Dear Friends of Oak Tree Ministries –
It’s pretty impossible to sum up the mission trip we were just on in a few words or paragraphs. So many individual ministry opportunities … healing ministry … prophetic words … HeartSync. Beth and Jen and I spent one whole day ministering HeartSync in Oradea, Romania. And our host in Sighisoara at The Mission told us after a pretty deep conversation that she wished she had us there for a week or more to minister to people on her staff and in her overall ministry circle.
The Romania we saw is still emerging from the effects of World War 2 and from a half century of communist rule. There are good things happening! But it’s a “second world” country … and there are pockets of “third world.” We saw that when we visited a couple of Gypsy villages while we were working at The Mission. We watched The Mission team love and pour into those Gypsy children from those villages … loving, teaching, showing them what real family looks like. And they are teaching them a Kingdom culture, not just church.
Our team from Freedom House all have different highlights … some are from Oradea … ours I think for all of us are from Sighisoara. A series of unplanned Divine appointments happened late on the full day we were there. Our team spent the late afternoon well past the dinner hour ministering through laying on hands and praying over the full time staff there. My personal favorite was a young woman on their team. I heard the Lord saying that He knew she had been asking very deep and powerful questions, and I shared that with her. A few tears slid down her cheeks. And then I heard Him say, “The answer to the biggest and first question you are asking is ‘Yes.'” I don’t take that kind of word lightly at all!!!! I wrestled a bit before sharing it. But as I did, she broke into deep sobs. And she shared with us that she has wanted to stay in Sighisoara but only was scheduled for three months there … the director wanted her also, her family was good, but she just didn’t have clarity. It was her deep heart desire. And the Lord said “Yes.” And we got to be part of that. The picture in the attachment below is of her loving on a Gypsy boy (maybe 9-10 years old) … he reached for her and she just held him for about 10 minutes that morning. Simple, but powerful evidence of the love God has for each of these kids. And she gets to do this now until the Lord releases her.
Others that afternoon got similar ministry … in a couple of cases there was deep healing as God identified tough areas in lives and graciously loved on them as we called those wounds out into the open for Jesus to heal. Others got direction. Others affirmation.
That evening Beth, Jen and I wound up sitting on the front porch of the director’s home visiting with her and ministering and pouring into her. She’s an apostle in that city, and there have been few that she has been able to talk to on that level. It was Kingdom and it was family … and it was glorious! We have a standing invitation to come back and not only minister to The Mission but to her and her family, too.
Thank you for praying with us! Getting there was a bear!!! Too much to tell, but flight delays caused us to miss connections half way around the world … but get there we did with joy! Your prayers helped! (Pray as we go to the trip insurance folks to recover the cost of tickets and rooms we had to purchase on the way!)
As you pray for us this month, please remember the following …
… we are all jet-lagged, and Jen picked up something that has had her sick the last few days. Pray for complete restoration of our bodies. And pray as we sort out what we are taking away from this trip.
… please pray for our schedules this month. I have been in the office all week, Beth is back full-swing with preparing for the Community Bible Study year, Jen is back at work. We again need wisdom as we move ahead with scheduling meetings and appointments.
… and please pray as AJ works with Ashley to finalize agreements on the divorce. He did tell us this week that they have been able to work together to come to some decisions he is comfortable with, and they are meeting with the court mediators in Redding in a week to get a full agreement done. Pray for him, and her, and of course our grandkids as this all proceeds.
… finally, pray for us as we minister here to broken hearts and needs around us. Right before we left one of our dear friends, Tara, went to be with the Lord after a fast battle with an aggressive cancer. We got home to a call from another dear friend that he is dealing with two different cancers. And last night we found out that one of our elderly neighbors passed away while we were gone. We are so grateful for the goodness and graciousness of God in the midst of this world’s “stuff.”
We love you all and appreciate you so much. Our God is good … first world, second world, third world … it’s His Kingdom!
Bill Irwin
Oak Tree Ministries
410 Beatrice Ct., Ste. A
Brentwood, CA 94513
(925)759-0965
https://www.oaktreeministries.net Oak Tree Ministries is a 501(c)(3) ministry … all gifts are tax-deductible
