Fords on a Mission

First Quarter Update – 2021

Hello, friends and family of Fords on a Mission! We are overjoyed to be in 2021 and embarking on the spring season, full of exciting opportunities for Kingdom exploits. We are ready for the new life and new hope of this season, but first, we want to catch you up on all that has happened in the first quarter of the year.

While continuing other ministry opportunities during the months of January and February, Jason serves in the marketplace by day where he gets to pray over 330 acres and walk every building at Vanderbilt University, which provides him with one of his favorite mission fields! He spends his time walking the grounds of Vanderbilt Hospital and Vanderbilt University right here in Nashville, so he is able to spend time praying for the staff and students while working. He often has the opportunity to interact with and be the Gospel to many individuals while there. Especially this year with COVID research, vaccines, and patient treatment (Vanderbilt leads much of it!), prayer and encouragement are needed.

The wheels of ministry are always in motion, though. In January, Amy and the children walked around and prayed at each side of the Tennessee State Capitol Building prior to the Inauguration in Washington, DC. As a family, we led prayer in Murfreesboro at the Gap House of Prayer and Jason will be teaching on prayer there in April. Also, Jason ministered in the prophetic over a team of intercessors who are a part of a ministry called Prayer Platoon led by Aretha and Micheal Craft. Jason also leads prayer for God Encounters Ministries, headed by James Goll, where he is director of prayer.

In February, Jason spoke at the Filipino American Bible Church in Antioch, Tennessee. He shared our vision and mission as well as some testimonies from our travels. Also in February, Jason accepted a Regional Director volunteer position with Awaken the Dawn. He will coordinate with leaders in five states in the southeast to continue the vision and ministry of Awaken the Dawn. Some of you may remember that Jason served as executive assistant to David Bradshaw, ATD leader, in 2017. We feel strongly that this ministry has the heart of Jesus at its core, and we are happy to help further its work to lift up praise and worship across the nation.

In March, Jason interviewed James Goll on his new book The Feeler. He also spoke with our friend Jason Armstrong on his Remnant Voice podcast, which is listened to internationally. Additionally, Jason preached at our church community here in Nashville, Harvest Sound and is helping Roger Pope along with others build 7 small prayer cabins at Eagles’ Landing, part of Harvest Sound. Roger Pope has been the main builder of the cabins, but Jason recently worked with him and will be doing more of that in April. At the end of the month, we will travel to Flint, Michigan for the School of Prophets conference hosted by Benjamin Deitrick. This conference, we feel, will include some timely wisdom for the role of the prophetic in the church and the nation.

One thing we have enjoyed helping with each year is the Children’s Bible Club at Truth for Children Home in Kakinada, India. This year we helped finance the materials for 50 Sunday School teachers and 1500 students for the club, which is similar to a vacation Bible school. Pastor Wilson Babu is the leader of this outreach and many others in India.

As we head into April, we hope to join with many others in Fredericksburg, Virginia for Awaken the Dawn’s first tent gathering of the year. As we work with ATD this year, there will be more gatherings across the nation for the purpose of hosting the Presence of the Lord and unifying people in the name of Jesus. We will most likely be joining a big tent gathering in Tampa the month of May and Dallas in June. North Carolina and maybe Tennessee will host a 3000 seat tent meeting in July/August.

While the events of 2020 into the beginning of 2021 have left many in the Body of Christ confused, wounded, and fractured, we truly believe God is on the move and that His voice of truth and His heart for the lost will be clear and strong in the coming seasons. We look forward to a year of resurgence with a focus on the power of the Gospel and the hope that is only found in Jesus Christ. The Lord has been speaking to us about “staking our claim,” praying in particular places across the United States later in the year. We know that He is coming back for a refined, unshakable Bride! We want to spread the message to others to fill their lamps with oil and be prepared for the arrival of the Bridegroom!

First Quarter Update: Pray without Ceasing

Coming down our street recently, we noticed a sign in front of our driveway indicating a detour ahead. The arrow seemed to literally point to our house.

It seemed a telling image of our status: detour home. But detours are only temporary and just mean you have to go a different direction for a short while. For a missionary family, this grounding is hard because we are so ready to get back on the field, but we are using this time wisely and still doing ministry virtually as we connect with others all across the world.

