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Enorme bencanos de Portugal! (Huge Blessings from Portugal!!)

We have not posted much on our blog or sent our updates since arriving in Portugal…we wish we had more to report, but days are whirl of classes and studying and not much more. With only 6 tenses under our belts (which is a lot!), we feel rather overwhelmed by this beautiful language with over 18 tenses to learn. Jean and I are now talking to each other in our Portuenglish…which means we speak as much as we can in Portuguese, but throw in the English words which we still do not know☺ With only 4 more weeks of school left, please pray for our rusty minds to take everything in and our mouths to speak what our hearts and Holy Spirit wants to say!!!

We do have a short report from our friends in Mozambique who just retuned from doing flood relief work…we can’t wait to get back to Pemba!!! Only 7 more weeks till touchdown!!!

“Flood relief in Zimbezia has been quite eventful these past three weeks as we have gotten to be a part of God doing some amazing things in the midst of much suffering. The first week we went to a camp with 693 families and we were able to build relationships with the families throughout the week returning with different supplies specific to their needs. We brought over 200 bags of rice and and 700 hoes and over 700 bags of corn seed for planting so each family received materials! More importantly than their physical needs, they were so spiritually hungry and God met them in their hunger. We preached the Gospel and prayed for the sick and just sat among the people encouraging them and hearing their stories. On the last day we handed out Bibles and there were near riots as people were so hungry for the Word and one old man even yelled, “I do not care about rice, just give me a Bible” in Portuguese.

Last week was equally eventful as we went to two new camps and were able to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven coming down to earth. Our cameo went back for a second load of rice and crashed but God used this trial for His glory as we were all stuck at the camp until after 10 pm and were able to sing, dance, preach, pray and encourage the camp ABUNDANTLY! At another camp, a woman and her family gave us their ancestral idols to burn and then received Jesus. This woman had not been able to walk or stand for 7 years and after praying for 20+ minutes with our faces in the dirt in the pouring rain, Jesus healed her and she stood up and walked! These are just a few of the stories…”

Here is a picture of what our minds feel like after a week of classes…

Blessings from “frio” Portugal! (Frio means cold…we thought we could escape it, but the weather followed us☺

We arrived last Sunday after a long, but great trip full of the favor of God. Here is a brief summary….

Due to our stand-by status, we were unable to get on our first flight out of Omaha…. and the second flight only had one open seat. If we did not get on the second flight, we would miss our 2 other flights and face problems with our pre-paid hotel arrangements. Jean was full of faith…. I was not. But we prayed and believed for an extra seat to open…And it did!!!! Jean made friends with the Delta ticket agent and he hooked us up with 2 seats together in the front of the plane. This was a big help because we had less than an hour to catch our next international flight.

Catching the next flight ended up being no problem. We were also hugely blessed to both get seats in business class together (huge perk of flying stand-by! We love you Corrine!) The flight to France was only 8 hours and we enjoyed our roomy chairs and fellowship.

The Paris airport was a nightmare however. We only had 2 hours and the airport was very confusing. After getting our bags, we carried them half way across several sections only to be turned back again and again. We finally found our terminal and we checked in for our flight to Lisbon. We should have had big fines because we knew our bags were over the limit of 20 kilos, but the agent only charged us a small fee for our extra bag. Yeah!!!

When we arrived in Lisbon, we jumped in a taxi for our hotel. I was so excited to finally be able to speak Portuguese again…but when the taxi driver began to speak to us, I could not understand a thing he said!!! His Portuguese was so fast and proper, I barley understood a word. This was the beginning of a rude awakening for me…

I came to Portugal thinking I could speak reasonable Portuguese…. I knew my grammar was bad, but I still thought it was understandable…Needless to say; I am in the beginner’s class with Jean. We are blessed to have two other Iris missionaries who serve in Pemba here with us as well. So we are all together in our pursuit to speak/understand this beautiful language!

Please pray for us! Jean has a horrible sinus infection that keeps him from sleeping at night and overall zaps his strength. We are totally dependant on Jesus for his touch.

Hey friends…just a quick note to update everyone on our travel plans! We leave this Saturday for Lisbon, Portugal! We are so very excited for this door opening to study Portuguese intensly for 3 months…

More later!

