Blackwell Newsletter 2019 July

Blackwells Dec 2018

Blackwells in South Africa

Blackwells in South Africa

Please pray for Mike!   View this email in your browser Dear Intercessors, Please pray for Mike who was just released from prison after 8 1/2 years. He is currently dealing with stage 4 Lymphoma Cancer and we are trying to get him back to Georgia to be with his son and grandson. Others have passed away. We have been ministering to him through his time of incarceration and we value your prayers. My last visit with him was in a hospice unit and they didn't expect him to make it this far. When he got out he had one small bag of clothes and a debit card given by the state with $200 to start his new life. He stayed with us last night and enjoyed dinner and fellowship with our family and said, "Tony, you have a wonderful family. That is all I ever wanted."  My response was, Well Mike, it is never too late. Keep trusting the Lord and let's see if that Cancer leaves. We have seen many healed over the years. Pray for Mike. In the photos: His first meal, Steak and eggs and boy did he enjoy them.  Jorge Goudie joined me in picking him up at the gate. Jorge knows very well the struggles of returning to society.  He was a blessing to Mike. Over the years, you have prayed for Mike as we sent prayer requests out regularly. Thanks for praying and don't stop now. Rev. Tony   Copyright © 2017 Solid Rock Ministry, All rights reserved. Visit our Website at: www.thesolidrock.org Our mailing address is: PO Box 212938, West Palm Beach, FL  33421 Text giving is now available!  Text amount to 561-571-7770. Or, to make an online donation click the button below: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

This email was sent to psommerfeld@mac.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Solid Rock Evangelistic Association · P. O. Box 212938 · West Palm Beach, FL 33411 · USA

                                                                                                                                                                                                             July 2017

Swartland Baptist Church

Lately we’ve experienced a couple of months with low attendance as people are preoccupied with their children’s school events and sports on the weekends.  People are also working longer hours due to work pressures, as the country is now in a financial recession. There have, however, been some encouraging things happening too.  This month we saw the start of a new home Bible study with two young couples.  There is a third couple that we hope will join, and so we ask you to be praying for them.  The past 3 weeks we have had a new couple and a new family who have attended every week.  Nancy is excited to have 2 more children for SS which usually runs between 0 and 5 children.

Grace Baptist Church (Lingelethu shanty town)

Visitors have come and visitors have gone, but the core group has remained faithful.  Our most recent sermon series has been from the book of Philippians, and people tell how encouraged they are by the messages.   Marc continues to meet each week with Godwin for discipleship and it is a blessing both to see his growth and his servant’s heart.  An example of this is how Godwin sprang into action and mobilized a work group to make repairs, when a huge storm hit and blew off a portion of Catherine’s tin roof.   Catherine is a middle-aged widow working here to support her family some 2000 miles away in Zambia.  She attends church faithfully, and struggles with loneliness as she misses her family.  It was special to see how she was cared for and reminded that she is a part of God’s family – who love her, too.

We ask you to pray earnestly for one of the young men in the church who has been influenced by bad friends and is smoking dagga (weed).  A couple of weeks ago I confronted him about it, and spoke with him about how he was grieving the Lord, and that he needed to seek God’s forgiveness.  He was ashamed and promised to stop but since then nothing has changed and after catching him twice more, his unsaved mom has told him to leave the house at the end of this month.

Paardeberg Mountain Retreat

Winter camps were well attended and we are thrilled that 17 young people accepted Christ as their Savior.  Special to us was that one of these was the youngest son of Marc’s best buddy in high school.

Family

Our son Matthew helped, both as a program assistant and then as a junior counselor, at the winter camps.  He also enjoyed working alongside his good friend Rian (lives 900 miles away) who also spent his vacation time working at Paardeberg camp.  Matthew never complains, but as we minister in small churches, and in a place with few Christian friends, we ask your prayer for our son.  Nicole’s summer of ministry at Ironwood Camp in the USA is coming to an end this week.  She has learned a lot in counseling young people, as well as cleaning, helping with activities and working in the store.  She has also been able to make some new friends that will also be attending Maranatha Baptist University in the Fall.  Thank you to all who contributed to her school scholarship fund through the Camp.  It is wonderful for us and for her to see how God is providing for her financial needs. 

                  Thank you for your support and prayers!

