Present with the Lord
August 2009

The Scriptures tell us that “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” and that is the hope and confidence we have as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. One of my dear friends, Thelma Howie, is now in the presence of the Almighty as her body failed her this month. Thelma and her husband, Ernest, have had a great impact on my life and were EMM board members for several years. Thelma was such an encouragement to me in my journey with the Spirit and I will miss her friendship and counsel.

Several months after we had held a festival in Mbale, Uganda Ernest and Thelma had the opportunity to return to Uganda for some follow-up work. When they returned to their home in Northern Ireland, Thelma sent me a letter, along with a photo, that touched us both. In memory of Thelma, and in light of what we are planning for Rwanda, let me share the story she brought back to me:

“Hi Dan,

I have attached a photograph of a lady who got saved and healed at the August Festival in Mbale. Her story is wonderful and I promised her I would tell ‘Dan Owens’ all about it, so here it goes…

She heard about the EMM team having come to Mbale for a Festival and she wanted to get to it to receive her healing. She could not walk and she suffered from severe asthma. Because she could not walk she had to get a ride on the back of a bicycle. She had brought along a mat for herself to lie on because she couldn’t stand. She told me that she got as close to the platform as she could and lay down to listen to the speaker Dan Owens. When you gave the altar call she pushed herself to get forward to give her life to Jesus. After this you told all those who needed prayer for healing to come behind the platform for prayer. She received prayer for her total healing!

Thelma Howie doing what she does best

She walked home. Her family was totally amazed when they saw her walking in the door of her house. She has not looked back since. She was also totally healed of her asthma and is able to walk anywhere she needs to go. Praise the Lord! The rest of her story will also thrill you. Her family saw what Jesus did in her life and they have all given their lives to Jesus too. Hallelujah!

The other amazing thing that I was thrilled about was that she was carrying with her the booklet she had received (Going Forward with Jesus Christ) when she gave her life to Jesus. I couldn’t resist taking this photograph of her holding it. She had put a backing on the booklet to protect it from getting damaged. The backing was newspaper. I knew she cherished this little booklet and was taking such good care of it. I also noticed that it had been well read and that the pages were no longer ‘new looking’ as you can see.

Her picture is blurry but her joy is very clear

This photograph, I think, tells EMM just how important these booklets are to these people who do not have a Bible. The people who support you should be told of the difference they are making by allowing us to use the funds for these ‘life lines’ for these precious souls.

Blessings,

Thelma”

Thelma was right; these books are so important in the lives of these new believers. These booklets, as she called them, are filled with scripture, teaching, and words of encouragement for our new brothers and sisters in the Lord. We give away hundreds, even thousands, of Going Forward with Jesus Christ at each of our festivals to those who put their faith in Christ.

A large portion of our festival budget goes towards printing these books and other training material; and in order to help the local economy, we always print our materials in the country where they will be used. For only $1 you can supply not only one Going Forward with Jesus Christ for a new convert, but also provide training materials for the counselor who leads that person to the Lord! Hundreds and hundreds of counselors will be trained to use the Going Forward with Jesus Christ with those who respond to the Gospel.

As we continue to raise money for eye glasses and the pastor’s conference, our goal is to also raise $5,000 for the printed materials that the Rwandans will need. For every dollar you give towards this great need, a counselor will be trained and a new believer will receive Going Forward with Jesus Christ.

Thelma said it best, “The people who support you should be told of the difference they are making by allowing us to use the funds for these ‘life lines’ for these precious souls.” Thank you for your ministry of generosity, prayer, and encouragement that you are giving to the Rwandans.

Please pray for me September 2-9, as I will be in Rwanda teaching pastors how to train their people to be counselors for the festival and how to use the Going Forward with Jesus Christ books. Also, please pray for my friend Ernest, who is now learning how to live life without his soul mate.

With Eternity In Mind,

Dan

P.S. I will be sending out devotions again in September, so if you would like to receive these please sign up at our website.