I am so excited, blessed really, to give an update. I am on a midnight flight from Bogota to Dallas, TX. My heart is full and I want to share a little piece of it with you. What has been happening the last four weeks has been much like Jesus with the woman at the well in John 4. I have preached a lot these past weeks to groups of people, seeing Jesus save, heal, and touch a lot of folks. Jesus is awesome. Truly what has moved my heart the most however, is the one-on-one encounters He has given. So much can happen when we take time to love the person in front of us.
For example, on my free day playing golf, a young man name Julian was assigned to caddy for me. Being a little fat, out of shape, and playing at a 7,000 feet elevation, it’s either a caddy or a cardio? Oh boy! As we played and talked, he opened up about his dad leaving he and his mom at age 8. He shared of the violence that he watched and experienced from a toddler up until that age. During our four-hour round and visit, I felt the heart of God as father for him. There was so much grace to love him in a simple, subtle, yet supernatural way. We have the love of the Father in us and it is a joy to release it to a young man like Julian. I watched God orchestrate the day for him. First an older caddy, who is a good friend, caught us at the turn. His name is Albeiro. In 2015, Jesus saved and filled him through our ministry. After that, he was on the ministry team in several crusades. Julian overheard Albeiro reminisce about some of the great miracles he saw Jesus do in the crusades.
After number eighteen, JuIian and I approached two twin brothers who also caddie. Their names are J and JT. I was giving JT the business about J being bigger and physically stronger. I asked him why J was “beating him to the table”? J said, “No it’s because I am the oldest. I was born five minutes before him!” I saw that JT was thinner and did not realize that he was ill. Some years ago, JT caddied for me. At the time, he had quite a cocky attitude and showed me much disrespect. So I lovingly gave a rebuke for it, telling him he was hurting himself. That such disrespect and talk was costing him favor and good tips. This was the first time I had talked with him since then. After this, I invited Julian to sit and eat a hamburger with me. The cultural protocol is that caddies don’t eat with golfers. It was obvious he had never sat in the restaurant before nor had a hamburger with bacon and all the trimmings. He gobbled it down and the love of God made him feel safe and confident to order a second Coke. That would not be culturally polite, or normal, for him being a timid twenty year old young man.
Later on, as Julian was toting my golf clubs to the car in order to receive his pay, JT ran up and interrupted us. He basically begged me to pray for him, telling me he had been very sick for four months and no Dr. could diagnose his condition or help. Oh how the compassion of Jesus rose up in my heart. Jesus showed me that he had opened the door to the devil and was being afflicted by a spirit of infirmity. More importantly, I could see he was desperate for God’s help. I took time to converse with him about it. It was an all too common story of a young man paying an older professional woman for something.
There, many use witchcraft and occult practices hoping to increase their business or for protection. So, they get quite demonized by this. Not to mention all the spirits transferred from the men with whom they ply their trade. JT was severely oppressed. I prayed for his healing and then commanded the demon to leave him. However, no change occurred in his eyes, countenance, or demeanor. The great thing was, he was totally open to hear the gospel. JT humbly and sincerely surrendered himself to Jesus. I watched Jesus Christ come into this young man. Immediately he was changed. His eyes were bright and the light of God was upon his face. He said, “I feel free and it’s gone!”. I saw him two days ago and he is totally healed and the happiest he has ever been. Oh the wonder of the love of God.
Now, when Julian witnessed this radical immediate change in his colleague, he was shocked. When we arrived to my car Julian asked me, “Please Charley, can you say a prayer for me, I am so empty”? We took our time with Jesus. Wow, did Julian get born again! He was crying tears of joy and said, “I can feel him inside me”. Then He prayed for his dad and forgave him and asked Jesus to forgive and to save his dad. Jesus is so amazing. I watched Him move with his marvelous grace that Monday and rescue these two young men.
In John 4:34-38, Jesus said to them,” My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
See it is Jesus, the love of the Father, and the gospel that makes the harvest white. In verse 25, the woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” When we sincerely show God’s love and share the gospel with another, Jesus will speak to that one the same as He did with her at the well. Jesus always stopped for the one and so must we. It is the most awesome meal my soul can eat.
We now have been planning for the Easter Harvest Crusade. It begins March 25th-April 2nd. I have been working with a local friend on many details for its preparation. We are preparing a team and will be doing evangelism activation training with thirty or more young believers. We will be on the streets daily and then the last three nights will be the crusade in the Polideportivo (a covered open air basketball court).
We are printing thousands of handbills, hundreds of posters, and big banners that will cross the streets to advertise the crusade. Also, we are hiring a sound car to announce for those who can’t read or see. We will be preparing a helps team and an intercessory prayer team. We are stepping out in faith and believing that many souls will be saved and many sick and injured healed. My oldest grandson will travel with me and participate in these missionary endeavors! I am so excited about this opportunity for he and I to work in the harvest together. We really need prayers during this season.
I will make it home for one week. Then Julie and I travel on to Mexico for revival meetings at Iglesia Palabra De Vida. We can’t wait to see our Pastors there. After we finish, I will travel back to Colombia for the crusade.
Julie and I love and appreciate you. Thank you for all you have done to reach the lost with us!
Charley & Julie
