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(Zephaniah 3:17 paraphrased) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing [he will spin round in a violent motion with gladness, shouting and triumph]! |
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FEBRUARY 2013 We want to thank everyone for keeping us in your prayers as we ramp up for our upcoming ministry trips. Someone recently asked us, ‘How did you get into ministry?’ The answer is that we volunteered – a lot – and still do – whether it’s for 3 people or 30 people or 300 people. All of our ministry is done on a volunteer basis; we never charge for anything we do. God is always faithful to provide for our costs by moving on the hearts and hands of people to give, and our partners help us as well. Our main cost is our travel expense (fuel), traveling the majority of the time in our 19 foot conversion camper/van. The only thing it lacks is a shower, so we usually find a willing home to let us plug in our electric and use their shower facilities. Last year we were on the road 156 days, and some places are easier to get to than others. We flew only twice – to Florida and Massachusetts. We are definitely taking a plane on our England trip in June, where we have six churches and a home group scheduled for a three week period. ◘ OVERFLOW MEETINGS – We’ve started doing Overflow meetings recently. When asked to describe what this is we would say it’s a time for people to come sit and soak, hear from God one on one, receive personal ministry, prophetic words, healing demonstrations, in an atmosphere of anointed music. There is no set order or schedule for this, but it is definitely led by the Holy Spirit. These were birthed out of several Sunday meetings we did last year. Sometimes a regular Sunday service or classroom teaching doesn’t allow enough personal ministry time. Overflow is a perfect way to allow the people to receive from God, and is open to everyone. It’s great when you see people from different churches come together in unity during these times. Let us know if you’d like us to do one in your area. ◘ RECORDING PROJECTS – We’ve been busy in the recording studio working on our praise and worship CD and our “testimony” CD. Enclosed is an order form for our brand new CD, How We Got Saved, which includes our personal testimonies along with our own ‘testimony’ songs; we just finished Denise’s song this week (He’s Calling), so it really is ‘hot off the press’. All of our partners will be receiving a complimentary copy with this mailing as our gift to you for supporting us. Sometimes we have no idea how much our music or ministry blesses people, and what we may think is just okay, others find it really ministers to them. Denise recently spoke with one woman on the phone who had been to one of our California meetings last year. The woman said she literally listens to us every night in her bedroom – whether it’s from our music or teaching CD’s. She said she loves to hear our voices, and since our teachings are done in an intimate setting, it’s like being in the same room as us. That was pretty neat to hear. You just never know who is listening. ◘ ENGLAND TRIP IN JUNE – The last time we visited England was in 2004 and prior to that was on a ministry trip with Dave Duell and Andrew Wommack in 1994. We became partners with Dave in 1992 and he was going to England, Ireland and Scotland for a Grace and Faith trip with Andrew, Wendell & Linda Parr, the LeBlanc family, and about four other couples. It was three crazy fun weeks of signs and wonders in tent meetings and churches. There were about 15 of us total on the same bus, and what a treat it was to be able to sit and talk and ask them questions. We remember the tent meetings where we asked if we could pray for people instead of “catching” them (you’d have to see Dave Duell in action to get this joke), and they said sure. Every person we prayed for was instantly healed, set free or delivered – which wrecked us for Jesus forever. After one meeting in a YMCA in Dublin that Wendell spoke at, we prayed for a bald guy who had numbers tattooed on his head; it looked like they were prison numbers. He said ever since he was born he had excruciating pain in his head. Mark & I prayed for him and simultaneously laid hands on him and commanded a demonic spirit out of him. We were astonished as he hit the concrete floor and the power of God shot him back into the folding chairs. We were nervous he was going to come after us, but he just shook his head and said the pain was completely gone. Thank you Jesus for making us look good. When Andrew taught on Spirit, Soul and Body, it changed the way we looked at God. And it just kept getting better and better, hearing Charlie and Jill LeBlanc’s music, and seeing God confirm his word with miracles and healing demonstrations. When you’re in a spiritual bubble like that, it’s bound to change your life and perspective. It changed ours, and thru your support we are changing lives. Thank you. Love Mark & Denise ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JANUARY 2013 We pray everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. We just returned from visiting family in Chicago for the holidays and also ministering at a home group in Orland Park. We had a wonderful time and are ready to get down to creating some new music. This month we’re back in the recording studio working on not one, but three projects! The first is a praise and worship album which will include all original songs with two or three exceptions. Mark has checked into the licensing requirements, and for songs that we did not write, we pay royalty rates in advance. As an example, we receive so many requests for our version of Todd Agnew’s Grace Like Rain, that we just have to put that on the new CD. Our last CD, Key of Blue, was released in December 2010, so we figured it's time for a new CD with a different flavor. The second project we plan on having done by the end of January is a CD with both of our salvation testimonies on it. We've been asked time and time again, 'What's your story?' and then try to condense how we got saved into a five minute recap as time permits. In fact, the first time Denise officially gave her testimony was just last May at a church in Texas. This CD will also include each of our "testimony songs" on it. Mark’s song, Ain’t No Life, was the first song he wrote as a Christian after he got saved back in 1979. Even though it’s on our first album Open Up The Gates!, he’s thinking about re-recording it. Denise's testimony song was recently written and funny, but not surprising, has way more words and verses than Mark's does! (Because she’s a girl, she said.) It’s official debut was in November at a church in Port Charlotte, so it will definitely be hot off the press. We plan to have this done before our Texas trip in February. Our third project will be a second parody CD for Parody Queen, aka Denise. Her first album, The Tune Remains The Same, came out in 2009 and so many folks are asking for more parodies, so it's time for another one. However, it will take a back seat to the to the worship CD, but we may just squeeze in some recordings at the same time. ◘ JOY AND FREEDOM – For those of you new to our ministry, two words that describe what we as Sound Ministries do are “joy and freedom”. We bring people in touch with God’s grace, joy and freedom thru our music, teaching, and encouragement. (2 Cor 3:17) Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The “Spirit” is the “pneuma” breath or Holy Spirit and the word “liberty” means freedom. Wherever we go, we are breathing the Holy Spirit breath of life into peoples’ lives all over the world. There are so many people who are discouraged, broken hearted, hurting, sick or just needing to know God loves them. Thru teaching God’s word, seeing others delivered either mentally or physically thru God’s demonstration power, or taking them into God’s presence thru anointed music, we do see people start to walk in God’s liberty and freedom. (2 Cor 1:24) Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. The Apostle Paul was saying that though Christ was the head of the church in Corinth, his (Paul’s) job was to help them experience the “chara” (joy) available in Christ. We also are “helpers of your joy” – whether changing the atmosphere of a room with praise and worship or teaching people how to minister like Jesus. (Rom 14:17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Thank you for helping us bring the kingdom of God to others. ◘ PRAISES FROM AROUND THE WORLD Love Mark & Denise |
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