Jezreel Music Ministries

Howdy all,

God is good! Since last time He has blessed us with good fellowship, energy, and encouragement.

In mid June we had the honor of serving at the Cleardale Gospel Jamboree. My (Amy) favorite part was actually helping in the kitchen while we were not on stage. We all had something to do, from taking orders to flipping hamburgers. It was a good time of ministering to and with the staff.

In late June we had the pleasure of doing a morning chapel service at Teen Challenge in Calgary, AB. This service was encouraging because the men there were so receptive to God’s word.

The last day of June marked the beginning of our time at camps. We were blessed to do the chapel sessions at Camp Silversides in Lacombe, AB. While we were only there for three days of family camp we got to enjoy good fellowship as we served. It was a bit of an international affair as well; there was a Punjabi church at the camp that we were able to worship God with musically. I really remember singing I Have Decided To Follow Jesus with them in both English and Punjabi. It was a wonderful reminder that our Lord created all people and languages, and that he knows and understands them all.

Right after finishing at Camp Silversides we rushed to Mooselake Bible Camp near Edmonton, AB, where we served for two weeks, at both the Teen and Junior camps. The Lord was more than sufficient and blessed us with the energy to do His will. He also gifted us with the ability and time to really connect and pour into the campers and staff. It was privilege to witness the baptisms of 13 children while at the camp, as well the addition of 8 kids to the family of God.

The last week of July we had the opportunity to minister at Sunny Cove Bible Camp. It was a blessing to be a part of the work at Sunny Cove, to see the impact it had on the teens’ lives. One of the most rewarding events of the week came on our last night there; we got to see two girls who had been struggling with God all week accept Jesus as their savior. It is hard to express in words the joy that overcame me that night. It was a wonderful blessing to witness that event and to have been a part of it.

The last day of July marked the end of a season for 3 of us. I (Amy Leslie), Andrew Flieder, and John Ans have left the bus and returned to our respective hometowns. We had the pleasure and blessing of traveling with Jezreel for varying amounts of time, Andrew for 3 1/2 years, John for 2 years, and I for 3 months.

Thank you to all of you who lifted us up in prayer over the past couple of months, we sure felt it. We ask that you continue to pray for everyone in Jezreel as they seek the Lord’s guidance in all that they do.

In Christ,

Amy for Jezreel

Howdy All!

Sorry it’s been a while since our last newsletter; We’ve had a few changes that have kept us busy. Lyndon, David, and Adrienne left when we crossed the border and two new girls have joined:  Amy in late April  and Rachel in early June.

In late May we had the privilege of joining Living Word Ministries (Swan River, Manitoba) in a weekend conference that focused on the victorious christian life. God blessed the 7 sessions we had over the weekend. One of the most encouraging aspects of the sessions was the growing number of attendees. What a blessing to see fellow worshipers of our Lord grow from a few rows in the auditorium to needing to add more seats. It was also wonderful just to worship with them, to be unified no matter anyone’s age or musical preference.

In the first week of June we got to encourage a group of church youth groups as they served the community in Prince George, BC. It was an honor to be a part of this outreach. We were able to build the youth up with music and speaking so that they were on fire and ready to serve the next day. The students did everything from shoveling manure to pressure washing decks and driveways. It was also nice to do a concert for them when they returned from serving and hear their stories.

While in Prince George we also had the opportunity to work with Marlynn’s family to help build an addition for her Mom and Stepdad. The Lord really blessed our work there as we were able to raise the load-baring walls and even put on the roof. Marlynn’s brothers and sister and their families were able to come out and help with the project as well and of course it was a blessing to visit with (and for some of us meet) Marlynn’s family.

For the month of July we will be serving at 1 family camp and 3 youth camps and we would appreciate your prayers. Please pray for energy for everyone working at the camps, that we will be sensitive to the campers needs, and that we will be effective for God during all the camps. Thank you for all your prayers, they are such a blessing.

In Christ,

Jezreel

Happy new year everyone!

We are already more than a month into 2011.It feels like last year flew by, but not without many amazing ministry opportunities and blessings. Jezreel is back on the road again. We had a wonderful time in Colorado over the holidays, but it sure feels good to be back in our “home” on the road.

