First Email from Peru 2007

The following is the first email I (Joanie) received from Jason since they left for Peru on Sunday morning. I'll continue to post emails as I receive them. Keep the guys in your prayers!

Joanie

Well we are here and safe and heading up the river to Requena here in a few hours. The speed boat should be fun getting up there. We had a nice time of ministry last night at Zion church here in Iquitos. It was nice to have something before the rally to start to get back into the groove. Im pretty sure that we have internet up river so I will give you more details of last night. God healed and delivered people, so he was good as usual. I got to preach and that was fun. Joel and Jack also shared their testimonies and I was really proud of them during that time and the ministry time. We split up into two groups for that. I have to go. I love you.

Peru Impact 2006

KINGDOM SHAKERS
PO BOX 963
SUPERIOR, MONTANA 59864

“When He spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but,“Next time”, He says, “I will not only shake the earth, but the Heavens too.” By this He means that He will sift out everything without solid foundations, so that only unshakable things will be left. Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy,
let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts, and with holy fear and awe.
For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:26-29(TLB)


Greetings in the Mighty Name of Jesus, May 5, 2006

The Crusade (Impact 2006) in Iquitos Peru concluded on April 1st, 2006, but the “impact” continues to be felt. The President of MEPI (Mission Evangelical Pentecostal Independent), Raimundo Sahuarico, estimated the new converts at nearly 3000 souls. Praise the Lord for the outpouring of His mercy and the healing touch of His grace as hundreds were healed, numerous precious souls delivered from the bondage of sin , and countless impartations of the filling of the Holy Spirit was poured out on hungry believers.

Five to Eight Thousand Peruvians attended the crusade each evening, in spite of the futile efforts of the enemy to thwart the ministry that God had destined to be accomplished. Government protestors in the streets, a change in the crusade dates, problems with the sound equipment and other distractions proved no match for the work the Father had on His agenda…….. as the Holy Spirit came in power to break the enemy’s stronghold and set the captives free!

Steve Tutt, our partner, friend, and ministry administrator, labored tirelessly to ensure that the opportunity to share the message of the Good News of Christ was complete. In addition, the team from the U.S included friends from Homer (AK), Wasilla (AK), Superior (MT), and Los Angeles (CA) who joined with over 70 local churches, their pastors, elders, and volunteers from Iquitios and the surrounding areas. The combined preaching of Pastor Rod & Jason Benner brought powerful messages filled with God’s compassion, forgiveness, & deliverance. In one instance during the ministry time, Jason, without the availability of an interpreter, prayed for a young man who was pointing at his ears. As Jason prayed over him, the young man began dancing and leaping and Praising God ……that he could hear! The Holy Spirit overcame the language barrier, a small obstacle for the King of Kings! Every member of the team gave testimony of the miraculous “signs and wonders” they experienced as God was at work! Intense prayer and intercession from the team empowered the ministry to go forth as the Light of Christ penetrated the darkness! What a Wonderful Savior!!!!

The “Church on the Rock” of Wasilla, Alaska donated 100 teaching manuals from Global Awakening which became a valuable resource of teaching & inspiration. Over 70 pastors were given personal Spanish copies and the remaining 25 manuals were donated to MEPI for the Bible College and ministry along the Amazon. A time of instruction using these manuals was given prior to the crusade each day. The pastors responded with excitement, as they were ministered to and encouraged, and once again God was faithful to restore the hearts of His weary but faithful servants. Many pastors commented how thrilled they were to receive this manual and how their eyes had been opened to instruction from the Word of God that would equip them to minister to their people more effectively.

MEPI has reported the necessity of starting new churches to handle the many new believers attending their fellowships since the crusade. One church reported 100 new believers attending their church the day following the crusade! In a recent email dated April 28th, from Ramon the pastor of Filidelphia Church (the largest MEPI church in Iquitos) states:
“Well, today pastor Raimundo told me, one Christian Alliance church, who participate with us in the crusade, they are starting new church in Bagazan suburban, they used one bus every night taking unbeliever people, they wan 36 people for Christ. “ (unedited) Kingdom Shakers funded several buses to bring people in to the crusade as transportation and finances in Peru are very limited. He continues, “ Now about the crusade next year, Pastor Raimundo says will be in Requena”…….

