Transformation

Hey Family!

Good things are happening in Bemidji! We are seeing people's lives transformed. Last month- or quite recently (can't remember !) I told you about the Sozo (Saved, Healed, Delivered) tool we've been learning. Did I say it was amazing? Oh, yeah, I think I did :) Well- not only have we "sozo'd" all of our family and many of our friends, we are beginning to sozo students and people in our community. We have been getting calls for appointments. We hosted a training, where we trained another 13 people in the method, so we can get this tool in other people's hands and broaden our ability to work with more people.

Currently, we have one church in the area who wants the training so they can start helping people see freedom :) Two other churches have graciously opened their facilities to us so we have a place to meet with people. How cool is that?!?

One young lady we met with recently had gone through some super traumatic stuff- and at one point during her sozo we had to kind of help her out of a post -traumatic stress panic attack. I don't know if that is exactly officially what it is called, but that is what it felt like to us! But God is SO FAITHFUL.....he brought her out and healed her. She literally came bouncing in to the next Friday night worship meeting.....and the next......and the next...... I asked her how she was doing recently, and she said, "GREAT!!!! I have my LIFE back!!" She has gone through the training now and wishes to help others get their lives back with the Sozo tool. This week we have our first Sozo on campus :)

We are so excited about this.

So pray with us, family -school is out in five weeks and we are planning next fall. We will keep you posted! Our kids are doing well- Grace is finishing her requirements to graduate and working on ACT pre-testing, Ilsa and Maddie are plugging away at schoolwork and enjoying their horses and training with me to run the Triathalon in June :)(although Ilsa threw her kneecap out last week...praying for a swift and full recovery so she can still compete!) and Eli is still enjoying first grade at Lincoln Elementary. His teacher adores him and often emails me about all the cute things he does in class :) We are enjoying every stage of life with our kids....what a blessing they are!!!

In regards to Ilsa's knee accident- we do not have insurance :) So if anyone is able to help out with the medical bills, that would be amazing. You can use the donate button on this blog and it comes right to us and you receive a tax-deductible receipt. We don't know how much they are yet, but it involved a 3am emergency room run (long story!! they were up watching movies with students!) about six x-rays, two trips under to get the kneecap back in place, two shots of morphine, and another trip to an ortho. Yay. But she's doing great now, and hoping to still compete in June. (www.trinona.com)

One resource that we want EVERYONE in the world to experience is Loving on Purpose. http://lovingonpurpose.com/ We have never found anything more compelling, Biblically sound, motivating, and empowering than his stuff. We use it now with our students, our kids, and ESPECIALLY anyone planning to get married. In fact, we don't marry anyone anymore until they've gone through a personal Sozo and Danny Silk's Defining the Relationship. Our thinking is, "get as cleaned up as we can before we get married!!" There is just nothing better out there, and we've read the other stuff. Check into it- you'll love it.

We recently had a night with internationals over- that was wonderful, as usual. The kitchen was so packed with Americans and internationals we didn't have room to move. We made homemade pasta and had a blast. Our next gathering is to have them all over the day before Easter and treat them to an American Easter dinner, and dying eggs, and an egg hunt! Should be fun!

So family....thanks for reading :) We love you, and we love getting your email updates! I still haven't figured out how to upload videos on here- I'm having trouble changing their format somehow- but when I get it figured out, I'll email you the link.

Have a wonderful April!!

love love love

us Thoofts

A Little Personal Snapshot

Well, family, we are enjoying watching people change around us. For the better I mean. Since we have learned to use the Sozo tool I blogged about a few weeks ago, we are seeing many people give up old grudges and resentments. We are seeing curses and vows broken. We are seeing people change the way they think about God and about themselves. We are seeing people learn how to think like a loved son or daughter, and live according to that, rather than a powerless victim.

In fact, we are seeing so much and learning so much, I hardly know how to communicate it all to you. This is a small snapshot.

I never used to understand what it meant when it was said that Christ came to set us free. Yes, from death- I knew that much. Say the prayer and you get to go to heaven, after your body dies. I used to think that was as far as "freedom" went. I used to think that until then, we had to just hang on for dear life, because this world is so evil and rotten that there is no hope for it. Jesus come soon, 'cause I can't stand it!!

