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This week at camp meeting was unlike any other. I have been regularly attending every meeting and conference that the River at Tampa Bay Church has and this has by far been the best one yet! I loved having such a diverse amount of music and teachers. Joel Stockdale was one of the ministers and his life and testimony speaks volume.

One of my favorite things that he said was “My life is a testimony of the GOODNESS of God!”

It was so refreshing to see others overcome obstacles in their life by the power of God in their life. It is encouraging to know that no matter what is going on in someone’s life, you can still live out a life that will bring glory to God.

The main focus of this week was igniting a generation. Pastor Rodney was ministering at one of the evening services and he called up all the children between the ages of 6-12. Then he began to pray for people as the spirit led him. He was walking around the sanctuary and he pointed out three girls that he wanted to pray for. So they came up to the front and he laid hands on them and they fell out under the power of God. He had the ushers pick up one of the girls and he gave her the microphone and asked her to describe what was happening to her. She could hardly speak but what she did say was very powerful.

She said, “I feel free.”

And then she fell right back out under the power. Only thirteen, we found out later. It was such an eye opener and that experience will never leave me. Even young girls and boys have the ability to feel bound and captive. No matter what the issue was in her life that she was dealing with, she is free!

Praise God that she is set free by the power of God!

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Soul winning, for me, was the hardest aspect of my first quarter of Bible College. I was very afraid to go up and talk to people because I feared rejection. Even after having it explained to me that people were rejecting the gospel and not me, I still struggled. However, after having the opportunity to go out on the streets every week and going on a couple of Great

Awakening tours I was catapulted out of my comfort zone. It was a process. One of my favorite things to do now is being able to pray with groups of children. During outreach one Saturday morning we went to a local apartment complex. We had drinks because it was really hot out and that, of course, attracted a crowd of little eyes anxious for free stuff. Once the kids were all circled around I began to do the gospel soul winning script with them. A group of about ten children with blue and purple tongues from juices prayed without hesitation.

That always hits me straight in the core of my being. Children are also the fastest evangelists you ever want to see. I had them all go tell their friends or their family who weren’t already outside to come. Soon there was group after group of kids, moms, siblings, and grandmothers all gathered around who thought they just came to get a free soda. They wound up leaving with Jesus living on the inside of them. It’s amazing that something so little and seemingly cheap can draw someone in to receive what will change their eternity. With experiences like that it just proves that God can use anyone and that if we can affect children with the gospel when they are young, their whole family and surroundings can be affected as well.

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

I remember when I first started attending The River Church. I would hear people say they had this many souls and really didn’t understand why it was such a big deal. I started to see how others reacted to others soul count and thought to myself, “This soul winning thing is a big deal.” I still wasn’t sure why though. Then I heard about The River Bible Institute. I knew I was supposed to go and figure out more about the Bible and I wanted to know what everyone was so excited about. Man, did I ever learn!

I went to The River Bible Institute about a year or so later. I remember all the classes taught me so much, but one day in Soul winning they announced we would be going soul winning on Saturday. I went that Saturday and was in the projects. I had no idea that from that day I would become an avid soul winner. We started praying for people reading right off the script that was given to us and people were accepting Jesus right there in front of their homes! I thought back to when I was little and living in horrible situations and what if someone from a church came and talked to me like I was doing to these people. I asked one lady if she would pray with me and she told me no probably 10 times. I would ask her every time I saw her, but I didn’t believe her because every time she would say no and go away she would come back and start sweeping by me or just standing outside. I knew her spirit was speaking to her. So, I kept calling her Donna and that wasn’t her name. I really had no idea why I was calling her that, the next thing I know, she says, “Why do you keep calling me Donna?” I told her I didn’t know. She said, “That is my twin sister’s name.” It was so neat, and then she finally gave her heart to the Lord.

Winning souls has become a passion of mine. Just think if someone hadn’t come and told me about Jesus. I am so grateful for the obedient people of God! I am so excited to see all the souls that are in heaven all because of my obedience to what God told me to do. The Lord has some great plans for us all. We just have to be bold and obedient and miracles start poppin. The Lord has allowed me to pray for two of my family members. One of them said they felt a gush of wind and the devil came out! Another member of my family said that they could hear something murmuring in her head and felt it go from her head!

By learning soul winning with the script, I had a chance to lead my grandfather to the Lord right before he died! It was literally two hours before he died! He couldn’t speak and I told him to blink twice if he was repeating the prayer and he did! Thank you LORD! I also had a chance to speak with my father about my Uncle whom had end stage cancer. I told my dad to make sure he was saved. My father actually prayed with him right before he died! Now they will spend eternity in Paradise! Thank the Lord for all he has done and I thank him for sending me to this church where the Pastors are truly lead by God and are 100% souled out to his plan for them and us. Thank you.

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Going onto the streets and soul winning has completely changed my perspective of people. Sometimes going through the everyday routine of life you can become so self-absorbed that you become calloused to the predicament of everyone else who is hurting around you. Soul winning has opened my eyes to view people as Jesus would, to let his compassion fill me for others and let my heart become one with his. Jesus’ heartbeat is souls! The other day I prayed for a man who was so hungry to hear the word of God.

