one Sunday. I'm sure that there will be more about him later in letters to come.
Jim Hauserman
 Is a newer addition to our church family. He comes to us by way of “the Facility”. He would be brought by some of our covenant partners (members) Dick & Sue Minard that have been coming for ¾ of a year. He accepted Christ while serving a four-year sentence for possession of drugs he also over came his drug sales &use habits & no longer has a desire to sell them. He now has been growing even more in the Lord. He just bought his fist “Real” Bible with large print and he meets with several others & myself every Wed. at Panera for fellowship & Study time. He has also been a big encouragement to our Thursday night group and to the church in general. He & Mick are going to assist in the outreach ministry to the poor & homeless here in Waterloo. AMEN!
RACHEL’S RAMBLINGS
 There was a clear need arising for us to have a building to meet in during the week. Kevin and Armond wanted a mid-week gathering as a follow up to the Sunday message. We needed time when we could dig deeper and have praise and worship without feeling the time pinch that we have on Sunday morning gatherings. God provided an amazing place; Lighthouse Fellowship. It is a Free Methodist church that is struggling desperately to stay alive. The pastor and his family make up more than half of the congregation! They have graciously allowed us to meet there on Thursday evenings. On February 12th it will be our 4th meeting at the Lighthouse. It was encouraging to have 48 on the first week, and even more encouraging seeing that many return plus more! One week we had 51 people attend! The nice part for us moms is that Brian, the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship, cooks a meal for the group so we can just come there at 6 and be literally fed, and then spiritually fed through worship and studying the Word. We changed things up a bit with Kevin doing the children’s ministry and having others step up and do the teachings.
Transformers Youth Church is going well. We have gone through 20 messages that  were geared towards the growth & discipleship of the teens that come. We have had varied numbers through the last 25 weeks that we gathered for these messages but now the ones that were here for all of the messages wish to review them so they can pick up more information. They have even been moved to sign a covenant with the church stating that they will seek God’s face & be about the ministry of the Lord. From this fluctuating group of about 30 we see leadership potential arising. Finally! Praise ye the Lord! And while there are definite signs of emerging leaders there are still the signs of those who are much in need direction & commitment to Christ.
ENCOURAGING HAPPENINGS
 Adam & Sabrina Little are two wonderful people that attend our little church here in Waterloo. They have a new addition to their family. Aiden Patrick Little. Is his name & being a newborn is his game. Adam & Sabrina are fairly new this year. Adam was one of the 14 that came down to the cross one week to receive the gift of eternal life through Christ during one of our Alter calls. We rejoice with them for the birth of their Son! Sabrina had many complications and even 2 weeks before the birth she received more bad news that the baby was in desperate need due to his kidney having problems… the y were preparing for possibly an emergency “C” section on Tuesday after a check-up on Monday in children’s hospital. We at the church gathered around them & laid hands on her & prayed… Yup The baby showed no evidence of anything abnormal the next day! Yay God!!!
SHELLY JOHNSON EYESTOLE:
 is another person that we love & cherish. She came to us with Regina & Scott Porter who came to visit back in September She has a very aggressive cancer called Leiomyosarcoma. She was released from Chemo back in October & was told that it’s not a question of “will” the cancer come back but “When”. She had testing in December and she was terrified. One week before her testing she was at praise team rehearsal on Tuesday night & we laid hands on her & prayed for her… On that Friday she received the news from her testing from that Thursday that there was no sign of cancer!!!! Yay God!!!!
There are so many blessings happening around town… there are  churches alive & trying to make an impact on the community & we are one of them. We are participating in “Love Cedar Valley” which is a local one day event who’s purpose is to unite local “Cedar Valley” churches in a day of showing God’s love to it’s communities. Over 27 plus local churches 1200 people, unite to give away things in different parts of Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Last year I co-lead the Worship service, this year I am doing it again. It was an awesome worship time filled with the spirit. we started the day praising God & ended it the same way. The band that I played with was a spur of the moment grouping of musicians that were very talented & did an awesome job! This day is a great way for people to participate in the giving part of ministry and it sparks random acts of giving!