January 1st we went up to Wyoming to play a Sunday morning worship service at Faith Fellowship in Guernsey. A couple of days later we did a youth worship night in Lingle at North Hills Baptist Church, and some of the youth from Faith Fellowship drove up to join in the evening. We pray and trust that God will continue to work in the lives of those young people there as they grow in Him. On our way back to Denver, God provided an opportunity for us to help a family in Greeley, CO. We helped them move last year and were able to bless them with some landscaping and construction work. The father of this family has a medical disease called MS, and it effects the body’s nerves and causes muscle deterioration. So this time we were able to spend a day organizing and building new shelves in their garage. We were so encouraged and moved to see a family totally relying on God in this great struggle, and we feel so blessed to be part of their lives. Please continue to pray for this famliy: Dad, mom, and their two daughters.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all you ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths.

Back in Colorado, we did an evening concert at Crosswalk Christian Coffee Shop in Parker. This is the place where Jezreel met Andrew Flieder 3 years ago! So many friends and family came out to join us in a night of worship and fellowship. Sadly this was also where we had to say goodbye to them. We are so thankful that God provides us with homes and families to be part of everywhere we go.  Fernando also left to go home to Brazil after being with us for about 3 weeks. We miss you Fernando. Come back soon! Our last event in Colorado before heading south was in Colorado Springs on Sunday, January 9th, at the Underground Church.

We thank you for your prayers as we drove to Las Vegas.  Although we encountered a bit of snow, God watched over us and we arrived safely on January 11th. On January 13th we did an accoustic set up at a Bible study, and it was an anointed time of worship. January 15th our team lead worship for our friends down at the City Impact Center. On Sunday morning (January 16th), we led worship at at Lamb Boulevard Missionary Baptist Church. This was a new venue for us, but we were so warmly welcomed. We felt right at home among our new friends and family in Christ, and we are very thankful for their generosity.

We were blessed to be able to play at a Salvation Arm center for the homeless of downtown Las Vegas. We  pray that they saw Christ and were encouraged. We were definitely encouraged to see how the Salvation Army is so dedicated to helping those in need in their community, and sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ.  From January 21-23, our team was part of a prayer and worship week end with Renaissance Baptist Church. It was great to come together as the body of Christ to spend time focusing on prayer for 2011.

After our time in Vegas was over we made our way to the Los Angeles Salvation Arm ARC in Canoga Park. We spent three days there ministering to the men, and encouraging them. The guys in our group were able to fellowship with them and make some good connections. We were blessed both spiritually and physically there!

We did some more ministry in the East Los Angeles area at Immanuel Baptist church. It’s been a few years since the group has been there, so it was nice to connect with friends again. We did an evening concert, and a Sunday morning worship service. We were there for a few days and in that time our group went down to Santa Monica to play at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center there. The men were so responsive and God was moving. We praise Him for what He did and for what He will continue to do. Being that it was Marlynn’s birthday we took some time to spend some time on the beach, and enjoy the sunshine on the Santa Monica Pier.

Next stop in California was La Verne. This was a brand new venue for Jezreel and we met some great people. We joined the Calvary Baptist Church and Christian School,to play for their weekday chapel service, and an evening youth event. On Sunday morning we led worship for their church service. We are thankful for all of their blessing to us! In our few days we were able to do some needed work on the bus. Thank you for all your prayers! God gave the Jezreel guys wisdom and patience, and we were able to get everything done fast, and without too much trouble. Praise the Lord! We are making our way up the west coast toward the Canadian border. Please pray that God will provide us with a smooth border crossing, and that He will bless the events we have along the way. Thank you, and God bless.

