Dear Friends,


Port Townsend may have been bypassed years ago, but many believe the Lord has a wonderful destiny for this Key City. As many of you may know, it is a city known for new age beliefs and other expressions of "liberal spirituality". But it is also a city of great creativity and varied artistic expression. We believe these gifts are "in the land" ….and are redemptive aspects which will emerge as the Kingdom of God continues to have full expression in the city. We also believe these meetings with Rolland will be a wonderful expression of believer's unified desire for spiritual renewal and blessing for Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula. If you cannot join us....please pray for these meetings.

Blessings,

Darrell and Carlene


New Song Foursquare Church
10:30 a.m.
3918 San Juan Avenue
Port Townsend
360-385-7132


New Life Assembly of God
6 p.m.
1636 Hastings St.
Port Townsend
360-385-7717

Accomodations:
http://www.ptguide.com/accommodations/index.html


More information on IRIS MINISTRIES
http://www.irismin.org/

ROLLAND AND HEIDI BAKER began Iris Ministries, Inc., an interdenominational mission, in 1980 and have been missionaries for the past twenty-five years. They were both ordained as ministers in 1985 after completing their BA and MA degrees at Southern California College in Biblical Studies and Church Leadership. Rolland is a third-generation missionary born and raised in China and Taiwan. He was greatly influenced by his grandfather, H.A. Baker, who wrote "Visions Beyond the Veil," an account of the extended visions of heaven and hell that children received in his remote orphanage in southwest China two generations ago. In 1992 they left to do their PhDs in systematic theology at King's College, University of London. At the same time they planted a church among the homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics who lived on the streets in central London.

Rolland and Heidi Baker have had the privilege of entering the river of genuine revival with signs and wonders following the preaching of the Word. They have experienced what it means to watch manna from heaven multiply and feed thousands of orphans with both physical and spiritual food. They have inspired and taught countless pastors and leaders and laymen from the nations of the world with the simple message of intimate, dependent, childlike relationship with Jesus.

7,000 churches have been planted out of Iris ministry, 12,000 children and families are fed daily, and over 50 confirmed people raised from the dead, as well as countless testimonies of God healing people of sickness and disease.

Carlene and I are in Mexico, speaking in very small and seemingly
insignificant churches. Most of them are working in areas of ministry
connected to serving the poor and especially focused on children. We
have come alongside these leaders, and have felt very honored and
blessed to serve them. Unlike Korea, here, there is next
to nothing of monetary gifts... and actually, we want nothing. We've
come here on our own dime... and want to leave many more dimes here.

I believe the Holy Spirit is teaching us once again, new levels of
trust and dependence. There are so many churches and ministries here
in Cabo... but not much unity.

An interesting observation of ours, is that somehow both in Korea and in Mexico, musicians have picked up on the latest live worship albums... and they study these recordings and emulate both the style, volume, and even actions and dance moves as some of these recordings are captured on video. These worship leaders then attempt to duplicate everything they see and hear. Even the transitions between songs, as well as the terminology... when they are successful at this emulation, they feel as if they have moved into
another realm of worship. The volume levels are dangerously high, and
I believe I need to speak into this situation... as we have formed
trusting relationships... I hope we will be heard.


There is not much of any seclusion or quietness in these cultures as much of their Christianity is measured by tangible things they do. Unlike America,
and other developed nations, a building to meet in is very important
to the neighborhoods. For many of these churches, these buildings are
used quite often for childcare, community meetings, and other purposes
beyond church meetings. The huge gap between the haves and the have
nots is so evident here in this area. Cabo has a negative
unemployment figure... and hundreds of transients from other Mexican
cities are flooding this area... still, there is a constant need for
workers. The international flavor of the resorts and cruise ships
provide massive amounts of cash... and the sinfulness and debauchery
is not unlike what (I've heard) Las Vegas is. There is one
English-speaking church for tourists and permanent residents from
America.... but, we have learned to love indigenous leaders we have developed relationships with.

We are wondering why the Lord has brought us to these two countries...
it's still a bit of a mystery. I have found it frustrating to meet so
many pastors and leaders who recognize that church as they know it
doesn't really seem to be working. So they work harder at something
that's not working. And leaders in these churches, whether it be
worship, youth, or mission outreaches, are more attracted to the
latest well-known ministries or personalities than exploring what God
has given them in their own backyard.

