These are but a few "miracle moments" as experienced on the mission field.  To God be the glory!

Alexandra’s Story

In the city of Morndi, Romania, a 15 year old girl named Alexandra, came running to us after a service, and in perfect English said, "I have never been to anything like this before." We asked her, if she had invited Jesus into her heart.  She answered, "I did everything you told me to do!"  David seeing her new found love and excitement for the Lord gave her a New Testament and opened to John 3:16.  He asked her to read it.  Her voice was clear and resolute, her master of the English language evident as she read the good news.  When she finished, David closed the Bible and gave it to her.  Her eyes opened wide with excitement and her words, we will never forget.  "I will read this every day and when I go to bed at night I will put in under my pillow, I promise, I promise!"

We have kept in touch with Alexandra and two years later we heard from her.  Tears fill my eyes as I read her letter.  These are some of her words, "the book you gave me, the Bible, I have read until it is part of me.  I read that Jesus will forget my sins". 

Since this time she has been with us as a translator on other trips.  Just think how your investment in our ministry helps us reach people like Alexandra. 

 

Miracle With Customs

 We had heard for weeks prior to going to Russia nothing but horror stories about the Russian customs. We tried to prepare ourselves, and the team for what we would face. If you can get a mental picture of 19 people with two suitcases each and one carry on bag. The total would be enough to make the strongest man weak! Our arrival at customs was like being on the trip through the Red Sea with the children of Israel. It seemed God blew with a wind and we walked through on dry ground. Not one bag was opened, not one question was asked, in fact, not one word was spoken to us as the custom officials just kept checking the documents with their pen.  What should have taken 2 hours took less than 30 minutes. The Lord let us know that HE was in control!

 

The Big Fish

Every time we would pray for Russia it would seem the Lord would speak to my heart these words, "pray for a big fish".  On Saturday while we were in Moscow, our steps had lead us to Red Square and we were standing in the shadow of the Kremlin when David began talking to a young man selling tee shirts.  The Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, "there is your big fish."  I put my hand on his heart and asked him if he ever had asked Jesus to come into his life.  His immediate answer was he had thought about it but was confused with all the different religions.  We invited him to the Monday night Crusade and then words poured from my heart as I told him that it was not by accident that we had met.  God had sent us to tell him that He loved him and that we were going to pray for him that God would bless his business so much that this would be a sign to him that 'God had sent us.  We told him we would have a Book of Life for him and in that book he would read about Jesus healing and blessing 10 lepers and only one came back to say thank you.  We told him if Jesus blessed his business so much that even his friends would be amazed that he should remember to say thank you.  On Monday night he was at the Crusade and his first words to us was, "thanks to God"!  We learned that God had confirmed His word to him and blessed his business.  He came to every night meeting and when we were leaving we told him that the same moon that shines in Russia shines in the United States and every time he looks at the moon he will know that someone is praying for him.  Please pray for Alex - "the big fish"!

 

Lady On The Subway

One night as we were coming home from the night crusade and riding on the subway a beer bottle came rolling down the aisle and hit a lady on the foot across from us.  She looked up and smiled at us.  This opened the door to give her a Book of Life and she became totally engrossed as she read it. Several stops later she never looked up from her and even -when -we took a flash photo she -was completely unaware of her surroundings.  Oh the hunger as they read about Jesus!

 

Little Russian Preacher Boy

 An amazing tool of evangelism is the little salvation bracelet.  It consists of 5 colored beads and one clear bead (faith) that tell the complete story of Jesus.  We had presented the story in the night service.  The next day during street evangelism a boy came running to us and pointed to the bracelet and started telling the story.  Our translator let us know he had it right and was amazed how accurate he was.  He was adding things like a little preacher!  We gave him a bracelet and the next thing we knew he had gathered about 20 children.  He was right in the middle of them telling the story.  We told him we wanted him to tell the same story in the night service.  He brought two of his friends to help him.  That night you could have heard a pin drop as the three boys stood like soldiers before a capacity filled theatre and told the story of the five colored beads that have so much meaning.  Each child received a bracelet on the last night of the crusade.

 

Starved For Love

The team ministered in many orphanages in the Bucharest area.  Our steps lead us one day through the mud, across boards over a deep ravine to a. back street and hidden from view we found a boy's home rarely, if ever, visited by company.  Oh the faces!  Carol Hartman, from Rochester, NY, dressed as a clown and we began to see smiles and as we sang, "He's got the whole world in His Hands" joy filled the room where we were.  The team gave and gave and gave and then one of the boys asked if they could sing for us.  In the clearest sweetest voices they began to sing in Romanian and we recognized the song at once, "OH LOVE OF GOD"!  I felt at that moment my heart was being yanked out by the roots.  We had come to bless them, but we left far more blessed than when we came.  Another orphanage had over 100 just little ones all under the age of 4. When the team came through the door it was as if we were being attacked by a swarm of little honeybees.  They literally jumped into our arms for hugs and kisses.  Our dear friend and missionary, Becky Walsh, has opened The House of Peace (Casa Shalom). This is a refuge and home for street children.  Children that have been literally thrown away on the streets like garbage are given a chance to be loved with the compassion of Christ.  Funds are needed to take in more children for when Becky picks them up instantly she is the sole provider.  We watched this ministry in action as we worked with her to feed the hungry street children and give blankets to the cold and bind up the physical wounds of those at the train station.

 

Saved From Hell

 “Big Ralph," our ex-policeman from the Bronx was able to spot two boys on the street that he knew did not look "street smart."  We cannot go into all the details in this limited space, but God used this team to save two young boys from a life of sex abuse.  We found the pimp that was selling them into child pornography.  We rescued them on Wednesday and the filmmakers were coming on Friday to buy the boys.  These boys are safe in Casa Shalom right now.  Another divine appointment!

