It has been almost a month since the last post. It has been an amazing journey for this time. Some days so tough, some days feeling the power of the Holy Spirit so close you just weep. Preaching some times roaring out and others fighting to get out. Knowing that at any time Jesus might walk in and fill the place with power as in Pentecost. If you have lost your joy or maybe its been a hard time in your life, this link is the reality of why we are here. Let everything go but Jesus, look to Him right now.
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7936179

This is a picture of the first day at vbs. The Beach Flats, a place where low income Hispanics live, is a place we felt God said we are to reach out to. We are having a great time and they are loving it. God is helping us to show them God's love. We are excited to be working with Faith Community to make this happen. They are a new church and it is great to work together with other believers in Christ. The theme for this week is why we are here. The meaning of life. My mom, Sandy is here this week and it is fun to have her here helping us out. I had one of the kids ask me if we will be having this next week they don't want it to stop. Pray that the ones who have come to Christ and those who prayed for forgiveness will keep going and this will be a change for the rest of their lives.We want to thank all those who gave money for the prizes and material needed to make this a fun event for the kids.

Wow! Time flies when your serving God. The Bible says it is like a flower that sprouts up and then fades, like a vapor. It will be five years ago, next month, when my Uncle Larry went to be with the Lord. It will be two years since Ruthie went to Glory and told Jesus we needed some help down here at Elm St. It has been a little difficult as I have been working at the house, on the deck and also at Larry's place. I have been focused on the mission only for over a year so it's taking a little change to do both. God continues to work on people's lives one at a time. We are doing a vbs for the Beach Flat kids. (These are the Hispanic kids that most seems to overlook in Santa Cruz) God has supplied the people (my mom is one of them) and two churches have supplied money to help. Praise God for all that He does and will be doing. I have been praying for those who started towards God and have fallen away or are struggling. It has been a hard time praying, which is okay, as we live by faith, not feelings. Cory showed up on Wednesday night telling that I helped him (God using me) to get through the drugs. He has a job and is praying and reading his Bible. Hallelujah God rocks!!!!! When you wonder what is going on in people's lives just give it to God and continue on, He will complete the work.

Hello everyone and God's mercy and grace be upon you. I want to praise God because He deserves it and all thanks to Him for His loving kindness. Things have been moving at God's speed. When He says slow down and listen that is what we do. Sometimes we have to go around a service of 90 people searching out those whose heart has been softened by the word. Time is short and the harvest is great so everything you do needs to be to the glory of God. I have been doing some construction work to rebuild my body after losing about every bit of muscle. I was down to 159 pounds after normally I maintain around 200. God has everything planned out for our lives if we will stop and listen. To many times we wait for an answer and when one doesn't come instantly we do what comes naturally, which gets us into trouble. Pray for Andreas who is going through a hard time in his life. Pray for Larry who the doctors said almost died the other night. He told me he is ready to meet God. Pray for Paul, Tiff's grandfather who has been through surgeries and doesn't know Jesus. I haven't been on the Internet very much so this is why the blogs have slowed down. Thank you Lord for taking care of all our needs. Ben

Hello, I'm back and would like to share a little of what God has done in the last 40 days. I won't make this to long because so much has happened. We have had salvation's, two baptisms, and many changes that are happening. God has been pouring out His Spirit in the Tuesday night prayer meetings. His hand of protection has been on us mightily as we have been running between 70-90 on the weekend night services. This time has changed me from the inside out as God has redone who I am. This is hard to explain but for those who know me I have always been a person of clutter and don't see messes most of the time. During this time I redid almost every room in the mission straightening and cleaning. Many helped because I had energy but no strength. I also did all the cupboards in my house. God's strength is the only way I could have made it and He gets all the Glory. Thank you for your prayers and support. Thanks to the staff who had to do extra for me. I have a big, big thank you for my wife as she had to do her job around the house as well as mine that involved heavy lifting. Her prayers kept me going and gave me strength. More to come but God bless and don't forget all around you people are dying and going to hell and need a Savior.