As I spoke the word, his heart opened. He fought tears as he committed his life to the Lord. Looking at him initially, I would have never thought that his heart could be so tender. When I told him about our church services, he committed to coming this Sunday! Another man I spoke with told was already saved but had not been to our church before. He said that he was wanting to come to church but he was too tired Sunday mornings to come to church because he stayed up to one o’clock in the morning on Saturday nights.

I challenged him to get to bed early Saturday nights and make a decision to come Sundays on our bus to church. He admitted that was what he needed to do and recommitted his life to God at the moment! God’s presence filled that man while he prayed with me. As I turned to leave, there was a joy in his eyes that was not there before hand. Being on the streets has also enabled me to vocalize my faith to others. As I share my faith with others, God’s Word rises up inside of me and I speak things from his Word that I did not even realize was inside of me!

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

On the last Sunday in November 2008, Pastor Rodney moved me to the local outreach department here at the River Church. We organized our first outreach that launched just a few weeks later on December 20th, 2008. Over 3,000 people showed up on the church property and there were 1,739 recorded decisions for Christ by the end of the day. Since December 20th, 2008 up to today, we have recorded 99,843 decisions for Christ here in the greater Tampa area. Souls are being won in Tampa, Plant City, Clear Water, St. Pete, Sarasota, Largo, and everywhere in between.

Tomorrow will be exactly sixteen months and seven days since we started tracking the decisions for Christ here in the greater Tampa area (50 mile radius). By the end of the day tomorrow, we will break our goal of 100,000 recorded decisions for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Tampa area is being shaken with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! This week alone, the local outreach department has scheduled four major outreaches in our community. Two will be focused on inner-city communities, one will be focused on a Spanish community, and one will be focused on reaching Plant City (an area only 11 miles from the River Church). By the end of this week, we could easily reach another 1,000 people with the Gospel. Jesus himself declared that the harvest is ripe!

Last Saturday, I spent a few hours fishing with a friend of mine. Just before we pulled the boat out of the water, I used my phone to pull up Dr. S. M. Lockeridge’s message on YouTube entitled “That’s My King.” We were so stirred after we listened to the message that we immediately pulled the boat out of the water and went about the park leading people to Jesus! In a span of about 10 minutes, we prayed the sinner’s prayer with 16 people.

Sunday May 9th is Mother’s Day (just two weeks away). This week we start our big push to see the altars at the River Church packed with people surrendering their hearts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ on that day. Flyers will be distributed throughout the city, doors will be knocked on, and hundreds of phone calls made to see the altars packed on Mother’s Day. Jesus himself declared that the harvest is ripe! All we have to do is put our hands to the gospel plow, “Go” as He commanded, and the harvest will come in. Glory to God!

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

Soul winning is my personal time to get out there and bless the Lord with souls. How could I not want to give back to Him the very thing He went to the cross for? But the Lord is so good and loving to me, and no matter how hard I try to bless Him, Jesus always blesses me back twice fold. Every time I’m on the streets I am expecting the Lord to show up and do something amazing through me. I love watching the faces of people who get touched, the light or sparkle that takes over a dark eye. It’s the touch of God, His light and you can’t deny it and most importantly they can’t either. You rejoice in His presence together. I understand why the angels rejoice when a sinner comes to the Lord, you just can’t help it; your spirit must rejoice.

Then a funny thing gets to happen; this is what I mean by twice fold, when I get to see the Lord do something supernatural through me on the streets not only do I get blessed while its happening but every time I get the opportunity to share with others what just took place I get a second blessing from the Lord, usually an overflow of joy. There is nothing in life that’s better than this. Let me share two great soul winning stories.

One day out on the streets I was in the projects and the Lord led me to an old man who was quite drunk. He could hardly speak and his eyes were yellow and red. After about 25 minutes sharing Jesus with him, Joe finally said the prayer with me and asked Jesus into his life. I watched this man’s eyes turn white and clear and his words spoken clearly. Only the Lord can sober a drunk! The second took place just a few days ago. I ran after two young teenage girls on a bike and shared the love of the Lord with them.

After they said the prayer, one of the young girls, with tears in her eyes, grabbed me and said, “Oh, you just don’t know what I was thinking of doing. Thank you! Thank you for coming and telling me about Jesus.” This is why I go, I’m compelled; and I receive back so much when I give out. I can’t wait to see what Jesus is going to do next and I get to be a part of it!

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

Soul winning in the beginning was really hard for me to just suck it up go up to someone and sheared Jesus with them. I was challenged by other to do better and have boldness and no fear with people. My first time soul winning was with my collage and career group Ignite! I was blessed to be able to lead 8 people to Jesus Christ that day! It was a long time till I was able to have such a fruitful day soul winning. It would be not be till I went on a G.A.T to Riverside, Cal that I would have a real brake through soul winning.