Greetings friends and family of Jezreel,

We hope that you have had a blessed Christmas season. We have been in Denver CO for the holidays and have enjoyed some down time. Jezreel was blessed to be able enjoy a day of skiing and snowboarding up at Copper mountain in the beautiful Colorado Rockies. A few of the Jezreel members took the opportunity to return to family for a visit before we head back out on the road in the new year. Norm had to go to Canada suddenly for a week at the begining of December, Daiton was visiting family in Canada, and Andrew M was away at his sister’s wedding, so we were missing our three vocalists, and we were set to lead a worship service in Idaho Springs, CO. So John Ans led, and we did an acoustic set at the First Baptist Church. It was humbling, but very anointed! We learned to trust and be obedient when God takes us out of our comfort zones, but we were very thankful when the team was back together again. Unfortunately when Daiton tried to return into the US, the customs officers at the airport would not let him back in the States. We tried to contact the US customs office to see what we could do. They said that he needed to remain in Canada and establish a permanent job and address. This was a sudden shock to all of us, however we feel at peace about it because God has other things in store for him in Canada. He is staying with Shandell and Nathan, and he already has a job there. Praise the Lord for His provision. God closed one door, but we know that He will open many more. We miss you Daiton! Now that we no longer have a permanent bass player, Norm has been playing bass. It has been a challenge having to jump right in and take on an instrument that he doesn’t regularly play (for that fact he is doing very well), and we have had to make some adjustments, but God is blessing and using us even in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9  But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

After some much needed practice with the team all together again, we put the finishing touches on our Christmas program on Saturday night, before we played it  for the first time on Sunday morning, Dec 19th, at the Springs Journey Church in Colorado Springs. Some of  the chuch members invited us to join them for a great meal and  fellowship on Saturday night, and afterwards we had a time of worship. It was not planned, but the Holy Spirit moved and it was a divine appointment. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our agenda or frustrations when we’re practicing sometimes, so to just lay our hearts before the Lord, surrendering to Him in worship is life-giving. We were in Colorado Springs for a few days and we played at the Underground Church, and Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in Monument. Our team had the privilege of staying with some new friends in Colorado Springs. What a blessing! Our bus gets very cold in the winter time, so it was nice to have a warm home to stay in.

When we arrived back in Denver we set up at Highland Baptist Church for some more rehearsal. It’s great to have a space where we can leave our equipment set up, and come for practice everyday. Thank you so much Highland Baptist! On Wednesday December 22nd, our friend Fernando, from Brazil, came to join us for Christmas. He had helped translate for Jezreel during their time in Brazil this summer, and hosted John Ans in his family’s home. It was exciting to have him with us for a North American Christmas. For Christmas eve we went to Highland Baptist church for their Christmas eve service, and their church choir led us in some wonderful Christmas songs, and we lit the final advent candle. The Christmas season is such a reminder of who we are serving and why we do what we do. We desire to introduce people to Jesus Christ. The baby who was born to die, so that we may live forever. May this not just be remembered at Christmas, but every day of our lives.

December 25th….. Christmas morning! Not a typical Christmas morning for most of us though!  We woke up early and went to the church to set up in the main sanctuary and sound check, because we were going to play the next morning for Highland’s Sunday services. When we came home, we opened gifts, and had a great meal together. It was a great Christmas! Sunday morning Dec 26th we did our Christmas program for the two Sunday morning services, and again we were able to leave our instruments set up for the new years eve concert at Highland.

We are all very thankful to our friends and family for your prayers, and hospitality throughout this Christmas season. It has been wonderful. We are almost ready to hit the road again in the big ol’ bus and keep spreading the love of Christ. We hope everyone had a great Christmas, and may God’s blessings be on you and your families as we enter a new year!

Adrienne (for Jezreel)

Hello again friends and family,

        We have been very busy since our last update, but God is doing amazing things. We have a new member in the Jezreel team. David Bloomfield, has joined us form Calgary Alberta, Canada. He sings back up vocals, and plays acoustic rhythm guitar. His addition brings us to 9 members in the team, and we are excited to see what God has in store. We are fast approaching Christmas so we have been working on a Christmas program. It’s amazing how a day after halloween is over there’s Christmas trees up all over the place. With all the commercialism of Christmas you really have to  stop and remember what it’s really about. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! 