Now - although Him coming just sounds incredibly exciting- I want Him to wait a bit. There are too many people who are walking around in bondage. And it seems like there are as many in the church as out of it that are in bondage- to every kind of slavery I can think of, or you can think of.

I want to see His Kingdom come- on earth as it is in heaven. Now. I want to be the one standing in the gap in the wall of my county, my city, my university- interceding for those within - for mercy. 'Cause they just don't know why they do what they do. They live for themselves and their pleasure to numb the pain of their lives. They don't know they are children of the Most High God, and their lives have a calling and a destiny.

Once they know that, look out. All creation groans waiting for the Sons of God to be revealed. All creation groans waiting for the sons and daughters of God to figure out who they are.

We were working out at this resort the other day (the kids and I go, 'cause Ilsa and Maddie and I are competing in a triathalon this summer) and there was this native american man in the weight room. I walked in, and the first thing that runs through my mind is "he is a man of peace."

I have been learning to listen to this kind of thing. We hear from three sources, right? God, the devil, and your own brain. The devil wouldn't tell me that this dude was a man of peace. My brain wouldn't. All I wanted to do was lift weights and get in the pool - I was focused. So when I heard that in my head, I listened. Frankly, I was a little chicken to share it with him, 'cause he was a big guy doing some pretty impressive lifting. I don't tend to just start conversations with men I don't know, you know?

But then I heard this: "And the grieving in his family is going to end, soon." This gave me more compassion for him than when I first walked into the room.

So, after some internal struggle, I asked the guy if he believed in God. "What?" he looked at me strange. I asked again. He shrugs his shoulders, but he's not combative or rude. Then I said, "because He just told me that you are a man of peace." The guy stopped pacing (he was resting in between lifting) and was just stunned. He thanked me several times. I, in my brain, am thanking God. Then I hear, "well, aren't you going to tell him the rest?"

Dang. That part was harder. What if I was wrong?

But by this time I had finished my lifting. I told him to have a nice day (yes, I was totally going to wuss out) and he said, "Yeah, you too. You already made mine."

What? Seriously? "That meant something to you?" I asked him. "Yes!" he said. Ohhhhhhkay. "Well there's more," I finally gave in and told him. "He also said that the grieving in your family is going to end, soon."

He stumbled a little in his pacing. Not huge, but I noticed. He said, "wow." Then he said, "Wow, wow." I asked what was up, and he told me that they had just lost a family member. By this time I was bold and asked if I could pray for him. I had already seen God touch him. He said yes - I asked if I could put my hand on his shoulder. He said yes. And I prayed for mercy and love and peace to permeate his family, his life. I can't even remember all I prayed, but it wrecked me. I was crying by the time I was finished. He was just happy.

God is so good, family. He is teaching Phil and I and our children and our students to walk like this all the time. He is teaching us that we do not need to be afraid of anything. Those people that look like they are so demonically oppressed, or so full of judgment or anger or negativity- God can reach them. We are learning that we do not have to convince them of anything- we just get to love them with the love and power of God, and He convinces them.

I'm not sure why I ever used to believe any other way, but I did. I think I am just becoming free.

For those of you that wondered about Grace attending an Emilie Autumn concert, let me tell you how it turned out. Unbeknownst to her, she had been gifted with VIP tickets, which enabled her to actually meet Emilie and talk to her. Our Gracie lou went in there and loved on Emilie, hugged her, gave her a gift. During the concert, she released the opposite of what she felt- if she felt fear, she released faith, if she felt anger, she released peace. By the end of the concert, three hundred some gothic, punk, corsetted and mohawk spouting kids were ballroom dancing and laughing to the song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

How's that for cultural transformation? Or at least the beginning of it? We have appointed ourselves Emilie's prayer guardians. That talented young lady will someday know who she is, and that she is greatly loved by her Father.

Anyway, family, I just want to give you snapshots as I can. We love hearing from you and pray when you ask us to and rejoice with you and mourn with you. I'm sorry I don't always let you know that individually. Know you're loved!!

xoxoxo

Us Thoofts

Knees Healed and Sozo Stories

Hello family! I just had to update you on a few cool things.....

