Dick Nicolson's World Summit Testimony

This testimony was written by our Latin America Regional Director Dick Nicholson.


Communiqué—August 2006

There is no doubt about it—last night’s King’s Castle Leadership Summit in La Vega, Dominican Republic, was pretty special!

The event, planned (excellently) by Nelson and Rennae DeFreitas, was attended by over 300 young people from eight or nine countries around the region. It was something to behold!

First, the fact that these many young “warriors” paid $100 to get into the campground at La Vega, and raised that amount plus airfare ($700 or more in some cases), was impressive. Talk about being motivated!

Then, the energy released in every part of the gathering was amazing. It’s always impressive to see hundreds of young people, all wearing special T-shirts with Scriptures on them, jumping up and down and shouting praises to Jesus—though I’ll surely never be able to keep up! The chapel rocked. I felt that same energy in the World Missions (Chi Alpha) Summit in Louisville over New Year’s and a year before that in Buenos Aires at the Global Student Encounter.

They were excited about winning the world for Jesus! It was missions-emphasis night, and the platform was draped with the huge posters we see in the U.S. churches during missions convention time. The thing is, it is fresh in Latin America, still a novelty. I had to tiptoe around five young people with digital cameras who were taking shots of the posters!

About 200 of the 300-plus young people responded to the call to missions. An hour later, as we left, they were still weeping and letting the Harvestmaster know that they were ready to go—“Here am I; send me!” Today on the flight back to Miami I was reflecting on last night’s happenings and recognized a deep-down ache in my gut as this thought gripped me: it’s been a long time since I have seen anything similar to that in any American church, at least with the young people!

I had seen about 75 people respond to a similar call in Managua, several hundred in Buenos Aires a while back, scores in San Salvador, but very little of that kind of missions passion do I see released among our youth here. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not pounding on the American church. I just sometimes wish this awesome missions passion we are seeing throughout the region were more common at home. It is contagious, however, and many groups are coming back from AIM trips to the nations and pumped by what they’ve experienced, so maybe something good is happening after all . . . .

They had special prayer for Haiti, Indonesia, India, and Israel. We heard challenges from several missionaries from LAC to other nations, and it had its effect. The passion to reach the lost is undeniable.

I loved watching the youngest DeFreitas boys jumping up and down, singing the songs, praising Jesus, and pumping their fists in the air as they joined the excitement. Several of the MK teens were fervently praying with a Latin or Caribbean colleague or joining in the skits. I just know the future is bright if our MKs are helping by leading the way in reaching the nations for Jesus! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds.

I’m not sure how big this missions thing is going to get in our region. It might be greater than anyone has imagined until now, but I’m grateful for your involvement in King’s Castle, Masters Commission, and a host of youth and children’s ministries. Their passion for loving God and answering His call are a means through which the Spirit is preparing a generation of youth, some of them our own kids, to shake the nations.

This is going to be amazing to see!

Blessings, Dick

Kings Castle World Summit

If you’ve ever been to a championship game, whether it is little league or major leagues, then you know the excitement about the BIG game. There is energy, there is cheering and there is expectation. And that is exactly what it was like in La Vega, Dominican Republic.

In August, we spent five days in La Vega with over three hundred young people from eight countries in Latin America and we experienced the energy, heard the cheering and felt the atmosphere of expectation. The energy, cheering and expectation had nothing to do with a sports event; rather it was a spiritual event.

The Kings Castle World Summit takes place every other year and it was our privilege to host this year’s event. The purpose of the event is to share evangelism material, vision, methods for reaching the lost as well as experiencing a life-transforming encounter with the Holy Spirit. For many of the Kings Castle warriors the event was a place of miracles. That is true for Rosemary, Miguel and Oriali.

When Rosemary got off the plane from Peru she couldn’t even believe that is was real. She was only able to raise $650 for her plane ticket; and the lowest price that she could find was over $1000. The day that she purchased her airline tickets to come to the Summit was a day where her only hope was a miracle. She prayed as approached the ticket counter. Nervously she explained her situation to the agent. It turns out that the agent was a Christian. The agent searched and searched, it took so long that Rosemary was sure that it was not going to work out and finally the agent looked up from the computer. She said “It’s a miracle! I found a ticket for $630!!!” That was just the beginning of Rosemary’s miracle. During the World Summit Rosemary was called to missions. She will definitely be purchasing airline tickets in the future. Now her faith can take her to other continents.

