Thanks to helping hands like our sons Shawn and Nathan, and our friend and supporter Mike Lamond from Florida, we have really made some progress on our office and studio project. Not to mention generous gifts from Cornerstone Ministries, Indigenous Pathways, Mike Lamond, and Shawn, who have provided most of the materials we talked about in the last newsletter and needed to complete the work.
We have finished the office portion of the building complete with networking, ample electric, cabinets & shelving, paint, and vinyl flooring. We moved into it the 3rd week of September. Since then we have been organizing and reorganizing trying to make it fit our needs. The week we moved in our main office computer went down with a bad motherboard. A week later the one Charlyne uses for communication and correspondence had the same problem. Fortunately our son Nathan is an IT guy and was able to get them taken care of for us. But we still had to reload all our software and data. So that has slowed the process of getting settled into the office a little. But we are so happy that we can finally have a place and get organized. Praise God!
Not long after hurricane Irma made her way through Florida Mike Lamond made sure all was secured at home and business in Florida and then made his way to Pennsylvania to help us finish the siding, soffit & fascia, and gutters on the building. What a blessing it was to have his help! He stayed one week and worked with me every day. Shawn came to help us one day during that week; it was good to have a 3rd person when hanging the gutter. What a blessing it is to know that the whole exterior is buttoned up and weather tight with winter just around the corner. Mike I don’t think you realize how much it means to us that you would come all the way from Florida to help us, thank you so much! God is good!
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We still have lots of work to do to finish the studio but we believe we have all the material that we need to do it. Basically we need to install insulation in the ceiling and walls and then cover them with drywall. After that it will be a matter of taping and finishing the drywall and painting. Then we can set up the video and audio equipment. It may take some time before it is complete. With my back problems I am not as quick as I used to be and am unable to do a lot of things by myself that I used to do. But it will get done, one step at a time. If anyone would like to come invest some time here or there we’d be grateful to have your help. Send us an email at office@agapelane.org and we’ll work with your schedule. You don’t have to be experienced, just willing. For example Mike Lamond is a computer geek, never installed siding in his life before he came to help us. Thanks for your prayers.
Because of the prolonged and delayed efforts to get our office completed, and the injuries to my back, many of our ministry events/activities have been put on the back burner except those “have to” maintenance things that can’t be overlooked. But recently with the completion of the office and the pain level in my back being reduced to a 2 out of 10 we are ready to ride again.
With the office completed I have been able to make some real headway on the new Wiconi and Indigenous Pathways website. We should be able to launch it soon. It has been a ride for me, learning how to use Apple computers as opposed to PCs and then learning new website software on top of that, all while being in the middle of transition. Whew! We are looking forward to the launch and are excited to see what everyone thinks of the new website.
I’m sitting here today at my desk in my new office, at my refurbished computer writing this newsletter. And I’m thanking God for His goodness! It is so good to sit at my desk instead of at the kitchen table or some other temporary, inadequate place trying to make it work. Praise God indeed!
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I just got back from a trip to Washington DC to participate in the “All Tribes National Day of Prayer by First Nations People.” (FYI- First Nations People is a term that was coined in Canada for who we in the USA call Native Americans. It is catching on here in America too) I traveled there with two ministry leaders from Western PA, Pastor Woody Barnett from Johnstown, and Ed Slonchka of Global Reach Ministries. I had a great time catching up with these two guys and what has been happening in their lives and ministries.
It was great to see old friends at the Day of Prayer like Jonathan Maracle, Rita Bear Gray, and Jerry Chapman. I’ve had the pleasure of working with each of these folks over the last 25 years in Native ministry. We really didn’t have any time to visit or catch up but it was great to see them. Also got to meet new friends like Latonna Old Elk (a friend of Ed Slonchka), and her friend, both from the Crow Reservation in Montana. Small world… Latonna’s friend is working in the DC area and spends part of her time there but her free time is spent with her husband in a community not far from where we lived and worked in Oklahoma. I also had the pleasure of meeting Jack & Kathy who are missionaries to Africa. (Jack took the photo you see above)
The meeting was a full day of continuous praise, worship, prayer, proclamation, and testimony. There were several nationally know speakers some of which were Native American. You can find out more about it by checking their website at: http://www.alltribesdc.org/
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I believe last year was the first one, it was held at the Washington Memorial where I believe there was a great move of the Holy Spirit. The Lord had given Willie Jock, a Mohawk First Nations man, a prayer and proclamation (you can read it at their website http://www.alltribesdc.org/voices-vision/ But basically the prayer asked God to forgive them (Natives) for unforgiveness, repented of curses spoken against the Nation and made a declaration forgiving the schools, the government, the church and any others who had committed any atrocity or broken covenant with the First people of this land. They extended this forgiveness without ever asking for or receiving an apology. This was so powerful I believe because that is what the bible teaches is true forgiveness. Forgiveness is not dependant on an apology so the perpetrator holds no power over the forgiver. Any Native American who could grasp this and find their way to buy into it was given freedom, Freedom to move on with life and to move out of the dark place where unforgiveness held them.
