READ ON . . .

Note from Steve Shultz, Publisher, THE ELIJAH LIST

I so TOTALLY believe in What Tedd Craven is doing with the Rainbow People. They will gather just weeks from now "somewhere" (they only announce the EXACT location in the forest days ahead of time) --but it will be in the Washington/Idaho National Forest. For the first time ever, MANY churches and many denominations are pooling resources to love these people to Christ in June and July. If you can get there and if you feel called, it's going to be an exciting SUMMER.

Two youths from our local fellowship have already relocated to help Tedd and the local churches in this massive soul-loving, soul-winning move of God!!

READ ALL ABOUT IT BELOW!!!

----Steve Shultz, THE ELIJAH LIST

THE RAINBOW PEOPLE AND . . .

THE GREATEST REVIVAL IN THE 21ST CENTURY

By: Tedd Craven

email: jesuskids@earthlink.net

THE RAINBOW GATHERING IS ALMOST HERE -- JULY 1-7

---30,000 TO 60,000 "disenfranchised" Rainbow People to gather in the National Forest in July 1-7 -- Many churches are pooling resources to bring the Love of Christ to them!

[ Read end of this article for specific prayer needs, ministry needs, and who and how people can come and help--beginning as early as June 24 --flying into the Spokane, Washington airport ]

In the early nineties, while working as a full-time volunteer prison chaplain in Mississippi, I was exposed to a whole counter culture that is made up of mostly runaways and throwaways. The Rainbow people are made up of two segments, 20% are the older hippies from the 60s and 70s, and the 80% of the people group average 20 years old, totally disfranchised from society who literally live in the national forests of America and the world.

UNTOUCHED BY THE GOSPEL

As I began to minister to this people group, I found that they were very untouched by the gospel and turned off to the church, yet they were very spiritually hungry. So I knew that something had to be done to reach these people with the gospel.

THE SIGN SAID, "WE NEED FOOD."

I would like to share my story with you. Back in Dec. of 1994, I found a young fellow holding a sign that said, "We need food." I found this to be very unusual that such a young fellow (18 or 19) would be holding such a sign. So I approached him and ask him how long he would be there. He explained that he had just arrived and would be there for a while. I told him it would take me about an hour but that I would be back with some food.

After returning home and praying with my mom over the need at hand, I loaded up my vehicle with the food we had collected and went by the Christian bookstore where I bought a Bible and went back to the young man, and actually led him to the Lord. I asked him what he was doing signing for food? He explained to me that he was a part of the Rainbow gathering that was taking place in the Desoto National forest. At this point, I remembered picking up a young hitchhiker, a couple of years before and had taken him to the gathering in the Desoto National forest near my hometown in south Mississippi. I knew at this point that the Lord was pointing toward a people.

GOING INTO THE FOREST -- "WELCOME HOME"

Later on, within the next couple of days, I actually went to the forest to try to find this Rainbow gathering. After going through the town of Brooklyn, Mississippi, I discovered a group of hippies that were working on their VW van and ask them how to get to the "gathering".

When I arrived at what is known as "front gate" to a Rainbow gathering the young fellow that stood in attendance of this "front gate" said to me, "Welcome home." I explained to him that I felt like the people who had explained the directions to me were having some vehicle problems. I asked if he would go back with me to see. That seemed to be right up his alley and he said, "Let's go!" We ended back where these kids were and taking my truck and pushing their broken down van back into the forest.

"I WROTE HIM A SEVEN-PAGE LETTER. . . THE WORLD HAD LIED TO HIM."

After they had invited me into their camp, and after several hours of getting to know these people, a young fellow showed up who stood out to me. After I found out that he was going through some things, I pulled him off to the side and shared the Gospel with him and asked him if I could pray for him. After praying, he gave me a big hug and thanked me for my prayers. This kid had made such an impression on me when I came home that night, I wrote him a seven-page letter and explained how the world had lied to him telling him that evolution is true. I explained to him that there is only one God, the creator, and that He loves him and wants to have a personal relationship with him.

After returning to the forest with the only person who would go with me, Mike, who had purchased some groceries to give the hippies, I asked for "Moonbeam." All the Rainbow kids have their own nickname that they go by. Long story short, the fellow we had met at the supply tent exclaimed, "We don't have a Moonbeam, could you mean Moondog?" I said, "Yes that is his name."

MOONDOG -- MORE INTERESTED IN THE LETTER THAN FOOD

So here comes Moondog, not as bright and shiny as he was the night before. Now I had fixed up Moondog his own bag of goodies that we had purchased at the grocery store. Also, I presented the seven-page letter sealed in an envelope. He tore the envelope open. I noticed at this point, here is a young guy who is probably hungry for lack of food in the forest, actually living under the stars, yet he is more interested in this letter than this bag of goodies.

After he was into the letter, I noticed that it was taking him a long time to read it and contemplated that either, he could not read very well, or see very well. When he finished reading the letter he said to me, "When I was about thirteen my parents gave me away to my grandparents and I ran away. This Christianity, I don't know much about, but would you do me a favor?"

I replied, "Sure!"

He said, "Would you pray for me like you did last night?"

MANY WILL NOT GO TO A SHELTER

This is what set me on this journey to reach lost people groups in our country and the world. There are so many out there that the average person would miss just because we assume that they live in a home somewhere. Many young people do not go to a shelter because they are afraid of being found and having to return to the situation that caused them to make the choice to live like a vagabond.