Even there it took many days for things to start to brake. I even went out with Mr. Jake Peterson and it wasn’t till I was put on one of the power teams that things were starting to brake and my brake though began. Then this had to be of God! I was put on a team with my friend Jerady and something that day was different from any other day. A fire was burning inside me. I had a passion for people and where they would spend eternity! I truly cared if they know who Jesus was and what He did for them. A true holy boldness came on me that day. I had been praying for a holy boldness to come on other people and I hadn’t been praying for it myself in my life and started to ask God for it myself and God answered my prayers.

Now how has soul winning impacted my life? It has shown me that it is the job of every beloved to win souls no matter who you are it is our job to share the good news every chance we get. That we are to continued to book of Acts with signs and wonders following us!

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

For my husband and I and a few others the day started at 6AM as we arrived early to make final preparations for the local community outreach. 1600 toys and 800 boxes of food stood in preparation as the wee hours of the morning slipped by.

By 7AM many others had arrived as the day’s festivities were set to begin. Bus Captains, Co-Captains, Van Drivers, and Bus Drivers all arrived to receive final instructions before the fleet of 8 buses and 4 vans left to pick up people from all over the city. For many weeks now River church members have been knocking on doors, holding community meetings and passing out flyers to announce the Christmas Outreach. Within 30 minutes after the buses left, Bus Captains began calling stating their buses were filling up fast. Several buses filled up by the 3rd and 4th stop. In addition many visitors began arriving 2 hours early in their own vehicles. All of these signs indicating our grass-roots marketing blitz paid off. Before we knew it, it was time for service to start. Buses and vans rolled in. Families were met by teams of friendly volunteers, all ready to assist and escort the guests as needed. Church Service began.

Teams of volunteers continued working outside to ensure smooth sailing for all of the services being offered to visitors and church members alike. After delivering a solid word based message Pastor Rodney began the altar call. As the invitation was made to receive Jesus, swarms of people got up and crowded the altar. As usual the altar calls at The River are breath-taking but most importantly they are always fueled by the Holy Spirit. Lives were changed right before our eyes as the Holy Spirit began touching hearts. Tears flowed, and echos of cries were heard all signifying God was at work.

After church everyone headed outside for the food and toy giveaway. The children were thrilled as they received toys such at Tonka Trucks, baby dolls, actions figures, jewelry sets etc. No cheap toys were given only the best toys were made ready. Then the families headed to receive their box of groceries filled with cereal, chunky soup, tuna, vegetables candy, juice, pasta and much more. In the end over 300 men, woman and children gave their heart to Jesus, and that is what this outreach was all about.

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

This past Sunday at the River, I helped in the 3-4 year old class. I was one of the three group leaders for the over 70 children who attended. There were children from all backgrounds, many didn’t even speak English, but it was so awesome to see the anointing of God flow through them regardless. We kept them all together at first and had worship. Many of the kids who were nervous or unreceptive at first became alive after a few songs. When we split them into groups I had close to 25 kids. The lesson we did was to explain that the real reason for the season was, is, and forever will be Jesus! The children were excited to participate, but also very attentive. They sat and listened which is usually a challenge, especially with that many kids functioning in one room. After the main lesson I shared a very simple salvation message with the kids and asked them who wanted to have Jesus in their hearts. The gospel is so simple that even three year olds know that it’s something good and they want to be a part of it. We went on to do some other crafts and things, but the focus of everything was Jesus being the true meaning of Christmas, not trees, or Santa Claus. We didn’t even have to bring those things up. Once you shine with the truth the darkness and fake have no place. At the end of the day we got all of the kids and their belongings together. We talked about what we had learned and reminded them that some of them said that they wanted to have Jesus in their hearts. We said a simple prayer with everyone and as a result 54 gave their little hearts to Jesus. Hallelujah!

Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.

The minister’s conferences have always meant so much to me; it’s a time when Ministers from around the world come in and share the call that God has placed on their lives and to also be refreshed themselves. We have an anointed pastor and are so blessed when his friends from ministry come and share what the lord has laid on their hearts the anointing of God always falls in the meetings. Pastor Rodney lets the Holy Spirit flow and I am always touched by God in a different way.

The minister’s conferences always come at the perfect time. I am a student and if you’ve ever been a student of RBI you know that it is spiritually tough and physically tough. Spiritually tough because you are constantly growing in the Lord and having to discipline your life while learning to walk in love. Physically tough because much is required, we walk, work, and serve all with a sense of excellence as we’ve been taught. So when starting school and getting the shock of what to come; the summer camp meeting comes at the time. We student get the spiritual food and refreshing we need to blaze ahead, and after the fall when we’ve grown a little tired, we have the winter camp meeting that refreshes our spirits and moral.

I missed most of winter camp meeting because of work, but summer camp meeting I remember very well. I had just started school and was fired up to change my life. Being in the services and being saturated with anointing of God that was there; brought life into areas of my life that needed it. I was like a hungry student eating as much as I could get and there was more to go around. I was touched greatly and I know that being in those services and the grace of God; has been what’s getting me through the school year. I thank God for the minister’s conferences, what better ministers to have as examples while in school to be a minister.