Hearts United Women's Ministry

Knitting Hearts Gathering on April 14, 2018
Testimonies by Knitting Hearts at the Beach Team

Mona McKellar blessed our gathering with a saxophone solo as the guests were mingling and sharing breakfast together. Joyce Sanders opened the group in prayer. Dalana Barnette prayed a blessing over Israel and then blew the shofar. Since this is the fourteenth anniversary of KHM, Joyce gave a brief recap of how the ministry began. She felt that God said this ministry was to knit hearts together in love and unity. She shared seven Hebrew words that show different aspects of worship. Dalana’s flag team exalted the Lord in celebration to the song, “Witness.” Definitely, love is like a fountain that will never run dry, and it moves mountains.

Guests were honored as many received door prizes. This year’s proclamation, Psalm 78:4, reminded us to stand strong, After Joyce introduced the individual team members, Great Commission Ministries’ Praise Team led worship. Proclamation continued as the team led us to declare “I’m so glad You came to save us,” and to tell You how much we love to sing Your praises. Through song we welcomed the Holy Spirit, the Living Water that never runs dry, and asked for His power and filling. We continued to praise our Savior, the One who won the victory, the risen King seated in majesty. We all lifted our voices to shout, “There is no God like Jehovah.”

Jesenia Maldando shared a brief recap of her life. She is an image of beauty in brokenness because she has been transformed. She was born with a brain deficiency, and she remembers going from doctor to doctor in Puerto Rico and being on various medications. Recently she felt that God was taking her to a new level; then, she started having seizures and a stroke. She heard God’s voice saying that He wasn’t finished with her yet. When her foot was injured and she felt that she could not praise Him in worship dance, God reminded her that she had hands. God said, “Go up there and worship.” That is why today she could so exalt Him as she danced and lifted her flags to exalt her Lord and Savior.

Thais Juste told of God’s plan to bring her and her family to this country so that they would come to know Him. When she and her family first came to America, they went to a friend’s home. The room that was to be theirs was occupied by someone else, and they had to stay in the living room. Her husband was bipolar and drank a lot as well. Gabriel le wanted to go back home, so she went to a friend’s house in California while he went to Brazil. During this time Thais listened to praise and worship. There was a time when Gabrielle fluctuated between living here and going back to Brazil. When he was here, his mood swings caused him to be volatile, to stay out all night, and to constantly threaten her. He couldn’t keep a job. She continued to go to church services where she felt such love. Gabrielle told her, “You stink like church. I’m going back to Brazil.” They went an entire month without even speaking to each other. Gabrielle accused her of being his problem, and he began threatening suicide. On a Wednesday night, she confessed Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Later Gabrielle said, “Get out of here, Jesus.” She realized that he could see Jesus in her. The Lord filled her with the Holy Spirit. She asked the people from her church to go to her house to pray for Gab.

Gabrielle’s story: He declared, “Jesus is wonderful.” When the people from the church visited the first time, Gabrielle said, “No.” They read the Word to him. They came back two days later. He told them, “For me it doesn’t work.” The church kept praying and visiting. Gabrielle wondered if their visits and praying would ever end. They kept coming and kept asking him to accept Jesus. He declared, “To this day I don’t know what happened. After one of their visits, I was on the couch by myself. Out of nothing something happened. I started shaking, and this movie kept flowing through my mind. It was long. It kept going on and on. It was a review of my life. It felt like stains all over my body. I thought of those scrub brushes that we used to wash dirty clothes. The Lord was like the lady that was rubbing. The stains were coming out. They hurt. I started rolling on the ground. I wanted to explode. The process continued. I started yelling. As I was calming down, my wife came in. Everything changed from that moment on. I believe I had a legion of demons inside of me, and that day the Lord expelled all of them out of me. Right after that forgiveness came. I started calling people I had hurt and asked forgiveness. Then I proposed to Thiaz. The Holy Spirit came and changed me. It has not been easy. It is hard to live a new life. The devil accuses and reminds me of my past. He taunts me and asks me to remember how good it was. The Lord reminds me that I believed and repented, and my sins are forgiven. My sins are in the sea of His forgetfulness. I now have a thirst for the Lord, and I want even more. I feel more joy. I wonder why I waited so long to choose Jesus. I appeal to the young not to waste their youth in the lures of Satan because he just comes to steal, kill, and destroy.”

Their daughter, Gabriella: Gabby remembers the difficult times they had before her dad got saved. Her father wouldn’t even let her see her cousin. Her parents were always fighting. But then there was the day when he called her in and apologized for all he had done. She asked her mom what had happened. Her mom said, “It was Jesus. Jesus changed our lives.” Gabby got saved and baptized after seeing the change in her parents’ lives. They set an example for her.

Stephanie Wittig performed a drama to the “Alabaster Box.” The message of this song highlighted the thoughts from the international speakers.

Fernanda Kapps shared about the power of prayer and transformation. She had no thoughts of salvation, but her family in America was praying for her. She, on the other hand, was wrapped up in her singing career and college. She lived the party scene and was on reality shows and sang in concerts across Brazil. God met her though when her grandma picked her up from the bus one particular day, and she ended up attending church with her. She went mocking, but she felt something there. She began to live a double life. A taxicab driver spoke powerful words over her that ultimately led to her salvation and baptism. She felt called to sing for the Lord. God gave her supernatural experiences. Her mother and stepfather persecuted her. God told her to come to America for six months. She came, but she ended up staying. Ultimately, she met a wonderful man, and they got married. As a Christian she realized that she had to get free from some of the demonic influences from her past. She battled to remain in His Word. Her earthly father was not a strong influence in her life because he was not there that often. She told us that she, however, did not lack for love. God reminded her that He is the perfect Father. At times she has been depressed, and she realized that she was fighting principalities and the powers of darkness. God has redeemed her for such a time as this so that she can accomplish His plan for her life. A Scripture passage that means so much to her is Philippians 3: 8-9: What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Christy Cooper played the piano and sang “Reckless Love of God,” as the altar call was given.

Today’s celebration service focused on the salvation message and the sharing of stories from those whose lives have been redeemed. Words from “The Alabaster Box” summarize the theme for today: “I can’t forget the way life used to be. I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound” but then there was the day “when Jesus came to me and healed my soul with the wonder of His touch.”

Because He came and found us, we are “giving back to Him all the praise He’s worthy of” because we have been forgiven.

AND THAT’S WHY WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH—the One who chased us down, fought for us until we were found, left the ninety-nine, and even when we were His foe, He fought for us.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.