    Texas is where we left off in the last news letter, and from there we made our way to Silver City, New Mexico, where we experienced many blessings. A furnished house, was provided for the boys to stay in while we were there. Our friends at Morning Star print shop, let us print some new Jezreel t-shirts for our merchandise. Thank you Lord, and thank you Morning Star. We played an evening concert at Ebeneezer coffee shop at Christian Challenge, on the college campus, and we did another coffee shop concert at the Lion’s Den the next night. We reunited with so many good friends, and met some new ones. God is doing some great work through his faithful servants living in Silver City. May God bless them! After a half days’ drive, we pulled into the Prince of Tucson campground in Arizona. This campground has been home to us when we’ve come to Tucson in past years, and we’ve gotten to know many of the residents there. It’s always so nice to be back. Tucson was busy, busy, busy! We started off at the Salvation Army, playing at their fall, family harvest festival. It is such a great alternative to halloween trick or treating, and an awesome community outreach. We also played at a Sunday morning worship service, and a chapel service with the kids of the after school program at the Salvation Army Amphi Corps. In Marana, a small town just outside of Tucson, we played at Marana community church for an evening worship service.

After missing Teen Challenge on our last tour, we were glad to be able to come back this time and lead worship for an evening with the men there. God is in that place, and He was working on many hearts that night. We felt so blessed to be a part of it. On our day off we decided to take the opportunity to go on a hike in the Arizona mountains, and experience God’s beautiful creation. After our hike we enjoyed the sun by the pool at the campground. It was relaxing and a much needed time of rest. After a good day off, we were recharged and ready to go at the Tucson Salvation Army Adult Recovery Center. We spent the weekend there with the men, playing worship services, and sharing in some great fellowship. There was salvation, and new hope found in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord! Even as they say we’ve blessed them, we always come away with our cups overflowing with blessings as well.

Next stop on the map: Phoenix, AZ. The Salvation Army Headquarters in Phoenix, was holding a corps cadet retreat for their junior soldiers, and they asked us to come and lead the worship for the week end. We were with them for morning and evening services and we also joined them for a masquerade banquet in the hotel we stayed at (courtesy of the Salvation Army). After dinner we spent the rest of the evening in worship, and Norm shared a message for the youth, challenging them as they go out to pursue ministry with the Salvation Army. A few evenings later, we were with the Salvation Army again, only this time it was a chapel service at the Adult Recovery Center. Many lives were transformed, and we trust that God is still working big changes in the lives of the men and women there. After some great ministry opportunities we were blessed to have a couple of days to fellowship with some great friends in Phoenix before playing at a Christian coffee shop called the Coffee Cove.

Some friends from Silver City, New Mexico had asked us to lead worship for an evening with “Celebrate Recovery.” So we had the opportunity to reunite with some families from Silver City, who were hosting the event, and join in an evening celebrating sobriety, victory, and new life in Christ. Sadly this was our last event in Arizona, before driving to our next destination, Las Vegas, NV. The timing worked out for us to spend a few days in Yuma on our way to Nevada, to visit with some of Marlynn’s family who were vacationing there. During this time Marlynn’s brother Monte, flew into Yuma from Vancouver and joined us for a few weeks. We felt blessed to enjoy a short time of rest before we arrived in Las Vegas. Our time in Vegas was packed full of events. Our first one being with the Calvary Chapel (Green valley). Their Christian school  asked us to lead two of their morning chapel services, and we also led worship at the church’s Wednesday night service. In the morning when we were pulling the bus out of the driveway to go pack up our equipment, we realized that one of the big front tires was flat. So we had to postpone the pack up until we could get it fixed. God knew exactly how He was going to take care of us, and He provided, through our amazing friends, the funds to have the tire fixed. Thank you God for taking care of every detail!

 In past years we’ve had the privilege to be part of a unique ministry in downtown Las Vegas called Calvary Downtown Outreach. The outreach was held outside last time we were there, however God has recently blessed this ministry with a new building (City Impact Center), and a large food bank, where they can bring the homeless in out of the cold and provide them with a hot meal, and some worship and Bible teaching. We felt blessed to be invited to play there, and through God’s provision they were able to bless us both spiritually and physically. A few days later we went to the Salvation Arm Las Vegas, Corps. During the corps cadet retreat in Arizona we met the Commanding Officer for the Las Vegas Salvation Army and he invited us to come and lead a worship night for their youth, church members, and some men from the Adult Recovery Program. We met some new youth, and reunited with some friends we had made during the Arizona retreat. It was a great night spent together worshiping the Lord.

