A recap of 2014. The year was filled with travels to Raleigh, Washington, DC, and we even made a couple of stops to Fort Monroe and Williamsburg near Virginia Beach. In February, we traveled to DC for a conference where we met students from around the East Coast. It was there we met Kayla, a student at Liberty University who shared that her brother-in-law, Jesse, also lives in Boone, NC and works at Samaritan’s Purse. Kayla connected us to her sister, Kelly, who is a brilliant entrepreneur and runs her own flower business, Philosophy Flowers. She came to a treasure hunt on App’s campus and their family has been a breath of fresh air – encouraging us to pursue our dreams in more ways than one. But more on those dreams later. We conducted numerous treasure hunts this past year and encountered many students who experienced the love of Jesus. Some received Christ’s love for the first time, others were healed, and others were simply encouraged or had someone listen to them. Every encounter is different but each one is powerful in its own way.
Over the summer, we met new friends, Scott and Becky of Meniscus, Inc. Their daughter previously worked at Samaritan’s Purse but now works at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. Scott and Becky connected with us about starting Appalachian School of Ministry and Missions. It was refreshing to see people with a like-heart for ministry. We assisted with Firestarters curriculum, a nine week course that met weekly at Appalachian House of Prayer on Thursdays over the summer. The material was great and we were honored to be a support to their vision.
I can sum up the school of ministry with this: We saw believers who had been hurt and disappointed in their lives experience the pleasure, joy, and good mood of God. The hungry came out of the woodwork. Collectively, I would estimate that there was over 100 who attended Firestarters. Between Scott, Becky, our new friends Ben, his wife Deanne, and her sister Dustene, it was a great ministry team. We had some wild treasure hunts with the school.
On the flip side, this was the first time we ever saw the intimidation of outreach among believers. It’s amazing the stigma that exists in the church to talk to others who are different, believe different, or who are strangers. There is also the notion that if you soak for hours, worship for hours, and pray for hours on end, then you might be ready for a treasure hunt. All I’ve got to say to that is they never saw our nieces in action.
Our nieces paid a visit this summer. Ages 9 and 12 (at the time of their visit), they had no grid for treasure hunts, prophetic evangelism, words of knowledge. One of them couldn’t even quote John 3:16. One night, Keeli prayed with the youngest to receive Jesus and they both were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Two days later, we took them on their first treasure hunt. Contrary to what the formulas we’ve grown accustomed to might say, we didn’t worship and pray for hours. We simply had our 9 and 12 year old nieces, one who was 48 hours old in the Lord and the other who admitted that church was boring. We prayed for about ten minutes, got our clues, and by the end of the night they said, “If this is church, we want to do this every day!” It was like the joy switch was suddenly flipped on after they got some astounding words of knowledge. They knew that they heard God’s voice clearly. That night was a highlight of the year, indeed. But the details are for another blog at a later time.
We were thrilled to have our friend Brennen back in Boone with us after a year in China. Our conversations were bent towards big ideas, big dreams, and our ambitions. One night, he said to me, “Jonathan, I believe within six months you’ll be working in the Boone office of Samaritan’s Purse.” For four years I had been the Church Relations/Social Media Specialist for North American Ministries (more familiarly known as U.S. Disaster Relief) for Samaritan’s Purse located in North Wilkesboro, NC, approximately an hour to and from work each way (or 320 stoplights in a work week). The job was fun and educational, the people were amazing, and the volunteers were truly some of the most selfless people I’ve met. But something in me believed Brennen when he told me that. I was told of a management position available in Donor Ministries. With a lot of prayer and encouragement from Keeli, I applied. Within four months of Brennen’s word, I was the Donor Response Manager, working with a remarkable team, in a wonderful environment, closer to home, and full of new, interesting people that I’m constantly meeting. Disaster Relief will always hold a place in my heart but I am certainly blessed by this move.
Keeli has been on the move as well. She has been preparing a new endeavor – one that I ultimately believe is going to change the world. Everything we’ve done together in ministry, I believe, has been culminating to this moment. We’ve been through a lot for two young people. We’ve seen a lot, experienced a lot, have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. We’ve seen what works, what doesn’t, and what is a trap that will spin you in a cycle of unsatisfied striving and burnout. Keeli wants to share her insight, wisdom, and practical keys with students who want to see their campus on fire for Jesus. The SPARK Institute is for Students Pursuing A Radical Kingdom. I truly cannot hold back my excitement for what the Holy Spirit is doing!
Here’s to 2015. The best year of our lives thus far.
-Jonathan Fawcett