Maybe this whole thing is a Divine Detour! I say this because it’s been amazing the amount of people via Zoom, Facebook Live, and other types of conference calls that we have been able to interact with and pray for. For example, a recent Facebook Live I did with a local house of prayer as of today received 800-plus views.

The whole world has been affected by the coronavirus; it has shifted many lives, ours included. First Thessalonians 5:17 reminds believers to pray without ceasing. As intercessors, we take this admonishment seriously. While we have had to adjust our travel plans, our “detour to home” has not changed our hearts! Our calling to be missionaries of prayer has only increased. Our mission is the same: Fords on a Mission is an ordinary family pursuing an extraordinary calling. As a family of five, we are choosing a life of radical obedience. Our passion is to see God glorified in Nashville and points beyond through prayer, worship, and evangelism.

Here is a little of what we’ve been up to before the mandatory Safer at Home measures started here in Tennessee.

We’ve had a great three months of walking out our calling as missionaries of prayer and followers after Jesus. We got to preach, pray, and encourage people from the church seats to the city streets and connect with various leaders throughout America and the nations. Jason preached at our local church, we both led Bible study groups, and Jason helped lead a regional ministry luncheon, as well as lead prayer at various locations. The family all prayer-walked our state capital in partnership with a long standing prayer ministry called Governmental Prayer Alliance, and Jason led prayer at a house of prayer and on various prayer calls. Jason was on a radio program where his voice was heard online and throughout a couple states. We have also traveled throughout Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Jason led prayer at GAP House of Prayer for the Collegiate Day of Prayer and also had the joy of watching 500-plus leaders come together after a month of prayer and fasting for people in our city. One of our greatest joys this quarter was assembling a prayer team to cover the kick-off of a 30-day prayer and fasting initiative called Awaken Nashville. Church unity is on the rise! Jason even got to meet with some ministry friends at Nissian Stadium where the Titans play to dream about a stadium gathering.

At the end of February, the family traveled to South Carolina on a ministry trip praying through the land, as well as sharing at a local church. The people there are so hungry for God!

Shortly after our South Carolina trip, the tornado hit Nashville. In the aftermath, we were able to volunteer to clear debris, purchase donations, and assemble resource bags for displaced individuals . Nashville’s recovery has been slowed due to the virus, but the Nashville spirit remains strong!

A few pictures from the first quarter of 2020

So what does the future hold for Fords on a Mission? Currently Jason is staying involved with local and national prayer initiatives by using technology, which has allowed us to stay connected in prayer with the Body of Christ. Some days we spend three or four hours a day joining virtual prayer meetings using technology. Jason has had the privilege to join local, regional, and national leaders as we all process what is going on and pray. It has also been amazing to see how open people are to listening to and receiving prayer. People are afraid, but as believers we can offer them hope and peace in Jesus!

Amy and the kids have continued their school year, adjusting in order to stay home. We are thankful that we fit a few good field trips and friend visits before the lockdown. We are trying to find ways to encourage others and be as helpful as possible during this time.

Concerning our travels and outreach, we still have big plans of a cross-country prayer trip, a season in Washington, DC, serving our local church and local outreaches as well as our big Bonnaroo outreach, which has now been moved to September. Bottom line is that we will continue doing everything God calls us to do. So our mission continues; we will all get through this! If you’re a believer, it is time to shine and be a source of comfort and healing to those around. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus! We will carry on!

Thanks so much to our ministry partners who pray and support us financially! Without you guys we couldn’t do what we do!

Boots on the Ground

We have been home in our beloved Middle Tennessee for about twenty-four hours now (at the time of writing), and my mom systems have been performing post-trip triage: unpack, sort, organize, clean, re-orient, schedule. Our brains and bodies are all pushing through the jet lag fog. I have been attempting to quantify the last six weeks in my head to be able to communicate the mission succinctly.

I keep coming back to our shoes.

My babies have callouses on their feet. Their shoes, which were practically brand-new, are now relegated to “play shoes” distinction. We covered miles upon miles daily prayer walking – an average of six miles a day for forty days. London, Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Avebury, Hadrian’s Wall, Moriah Chapel. In the oldest churches, the gates, the high places, the sacred places, the waterways. In rain and mud and cold.

And for what? Why the expense and the work and stress? To what end?