Sometime ago I had a vision... or more accurately, a picture... that I
felt was from the Lord. I saw many streams of the body of Christ...
sort of like threads on a table, which when woven together by the
Lord, form a beautiful rope. When man attempts to weave the rope...
it's a tangled mess. Each one of these threads represented a
different emphasis. For example: the prophetic, healing, seeker
sensitive, 24-hour worship, end time teaching, house churches, inner
healing, emerging churches, emphasis on the poor and marginalized,
pray for Israel movements, discipleship, supernatural signs and
wonders, evangelism, teaching gifts, marketplace, evangelism,
apostolic networks, prayer movements, revivalists and renewalists... I
guess you get my point.

Each one of these threads could be viewed as an independent stream,
and sometimes I feel like we align ourselves up with one of these
threads, because they serve... at least temporarily... a function. Or
we may align ourselves with a thread on the other side of the table
and in the meantime tangle and confuse other threads in our attempt to
weave something beautiful.

I'm not sure if this means anything... maybe it's something yet to be
revealed, but I feel like we need much discernment and wisdom and
revelation to a accurately align ourselves up with the right people in
the right place and in the right timing.

I love what Graham says... that we should never prophesy the first thing, but
wait for the second thing.I want to take a hands off
posture and let the Holy Spirit bring the right threads together. I
guess this means we must listen carefully...

Dear Friends of Pacificministries,

I believe we take ourselves, and even the Lord, much too seriously. Graham Cooke said recently: "... the Lord loves to laugh with us, and sometimes he laughs at us. Because we are funny."

A little over a week ago, a team of friends visited Sacred Ground Foursquare Church in Seletz, Oregon. We have a five-year relationship with the leaders of this First Nations Church, and we worshipped together and celebrated their purchase of property. On our way to Seletz, we passed through Newport, Oregon. Carlene and I lived in Newport some 20 years ago, and we love it's breathtakingly beautiful coastland.

For the last several months, I have had a curious and uncharacteristic desire to paint. If you know, my artistic ability at all... it is embarrassing. I have great admiration and appreciation for those of you who can take a paint brush and create beautiful renditions of scenery or people. But I have learned to obey these impressions, and felt as if the Lord said: just do it.

So a few weeks ago, I went to the art store and bought my first junior watercolor set. Typical of my approach to anything artistic, I never bothered to read the little instructional book that came with my watercolor painting set... I just wanted to start painting, so thought I'd start with an Oregon Coast scene.

Unfortunately, as we approached Newport, the weather turned ugly, and we experienced a massive coastal downpour. Not the best time to paint. But I was determined. We parked our car along the highway at a viewpoint just north of the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, turned on the windshield wipers and the heater, got out our paper, and began to paint.

It was pretty funny. We kept on spilling the watercolors and messed up the console of our Honda... but we had fun. After an hour or so, we revealed our masterpieces to each other, laughed, and continued on our way. I still want to paint, and surprisingly, our first attempts weren’t nearly as disastrous as expected.

Last Sunday, just a week later, Carlene and I were speaking in a small Mexican church in Cabo Mexico. We had a wonderful time with these brothers and sisters, and celebrated Jesus with them. Imagine my surprise when I noticed the large banner logo for this fellowship. It matched our paintings, almost perfectly:

Some of you may believe I have stretched this a bit. You might be right. All I know is that we had a great laugh together. How could there ever be connection between a small fellowship on the coast of Oregon and another group of believers in the Baja Peninsula some 2500 miles apart. Sometimes I try to make the connections ... and other times, I just, well, laugh.

I invite you to look for the supernatural and humorous ways in which the Holy Spirit enjoys us... and I encourage you to welcome him into the ordinary and insignificant areas of your life. And if He tells you to pick up the piano or the guitar or a watercolor paint set, I have three words of advice: Just Do It.

See all of you creative people at Worship at the River this Sunday, May 13th in Troutdale Oregon.

Darrell and Carlene

PS.. Some of our wonderful friends in Cabo San Jose Mexico....