Children, Evangelism and Missions Taking children on mission trips started with a dream, burning deep inside me. There were children in our church who were teaching and preaching, doing the puppets and on the worship team, who had an anointing from God. I said, "God, I have to do something with these children - more than what we're doing on Sunday morning and Wednesday night." We began with outreach crusades in the government housing projects. Once a month, I would take the kids, and we would set up our tents and minister. After eight years, I said, "God, there's got to be more." Then He started speaking to my heart about taking kids to foreign lands. I said, "Okay, God, I'll play it safe and take them to Mexico." We started our first missions trip with 54 children in 1991. We stayed in the U.S. and traveled back and forth across the border. Now, seven years later, we've taken almost 600 children all over the world. We've been to Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, and Holland. We've been to South Africa, Costa Rica, the jungles of Venezuela, twice to Puerto Rico, three times to Guatemala, and four times to Mexico. We've been to Apache and Ute Indian reservations. It's just awesome to see what God has done! And it's not stopping&ldots; it's increasing! "I'll Be Ready!" I love grabbing hold of young people with a heart for ministry. I see them and say, "Come on!" I think of Daniel King, now a missionary in Mexico. He is only 19 years old, but he's been in more countries than I have. I remember when he was in our children's church. At 8, he looked up at me and said, "Pastor John, God has called me to be an evangelist." Most adults would say, "Oh, isn't that cute?" But I said to him, "Daniel, you're preaching next Sunday." "Yes, sir," he said, "I'll be ready!" Not only did he preach, but when he finished, he gave an invitation, and then a call for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He did the whole kit and caboodle - all in one service!

"Here Is My Business Card" In July 1997, we were doing the children's services at the Full Gospel Businessmen World Convention in Texas. An 11-year-old boy come up to me, shook my hand, and said, "Hi, are you Pastor John?" I said, "Yes, I am." He said, "I am Evangelist Pedro." I started to laugh and think, "Oh, isn't that cute?" Then he whipped out a business card and said, "Here is my business card.   You can call me anytime. O, by the way, my e-mail address is on there too." I didn't even have my own business cards until two years ago, and I still don't know how e- mail works. I put his card in my pocket. Then I discovered that this 11-year-old boy's teaching tapes are playing on radio stations in Central and South America every weekend. When I found that out, I grabbed him and said, "Pedro, you're preaching to the children tomorrow at the conference. My wife and I sat in awe. I've never heard the Word of God expounded like that. He took us through 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians 4. We went through every one of the gifts of the Spirit. Then he looked out over the audience at the boys and girls and said, "I release the gifts of the Spirit on the inside of you now." Later, I found out that Pedro lives in Miami, Florida. I asked him, "Pedro, how did you get here?" He said, "They flew me down here." The President of the Full Gospel Businessmen International flew this boy from Miami, Florida to Houston, Texas, (are you ready for this?) to be their main speaker on Thursday morning! Isn't it awesome? God is doing great things with our teenagers and our children. "Kids Lay Your Hands on this Boy!" I remember the mama who brought her 7-year-old boy to our tent and said, "Would you please pray for my little boy. He doesn't walk." I said, "Kids, lay your hands on this boy!" They gathered around the boy's legs and began to pray. After five minutes of praying, the little boy walked out of the tent on his own accord. Whoa! This is what's happening all over the world. Oh, thank You, Jesus. Open up our eyes to understand and see the wondrous things that are taking place!' Our children and our teenagers are not needing another video or another game. Entertainment is fun and it has its place - but our young people are needing a move of God. That's what they're crying out for and longing for. They've heard about it, but they want to experience it for themselves. A Five-year-old Intercessor There is a five-year-old girl who lives in Connecticut. When the people in her church have a need, what do they do? They get her on the phone and say, "Honey, would you please pray? My husband is on the way to the hospital," or, "our son just ran away from home," or "My husband just lost his job." She goes to her room and stays there for hours interceding - a little five-year-old!