GentleWind News for May

Dear Family, friends and partners in prayer,

Sorry this is so late in getting to you. There's been so much going on as I get ready to go to Latvia in June. First I want to say a big "Thank you" to all those of you who gave for my mission trip to Latvia. The expense for the trip has been paid in full and for that I am very grateful to the Lord and to those of you who gave toward my mission trip. You can learn more about what I'll be doing by going to this link: "Latvia Mission Trip"

Would you consider partnering with me in this adventure?

I am currently raising additional support of $1500 to enable me to cover my expenses while I am gone for the two weeks in Latvia. If you would like to make an online donation, go to the donation page and click on donation to GentleWind Ministries Mission Trips.

For those who would prefer to mail your support, please send contributions made out to

GentleWind Ministries International

P.O. Box 44601

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46244,

and put on the memo line "Mission Trip Expense."

(GentleWind Ministries is a non-profit religious organization and all donations are tax-deductible.) Thank you for your prayers and support.

Back in the Studio

At long last, I will be once again teaming up with producer/arranger

David LaDuke of the Upper Room recording studio in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. For those of you who remember, I started this project a year ago with Steve Dickerson of Audio Integrity back in North Plainfield, New Jersey. I knew I wanted Dave LaDuke's musical touch and arrangements for my first full-length studio recording in ten years. I have to laugh that it has been almost a whole year, but good things are worth waiting for. I will be in the studio from May 28 through June 7. Not only will we be working on arrangements, but I am hoping to record three additional songs that I didn't get

to record back in June.

Twenty Years Later

As many of you know, this past March marked my twentieth anniversary of being a full-time traveling musicianary, and the Lord seems to be making this a very memorable year. In March of this year, He blessed me with a trip to Israel, but what I failed to mention in my last newsletter, is the dramatic way the Lord spoke to my heart while I was in Israel. The one moment that sticks out the most was one evening while sitting on the sea of Galilee, and looking back at the last twenty years of my life, and just shaking my head and even questioning if I was in the Lord's will, or if I had wasted those twenty years of my life. I pretty much was having a pity party when the Lord spoke to me and said that He wanted me to get baptized the next day. So, for the next ten minutes I was arguing with the Lord, reminding Him (like we really need to remind Him of anything!) that I didn't need to be baptized--I am a minister, and I was baptized, and I have baptized other people, but He would not let up! And He finally said, I want you to get baptized tomorrow because I am going to recommission you." For some reason, that hit me like a brick. I sat there, and even asked the Lord, "You mean I've been decommissioned all this time???" I am sure if I were to get a glimpse of heaven, I would see the Lord laughing. He just said, "No, I am just going to recommission you."

The next day was the baptism service. I did not tell anyone what had happened, still questioning if it was really the Lord who said that. And besides, I was the worship leader, and I had a job to do! There were twenty people signed up to get baptized, and I was not one of them. I hadn't told anyone. But when the last person had been baptized, the pastor pointed at me, then pointed at the water, and then looked at me as if to say, "You, too?" I knew I had to go in. Now mind you, when I came up from the water, the heavens didn't open up, I wasn't glowing, in fact, I still kept wondering why the Lord would ask such a thing.

As I was drying off, a man from England who was watching the baptism stood next to me and out of nowhere said, "It's good to follow the Lord in baptism, isn't it? It's always good to obey the Lord." Now mind you, I've never met this man until that moment, but let's just say it really had an effect on me.

In fact, since being home, the Lord has been speaking through people, reaffirming that the Lord is up to something good in my life.

I finally looked up the word recommission, and it means to give a new commission, or to validate an existing commission, to put back in service, and the word commission means a sending or a mission to accomplish something, which only seemed to reaffirm in my heart that while I was in Israel: one, I was called to Israel; two, I was sent to Israel; and three, and the one that really hit, I was summoned to Israel. The imagery that popped into mind was that of a soldier being summoned by his commander and given his next order.

Now the million dollar question that people keep asking is, what have you been recommissioned for? And all I can say is that I have no clue, but all I do know is that it is fast approaching, and I will keep you updated as it unfolds.

The Twenty Year Reunion

One of the most unexpected surprises that happened to me recently was reconnecting with long-time friend and singing partner, Nancy Trimble. Nancy and I used to sing together back in California from 1989 to 1990. Through the wonders of Facebook, we reconnected, and since I had some events in Wisconsin where Nancy currently resides, we decided to meet up for dinner. What was supposed to be just an hour of small talk and dinner turned into six hours of us both trying to cram twenty years of life into one conversation. Since I had events in Wisconsin, we were able to hang out a lot with my Sheboygan family. Off the cuff I decided to take out the guitar and see if we still "had it." To everyone in the room's amazement, including ourselves, we were amazed at how we didn't skip a beat and how we blended so well together, and it was hard to believe that we had not sung together for twenty years--you couldn't tell. I had the honor of having Nancy join me in some of my ministry events in Wisconsin. It truly has been a blessing to sing together with my long-time friend of twenty one years. Nancy and I are seriously praying about possibly recording together, so we are waiting on the Lord for his timing and provisioning. I'll keep you posted about that as well.

Current Ministry Dates

I am currently setting up ministry dates for the summer season covering the Midwestern states and the Northeastern states. Below are my current ministry engagement dates.

May

1-3) Bethany Reformed Church, Sheboygan, WI

16) Calvary Chapel of Racine, WI

23) Calvary Chapel of Toledo, OH

30) Day Spring Harvest, Elwood City, PA

May 28-June 7th Recording studio. Please pray for the Lord's anointing on this project.

Open for midweek service in Western PA area

June

6) Currently open for Western PA area

9) Calvary Chapel on The Horizon, Indianapolis,IN

13) Currently open for ministry for IN, MI,OH,IL WI area.

19) Fearfully & Wonderfully Made presentation for Home school families, Indianapolis, IN

20) Spirit of Joy Church, Indianapolis, IN

21-23) Midwest Regional Calvary Chapel Youth retreat.

June 24-July 5th Mission trip to Latvia with EEMN & Spirit of Joy Church.

July

1-5) Latvia Mission trip.

Currently setting up ministry events for the Midwest states (IN,IL,OH,MI,WI,)

August
8) Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Oregon, OH
August 1-22 Currently setting up ministry events for the Midwest states (IN,IL,OH,MI,WI,)

August 25 through Sept 30th
Currently setting up ministry events for PA, NJ,NYC area & Upstate NY.

So that's it for now. Feel free to check out my April and May photo gallery. Feel free to contact me--I love hearing from you, and please keep me in prayer as we prepare to leave for Latvia in a few weeks. God Bless,

Love,

DMC & Moya the Cat