Fall Newsletter

Family

The summer is over, and the family is ready for the fall.  The children are back in school, and our thoughts are mindful of the relationships the kids have, and will form with others.  An area of prayer we have is for the kids to have a great time interacting with their friends.  We ask you to pray for the children to be the influence of God in all they do, wherever they are.  To be the light of God, and of Heaven, in their friendships.

The transition from private school, to public school, could not have gone any better last year.  We are excited to see what this year will hold for the kids in their school.

Reaching The World:  Greece

Last year, we learned of an opportunity to go and help with the Syrian refugee crisis flooding into Greece.  How hopelessness is flooding the hearts of many of God's children.  He birthed a desire in Angel's heart to do something about it, anything.  In June, during a staff meeting, the answer to the question came.  There will be a team of YWAMers, from 15  bases, joining together to give hope, speak life, and bring the love and blessings of our Father to the Syrian refugees in the nation of Greece.
  Angel was so excited; she could barely sit still in the chair.  We had so many questions flood our hearts; like  who was  going: all of us, a couple, or just one of us.  So we did what we always do: we asked the Lord, and waited for confirmation.
  The confirmation came in the form of an impression that Angel was to represent the Sweazy family, and join the team.  He has already begun providing the initial funds needed for the outreach.  This December, Angel will be joining the team and heading out, for 3 weeks, to Greece.

Local Outreach

Often when one speaks of missionary work, they often only consider the missionary field to be a foreign place, and not a local place. However, our actual mandate as missionaries is to be missional wherever we are.  As missionaries with YWAM, we focus our efforts locally as well, and not just in foreign countries and far away places.  However, what we have learned is this: the mission field God's Word tells us about is everywhere!

As the fall approaches, I'm very excited about the work we are doing in outreach through our many ministries.  One of these ministries is in a place called Hamilton city.  In Hamilton city, we have been partnering with a local church doing youth ministry with at risk youth for three years now.  We have covered each step of the way with a lot prayer.  Recently, we have sensed the Lord asking us to widen the area we are serving, to include the surrounding towns in the county.  Understanding that, I reached out to several youth leaders in these surrounding areas.  I was so encouraged by the excitement we encountered for partnership.  I am very eager to see God's plan unfold.

Joshua Fest

Angel and I are extatic to be leading a prayer Tent at Joshua fest again this year.  Joshua Fest is a Christian music festival.  For the past two years, we have witnessed God’s heart for teenagers who are struggling with isolation, self hate, and demonization.

This year we anticipate that extreme miracles of faith will be done.  We see chains of depression being broken. The sense is there that, for some of these teens, a cloud of oppression is going to be dispelled.

If you would like to partner with us as we fight, please pray for miraculous works of the Lord.  We are still believing for $90.00 for the cost of the ministry, if you can help, we would be very greatful.

The 20/20 Challenge

We have a challenge for all you challengers out there.  As we look forward to the horizon, the landscape of missions is chocked full of opportunity.  Each opportunity has challenge attached to it.  We also know another thing about opportunities and challenges: whenever they arrive, there alway a promise, and provision, attached.

For Angel and I, the promise is that we never journey forward without a team joining us.  As our journey continues, we feel that God has provided 20 new partners who have a burden to see the Good News advance.  I would go as far as to say that some of you feel that call; however, you do not know what to do about it.  Today, that changes.  We challenge you to become one of the 20 people who give $20 for the next 12 months.

As a sender, your identity is unique; you do more than just empower missions with money: you equip us with your prayers, encourage us with your fellowship, and strengthen us with your faith in God in us.  Thank You.

Prayer Requests

Hannah's and Joey’s friendships.
Preparations for Angel's outreach to Greece.
Current  Discipleship Training School: Pray for the lecture phase; that hearts will be open.
Joshua Fest

Praise Reports

We have been asking God to lead us in showing us a  long term vision.  We have begun to receive more clarity and detailed visions.

We will receive a new laptop later this month due to the generosity of a supporter like you.
This summer, while at summer camp, Hannah and Joe had amazing breakthroughs in their relationships with one another.

