From Brokenness to Bravery
This is a guest post by Shelley Pearson a 1st-year ISSM (2017-18) student.
It’s a long story and the short version is – I am originally from Indiana but lived in Seattle, Washington for 15 years. I just moved back last summer. Before moving back, I googled “Indianapolis and Holy Spirit” and ISSM came up. I thought it sounded really exciting. Therefore, I contacted the school and a time was scheduled for Sandy and Dave Noel to meet me for lunch during the summer in Indy. I was immediately drawn to apply for the ministry school but I had so many things up in the air. I had no job (thus no income) and I was going through a huge life transition including a divorce and a cross-country move. So, I didn’t sign up.
One day a couple months later, after I had moved back to my parents’ home in Frankfort, Indiana, I was super depressed and I remember crying out to God in the shower. Through my tears, I heard God say to call Dave Noel about ISSM. I called him and the first class “happened to be” that night and he invited me to come. So, I literally got myself ready and drove to Fountain Square nervous and unsure of what I was getting into. That night God showed me in multiple ways that I was exactly where He wanted me including another classmate getting a word of knowledge about a health issue I was struggling with and finding a jewel on the floor representing God’s presence.
If you ask anyone in the class, they would say that I was like a timid, broken, flower when I began the class. I had gone through a tremendously hard year before and I was newly planted in Indiana without roots yet. People tell me that when I spoke it was in a whisper and I was withdrawn. Through the course of time each week, by being so blessed by the videos, the teaching, the discussion and especially the prayer and prophecy – I felt like a the old stronger me mixed with a new wiser me was emerging. I’m not being dramatic when I say, God used this ministry class and the other students to change my life and the trajectory of my future.
I’m not being dramatic when I say, God used this ministry class and the other students to change my life and the trajectory of my future.
Not to mention, healing and miracles became are a normal thing for us to witness and testify to God’s power and love for each of us. One example for me personally is, I have had some eye problems including a problem with my retina in my left eye. I got healing prayer at Revive the World Ministries for my vision and totally noticed a difference. Praise God! I testified to this in the ministry school and then, my classmates starting laying hands on my eyes and praying for my vision to strengthen as well. So, I went back to the optometrist and he found a noticeable difference and decreases in my prescription in both eyes. This has been a wonderful healing and faith growing process for me. I also recently prayed for a woman in my parents’ church who was having similar problems with her retina and she reported to me that when she went to the eye doctor, he said her eyes had improved! God is good and wants to heal us – that is something that has been reinforced in my mind through this class as well.
God is good and wants to heal us – that is something that has been reinforced in my mind through this class as well.
So, as the first year ministry school comes to a close, I am sincerely sad to see it end – it has been a weekly dose of love, encouragement, and a growth factory for boldness and moving in the prophetic. If you are considering joining this ministry school, do it! You will be so blessed by our good, good Father and by the wonderful people at the school.
Shelley Pearson
If you’re in a season of transition and are learning to embrace vulnerability, then you’ll love Shelley’s blog (A Time to Every Purpose) where she writes about her own experience and making sense of life’s seasons with the help of God.
I am so blessed and encouraged after reading your story! We are so glad you came to ISSM and into our lives. When we met you at Chuy’s for the first time, it was our hope that you’d come to ISSM. We adopted you immediately! We, as well as many of the students lives have been blessed and enriched because of you. Thank you for sharing some of the ways God has shown His love and kindness to you. He certainly showed his love to us when He sent you are way!