tuesday reaching out w/ raven west coast

hey everyone
pastor rudy is recovering well~
still feeling like he got hit pretty hard (!) and hard to deep breathe/cough/laugh/yawn
going in to doctor tomorrow for some chest xrays
thanks everyone for continuing to pray for total healing
tomorrow, tuesday...
we will be going4GOD to apple valley, west ninth to friends and families
who are in need of food, to gather together and worship our LORD as we give
thanks to HIM for all things, for HE is good!

sorry blogs are short and not as often as usual~
lots to testify about!
we're living from one miracle to the next!

so, if you would like, wear raven black and join us between 5-5:30 tomorrow, meeting at gonzo home for some soup!
then, reaching out to our community in the streets (rain or shine)
and then cookies and decaf coffee tomorrow night!

love to all
gonzos

shield of protection

tonight pastor rudy was struck by a vehicle going 40mph on hwy 116 witnesses say he flew 25 ft and no one could believe he walked away. please join us as we praise GOD for his healing, protection and life saved as well as brothers and sisters in Christ who raced to the scene, emergency crews, passersby and all of you who have emailed, called and posted and prayed alongside us through yet another miracle. may all glory be to GOD, in HIM we find rest and peace on this night, hallelujah, oh my soul rejoice!

LOVE 360

Last Saturday we went to the San Francisco Tenderloin during the day and spent about 10-11 hours ministering out in the streets. Our team consisted of Pastor Rudy, Lori, Rich, Karen and Gloria. I had no idea what the LOVE 360 outreach was about, but was blessed to have an opportunity to GO and preach the gospel with them.
It's been a few days since we went and I'm so sorry I haven't blogged about it yet because we went to Sacramento on Sunday. I'm finally home.
I want to thank GOD for the opportunity to GO.
It is something when we go to the streets at night...
It is a whole other thing to go on a blustery, stormy, cold day and see the thousands of cars driving by the one legged man with no fingers in a wheel chair without hesitation... or the confused, lonely thirty something man who was shouting, "Please help me, I don't want to die, " Please, save me," and the cars whizzing by.
And then there's the sixty year old woman who walked right up to me and cried in my arms, "I need an ambulance, I need help, I am employed and homeless, sobbing over her hurt arm and her son who is in Iraq on his third tour and then after praying saying, I'm not ready to confess Jesus in Lord."
There were the church groups making sandwiches under tents and celebrities on the stage. There were men and women praying with us under the tents and in the coves of multi million dollar buildings in downtown San Francisco, wrapped in a thin blanket donated by the rescue mission.
There were blankets and goose bumps. There was love and kindness and worship and fellowship.
We got wetter than I can even explain, but we could endure it because we knew we were going home in a few hours, God willing.... but many of them weren't.
It was a blessing there weren't so many tourists out on the streets because it was pretty much just us and the homeless.... having church in the streets... praying for one another, petitioning God and testifying.
There were just so many prayer requests, thank yous and petitions. I don't know of anyone who repented but I do know they were offered the gospel. The outreach was really a double whammy for our team because there were many there who knew God and trusted HIM (homeless) and then many who knew God but had never led anyone to the Lord (churched). So, we ministered to whomever was available to hear the gospel and whomever the LORD drew near to us.
I chuckled at how many of the volunteers though I was one of the homeless but was saddened by the way they treated me because they thought I was homeless.
I think they either thought I was homeless because I was soaking wet, had tears or was taking a blanket... I don't know ... but church, we've got to stop separating ourselves and thinking we're all that and treating people different than we would treat the LORD.
One man, twice mind you, told me which way to leave... and blocked me from receiving prayer...
Another man though, helped me get the passed out gentleman sitting in the pouring rain under tent when others just left him... it broke his heart and I praise God his heart won't be the same after that.
I am especially grateful that there were others for their first time out of their pews and in the streets. I remember my first time and I know that God will honor a heart that seeks after HIS righteousness.
I do hope that many of you who have never been out to the streets where Jesus was, amongst the poor, hurting and the lonely and the afraid... that you will go. That you won't be afraid or think you need a lot of money or a celebrity to urge you. I hope that you will read your bible and not the latest book of the month and follow what it says, GO AND PREACH THE GOSPEL, and that you will be blessed, just like we were.
If you read this, please take a moment to pray for the saints and the lost:
Cliff, thanking God for meal and wanting a reunification with his daughter who he hasn't seen for 13 years
Susan, for her son in Iraq and for her salvation and healing to her broken arm and deliverance from addiction
Elizabeth, who loves and misses her sons Zachary and Ben, and for a home that isn't the shelter
David, for release from pride and that he would worship the LORD freely and openly
Mitch, for healing and salvation and mercy from God
Joe, for deliverance from demons and a mind of Christ
Gerald, for release of anger towards white people and that he follows the word that he loves, from God all of his days
For the 6,000 homeless men, women and teens who occupy the one square mile known as the Tenderloin and mercy upon them, deliverance from darkness and provision and mercy from our Lord
For the church to be like Christ and not forget what they saw and go and testify within their groups of believers that JESUS may receive glory and honor
For more believers to go and harvest the seeds that were planted on Saturday
Tiffany and her cousin that they continue to GO and preach the gospel
Lauri that she continues to GO and preach the gospel and not grow weary
Jana that she presses into the LORD as she goes to Viet Nam and Thailand with others to be ministers of the gospel
Todd that he continues to sing unto the LORD with a joyful noise and be used by God to draw others close to HIM, with a humble heart
Stephen that he continues to take a stand for Christ in Hollywood
Keith, Rodger and Roger, Tbone, Christina and her dad who we ere blessed to meet, that they would continue to go and preach the gospel and LOVE others with the word of God and a servants heart.
JESUS hear our prayers, AMEN.