Last night at Friday night worship (which was packed out - sweeeeeet) when we had finished the singing part of worship, I was asking the Lord what He wanted to do, what He was doing. One of our students, Cody, said, "Does anyone's knees hurt?"

HA!! I love it when this happens, 'cause it's an indicator that God is already healing knees! (or whatever it might be) Four people stood up, and 3-4 of them got their knees healed. I forgot to ask about the last one :) Then He healed a sprained ankle. She jumped on it and it didn't hurt :) Then I got to do some Sozo prayer with another campus pastor - an Inter Varsity gal who is adorable and has been coming to Friday nights - and God is just so cool.

Yesterday I drove our daughter Grace to Brainerd where she was staying with a friend because they are leaving for the Cities today to go see an Emily Autumn concert. Maddie came along so we could have face time in the car on the way home. Grace said to me, "Mom, since I had my Sozo, I'm not afraid anymore to tell people I'm a Christian. I used to kind of be embarrassed to tell people, but now, I just tell them. I really like that."

This is huge for us- and for all of you who have been praying for our daughter- because there was a time when we were not sure what she believed. God is taking our kids through their own transformation. We are so encouraged! We talked more of the concert, and I told her, "you know, you might get slimed at this concert..." meaning- Emily Autumn isn't exactly Lady Gaga, but she isn't Amy Grant, either. We talked about what she could do at the concert to bless the kids around her. If she felt something "yukky" coming at her, she could release the opposite into the atmosphere. ie- she feels depression, she can release joy. If she feels death, she can release life. Confusion- release clarity. It goes on and on. Our words carry such weight....they release realities, they create worlds. I told her, who knows, maybe you'll get to pray for some kids at the concert!

She was totally up for that. Most likely she'll come home with new facebook friends.

We're really excited about all the kids we're seeing around here. New faces every week. God is good, and He is bringing them in.

Back to homework. For class we're reading Culture of Honor by Danny Silk. Before that it was When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson. I highly recommend them both- life changing!

Love you family!!!!

Phil & Michelle & Clan

SOZO

I wanted to update you on some pretty exciting happenings here at BSU!

Within the Bemidji Area School of Transformation, (BAST) of which Phil and I and 5 of our leaders are a part, we have gone through training for a prayer ministry called Sozo. The word means "saved, healed, delivered." And it has nothing to do with screaming minions and scary manifestations. We do not "filet people open." God simply shows up, and we direct. He, and the person being ministered to, does all the work.

I have seen 10 people, and counting, get free this week of life-debilitating stuff.

The training, which is available through http://www.bethelsozo.com/, (go to the site and scroll down and watch the video) has given us the tools to pray with anyone, anywhere and help them get free. The devil does not have any power in our lives except what we give him through agreement. He didn't give Eve the apple by force. She believed him and agreed with him. As do we. Anytime we do not guard our hearts against the enemy crouching at our door, we invite crap into our lives. As long as we allow it, it has a right to stay. Stuff like debilitating fears, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, debilitating habits, addictions, hatred, judgment, wrong beliefs about God. These things can lead to all kinds of sickness and disease (dis-ease). Sometimes generational stuff can affect our lives and we don't even know it. Meddling with fear, hatred, sexual sin, and the occult can open doors in our lives to all kinds of stuff. Sometimes we build walls in our hearts to protect us from further pain or disappointment, walls that keep us from God and from those we love.

Sozo is quite literally, "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." It is learning to think well and rightly about yourself in relation to God and everyone around you.

We were all created uniquely and wonderfully, with innate abilities to give and receive love. These have been called our "love languages." The enemy knows what those things are for you and for me and has worked overtime in our lives to make sure we were wounded in those very areas, therefore creating lies in our lives that we believe about our God.

Those lies need to come down in order for us to experience the freedom with which Christ came to set us free. I have seen people so bound up with fear that they couldn't function and struggled with using alcohol to numb the pain get free this week. I have seen people cursed, albeit unknowingly, by their parents get free this week. I have seen vibrant God-lovers bound up with hatred and unforgiveness set free this week.