Miguel is called to Haiti. Miguel’s heart is broken for the children of Haiti. Miguel is a warrior. And to be perfectly honest, it takes a warrior to live in Haiti. Haiti is the poorest nation in Latin America. Most Haitians would do anything for an opportunity to live in Dominican Republic. Miguel will do anything to live in Haiti. He came to the Summit to share his vision with warriors from all over Latin America. We planned to take up an offering for Miguel on missions night. So many were praying that God would provide in a BIG way. Yet the reality is that we were taking up an offering in a chapel full of students from third world developing nations. Honestly, I was just hoping for more than $100. Yet it is amazing what God did with a group of students whose hearts are broken for the nations. The offering was counted and we could scarcely believe the result; $800!!! I’ll never forget the smile on Miguel’s face that night when he came to know personally that the God who calls is also the one who provides.

Oriali studied Television production and broadcasting in college. She had a degree and a good paying job in the television industry here in Dominican Republic. Yet she told us, “I was miserable because I knew that God had called me to be a missionary”. Yet Oriali, like many other Dominican students, don’t know have a clear path to missions, there are VERY FEW Dominican missionaries that serve as a model to follow. Oriali knew she was called, she just didn’t know how to follow that call. During the World Summit, God put into motion direction for her life and finally the “path” that she was praying for. Kings Castle will begin filming children’s television this year. Oriali will be going to El Salvador to help begin this new area of ministry. She is excited for the opportunity to use the talent and education to reach the children of Latin America with the gospel. Her path is clear now and the impact is immeasurable.

Oriali, Miguel, and Rosemary are just three examples but there are so many more stories that have come out of the Summit. Basically, we just kept hearing the same thing over and over again, “God has called me to missions” , “I am going to Bible school because I want to preach the Gospel”. Yet my favorite testimony was expressed is just a few lines but I believe it is a true reflection of what God is about to do as a result of the World Summit.


“Every day of the Summit, I felt more and more love for the children that live in the forgotten, unreached countries of the world and now I believe that we will be able to accomplish our goal of reaching one million children very quickly.”

Rescuing Angela and Yolanda

Angela

Her name is Angela. She is fifteen years old. Her face still displays the innocence of childhood. Yet her swollen abdomen will tell you that this is a girl who never really had the opportunity to be a child or know true innocence, because Angela is a child prostitute.

At a young age, Angela’s mother sent her to the streets into prostitution to earn money. She took every penny that she made and often would beat her. She was abandoned by her father. She was beaten so much that finally a “client” helped her runaway from home. He kept her in a small room and brought other men there to have sex with her. He told her that he would be her husband. This man was 45 years old and the supposed father of her baby. Once he found out that she was pregnant, he kicked her out of the house.

Angela was alone, pregnant and living on the streets when a beautiful Christian woman found her. Nieves works at a clinic for adolescents in Boca Chica. It is a government funded clinic and a place where the young prostitutes know they can get free medical care. When Nieves met Angela and saw her terrible situation, she knew that she had to something to rescue her. Nieves took her to a children’s foundation in Boca Chica.

Caminante is a children’s program in Boca Chica that is working hard to get kids off the streets. They are mostly involved in prevention programs but they are a point of contact for kids like Angela who need help. They are very well respected in the community. The Alliance against Trafficking has been involved with the institution since we began. When Nieves took Angela to Caminante, they immediately called us. (The Alliance against Trafficking)

When we were called about Angela’s situation we had actually been planning a visit to Boca Chica that day. It was as though God had it all planned for us. We met her and took her to the Alliance home. Angela is eight months pregnant and infected with venereal disease. As I write this she is being taken for more medical tests and we are working on a plan for the birth of the baby. She will have to a C-section because of the STD.

We are all so excited about this opportunity that the Lord has given us to participate in the transformation process in Angela’s life. I believe that the curse of sin and poverty will be broken and will change the course of generations because Angela was rescued.