ugo4god schedule different this week!!!

tuesday: please pray for our nation as the leaders are being voted for in usa!!! no study tonight, pastor rudy is in santa cruz!!!

wednesday:
9 am: make 50 sandwiches w/ david, zulla, tiffany, randy and naomi's church, join them at Sonoma Avenue Church of Christ.
11 am: feed the homeless in santa rosa w/ gloria and her daughter carmelina, on the side street of the gospel mission.
gonzalez family dinner tonight! please pray for our family and yours!!! particularly for provision and protection.

thursday: raven team meeting at 9am at the food bank, visiting moms throughout the day, dinner with the raven team at 4:00 (please bring water bottles, friends, side dish to share) and after dinner, heading out to preach, reach out to families and feed the hungry across the city and setting up tables. we need lots of hands and feet, please. 3 neighborhoods plus ours... that makes 4. meeting back at the house for dessert, prayer, coffee 'til ?

friday: 2pm wells fargo center pastor tom mc carthy's memorial service, please drop off your salads/desserts at my home by 12:30 and i will take all of them over to the church for the private family gathering. we need 3 desserts still... please email me if you can bring some over, thank you! gonzofamily5@aol.com

saturday: gonzo girls heading to cal to visit with anthony!

sunday: keepin the sabbath!!!

prayer requests:
for baby kate to stop having seizures and be healed
for the shivering, hungry, lonely, dying, elderly living on the streets of the sf tenderloin that we ministered too last saturday.
for the family of pastor tom mc carthy who is grieving.
for the pastoral staff at hope chapel santa rosa as they continue to minister to many in their grief.
for the sanctity of marriage.
for mercy upon the unborn.
for salvations.
for provision.
for our nation to be a nation under GOD.
please pray in the name of JESUS, amen.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

So recently in class we got to pick a proposition that we felt the most strong about. I was in between prop 4 and prop 8... I decided to pick prop 4.
Proposition 4 is about young teenage girls either being able to have an abortion by herself or with her parents being notified 48 hours in advance.
I felt very strong about this prop, and i prayed a lot about what i should say...
I had the opportunity to get up in front of my History class and explain the prop...
As i went up there, i knew that i was the only person in the group of 4 that was against abortion, and believes that abortion is wrong. Not only was i the only one in my group, but in the whole class there were only about 6 people that believe abortion is wrong, while the class has approximately 26 students in it.
It disgusts me that satan is letting people believe that killing children is okay.
I was kind of nervous that i wasn't going to stand up for what i believe in, but JESUS is awesome and he gave me the strength and courage to tell the class that abortion is WRONG and STUPID because it is the murdering of a child.
As i went up there i wasn't supposed to agree with either side... (meaning not to pick either side.)
but i couldn't do that...
So as i stood up in front of my classroom i explained the prop, and then students got to ask us questions.
One of the guys in my class raised his hand and said, "if you could all vote what would your vote be?"
it was hard for me because 2 of my best friends were in my group, they said that their votes would be NO. the other girl in my group said that her vote would be NO also. I was the last in my group to answer, and i said my vote would be YES.
The majority of the class looked at me as if i was crazy, and they were wondering why i just didn't go with the others and just get the presentation over with.
The guy said, "oh maddie, why would you vote yes?"
that opened the door for me to go into about an explanation on why abortion is wrong. My teacher was sitting in the back of the room and she was in tears, as she heard what i had to say.

This is what i said:
I don't know why anyone could ever kill their own child that GOD had created for them. I can't even imagine how much better this world would be with all the aborted children. There are sooo many people out there that would love to take those unborn babies and love them, and give them a chance at life. My mom was hours away from aborting my brother, and she decided not to because god told her that he would never leave her... god will never leave you to. I dont know what i would do without my brother. My adopted sister was hours away from aborting her baby, and now she has the cutest little guy ever and he's so full of joy. I'm so glad that they made that choice because without those two people in my life, i would be such a different person. Abortion is disgusting and it needs to be TERMINATED, it's murdering inosant adorable children!


please pray that ladies of all ages will keep their children and draw close to JESUS and call upon him, because he is mighty and he can do all things!

I think that we need to do an outreach to the unborn, and we can start it by PRAYING and reaching out to the mothers and teenage girls that are facing a decision.
don't let satan have these young ladies any longer!

PRAY!

Goin4GOD,
-Maddie Gonzalez <><