God is very good. He is on the throne of my life and I will worship and praise Him today and always. We have had many lives that are being turned around and set free. Keep praying for Steve who went to Teen Challenge. He is doing good saved baptized and on his way for Jesus. Pray for James, he went to the Celebrate Recovery at the Mission on Wednesday and Steve and Jon talked to him about his life. The next day we got him into Teen Challenge and we are looking forward to what God is going to do in his life. It has been great teaming up with Teen Challenge because they have a program already set up and it is all about Jesus changing lives. No self help, self is the one who helped us get where we are at. I wrote earlier about Ray who needed alot of help. He is back with his family but pray that he will allow God to run His life. We are under attack by the enemy of our souls but that means we are doing something right. All praise and thanks to God for victory. I will be off line till mid May for some time with God only. Keep praying for us as God is doing and will do greater things. Something to think about
Watch your thoughts they become words
Watch your words they become actions
Watch your action they become character
Watch your character for it becomes your destiny
As Jesus said "Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation, the Spirit truly is willing but the flesh is weak."
Keep trusting and obeying for their is no other way to be happy in Jesus.
For me to live is Christ to die is gain
Verse to read: Phillipians 1:29
God bless you all till I write again.

Hello, hope everyone is doing great today. God is awesome as always. Tonight three came up to the front to turn their lives over to Christ. In the last week we have had five. Pray for Mike who turned his life over to Christ that he would grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We went to Arizona last Sunday afternoon and got back in town today so I could preach this evening. God's presence has been so close lately and it is amazing to have a room full of street people and yet you could hear a pin drop. The peace of God passes all understanding. We appreciate all the prayers that you hold us up with. Without prayer we would be just another mission that feeds, clothes and encourages instead of show the love of Jesus and preaches repentance from sin. Souls are won or lost in the prayer closet. Speaking without power is like a restaurant with a menu but no food. The pictures look great the descriptions are making us hungry but we can't get filled. God gets all the glory because without Him we can do nothing. Do not be weary with well doing because you will reap if you faint not. If you are struggling right now start praising God and watch the devil flee and you get the victory over everything.

What an amazing service we had this morning. It wasn’t anything that we could try and conjure up but a move of the Spirit. We were in the middle of testimonies about “what has God has been doing in your life?” We were having some great testimonies and a guy named Justin raised his hand and said I want to get saved. I was not expecting this as most people aren’t asking to come to Christ until you talk to them or maybe after a sermon. He was telling everyone that some things had happened in his life and he needed to saved. I was praying for wisdom for what to do, either go to him in the pew or have him come up to the front. I had him come up front so everyone could come up and pray for him. When he got up there I told him to pray and tell God he was sorry for his sins and was ready to give all and live for Him. After that was done Kelli said she love God so much she wanted more. She said I want to give God everything and get saved again. I told her well you can’t get more saved but if you are ready to give it all up to God then you need to die to yourself and allow God to sanctify you. I was getting ready to preach on holiness so it was very timely. Another lady wanted prayer to get rid of the fear in her life I asked if anybody else wanted to come up for prayer. Teresa came up and rededicated her life to Christ as she had started to walk away from God’s will in her life. Wow!!!!!!!!!!! God is amazing. It is great to watch God work and He gets all the glory we just pray and watch Him at work. I am always ready for God to come in a change the order of any service to He can be glorified. Praise the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord for sending your Holy Spirit to help us. We need a lot of it.