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light… Then you shall see and become radiant… The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. As we enter a New Year the Spirit is beckoning the saints of God to Arise and Shine His glorious Light wherever we go. (Isaiah 60:1-5) The Christ in you is the hope of glory for a lost and dying world. Jesus is the answer! Jesus is the light of the world! It’s time to let the Jesus in you out and let your light shine!!

On Dec. 24th we left Omaha to go to MD to spend Christmas with my brother Marc, his wife Tracey, and my parents. We had a wonderful time with my two nieces Marissa and Elianna. The day after Christmas we took Marissa to go see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Thursday we drove to PA and visited the new Global Awakening Apostolic Center. While in Mechanicsburg we stayed with our good friends Joel and Monica. Proud parents of Kalen who was less than 7 weeks old at the time of our visit. Teisa stayed up with Kalen the first night of our visit, and the second night Joel and Monica were able to go out on date night while we loved on precious little Kalen. I think the Lord is preparing us for when we have our own children. Not yet… we do want children and believe they are a gift and a blessing from God! Amen! Amen!

On Dec. 30th we found ourselves ministering at King of Kings Worship Center. The anointing in the house was very strong and the Holy Spirit touched many hearts during ministry time. Praise Jesus! Pastors Peter and Trisha Roselle then invited us to their house afterward for some amazing Italian food and pastries… glory to God! But even better than that was the fellowship. It is so wonderful when God brings along kingdom minded, kindred hearts into our lives. We love you guys!! And we are looking forward to team coming to visit us in MOZ.

We returned to Omaha on the 2nd only to leave on the 4th for Chicago to minister at Metro Praise. Pastors Joe and Nancy were such gracious hosts. Teisa and I had soo much fun!! Friday night we shared with about 50 on fire hungry youth. The Power and the Presence of God was in the house and the captives were getting set free! Praise the Lord! Early Saturday afternoon we baptized five new believers before we went downtown for a mini tour of Chicago. We then took it to the streets, and shared the love of God on the corner of Clark and Belmont, a predominately gay community. One particular man was powerfully touched by the love of God as Joe and I ministered to him. He stated that never before had he felt such genuine love from Christians. Sunday morning was beyond words. The love of the Father was poured out on all, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully during ministry time, and many had an encounter Jesus! Amen! After some wonderful food and fellowship Joe & Nancy took us to the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

The word of the Lord for 2008 is ARISE & SHINE!! For the Light has come and His Glory is upon you!!

In three weeks we are leaving for language school in Lisbon, Portugal. It is our plan to be back with our family in Mozambique in time for Teisa’s birthday on May 15th.

Teisa and I are so thankful for all your prayers and support! May God bless you all! And may His Light continue to get brighter and brighter in you! We love you!

Dearest Friends,

Shalom, Shalom!

What a year!!! Both Jean and I have pretty great imaginations, but even we could never have anticipated the blessings that 2007 held for us! God has overwhelmed us by His love in so many ways. Perhaps this year’s journey can be summed up in one word…. JOY!

This Christmas, we are especially thankful for God answering our prayers in bringing our lives together for His glory. From celebrating with our Mozambican family at our African wedding to rejoicing with the Nicoles/Millers and US friends at our Omaha gala, our hearts have been fit to burst with abounding joy!

We wish you the same joy!!! Not the “joy” which is the simple sentiment of happiness…but the deep, abiding joy that far exceeds mere feelings….

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my father’s commands and remained in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:9-11

May the joy that comes from knowing JESUS fill your hearts to overflowing this holiday season. And may His love and joy only increase this upcoming New Year!

We are so thankful for all the people and churches that faithfully prayed and supported us during this year. We press on together for His glory being poured out in Mozambique/nations in 2008.

Merry Christmas and have a Supernatural New Year, Jean and Teisa

PS. Please pray for us as we are endeavoring to leave for language school in Lisbon, Portugal for three months beginning in early February. We need divine guidance to find an affordable school with private tutoring. We will be returning to our beloved Pemba, Mozambique immediately following.

PSSS. No babies yet:)

Thank you all for your prayers!! The tumor (mass) was removed by Dr. Dobleman on Sat. morning. All is well.

