Since we obeyed the Lord‘s direction to focus totally on the roadside, 24 people have stopped in the trailer in five outings! This has not happened in the 4-1/2 years since we returned to Iowa! More, Lord—You are so good!
The Necessity of Retreat
We spent 3 days in retreat with the Lord the first part of this month, and it was wonderful. Even when it’s just the two of us at home, we need to go away and be with Him without all the common day-to-day distractions of life. In fact, He told us years ago to go away with Him once a quarter–we got out of the habit when we began to feel it was a luxury more than a necessity and felt guilty for spending the money on it. However, we found out during this time away it is a necessity. We have felt somewhat lost the last six months, continuing to minister as usual while feeling a bit unsettled. We would spend hours asking the Lord why. Finally we scheduled the much-needed time away. Revelation regarding some smaller questions and needs came quickly over the first two days, and then His direction for us came on the third day: “Devote yourselves 100% to the roadside and to the roadside alone. A shift is coming, and I need you out there 5-6 days a week!” Although this was not at all what we expected, immediately a great peace and knowing came over us — this was the Lord and our spirits witnessed to it! We have gone through many emotions–peace, joy, excitement–since we received His word two weeks ago. The hard emotions come as we prepare for tomorrow night’s last gathering of our home group which we have led for over 4 years, since we moved back to Iowa. It’s a bittersweet time of anticipation for the new promise, “Watch what I will do,” and of sorrow as we let go of this major piece of our life which we know will leave a great void. We love these people. This wasn’t a surprise to God, so we know He has plans for each of them and ways unknown to us now to keep us all connected. We are family.
Beautiful Day on the Roadside
It was a beautiful warm day on the Spencer Iowa roadside today! Very little wind and the temperature in the 60’s. It was made even more lovely by the fact that we were busy the whole time we were set up. One man came, then another man came while the first one was still there. Both stopped to say they loved the trailer and just wanted to stop and tell us to keep up the good work! We talked about the Lord for some time and then the four of us ended up praying together for our nation. After they left, a woman came in who needed deliverance and prayer for her painful back. She left feeling free of both. Next two young women stopped and the Lord “read their mail,” first one and then the other! They kept saying, “God is so good!” He is, isn’t He? We were blessed by all of them!
USPS Mailbox to FP Box
Since we now have a PO box and no longer use our house mailbox, the Lord gave us the idea of wrapping our mailbox and using it as a prayer request box! It is wrapped to match our Free Prayer trailer, so that people will associate the two! We put it out 5 days ago!
Emil posted it on the Sioux Rapids town Facebook page and got over 70 “Likes” or “Loves” and a few comments, all favorable! We have already prayed for one request and are looking forward to many others. God always has the coolest ideas! He IS the genius inside us, after all!
God says NO!!!
Thank you for your prayers! Here is a follow-up to our last post regarding dreaming bigger about owning a building in Sioux Rapids: After touring the building, the Lord showed us the answer is NO to that possibility! Lots of interior work would need to be done, much more than anticipated. Other issues were the heating sources, the wiring, no a/c, the location of the bathroom, whether the new trailer would fit due to other things that had not been removed from the bay. The main point was that it would be better to put the money into our own property by returning to our original January 2024 vision of a multi-purpose building on our own acreage. During the summer, we had even buried the plans of it in the place where it would be built as an act of faith! The Lord knew my (Karen) concern about the townspeople coming to our property for events or Bible Study because I heard Him say clearly, “If you build it, they will come!” I chuckled at that and got peace! We are now wholeheartedly pursuing that vision. Emil will be gathering bids for the cost and we are looking to the Lord for His provision of the resources to make it happen!
Emil got his Bible out and it opened to Psalm 107:35-38. We see our home and property spelled out: oasis of water, springs making fertile ground, feeding all who are hungry, reaping a bumper crop, fruitful harvest, blessed with multiplication and prosperity! We receive it, Lord!
Dreaming Bigger!
As 2023 drew to an end, we were encouraged to dream big and to trust God with a big dream in 2024. Sure enough, we had the vision of the bigger trailer and God fulfilled that vision with our wonderful orange prayer trailer. For us, that was a huge dream. Then 2025 began and we found ourselves off the Roadside for many days at a time due to the extremes in the weather this year so far. It has been below freezing many many days and when it has been in the 20’s and 30’s, it has been extremely windy, too windy to take the trailer out. God gave us the idea of having Free Prayer graphics put on our Yukon’s back windows which has really increased our ministry opportunities just by us being out and about in it!
