I want to say thank you from the depths of my heart for the wonderful work of Encounter Ministries. I came to the 2019 Encounter Conference after being baptized in the Holy Spirit in 2007 and experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit at different times and in different ways, but sporadically and always far less then I desired. Last year’s conference filled me with as much as of the Holy Spirit as I believe I could have received at that time. After experiencing much sorrow, that year, Jesus told me to laugh with Him at all the tactics of the devil because they had no power over Him, and to experience the joy that He had to offer. For two and a half hours, I was laughing while resting in the Spirit. This infilling of the Holy Spirit enabled me to bring God’s joy to my family that was despearately needed as we buried my mom in April 2019 after a four month battle with cancer and my dad in October 2019 after a fatal car accident. However, I often fell victim to discouragement this past year and begged the Lord to fill me with more.
When I came to the 2020 conference, the prophetic words given to me from the Lord from a student in the Encounter School of Ministry were right on, and later during confession, the priest said he had a vision of me as one of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and I didn’t recognize the Lord because I was looking for some special sign. He said that Jesus wants the Book of Acts to burn in my heart, and that He is with me. I don’t need a sign. I just need to go. These words were once again a bullseye to the heart because I had gotten to the point of wanting boxes checked off before I acted on nudges that I had received from Jesus. The next day after Dr. Randy Clark finished his presentation titled “The Agony of Defeat”, he asked those present who were experiencing a special touch from the Lord to carry the cross of healing ministry to come forward to receive prayer. As I knelt before the stage while Dr. Clark prayed, I was immersed in the compassion of Jesus and flooded with His tears for souls. My brothers and sisters, thank you so much! I loved all the speakers. I loved Adoration!!! I was blown away by both Masses. God bless you all! And thank you again and again!
– Stephen Marchand