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~ Trina
May 2010 Journey

“After learning about the importance of praying a hedge of protection, our family traveled to Georgia to visit friends. We were going to ride four wheelers on the first day, so our fathers prayed a hedge around us boys. We did not get hurt.

“However, they forgot to pray for the girls, who were going to ride horses. My sister lost control of her horse and hit a big oak tree. She loosened and chipped her bottom teeth and slightly injured her neck. We prayed for everyone in detail from that time on.

“Shortly thereafter, I was allowed to operate a huge tractor to move a big pile of dirt. We prayed for a hedge of protection. As I took a large load of dirt, I hit an uneven piece of ground and lost control, but God protected me. My friend’s father was close beside me on a Bobcat. If I had flipped, he would have rolled down a steep hill.

“The next day we rode horses on an old road and of course we prayed a hedge around us. I was galloping down the road around a slight bend and a truck pulled out of a hidden driveway. I reined in my horse just in time. If I had been two seconds late coming down the road, I could have been killed.”

~ Paul
September 2008 Guys Journey

God quickly drew our team together and every day there were profound insights shared that the Lord had given. One evening, a team member told how she had called home that day to confess something to her parents. That convicted the rest of us to make things right with our parents no matter how big or small the issue seemed to be. As we confessed our sins and yielded up competing affections and things we had held back from the Lord, He allowed us to focus on Him and to hear His still small voice.

Some of my fondest memories are the times of prayer we had as a team in one accord. As we cried out to God, He heard our prayers and answered in miraculous ways!

The times of laughter, singing, sharing, confessing, crying together, and examining our hearts were invaluable, but the time spent alone with the Lord and together bowed in His presence are what made the Journey for me.

God became very real and personal to us. We saw Him restore a marriage that at the beginning of our Journey was headed for divorce. He delivered a team member from an addiction, brought new love for family members, and made scripture come alive to us.

A few days into the Journey my physical strength was at an all time low due to lack of sleep and a health problem I’ve had for several years. Lack of energy had long become the focus of my daily life and I was always looking for answers and questioning why the Lord did not heal me. Now, I knew I needed God’s help to make it through this Journey.

I bowed my head and gave God unconditional control of my body and health, without expecting healing in return.

As the Journey continued, I was amazed at how little sleep I was getting and yet how inwardly refreshed I felt! God was giving me grace and strength for each day. I had been letting my health run my life, but now God was teaching me that He must have first place and that I needed to trust Him with my health no matter how I felt.

The Northwoods is a beautiful place to meet with the Lord. The messages we heard on the Journey and the counsel of the staff were a wonderful learning experience.

It is always humbling when God works in our hearts and uses us despite our failures and shortcomings. He heard our cries for brokenness and reminded us “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).

~ Miranda
July 2009 Journey

Matthew:

I went to Northwoods not sure what to expect on a Journey to the Heart. I had heard testimonies; but what was my experience of it going to be?  While going through the each day, the Lord deeply encouraged me with particular passages of scripture that gave new purpose and, in addition, forged a deeper desire to study and apply Christ’s commands.
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Joshua:

Through embarking upon this Journey, I recognized anew the fruit that results from coming apart to rest a while. (See Mark 6:31.) The usual busyness to which we subject ourselves provides a natural tendency to overlook the needful thing of sitting at the feet of Jesus. For almost an entire week, the team reaped unspeakable joy (see I Peter 1:8) that comes through searching our hearts, acknowledging failure, meditating upon God’s Word, and partaking in one-accord prayer. I returned with a renewed vision, powerful tools, and the life changing principle of Psalms 119:165, “Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”
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Praise God for His faithfulness and exceeding abundant mercy that He continually pours out upon each Journey! The following is a testimony from one of the lives that has been changed. God bless!

Chad Paine
Journey to the Heart

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What an amazing week and powerful Journey that I was able to learn vital, life-changing qualities on! It was a serious week of conviction, prayer and fellowship. While on this Journey, I learned four main things.

• How to Meditate and have intimate prayer and fellowship as I grow closer to Him.
• I gained a new joy and enthusiasm in living for Christ.
• I discovered how true the spiritual battle really is.
• Finally, I saw the importance of seeking the Kingdom of God first and His righteousness,THEN all these things shall be added (Matt. 6:30).

It was such an encouragement to be with other fellow believers. As we go back to our homes, I am motivated to continue to spend time in the Word, meditate upon it, grow in God’s wisdom and truly live for Christ.

~ Chandler
July 2008 Guys Journey

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The Lord showed me many things during the week of the Journey that I needed to deal with. I loved each morning and the three hours we had to spend with God uninterrupted. The only down side was not having that much time when I returned home, I felt like I was starving. The Lord is still working in my life and I feel I have never had such a relationship with Him. I prayed with my team for some specific things, God has far surpassed my prayers for what He would do. Praise God!

~ Hannah, Gal. 2:20
March 2008 Girls’ Journey

The second thing that I got from this journey, is the freedom that comes when we confess our faults to one another (and pray for one another) and to God. Realizing that I have sinned before God (in many ways I had never realized before) and that my heart was full of things that hinder and cut off my communication and love for God. Getting rid of these things and surrendering the many rights that I have/had, have brought me closer to the Lord and given me greater love for Him and a tender heart that can actually detect when I have done something which displeases God.

The third thing I understand better now as a result of this Journey, is the reality and workings of spiritual warfare. All this week, I have been in a constant battle against Satan and his powers of the flesh. I would feel great heaviness in my heart, hindering me from sweet fellowship with my Lord and those around me. Every time I felt this or another hindrance I would ask the girls to pray for me and each time, Satan would leave and I would experience extreme joy and great love. It is hard, though, to fight and struggle against Satan…when challenged to be a soldier in active duty (2 Timothy 2:1-5), I told the Lord “yes”. God told me that He would give sufficient grace for every trial. One of the girls on my team encouraged me in the truth that, through Jesus Christ, the victory has already been won! We just need to CLAIM that victory before Satan!!!

The Lord, MY God, is powerful and mighty! I praise Him for what He has done this week. I have been greatly blessed through this Journey and I pray that God would knock His way through the remainder of my heart, convicting me of His grace and power that to be free from a hindered heart, convicting me of what I need to change and then give me His grace and power to be free…so I can impact the world for Him and be a bright light!!! Blessed be MY God and Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is worthy to be praised!!!!”

~ Bethany
September 2007 Girls’ Journey