 

Powerful Salvation Bracelets

 We were all set to sing for 100 nuns, but when we got there we were stopped by the Greek Orthodox priest.  He would not even shake hands with David and said, "what are you here for?" Then we saw the Lord soften his heart as we put a salvation bracelet on him.  He had a string of beads with 33 and we told him our beads were just 5. One of the nuns said why not sing for the school so we went and told them the priest had sent us which opened the door and in 10 minutes we had an unscheduled school assembly and did an entire Book of Life presentation!

 

Angels Unaware

 When we arrived in Bucharest there was no hotel for us, so we stayed in the Bible School.  We did not pay to stay there but gave the money that would have been paid out for hotels to the school.  Our gift came just in time to pay the rent and enable the School to start on time.  The students arrived the day after we left.  Is not God's timing perfect?  We went to Casa Shalom (House of Peace) and ate wonderful "soup".  The Holy Spirit led us to pass the breadbasket and our gifts there came right on time to pay a month's salary for the staff that had not been able to be paid for 3 months.  We held a Woman's Tea, too, and several times we heard "the Americans are angels sent by God."

 

To The Least Of These

 We loaded up the team on the bus and drove through the sugar cane fields to Belle Glade.  An area of migrant workers--you get the feeling of being in another land!  The response from the school children was rewarding.  We even had a student ask for the empty box when all the books were given away.  We approached a crossing guard and told her we would be in the prison there that night, showed her the Book of Hope with the statement that if the young ones would get this message it may prevent many of them from going to prison.  She would stop the traffic and say to the children, Get your book then you can cross."  The smiles and the hands reaching out for hope we will not soon forget.  A special boy kept coming back, finally a team member said to him, let me tell you what is in the book.  It is about Jesus and how he died for you. The little face looked up and said with horror "JESUS IS DEAD??" It was then he was told the rest of the story and he prayed that this Jesus would live in his heart.

 

Behind The Walls

 The prison experience was one not soon forgotten.  It seemed this was a night of visitation- The Holy Spirit moved in from the first notes of, "Where Could I Go But to the Lord." The men were on their feet!  Although the security was extreme and we were deep behind the high, secured walls, the freedom that Christ gives was very evident.  With us a lawyer, and "-policeman, and even a saved ex-prisoner... this left many inmates with their mouths open!  After service one man approached, Ralph, our ex-cop saying "I have never shaken the hand of a cop without hate in my heart before.”

 

Beware When All Speak Well Of You

 Kathy was taking a few pictures to document the outreach.  A call was received to our host church that we had taken a picture of a student in the witness protection program.  Since we did not know which film, we agreed to surrender all the film to them to be developed at our cost; they would take the pictures pertaining to them and return the rest.  We trusted them to keep their word; they DID NOT, and destroyed ALL the pictures and returned them to us in shreds.  Even personal photos that were on the beginning film were destroyed.  We could fight but chose not to, knowing that this is the same spirit that killed Stephen in the Book of Acts.  It is not personal against us it is an attack on JESUS the message of the Book of Hope that we place in the hands of the students.  "Rejoice when you are persecuted"

 

The Seeking Heart Of A Child

 I saw him in the crowd, a ten year old boy, making his way to the altar to receive Christ as Lord.  He got my attention for he stayed a long time on his knees with tears continuing to fall down his cheeks.  The next night, he was at the altar again!  This time he laid on the concrete floor and he was sobbing his heart out.  He got up and began to walk away, just as David was coming down the stairs from the platform.  I felt such a hunger for God in this boy that I asked David to pray a special prayer with him.  As soon as David put his hands on his head, the boy raised his hands in praise and began to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  It was such a pure experience, for this young boy had no traditions to wade through, no doctrines to confuse him, all that he had was a deep hunger to receive all God had for him.  Ms name is Marvin.  He is 10 years old and he lives in the city of Merida.  One of our team members gave him money to get something to eat, but he bought a Bible instead.  Natural food could wait for he was hungry for spiritual food.

 

What Happened To The Lights??????

 We watched as the people began to gather in the baseball stadium in the city of Campeche. The buses came filled way beyond their legal limit and the little pickup trucks were filled to overflowing with a face peering out from every available space. Some came walking carrying their babies on their backs. Others came on motor scooters and bicycles. All this showing the hunger to hear the "good news". The food vendors had set up their booths and the smell of onions cooking filled the night air. The moon was shining bright above us as the songs of praise could be heard. One night as the altar call was given and people had started to make their way forward, someone turned off all the stadium lights.  A hush came over the thousands gathered there.  You could hear the Christians praying.  The enemy tried in every way to defeat, but what could have been a panic situation became a victory and each night the altars were filled and God performed miracles of healing.  The men controlling the lights soon learned that the Governor of the region had given his approval for our crusade, and we had bright lights from then on!!!!!

 

Thousands But God Sees The One

 He worked his way through the crowds, out onto the baseball field and to the back of the platform.  He was well dressed, gray hair in place, with all the marks of success, but he needed reassurance, "Little David, I must know that I am ready to die.  Will what YOU told me tonight do it?"  David told him, "Yes, John 3:16 will do it!"

 She could not believe her eyes!  She told us about a dream she had running from a snake that was trying to get her.  In the dream she saw a light haired man and he told her how to be free.  In her fear and desperation she heard of the crusade and came.  She listened intently to the man speaking (David) for this was the man she had seen in her dream.  She received Jesus as Lord!