OUTREACH TO WATERLOO AND THE PEOPLE “UNDER THE BRIDGE & ANYONE HUNGRY”
 We are so very concerned about our little community here in Waterloo that part of the discipleship plan we are focusing on uses the skills & life lessons from people fresh out of some major issues and couple it with leadership teaching skills from the leadership classes that R.C.A. is using. Then the plan is to apply it immediately by doing outreach events to the community. For example we learn about the problems others just came through. We teach what the word says about those problems, then we immediately put into action what the word instructs us to do about it. The goal is to grow others in their faith while applying very real and practical applications from the bible all while feeding them & giving them hope.
CLOSING:WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR FINANCIAL SPIRITUAL & PRAYER SUPPORT. WITHOUT YOU WE WOULD FEEL VERY MUCH ALONE IN THIS MINISTRY. WE THANK THE LORD FOR YOU & YOUR STEADFAST DILIGENCE TO THE CAUSE OF THE KINGDOM WORK! ---------------------------- ARMOND
PRAYER REQUESTS: PLEASE PRAY
• FOR THE OUTREACH MINISTRY @ BRIDGE OF HOPE
• FOR THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF THE FLOYD FAMILY
• FOR THE HEALING OF THOSE IN OUR CONGREGATION
• FOR THE LOVE CEDAR VALLEY EVENT ON APRIL 25TH
• FOR OUR YOUTH CHURCH TO FLOURISH & GROW IN CHRIST
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| MISSION MOMENTS WITH “FUZZ”
November / December 08’ MONTHLY MISSION REPORT FOR REV ARMOND S. FLOYD
HAPPY 2009 FROM THE FLOYDS
Heellloooooo THERE… I’m Harmony Floyd. My mother usually writes these things but she has been..(ahem)….. busy. Actually WE ALL have been really busy. Dad has been cleaning and going to meetings more than a fish swims. Well the cleaning part is totally the same but he made us EAT THE ROTTEN FOOD THAT WAS UNDER HIS BED!!!!!!! And I am NOT exaggerating!!! Ok, Ok!! (maybe just a little) Mom has been really stressed cleaning & cooking for Christmas parties .My little sister Aria has started her first year of pre-school too, my little brother Richard is the lucky one this year. HE… ok WE went to Disney World in Florida. And me … well… I have been almost as busy as everyone else but we all had a wonderful Christmas and that’s all that counts!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
GREETINGS FRIENDS, THIS IS RACHEL NOW. As Harmony, said, we have been keeping busy lately. (and no, there is no rotten food under our bed, nor did we make anyone eat rotten food. I am going to have to do something about her lying! LOL.)
Harmony is 9 (going on 15) she is in the 4th grade and is not exactly enjoying school this year. She struggles with focusing but we were working on ways to help her concentrate. (she has been diagnosed with ADD but we do not have her on medication as of yet.) She has been able to maintain good grades in spite of this problem. She enjoys reading books, Science, art & music mostly. She has become an avid reader, which makes me so happy but I am having a hard time keeping her supplied with good books, appropriate for her age, so if anyone has suggestions I welcome them. She has been taking piano lessons this year too. Her teacher says that she has some natural talent. (Must get that from her dad. 8-) )
Richard is 7 years old. He is doing well in first grade this year. As Harmony alluded to above, he was granted a “Make A Wish” and decided to take us all to Disney World. We truly enjoyed every minute of our trip and made some memories to last a lifetime. One thing that amazes me about Richard is his desire to figure out how everything works. If he could, he would take apart everything in our house to figure out how it goes back together again. While it frustrates me sometimes, I love this part of him too.
