Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Dearest Friends!

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Melanie, Kayla and I (and all the Daytona Beach Raven Team). We love you and appreciate you so very much and pray for God ENORMOUS BLESSINGS to be upon your lives in this coming year!

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We have just been overjoyed and overwhelmed by the goodness of our Lord Jesus in the midst all of the things that cause the World to stress and strive.
We continue to see so many lives touched by Jesus as we carry His message of salvation to those in the most desperate of circumstances.

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This past month we took the team down to South Florida where we once again teamed with Bro Ivan Itzkowitz of Walk for Christ for another JESUS INVASION into Hollywood, Florida.

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Raven Ministries (with YOUR help) served more meals than we have served in recent memory! Our team cooked NON-STOP for (4) hours straight and served hundreds of Frito Pies (a Texas thing), Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Spaghetti Plates to the hundreds and hundreds of people who came out to the outreach.

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Before the meal was served there was a great time of prayer over the City and worshipping Jesus as dozens of Churches came together under one name JESUS to march through the City.

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The two-mile march stretched over (7) blocks long and demanded the attention of the THOUSANDS of people who were driving and walking in the area. Many signs declaring Bible messages and many Gospel tracts were handed out to the people that were ministered to along the way!

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There were many testimonies of healing, deliverances, and salvation as the group gathered afterwards to the preaching of the Gospel and times of worship and ministry.

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Thank you all once again for all that you do to allow us to reach people who have been waiting for the Church to “come out to the streets” with the FAITH and FRUIT of our Lord and Savior!

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Keep our teams around the Nation (Mexico and Canada too) in your prayers as we are out every week sharing the Word of God and seeing hearts impacted by the message.

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Blessings.
Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Raven Ministries International

2009: The Year of the Raven Training Center?

“It was Jesus who gave some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, some to be Evangelists, and some to be Pastors and Teachers, to prepare God's people for the work of the ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

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One of the great passions of our heart has long been to have a place where we could train a new generation of people to take the message of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

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This would be a place where young and old alike could come for an intense time of equipping through instruction and practical “hands-on” ministry facilitated by people who have a proven track record in bringing people to Christ.

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The “students” would be able to come for a period ranging from (7) days for youth ministries or church groups to (6) weeks for leaders desiring an extended outreach/evangelism school to (3-12) month internships for people pursuing full-time ministry or retirees desiring a place to invest their years of wisdom and experience into the lives of others.

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Areas of ministry training would include: Urban Missions, One-on-One Witnessing, Organizing Outreach Teams, Youth and Children’s Evangelism, Homeless Outreach, Servant Evangelism, Apologetics, Web Evangelism, Ministry to Seniors and Shut-ins, Prayer & Evangelism, Music Ministry, and food and benevolence ministry.

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“Students” would stay at campus dormitories and would be a part of the daily operation of an internationally-focused team. They would be instructed in both classroom and field settings with the goal of equipping them to utilize their unique gifting to reach the lost and hurting with the Gospel.

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We have already assembled a leadership team with a combined total of 225 years of ministry experience including: worship, evangelism, church planting, and Biblical studies.

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What we are praying for is a facility that will accommodate the great need for an Inter-Denominational ministry training center where people can come without the huge financial obstacle usually associated with such training.

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These three building are all on a strategic thoroughfare in Daytona Beach and are on the same property. They are being offered for lease separately or together and are also being offered for sale as well. Buildings ONE and TWO are what we would need initially and lease for $5500 per month. The entire property is being offered for sale at 1.1 million. (Very reasonable for this area)

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All of these numbers are staggering to our natural minds, but we know that PRAYER CHANGES THINGS! Please pray with us concerning this matter and if the Lord gives you a Word of Wisdom, etc.. regarding this, please call me up and share it with me. My personal cell number is 504-202-0939

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For us it has never been about facilities, money, or anything else but doing all that we can do to be the most effective and efficient in investing into the lives of others all that God has so graciously invested into us. The vision for a Training Center was entrusted to us nearly 20 years ago and we have been endeavoring to be faithful all along the way in preparation for it coming to pass.

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“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”. Matthew 28:19-20

Time to open YOUR gifts!

“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and
GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
Ephesians 4:8

When Jered and Kayla were little, they would often come to me the day before Christmas and ask, “Can we please just open one of our gifts before the morning?” Every time that they would ask the question I always answered, “Yes” and would give them hints as to the one to choose that would bring them the most joy that night.

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Jered is now grown and has moved away and Kayla is nearly eighteen years old—but she will still ask the question, “Daddy can I open one?” Now when she asks it is more for the sake of teasing with me than really wanting to open a gift early—but it still delights my heart when she asks—and I still want to offer “hints” as to the gift that would bring her the most joy.

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When the Lord Jesus came, He came as God’s gift of mercy and salvation to mankind. He was wrapped in compassion, but instead of being placed neatly under a Christmas Tree, He was nailed to a tree (The Cross).

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The gift of salvation is one that has been hand delivered by the Lord Himself and He awaits those who would come and say, “Can I open one tonight Daddy?”

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Like me with Jered and Kayla, He has pointed the way to the “very best” gift, but (just like me with Jered and Kayla) He has left the ultimate decision up to them as to whether or not they will choose His gift.

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When you do ministry such as we do and you always work to bring the best gifts to those who are the most needy, it does hurt sometime when they refuse the priceless gift of salvation and instead turn to the cheap “trinkets” that the world adorns with things meant to appeal to the flesh.

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Jered and Kayla would sometimes go it alone and open a gift other than the one I pointed out to them—and more often than not they were disappointed.

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Instead of the new toy or game, they would open the BIGGER box, thinking that “bigger must be better”, only to discover a pair of shoes or pajamas!

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“Can we open one more daddy?,” would always be their plea—to which I would say, “Not tonight. Daddy tried to tell you which one to choose, but you didn’t listen.”

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Has your “Daddy” been speaking to you about choosing the “gift” that He has especially prepared to bring the most joy to your life (and to others), yet you have continued to go it alone and continue to end up disappointed in the choices that you make?

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This is a BRAND NEW YEAR where He is once again leading you to the tree (The Cross) and pointing to the best gift. Will you believe Him this year? You won’t be disappointed if you do.
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