For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ – John 4:37

Because breaking hardened ground and breaking hardened hearts require hard work, physical and spiritual.

While we love to see people pray for salvation, we love to disciple, we love to teach; more often, we see our job as breaking the ground. We are spiritual mappers, looking for places to till the soil or dig for wells. Yes, it is abstract, but no less real. If we are to talk about the great harvest of souls, we must talk about the process.

Praying breaks the spiritual ground of a place. Every revival is preceded by prayer. So when The Lord leads us to go to a place to pray and intercede, we obey, knowing that His will is to release His Kingdom in that place.

We have felt a pull towards the United Kingdom for a couple of years and waited for the right time. When a door opened last year, Jason went to London to scout the land and make some connections. He was received warmly and invited to return as a prophet to the land. We began to plan a family trip for 2019. However, as God tends to do, all the ways we planned and ideas we had were turned on their heads. Certain doors closed; others opened. We have learned to trust His leading and not to fight for our “best laid plans.” As we stepped in faith, He showed us His purposes.

Some highlights we would like to share include:

Jason spent a day at Europe’s largest pagan festival, Witch Fest, to pray and also talk with and show love and care for attendees. He ended up meeting with one of the speakers and former president of the pagan federation of UK and his wife. They spent an hour talking about their beliefs and exchanged emails. Jason is wanting to build a bridge of communication with those on the pagan path;

We stood at the Chalice Well and White Springs in Glastonbury as people gathered water and talked with them about the true Living Water;
We prayed and shared our story with multiple people visiting Glastonbury Tor, a spiritually significant high place for pagans;
We joined in communion services and prayer meetings at Church of England congregations;
Jason spoke and ministered alongside friends at a church in Belfast and a London prison. The power of God was evident during the time at the prison. Five men surrendered to Jesus, and Jason walked away with the tears of hardened men on his shirt sleeves;
The kids prayed over many people and places, including the homeless in Glasgow;
We made connections with believers who have become family; with ministries which we will pray for and return to, and individuals who are seeking answers and spiritual truth.

Along the way, we had countless God-incidents and divinely orchestrated moments. I am in awe of His goodness, truly. There is a rumble of life in the United Kingdom. We are grateful for our time there and are anxious that we might return some day.

To follow our daily adventures, follow Fords on a Mission on Facebook. To partner with us financially, click here.

Second Quarter Update — 2019

Hey friends! We are overjoyed to share with you all about our adventures during the spring. First, here are the highlights:

We took our first Pray the Ports Trip in April to Houston and New Orleans.
Jason traveled with a small group of governmental intercessors to pray with legislators from Tennessee in Washington, D.C.
In May, Jason was officially ordained as a minister through our home church, Harvest Sound.
We spent a Saturday serving as a family with Elijah’s Heart, a local outreach group.
At the end of May, we completed our second Pray the Ports Trip to Miami, Savannah, and Charleston.
In June, we joined with multiple ministries and believers for LoveReach, the outreach to the Bonnaroo music festival.
At the end of June, Jason accompanied James Goll to the School of the Supernatural at El Ray Jesus Church in Miami.

Pray the Ports Trips

Our first trip took us to the Port of Houston to pray and declare. It was our first journey, so we did not know what to expect or how we would get on the grounds. The Lord spoke to us that we were to take each trip individually and wait on his direction. Often, God calls us to step out in obedience before having the whole game plan, so to speak. After arriving in Houston and driving around the port area, we decided to spend some time praying, researching, and waiting on the Lord. We prayed through our delineated prayer points, but also sensed there was more to the picture. While doing research, we discovered that the original port of Houston is in the center of the downtown district, at a landing where the city was founded. We felt that this was a significant place to pray as well. It never ceases to amaze me how we can think we know what God’s plans are, but he has something much deeper in mind. I believe he wants us to pray over the large, modern ports, but the ancient gates and waterways of the cities are just as important in the spiritual realm.

As we headed back, we made a stop in New Orleans. While it was not a port on our list, we felt like it is significant spiritually when it comes to waterways. The biggest river in the nation pours into the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans. Of course, New Orleans has a history with both counter- Christian practices and water-related disasters. We met our friend Chris Burns there to do open air worship and street evangelism in Jackson Square, the hub of tourist activity in the French Quarter. It was an honor to be there among the people leading this revival, and we believe that God is doing a mighty work in New Orleans.

