Being a part of this ministry has been such a blessing to me. I come from a Church in Sweden that did not have too much outreach activities. So when I started bible school at The River and we had to do soul winning, it was something completely new for me. But after the first person I talked to said the salvation prayer with me, I got very exited. And now when I have gone soul winning for four months, it has changed me a lot. To see these people get changed and filled by the great love of God is irreplaceable. We go door to door and talk to a lot of people and you wonder if they really listen to what you have to say, but then you see them in Church on Sunday and how God is meets them and change them totally, and I would not exchange that for anything in the world.

On Sunday, when we had the big Christmas service, it occurred to me how thankful I am to be a part of this ministry, because here, the one great vision is to let everyone know about Jesus and win souls. And this Sunday when I saw how everyone is working the best they can to meet everyones needs, I just got so grateful to be a part of this, because it has given me a greater love for people. I have always been a loving person who likes to take care of people, but now this has been taken to another level. I have a deep desire in my heart to make sure that everyone gets to hear about Jesus & understand his great love! My heart breaks when I think about that there are people out there who live miserable lives and don’t know that Jesus died for them and can make their lives wonderful. So now I just want to keep reaching people with the gospel, and make sure I am doing the best I can to spread the love of Jesus – and this Church is really helping me to do that.

On Sunday, 12/13/09, I was in kids church doing the Security and I was stunned I mean absolutely slapped stupid, the hunger on them kids was incredible and once they got inside it was a whole another story they were excited, but the kids church workers got them sitting and when it came time for Joe to come up them kids were crazy I mean the involvement of them kids was totally mind-blowing!!! I was of course in and out of the building but every time I could I would try and see all three age groups. I remember one little girl in the 3-5 yr olds and she was so scared she was crying these sad “alligator tears”, and she wouldn’t play with any of the other kids so I left for like half hour, when I got back she was sitting with one of the workers and smiling, I left that room with tears in my eyes.

Than later on I was going to the back of the kids church, they’d just gotten done with the kids’ altar call, so all the kids who accepted Jesus were in the hallway and two lil kids stuck out, one little girl tugged on my suit coat and said “Jesus loves me”, I said “He always has.” than one little Mexican boy hugged me and said with tears that he “Jesus is my best friend”, man I was done after that I cried and said inside “Lord your so good, to see these kids so happy with meeting You”, the looks on there faces were priceless and that little boy, he was like 9 or so he was a tall little boy. But you know that’s not the first time I had this happen to me, back in September I went to Tampa General Hospital to visit the children’s ward and it broke my heart b/c that day God dealt with my heart, I thought to myself “all the money in the world can’t raise that little boy from that bed and from that day on I asked God to break my heart all over again for kids and showed my need for the Holy Ghost.