“I am so thankful that Aglow is positioned upon two pillars: prayer and evangelism, and that each year this ministry offers opportunities for us to travel around the world and within our nation to do outreaches. It is always a joy and pleasure to meet up with our brothers and sisters in Aglow and to link arms with them as joint forces to help immobilize, equip, encourage, build up, and strengthen the ministry of Aglow,” writes Stacey Dixon, a Generations leader.
Stacy continues, “This year, as one of the team members for Transformation Team Uganda, I began to really see and understand the catalytic culture and persona of the Transformation Department in Aglow, and the sound and impact they deposit as they go out to the nations of the world. It is a momentous force that is stimulating and igniting in every outreach. By this, souls were saved, baptized, and empowered by the Holy Spirit bringing deliverance, healings, miracles and provision. The impact we have and carry as a Kingdom ministry as we traveled from place to place is huge.
“One practical example of this is the Widow Goat Ministry Aglow partners with in Uganda. Widows are given a goat and it helps them not only to be able to provide food for themselves, but also income from the products they make from the goats. Everyone that receives a female goat that gives birth, sows a baby goat into another person from the abundance of the gift they received. We heard story after story of widows who received a goat, and it produced twins. Then they gave one of the baby goats to another widow, and sold the other, only for the Lord to repeat the process over and over again. We laughed and cried as they shared the faithfulness and multiplications of the Lord on their goats, and how no matter how many goats they gave away they could never out give God! We heard of some that started with a goat, and a year later traded for cow, and not just any cow, but a pregnant cow! In a nation like Uganda, a goat isn’t a 'hand-out' but a 'hand-up'.
“I heard time and time again how it was a widow with a gift of a goat, or even the resources from the goat, that invited a young mother to an Aglow gathering and began investing in their lives. Every time I heard this or stories similar I smiled, as that too, is the story for many of us. We came into the Aglow ministry because of the invitation through a relationship.
“Another impact this trip had, was the building up and encouragement to be people of destiny and purpose. Seeing people impacted by Aglow and wanting to create or develop further extensions of it to reach more people was such a gentle and sweet reminder of the heart of our apostolic ministry.
“When I first heard of the Transformation Teams in our ministry, I thought it was all about evangelism, and that assumption alone disqualified me for a desire for participation. I have never considered myself evangelistic. My frame of references for evangelism messages were the “turn-or-burn” messages on street corners in Las Vegas, or the unbelievable huge ministries of big-named evangelists. My understanding and experience wasn't just limiting, it was confining.
“Thank goodness for a later flight after one of the National Aglow Conferences, where I chose to sit in on one of the after-conference Transformation meetings. The testimonies and stories I heard completely shattered my limited knowledge of what evangelism looked like, and birthed in me a desire to see the impact of what it could look like in my own life. A small act of kindness, a helping hand, an ear, and heart of understanding, a gift of time, a message of encouragement, being an example of goodness, and a mindset intentional about depositing life into others all seemed not just possible, but also a place of undiscovered passion and opportunities that were awaiting me.
“Why do I share this part of my story and journey? Because in the busyness of our lives we sometimes pass right by opportunities, upgrades, and unknown passions. We can be locked in familiar mindsets of what we think things look like, that we never stop to reconsider the impact of what might actually already be available.
“Maybe you have been like me and walked right by, never considering leaning in to listen and really consider what's available. Maybe you disqualified yourself because of time, finances, and false assumptions or limited understandings. Whatever your reasons, I hope that this will encourage you to consider the impact you might have in the Kingdom, and also with our own ministry in Aglow. What passion and Kingdom impacts in the world are awaiting your voice and your footprint to be manifest?"