The Great Connector

I know most people won't read a blog if it's not under 1 minute, 35 seconds. It's the nature of our culture. We can't help it. Today, I encourage you to fight through and read this entirely to fully appreciate the title, "The Great Connector." (It's only a 4 minute read, and you will be blessed!)

At the start of the 2023-2024 school year our teams were committed to pray at five high schools; all within a 20 mile radius.

Last August, my prayer partner, Don Decker asked me to attend a backyard Christian concert in Santa Ynez; a 314 mile round trip! The connection was from his online weekly prayer call. I was reluctant at first but decided to go if I could stop on the way home to see my grandkids in Ventura. Don's intention was to use the concert as a platform to gather a new prayer team for Santa Ynez high school.

We arrived early Wednesday afternoon to scope out the area around the high school to set up and pray the next day. We also met the school's Christian club representative, and informed him we'd be praying across the street after school tomorrow. We invited him to join us. Next, we were off to the backyard concert featuring The Lindsley Brothers. The Brothers had been traveling across the western states to raise money for their first album. They never had a request to interrupt the concert and ask their audience to volunteer to pray for high school kids. This was a first for us too! But we did it and several people signed up. One signup was a couple, Amy and Marty Scionti and became the team leaders. They attend The Ranch Church. The following day happens to be the second day of school and we prayed with over 20 students! (I just want to point out, if the concert had been a week earlier, this would not have gone so smoothly. God's timing is perfect!) One girl shared her testimony that she received Jesus during the summer and was missing the joy she once had. She was the only Believer in her family and her uncle had been harassing her pretty heavily. Before the bell rang, she asked God for a sign of encouragement. She told us when she walked out of the building, she saw our big red canopy with "Need Prayer?", and grabbed her friends to hurry over to see us. She said, we were her "sign" from God. We listened and prayed with her and her friends. Her joy had returned!

Santa Ynez Prayer Tent

The following week, The Lindsley Brothers scheduled another backyard concert in Corona. I found it miraculously strange their next concert stop would be in my home town just a few miles away! Don and I attended the concert hoping for the same results we had in Santa Ynez to sign up new volunteers for our area. Unfortunately we did not, but before the concert I had a chance to talk to one of the Brothers about my son's new business, Swell Social, a digital marketing company. The Brothers had been so busy touring, they were finding it difficult to effectively market themselves on social media. Through this unlikely connection, The Lindsley Brothers became my son's first signed contract.

The Lindsley Brothers

A month later during a visit to see the grandkids, I attended Two Trees Church with my son and his family. It just so happens, that Sunday, former pastor Mike Bailey was giving his testimony and mentioned how much he enjoyed doing outreach and evangelism. As I'm listening I begin to feel God nudging me to reach out to him after church. You know...that uncomfortable feeling we tend to fight against when God needs us to do His work for Him. I reluctantly approach him to share about Operation PRAY and ask him to think about starting a prayer team at Ventura high school. Several weeks later, he said YES!

Don and I decided to visit Mike and help him get started. We also made plans to see Amy and Marty as they needed a couple more volunteers. We scheduled to meet them at their church, The Ranch during a weekly ministry meeting. It was roughly 60 miles away from Mike, and again I hesitated to make the extra effort. I knew Amy was going to be at the meeting and I kept thinking, "so why do we have to go?" But God kept prompting us to move in that direction. When Amy's pastor came through the door, he threw up his arms and said, "I love Operation PRAY!" What a warm and inviting welcome! We spoke about the stories and the impact the Holy Spirit was having on the students and asked for more volunteers. Afterwards, several people signed up, and as we were saying our goodbyes, Amy's pastor, motioned to speak with Don. He asked if Operation PRAY could use some funding to which Don replied YES! (Through this donation, the ministry's start up debt has been eliminated!)

The following day, we helped Mike and his prayer team of three at Ventura high school. We prayed with 54 students the first day! The prayer needs are so great with these kids. No

matter what high school we're at, we consistently see a hunger from them to receive the love of Jesus.

Mike, Don, & Jessica-Ventura HS

After that first day, Mike got so excited he shares this with Pastor Rafael Robles with New Season Church. I connect with Pastor Raf on another trip to see the grandkids. (My grandkids were seeing a lot of "Gigi!") Pastor Raf puts together an amazing team of four to start praying at Hueneme high school in Oxnard. And thanks to the efficiency and his God given talents, Todd Volker, our board president wrote our Basic Training pages, to which Raf and his team were able to get started on their own.

When I look back at these connections, I see God's Hand moving in so many directions and affecting so many lives. Only our Miraculous God can do this! At the time of this writing, we are praying at 15 high schools, three of which were started by an unlikely connection during Don's weekly prayer call. I thank God for Don's excitement to share Operation PRAY with a few friends and see God's miraculous connections that kept this ministry moving forward to share the love of Jesus with the next generation.