Newsletter  -  Saturday, September 5, 2009

Experiencing the Kingdom

This was an amazing summer for me, Dawn. God has taken me to a new level of understanding both Him and His Kingdom and has released me into a new understanding of the authority He has given us, His children. All I can say is, “Wow! What an incredible, awesome God we serve!” I am so excited to share with you about a conference I was very privileged to be a part of this summer. The instruction was solid and mature, the worship, sincere. Every believer I spoke to not only enjoyed the week, but also grew rapidly in their identity and purpose in Christ.

June 27^th-July 4^th was the Dunamis International Family Church (DIFC) worship arts conference in Alberton, South Africa. Let Your River Flow was probably the most amazing conference I have not only taught at but also attended. The unity of the teachers and staff, the humble honoring and serving of every person for every other person, and most of all the hunger and eagerness of all in attendance to enter the presence of God was answered by the thick, sweet dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. At 9:00 in the morning, everyone celebrated the Lord with song, dancing, prayer, and shouts of joy. Every evening was a creative presentation of the character of God, followed by at least two hours of spontaneous praise and worship through dance, shouts, song, flags, billow cloths, prophecy, prayer, and more. Though I taught for 4 hours each day and often had late afternoon rehearsals before the evening’s program, I was continually filled and restored with the joy of the Lord.

I want to be transparent and share what happened in me. I have always found reasons to disqualify myself as a leader, teacher, and dancer. During this conference, I realized that when I limit myself, I limit God. Why would I choose to shorten the hand of the Lord? He can do anything; all I have to do is acknowledge that and let Him use me to do it.

One night the senior pastor prayed for me and said I have a worldwide ministry. In my head, I knew that my ministry was in over 50 countries, but in my heart, I had not embraced the fact that God would choose to use me in a grand scale all over the globe to bring people into His presence. I finally got it. One way that God sealed this in my heart was through the delegates attending my classes; they gave me an African name, “Thandeka”, which means: “lovable, irresistible, draws people”. They had already captured my heart and now to be blessed like this was overwhelming.

During the last morning of the classes, I broke down in a heaving cry while praying for that class. The students gathered around me and prayed prayers of thanksgiving over me. I knew that day that if all I have endured and learned throughout my lifetime, painful and glorious, were only for the purpose of giving life to this group for this one week, then I would gladly endure it all again. God emboldened me, matured me, freed me, and gave me a new realization of the authority He has for each one of us. I am ready to take His kingdom to the ends of the earth. 

Christ did much in the lives of many of the attendees to the DIFC Let Your River Flow conference. I thought you would be blessed to hear some of their testimonies:

“The DIFC conference has opened so many doors for me that I’ve closed myself throughout my life. What I thought would be just another dance conference was actually the beginning of a beautiful walk with God and His lovely people from all over the world! I was so lost in my own concept of what was good enough for God and that concept, of course, did not include me. I didn’t look the part, I didn’t have that “thing” that pro dancers seem to have, not close! But because I serve a faithful God, He showed me this is exactly where He wants me, nothing more nothing less, just me! God brought me to a place where I felt completely satisfied with who I am and what I have to offer to my God in front of His people!” – Wianka

“Hi Thandeka! I was so blessed to attend the DIFC conference with my worship buddy. We are both frustrated by the lack of expressive worship in our respective home churches. I was seeking some form of dance to take home to bless the ladies who will attend our, 'Fragrance of a Woman', time of refreshing annual retreat. Dawn, your class was more than I had prayed for. I had always been on the giving side of dance ministry, receiving was awesome especially when you put the rainbow cloths on the dancers and they instantly fell to their knees as the Holy Spirit touched them. Long story short, I was sharing my experiences with my cell group on the following Wednesday and whilst praying I put my hand out to one of the ladies and she crumpled to the floor. So, I went on to the others with the same result. Please understand that we are all Methodists and there is skepticism about all this. The women said later that they had tried to resist. God certainly changed that outlook. He had promised me that greater things were ahead if I surrendered to Him.” – Pat

“One of the biggest things that hit me in Dawn’s class at the DIFC Worship Conference was the way she digs deeper into the Word and teaches the practicalities of how to do it rather than just saying, “Go dig deeper”! She taught how to cross-reference scripture and look things up and then how to respond to that word from what you have found! It makes your walk with God that much more personal! Dawn crept into my heart and those of the delegates and I can't wait for next year’s conference to see her again!  Thank you, Dawn, for all your input at this conference!” –Chad

“Firstly, I would like to say that I was privileged to have attended your classes and I believe it was by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The conference was such a blessing in my life and I really glorify God for belonging to this spiritual house, (DIFC) - thank you, Pastor Phillicia!  I was totally healed in ways that I didn’t even know I needed healing. Prior to the conference, I really prayed and trusted God that He would reveal the plans and future He has for me and He did. He really showed Himself in miraculous ways at the conference and I believe that I’m destined for the throne room as His daughter. It does not matter where I am in life now, I will serve Him while I’m waiting… You have impacted my spiritual growth so much, I’ve noticed that I’m now praying differently, slowly like you, blowing kisses to the Holy Spirit” - Patricia 

"Well, my testimony on what God did for me when I was attending the conference is awesome. I was at a point of giving up on everything; I didn’t feel any sense of belonging with anything in my life. Yes, I was in a worship team at my church but was feeling so drained and discouraged to go to practise. Then I came to Johannesburg for the conference and God spoke to me in a clear voice. He asked me, “Who do you think you are to give up? What is it you think you are giving up on? I live in you and you live in Me. So, whom are you giving up on?” It was so clear. He reminded me that I no longer belong to myself and shouldn’t do things according to my own understanding and knowledge; I should rely on Him whole-heartedly.

He took me back into a scripture in John 15 “Remain in me and I will remain in you...” That really made me to think twice more, especially when you read the whole chapter. I made a decision right then and there to not give up. I know God has a better plan for me and that He will prosper me. I took a vow to stay in Him and that when I dance I will dance for Him to receive my breakthrough, deliverance and find true love from Him.

Upon my return to my church, I was so excited about what God had deposited into my life. We started rehearsing for a new dance to Israel and the New Breed song  “No limits, No boundaries” and wow, it was awesome! Now nothing is stopping me to dance for Jesus!” - Luluma

“God touched me in an amazing way at the conference. The Wednesday when we had the African Evening –all I did was cry…. I felt the Holy Spirit’s presence. God was working in me so much that when I got home that night I couldn’t go to bed, all I wanted to do was sing unto Him and still continue to be in His presence. I shared with you that I didn’t understand and know what it was worship God; I would always just jump and scream. Then Thursday when we did the worship dance in your class I learned how to worship God in an amazing way like never before. It made me want to cry; I truly worshiped for the first time! Then Friday when both you and Dawn Gilmer prayed for me, I could feel that shift in my heart by the Holy Spirit in forgiving my past. I had tried to before but it was always there and Satan was using that to get me down. I used to party every weekend and get so drunk I wouldn’t even remember half the time what I had done the night before. I was on drugs because I always wanted to forget my struggles and worries. I was always thinking of suicide. Four years ago, I lost my sister in a car accident and couldn’t accept her death. At the age of 18, a man raped me and since I didn’t know God, I blamed Him for what happened. The devil always used the rape against me making me feel unworthy. Two years ago, when I got to know Jesus, I learned it was not Him but Satan’s work. A year ago I fell back into the world, started drinking again, and knew there had to be a life change. When you and Dawn Gilmer told me to forgive people, I forgave those that hurt me and I prayed that God would restore them and bring them to His Kingdom.