LA Azusa Now mission trip

I am overwhelmed. 

I’m overwhelmed by God’s goodness, because the number of testimonies I could share from our time in LA are literally way too numerous to count, let alone write out. So as I share some highlights, know that these are only a tiny taste of God’s greater work in LA and far beyond… what an incredible week!

One of our main ministry days was spent at California State University. We broke up into small groups and ministered to people, which practically looked like just talking to people, encouraging them, asking if we could pray for them, telling them about Jesus, and asking God to heal them. 

One of my testimonies from this day was one of many examples this week of me stepping out in talking to someone who formerly would’ve been extremely intimidating for me. My group got stopped by a man named Christopher who wanted me to sign petitions. When my group told him we were from Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry he asked what that means (thought it sounded like aliens or something). I told him we just believe we can have the same relationship with God as Jesus did and can see miracles and people healed! We asked if he needed prayer for anything and he told us he's a fashion designer and really desires the grace of God on his life and favor in his business. We asked if we could pray for him right then and there, and he got excited and said "yeah let's pray!" grabbed our hands, and closed his eyes bowing his head. As we prayed for him and blessed him he agreed in prayer and when we finished he said he felt the impact of our prayers and was super blessed. We returned later on to give him a book of testimonies from Bethel students and he was so excited, he opened it and read a whole testimony of a miraculous healing aloud to his friends on the spot. He then introduced us to his friends and two girls said they really want to be closer to God, so we got to pray for them and gave hugs all around! That night we found out another group visited them later and got to share their testimonies, prophesy, and pray for them. When he found out they were with us and he said he's been reading the testimony book to people and how incredible the stories were! He raved about how cool he thought we were and said he appreciated that we weren’t super “religious.”

Another really cool aspect of our day there was that we got to partner with InterVarsity, which is an evangelical, interdenominational campus ministry. We were asked to activate the InterVarsity leaders in supernatural evangelism, which meant we got to help them learn to hear God’s voice for people and learn how to pray for healing. At the end of the day we all gathered to share testimonies, and many of the InterVarsity leaders shared that they were incredibly impacted and encouraged by the day, realizing for the first time that they could hear God’s voice, and how they got to see God heal people as they prayed! It was a beautiful time partnering with them. As we gathered outside and shared testimonies of many people getting saved that day as well as healings and people getting deeply touched by God, students were stopping to listen in which gave us even more opportunities to talk to them about God and His goodness.

Another day we got to go to part of a Power and Love conference led by Todd White. Bethel students became the leaders of outreach groups as part of the conference is activating the attendees in lifestyle evangelism - going out and loving on people and telling them about Jesus during breaks. My friend and I got paired with a mother and daughter and went to Whole Foods for lunch. We got to share our testimonies with them, pray and prophesy over them, and together we also talked with a beautiful new bride who worked at Whole Foods. She’s Indian and had a Hindu wedding but is a practicing Buddhist. As we told her about why we were in LA we got to tell her some about Jesus and ended up praying a blessing over her and her new marriage. She was so blessed and seemed very intrigued!

That night we led a service at a hispanic church called Restoracion Total. During part of the service we students were taking turns giving “words of knowledge” from the stage, which means we ask God for a specific fact about someone in the room who needs prayer or encouragement. When we call it out, if the word makes sense to anyone we go and pray over them. I had a word of knowledge about teeth pain, and when I called it out one man raised his hand. My friend and I went to pray for him and he told us he has been in continual pain from grinding his teeth for a long time. After asking Holy Spirit to come heal and commanding the pain to leave we asked him how he felt - at first the pain had lessened but was still there, but when we prayed again, the pain was completely gone!

We had so many amazing testimonies from that night. My friends prayed for a woman whose hearing was almost gone and Jesus completely restored her hearing (she was so excited because she had a new baby boy and would be able to hear him!) Another friend of mine got to pray for a man with emphysema and pain in his lungs. As they prayed all the man’s pain left and he took off his oxygen tube able to breathe on his own!

The other day with the most testimonies was the day of the Azusa Now event. From 8am to 10:30pm, we gathered in the LA Memorial Coliseum for worship, prayer, and the preaching of the gospel. It was one of the best days of my life. In worship, I experienced the joy of the Lord more strongly than I ever have, dancing, shouting, and worshipping with all in me, and still feeling like I couldn't express my joy enough. The Father's presence and love was so tangible, and I saw people weeping and laughing and getting delivered in worship, so moved by His nearness and love.

I got to pray with so many precious individuals. One man who had herniated discs in his back and pain for 10 years was completely healed. I got to pray with a woman with MS. As I prayed for her healing she felt a lot of heat in her body, which is often a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence to heal. She still had pain, but she felt it reduce, and we are believing the Lord will continue the work of healing in her to completion. I also got to lead her in prayer for renewed relationship with the Lord, because in her illness she felt very distant from Him. She wept as she repented and felt his peace!

I saw God deeply touch several individuals as we got specific words from Him about how He created them, and as He broke off lies and bondage, replacing them with His truth and love. At one point someone in a wheelchair who had had people praying for them for a long time got up and began to walk, healed, in the center of the coliseum where everyone could see, resulting in extreme rejoicing of everyone present!

I heard lots more stories of years of pain dissolving in a moment, deaf ears opened, blind eyes seeing, and many, many individuals choosing to give their lives to Jesus!!

Hundreds more testimonies have been written out on the Facebook page called BSSM Flood LA 2016 - you can find it at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/207775382929291/

I’ll include some of my favorites below…

Two groups’ bus drivers gave their lives to the Lord on the day of our journey back to Redding!

God healed a woman paralyzed for 10 years.

Someone prayed for a Kardashian and she was completely healed. George Lopez went through a group’s joy tunnel. Someone got to pray and prophesy over one of the top 5 American Idol contestants who was signing autographs - she cried and hugged him a long time and it’s all on paparazzi footage here.

This woman was almost completely blind but God restored her sight almost completely! She shares her testimony in this video.

This man's hearing was restored!

This week was altogether beautiful. I have been continually amazed over and over at the Father’s desire to be involved in the most minute details of our lives, to show us His love, to win His children’s hearts back to Himself. I have grown so much. I’ve punched fear of man in the face over and over, and I’ve truly come to believe experientially that God wants to and does work through me supernaturally. I’ve led others well in things I’ve only just learned myself in the last few months.

Our God is so good. How blessed am I that I get to spend the rest of my life as His vessel to see Him change the world and win hearts back to Himself?!

I would be more than happy to share more with any of you if you want to hear more stories or explanations about my trip. Again, thank you thank you thank you so much for your support both financially and with your prayers. You have given me an incredible gift, being able to be a part of God’s work this week.

Love,

Cassandra