Dear Friends,

Ralph asked me to write this month’s letter, and I am honored to be able to share some insights from the mission field with all of you. As always, the Lord has given us no shortage of mission opportunities, and He has been working in power. We are seeing fruit from our international missions, as well as our local work with young people. As I write this, we have just returned from another amazing year at the Lift Jesus Higher Rally, an annual conference we put on in Toronto, Ontario. You will be able to find a more detailed recap on that in next month’s newsletter.

Over the past number of months, the Lord has given me the opportunity to preach the Gospel in many different places—on the ocean during the Good News Cruise, at parish missions, and to our young women in Be Love Revolution. As I have gone out, one of the things that continually convicts me is the consistent response to the preaching and teaching of the full and simple Gospel message. It has been amazing to preach Jesus Christ crucified, Jesus risen from the dead, repentance from sin, and baptism in the Holy Spirit in all of these places and to see how many people have never or have barely ever heard the fundamental Gospel. However, when we preached, the Holy Spirit moved people to respond to the truth of God’s Word.

One of my favorite mission opportunities was traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to do a parish mission with my dad. The surrounding culture there is extremely secular, but the Lord is moving in the hearts of the lost and broken and bringing them into the parish to be baptized and to receive new life. We were able to preach on the saving power of Jesus and to pray with the parishioners for baptism in the Holy Spirit. It was an honor and a joy to minister to the people alongside my dad.

One morning after spending some time with the parishioners, I was standing outside and a woman I didn’t know walked past me. As she passed, she turned to me, grabbed my hand, and said, “Isn’t it amazing to be loved?” I was so taken by that small experience and as I thought and prayed with that phrase, I was deeply touched. It’s so true, isn’t it? For us as Catholics, this is the heart of our mission, the heart of our life, and the foundation of everything— the reality that no matter what, we are loved.

Both in my ministry work but also in my personal life, I have been taking this reality to prayer, and I want to encourage you to do the same. Each day when we wake up, no matter what circumstances we encounter, the deepest reality is that we are loved by God. For the believer, this truth bubbles out of us until we must tell others, “Isn’t it so amazing? We really are loved!” Through every storm and circumstance of our lives, Christ has given us an assurance—the assurance of being loved. This is our anchor and our foundation. It’s not to say that things aren’t difficult or that we always feel this happy-go-lucky sentiment about love, but we can firmly set in our hearts the truth that God loves us.

For me, to wonder at this truth fuels my missionary zeal. There are people who are hungrier than ever for the love of God revealed through the person of Jesus. Through your support, we have been able to share that love in particular ways around the world, but you are called to share it each day in your relationships and with the people around you. As you read about some of the things that the Lord has been doing in our ministry, including a message from Ralph on healing and deliverance, I hope you are filled up and empowered to go out into your mission field.

We remain so grateful for your support. We are encouraged by the ripe harvest, especially knowing we have co-laborers like you who are eager and desirous to share the Gospel. Thank you for supporting us with such generosity as the Lord continues to bear fruit for his glory. Isn’t it amazing to be loved?

God bless,
Rachel Herbeck