Pray for Angela and her unborn child. Pray for her health and for her heart. Pray that she will come to know a real, personal friendship and faith in Jesus.

Yolanda

When Yolanda was six years old, her mother died of AIDS. Her mother was a prostitute who was regularly trafficked in to Haiti. As a result of her mother’s very unstable lifestyle and eventual death, Yolanda has been raised in the home of her paternal grandparents in Boca Chica. Ever since the horrible death of her young mother, Yolanda’s grandfather has told her that she would die of AIDS like her mother. She is sixteen years old now and is living her days in this involuntary pursuit of the fulfillment of that prophecy. She spends the nights in the brothels making money in prostitution to support her drug habits. She sleeps most of the day. She is in and out of her grandparents’ home because her grandfather beats her and verbally abuses her. Her grandfather tells her regularly that she is a piece of trash.

We have been visiting Yolanda for over a year now, because she has shown such an interest in getting help. During my last visit, her grandfather yelled, “I hope that you will get that piece of trash out of my home!” We are now in the process of formalizing our long term shelter at the home and we trying to rescue Yolanda out of her situation. In her heart, I know that she is screaming, “Somebody please rescue me!!!!!” but reality is that her addictions are very STRONG. She is scared.

We told Yolanda that we will give her one week to make a decision to leave, so I want to ask you to pray for her this week. Pray that she will make the right decision. In the name of Jesus SHE WILL NOT DIE LIKE HER MOTHER!!! She will live for Jesus.

Finally please pray for my work with the Alliance against Trafficking. I am so excited as God is finally opening the doors for us to offer a long term shelter and life recovery program for adolescent girls. This has been a dream of mine for two years now. The program is in its birthing stages and we are learning along the way. We have a great financial need but we are trusting that God will supply every need. We are estimating that it cost us at least $200/ month for each girl that we take in. Pray for wisdom for me and the other members of the Alliance board as we begin this totally new area of ministry.

Praise and More Praise

Praise!

We just came back from a short trip to Dallas, Texas for a convention with the men and women who work with Construction, Planning and Development for overseas projects in the Assemblies of God(formerly MAPS department). We were so thrilled that this year our project was chosen as the focus project for CP&D. At this convention, they were raising funds for our CIMA del Rey ministry training center project and also recruiting teams to be help us build on the property.

The result of this amazing weekend is nothing short of a miracle. The final total came to $220,000 in cash offerings and pledges!!! Most of this will go towards the construction and development of buildings on CIMA del Rey, but also $42,000 was raised in pledges to help pay off the purchase of the property. We are so excited!!! This is a HUGE blessing and relief. If this all comes in, we are basically finished with raising the purchase funds.

Now we are working on raising the development funds. We are already working on the plans for the dorms and dining hall. At the convention, 13 teams made plans to help us with construction, but we are hoping to find 37 more teams in order to complete all the buildings.

It is impossible for us to doubt for even a moment that God has His hand on this project. We are praising the Lord for his amazing provision. It is so wonderful to be a part of what God is doing and to be where He is working. In this faith journey to purchase this property, we are so grateful to all of you who have prayed and given offerings to make this miracle possible.

More Praise!

So Nelson jumped off an airplane and less than 24 hours later Nelson is on a bus headed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He spoke to the national conference of Assemblies of God Pastors about the importance of reaching the youth and children. Nelson was accompanied by Miguel and Maireny Ovalle. This young Dominican couple have a call on their lives to the children of Haiti. They are presently missionary candidates raising funds in our churches here in the DR to live in Haiti as missionaries. They were among some of our first King's Castle warriors.

It was exciting for Nelson to work with Miguel as they were asked to minister to a group of youth leaders that came to the conference. For the first time the Haitian church is organizing youth and children’s ministries within their churches. Nelson was thrilled to cast vision for these ministries among the youth leaders.This was an amazing opportunity.

It would bore you to elaborate on all the details that have demonstrated that the kingdoms of darkness were opposed to this trip. We believe that this was a momentous time for the Assemblies of God in Haiti and Dominican Republic. We know that as we see the racial, social and cultural barriers broken down between these countries there will be no obstacle to the MAJOR SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION in BOTH countries. The final night the Haitian church presented our young Dominican missionary, Miguel with a beautiful Haitian painting. The Superintendent shared that the painting should serve to symbolize a pact unity and service and between the two countries.

