I am so blessed to be part of a church body that actually LIVES the Word of God and changes lives. Every Sunday is amazing and unique. I remember before coming here I had a burning in my heart to do practical things and supernatural things to bring the love of God to people and see them saved. I was not in a position to do that because I was one of just a few individuals in my church who had outreach in their hearts. I was grieved often with a desire to do more, yet I felt helpless and I didn’t know how to start “outreach”. I knew I needed to work underneath and be part of a ministry that could teach me how to develop this. It doesn’t happen overnight and there are many hands needed. It needs to be a whole mindset change in the church.
Before, I felt hungry to serve and be used by God, and at the River, the deepest desires of my heart are being fulfilled. Knowing the Word and will of God and being a believer, yet not seeing it fulfilled in my own life left me empty and grieved, but being used week after week in ministry at the River brings me joy, satisfaction, and wholeness to my own life that otherwise was missing. Thank you Holy Spirit for leading me here!
I serve as a bus captain, and week after week I have more and more love for the people on my bus. I really see people’s lives changing, and the whole atmosphere has changed on my bus. In the beginning people were complaining and negative. Now, after services, people are just blessing God and are thankful in their hearts. I have them give testimonies of what God is doing, and it builds up the rest of the people on the bus. This past Sunday I was able to pray with a woman to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. While I had her repeating with me “Jesus, baptize me in your Holy Spirit and fire,” a 10 year old boy overheard and prayed the prayer. Then while I had my hands laid on her, he started praying in tongues! I was so blessed by this! Then, one of the girls who is 13 who received a $10 gift card was telling me what she was going to buy at Wal-Mart. I was able to speak to her on tithing and she told me she was going to buy something worth at least one dollar and give it away! Wow! I am so blessed.
Lena M