There are two branches of our small ministry team. This weekend we traveled to Fresno to minister with the Northern California team. The message was about curses within the bloodline. Just like any disorder like cancer, sins such as addictions makes it way into the bloodline up to four generations.
“The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and fourth generation.” Num 14:18
The team rented a small room at the Ramada Inn with a capacity for 40, but there were more than 75 persons at the meeting. Joanne, our ministry leader, preached about healing the bloodline and taught the mostly Hispanic group on how to pray and do spiritual warfare. They were all receptive of the teaching and each person received personal prayer to overcome the problems brought on by generational curses. Many of the women wanted prayer for alcoholism to be severed from their bloodline. Some had witchcraft from past generations, like a young woman’s grandmother involved in the occult. It was beautiful to see how the Holy Spirit moved in the small cramped room, we knew that healings were taking place as the people’s countenance changed to show joy.
The following morning we accompanied Linda, Suzanne and Maria (part of the Northern California team) to feed the homeless in Fresno. Just as we do they make 300 lunches but they include a fresh piece of fruit in each lunch they hand out and a cup of ice for their drinks. They also had underwear for men and women as well as socks.
JJ is the owner of a local orchard which harvests oranges, peaches, plums and cherries in Fresno County. For years, this benevolent man has donated seasonal fruit to the homeless population in Fresno. JJ also donates men’s and women’s underwear and socks. During the recent drought his farm suffered a great financial loss, but he continued to donate fruit as well as the undergarments.
Just outside the the main streets of Fresno downtown district, under a water tower, is a homeless encampment with small housing units. We were six total, we parked tandem with the first vehicle having the lunches, and our vehicle had the cups with ice, and Maria sat in the front seat handing out the underwear and socks. The heat was intense at 106º and the Union Pacific train made a loud intrusive announcement of it’s passing, shaking the area where we were.
I watched as a steady crowd of people formed a line, many of them eating their plums, in rich colors of golden and deep purple; the juices traveled down their arms as they bit into the produce.
The homeless in Fresno are different from the people in Los Angeles. They are more considerate and less prone to violence. I felt peace the entire time we were handing out the goods. In L.A. we constantly have to watch our backs to make sure the meals are not stolen. Here the people are sweet, but just as bad off.
The San Joaquin Valley is known as “The Bread Basket of the World.” Almonds, grapes, tomatoes, peaches, walnuts, raisins, garlic, oranges, and mandarin cuties all come from this region. Fresno also boasts of the 3.8 million turkeys, poultry, and cattle, almost everything in Fresno being relevant with agriculture. Cotton is a food crop producing 200 million gallons of cottonseed oils, and this is Fresno County’s number 6 crop. 100% of raisins are grown in in Fresno county, that is 355,000 tons a year! With all the agriculture come the workers, and in Fresno the Hispanic are s 48% of the population. Almost all farm workers are Hispanic; they prune, till the soil, and pick the fruit.
53% of the people in Fresno are affiliated with religion, and of these 33 % are Catholic. The group we ministered to were mostly Catholic, and we give God the glory for the mighty work that was done.
Thank you, Mike (my husband) for allowing us to travel in comfort with the rental vehicle you provided the team, great is your reward!
