Hey,

We are currently on the road in Pennsylvania. I just found out that my email updates from Harvest Gathering weren't sent. So, I will try and get it sent over next few days in sections. This is rather lengthy but several have asked for stories and those who have heard it have suggested we get it out there for people to read. Many praise reports here. We pray you will be encouraged and find some hope here. God is good and more powerful than anything in the world.

Bless you,

Glen

October 27, 2006

Wow, long pause trying to figure out what to say next…

This is definitely the most intense Harvest Gathering ever. I had mixed feelings whether we are being cursed by the other side or Blessed by God. Bad things happen, then Good things happen. Back and forth it changes every 5 minutes or so. Since there’s 5 phone lines being used, one internet, five vans by us not to mention the ones coming from MO, Chicago, Nashville, FL, etc, or the buses coming from all over the place from bands on tour. We had two more band cancellations and filled the spots immediately with people I had actually worked with in past but didn’t think they could come. So the line up is actually getting better as we go along.

The weather has been warming up as we had asked for it has been freezing the past week. We are asking for prayers that it wouldn’t rain. We passed out 2,000 free tickets last weekend down town Asheville the streets were filled not only with pagan kids and homeless but with wealthy from all over, there to see the fall colors and tour the craft festival etc. We also split up and were in several churches. I spoke in two services then we handed out more flyers on streets. That evening we got a call that the church I had played and spoke in was well the guy said it was like you came and lit a fire under our whole church. We have gotten calls all week about how they can help serve food. Park buses, offer there homes for people to stay in etc.

It did me a lot of good. I had expended a lot of energy, well I had gave all I had to give. Then you question when you don’t see any response, “did I waste my time here?” Then I remembered praying with the pastor and I boldly asked that the Lord would change his church and get them on fire for God. Afterwards I realized I could have really offended the pastor. But the report back was exactly what I asked the Lord for. Several even said they had been called to ministry and now knew they had to do it. So that all helped then it has been a week of one thing after another especially Wednesday I was so tired of all the disappointments and letdowns. Especially absolutely no finances coming in yet continually spending more borrowed money. We got a call from the church we were at Sunday they said it was amazing, Wednesday night service was the same as Sunday night our festival and the Sunday morning meeting was all people could talk about. And finally one man asked what kind of budget did it take to put something like this on, well I was so relieved at least someone wants to know…

In years past we would try to raise the money up front $5000 the first year we did it, then second we did bigger fest and set a $10,000 budget. It came in after festival. That was seven years ago. Then it got harder and harder, so we felt the Lord said to pay for it ourselves and just don’t even bother asking the 450 churches in the Asheville area anymore. It was too heart breaking to never get support locally only to find it from our supporters elsewhere. This is for the largest outreach of this kind going to witches, wicans, warlocks and pagans and it is in their backyard or their downtown which is partly ran by the other side.

But for what ever reason, the local Christian leaders had rather fight with them rather than try and win them to the Lord with love. But I guess that has become the trend in this country for Christians, kill our enemies rather than love them like Jesus said, and that is what Jesus said.

We have tried it all and the last two years we didn’t ask the churches we were able to come up with the money ourselves because we had it come in from a couple of business men. Thank you, you know who you are. This year we haven’t had anything come in and our budget looks like at least $15,000. And probably $20,000 before we are all finished. But until last night there had not even been anyone interested in what this cost.

This is outreach though, some of the best concerts you’ll ever see. We cannot sell tickets when we are reaching out to people. So please pray for us for finances.

Then another encouragement was when I practiced with my children and looked around and realized they are excited, They are running around helping and full of energy and well, excited like it’s Christmas Eve. It really does feel that way around the house as we pack up this week and it’s a lot of hard work packing 5 vans and 2 trailers to get ready Harvest Gathering. Then I looked at the people we have here working, all of us working harder than you can imagine and none of these people are getting paid to work yet putting in 16 hour days for several weeks now preparing.

Woody, I think I told you last time, collected aluminum cans to come from South Dakota. He has been on streets almost three weeks now. Then we had Cooper come in. Like Woody, he has no legs, but yet he is here volunteering, just tell me what to do he says. He and Ray are taking loads up to Asheville now and carrying more free tickets for a band to hand out while playing bag pipes this afternoon. There is also the family with five children living in a bus who are putting up posters for us in Hendersonville, Black Mountain and Boone. As well as others handing out flyers daily in downtown Ashville. And everyone is so excited about this years Harvest Gathering. It blesses me to know how blessed all these servants are and are going to be.

Another prayer request that I am asking for agreement on, that all that participate will be encouraged, blessed, and changed as God even answers their greatest prayers. To see the lives changed is what I get out of this. So pray I stay encouraged and for traveling mercies for all the bands and servants coming from Chicago to Florida and Midwest to Northeast and everywhere in between. For our health also and our transportation. We got in van to do to town to cut tickets and email lawyers and court, still in the middle of lawsuit. Van tire was flat then got going and engine light came on. Sooooo, we need your prayers for the usual: transportation, communication, technology stuff, equipment, health, safety and finances.

Every now and then I remember they are praying against us. But I only got a little fear twice then remembered our God is much bigger than theirs and He is with us. Who can be against us? I also heard the pastor Sunday morning mention in service announcements of one of their ministers wife’s cancer and how she only had days to live. But of the joy facing such a death because of the acute awareness that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. He said there’s nothing to fear what can they do kill us then we’ll just be with the Lord. We don’t often look at this from the proper perspective. Taking light to the darkness. The dark side may hate the light but there’s nothing it can really do about it. The light is going to shine anyway. It felt so good being back in front of a church ministering Sunday am.

Last night at some point when we were playing music and I was singing to the Lord I looked over at my friend who left his legs in Vietnam and Brother Ray who has lost everything but still is going to serve the Lord anyway. Looked at Beau smiling at me and my daughter looking to me for direction and I just said, “Lord, if I have to go there’s nothing better for me than to be singing to you, going with my family and friends to the darkest of places, knowing it will be a battle.” But wow what an honor to go with this ragtag army who is sold out to God, for His purposes. And well, I think of how every time Brother Ray, this radical, stubborn, his way only, hardest core of hardcore, when he says, “God told me to submit to you. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Me knowing every time he says it, as I pause not knowing what to do with that because I know many radical, hardcore brothers who would literally follow him into battle, anywhere he said go, they‘d follow. And here he’s submitting to me. I’m always speechless and ready to cry. What an honor. God forgive me for ever complaining about this ministry you’ve called me to that few understand and even fewer would ever get behind. You are God, you have prepared those you choose for your purposes.

Thank you Lord for another opportunity to serve you.

Glen