On another note last week I found myself going shopping at the Westroads Mall in Omaha. For those of you who don’t know there was a shooting there where 9 people died at the Von Maur store. It was my plan to go there, however when I arrived at the mall they wouldn’t let me in as the shooting had just occurred less than 5 minutes before I got there. Needless to say the Lord surely directed my steps!! Thank you Jesus…

Glory, we got the call last week telling us the results of the biopsy were benign (non-cancerous). However, the growth still needs to come out, so we are still looking at surgery without divine intervention.

So right now, we are looking at out-patient surgery on Dec 8th at 8AM. Please join us in prayer that it dissolves in JESUS NAME!!!

WOW! Teisa and I woke up to a thin blanket of snow outside this morning. I found myself brushing off the car before we ventured out. Two days ago it was 73 degrees here in Omaha, when I woke up this morning it was 23. Though our sins be red as crimson, He will make them white as snow. We are so thankful for the blood of Jesus!!!

I can remember 18 years ago spending Thanksgiving morning in jail after being arrested for driving under the influence… That proved to be the turning point of my life. Up until then I had been using drugs and alcohol for over 12 years, but I didn’t realize I had a problem. After being bailed out in the wee ours of the morning I was still able to have Thanksgiving dinner with my family. I was a mess, a sinner in desperate need of a savior. Five months later on April 28th 1990 I gave my heart to Jesus and my sins became white as snow! Glory to God!

I am especially thankful this holiday season, as it is the first that I get to spend with my bride Teisa. For years and years I had prayed for a Godly wife to spend the holidays with. For those who don’t know me I just turned 42 Nov. 10th and had never been married till 7/7/7. I know what it feels like to be lonely during the holidays, to desire to have someone special to spend them with, and yet my prayers seemed to go unanswered. God is faithful! God is good! I heard Graham Cooke say, ” God is never late but He sure misses a lot of opportunities to be early.” Amen.

Teisa and I are so thankful for our little house in North Bennington just outside of Omaha. We have been blessed with a place of our own for the remainder of our time here in America when we are not traveling. Thank you Jesus! And thank you Ann and Jean! Blessings on ya! Words can’t describe how thankful and happy we both are this holiday season. Many special thanks to our friends, family, and supporters who have helped to make this season possible before we return to the mission field. Your prayers are greatly appreciated! As of today Nov. 21st 3pm we have not heard anything about the biopsy from last week. We are believing God for a complete healing with no surgery in Jesus name! Amen! Personally I feel great, pain is more of an annoyance and distraction than anything else.

Last week we had the privilege of ministering at the Dwelling Place in Omaha. Thursday night we shared with the youth and Saturday night with the entire family. Teisa and I really enjoy sharing the love of Jesus with His children, and we also love to call forth laborers into the harvest field. Many responded to the call to missions, not only to the nations, but also right here in the Omaha area. The Holy Spirit ministered to many hungry hearts on both nights…..

Thank You Jesus!

Many of you have been praying with Jean and I regarding an annoying tooth ache/swelling in his left cheek. From the beginning, we have known this was a spiritual battle and so we have fought it with intense prayer. One night God gave me (Teisa) a vision of a demonic claw which was broken off and hooked in his jaw. So we took authority over it and in the spirit, yanked it out. We continued to do this with other Kingdom people joining us in prayer. But Jean continued to have the swelling and dull pain.

So we made appts for the dentist and doctor. Both our amazing Christian dentist and doctor could not find any reason for it. Our doctor recommended us seeing a specialist for Ears, nose and throat. Yesterday, Jean and I went to see ENT doctor regarding the issue. We were blessed to find this doctor was also a Christian (and blessed us like our other doctors by seeing us for free or at a discounted rate.) The doctor confirmed that Jean does have a mass/tumor. He took a biopsy in the office and ordered a CT scan (which normally costs over $1000, but we got it for $410!)

We will not know the results for another few days, but we are encouraged and rejoicing! Our hearts were so distraught over the attacked against Iris/Bakers- we are stoked to have the enemy so nervous about our lives as well. We know the enemy wants to keep us from preaching and returning to our family in Africa, so we press on for victory. Go Jesus, do your thing!!!!

I just got this email from one of the staff members in Pemba:

“We thank God for each of you who have so covered us in love, support and intercession. We have felt that we could stand on your prayers. Heidi flew out to join Rolland a week ago. Rolland received one week of intensive prayer along with solid and sound medical attention. His heart has calmed, he has begun to regain the weight he lost, gaining strength and is feeling much better. In our time of deepest need, God has really given him a breakthrough.

