Indianapolis

Another Kingdom Class just started

August 30, 2013 Merlin Gonzales a Study on God's Dominion

It’s been a busy July with the FHL Week 2013 new format. We started with Prayer Celebration on July 21, 2013. The rest of the week included several Projects/Services such as the Project Blessing. Simultaneously, we did the first ever 24/7Indy non stop prayer and worship for 168 hours. We have seen God Encounters and miracles.

After a busy FHL Week, we started the 4th Kingdom Class in Anderson, Indiana on Aug 21st. Like all of the Kingdom classes, this class will end with a project. The project will be tied in with the 24/1 Prayer Worship in Anderson. The participants in this class are expecting big things to happen in their city in the near future. Stay tuned!

FHL Week 2013: Heal the Land

August 7, 2013 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, FHL Indiana, FHL Week, Kindness Weekends

We were blessed to work with Great Lakes Region INROADS Inc, for the first time to mobilize volunteers for this cleanup. INROADS sent about nine of the twelve volunteers who participated in the neighborhood cleanup. A local homeowner , who owns two homes in the area, helped with the cleanup for the first time as well.

Our thanks to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful for arranging to have a thirty yard dumpster placed in the cleanup area. This dumpster is being used to store trash collected during the cleanup until the dumpster is removed from the area.

The following areas were cleaned:

Graceland Avenue from 38th Street to 39th Street, sidewalks medians and street gutters;

West 39th Street from Boulevard Place to Capitol Avenue, sidewalks and street gutters;

Kenwood Avenue/Illinois Street alley, 38th Street to 40th Street, large items removed;

Capitol Avenue/Graceland Avenue alley, 38th Street to 40th Street, large items removed.

The dumpster provided through KIB was filled to about two thirds of the dumpster capacity with trash collected during the cleanup. Water and snacks were made available to all volunteers, who worked for about two hours to help to continue to clean this neighborhood.

There are at least two homes in this neighborhood that are being renovated.

We continue our relationship with the Tree of Life Church at 40th Street and Boulevard Place. The resident of the house that is adjacent to our meeting place came out of her home to see us and spend time with us. We are thankful to serve her and other residents of this area.

After the cleanup was finished, the area where we had worked was checked for stray tools, trash bags or piles of debris. None of these items were left behind by the cleanup crew.

It seems that I do not have have the words to adequately express my thanks to the Lord for all I have seen him do in this neighborhood. Even so, I give Him my thanks.

My THANKS!!!!!!!! to all who have supported this neighborhood through: prayer, street ministry, local congregations, cleanups, city services and home renovation.
Bill Lamb
Faith Hope and Love

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

July 31, 2013 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, FHL Indiana, FHL Week

Mid-week FHL Week & 24/7Indy celebration at Creekside Ministries

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2013

Reported by Facundo Cortez, FHL Anderson/Pendleton Area Coordinator

Today was an extraordinary day as we experience the supernatural pouring out of His Holy Spirit!!!!!!!

We met at WellSpring Church and had our group devo (devotional). We started the day soaking in God’s presence by being in His Word, praying, worshiping & praising the Lord! God’s presence was real! WOW!

Today we had two teams. One team went to Wheeler and another group went to Liberty Christian School to continue the painting project there.

The Wheeler team’s assignment today was to continue doing housekeeping at Wheeler Mission Center for Women and Children in Indianapolis. They cleaned the dining room.

When they were done they went to Garfield Park to enjoy their sack lunch.

The Liberty team continued to make progress painting the women’s bathroom on the first floor. They decided to go to Taco Bell for lunch. While there, one of the team was able to talk to another guest at the restaurant and give her hope since she was going to a rough time. It’s amazing where God can give us opportunities to share the Word about faith, hope and love!

The teams then got together at the ice cream shop across the street from Liberty and eat ice cream together. Then we said goodbye to the Steve Wolverton from Michigan and his two granddaughters. We could not have do it without them.

Then the Holy Ghost Fireworks started!!!

Several churches and ministries from the Anderson/Pendleton attended the 24/7 Indy at Creekside Ministries. It was led by their deaf (ASL) worship team and it was AWESOME! The presence of the Lord was everywhere! The power of the Holy Spirit began to be poured out big time!

(Let me say that my religious/church background is not one that normally feels comfortable with magnification of the Holy Spirit. Some of you reading this may not believe or accept the things I am about to share but I ask that you read with an open mind and heart.)