We are moving ahead with Christ as our Commander in Chief. We are doing our best to keep step with where He is going. Pray for Darrel and Wanda a couple that is really wanting to stop drinking. He was in the hospital for 33 days and almost died. We were on the streets last night praying for them and they need a touch that only God can give. Mike Crane preached on Sunday morning about the demons getting cast our by Jesus and going into the pigs. It is amazing today that just as in that day we are more shocked when someone leaves the past and gets into their right mind than all the filthy junk that goes on today. We get so worried about the finances (pigs) the shock of someone by the fire in their lives which leaves us looking bad that we push Jesus away. Is their anyone still reading this blog? We have a company in town that is going to change out the whole electrical panel at the mission. This is going to be a big help Praise God!!!!!! Keep us in your prayers as we fight on the front lines of addicted lives that need a one on one with Jesus. Their is nothing we can say or do which can change them without the power of the Holy Spirit doing a work. It is good to be used by God. If you haven't given all, (I mean your sleep, food, money, TV, movies, your precious time, whatever He requires from you) then it's time. Disclaimer(This is just a list to jog your memory not a manual). He is wanting to move in your life like you've never seen but you have to have all on the altar. If your not sure just ask believe me He will let you know.

It’s February and we are praising God for everything. There is a reason for the downturns and trials of life. These are to grow us in the Lord and our reliance on Him. We have praise for a lady named Jen and her three kids. She came to Christ a few months ago. Someone gave her a car, she got a job, and then some people from our Wednesday night group helped her get into a house. Please be in prayer for her. Pray for Cory as he has been off drugs for only 5 days and is trying to get into New Life rehab. I am meeting him at two today for a Bible study as he is trying to grow in Christ. Keep Eve and Joe the have only two weeks clean and this is the hardest time for them. They are following God but as anyone that has come off of hard drugs knows that the withdrawal isn’t easy. God has the victory for them if they keep their eyes on Him. We are planning for a VBS for the beach flat kids this summer. Pray that many lives will be touched. I have been skating at the Scottsvalley park with a bunch of kids it has been great. There are so many kids that want to go and with the Sunday School getting bigger we are going to have to pray for a big van. My God will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory. Keep us all in your prayers. Ben

Well 07 is off and running full tilt as expected. It will never slow down until everything falls apart or we die and see Jesus. (Time won't matter) There is so much going on I don't know where to start or how to end. We just finished tiling the kitchen. The back shed is half way done with the structure. The mural is still being worked on and as usual looks great. Patrick an electrician I met has been working on getting the antiquated electrical fixed. There is a possability of carpet being donated for the sanctuary. We have had so many clothes donated its hard to fit them all in the shed. We have food packed in every available freezer and dry goods in every possible place to store. There is more coming so I guess we will have to start figuring out ways to help more people. The kids in the sunday school are doing great. I asked ellisel if he had asked Christ to come into his heart and he said yes. Praise God for all He has done and is doing. I preached at the jail (farm) yesterday and God moved a couple of people came forward for God and pray that they will continue when they get out. Tiff has had some great spiritual breakthroughs lately so another praise to the King of Kings. Kids are doing great Mikaela is enjoying school and Caeden is becoming more fun everyday. I am heading out tomorrow for senior pastors pray summit. I didn't know that I was a senior pastor but I guess because two other pastors speak at the mission I am one. Titles are not really a big priority for me. It is amusing though when people see me in my shorts, t-shirt tennis shoes and hear that I'm a pastor their mouth kinda drops. People have a funny view on how a pastor looks. God has been working on the street kids and I am going to start a Bible study with them. We have about 8 street couples we are working with so pray for them as God is really convicting them. The Spirit was very powerful today and nobody wanted to leave so we just kept singing songs. Even after most left we kept talking about God and what He is doing and didn't leave till around 2:30. Keep obedient and listening to the still small voice. God bless.

Well it has been a while since I posted. We have had so many things happen during these last three weeks. We had four people come to Christ on the streets, pray for their continued growth in Him. Pray for Jacob that is struggling with relapsing that he would give it all to God. We thank God for the many that are growing closer to God. We had a great Christmas getting way more then expected. Some on Tiffiny's side of family are big present givers they really get into it. God gave us the greatest gift His Son. Steve and Sandy Palm (my parents) were here right after Christmas which was great. Dad preached on the 31st and mom sang, they both did a great job. We went on our eight wedding anniversary, January 2nd, to Monterey and it was good to get away. The mission is still peaceful and we thank God for that, as it can get crazy around here sometimes. This year we are planning on a putting in a shower at the mission and are starting laying tile in the kitchen this week. It is starting off as a great year. We have had many to pray with and many asking questions about their lives. Praise God for His patience with us.