For thanksgiving our team, drove to Los Angeles, CA for a few days, to celebrate the holiday with the men of the Salvation Army Adult Recovery Center. We led their chapel services while we were there, and our Jezreel team served the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner to the men, organized by their gracious Captains. There was so much to be thankful for. God has saved and transformed so many lives through the ARC. We saw families being brought together, and we were able to celebrate with two men who graduated from the program during our time there. God is good all the time!

When we arrived back in Las vegas we had two more bookings with Renaissance Baptist church. One was a great community outreach we were invited to play at, as many volunteers served hot meals to the homeless of downtown Las Vegas. The outreach was held in a parking lot with no electricity so we had to run all of the power for our sound equipment off of the bus. We weren’t sure if it would work, but God did, and we had electricity! Thank you Lord.

On Sunday morning we joined Renaissance again at their church, where we led Sunday morning worship and Norm preached the message. It was a blessing to fellowship with such a great body of believers. Our brothers and sisters in Christ. On Tuesday night before leaving Las vegas, we did an outreach at the Salvation Army Adult Recovery Program. This being government funded, we were not able to make an altar call because of secular influence, however the Holy Spirit moved! Norm gave an invitation for men and women to receive Jesus Christ from their seats, and approximately fifty hands went up. We continue to praise the Lord for the work that He is doing. This was our final event in Las Vegas and now we are in Denver, Colorado, where we will be until after Christmas.

May God’s blessings be with you this season, as we remember the birth of His Son.

Adrienne (for Jezreel)

Hey Y’all,

We have been in the Southern United States now for just over a month. God has been pouring out blessing after blessing upon us. We have had the opportunity to reunite with some dear friends and make some connections with new ones. I (Adrienne) rejoined the group in Ontario after a summer of serving at a Bible Camp in my home town in British Columbia. Andrew Munchinsky stayed in Canada while the rest of the team went to Brazil in August, but he is also back with us now. The Lord has called Shandell and Nathan away to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, to take on a youth pastorate. It has been a big adjustment for Jezreel and for them but God has shown himself faithful as always, and they have been immensely blessed for being obedient to His calling. God has provided a house, a vehicle, items for thier new home, and many hands to help them out in any way they’ve needed. Praise the Lord for his provision. We miss them so much but we have peace knowing they’re at the center of His will.

We prepared to cross the border from Ontario into the US in the middle of September, but we were held up when we realized that Norm’s passport had been lost. So we turned around and headed back to our friends’ house near Burlington, ON to see if we had left it there. It was no where to be found so we had to stay for the weekend so that Norm could get a new one. In that time Norm had the opportunity to speak to and encourage the worship team at Flamborough church. So we know that God wanted us there a few more days for that reason. Praise the Lord, the passport office was able to process the new passport in about 5 hours on Monday, and we were back on the road. We crossed the border in Detroit Michigan, and it was one of the easiest border crossings Jezreel has ever experienced. Thank you Lord! We missed a few of the bookings we had along the way because of our hold up, but we were able to pick up our new sound board in Detroit.

We made our way towards Kentucky where we played at Warm Blessings and Feast on the Word soup kitchens, Passages Women’s Transitional Home, and a Sunday morning service at Roanoke House of Prayer. We were not prepared for the heat in Kentucky! We had days with temperatures in the high 90s. It was so hot that our generator, which powers the air conditioning in the bus, kept overheating.

After a warm week in Kentucky, we drove to Tennesse to play a couple of evening concerts at the Nashville Rescue Mission and a correctional center re- entry program.

Georgia was our next stop on the map. We played an evening concert and a Sunday morning worship service with our friends at Point of Need. We also enjoyed some great food and fellowship at a front yard concert/ potluck at our friends’ house in Marietta. This is my first time visiting any of these states, and it has been a blessing to experience true Southern hospitality. Thanks to everyone who has blessed us along the way.

After a great stay in Georgia, we started making our way towards Texas. We took a bit of time to get there. When Nathan was still in the group, he shared a lot of the driving, but now that he’s gone Norm has to put in some long hours behind the wheel, and his back has been giving him some trouble lately. Please continue to pray for Norm’s back pain and for healing. We arrived in Longview, Texas at the begining of October. A few days before a Sunday morning worship service at United Fellowship, we were able to set up in their church for some good rehersal time. That was a huge blessing, as we have started prepearing our Christmas program. Our last night in Longview, TX was spent at the Highway 80 Rescue Mission doing an evening worship service. Many came forward for prayer, and hands went up for first time Salvation. What a harvest for the Kingdom of our Lord! God has been moving in such a big way.

