Mark
and Merle Ramshaw
306-688-5120
Missions
Update: God Comes
to La Loche
Greetings in
Jesus! On July 7, I traveled to La Loche, SK, and set up
our 40’x 60’ gospel tent in this community of about 5000. I knew
that God would move, but I had
no idea of the revival that would begin to sweep the North.
Here is a brief history and some of the highlights.
Earlier this
April, Pastor Ray Dumais began to travel into La Loche and the
surrounding area visiting, preaching and holding Bible studies.
He spoke to me about the possibility of holding a tent meeting in this
community. Soon, Evg. Kevin Tabuchi, Pastor Ray Dumais, Pastor
Kevin Quesnel, and I were praying about this outreach that was to be
held July 7-10--a four day outreach to this needy community. We were
joined with music and prayer ministry teams from
Evg. Kevin
Tabuchi opened the revival on the seventh and God began to move in the
gifts of the spirit. There were several words of knowledge and a
notable miracle of a deaf man who was healed. This first sign
really got things going and people began to stream into the tent.
Rev. Tabuchi brought a wonderful word each night and God confirmed the
word with signs following. On Saturday night, both Rev. Tabuchi
and myself preached the word and the tent was filled to near capacity.
There were many wonderful miracles and about 20 persons saved. On
Sunday morning, Pastor Ray preached the morning service.
On Saturday
night several of us were feeling in our spirits that we were to
continue on. Pastor Ray agreed to allow the meetings to continue
even though he had to go to
1
A man with a
broken back who was in constant pain and could not sleep at night
limped into the tent for prayer. He could not drive a car and had
numbness in his legs that was growing progressively worse. He had
considered ending his life, but stepped into the tent and asked me if I
could help him, to which I replied, “Jesus can.” He was instantly
healed, and on his way back to Bear Creek he asked his wife to stop the
car so he could run down the hill into his community. The next
night he was back to testify and brought out many from his
community. They have requested a tent meeting in their
community.
2
A woman with
severe arthritis came into the tent in a wheelchair. After prayer
she was healed and began to walk for the first time in several
years. Here is a picture of her pushing me around the tent in the
chair. She walked back the next night to testify without the
wheelchair.
3
Another lame
woman who rode to the meetings on a motorized cart was healed and
walked around the tent with me.
4
A mother
wept as she testified that her son who was born deaf and dumb could now
hear perfectly and was beginning to speak. About 35 people received
Christ as their savior after hearing her testimony! This was the second altar call for salvation in that
meeting!
5
We have lost
track of all the deaf people that have been healed. There are too
many to count. Also, while no totally blind people have been
healed, there have been several who have had severe vision problems
that can now see much more clearly after prayer.
6
There is a
cane collection at the altar which consists of five walking aids that
are no longer needed. We trust that the Lord will add more as the
meetings progress.
7
A number of
people with cancer who came to the altar with pain from this disease
claim that after prayer that they can no longer find any trace of
cancer. One who previously could barely move was running around
the tent with me after prayer.
8
Hundreds of
people came with arthritis pain and claimed that they were healed after
laying on of hands. I would lay my hands on them and ask them to
tell me when the pain was gone. It usually takes five to ten
seconds and sometimes as long as a minute for the pain to leave.
The same process was used for those who were experiencing migraine
headaches. To my knowledge, everyone with migraine headache pain
was healed.
9
I called out
a man with a word of knowledge concerning his right thigh bone which
needed healing. Little did I know that he was a medicine
man. He was healed. He stated that this thing is real and wants
me to come to his community of
10
At least two
persons who had no sense of smell have been healed and now can smell.
11
One unsaved
girl came for healing from a deaf ear and a blocked ear. God
opened her deaf ear (and her eyes, believe me, did they open!) and then
opened the blocked ear. She began to weep and I instructed one of
the prayer team to lead her to Jesus.
12
God has done
unusual miracles. Some have been healed by laying hands on
me. Others have been healed by wearing my jacket. One night
I was so tired that I had to sit in a chair. The Lord told me to
lay my feet on those
with foot or lower leg problems because I was too tired to bend
over. They shall lay feet on the sick and they shall
recover? Yes it works!
13
On Friday
morning I had the privilege of leading ten souls to Jesus and adding
two canes to the cane collection before I could get out of my
pajamas. I never did finish my pancakes. So many people
keep coming to the motor home for prayer that we have found it
necessary to leave by noon to hide so that we can spend time in prayer
for the evening service.
14
Nightly,
about 50-60 persons are raising their hands for salvation. Some
have been filled with the Holy Spirit.
15
The mayor of
16
People have
been streaming to the tent from all quarters. Dillon, St Georges
Hill, Ft. McMurray, Fond du Lac, Black Lake, Wollaston Lake, Patuanak,
Ile a la Crosse, Buffalo Narrows, Turnor Lake, Black Point, Bear Creek,
and other places. I have a sense that this is going to turn into
a First Nations Azusa Street.
Each night the tent is filled to capacity, and those who are late have
to stand outside to listen to the word. Most nights we are
praying for people till two in the morning and one morning it was 3:00
AM before we could get away. Truly this is a work of the Holy
Spirit, and it is just beginning!
Pastor Ray
and I have spoken to a community resource worker, who has agreed to
have us come and do a drug and alcohol program for the youth (13-24).
She expects that we can have about 500 young people for this
outreach. I personally told her that we would talk about alcohol,
drugs and Jesus because Jesus is the center of our program and the
reason why we are free. She replied that we could talk about
Jesus if we wanted to. We are going to need about 200 pizzas and
a thousand cans of soft drinks (sponsors, anyone?). We also want to
bring in some bands that play some contemporary Jesus-centered gospel
music. Do any of your churches have a youth band with crucified
hormones and lives that you would consider sponsoring on a missions
trip? We are right now looking at the first week of September.
I have also
ordered 200 Bibles for distribution at $2.00 each. When we hand
these out, we will get the names and contact information so that we can
assimilate these new Christians into Bible studies. We will
probably have to order more, but for now this is a start.
We are also
desiring to buy a piece of property in La Loche and move a RTM in for a
pastor’s residence. Eventually a church will have to be
constructed. This will take $$$$ but we serve El Shaddai, not El
Cheapo. Hallelujah! Please pray for how God may want you to
be involved.
Due
to the continuing requests for healing crusades and revivals and to the
explosion in La Loche and the North in general, I have today resigned
as pastor of Amisk Lake Church. I
can no longer fulfill the duties of a pastor to my church without
neglecting the call of missions which has become clearer than ever
before. I have, with 100% support of my congregation, moved into
the office of Founder and Minister at Large. I will be actively
involved with our missions programs in both Canada and India and will
continue to do whatever I can for the church until God sends His choice
to be the next pastor. Please pray that God makes His choice
clear to us. Our family will remain in the church, although I may
be absent more often than not. It is a beautiful church filled
with beautiful people and were it not for the call of God I would never
have left the pastorate. I am sure that the church will go to the
next level with a man with a pastors anointing at the helm. I
also know from God that my ministry will go to new levels now that I am
fully available to give myself fully to the work that He has called me
to.
As I speak,
Selvon Raphael is preaching in La Loche, and will continue till
Tuesday. I will be heading back to continue preaching nightly
till the end of July, and then we will seek after God for his leading
and future direction. I had word tonight that the tent was
already filling up an hour before the meeting began. Please pray
for God’s strength to me as I have never worked so hard in all of my
life. Please pray for Pastor Ray Dumais that the Lord will give
him the wisdom necessary to shepherd this multitude. If you would
like to support him financially you can do so through
The
To God be
all the Glory!!!!!!!!!!!!
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