We believe that this is literally some of the people Jesus spoke of in Luke 14:23 in that they live in "the highways and hedges," following after such secular bands like the Grateful Dead, Phish, Wide-Spread Panic, etc. and spending the rest of their lives at Rainbow gatherings.

THE CHURCH BECOMES OVERWHELMED WITH THE NUMBERS

In our attempts to reach this people group, (as there are many thousands of them,) we have found the church becomes overwhelmed with the numbers that come into an area during a national gathering. As I have attempted to go before this people group and inform the church of the opportunity to reach these lost people with the gospel, many times I have received the same rejection as they.

BUT NOW--AT THE TIME-- ALL OF GOD'S PEOPLE ARE COMING TOGETHER TO HELP!

As we have continued to pray and beseech the Lord of the harvest, the Lord has opened one of the greatest doors of opportunity to see thousands come to know the Lord this summer. From Spokane and Newport, Washington to Priest River, Old town, Sandpoint, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and all the way to Ione, WA. Methodist, Baptist, Charismatic, Seventh-Day Adventist, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Church of Christ, Church of God, all of God's people are coming together to reach out with the love of Jesus to care for a lost people who are searching for meaning and truth.

BELIEVING FOR 20,000 SOULS IN THE WASHINGTON/IDAHO NATIONAL FOREST ----WILL YOU COME AND HELP US? (CONTACT INFORMATION IS BELOW)

We are believing the Lord for 20,000 souls this summer of the 30-60,000 that will gather somewhere in the Washington/Idaho national forest. Our whole vision is to overwhelm this people group with the love of God found in Christ Jesus.

We are searching for those who will pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field. Matthew 9:38

A mailing list has been set up to facilitate the outreach of the church to this lost people group. Simply send a message with the word 'subscribe' in the Subject field to:

RainbowFamilyMinistry-request@fimi.org Like this...

To: RainbowFamilyMinistry-request@fimi.org

Subject: subscribe
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For more information, check out www.fimi.org and click on the Rainbow ministry button.
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Based on Luke 14:23 "And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.'" It is time for us, the body of Christ, "to fill the house."

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Tedd Craven The Order of the Good Samaritan P.O. Box 15336 Hattiesburg, MS 39404-5336 601-268-1114 email: jesuskids@earthlink.net

!!!!!! UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON THE LOCATION AND CONTACT INFO BELOW!!!!!!!!!
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NOTE!!! NEW INFO AS OF SUNDAY NIGHT, MAY 27, 2001

FROM TEDD CRAVEN . . . .

We are just waiting and praying for the Lord to have His way. They will have spring council on the 10th and decide the absolute spot.

We do know the exact dates, July 1 through the 7th. Although, once the sight is announced, people will start coming into the area. I had a brother to take me up in his small aircraft last week and we found a rather large holding camp up west of Cusick, WA. One of the things, that Jimmy has pointed out to me, is we need to get the body to pray for the law enforcement involved. We want to pray compassion in the hearts for these lost kids who need Jesus, desperately. One other thing is to continue to pray for the compassion of God's people to respond to these folks the way He would.

*******Pray Mt. 9:36-38

*******Pray for a wet forest so there will be no fire restrictions this year. Much more conducive around a campfire to minister the gospel.

Pray that the Lord would make the proper place and circumstances for after the gathering, discipleship camp or something to that effect. I do believe the Lord has told me to get a large diesel crew-cab truck. We also need someone to come and prepare meals for those that will be part of the ministry team.

You do know about the large tent that we are setting up on June 24-July 7 somewhere near the gathering where we will launch out from, to reach out from. A safe harbor for all those serving the Rainbow family and also a safe place for all the new babies.

If anyone were to come, that wanted to minister, they should fly into Spokane Int. airport.

If anyone wanted to send assistance for the outreach, Mission Spokane is prepared to receive that. It would need to be earmarked 'Rainbow People Ministry'. This fund would go to assisting these folks in there finding Jesus.

http://www.missionspokane.org/servantleaders.html

These are some of the servant leaders for Mission Spokane:

Tom Starr, Maranatha Bible Church, (509) 928-4176 email NTSTARR@juno.com

Dan Grether, Free Indeed Ministries, (509) 468-4855 email dgrether@ieway.com

Dan Grether Mission Spokane PO Box 18178 Spokane, WA 99228-0178 509-468-4855; fax 468-6792 (Dan's) dangrether@missionspokane.org

Also, At this point the Free Methodist Church in Priest River, ID. Will operate a central command.

Pastor Les and Linda Rose Church Phone #208-448-1861 Home #509-226-9929 email for Pastor Les: cfmroses@juno.com

We are operating out of a house at 958 E. 9th Ave. Spokane, WA 99202 509-536-3969

If anyone needed to send anything to Spokane. Of coarse anyone call feel free to contact us there.

This is our permanent address and phone # as follows:

Tedd Craven The Order of the Good Samaritan 50 willow lake rd. Hattiesburg, MS 39402 601-268-1114 email: jesuskids@earthlink.net

1-877-Jesus cares (877-537-8722) KG 1-800-493-0064 www.jesuskids.net

We love you! Be sure to check out: www.fimi.org click on, "Rainbow Min."

PS. My cell phone is 601-310-2967.

If you think of anything else please don't hesitate to call on me!
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CLICK HERE FOR CONTACT INFORMATION ON EXPERIENCED RAINBOW FAMILY MINISTRIES Click on: http://www.fimi.org/Rainbow_Ministries.htm
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