After Longview we went to Lancaster, Texas for about a week and played a Sunday morning service at the Promise Church, and that same evening a concert at Cornerstone Baptist Church on South Lake. The whole team came down with a violent 24 hour stomach flu, which made playing a big challenge, but we made it through (praise the Lord!). As we carry on we thank God, knowing that He will continue to take care of us as we keep serving Him.

Adrienne (for Jezreel)

Oi! Tudo bem amigos de Jezreel Ministerios!

 (Hello! How are you, friends of Jezreel Ministries!)

 This is Andrew from Jezreel, and I am finally able to get an update out for our three weeks in Brazil. We have been quite busy these last couple of months and I haven’t had a chance to get this update put together.

 So first off, we would like to thank you all for your faithful continuance in praying for us while we were ministering in Curitiba, Brazil. We know and acknowledge that we need prayer to continue on in this calling. As James 5:16 says “…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”.

 Also, we thank God for providing roofing jobs for us to have opportunity to earn money for our plane tickets and Visas for Brazil. We are extremely grateful to the Igreja Batista do Bacacheri (Baptist Church in Curitiba; IBB) for administrating our time in Curitiba. We were so blessed to have host homes to stay in, and have the majority of our meals provided for. God surely showed Himself strong on our behalf.

  Our time in Brazil started after a few airport layovers and 15 hours on a red eye flight. In Curitiba, we immediately reunited with our Brazilian friends (we met in Canada in 2009), because of whom, we were able to make this connection with the church in Brazil. From the airport we made our way to the Marcel’s home, who were one of the host families and friends of our group. There we were given the rundown of our schedule (and I was surprised how organized and BUSY it was). Here at their home we also had our first experience of Brazilian food culture, the churrasco (shu-hah-skoo) which is a type of barbecue, but not like we would picture a barbecue in North America. Lots of beef (cow sides and such) seasoned with lots of salt, and served with a type of crumbled manioc flour, and feijoada, which consists of rice, beans, and sausage (or pig parts, depending on what type you eat).

 We had so many appointments and amazing interactions, it’s hard to cover them all, but a few things that stood out:

   Our first appointment was with the Minor’s police precinct- a group of about 15 boys, half of whom were there for murder. We were informed that we were the first church group that they had actually showed interaction with. Even with the language barrier, the boys were getting up and doing the actions and singing some of the basic english lyrics along with us.  Another great event was with the Villa Zumbi church. It is a church in a poor village in the area (called a “Favela”). We had opportunity to lead 2 separate services with the church, as well as take part in a community outreach in the village to invite people to the service. We also assisted in cleanup around the church grounds. While we were burning the garbage we had gathered off of the church property, a fire we’d started got away from us a bit and started burning the vegetation across the road, so we were interrupted from our meal to rush to contain it (pictures are on our facebook page). Fortunately, no harm was done.

   I will have to say that it amazes me how much God worked through us, even when we did not speak the language there. We all made an attempt to learn the language, and God blessed our interactions. Everyone who shared a testimony and messages had translators. Along with that, we performed a wordless skit or “drime”, to accompany the song “Agnus Dei” which Shandell and Melissa learned in portuguese in order to sing it in a way that the people would understand. The skit depicted the act of Christ taking on our sins and hurts and putting them to death on the cross. It is quite a powerful skit, and went across the language barrier well. Even when we were at a young children’s school and shared the skit, the kids knew what it was about. Thank you Lord for the work of your Holy Spirit!

   Another great appointment was at the Cerene Men’s drug and alchohol rehab in Lapa, Brazil, which I shared a bit about on the Jezreel Facebook status’.  Here is their website: www.cerene.org.br(You may have to have Google translate it).  We were so blessed share a day of work with the men, eating with them and sharing in a time of worship and Norm giving his testimony. We were so encouraged to see how God is working through the faithful believers serving there.

