April in Bloom
Dear Friends and Family, March 30, 2018
Hello everyone! I hope and trust this finds you all well! As I sat down to write this newsletter I felt
compelled to share a short synopsis of how I became a Christian. Today being the day many
Christians around the world honor the day in which our Lord and Savior died had me reflecting
back 25 years ago…In 1993 I lived in Florida and had just walked out of a tumultuous time, my
father had been arrested and the court case ended April 1. My mother was being re-admitted into a
psychiatric hospital for another medicine adjustment for her schizophrenia. Due to the stresses of
life I had been placed on academic probation from university. So all in all, I had lost my will and the
desire to live. It was a very dark and lonely time. After going to the store for some groceries, I met
some friends who invited me to church. From mid February to April of 1993 these friends showed
up at my house every day and took me to various churches. I was at a spaghetti dinner at a Baptist
Church one night and a Charismatic prayer service the next. What I didn’t realize was that these
friends were helping me find a home, a family, a tribe. One of the churches they brought me to was
a Methodist Church in a heavily influenced Greek city of Tarpon Springs. From the first service I
attended in the prayer chapel I knew this was home. The Pastor (Herb Lange) had an accent and a
passion to preach but always filled with love and authority. Being a missionary himself, Pastor Herb
spoke to me so many times. During the Easter Sunrise service at a local park, the youth Pastor
(Papa Ray) was preaching. While he shared about the sermons Jesus taught, I felt a strange
feeling in my heart and heard “Won’t you come?”. Now since my mother heard voices (that we
didn’t) I began to get nervous that I too had lost my mind. In God’s prefect timing, Papa Ray
stopped his preaching and said, “Someone has just heard, ‘Won’t you come?’, this is what that
means…” Papa Ray went to explain the Gospel and how to give your life to God. I was shocked
and I felt my heart explode. In a split second I knew that God was real, He loved me, and He was
worthy of all of me.
So this year, I am celebrating the 25th anniversary of dedicating my life to the one who has loved
me, saved me, redeemed me, healed me, rescued me, and so much more! In about 5 days I will
be heading back to Papua New Guinea, so on April 11, I will be having a lovely coffee with some
friends in Port Moresby before we sail to the Gulf. How fitting it is and how lovely, when I was last
in Papua New Guinea, my mother passed away…this time I have the joy in marking a significant
milestone in my walk of faith. The Lord really can make something beautiful out of a difficult, and
trying situation! To all of you who have walked with me, taught me, discipled me, trained me,
equipped me, prayed with me, prayed for me, supported me, loved me, THANK YOU! Because of
your efforts many have been saved, healed, comforted, consoled, counseled, taught, and loved.
In order to continue the work ahead, I am in desperate need of some finances. Would you please
pray and ask the Lord how you can help? May the Lord richly bless you all and I am so very
thankful for the love and support that I have received!
Love,
April J
Donations should be sent to YWAM Tyler, PO Box 3000, Garden Valley, TX 75771
My name can not appear anywhere on the check. Please attach a separate note with my full name on it.
Bank draft donations are now possible! https://secure.etransfer.com/Equipnet/AprilHarper.cfm
