Dear partner and friend,
Greetings in our Lord Jesus!
I don’t think I am alone in describing the year so far as “intense” – intense in both a wonderful and a terrible way.
Wonderful was my parents celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Terrible was not being there in the UK with them. Wonderful was celebrating 50years being “born again.”! Terrible was realizing I was old enough to be saved for 50 years! Wonderful has been witnessing the Holy Spirit moving powerfully and miraculously in our ministry during the last 12 months. Terrible has been witnessing the increased pain, confusion, and trauma in the lives of women worldwide.
In our workshops online and in person, women have come with overwhelming brokenness, crushed spirits, fears, anxieties, stress, trauma, grief, addictions, painful marriage struggles, and desperate situations with children in addictions and gender confusion.
Many of our group leaders helping disciple, mentor and encourage other women, are themselves struggling with the overwhelming challenges and intensity of the current environment and related needs.
Yet these intense and overwhelming challenges are causing us to cast ourselves on Jesus more than ever, to dig deep for faith and connection with Him, to encourage ourselves in the Lord, to return to the simplicity, which is in Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:3.
In the midst of terrible, the Holy Spirit is moving, healing, transforming, strengthening, and multiplying! There is not enough space to share all He is doing, but these testimonies are evidence of His presence working in these intense, wonderful and terrible times:
- France: “Many of us are in a difficult season of grieving, pain, loss, uncertainty. But in our workshop, we shared vulnerability, transparency, love, and support. The Lord honored us with His Presence, and we were glad to spend these days together.”
- Brazil: “It has been a difficult time here. I am blessed leading the butterfly groups where we can count on each other’s prayers and support and God’s word always encourages us. The social issue is getting tougher. But this has been the opportunity for the church to be light and salt. Many more women are willing to have the butterfly discipleship training.”
- Southeast Asia: “We are again in complete lockdown in our state. A few sisters are recovering from Covid, but many are still struggling. Many pastors are sick. Many needs for emotional healing. This is a time to prepare for greater blessing ahead. We are praying to start LUV online trainings in the city. Please pray for the ladies who will join us to experience freedom from fear and healing for body and soul.”
- USA: “The women came broken, with emotional and spiritual issues. They shared the opposition they had before they came, they confessed they were going to cancel, but they came. We praised the Lord so loud we prayed and prayed. It was so awesome to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit with us.”
- Poland: After months of frustration and discouragement of not being able to meet, Jagoda was able to start workshops online for a special time of encouragement and healing with her butterflies.
- Japan: We already have women being discipled online in Japan by butterflies in Brazil and Orlando. Another Orlando butterfly is praying about starting a third group online with women in Japan. Please pray for translation of materials in Japanese.
USA – 7 new weekly butterfly groups started last month in:
o Chicago – butterfly from Peru started group with her Spanish students
o New York – butterfly started second NY group with Spanish speakers
o Orlando – butterflies started five new groups, including a group for young adults.
o One young adult expressed her gratitude that an older woman would care about them and lead
them in biblical truth.
LUV LET’S GET REAL event – LIVING FREE – in Orlando this month.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful, strengthening the faith of women who joined us locally and globally:
- 104 women attended in person, over 350 viewed on Live Stream that day, with over 520 views to date. Praise God for technology and my home church, Avalon Church!
- In Brazil, 70 women joined us on Zoom, with Marli translating for 4 hours!
- 4 butterflies shared powerful testimonies of freedom in Jesus:
- A mom finding freedom in the challenges of raising a mentally ill child.
- A Muslim woman finding freedom and truth in Jesus Christ.
- An ex-inmate finding freedom in Jesus in jail, and the struggle to live in freedom outside of jail.
All praise and glory to the love and power of God transforming lives and multiplying His kingdom in this intense, wonderful and terrible year.
Prayer Needs:
- In the spiritual battle, pray that we will be rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. Romans 12:12.
2. Holy Spirit will strengthen us in His love, courage, and wisdom as we disciple women to be who God has created us to be, in every group and country.
3. Multiplication will continue as women are transformed by knowing God intimately.
4. Pray for our sisters struggling in COVID lockdown and increasingly difficult social and economic conditions particularly in Southeast Asia, France, and Brazil.
5. Pray for me leading in-person Workshop 6 this weekend and for the women coming from Oregon, Minnesota, Florida, and Lithuania (who will join on Zoom), for their third year training.
Thank you for your partnership in giving and in prayer. May the Lord bless you and strengthen you and keep us longing for His appearing!
In His love
Liz