 The church also made opportunity for us to lead worship at a few services within the church. Once again, it was awesome to see God work and the people enter into worship.

 Our last week in Brazil was spent at the MAD youth retreat camp organized through IBB. We got to interact with the youth there, and had the opportunity to lead worship on the last day. Another blessing, as it was so encouraging to spend time with the youth there, hear and share testimonies, meet new friends in Christ and see once again how the Lord is working in Brazil. Grande é a fidelidade de Deus! (Great is the faithfulness of God!)

 We of course had some opportunity to do some “touristy” things as well, such as going to see the local soccer team, Atlético play (it’s Brazil, we had to), as well as take a couple days to tour around the city a bit. Some friends of ours also made opportunity for us to go the the São Fransisco beach a couple hours away, so a few of us had a chance to do some surfing.

   That is a small summary of our time in Curitiba, Brazil, but I can’t even cover everything that each individual member experienced, as well as the many other schools and churches and other places we had opportunity to minister to. So many blessings, along with the challenges.

 We would also like to thank all of you who translated and provided transportation for us. Also to those of you who provided meals and opened your homes to us. I have to acknowledge that Brazil has a food culture, and we were blessed to have been able to experience it along with the fellowship of “breaking bread” with other believers. We will miss you (and the food)! For those of you who are not familiar with the food there, a few favorites were: Guarana (pro. Gwah-dah-nah), a tasty soda made from the amazonian berry of the same name; the coffee of course (I would say it’s some of the best I have ever had); pão de queijo (bread with cheese stuffed inside); and the churrasco and feijoada of course!Be sure to checkout our Facebook for the pictures in Brazil, as well as stop by on our wall and say hi!

 Also Please continue to pray for Laura Livingstone, as she stayed behind in Brazil to continue ministry with IBB in Curitiba until the end of November. Adrienne will have an update soon about our time spent in this recent U.S. Tour, as we have been here a month now, and have been quite busy.

 Lamentations 3:22-23  Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

 Thank you Lord for showing yourself faithful on our behalf in Brazil, as well as everywhere else we go.

 Deus te Abençoe, irmãos e irmãs em Cristo, e obrigado por suas orações e apoio!

(God bless brothers and sisters in Christ, and thank you for your prayers and support)

 ~Andrew for Jezreel

Jezreel Summer Update! 2010

I am so very very over due with an update! WOW! With the ups and downs, and business of Jezreel, a few miscommunications and a lot of procrastination, (oops!) I have let this thing slide for too long, and now must at least TRY and give Ya’ll a glimpse into our lives the past few months. Where we have been and where we are going…. I have my Mothers trusty date-book beside me as I type since life can be somewhat of a blur at times and I actually forget a lot! I will give you a run through on April and May and focus on June….Sound ok? Okay then, here we go!

 April….. April 2nd found us crossing the USA border back into Canada, from Bellingham, WA into Aldergrove, BC. The crossing went pretty good. But Andrew, our percussionist, got turned away because they said he had “exceeded” his time limit in Canada for the year already. So we had to leave him in Bellingham with some friends for the night and travel to Pitt Meadows to get some paper work in order to prove that Andrew was in Jezreel’s care and not sneaking into Canada to work! Thank you Lord, we got our Andrew back the next evening, phew! The 3rd we played at Grace Community Church in Pitt Meadows for the Easter service. (Always an encouraging and welcoming congregation.) The three days following Easter we put our noses to the grind stone and endured the rain and mud to complete a roofing job we had booked the prior year in Chilliwack. On the 9th we played at the “Talking Donkey” Coffee house in Vernon. On the 10th we set up and played a concert at the Living Waters Church in Salmon Arm, tore down the same night and set up at the Salmon Arm E-Free Church where we did two back to back morning worship services and an evening concert on the 11th. After the Okanogan we left for Calgary/Airdrie, AB where we played at the NorthEast Bible Chapel on the morning of the 18th, the Salvation Army Rehab in downtown Calgary the evening of the 22nd, and Centre Street Church on the morning and evening of the 25th where we had the privilege to open up for and play with the traveling ‘Teen Challenge’ choir! OK, time for a God-Story! While we were at the Salvation Army, looking for a place to park, so we could unload our equipment for the concert/ chapel service, my dad was met at the front entrance by a man that my dad wasn’t familiar with, but the man knew him. Finally he spoke up and said to Dad, “You don’t remember me do you?” Dad tried to explain the many faces we encounter day to day and the man shook his head and smiled. He then explained himself saying, “ my name is Bob and three years ago I was hitch hiking through Salmon Arm when you and your bus picked me up! You took me as far as you could, and before you dropped me off, you gave me a Bible, some cash, and told me to consider Jesus Christ, and since then I found my way to this rehab and have completed the program and have given my life to Christ! I remember you.” Dad was speechless! What an amazing testimony and encouragement, AND challenge! Back to our April itinerary…. On the 26th to the 28th we drove from Alberta to Vancouver Island. Thursday the 29th we did a family concert in Duncan, and then on the 30th we did another community concert in Ucluelet. We tore down that same evening and went to Tofino to play the next morning, on the 30th, at the Tofino Bible Fellowship! Yes, we were a little drained by this point! But we always manage to find a breath here and there.