We are seeing people shed this stuff and step into the destiny God created for them. We saw it yesterday, and the day before, and the day before. Becky and I have two appointments with two more people today- people hungry to be free of pain.

So family, this is crazy amazing stuff. My hope is to provide this prayer ministry for every student who comes through Chi Alpha. We have already talked about beginning next fall, taking appointments for Sozo sessions during our Tuesday night meeting. While most of the group is worshipping, we are ministering to one or two students a week in the next room.

We have been through the basic Sozo training. Once this session of BAST is complete in July, we plan to go through the advanced training, which among other things, has seen huge success in working with disassociative issues- multiple personality disorders. This is SO EXCITING!!! God is beginning a revival in HEALING!

So much harm has been done in the name of Jesus by people who mean well but do not understand that they are acting out of their own fear or hatred or addictions. We are really excited about this tool and hope to see hundreds more captives set free!

love you family!

More SALT Pictures for you :)

I think I can say that Cody is our resident goof-ball.....along with our daughters, of course!

and here is Cody and Brett doing some more goofing around at SALT....

Phil and Brett :) We go out to dinner one night at SALT to a nice restaurant. The group decided it would be tie affair. We didn't bring a tie :)

Steph and Gabi. They're gorgeous. I love them.

Oh, here are our kids!! L-R: Anna, Abbi, Cody, Justin, Mark, Sonny, Ben. Bottom L-R: Kit & Kat, Gabi :)The BSU Dodgeball Team!! We lost!!But they sure look great!! Yaaay!!

Grace and two of her big sisters, Anna and Abbi :) We are so grateful that our kids love this too!

Amy and Kayla....two of our young ladies from the Bemidji area. Personally, they look to me like they're straight out of an English movie....lovely :)

Cody and Ilsa again, this time a little more serious. Maybe. Possibly.

Ok, forget serious. Cody & Gabi :)

Crazy Things Missionaries Eat

So this is funny. You know how we sort of joke about missionaries having to do crazy things when they are in strange cultures overseas, like eat fish-head soup & stuff like that? Well, here we are in the good old USA and our international students came over to cook for us the other day. What did they make?

Fish head soup!!!

I had to take a picture. Seriously, we ate fish head soup, and it was pretty good :)

Just thought I'd cheer up your Monday!! love you family!

And January Brings SALT!

Hi Family!!

We just returned from our Great Plains SALT conference- every year we say "it was the BEST Salt ever!" - but this year I seriously think it was :)

There were 600+ students there from 8 states. Our speaker, Sean Smith, talked about revival- what have been the indicators in the past, what happens in culture when revival is imminent, what revivals are really made of- and let me tell you, family, we are poised for one. Overdue, even! You can go to www.greatplainsxa.com, click SALT 2011, and listen to the mp3's if you like.

So we are working to be ready here- to steward this coming revival. We are working to foster a culture of honor, train these young ones up to do what they're gifted to do- and preach the Kingdom of God as they do it: heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and set the captives free. Our Bemidji Area School of Transformation begins next Saturday the 22nd, and we are ready & excited!

At SALT we had two young ladies- the ones in pink in the photo with Ruth- receive water baptism, and several receive baptism in the Holy Spirit. It felt like Salt was a great big fire that poured life and revival and hope into all of our students and the staff as well. One student posted pictures on her facebook with the caption, "I've been changed: Salt 2011"

We're just grateful that God is so faithful, bringing students in, healing guys in Phil's Man Clan group, starting the school, changing lives at Salt and on Friday nights....even though we're technically part time right now and not on campus like we'd like to be. God is still at work- using us where we're at. We appreciate your prayers...please continue to keep us in your prayers - for life and energy and health and everything we need to do this work. God is so faithful!

Thank you so much to all of you who sent Christmas letter, pictures, and financial gifts :) It is so good to see all your kids grow!! You are on our fridge! :)

I have some videos I want to post, but I need my techie daughter to convert them first. I'll send you emails when they're ready. Bless you family....we love you!

Ps - new movie alert: you gotta see Despicable Me. We laughed ALL THE WAY THROUGH!! It's wonderful!!

Love you!