Ministry Update: Fall 2018

We recently returned from Canada where we had a very powerful time as we ministered in the Victoria area on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We had blessed meetings the whole time and the Holy Spirit was pouring out in a glorious way! We had a couple meetings that just kept going late into the evening.

Sharing the Word at Victoria Miracle Cafe
in British Columbia, Canada.

The Holy Spirit filled and empowered many
during our time in British Columbia, Canada.

We hit the ground running after we got across the border. Just crossing the border was an unusual situation with lots of weird questions they kept hammering at us about guns—you’d suppose they think all Americans are armed to the teeth and toting an arsenal of weapons around. We were a little rattled after that late-night inquisition and ended up getting to bed really late.

The next morning did actually start off with a bang as there was some confusion as to what was the first meeting we would be preaching. Right as we were getting up, the pastor we were staying with got a text from another pastor wondering if we were on our way to his church to preach that morning.

There had been some miscommunication, so we suddenly—after a long night at the border and getting to bed very late—had to throw on our clothes and rush out the door and fly over to that church. Fly we did as our friend drove us very rapidly in his fast car at top speed to the church.

They were all sitting in there and waiting, repeatedly playing worship songs over and over, anticipating our arrival.

Though confusion and stress can sometimes get thrown into the mix through spiritual warfare, God can turn it around for good!

We had to completely rely on the Holy Spirit as we rushed in, with no message prepared, lacking coffee, and sufficient food. Feeling thrown in the deep end with our clothes on, we just pressed into the Holy Spirit and the message the Lord gave us on the spot set the tone for the rest of our time ministering in Victoria: “God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8.

These type of situations that are challenging when you’re lacking sleep, food, and preparation, can force total reliance on the Holy Spirit and are actually used by the Lord at times to teach us dependence on His Spirit rather than on self and our own human faculties, which is exactly what this verse is alluding to.

The message actually flowed really well and we had a powerful ministry time with many getting touched by the Lord in a major way! They were so blessed they had us do extra meetings later on in the week and the pastor and his wife ended up inviting us to their home on the coast where we also got the added blessing of getting a bit of surf. This was quite miraculous, as the reports said it was completely flat, but our son Patrick had been praying for some waves, and so we got to experience a new place to do some surfing in Canada!

We had many blessed meetings on from there, with a meeting we did that went long into the evening as we led worship and shared Holy Ghost Stories from the early days of the Vineyard and the Jesus People Revival late into the evening!

We received some testimonies later of people who were filled with the Spirit and also received healing, including a woman who got healed from a stiffness in her neck. A man also shared how he felt led to pray for someone at work after we laid hands on him, and the person ended up getting healed. Another woman shared how her hips were healed when we prayed for her in one of the meetings. There was also a birthday party where we shared, that turned into an evangelistic outreach, which had four people indicating decisions to surrender to Christ, and which flowed into another all-night ministry meeting, hallelujah!

We were blessed to experience the Lord touch, fill, heal, and save through the power of His Spirit while we ministered up north!

We’ve also been blessed to experience the Lord moving amongst the southern border as we have been ministering there in some different churches. We had a few people make decisions to surrender their lives to Christ in various different meetings as well as a woman who received healing from ringing in her ears, as well as numerous people filled with the Holy Spirit in a powerful way. In one recent service, a brother shared how deeply he was touched and encouraged as he was filled with God’s power, and that the verse we were sharing on was exactly what he felt the Lord was focusing him on at that time.

We had a divine appointment recently as we and some friends shared with a waitress who we ended up praying for after eating dinner. She got powerfully touched by the Lord’s presence! She was a new believer with whom we were all sharing about the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit. We prayed for her in the parking lot as tears streamed down her face while the Lord touched her and spoke into her life! Hallelujah!

The Lord’s Commission is to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations, so we are glad to participate in His work! We thank you for helping us in these efforts through your prayers and support!

Much love and blessings!

Bryan, Mercedes and Patrick Marleaux