Aria is 4 years old. She absolutely loves to go to pre-school. Learning comes easy to her and she already has figured out how to do some basic reading & math. One thing we discovered at Disney was that she is an adrenaline junkie! The bigger, faster and rougher the ride the more she wants to go on it. What was funny was that even though she cried after a wild ride she still wanted to go right back on it again!
Armond has had a year chocked full of ministry. The struggles that people are entangled in amaze me sometimes but this year some exciting things have happened that make it crystal clear that we made the right decision to stay here. Two examples are Mick & Eddie. Mick is a guy that we’ve been ministering to for as long as we have been living here. He has been a drug addict almost all of his life. He is in his 50’s and got addicted as a young boy. One day I was sharing with Armond that I had very low hope for him ever being able to overcome this but the Holy Spirit scolded me and said “How dare you think I would change you and not Mick! I love him too! You must really not believe in my power do you? Well stop praying out of unbelief! Pray with assurance and sit back and watch me work!”
I have learned one thing, if the H.S. says sit back and watch…you’d better hold on tight and buckle your seatbelt ‘cause what is about to happen will blow your mind!
So we began to pray in earnest for Mick. I no longer doubted that God was going to change him and I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to come about. (Mick had accepted Christ while in prison about 3 years ago but was unable to stay away from the things that held him in bondage) God was faithful to Mick. He has delivered him in amazing ways. Mick has been healed and redeemed. He is alive and on fire! I LOVE talking to Mick now because he is so on fire…it is contagious! He makes you want to jump into the Word and drink and learn because that is what he is doing now. He is free indeed! And I know that this isn’t just a spiritual high that will come crashing down around him. (I’ve seen that before but this the real deal). He is learning and growing and deepening his relationship with God every day. Armond meets with him several days a week for lunch and they have Bible study.
Eddie was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He suffered the affects from Agent Orange. He started to come to our church about a year ago. He also started his 4th round of Chemo treatments but his attitude was amazing. His faith in God just grew and he always talked about God’s goodness…no matter how much pain he was in. His hearts desire was to be baptized by immersion so in September we took him to a swimming pool and he was baptized. I have never been to a more amazing baptism. The joy just flooded over him and he wept because of it. Then we all broke out in songs of victory. Eddie too overcame years of addictions and struggles. Now he was a free man indeed. His baptism was very timely because his health started to decline quite rapidly after that but Eddie felt at peace. On Wednesday, December 16, 2008 God released Eddie from his pain-wracked body and took him home to spend this Christmas with Him. His funeral was one of great joy and celebration for our dear friend. As God often does, He used this opportunity to reach out to Eddie’s family and friends and Armond preached a very bold message of salvation at the funeral. As a result of Armond working very closely with the family through all of this, many of them have decided to come to church and check out this God that gave Eddie such peace and joy in the end. Please pray for our ministry here in Waterloo.
Rachel- I feel like I have really changed this year. As a result of reading a book about being still and listening to the Holy Spirit, I began doing that at 3am each morning. Now I am SO NOT a morning person but for some reason, this works well for me. The house is still and I can hear Him without the distractions so prevalent in the daytime. The difference in my spiritual life has been incredible but also the practical areas of my life have been affected. I have obeyed Him when he told me to shut off our TV for good and also that I need to be in bed earlier at night. I am amazed how much more I am able and willing to do for Him when I am listening closely to his voice. I was also blessed with a vision of Heaven while in devotions one morning.
I feel like we are on the front lines of battle for Christ and I feel honored to be here. I appreciate everyone who supports us financially, emotionally and through prayer. The Eddies and Micks out there…and so many more, appreciate you too. You are making a difference for eternity in many lives here in Waterloo. How amazingly cool is that??!!
If you have stuck with me through this entire long letter, I thank you. I wish you all the best this coming year. May 2009 be a year of Spirit filled growth for you and your families.
Much love,
Rachel, for all
God has blessed me abundantly this year! I pray that he has for you as well & that He will in the coming year... Amen
----------------------------- FuZz
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