Bob Odiorne
My time as an intern with Rick not only was life changing, it was a time the Lord used to completely renew me. On my trips to Brazil, Israel and Cuba, I saw many miracles signs and wonders, but it’s the way Rick ministered to me in day to day activities that changed my life. We can all come home on a “High” from a mission trip, but it’s the daily grind where we are tested and where we also persevere.
Rick would lay before me, daily, sometimes monotonous and sometimes humbling tasks. Was I going to do the monotonous task? Was I going to complain and ask “Why”? What the Lord taught me was if you can’t do these tasks, if you can’t submit to your authority, then you can’t serve Him. But if you can and you do…….then… Oh, man…..He’ll change you forever. I know through Rick’s ministry, He changed me!!!
Kyle Zurbriggen
September 2016 – Wow.. I have grown so much in the past year. I left my house, my wonderful house and family, with wounds and holes I could not explain nor fill, with questions I could not answer, and a vision with no foreseeable way of fulfilling.
During this past year, since I have embarked on my Internship with Rick Bonfim Ministries. I have been shown, taught, lead, and counseled in, the ways of walking by faith in Jesus Christ, and some* of what that entails.
Humility, Love, Servanthood, Patience, Self Control, The Power of Prayer, God's Never-Failing Wisdom, Authority in Jesus, Forgiveness, Refinement, Joy, Laughter, Community… These are the things I have learned and will continue learning about as I think back on my year.
Humility came by way of utterly destroying my ability to negotiate my own time table, by showing me that my ways are not always correct, and that I have so much too learn, BUT BY GOD I AM LEARNING. It came by way of God allowing me to fall, time and time again, from my pedestal of pride, down to a place where I learned*still am* to stay on my knees.
Love came by way of investment unlike I have ever known. Investment in myself by others when I pushed, as hard as I could, to get them to give up, and yet they stayed. It came by way of seeing others needs and for once, without any desire for payback or personal gain, ernestly walking alongside them so that they would be able to see the light as God healed their broken heart and soul. I learned how to love, by watching God work in me, the meaning, the very meaning of the cross and my desperate need for not only it's ability to destroy the me who I so truly hated. But His ability to raise in me the me that He so truly crafted and masterfully made: a man of God without mixture :)!
Servanthood came by way of investing my time, my energy, my blood, my sweat, my tears, my 120% into projects, people, events, circumstances, and odd requests, that I honestly did not always want to do or be part of. But God says if I am to be faithful in much, I MUST be faithful in little. So I pressed on. Jesus gave the best example by laying down His life so that others might live, and I, as one who too must pick up his cross daily, needed to learn to die, so that I might live. Servanthood puts others above yourself, it puts their needs first, their hopes first, their dreams first. it is a essential aspect of love, of Christ. Learning this, was painful, but worth it.
Patience… HAHA THAT'S FUNNY XP I'm especially still learning this…. But you know what? it's the best thing to learn while I have time! Patience came about by being presented, within arm reach, many of the things I so desperately desire, so truly know I am created for, and yet cannot currently have. Someday Soon? You betcha, but I cannot put myself before the cart, and the horse xP So I learned this by messing up. By racing to the finish line when I needed instead to keep a slow and steady pace towards mile marker 1 and 1/2 in the marathon of a race called Life :) it is slower, it is harder, it is more prone for aches and pains. But, it is endlessly worth it. He who runs the race slow, has others to help pick him up, but he who runs fast, will look around and find he has no one to save him from himself.
Self control…. Read Above Paragraph + add in more tears, improperly timed choices, lack of keeping of my word, and overall things that in their proper time would be good, but currently were in error.
Power in Prayer, God's Never-Failing Wisdom, and Authority in Jesus… Oh how great this be ^_^ You see, Our God is AWESOME, and I knew that, but I never was able to see the biblical stories played out. Never able to do more than be a bystander while all the things of His kingdom happened around me. I came on this journey seeking the Lord to change that- I didn't want to be a fan, I wanted to be a follower. Biblically speaking, this is sound, and I have been so overjoyed to find the source of strength and peace and joy that passes all understanding ^_^ These things came about by relentless pursuit. Power in Prayer? I prayed like God would answer, and like He was giving me the very words I spoke, with the faith of a mustard seed I made Him a deal, if I spoke, it needed to be His words, because mine simply wouldn't do. And how He has spoken ^_^ : God's Never-Failing Wisdom plays a key part in this because wisdom allows me to know how to be and what to do when I am tempted to do other than I should. when I seek to run He tells me to stop, when I seek to rush He tells me to slow, when I seek to harm He tells me to hug. : Authority in Jesus.. wow <3 To know that through the cross, through the blood of Jesus, I am no longer a slave to what once held me, that I am no longer bound by the wounds and afflictions I have caused myself or have been put upon me.. to know that the blood of Jesus is enough to break every chain. and that His blood flows in me.. wow.. there are no words <3
Forgiveness, Joy, Peace, Laughter, Community… Somehow they all go hand in hand ^_^
Forgiveness is the cost which I could never pay, it is my only hope, for others, and for myself. While forgiveness does not change anyone, it does the impossible, and creates a way for change to happen where there was once no such possibility. I have made my fair share of mistakes, bad choices, errors, and screw ups during this year, but due to forgiveness, the broken bondage that held me no longer does, due to forgiveness I can learn from those things and grow into a man of God that will not grow weary of doing the right thing, and who is now more equipped and is changed for the better to know how to avoid the minefields that I once wondered into. God is good, and He is faithful to finish the good work(s) He has started in me.. in You 🙂
Joy and Peace and Laughter are the reasons in which I often have to get out of bed in the morning, guys… Jesus is one funny guy, and He turns any cloudy day into a ray of sunshine and any stressful day into a calm afternoon stroll..
Community. .. As I look back at this year, I have learned so much about community, about true biblical fellowship and how to go about keeping it for more than a week, a month, 6 months, or a year.. But how to keep it for a lifetime, and see it grow daily.
My year. Has been a time of maturing. A time for healing. A time for trusting though I can not see, and walking though I can not stand..
This year. It has been SO much less about I and me.. And so much more about us and we( that is Jesus and I, family and I, friends and I, internship and I )
I'm not done growing, I've only really just started.. But where I was a year ago, and where I am today. Are so drastically different, I am so drastically changed, older, wiser, more of Jesus and less of me.. Oh.. how great this year has been. A blessing beyond compare ^_^ I know where I'm going, I know who I'm for, oh how I can't wait to see what all is in store!
~ The Adventure Continues