My Father's Miracle

Have you ever had a testimony that you just wanted to SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS? That is how I (Rennae) feel today. I want the world to know about my miracle working God. We had a miracle in my family and I just want to give God glory because it is only by his grace that my father was saved from a fatal fall. (the photo to the left is Rennae's parents Larry & Donna Sjostrom.)

On Tuesday my daddy was at the Fire Station up 24 feet on a latter doing some electrical work. When he finished the work he began to come down and as he came down, the ladder gave way and my 59 year old father cam crashing down 18 feet. He was rushed to the emergency room. I could try to go into detail about x-rays, cat scans and orthopedic doctor’s assessments but in the end; MY FATHER DOES NOT HAVE A BROKEN BONE IN HIS BODY! It is a miracle. Daddy walked away from this fall with a severely sore arm.

God is so good. He protected my daddy and I am so grateful. I told daddy that God must have some big plans for his life. Daddy is pretty excited about those plans to say the least.

I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me wonderful Christian parents and an amazing Pentecostal heritage. They have always supported God's call on my life. God used them to form my destiny as they always directed me to follow Jesus. It sounds cliche but if it weren't for them... I sure wouldn't be here today. What a blessing to know (especially being so far away) that they are protected by the Lord's loving hand.

Rennae

Testimony from ministry at Pastor Pedro's church

Sunday night my husband was ministering in a little church in Villa Altagracia just outside of the capital here in Santo Domingo. It was a busy Sunday and I knew that we would get home late so I was packing PJ’s for the kids and stuff as we prepared to go (one hour trip). Anyway as I was busy packing I thought to myself that I should grab my CD with my soundtracks so that I would be prepared to sing if the Pastor asked. But in all my busyness I forgot and we ran out the door to church.

When we arrived, sure enough, Pastor Pedro (who is on our ministry staff and a very close friend) sat next to me and asked if I came prepared to sing special music. I looked at him with a nice smile and I just simply said, “NO.” He said, “No?” and I again replied, “NO.” Well the service started and I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I felt the Holy Spirit say to me, “That was kinda ugly, Rennae.” (that is just how He talks to me sometimes!) I responded, "well I am not prepared, I don’t know what to sing." Then the Spirit reminded me of the morning service. In that service someone spoke about the problem of divorce in Dominican society and as they talked about it, I felt such a burden because I have seen how the enemy is tearing up the family of this society. I left that morning with just a new determination to intercede for the families in our churches and society in general.

So I felt as though the Lord would have me to share this burden and then the Spirit put a song in my heart. “Yo tengo un Nuevo amor”. So at the time my husband is about to minister, he calls me forward to give a greeting and I just shared my burden with the congregation. I told them that the Lord had given me this song, “I Have A New Love” but when I finished the song I wanted to intercede for unity in marriages and families. The Holy Spirit came and people were weeping tears of intercession and one woman in particular just wept and wept.

After the message we had a time of ministry in the altars and this same woman who was weeping came forward with her husband and two girls and the Holy Spirit moved powerfully and the whole family fell under the power of the Spirit. After they got up, the father looked at me with tears in his eyes and just smiled and went to his seat. I just thought, "how wonderful to see the whole family in the altar receiving such a blessing." That was it. So I thought.

After service I was speaking with Pastor Pedro (apologizing!) and he told me “the rest of the story”. Pedro was so excited after service. Evidently, that was the first time that that man had been in the church! His little girls were faithful to go to church and the mother had just started coming here and there. A few weeks back, one of the girls had asked the Pastor to pray for her daddy because he was an alcoholic and he would fly into rages and beat her, the sister and her mother. She also told Pedro that God gave her an idea that whenever her daddy would get really angry, she should get her Bible. She would tell him, “Come here daddy let me read to you from my Bible.” And you know, she said it worked every time! He would always calm down. Well this was softening this man’s heart and Sunday night he finally gave in and came to church. with his family! Sunday night he gave his life to Jesus!