How exciting it is that they are already anticipating and planning the next crusade!!! God is raining down His favor, and He is most definitely….”much bigger than previously thought”. The harvest has begun….. God sees a people hungry for Him, and desperate for His touch, and yes…….now is the time! Your prayers, and financial sacrifices have had an impact that has not only changed 3000 plus souls for eternity, hundreds of healings & people set free, but you have partnered with us in influencing an entire region, and potentially a nation for Christ! God has begun a revival that is starting in Iquitos and moving out!!!

The team met with Raimundo (President of MEPI) the day following the crusade. We share this Q&A segment with you to give you a window into the heart of the Peruvians. (Thank you Mark Eden, one of our AK team members, for taking notes on this conversation. No editing has been done in order to preserve Raimundo’s conversation)
Rod: Would you please share with us your overall perspective of the crusade?Raimundo: It was a great success. We are so privileged to have the Lorduse you. You are a sign to us we have received for the future. Just like the prophet of old, there was no rain and the people neededrain. The prophet looked for a sign many times. Finally he saw a smallcloud. It was a sign to him. Then it came, the rain. In the same way, thewisemen saw the star. It was a sign to them and they followed it. The Iquitos pastors received you like a sign. I believe we are startinga great time of new leadership in Iquitos. God is bringing unity to theIquitos church. This is one way we can change this place, it is withunity. I saw this this week. God was working. The pastors told me, "This word is for me." This is awonderful time for our country. God used you like a sign. You have agreat privilege to bring us a sign. Rod: If it would please you and the Lord, will you pray and if the Lorddirects, we are willing to do another crusade in the future. Raimundo: God is starting something! We are very thankful. Rod: You had mentioned before a couple of places Requena, Paculpa? Raimundo: We will pray about it. (Raimundo talked about being a pastorin Requena and that he knows the Mayor and that many need to get savedthere.) Rod: We want to continue to partner with you as the Lord leads. Raimundo: We are seeking for another region. Upriver fromRequena(Paculpa, a city larger than Iquitos) 45 minute flight) (This conversation was held the Monday following the crusade, and since then many additional reports have come in reporting new believers in church for the first time!)

It is with humble hearts of thanksgiving and praise to our Great & Mighty God that give this report. The pastor’s conference, youth rally, local church ministries and crusade have all been used of God to help unite a city and geographical region of a nation. Please continue to pray and sacrifice so we can go forward in Jesus name. The gates of hell are falling and Jesus is taking back the ground that He shed His blood to redeem.

*Your participation with Kingdom Shakers is a valuable gift to the kingdom work! We pray you will co-labor with us by becoming an intercessory prayer partner and/or a financial contributor as we anticipate the upcoming crusade. “The fields are ripe for the harvest………”

“Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear…..Your Kingdom come,
and your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

In His mighty name,

Rod Benner
*FYI (for your information) all money that is donated is tax-deductible and goes directly to the ministry in Peru, there are no salaries being given at this time.

Last day in Iquitos...

The last night of the crusade went pretty well. There were many more young people and the concerts were pretty good. They are much better dancers than we are but the music was pretty good. Really loud, but good. When I got up to speak I wasn't nervous at all since I was very confident in what the Lord would accomplish. When you have that many people that you are speaking to and they are trying to sit in a hot room on concrete seats it is hard for them to not move around a bit. The Lord used my message and hundreds of people came forward for salvation. We have been told that upwards of 2,000 souls have been won for the Lord at just the crusade. Not to mention what He did at the churches. We fly out of here at 5 today and then not out of Lima until 1 am. I am excited to eat a pizza at the Lima airport.

The Lord has done many great things and has healed and touched many lives. We are very greatful to have been the donkeys to pack the glory of the saviour to these wonderful people. They are talking about October for a crusade in Ricaina. Whatever God will call us to do we will try to accomplish what He has for us. He has shown his great mercy and grace on us as we try to show his love to hurting people. I am growing in my knowledge and understanding of the Lord and He has changed my heart as well.

Thursday Evening Report

Last night, logistically, everything went way better. The first night the sermon was fine it was just so loud that Dad (Rod) could not here and neither could his interpreter. A light also burned out so he could not see his notes or read his bible. The Lord was still very good as hundreds came to the Lord for salvation, healing and filling of the spirit.

