January
I had just flown back from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and had just about moved back to Southern California. Living out of a few different houses, I began breaking through in the colleges in SoCal with a fresh team. We made our trip to USC which would lead to our first evangelistic music festival, Launchfest. I, then, made a trip up to NorCal, where we connected with a network of revivalists, going hard after it and seeing ridiculous fruit. The guys from Awakening 209.
February
After a week or so longer in SoCal, the Lord flew us out to the east coast, where our team and I made a tour of a few university campuses on the eastern half of America. I was able to help and serve, YWAM Harrisburg's Fire and Fragrance DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Pennsylvania, minister at the Resting Place House of Prayer in New Jersey, stir revival in the hearts of students at Regent University and Liberty University in Virginia, Lee University in Tennessee, fruitfully impacting students and staff in these areas.
Feb of 2012, I was also able to make a trip out to YWAM Kona, Hawaii with my friend Samuel Rodriguez and our ministry leader, Brian Brennt. During this eight or nine day trip, we got to minister to students as Brian shared on Cultures of Revival. We were also to bring together students of different schools and lead some simple worship sessions that broke out in power as the Lord showed up. In eight days, we saw over 50 healings and dozens of souls saved!
Also in February, I was accepted to Faith Evangelical Seminary and began attending college for my very first time! Goin' strong!
March
Along with strengthening relationships with universities in SoCal, we made a connect with Isla Vista Church, who are among the group of my most favorite people. There we had a firsthand experience of "Jesus Burgers" and of course, FMLYBND.
After another trip up to NorCal to share and minister, we flew out yet again to the east coast, but this time for a tour of the midwest. We drove to Lee University again to partner with LUKE18, a friendship that I would never have realized would such a huge role alongside our ministry in 2013. Then, we drove to Oklahoma where we ministered to and prophesied over a group of high school students. We also stopped by Oral Roberts University to make some divine connections! Finally, we made our way to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City to connect once more with LUKE18. Divine!
April
In the month of April, I'm not 100% sure exactly what I did. I think sometime this month, I officially moved in with the Brennts, visited and connected with a lot of long-term and fresh university ministries / students and ministered a bunch to my family and friends back home. What did I do during you, April? What did I do during you?!
Also, skier.
May
In the month of May, a team and I made a trip yet again to the east coast, this time to New York. We drove up to Lake Saranac for a conference that was hosted by InterVarsity. Basileia. We were there to lead ministry and lead worship. We had some smaller gatherings there where students first experienced the Presence of God and even deliverance.
We began to prepare administratively for the 5 Circuit Riders schools that would soon take place. Preparing also our hearts as much as the locations which the schools were to be held.
But more importantly, much more important than all that was said, I celebrated my 21st birthday.
June
Circuit Riders Orlando (YWAM Orlando). If only I could begin to speak about what birthed here. A few hundred students showed up to the school and we first experienced the Circuit Riders curriculum taking root in just two weeks.
Los Angeles (YWAM LA). Circuit Riders gathered again in the city of LA to be trained in evangelism, preaching and sustaining revival culture. We experienced a huge number of salvations at this school in particular!
July
I made my first trip to Europe as I flew over to London (YWAM Harpenden) for our third Circuit Rider school of the year. Where people had said, "London is too developed and hard toward the gospel," we saw healings and salvations break out on its streets!
YWAM Denver hosted a Circuit Riders school, as well. There I saw for the very first time, the Lord opened the eyes of the blind in America. Never before, had I experienced such a thing. Never before.
August
For our last official CR school of 2012, Circuit Riders partnered with IHOP-KC to host the biggest one so far. There a greater friendship was developed between the two ministries, which allows for the Lord to move much more powerfully! "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples."
Coming back to California, we made a trip down to San Diego, where we attended a Xealots conference. I got the opportunity to share a few testimonies of the Circuit Riders and we experienced the power of God, even through a simple testimony. "By the word of our testimony, we will overcome the evil one."
We also started a gathering in out garage called the Gathering.
September
I had the privilege of speaking into the curriculum of a training / crusade that would happen in Nigeria called Impact Nigeria. In a period of just six weeks or so, they witnessed over 550 salvations! Healing and the power of God broke out in the masses!
Of course, in September, we held our very first evangelistic music festival, Launchfest, which brought together the the Christians on the campus around the goal of soul-winning and lead to over 150 salvations and hundreds of students getting encountered by the real deal, loving Jesus.
October
We cancelled the Gathering.
In October, we wrapped up event, of Launchfest, not USC, of course. We prioritized following up with students who received salvation or wanted to reconnect. During a later trip to Kona, we were told the story of a friend of a student of Community Transformations DTS, that one her friends received salvation at USC and is still burning powerfully for the Lord!
As the Gathering came to a close, the Lord spoke powerfully of an online alternative, which would plug in our network of Riders world wide into what was happening and how the Lord was moving! Brian Brennt and Andy Byrd have been streaming faithfully updates, encouragements, exhortations, inspiration!
Alongside the livestream, we were closing in on our very first SEND event that would be held at Biola University!
November
Vanguard University. A ministry on the campus, themselves, organized an awakening event that would lead to students being stirred for revival on their college. This was huge as our heart truly is to inspire and spread these training / evangelistic events!
Biola University. The SEND. The Send broke new ground as we trained a couple hundred students in simple gospel preaching and stirred them to revival in a two day event. Students took charge, preached to the lost and committed their lives to the gospel.
UCLA. We held two events at UCLA, the first was the Pre-Drop which was a gathering of Christians on the campus to worship, pray and share what was on their hearts for their university.
The Drop Off. At the end of the month, we held our first of three evangelistic events that would take place on UCLA's campus. Around 500 students gathered as Presence filled music overtook the room. Just like Launchfest, students at this event received salvation, healing and an encounter with the Jesus of the bible, very much alive today.
December
A few friends and I took a trip to the YWAM base in Harrisburg to share and speak at a DTS. While we were there in Pennsylvania, we made a trip to Lancaster, an Amish city, to assess and help with the planning of the Lancaster Circuit Riders School which will be held late summer this year. Of course, sneaking a peek at some stadiums for the Lord to fill, sometime very soon.
After this trip to the east, our entire house took a trip to back to Kona, Hawaii to help with the training of their Fire and Fragrance DTS staff. As the Circuit Rider curriculum became a bigger part of the DTS curriculum, we had the privilege of share with the staff of the school.
Brother and/or sister, if you are still here and reading, shoot me a message on my email, I want to personally thank you. I am honored that you would take your time like this and read this method of my madness. jacktong7@live.com
As I look back, truly, truly, the first three words that pop into my mind are, "Thank You, Lord." I am so thankful because of the honor of being a part of what I am a part of, a part of what God is doing on the earth today. I want to thank You, Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing. All I have done, as little or much as it seems depending on the day, it is all second to the privilege and honor of knowing Him. Oh, and how my soul longs to make Jesus, Lord, more and more, day after day. And it's only as I do that, that I see the Lord use me more in every aspect.
Looking back, it seems like so much. But I know with all my heart that this year will be be much, much more. Philippians 3: 13b - 14 "... reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. "
love, jacktong.