Asian Adventures: Molly's Story

China testimony 2016

One day, during my time in Asia, I sat with a young girl who expressed to me how she believes that, in China, woman have no value. Her name is Molly; and as her story unfolded, I could see how she believed such a statement.

Molly grew up with self-hatred in her heart. She did not know why; she just hated herself.  As she grew, Molly became convinced that her feelings about herself came from her womanhood.

As this self realization bloomed inside her, Molly found herself attracted to other woman. These attractions, coupled with the loathing of her own womanhood, convinced her she should have been born a man.  Motivated by this belief, Molly began pursuing a sex change operation.

Molly was almost successful in having a sex change. As she gathered all the money she would need and set her appointment, God stepped in.

As her delusion reached a critical point, Jesus met with Molly and revealed the good news of salvation to her. With the blood of Jesus cleansing her being, Molly found that the self-hatred left.

While I listened to Molly's, story I wondered what she could need prayer for?  Molly's testimony was rocking me.  I could see that Molly had been brought out of a hellish experience by Jesus; yet, she still carried the burden of rejection with her.

Our time that day was short, and there was no opportunity to seek God with Molly to find the solution that would lead to healing. Finally, at the end of the week, my ministry partner Carlos and I sat down and listened to the end of her story.

The end of her story proved to be as sad as the rest.  The Church, a place where she should have found security, turned out to be a critical place. It became evident that Molly was battling unforgiveness toward the leadership of her Church.

So, Carlos, Molly, and I went to prayer; we asked God to reveal the way forward.  As we prayed, I could feel in my mind a need to uproot bitterness. When I asked the Lord how, He revealed a way through Carlos.  Carlos felt like we were suppose to step into the place of her Church leadership.  Carlos stood in for the church leadership, and I represented her mentor. We acknowledged how we hurt Molly; then we asked her to forgive us.  Molly agreed; and so according to the Word, she was released from the bitterness and judgment that was binding her to the offense.

Molly's testimony was only one of many such prayers that we said with people. Prayers where the Holy Spirit led us, and specifically told us how to pray. The Holy Spirit would show the person being ministered to just what they needed to be released in order to obtain freedom. With testimonies like these, my heart still beats for China, and I can't help but hope that the Lord might send me again, perhaps even before the year is out.

Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for fighting for Molly, and others like her.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You.

Asian Adventures

China Reach

The trip in May marked my third journey into China. It is a curious feeling to remember the fear that I felt about traveling to China in 2013, when the Lord first called me. I am in such an opposite place now. It seems as though each trip I take the more of my heart is invaded by God for China.

The teaching continues to grow more tailored for China. In brief, the teaching centers around The Kingdom of God in terms of sonship. This teaching attacks the orphan and slave spirit and mindsets. Our ministry times have proven to been powerful as God has used the teaching to create fertile hearts.

As I have built relationships with the students, my heart has been captured. What I have discovered is a childlike innocence locked away behind walls of rejection. I uncovered a capacity for laughter and joy in these people that has taken me completely by surprise.  The richness of what God has created in the Chinese people is absolutely undeniable.  

God Does It Again.

On Friday, April 15, 2016  Miranda (the girl in the picture)  came to me after intercession and asked me to pray for her wrist  which was broken. She had a cast on and planned to see the doctor that morning. She was in great pain and asked for healing prayer. 

So we prayed..

At lunch the same day Miranda told me that the doctor discovered that the fracture had healed. The cast; which she was suppose to have for three months was now healed after only two weeks. Miranda left her appointment with two things: First, a brace to protect her wrist; and second, a miracle to speak of God's glory. 

Praise the Lord! A God who heals.

Azusa Now

It has been just days since the “Azusa Now Call”, and I can still feel the power of what God ?did? at the Memorial Coliseum. As the Lord unpacks what He did in Los Angelas I will see more; however, one thing stands out as clear and bright as day: Unity
I could hardly believe my eyes when a Father of the Charismatic Catholic movement testified to having the same roots as many Christian churches have in the Azusa street revival.
I witnessed a wonder when this man basically repented for the separation of the body of Christ from one another at the hands of the Catholic faith. As a sign of reconciliation, he knelt down and kissed the feet of Lou Ingle. Witnessing this, I knew I was seeing a significant shift in our body.

