Hello faithful blog followers, this is Dayna! Now that we are in a New Year, I thought I would share some thoughts about my own journey here at Bethel thus far. Our past blogs have been filled with much of what we have been learning here at Bethel but I wanted to include some of the things that the Lord is personally revealing to me and working out in me.

  Even before coming to Redding, Dave and I read Bill Johnson’s book called When Heaven Invades Earth. It was also one of the first books we were required to read and write a book report on when we came here. It is a wonderful book and one that I would recommend. Basically, reading this book helped me to understand the importance of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit transforms our minds and by His transformation comes revelation and with revelation comes greater intimacy and relationship. It is in this supernatural realm that God can do the work on this earth that He has longed for His children to step up to the plate and do. Believe me, here at Bethel, we have seen the impossible become possible!

  For example, Dave and I have laid hands on a young lady and through prayer and commanding illness to leave, have seen an infection inside her mouth vanish! This is common place here and has boosted my faith a million percent! How amazing, how powerful and how humbling is that! We serve an awesome God and although He doesn’t need to me to work out His plan, He’s thrilled when I am a willing vessel.

  I have also had a renewed set of eyes when it comes to reading and studying scripture. We have an awesome Bible teacher who has been with Bethel for the last 20 years. He is very knowledgable and very funny, which makes learning that much more enjoyable.

  From September to November I took a class on the Prophetic. I didn’t know a whole lot about this gift, but had such a desire to learn what it means, how to develop my gift of Prophecy and the purpose behind Prophetic Ministry. The gift of prophecy is one of the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor.12), it is available to ALL believers, and the main idea behind this ministry is to ‘call out the gold’. Basically, prophecy is tuning in to hear the voice of God. It is a tool that God uses for exhortation, edification and comfort. It should never be used to state the problem but rather always used to provide the answer. God has grown me in this gift and it is wonderful to hear His voice (although He doesn’t always use words), speak with Him about what He’s prompting me to do (if anything) and then follow through with it. When the ‘message’ is delivered to the person to whom He wants you to deliver it to, the reaction (especially when I have been ‘bang-on’ accurate in hearing His voice) is amazing. It is easy to be fearful about these things and I have asked myself and the Holy Spirit “what if I’m wrong?” but in this process of learning, the Lord has been faithful to my desire to learn and grow and I’m trusting that what I have been asked to ‘deliver’ on His behalf, will come to fruition in the lives of the individuals that have been the recipients. Here at Bethel, they spell faith…R-I-S-K !

 Since starting school I have also had the opportunity to work with woman in a Drug Rehabilitation Program called Visions. This is a Christian based organization and Bethel has been sending students to help out with the woman for the last 5 years. I have learned a lot from these woman who are hurting, broken and who have lost custody of their children due to drug and alcohol addictions. They are beautiful people that Christ died for too and we have been able to share the gospel, share our testimonies, speak His love into their broken hearts and pray with them. Often times we see them come into the meeting withdrawn and downcast, but we see them leave filled with hope and a smile. 

  I’m also taking a class called International Transformation. There are 40 other students in this class but we have been divided into groups of 5 or 6. Each group has been given a project and the one that my group is developing is the provision of Restoration packages to children in Thailand/Burma who have been injured themselves (loss of limbs) or who have lost family members to landmines.  My group (I was nominated to be the leader) has been blessed to have a contact there that we have been able to email to get ideas as to what to put in these ‘packs’. She is a past Bethel student and now works as a Missionary in Thailand.

  I feel very fortunate that I have a great team of students to work alongside and that our contact in Thailand is available via email! Jackie has provided us with a great deal of help and suggestions as to what we could provide (art supplies, exercise equipment like balls and jump ropes, bibles, puzzles, and the Jesus movie in their language). These are items that are not easily available there and will provide the children ‘restoration’; physically, mentally and spiritually. I’m excited to see what we’ll be able to procure and finally send over to Thailand!

  Dave and I have decided to take a program called Love after Marriage. We take this class on Sunday afternoon and we have 3 other couples in our group, 1 of which are Bethel students from Australia. So far we have only taken 3 classes, but it’s really good material! It has added some extra homework to our week but it’s worth it J

  God has also used me to be a ‘spiritual Mom’ to many young ladies in our Revival Group (our RG meets every Wednesday). Some of these young gals (and guys) are in there early 20’s and sometimes really need a hug, encouraging word or prayer. They call us ‘mom and dad’ J We love it and feel blessed by their openness and energy.

  If there is one thing that I have really begun to understand it’s that God loves us so much! We serve a God of love and He is always good and always in a good mood. If we choose to hang on to the ‘old wineskins’ or old ways of thinking and ‘doing’, we will never see true revival or fruit that is lasting. God wants to use new wineskins that walk in consistency to His Kingdom. He wants His sons and daughters to understand who we are and what we have because of our Royal inheritance. We are missing the very heart of Father God if we don’t love and give of ourselves as Jesus did. Wow!

   As the next few months unfold, I am eager to see how the Lord is going to continue to use me (us). There is a conference at the end of February and we have our Mission trip in March to New Zealand, which will be totally exciting. Before we know it, we’ll be graduating in May! In our time here, I have never questioned why we came to Bethel. It has been such an incredible and sometimes challenging journey and I’m so glad I got to do this with Dave. We have grown together and as individuals. God has been more than faithful and I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. That said, if we leave here and don’t do anything with the tools we have learned and the gifts we have grown in, then what was the point? There is no doubt that God will honor our time here and place us where He wants us. We are both open to whatever and wherever that might look like. I know in my heart I will never be satisfied again with the ‘status quo’. 

  Thanks for tuning in!

  Dayna