Last night, the second rally night was amazing as well. We took more control of the sound and they added lights on the platform. There werent quite as many people but still thousands. My perspective has become a little skewed because I began to tell Greg when we got back to the hotel that I kind of had an off night. I only saw one girl healed from ovarian cancer and one man with a deaf ear healed and another lady who had stomach issues and the doctors could do nothing for her healed as electric pulses came through my hand so strongly that it was causing her hand to contract like would happen from an electric pulse. We asked her if she wanted to receive the holy spirit and she said she wanted to receive Christ first. Oops. Her healing was her test to the Lord that she would give her life and serve him. I got to lead her to the Lord and then we prayed for the filling of the spirit. Last night, hundreds of people came forward but the Lord had empowered the pastors and more of them helped which we were thrilled to see. It is funny that my perspective can become so different that many people can be healed and saved and delivered and I can feel like I had an off night. I had a harder time praying clearly and organizing my thoughts, but the Lord still healed everybody I put my hands on. There was one man who came in on crutches. The lord began to touch him and I asked him if he wanted to stand and do something he could not do before. He said yes and took my hand and stood. I then had him take steps without aid and after a few steps he said that he wanted God to heal him piece by piece and then sat back down. So instead of getting healed instantly now, he is going to be healed slowly. I was astonished at this and why he would want to wait when God was healing him immediately. Maybe he was convinced already that that was how it was supposed to work. All the people dad laid hands on as well were healed. He will have to tell you those as I don't know much details on him for last night. Steve also had great success in the Lord. He and Greg got the opportunity to free a young lady from demonic issues and then later a young man. God did many other amazing things and hopefully I can find them out to document them a little later.

Your prayers are being felt and answered here in Iquitos.

Dad, Steve and I are going to the lady with the nice paintings and then I am going to spend much of the day before the Lord for my sermon tomorrow. Many of the peruvians believe that Saturday will be the biggest crowd and I want to be well prepared.
Jason

Well we made it through the first rally and even though there were some technical difficulties and some people who did not come because of the protesters we were still amazed by God and what He did. There were 4-6,000 people there, and at the alter call a sea of humanity began to come down. It was overwhelming to see the hungry, hurting people wanting a touch from the Most High. We began to wade through the crowd and and lay hands on people for the filling of the Holy Spirit and pray for the sick. The first people I prayed for had a baby with malaria. The lord healed her and then a couple people later I prayed for the filling of the spirit on a man and he pointed to his ears to tell me he was deaf. As the Lord opened his ears I was amazed and moved and he began to jump up and down in joy. This bolstered by faith of course and I moved through the crowd. They were sure that nobody was missed for the filling of the spirit and then they would communicate if someone was sick. I had an interpreter for some of it and at other times the Lord helped me. A little later Joel and I converged on a blind man and as we prayed the Lord opened his eyes. Then his one deaf ear was opened and he praised the Lord and cried.

Many other details are lost in my mind but there was one more blind man and many other diseases and spirits that were taken care of by God. I don't know how many people came forward but our team looked pretty puny in our own eyes until we start letting the holy spirit work through us and look at the people with the love of the Lord and then you dont have time to think about anything but the people and their needs. It was incredible as I am beginning to be able to hear the Lord's voice even as there is all that confusion, demand, and pressure.

We did some more training with the pastors today and we are hoping that they are going to stretch themselves and allow God to use them. From what has been communicated they are expecting Saturday to be the biggest day and that will be a fun challenge for me as I bring them the word of the Lord. I know that the lord will speak through me his message for a hurting people. I will have more time to write you tomorrow since we have the day off. I will use much of it to rest and prepare my message for Saturday.
Jason
P.S. Mom, I love you and know that we can feel the prayers of you and Joan. Dads message was a bit of a struggle but God used it mightily.