However, the doctors are insisting Rolland take a three-month sabbatical or furlough in the US. Therefore, Heidi and Rolland will be in the US for the next three weeks. Rolland will rest in the US for Nov through Jan 2008. Heidi will also take the month of December completely off from ministry after our Holy Given Iris International School of Missions Graduation. The Bakers will be together laboring to “enter rest” as Heidi wrote in our last update. Therefore, Heidi will not be speaking more during this time as her focus and priority is Rolland.

Both Bakers express intense appreciation and thanksgiving for the depth and breadth of love and care. Certainly we do not feel alone in times of trials. Perhaps the greatest redemption of attacks like these is Jesus’ love shining so brilliantly and beautifully through the lives of our family of friends. We see Him in each other and thank our God daily for you. We request prayer also for the transition in administration as Rolland takes a time of rest. We pray for the fullness of rest and restoration. The best is always yet ahead in Him.

“Onward we go” as Rolland often says.”

Glory, friends! Please be praying for the Bakers and this much needed time of rest!!!!! We just spent a few days with the Bakers at the Voice of the Apostles Conference in Harrisburg, PA. Here a testimony from Heidi which sums up the past week:

“To Finish Well”

Heidi Baker
November 1st, 2007

This is a short update to thank you for your love, prayers and standing with us during our time of greatest need. As most of you know during these past three months, we have experienced fierce trials. Jesus has recently spoken to me about finishing well. I am fixing my eyes on Jesus. I am looking away to Him. I am coming forward with boldness to the throne of grace in my greatest time of need. Hebrews 4:1, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”

In this time of reflecting, The Lord came to me and asked me, “If I had known ahead of time all that this calling would cost, would I still be willing to receive the call.” And still my cry is yes. I have nowhere else to go. I have no one else to run to. Jesus is my life and He is altogether lovely. Through everything, it is still my joy to say that I gladly give my life for Him.

Yesterday, we had a surprise birthday party for Rolland. Dear friends flew in from other countries and all over the United States. We felt so loved and supported. Our Revival Alliance brothers and sisters, Bill & Beni Johnson, Che Ahn, Randy & Deanne Clark, Georgian & Winnie Banov were all there blessing us, cheering us on, lifting up our arms and fighting for us. Even John and Carol Arnott sent in a special birthday greetings on a dvd. Charles and Anne Stock spoke beautiful scriptures of life over Rolland and blessed him with Rolland’s favorite chocolate cake. Mel Tari, the best man in our wedding and one of our closest friends helped led the festivities. His wife Joyce spent months putting together an incredibly anointed and touching dvd of Rolland’s life. We all cried. Crystalyn and Elisha both laid hands on their father and blessed him as his children. The party would not have been possible without the beautiful efforts and great love of Norberto, Will, Shara, Jinyoung, and Angela. Darrel and Mariyln carry such a mama and papa anointing. Betty, our Toronto friend, drove all night to be with us. It was a delight to have them with us. We want to thank everyone who was involved and all of you who have been praying for us. We are forever grateful.

It is my great joy to celebrate with with Mozambican sons and Iris missionaries who flew in from Sudan, France, and Mozambique. God is still speaking to me about releasing my sons and daughters to carry His heart for the lost and broken into the greatest darkness. I know even as we enter a season of rest, God will increase the movement by carrying it through the lives of many. I love watching our these amazing young people from so many races, nations and backgrounds, run forward carrying the light of His glorious gospel. They are truly my heroes, my friends and my family. There are no words to express how grateful I am for the love and prayers of so many. We do not feel alone.

Our International Director Surprise Sithole also flew in to be with us from South Africa. He recently went back to the very village where our dear pastor Ezekiel Sithole was martyred for the gospel. They cut him off his tongue and lips to silence him. They said our movement Partners in Harvest/Iris Africa would be silenced. Surprise’s went back into the village in love and humility releasing forgiveness to those who killed his cousin. Thousands gathered to hear him preach. And hundreds were saved. Please pray for Pastor Ezekiel Sithole’s wife who is deeply troubled, very, very thin and left with many children to raise alone. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” Matthew 5:11-12.