| BRILLIANT LIGHT INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY UPDATE MINISTRY EXPANSION DURING THE PANDEMIC The Kingdom of God advances during the pandemic. Spiritual warfare intensifies and God overcomes! Although some activities are delayed or put on hold, discipleship and recovery ministries expand. We have SO MUCH to thank God for, including:Phoenix Dream Center weekly discipleship and recovery program for women was not paused during the Covid19 timeframe because this is an essential services program for vulnerable women. In-person discipleship class for 50 women continued with a special focus on helping them recover from addiction. Multiple women at the Dream Center have stayed after class for prayer for healing from trauma and/or deliverance in spiritual warfare. We are seeing spiritual forces of darkness being broken, and yet the battle between the flesh and the Spirit is evident just as Paul wrote in Romans 8:5-14.  Single Women’s Ministry Leadership provides Bible Studies and a godly community for single women ages 40-65 across the Phoenix Metro area. Most women in this age bracket have suffered from broken hearts as a result of divorce or bereavement. We prepare original content for Bible Studies rich in scripture, on topics designed to draw women closer in intimacy with Jesus. This ministry has doubled during the stay-at-home period. Instead of meeting once per month in person, we have been meeting twice per month on Zoom from March onwards. This is likely to continue through August until the church facility re-opens for face to face meetings. During March and April, as a separate effort, the Lord enabled us to roll out a new online Bible Study series on Faith, Hope, and Love, in partnership with Robyn Dahl. The video sessions will remain available online. If you are interested in watching the video sessions, they are available on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/539545813426222/?ref=shareClick to Watch Bible Study Videos On March 10th, just days before the stay-at-home order was issued in Arizona, we were invited to speak at a special church for the homeless community in Central Phoenix. This church was founded 3 years ago by Urban Outreach’s Pastor Jim Turner, to minister to the homeless who are sheltering at CASS (Central Arizona Shelter Services) – one of the largest homeless shelters in Arizona: https://www.cassaz.org. There were about 75 homeless people present. God moved in a powerful way and anointed His Word, and over 10 homeless came to the altar after the service for prayer, to give their lives to Jesus, and two women received deliverance from consuming thoughts of suicide and death.HOPE in Christ Women’s Shelter is rescuing homeless pregnant women off the street and helping them restore their lives. Brilliant Light International is the only discipleship and recovery program these women received over the last 8 months, and they are looking to expand their programming in the future. We have met with them weekly over the last 8 months, although from mid-March through mid-May, we used to Zoom to continue the program online. On May 15, the stay-at-home order ended for Arizona, so we have resumed meeting with them in person. By God’s grace, one lady successfully graduated from the program and now rents her own apartment and takes care of her new baby. Another resident will graduate soon. Her baby is 3 months old and she regained custody of her 4-year-old boy in March. She now has her own car and a full time job, with day care for her children. She also completed her high school diploma while at the women’s home, and her goal is to become a social worker and come back to help the ministry. Two new women were brought in last week, and now we will begin their discipleship program. More information about the HOPE Home can be found here: http://bridgethegap.net/hope-in-christ-womens-home/.  Sponsorship for a woman in recovery from drug addiction: we were able to sponsor a woman through a Christ-centered 12-Step recovery program for 9 weeks from March through May. This included weekly one-on-one meetings over the phone, walking through the curriculum, and providing discipleship, mentoring, and healing prayer.NEW Ministry Launch for women who have served their time in prison while coming to know Jesus on the inside. Now these women are in the Aftercare Discipleship Housing program with Alongside Ministries: https://www.alongside-ministries.com/. This month, we launched a Breaking Free from Strongholds discipleship program for them. This program meets with them in person, in a small group setting. There are 14 women in the program. These women are eager to learn and they want to see strongholds broken from their lives. We are so thankful to God!  IMPACT of COVID19 on the MINISTRYWhile ministry has expanded in many areas, we also saw an impact to the ministry in the following areas due to Covid19 restrictions:Homeless worship service on VanBuren Street – weekly worship service, teaching from God’s Word, intercessory prayer with the homeless, and serving a hot meal was put on hold during the pandemic. Food boxes to-go are still being handed out for the homeless every week, but they are restricted from sitting down to eat or staying for ministry time. This ministry is expecting to re-launch in June. Perryville Prison Ministry on the Inside – there are 4000 women inside the Arizona State Prison known as “Perryville.” Alongside Ministries provides one-on-one mentors, weekly Bible Studies, and worship services inside the prison. Brilliant Light was planning to provide the worship service including music and a message from God’s Word on the first Tuesday evening every month. However this was put on hold when Perryville state prison closed their doors to all visitors in March. At this time, the prison has announced they will remain closed to all visitors until October 1st. There have been multiple cases of covid identified among the staff and inmates. Please pray for the Christian women on the inside, for their strength in the Lord during this difficult season.Crossroads Women’s Residential Rehab program – the weekly worship service, message, and intercessory prayer with the women at Crossroads was put on hold in March when they closed the doors to all visitors. We are waiting to see when they will re-open for ministry inside.Inner City Prayer Room at the Tempe Salvation Army – in February and early March, multiple planning meetings were held in preparation for opening a prayer room for worship and intercessory prayer in the Chapel at the Tempe Salvation Army. However this was not able to launch due to Covid19. The Lord is using this chapel facility to provide a temporary shelter for 10 homeless people. Praise the Lord! The temporary shelter will continue through most of June. Would you join us in praying about timing and preparations for opening this worship and prayer room ministry?Mending the Soul (MTS) women’s abuse recovery group – this special Christ-based abuse recovery program was in the planning stages when it also was put on hold. The recovery group leaders are in place, however they prefer to meet face to face rather than online. The location will be the Tempe Salvation Army Chapel. We believe God is giving the green light for the intake and application process to begin now, with an early July timeframe for launch. Please pray with us, as God brings broken women into recovery to experience Jesus and healing in their lives.  MOBILIZING WOMEN for MINISTRYGod is raising up women in ministry to the broken-hearted.Natalie – powerfully anointed woman of God who is equipped for teaching women in recovery at the Phoenix Dream Center. Natalie also went with BLI for 3 weeks in India ministry in January this year. She is gifted in teaching, prophecy, intercession, and healing. She is being equipped to lead additional teams to India to partner with our Indian national partners. She is also able to write curriculum for discipleship of women in the Arizona State Prison (Perryville). Joanne – equipped to mentor and disciple women in recovery and helping them break free from strongholds. Joanne is on the BLI team for weekly discipleship and recovery programs for women at the HOPE Shelter. She is also experienced in ministering to the homeless.Multiple other capable women have expressed interest in joining the team for ministry at the Dream Center, Homeless outreaches, and to Perryville Aftercare Discipleship programs.Weekly prayer warriors supporting the ministry include telephone prayer sessions 4 days per week, with 8 women participating in prayer sessions.I prayerfully believe that God wants to expand His Kingdom work here in Phoenix, and He is providing resources to enable Brilliant Light to be part of His plan.Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and financial support of this ministry. We are so blessed and thankful for your partnership.Click to Give |
| Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11 (ESV) |
