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| Rev Joan Wakeford in South Africa in 2008 |
Hello Loves,
It is with great joy I
send my greetings to you, in the precious Name of Jesus. It feels like yesterday I was in South Africa. What a blessed time
I had and how refreshing and my thanks to everyone who treated me so royally and celebrated my birthday with love and showers
of gifts. Thank you and GOD BLESS YOU. I believe the Theme of my visit was “ENCOURAGEMENT”, which according to
the Webster dictionary is: to inspire with courage and hope, and I believe this is what took place everywhere I went.
Believe me it worked both ways. I came away from all of my visits with friends and family, feeling uplifted and joyous. It
was quite amazing. One of the ladies, a stranger I talked to on the plane from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, must have thanked
me about 3 times for talking to her and as she got out she turned around and hugged and kissed me and once again said, “Thank
you”. I don’t even know what I had said, but I guess Jesus does, since He usually does all the talking. I enjoyed
the hug.
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I must share a very personal
experience, which proves that I am still human and prone to normal/carnal thinking. Lying in bed I began to worry about the
survival of Joan Wakeford Ministries if I’m not out there preaching as often as I used to. I immediately
heard the still small voice saying to my spirit, “OH NO, here we go again”. You can tell we have been
through this before and as always I am encouraged to know that I am well taken care of, always have been and always will be.
So I decided AGAIN I must just leave it up to God. Then, that same morning I received a letter from friends of Sharon’s
I had not seen or talked to for over 20 years. They thanked me for the Anniversary Card I sent to them, they gave me all the
news about their lives and what had been happening to them and they enclosed a check. I sat there and wept. All I could say
was, “Thank you Lord”. He and I knew what I meant.
Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey (M.C.C.)
On returning I was
sad to hear about the passing of a dear friend Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey (M.C.C.) It brings back memories
of our first meeting over 30 years ago, when I was scheduled to speak in her church and an irate father called to say he was
coming to the church in the morning to shoot the Pastor. He was very angry as his son was attending the church much against
his wishes. Jeri Ann was advised to get Joan Wakeford out of the pulpit, but after an all night prayer vigil, it was decided
I preach after all. Praise God, at the end of the service the father came forward to the altar weeping and confessed to the
wonderful Presence of God in the church and apologized for his dreadful behavior. At the close of the service, while still
in the altar area, I went up to Jeri Ann to hug her and she said, “Don’t come any closer or He will get me.”
I was flabbergasted. Then I understood. She thought that if I touched her she would be filled with the Holy Spirit as others
had been, and she wasn’t ready. Nothing more was said. However, a few months later I received a Post Card in South Africa.
All it said was, “HE GOT ME”. But that is all it took for her to go on to become one of the most powerful
and anointed ministers in the Fellowship. GOD SPEED JERI ANN, HE HAS TRULY GOT YOU NOW.
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Rev. Linda Harris
Many of you already know
that we almost lost our beloved Rev. Linda Harris. She had fallen and broken her shoulder while in church
one Sunday and insisted on staying through the service until it was over, before going to get attention at the hospital. Then
she had a more serious fall and this time, by the time they got her to the emergency ward she had gone into cardiac arrest
and for a short while she left us. Thank God the medical team was able to resuscitate her. Even so, she was still in a very
serious condition and in I.C.U. for quite a while. So many visitors came to see her that the hospital staff had a conniption.
Then they relented and though it took forever, everyone was allowed to see her for 10 minutes at a time. Bill and I saw her
for a short while last week and we had a precious time of prayer together with family and friends. Now we praise God that
the next day she came through a surgery for the insertion of a wire pulse, which will help her should she ever have another
heart attack and yesterday she was moved to a rehabilitation center for further help in her recovery. We know God is with
you Linda and you are surrounded by all of our prayers for a speedy and complete recovery.
UPDATE:
Linda Harris has been transferred to: Health
South Rehabilitation Hospital 1212 West Lancaster,
Fort Worth, TX 76102 Phone: 817-289-3275 Room # 208. Linda’s rehab sessions last around
3 hours each day, so please call before coming for a visit. Please keep Linda in your prayers.
Please continue to keep
me in your prayers. I still plan on continuing my ministry, as the Lord leads and Saint Louis is the 1st on the list. There
are other places on my heart and as God opens the doors I will be ready to step through. Pray also that I will be able to
get my book in order for it to be edited and published soon.
I want to leave you with
a Scripture that has been a blessing to me, John 14:12 (from The Message.) “The person who trusts me will not only
do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that
I have been doing. YOU CAN COUNT ON IT”.
So let’s get out there and do it.
God Bless you and thank
you for all your love and support, always. I love you, Joan
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