Well it is officially cold here in Santa Cruz. It feels like Christmas with the ice on the windows. It has been an amazing year watching many come up the road spiritually. We have come under many attacks but through God we are always victorous. Chuck and Kelli have been coming to the mission for a while. Kelli has really been growing in Christ. She was so excited tonight she read the book of John last night and is going to read Luke. God has given the mission a car to give them. It is great to see the excitement of New Believers. It keeps us on our toes and we have to make sure we are being the example that God wants us to be. We are going to have a meeting for the Elm Street board on the first of January. Dad and mom will be here and dad will preach on the 31st. God has been taking care of us (although the money comes just in the nick of time.) this whole year. It has been a great year of learning to live by faith. With no money to fall back on and not a dime in savings it is great to have a big God. This is not a whine or a call for money it is a fact that God has wanted us to really know how to live by faith. Thank you for all your support and prayers. Merry Christmas

We are heading in a rush towards the greatest miracle that ever happened on the earth. God was made flesh and lived among us as Jesus. Because Jesus lives in us we give each other presents for His b-day. As giving to each other we have done it unto Him. (Maybe a little bit of a broad translation) It was a great Wednesday night feeding as usual. Jennifer (someone Steve has been working on) told me that after my sermon the other night she quit smoking. Pray for her and her friend Courtney. The newsletter went out today Praise God !!!!! That has been months in the making. (Time constraints) Keep praying for women’s Bible study and the men’s Celebrate Recovery. We had an incredible day today on the mall. People were stopping constantly for prayer and Bibles. Pablo stopped to play a game of chess and then in a little bit he was telling God he was sorry for his sins. Pray that he will continue in the walk of faith and the enemy will not take what happened away. He said man I feel a change in my life. Praise God Again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then Efrom a psychology major did the same and says he wants to come to the mission to help. I tried to leave and it took about a half an hour to get out of their because people kept stopping by for prayer to be healed for life situations, so the voices in their heads would quit. To God be the glory for the things He has done. My daughter Mikaela was a preschool yesterday and she talked to her friends asking them if they knew how to pray. They didn’t know so she taught them. Are we following her example with those around us letting them know what Christ has done in us? Jesus wasn’t ashamed to talk to everyone about His Father how about us. Let us be Godly correct instead of politically correct.

Thanksgiving is over and gone. We still have a lot to be thankful for. Had a good time in Arizona with parents. We are back to the grind going back to full speed. We had a great Sunday School today learning about Sampson and how we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. We are heading down to the Mission in a few minutes for the evening service. Keep God first in all you do so it is done right. More later after computer is fixed. Thank you God for everything.

Well, we are heading to Thanksgiving a time to slow down and think about how much we have to be grateful for. The Spirit has been increasing this last weekend. God was speaking to many street people and I had an opportunity to pray with and talk about their relationship with Christ. I’ve had many come up to me and say wow you guys preaching is getting better. I laugh, and say “The Spirit is getting stronger so you think we’re getting better.” Pray for Tom who rededicated his life to Christ. Ray who has around four weeks to live needs prayer so he will give his life to God. Its hits you hard when you see someone dying before your eyes and there isn’t anything you can do. All you can say is of no avail, only the power of God through prayer can change him. Keep holding on for Monday night Coffee House when we work with the street kids. This Sunday I’m going to Flagstaff for a much needed break to hang out with family. I was working with a kid named Kyle that lives their and so I will be calling him to see how he’s doing. Some praises!!!!!! Kelly was helping us and got entangled in drugs and her mind wasn’t doing to good. We were really praying for her and out of the blue she came by with her family and they were taking her back to live with them. We have seen growth among those who have turned towards Jesus. It takes time for some that have been in a fog for most of their life. Well I have to go to the Dentist for some teeth cleaning so this is a short one. God’s blood (blessing) be upon you. Ben

mural being painted at mission

Well time flies while your having fun. I must be having a lot of it because this year is almost gone and where did it go. The last couple of weeks there has been a lot of people to disciple. Tiff has been running 8-10 ladies in the Wednesday bible study and Jon has had around 6 in the celebrate recovery biblical twelve step. We have started a Tuesday night prayer meeting and have had seven show up. Now days this is a lot to have in a prayer meeting which is sad. It is going to increase here in a little bit as God moves on His people. I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving so I can have some rest. This is our yearly vacation. Something to think about. What did you do for Christ last week? If not much don’t feel guilty start today asking God to bring someone across your path to tell them about Christ. Who knows you might be an instrument that God uses for their repentance. It works every time I ask Him. Yesterday was the last day that the Sunday school would be in the Beach Flats. This Sunday we will be bringing them to the mission. One exciting thing the palm reader at the head of the street entering the Beach Flats looks like it closed down. Praise God. Pray for protection as we go out tomorrow night to pray and praise God on the mall in the chaos of Halloween.

Once again its two weeks that have gone by. God is working on many hearts. Some are changing before my eyes, others they show back up and we can tell what a difference in their life. The biggest problem is that some of them aren’t doing it with God’s help but with the governments. The chance of them relapsing is very high. We have started a mural which when finished will be seen from the mall and show Jesus and scripture. Pray for Royce who told Jesus he was tired of his life and needed His help. Ray who has six months to live is around fifty and was weeping like a baby realizing how scared he was about the other side (this guy is one of the toughest guys on the streets). After the spiritual breakthrough two weeks ago it is a big difference in everything in the daily life of the mission. It has become easier to preach as well as talk and pray with others. We are starting a prayer meeting on Tuesday night and have quite a few coming so praise God. Remember your relationship with God is primary and your relationship with others is next. How is your walk with God and when is the last time you told someone about Him. Most people I know the thing they hold dear is what they talk about. Stephen the behind the scenes benevolent pastor (today’s terms) was the first martyred for preaching the gospel. What is your testimony today. God bless better quit or I’ll start preaching.

Its been two weeks since my last post. Last week I had hit the end of my energy limit due to lack of sleep due to ministering and praying in the middle of the night. (I’m not asking or seeking pity it is what I am called to do) Monday night we had some disagreement issues with other people working down at the mission and spent a few hours with that. Then up part of night praying and thinking about it. Had to take Mike’s food run earlier that day so my week started off way behind. (Monday morning I usually take a break till around noon) By Wednesday night I could barely stay awake driving home I was in a daze. Thursday morning around three I told Tiff I needed some prayer for healing because I was getting really sick. I could feel it coming on strong. I was going to speak at Tracy prison on Saturday and knew that God wanted me there. I spent most of Thursday in bed. Friday my third busiest day I was ready and raring to go all Praise to God for His healing. (The guy who I was around that was sick was out of it till yesterday as well as all his staff sick) Friday there was around ten that raised their hand for special prayer as God was dealing with them. Saturday at Tracy prison was a special day as always. The first service, which is 2.5 hours long, there was over 120 prisoners. It was amazing on the altar call a whole bunch of them came forward. (numbers are not important) God is awesome all glory to Him. The second service was for those who are already Christians and that lasted three hours. The presence of the Holy Spirit was powerful and you tell this is the way its always suppose to be. The praise band did a wonderful job offering up worship to the King. Yesterday at the mission Tiff spoke and many were touched by the message. The other great news is this morning there was a break through in prayer. We have been in intense warfare for almost three months. I was asking God how long till His promised outpouring of His Spirit and why it was easy to preach in the prison and such a battle at the mission. He had me open to Hebrews and gave me 10:23 as my word thank you Jesus. I get excited and can ramble on and on about how awesome God is so see you and have a good week. God’s blood be upon you ( the meaning of God bless you)