Moved by the humility of this Catholic brother, Lou called all the fathers of different Christian faiths out to be apart and witness as he returned the honor and kissed the Catholic’s feet as well.
Watching this take place made one thing crystal clear: God is moving to reunite His bride by dissolving the barriers that individual denominations have built over the centuries. God has made it clear that we are to be one body with many parts, each part performing a different function, but still connected to the heart of Christ; for there is only ONE Bride of Christ.

April Update

April is an exciting month for the Sweazy’s  ministry. This week we are having a bible siminar for 5 days, 8-5 everyday. The focus is sharing the Gospel through story telling .  I love to tell stories, so I am very excited about this.

Then, thursday night, there will be a prayer ralley as the kickoff for the “Azusa Now” weekend (4/8-4/10). Angel and I will be going to L.A. to participate in the Azusa Now event.  It is being held on the 120th anniversary of the Azusa revival that took place in New York.  We are believing for a fresh outpouring of the anointing of the Holy Spirit over the body who gathered in LA, and nothing less than miracles, signs, wonders, and salvations to break out, and flow outward, over our nation!

Right on the heels of that event, the very next weekend here at Richardson Springs, there will be a open house and historical tour led by a member of the Richardson family. This event has already attracted hundreds of guests. These guest may, or may not, know Jesus as Savior. Everyone is preparing to repersent our King the best we can as keepers of a place set aside for rest, renewal, and revelation.

Then, finally, on April 29 and 30 we are apart of a crusade called “Chico Alive”. This crusade is the first event in a whole movement called the “The Golden State Awakening”. Angel and I have joined the team facilitating the Chico Alive event; so, during this month we will be making arrangements for the crusade. I have been asked to facilitate the last day of the crusade, when we will be having a celebratory BBQ and doing baptisms. Please pray for Angel and I as we work to organize this days happenings.

As you can see we have a lot going on this month. Please pray for Angel and I: that we will work only from a place of rest. Please pray for the sucess of all these events. Thank you so much. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Lessons From Africa

While in Africa, I found myself in a challenging situation. The YWAM team had been in country for a month. During that time we traveled a lot, and ministered along the way.  The leadership team did not realize it; but, the team had began to experience fatigue.

During an evening of sharing, the most of the team expressed that they were exhausted.  Our response was one of surprise. We had rested a little; so, we did not change anything. We believed that the team just needed to adjust; however, the issue did not go away.

Our first course of action was to increase the time off by ministering half days. This did not work; what we discovered was this: the group needed to rest in God, not just physical inactivity.

This greatest personal treasure I recieved from the trip to Africa was this: The Rest of God. I learned that inactivity is NOT rest. Rest is a place prepared by God exclusively for the saints, the children of God. Faith is the doorway; AND, it is available to everyone who knows Christ as their Lord and Savior. ref Hebrews 3:7-13

Africa At Six Weeks

We have been in Africa for six weeks now, and things have been both mountain peak and valley low experiences.  Both extremes have taught me valuable lessons in life and ministry. 

By far the most powerful lesson has been the roll of intercession during outreach. I knew the importance and power that came with intercession; however, I have seen a level of power that was unexpected. 

Eioffe, one village we visit demonstrated the need for a deeper commitment for intercession. The village was under heavy demonic oppression. There was illness everywhere, economic breakdown, and wide spread abandonment. 

Even though this village was under such heavy oppression we still saw eight salvations. 

Later that evening the team expressed the feeling of being unprepared for the village, so we prayed. As we listened it became evident that God wanted us  to assign teams to stay back and pray for the village while we ministered in the village. 

The results were incredible. On the second trip there was no discernible oppression at all.  We saw God heal one woman who could not walk before we prayed. After prayer she rose to her feet and begun to walk around her house.

In another home two woman who had pain in their body received prayer. After praying twice each woman's pain left their body. 

More salvations were found.  One man, a life long Muslim tracked us down after hearing we were in town. His name is Solomon. Solomon had hard our testimonies the week before and had been touched by Jesus. He renounced Islam and accepted Jesus. 

So much happened during the second trip to Eioffee. These testimonies are a tiny sampling of what God did through deeper intercession. The difference the prayer made was incredible.