Dear Saints,
As this year, 2003 comes to an end; it
causes me to reflect on all that our Lord has done through you, to bless
me, and His ministry this past year.
One of those blessings is YOU! Thank
you so much for all of your prayers, love and support. As I have said before, with out
you this ministry would suffer. You are my prayer covering and it is because of your prayers
that many miracles have taken place, God heard and answered many of my
prayers regarding His ministry and specific individuals and issues,
because of your prayers combined and agreed upon with mine.
This year because of your support of Tie
Dye Bob’s fundraisers, The Father’s Heart has been able to purchase
another bench seat for the van that enables me to transport more people
in my van safely. This all
happened just prior to the sale of the church vans……God knew, and
was faithful to provide! Because
of your faithfulness in the financial support to send the Tie Dye
Covenant T-shirts to the Orphans to Djibouti, Africa, The Father’s
Heart was able to purchase much needed tires for the van, plus purchase
needed sleeping bags and other needs for those that are less fortunate.
Because of our combined prayers, a woman
was healed of bladder cancer, a man that was all but considered dead and
in a coma, was completely healed, with no side affects, a man was healed
of TB and what was diagnosed as chest cancer and heart disease, after
prayer and declaring healing, and asking for the “TRUE” report from
Jesus, there was no trace of either found! There have been about 25 from
the streets (just this year!) that have either given their hearts to the
Lord for the first time, or have re committed their lives to Jesus, and
about 10 of them have been baptized!
The Father’s Heart is now involved with
helping those in recovery homes with clothing and furnishings that many
of you have so graciously donated, and by invitation, I have been
teaching a Bible Study in one of the homes. I am currently in the process of
combining those from another house that have asked to attend the study!
Because of your generosity, as the Social
services in Portland have called me ;(due to lack of funding) and asked
for help, we have been able to help several people with rent and or
deposits, purchase airfare and send one young woman to the east coast to
attend a court hearing in hopes of regaining custody of her daughter,
and purchase a bus ticket to help a disabled gentleman make his way to
Bend where housing was awaiting him.
We have also been able to move several
people off of the streets into their first room and some into their
first apartments and furnish them as well. (Thank You Lord for the extra
van seat!) The power of combined prayer caused a couple that were
heroine addicts, to accept Jesus as Lord, be healed of their addictions,
find housing, jobs, get their GED and attend college!! That is the power of prayer and
the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
I am so thankful for the awesome leadership at
Sunnyside; Pastors Randy, Leonard and Reese have been so encouraging,
loving and supportive of me, and The Father’s Heart Street Ministry. Their support, prayers and
covering have been and are a major importance and influence according to
scripture, and in the spirit realm regarding the heart of the Father. I will always be thankful to them for honoring the Lord
and being obedient to His direction.
It is because of their support that I have been allowed to have a
barrel in the front foyer of the church (thank you Ray Vilante!) that
seems to be constantly full!! But
then why shouldn’t it be? My
Father’s storehouse is never empty!
“Somehow”, my Father’s Heart business card made it into the hands
of Shawn, the Chaplain of the Solutions Motorcycle Club (even Shawn
doesn’t know how he got it!) and the Lord used them to provide over
100 blankets for those in need. Many
of the club members came from the streets and alcohol and drug
addictions and now are a part of this clean and sober club, reaching out
to those in need. Our God
is so BIG!
Your caring has made it possible for me,
and my girls to hand out 100 decorated bags of homemade cookies and
candy for Christmas. We
handed them out to those on the streets, in shelters and under bridges. The Lord placed the thought on
the heart of Venita and Al Taennler.
Even in her own struggles, Venita continues to reach out, and
think of others.
One morning as I showered, I saw in my
spirit, me praying in a circle on the streets, holding hands with those
from the streets. I
immediately knew this was of the Lord and knew this was what He wanted
me to do. That Saturday morning, I nervously made the invitation. There were four of us in a
circle on the street in prayer. Today,
several months later, many times, they are waiting for me, already
holding hands awaiting me to join them in prayer. Our circle has grown from 4 to
sometimes 20! Ground has
been broken; territory has been reclaimed in the mighty name of Jesus!
It is as a result of united prayer, that
as the Lord laid the concern of heating and cooling problems at the
Blanchet House on Dan’s heart, and it was confirmed through prayer and
a word from Jim McIntosh, that I hooked up with another believer with a
similar street ministry to Mexico, Harry Barnes. It was through Harry that the
Lord answered our prayers and Harry donated 2 swamp coolers and
installed them. All, every bit of it (about 2-3 days of work) was
donated!
Because you have sown so generously into
this ministry, the love of Jesus has been poured out on many and into
the cities of Portland and Clackamas, many of these individuals are
seeing first hand the unconditional love of Jesus in action, as I reach
out to all, no matter who they are, or what they are doing or what they
have done. Accepting
all, just as they are with no conditions attached. That is the unfathomable love of
my Lord, my Jesus!
What an AWESOME and GREAT GOD we serve, ALL
things are possible to those who believe!
HE is the God
of the impossible!
These are only a few of the great works
the Lord is doing. These
are only what we see in the natural realm, (WOW) I can only imagine what
is going on in the spirit realm……mightier, more powerful, more
glorious than imaginable!
Again I say “THANK YOU”
and may this NEW YEAR, 2004, bring new hope, new joy, new and deeper
commitment, new revelation, new direction, new beginnings, new faith,
and new trust in Jesus Christ our Lord and King! May all of you be blessed in all
areas of lack or need. May
you be honored for your faithfulness and filled with a deeper revelation
knowledge of His love. Love
is the GREATEST of all, without the love of Jesus in us and flowing
through us, nothing else matters, everything else is null and void in
the eyes of Jesus. Let us
all be filled to overflowing with His healing balm……..His Love! 1 Cor. 13
I leave you with some excerpts from my
journal. May you be blessed
as you read them
Blessings,
Marty & Teri Gant
The Father’s Heart Street Ministry