Thursday Morning Pastors Conference - Shelly Erickson

Wow, what a morning. Thanks Bill for your sensitivity to the Spirit and Jeff for yours. They were both right on. We went and prayed at the front gate and Kim/Sonja found at the back gate it had fallen down. Some had heard it happen last night. The busses didn't come last night because of the protest, so we should have more coming tonight. This morning after we prayed at the east gate the spirit came in power at the pastors confrence. Pastors repenting for backsliding and after the teaching that we were all just normal people who came to pray, God poured out at the practical application. It was awesome. A lot leave the ministry because they have to work to feed their family and there seems to be a conatation of since attatched to that. My heart broke. I find myself crying quite frequently, although the worship was so great...you should have seen Heidi, Mark, Kim and I dancing with a local interpretor to the song He's the Mighty One of Israeal...His voice shall be heard with the power of His word! WOW... we are getting lots of pictures!
Keep praying. There is a lot of warfare, but God is moving. A deaf lady was partially healed in the park today and is coming tonight. The national pastors prayed for our team. Those who feel nothing...FELT something! Of course Sonja and I had a great time as the anointing was so strong! We were all encouraged.
Shelly

First Night Report from Shelly Erickson

God is good. We had much oposition BUT GOD!
We had between 4 to 6000 people show up. The churches had done their work well. Hundreds came forward to recieve Jesus. It was hard to tell the exact number as they crowded to the front for prayer. There were just our small group and one missionary lady that prayed. But GOD!
There were blind that saw, and deaf that heard. Headaches gone and many other things. The people are hungry for the power of God to be demonstrated. It was quite a faith challenge for us as they just kept coming. I could not help but cry. Sweeet people desperate for a touch from God. The little ladies come up and hug and kiss us just for coming and they are so grateful to be prayed for. We have had a long day and we are all headed for bed 12-30pm and up early for another pastors confrence. Pray that Rod and Steve will be able to minister life that brings change and hope for them personally and for their church. They seem pretty worn like we all get from the battle. Even though you are not here in body, your prayers are so important and the outpouring that is here is your reward too. Thanks for the encouragement and if the Lord gives you anything for us we love to hear from you.
The protest was uneventful. The warfare was definately over the sound system and against Rod as he preached.
Shelly (Erickson)

I am on a break between sessions. In 3 hours we will go back to the coliseum and get ready for the crusade tonight. This morning we had a training time with a bunch of pastors and then we had a great prayer time for the filling of the spirit. They all believe that God does miracles but rarely pray for anyone themselves. I gave them the blessing and then asked the Lord to pour the holy spirit out on them. Many people I prayed for went down under the power of the spirit.

I am very excited about the crusade tonight. All fear has left and we are ready to march forward and see a great harvest for God. Last night our group prayed together for anointing and it was Dad (Rod) who the Lord chose to really anoint and pour out on. He needed it as he has been giving and ministering to many of the team.

We are ready for the crusade tonight.

The city is protesting against the government today, but they are leaving the businesses and hotels alone. We have bigger things to do, so it is not bothering us. The Lord will keep us safe and use this for His glory.

We really hope the pastors are planning to help us during this crusade. Not many raised their hands that they were going to be helping us pray for the people coming forward, but we used our training time to challenge and encourage them. Dad lost his backpack for a little while. He left it on the back of a motokar. Fortunately he was able to chase down the driver while using another car. It is super hot here and humid. The stadium was blistering and smoltering this morning. It will be hot with 8,000 people or more in there tonight.

I will try to write you tomorrow morning or tonight late if I can and tell you how it goes. I need to go and sleep in the air conditioning.

It is good to here from you. I did feel a little nervous, but more overwhelmed by the spirit than anything else. We are all nervous about the crusade since they are making us out to be almost the lord. We keep trying to help them understand that we are just men and that it is God who is doing the work. For the first time in my life I really understand how Paul went into cities with much fear and trembling, but also how the Lord has placed us in a position that if he does not show up in power, we will be seen as frauds, as with all the pastors in town. I know that when we step out in faith that God will not let us dangle on a ledge because He finally has us in a position that He can use us. We have a group anointing prayer meeting tonight and I am looking forward to that. I believe that God will show us a sign of the anointing that he is placing on our group and in particular the speakers. God is going to stretch out his hand to heal with miraculous power and we will get to see a great harvest.

I am doing well here and have been able to see great things revealed to me. I have physically seen angels, seen some of the warring that God is already involved in on our behalf. Today I led a young man that I met in the computer lab yesterday, to the Lord on the street. He is coming to the crusade and bringing all of his friends.

The rally starts tomorrow and goes Thrusday and Saturday. It starts at 7 our time, and then will go till its over.

One reason you couldn't sleep last night is because we were travailing with the Lord of the grandness of this crusade and the smallness of us if Jesus does not come mighty.