I have to admit I was a little confused and disappointed when Negiel Big Pond announced this year that he was asking for an official apology from our president as a representative of the government. Though I agree that Native Americans deserve an apology and more for the many atrocities committed against them, I felt it kind of negated the proclamations made last year and was a step backwards for Native American people. I don’t claim to understand all the politics of it, but I’m coming at it from a spiritual perspective. It seems our enemy is working overtime trying to keep us from moving closer to God and freedom, to divide us in this country and push us backward away from glory and the brotherly love that Jesus commanded us to share.
Colossians 3:14-17 And Psalm 133
With winter fast approaching the prospect of travel diminishes but we are looking forward to making good use of the new office. After Wiconi’s website is finished and published it will be time to completely rebuild our own website. For those of you who don’t have experience doing this stuff just know that it is a lot of work and it takes lots of time. That is why it can cost $3,000 to $6,000 or more to have a website professionally designed and built for you in today’s market. And then there are the numerous video projects we’ve been impatiently waiting to finish. It is so good to be back in the saddle again. Thank You Jesus!
The Father’s heart is so tender toward us and He hears the deep cry of our hearts. While living in Oklahoma I was extremely blessed to meet and bond with many women. There are some that God tied together in the Spirit and we are forever friends. Our Father knows our hearts so much that a year ago He spoke to a friend (Cathy) and I that these special ladies needed to come to PA to minister. The logistics of that happening seemed overwhelming but with a whole lot of prayers and a pressing in (from Cathy) knowing that many were dry and needed loved on from the Father, it happened.
Our friends arrived and we had the best women's advance I have ever attended, not because of anything any of us are, or are not, but because it was the Father's will and good pleasure to unite us together as one for His good plans and purpose. He lovingly spoke to each one and encouraged us all in our identity in Him and propelled us forward in our relationships, our walk, and our callings
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Top row left to right: Diana, Charlyne, Elizabeth Bottom row left to right: Mayte, Amanda, Cathy |
Our friends are pictured. Elizabeth whom we met in Oklahoma now resides in Alabama, Diana whom we met in Oklahoma and still resides in OK, Mayte whom we met in Oklahoma who now resides in Albuquerque New Mexico. And a real treasure, Amanda (Cathy’s spiritual daughter), whom we met in South Dakota and now resides in Valentine, Nebraska. I stand in Awe of Him!
Howard and I had the pleasure of hosting Cindie Logan for one night in our home. Cindie, director of YWAM Southern Plains, is a good friend and ministry partner. We have worked alongside her in Oklahoma for many years. She has worked among the Native American people selflessly. She has plowed many fields through intercession and much service. Cindie was in Washington DC and before she traveled back to Oklahoma she stopped in for a visit. It was good to see her and catch up with her.
I have to thank God again we have only been in PA for not quite a 1-1/2 years and he has made it possible for 5 awesome women of God to bless me with their presence. I think God rocks!
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We have a new way for you to help support our ministry every day just by searching and shopping online or dining out at your favorite restaurants. We’ve registered Agape Lane Ministry with GoodSearch.com, a company that helps non-profits like ours raise funds through the everyday actions of our supporters. Every time you use a Good Search service, they donate to the non-profit you’ve designated.
You can start using it now. Just go to www.goodsearch.com and click on the link in small letters under the search text bar that says “Choose your cause” That will open a small search window where you will type in “Agape Lane Ministry” You will be transported to another window where you can register as a supporter of our ministry/cause. Then anytime you use Good Search they will donate to our ministry.
We’d like to begin building our presence on GoodSearch.com. Please join our community on GoodSearch.com and help us raise money for our mission. Get started by clicking the
“Become a Supporter” button on our profile page here: http://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/agape-lane-ministry.aspx
Please join us and invite a friend.
Just wanted to let you know there is another easy way that you can support Agape Lane ministry just doing the things you normally do. When you make purchases at Amazon through the Amazon Smile project. There is no extra charge to you but Amazon will donate ½ % of your purchase price to our ministry. Just click on the link below to register us as the ministry you want to support.
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/43-1957219
You can also just go to the Amazon Smile website at http://smile.amazon.com then in the search box under the "Select a Charity" area type "Agape Lane Ministry" into the search box and click the search button, then choose our ministry in Lawton, Oklahoma as your charity. That's all there is to it. As long as your computer is set up to accept cookies every time you go to Amazon Smile it will automatically apply the donation to our account. If your computer doesn't except cookies then you will need to enter the information each time you shop.
Thanks so much,
Howard & Charlyne
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