 May…… We spent a good chunk of May in Ucluelet/Tofino where we took some time to recuperate a bit, enjoying the breath taking beauty that is rampant on the Island! As well as we did some more work on the side. We confirmed here that we would plan to go to Brazil this August for three weeks! Hence the reason we have been doing some roofing and construction, to pay for our tickets and travel expenses. SO, Lord willing, we plan to head to Brazil on August 17th till September 9th. So far the Lord has orchestrated the connections and we are working at getting our P’s and Q’s in order I am not too sure what our itinerary looks like while we are there yet but I’m sure we will post one when we know! On the 19th we left the Island for the Mainland once again and made our way North again for Alberta. This time landing in Fort Saskatchwan, about 45mins outside of Edmonton, where we spent four days with the Fort Sask. Alliance Church. We played for their private school’s chapel service on the morning of the 28th, as well as a family concert that same evening. We took the Saturday to rehearse and rest, and then played for their Sunday morning worship service. We really enjoyed our time at FSAC, reconnecting with the different ones from the congregation and staff we’d met there last year. The evening of the 28th we drove to Grande Prairie where we FINALLY got to visit with Kolten and his (then) Fiancé, Krista. We got caught upon some wedding prep and fellowship for a night or two.

 JUNE…..,. June 1st we drove to Fort St. John, BC where Nathan and I had a couple days to spend with our Braun Family, and the rest of Jezreel went and played on a farm, and visited with some good friends. On the 4th to the 6th we played at the Blueberry Gospel Music Festival, just outside Fort St. John about 45mins. Had some good times getting in touch with our bluegrass roots again After the festival we went back to Grande Prairie where we spend the next (almost) two weeks doing two more roofing jobs and getting ready for Kolten and Krista’s BIG day! It’s hard to believe they got engaged over a year ago! Finally after a long, anticipated wait, witnessed by their loved ones, Kolten and Krista said their wedding vows, and committed themselves to each other in life, love, and marriage!!!! We all celebrated and danced into the night with a beautiful wedding and reception. What a blessing to be gathered together with so many wonderful family and friends to honor MR & MRS KOLTEN VIKE Kolten was a very handsome groom and Krista a gorgeous blushing bride. Please remember them in your prayers as they travel this new and wonderful adventure together, I know they would appreciate it.

 Well, after we sent off the happy Honeymooners, we went back to “work”! We have been in the recording studio run by Nathaniel Sterr, in Sexsmith, AB since the 22nd and plan to be on our way again by the 29th or 30th. Recording has gone very well, and we are actually having a lot of fun with this new project, as we have a very talented engineer. The Lord has been present with us! As always, please continue to keep the recording in your prayers as it takes a lot of time and effort, and will continue to be a work in progress even after we leave Sexsmith and Nathaniel is left with the job of mixing etc.

 Well, on this note I think I’ll stop! I could go on and on, but I really didn’t plan to sit down and write a novel! Not this time at least Thank you for you continued prayers and support! Your ministry is amazing! Feel free to check out pics on the website or FaceBook sometime and keep in touch! Lord Bless you and Keep you, Shandell for JEZREEL <><