                  Marc, Nancy, Nicole & Matthew

Share:

Church Behind Bars Movement... Church Behind Bars Movement Update- July CBB movement is gaining speed, momentum and exploding with fruit! This past month w e taught through the lens of corporate oneness: worship, prayer, the foundations of faith and how to minister healing and deliverance at the altar. The harvest has been astounding as high level gang leaders continue to come into the Kingdom at the men's unit. Leaders are emerging in both facilities to become mentors to those who need make-up classes in order to graduate. It has been amazing to watch the transformation in the lives of so many. Answered Prayer: Robin prayed for A.J last month regarding contact and restoration with her family. She had not heard from them in a long time. That night she returned to her dorm and found a letter that had been delivered to her from her family. She was beaming because God had answered their prayer! J.E. asked for prayer for her daughter who had suddenly left her drug rehab, and was nowhere to be found. This month she reported that her daughter was not only found, but clean and sober! Breakthrough in Prison- from one of the CBB leaders:      "The horizontal effect of corporate prayer creates a ripple effect that breaks through the dorms, compounds, neighborhoods, communities, cities and nations. It affects everyone in its path. We have seen this happening here in prison. Ladies are getting off death row and moving on to a life sentence. Ladies with a life sentence are now being given dates and back to earning "gain time" according to when they were sentenced. Ladies are having their custody and housing levels drop, even when told it would never happen. Laws are being passed in legislation that will be sending people home because their time is down."      "This is just some of the breakthrough that corporate prayer instructed by Church Behind Bars has made in the lives of us here." More Comments  From Our Inmate Leaders: I was in the chow hall tonight and sitting; a lady sat with me seeing my CBB name tag and said, "I know you're very knowledgeable of the Bible." She told me her situation and asked me for advice on how to handle it. I gave her tips and prayed with her. Thank you Lord! I'm really excited about discipling others and reaching out to those ladies and sisters on the compound to help them in any way I can to serve them. My heart yearns for true unity...we all need to function together. I want to be grouped with those true leaders who view the Body as one. We are equipped to do great things for God's Kingdom if we could only come together and stand in our purpose for Him. I am learning more of my heavenly language. I have been praying in the Spirit more. God has shown me people in dreams to pray for them. Sometimes I wake up and I'm still praying like my spirit was praying all night. Beautiful! More  From Our Interns... I AM LEARNING TO BE FEARLESS! I was part of the prayer room on Friday night & I prayed for the women and was able to relate to them and help them... I would never have volunteered to pray for anyone out of fear and very low self-esteem. God has changed me. I am being transformed in front of my own eyes more and more. It's amazing how I could ever be who I am becoming! I have seen a vision of who God wants me to be but before, I was like..."Yeah right! No way...I'll never be like Joyce Meyer." Now I say, "I will be like Joyce Meyer." I have now learned to stop looking back at my past and know that God has forgiven me... I thank God for sending you all to be with us. Without you all and the program, I don't know where would be. The more you all teach me, the better I become close to the Lord. I'm so pleased that CBB came to this prison and opened up my heart and mind to learn about the Lord and teaching me how to love myself and others. I've finally seen my spiritual identity that Debbie has talked about so much! It's a miracle-I didn't think it was going to happen. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving to us and the incarcerated church. Your donations are making an impact in the Kingdom work we are doing! If you would like to increase your giving, start giving or contribute a one-time gift, we will multiple your gift by expanding the Kingdom with sons and daughters of the King! Praying for one another as we prepare to be the hands and feet of Christ Prayer Requests: Pray specifically for the leadership to flourish under their new role as mentor. They will be facilitating the make up classes needed for some to graduate in December. August is our biggest installment! We have 19 of us from Healing Wings traveling to Florida to unpack the riches of this month. (8/23-8/29) T.D asks for prayer for her mother and brother to be healed. They both were diagnosed with cancer.           CAN WE COUNT ON YOUR PARTNERSHIP  TO FINISH STRONG?                   Or visit:   Givesendgo.com/churchbehindbars Checks are also welcome: Healing Wings Ministries, Inc PO Box 11182 - Englewood, CO - 80151-1182 We ended our time in prison by coming together to celebrate the amazing things God did during our time there in Florida. One by one, our team expressed their gratitude through prayer and thanksgiving over the goodness of our God. In the same spirit of thanksgiving, we also celebrate you! Thank you for sending us through your support!  Thank you for upholding us through your prayers! We really are GREAT TOGETHER!      STAY CONNECTED: