The following email was sent to me by my travel partner, Bess Graham from Louisiana. She and I have been traveling together for over five years, doing missionary/evangelism. I forward it to you as a thrilling testimony of the powerful leadership of the Holy Spirit. She and I are now in Bangalore, India, enjoying the blessings of our Lord among these wonderful people.
Mary E. Adams
Hello Everyone,
I am going to write to you today about how awesome our precious Lord is. He gives us the most exciting lives, more than we can imagine, if we will listen to Him and obey. Speaking from experience, His direction usually does not make logical since. He wants you to be so in tune with Him that you just “trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” That hymn was planted in my heart as a child and has been a blessing to me many times in my life.
Following the leadership of the Spirit has become my way of life. I love hearing Him speak to me in dreams, visions, His Word, or a direct Word to me. In order to hear His voice, you must know Him; the only way to know Him is to spend time with Him. The time required to know His voice is one on one time with Him, everything else turned off; intimate time, just you and your LOVER, JESUS! I can not get enough of this time with Him, just Jesus and me; Him pouring His love to me and me loving Him back. This is truly the most precious gift we have, the love of our Lord to pay the price for us to be able to go into the Holy of Holies with our Father. Wow! That does excite this missionary!
For the last few years, God has been showing me visions and then taking me to the place in the natural that He showed me in the Spirit. It has been an exciting journey, one full of awe and amazement. You all know I am nothing but a country girl who loves the Lord with all my heart, just me. He picked me up and put me together with His love and has given me the burning desire in my heart to share how real His love is with all who will listen. He has taught me truly, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” if I trust and obey.
Most of you know about the vision He gave me in January 2005 but I will share briefly for those who do not know. I was on a white horse riding down a black paved highway in the desert, came to a big curve in the road, made the turn and came into an old western ghost town. There were 2 saloons, one on the left and one on the right. I said, “Lord what is this?” He told me to read Isaiah 35. I encourage you to read it. It is talking about the desert and what the Lord says will happen when the desert rose blooms. I still did not understand but I knew God was showing me something. In May my parents would have been married 50 years so Susan and I wanted to do something special for Mamma. We prayed and felt led to go to San Francisco. Yosemite Park is across from San Francisco so we decided to go for a few days. When I got a map to get a route to Yosemite, the Mojave Desert is below it, and the word Mojave just jumped out at me. The Lord spoke to me and told me to go to the desert. I had no idea where or why but I want to obey. The next day, Mamma and I took off for the desert with no direction but go. We drove almost 4 hours and came to an exit Mojave. This is it, I thought. I stopped at a convenience store to ask for information about things to sight see. The lady told me there was nothing to see. I got in the car to leave and a man knocked on my window. He told me that he had overheard me and I needed to stay on this road and go about 27 miles to Red Rock Canyon. He said it was beautiful and I needed to see it. We took off. I passed a tourist information center and the Lord told me to go back. We turned around and went in. The lady working there gave me a large itinerary but then stopped. She asked if we had lunch and I told her no. She took the map and told me a different route. She said that something told her I was to go here and have lunch.
Mamma and I took off again. When I turned on the side road, the Spirit of God came into the car. I was on the road in the vision God had given me in January. The road made the same turn and we came into the town. The saloon on the left is still a saloon but the one on the right has been changed into a restaurant and that is where the lady sent us. I really could not eat, just cried asking the Lord what does this mean. The name of the town was Ransburg, Ca. and it was once one of the largest gold mines in Ca. It had burned 3 times never being built to the original state. That is all I knew in the natural but I knew the Lord was showing me more in the Spirit.
In 2007, Ms. Mary and I were preparing to go to South Africa and I saw another vision. There was a water well in the desert with empty water pots around it and a large crowd of people standing by the well crying out the well is dry there is no water. A man on a white horse rides up never speaking a word. He got off the horse and came over to the well carrying a bucket that had been tied on the saddle of the horse. He threw the bucket into the well and water began to flow out of the well into trails in the desert. I shared this with Ms. Mary and she said that it was the Lord bringing water to a dry land. I agreed but I knew there was more to it. God reminded me of the vision of me in the desert and going to Ransburg, Ca. I shared with Ms. Mary. She got on the internet and put in Ransburg, Ca. and what came up with it was Randburg, South Africa. She researched and found that Ransburg, California was discovered by two men from South Africa and they named it after Randburg, South Africa because the gold was the same color and quality. They were about to loose the claim because of lack of funds when one of their wives, a doctor named Rose, came in with the funds. This was all very exciting news to us. We had nothing to do with our itinerary in SA. The first place I preached was at a jail in Randburg, SA and the Lord did pour out the Living Water of His Spirit.
The last week in SA, we had 3 days without a service. The Lord told us to call the interpreter, tell him to organize a 3 day revival and for us to preach on the Holy Spirit. The services were with Zulu’s. They rented a school auditorium. Ms. Mary preached the first and second nights on the Holy Spirit and the second night the Lord had me to share the vision with the people. The third night I preached and we opened the altar. A lady came with tears flowing down her face saying, “Sister Bess, I have been crying thanking the Lord ever since you shared the vision with us last night because what you do not know is in January 2005, (when I saw the first vision) our church was fasting and praying and asking the Lord to bring someone to teach us of the Holy Spirit.” Wow! That still excites me when I tell it. To make it complete, Ms. Mary asked if there was anyone there by the name of Rose. The head intercessor of the church was named Rose. One more thing, the lady God used to put me with Ms. Mary was named Rose. You have to say this is exciting, following the lead of the Spirit not knowing but just trusting.
Last year before we went to South Africa, the Lord showed me another vision. I was following a white haired man in some very tall grass, taller than we were. He was walking with a staff. We came up to a body of water and there were wild dogs lying in the grass. As we stood close to the edge of the water, it began to come up on our feet and go into the land. I asked the Lord what is this and He told me to read Isaiah 35. I did not know what jackals were, so we looked on the internet and yes, they looked like the wild dogs. I knew the Lord was speaking to me again but did not understand what it was.
When we arrived in South Africa, one of our friends had already arranged to take us to her mountain cottage. We went for two nights. The name of the town the cottage was in was Rosetta, Rose of the midlands. I was amazed. When we drove up to the house and went in, Jill took me to my room. The window was open and I looked out. OH MY! Looking down the hill I saw the place of the vision where the tall grass and reeds were we were walking through. I walked down there later that evening but did not here anything from the Lord. The next day another missionary, Keith Davies and his wife Jill came to stay with us. We enjoyed sharing stories. The next day we had to leave going back to Durban for services. I wanted to walk down through the grass to the water once again. Keith wanted to walk with me. Jill, Keith and I left for our walk. Keith had polio when he was a child so he walked with a cane. He had white hair and led the way. As I followed him, I realized I was walking out the vision.
When we returned to the cottage, there was some time before we needed to leave. I wanted to spend some time with my Father, so I went and sat on a big concrete cistern to talk to the Lord. I asked Him what all of this was about. He told me that He wanted to show me that He could show me something in the Spirit and take me to see it in the natural if I would just trust Him and follow Him. That excited me. It is a major faith builder. For many years of my life I tried to get the Lord to follow my plans and my lead. My life was hard and frustrating. My life changed when I learned to FOLLOW HIM, like the Word says. He tells us that His sheep know His voice for He is the Good Shepherd and they follow Him.
This year my international departing city was Los Angeles. When I went to get my ticket, the Lord reminded me of the Mojave Desert. I got the map and looked, sure enough, Mojave was not far from LA. This was the exit I took in 2005 when I went to the desert. I bought my ticket for a day earlier so I could drive to the desert. I rented a car. I began to look for a hotel. I looked in Mojave but nothing felt right. I looked in the surrounding area and found a hotel called the Rose Garden Inn. I thought this was it but the Lord said no. I remembered in Ransburg there was an old hotel so I looked on the internet for a hotel there. It was one called the Cottage Inn B&B. I called to see if there was a room available. They have 4 rooms each named. One was the Lace Room, Wicker Room, Quilt Room, and Rose Room. Yes, you guessed it; I stayed in the Rose Room. I arrived in the Rose Room on the 29th of March. It was beautiful. Everything was roses. There was a sweet smell that reminded me of the Lord. I slept so well that night. I knew I was right in the center of my Fathers will and the peace was amazing. It was as wonderful as the peace I felt in heaven when I went to heaven. Glory!
The next morning, the electricity went off. The lady who owned the hotel came and we visited. I shared stories with her. I shared the visions and told her I was there this time to find the Desert Rose in bloom. She cried several times as we talked and kept saying she had chill bumps. She told me about a Desert Rose that is found in the desert that is a mineral. It is found in a river bed. She told me where to go to find it. So I left on a journey with the Lord. I had one of the most awesome days of my life. The flowers were starting to bloom in the desert and they were so beautiful. I had praise music playing, worshipping the Lord driving through the desert in pursuit of the Desert Rose blooming. I stopped several times to smell the flowers. They were so sweet and so beautiful. I danced in the desert with my Lord as I beheld the beauty and smelled the sweetness. GLORY! What an awesome experience. I came to the first town and went in the museum the hotel owner told me about. They did not have a Desert Rose nor did they know what I was talking about. I shared stories with the ladies there and they also were very touched. They told me another place to try so off I go. I went in there but they did not have it either but had heard of it. Of course, I shared with them and the Spirit touched their hearts also. They sent me to another place and it was not there. I shared with them and the Lord blessed once again. It was getting late so I decided to go back to Ransburg to talk to the hotel owner and get ready to leave for the airport. When I got to the road to turn to go back to Ransburg, the Lord told me to go straight. I did and came to a town. He said, “Keep going!” I came to the second town, “Keep going!” I came to the third town and He said for me to turn off the main road. I made the turn and saw a collectibles and antique shop on the left. The Lord told me that was where I was to go.
I went into the shop and a lady asked if she could help me. I told her that I was just looking. About 20 minutes later, another lady came in and asked if she could help me. The Lord told me to tell her what I was looking for. I told her the story of my visions and the journey the Lord had me on. She cried as she listened. She told me she had a Desert Rose on some china that was made there in the area. It was very old and beautiful. She gave me a bell with the Desert Rose pattern on it and then also gave me a plate of the same china. I asked how much but she told me it was a gift. During my time of sharing with her the Lord showed me her heart. She had a lot of hurt and pain. I told her the Lord showed me her heart and that He was there with her to bring healing to her that day. It really blessed her. When I was getting ready to leave she told me there was a museum there in that town and they may have the Desert Rose. I told her thank you and left.
I went to the museum and guess what, they had the Desert Rose. It is a mineral, which looks like a little rose. I got it. Of course I shared my story with the ladies there and a few more people who were in the museum listened as I shared. They were all amazed as I shared how the Lord had lead me through all of these different visions and places to this little town to get this desert Rose. I saw the Lord touch many lives this day, including mine. He loves to pour His love and Spirit upon us as we share it with others. You can not out give Him. I left excited that He had led me once again to where He wanted me to go. I went back to the little antique and collectibles shop to show the ladies the Desert Rose. When I went in, they looked with awe as I showed them the Rose. The lady who owned the shop said she was going to go get her one. I got the addresses and names of the ladies in the shop and told them by once again.
I got in my car to go back to Ransburg and the Lord told me to go get the lady a Rose. I went back to the museum and got it. I took it in to her. She began to cry. I told her this was from the Lord. The Lord gave me a Word for her. He said, “When you look at this Rose from this day forward you will remember these words. This Rose is a Rock. My Word says, upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This Rock is my Son, the revelation of who He is. I have come to give life abundantly to you by bringing the healing salve of my love to replace the sadness with joy. The Desert Rose blooms today for you; the Rock is the revelation of My Son. He has paid a high price for you to have your identity in Him. Look not at the ways of man but look unto Me. I have given you a better way.” She was crying and so was I. The Lord was showing me that the Desert Rose blooming is all about Him. We must have the revelation of Who He is in our hearts. Our identity must be in Jesus not in me or things about me. I am a new creation, created in His likeness when I am born again. Glory! When God looks at me, He does not see me, He sees Jesus. Jesus is the Rose, when He blooms in your heart, water begins to flow in the desert and gush forth in the wilderness. When this happens, deaf ears hear, blind eyes see, and the lame walk. So I encourage you, do not be afraid of the things happening in this world. The Desert Rose is blooming in the desert!
One more point I want to make. When David went to battle against Goliath, it made no logical sense. He was a little shepherd boy who was too small to wear the armor but he was not afraid. What did he come against him with? Was it not a rock, a stone! He slew goliath with a rock. Church, we have a ROCK to slay our goliaths with. His name is Jesus and He is always with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He is the Desert Rose, the Rock, and wants to bloom in our hearts so that rivers of living water may flow like streams in the desert and gush forth in the wilderness.
I pray this will bless you just half as much as it blessed me. God has a plan; all we need to do is listen and follow His lead. He will lead you into things you never imagined possible. Look at what He has done for me. It has nothing to do with me all to do with Him. My hearts desire is to please Him. He has given this country girl a life beyond what I could have ever imagined. Following Jesus is an exciting life. It is like living a book I am reading and waking up to a new chapter every day. Of course there have been difficult chapters but even they have been used to the glory of my Lord. There is not one thing to difficult for His love to heal, I am living proof. HE IS ALIVE! God bless you all. Below I attached the Words of the song “Above All”. It fits well with what the Lord had me to write.
Love you,
Your missionary, Bess
Above all powers above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth
Crucified laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
Crucified laid behind the stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
Like a Rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all