All of sudden, people began to be filled with the Spirit Holy, slain in the Spirit, shaking uncontrollably, speaking in tongues, laughing for no reason! Some became so drunk in the Spirit that they had to be driven home! Some people were crawling to the altar! Some were healed of physical sickness! Others were healed of broken relationships and broken hearts! Others were set free from bondages, generation curses and so much more!! As people walked thru the prayer tunnel they were also slain in the Holy Spirit. To put it mildly, it was wild!! All of us received the power of the Holy Spirit to do what He wants us to do: Be his witnesses! To proclaim boldly the Good News!

If you weren’t there don’t worry The Holy Spirit is coming to a neighborhood near you! I believe that as the momentum continues we will continue to see an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like in the day of Pentecost! Revival is here NOW! The manifestation of God with signs and wonders is happening NOW! And they will continue from this day forward! To God be the glory!

The Unexpected happened again

July 13, 2013 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions

FHL Office

I was very excited this morning since our organization, FHL, will be opening the 13th food pantry today (in less than 3 years). As my wife and I parked our vehicle in front of our office, I noticed that my plants including my large banana tress were knocked down to the ground! I thought there must be some high winds last night. As I was getting closer to the office, I found out that someone broke into our office!

As I hurriedly enter the front office, everything seemed ok but later I found out that our laptop was stolen. Later, I noticed that the intruder took our DVD player and our cash box. The pattern of how things had transpired was very similar to the first time we were broken into about 3 to 4 years ago. The person who did it knew exactly what to take, a big plasma TV.

Here’s an opportunity for you: Join us as we pray for this person for his/her deliverance from the grips of satan. We forgive this person and we are willing to assist in finding help for him/her. I’m asking you to share this message to others and let’s expect miracles to happen.

While on the cross, Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34 I pray that the Holy Spirit will invade the thief’s heart with His power and love, In Jesus Name.

Let’s expect the unexpected to happen again…from heaven’s perspective.

The History of FHL Part 2

July 3, 2013 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, FHL Indiana, FHL Week, KIOM

Building a church, Costa Rica 2002

After more than two years of trying and failing to go back to the mission field, I had the thought that there must be many people like me who have the heart to go on a mission, but who don’t have the time or money to go. I thought, why not do something similar to taking people outside the country?—Why not have a mission week in our own neighborhoods that would be available to many community churches in the area? The verses in Acts 1:8 made sense to me that we should reach out first to our own Jerusalem, then to Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

In February 2005, I contacted 35 pastors in two communities and invited them to discuss and explore having projects all around the neighborhoods for one week. I met with about 15 of them individually and proposed the neighborhood missions. In April 2005, several leaders from 12 different churches came for our first group meeting. I was surprised to see how many were interested since an associate pastor in my church told me it would be impossible to bring churches of different denominations to work together. It seems strange, but that’s reality.

Seven pastors from different denominations committed to do a week of outreaches in our neighborhood. We met on a regular basis identifying needs and resources in our communities. Once we narrowed down the needs list, we developed projects and then asked our congregations and the surrounding businesses to provide the resources needed. We did not have any budget so we worked hard to find resources around us. Seven churches and 200+ volunteers performed 10 projects for the first Faith Hope and Love (FHL) Week in Indianapolis.

I was very happy to see a vision became a reality. By November of the same year some of the pastors who joined us called me and asked what we would be doing the following year. I told them I was done. However, they shared with me that their congregations had a great experience and were already looking forward to next year’s local mission. So I developed a plan of action how to share the concept with other communities in metropolitan Indianapolis.

After prayers and encouragement, I shared the vision with several pastors in greater Indianapolis and asked them to be the area coordinators in their communities. The idea seemed very workable and the Lord gave me favor to recruit four more communities to do what is now known as “Mission Trip in Your Own Backyard.” The following year, we mobilized 50+ churches and organizations with 1,200 volunteers who performed more than 30 projects during the entire Faith Hope and Love Week.

To date, this ministry has worked with more than 200 different churches crossing denominational lines in central Indiana. FHL has year-round ministries such as planting self-sustained food pantries, Kindness Days and leadership training. It mobilizes more than 3,000 unique volunteers on an annual basis.

Update for FHL Week 2013:

FHL Week 2013 officially starts on Sunday, July 21 3p with Prayer Celebration at Creekside Ministries The Prayer Celebration is also the start of 24/7Indy More info to come regarding the FHL Week 2013, “The Year of Love”