Now we are entertaining our biggest dream yet—the purchase of a building in Sioux Rapids! It has been one of the two places that we set up in 2024. It’s a small car dealership and the owner has retired and is putting it up for sale for $165,000. Emil had a really good talk with the owner the other day, who is excited about the possibility of us owning it and using it as the Bikers with Boundaries headquarters and Free Prayer center. It has a large open room in front and an office and bathroom in the back, as well as two car bays with garage doors tall enough to house both of our Free Prayer trailers, which would get them out of the elements. The huge advantage is it’s on a corner lot on the highway going through the center of town, extremely visible. Also we could have our growing Friday night home group there, which would be more inviting to the townspeople than taking the plunge of coming to our home!
Many of you may remember that we rented a store front in Storm Lake several years ago and it was a very busy ministry hub. We would love to have you pray into this with us and watch with us to see what God reveals as we dream this biggest dream yet because He is able, and nothing is impossible for Him!
Conduct a Thought Audit
There’s a lot of talk about audits these days! Here’s an interesting one: a thought audit! Many people, even Christians, deal with anxiety. A thought audit trains us to overcome anxiety, to walk through it instead of being consumed by it. If we pay attention to our thoughts, we will get a glimpse of our future . As Joyce Meyer says, “Where the mind goes, the man followsl” Our life always progresses toward what we think. If it’s a negative future, you can change that! Here’s how:
Take your thoughts captive; in other words, think about what you’re thinking about! As Gloria Copeland asks, “What does MY faith sound like?” Spend time “unpacking” your thoughts, digging into them: (1) Are the thoughts negative, positive, or neutral? (2) Which thoughts are contributing to stress/anxiety and/or unproductive behavior? (3)Are these thoughts truth-based, aligning with the Word, or are these thoughts fear-based?
The solution is: Refuse to think the thoughts contributing to a negative, fear-based future, and replace them by speaking the truth of God’s Word. Thoughts don’t fight thoughts–words out of our mouth fight thoughts. I know this sounds easier said than done, but that’s what renewing our minds is all about. It takes work for awhile to stay on top of your thoughts, but it is so worth it! The thought comes and your verbal response is, “I don’t receive that!” “I don’t believe that!” “The truth is…” and speak out God’s Word! This opens the door to a future of hope, fulfilling the plan God has for your life!
“Hey, Prayer Dude!”
Sunday we pulled into a gas station to fill up our Yukon which has our new bright orange Free Prayer graphics on the windows! As I finished filling up and was walking along the side to get back into the vehicle to leave, I heard someone call out, “Hey! Hey! Prayer dude!” I looked around the back and a man was walking towards our truck. The guy asked, “Is this really what you do?” and he pointed to the Free Prayer graphics on the back windows. I said, “Absolutely!” “He asked if he could get prayer right then and I said, “Sure!” We talked for 15-20 minutes, and the man wound up accepting Jesus right there at the gas pumps! Isn’t the Lord amazing?!
A New Year…Finally!
We believe 2025 will be the best year in quite awhile! We are experiencing a shift in the atmosphere and a higher level of expectation for all God will do through us this year! Our word from the Lord for 2025, so far, is “Greater Harvest, Lighter Baggage!” We are in agreement with the Lord and anticipating a record-breaking harvest for the ministry! Our prayer for you is for a year experiencing overwhelming blessings from His hand–health, prosperity, peace, joy, a greater awareness of His presence, His love, His provision, revelation, wisdom–ALL of His benefits, in fact! And let’s not forget signs, wonders, and miracles! John 10:10 in the Passion Translation tells us that Jesus said, “I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow!” So let’s believe it and receive it! Jesus is in love with us and wants to show it!
Be a Telemarketer for Jesus!
A telemarketer called this evening. She said, “I’m calling about your timeshare!” I (Emil) said, ”We do not own a timeshare! “ She said “Yes, you do with your wife!” I said, “We have never owned one!”The Lord said, “Ask her if she dies tonight, will she go to heaven?” So I asked, “Can I ask you a question?” She hesitantly said, “Ok, sure,” so I asked her if she died tonight, would she go to heaven? I heard her conversing with someone quietly in the background and then she hung up!
Sometimes we just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit because who else is going to talk to a telemarketer about Jesus? If they are telemarketers for worldly things, then we can be telemarketers for Jesus! Give it a try—you’d be surprised! I have led a couple of people to the Lord, simply by talking to them about Jesus!