Our second port trip was to the southeastern region of the United States and included the cities of Miami, Savannah, and Charleston. At each of these port cities, we prayed through our prayer points and declarations on the grounds of the port. We also named each port according to what the Lord showed us for it. In Miami, we felt the Lord is revealing His Glory to the Nations; in Savannah, we heard The Lord say it is the Port of Freedom; in Charleston, we felt it is the Port of Provision. Each of these is a prophetic declaration which we believe agrees with God’s plans for those cities and also breaks the curses of their history.

Additionally, we were able to connect with friends in Fort Lauderdale and attend a ministry training on this trip. We also stopped in St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, to pray at significant places (including the original city gates) as well as visit and pray with a friend.

D.C. Trip

In early May, Jason traveled to Washington D.C. with a group of intercessors to pray with our Tennessee legislators. This group also prayed at the Capitol and the Supreme Court. Jason was honored to be in this selected group. We must always remember our mandate to pray for those in authority.

Ordination

Only a couple of weeks later, Jason completed the requirements and was officially ordained in our church, Harvest Sound. Pastors Scott and Sarah MacLeod, as well as two of Jason’s spiritual mentors, Bob Perry and Ricky Skaggs, anointed Jason and commissioned him in the ministry. He was ordained alongside two of our dear friends, Austin and Courtney Cordes. We are so proud of them all and know God will use them to serve in greater measure.

LoveReach

In June we worked with the annual outreach at Bonnaroo called LoveReach. A house of prayer operates 24 hours a day for the duration of the festival while a community and hundreds of volunteers serve on the camp grounds, offering practical and spiritual help. A constant flow of ministry, from healings, dream interpretation , personalized art, and spiritual readings, occurred onsite for four straight days, leading to testimony after testimony. Salvations, deliverances, and baptisms were all a part of the outreach. One significant story is that, since Jason preached the Sunday service at the tent on Father’s Day, we brought the whole family. We decided to ask Judah if he would like to be baptized that day at Bonnaroo (he has been asking for some time). He agreed, and his baptism broke the ice for six others! As the word states, “A little child will lead them.”

Miami

To close out June, Jason traveled with James Goll to serve with and learn from him at a conference at El Rey Jesus, the largest Hispanic church in the nation. While there, he also was able to meet and converse with the President’s pastor, Paula White. Jason is always honored to be a witness to the move of God and the teachings of the leaders at these conferences. People are hungry for Jesus, and we are seeing revival in so many places. God is doing a mighty work, and we can be a part if only we will put ourselves in the flow of His Spirit.

We are looking forward to the next quarter and following God’s call. As always, we cannot do the things that we do without you, our friends and supporters. Please join us in prayer, follow our journey on this blog and our Facebook page, and consider giving financially toward our missions. You can give directly at https://actintl.givingfuel.com/fordsonamission

Grace and peace to you all.

2019 First Quarter Update

MISSION:

We are prayer missionaries joining presence-based ministry to prayer activation; we are called to release strategic prayer and evangelism from the church seats to the city streets; from Nashville to our nation and to the nations.

As the year began, we spent some time seeking The Lord as to His direction for us for 2019. We know that there are some big missions for us as a family this year. However, what we keep coming back to is prayer and evangelism, bottom line. These are the foundation of all we do.

January has been an exciting month partnering

in prayer with special events that have happened and are happening in our city, as well as being a voice of encouragement to those people God places in our path. The churches of our city are coming together around prayer. We have been so blessed to be right in the middle of so much that is happening. It is been amazing to watch!

We kicked off the month of January with Lou Engle, a real prayer general, coming to Nashville for a Pre-Send prayer rally. If you did not hear about The Send, look it up! It was a large stadium gathering in which many missionaries were commissioned to the harvest field. The prayer gathering with Lou was powerful. I (Jason) watched many came up front to fully surrender their lives to Jesus in full repentance of sin. It was as though a spirit of repentance came upon the church where we met. I felt a fresh fire for Jesus after that night!

It was also a real blessing to be a part of the behind the scenes meetings with other pastors and prayer leaders. I literally get to pray and have relationship with many of my heroes in the faith!

Another neat thing was I was invited to join Lou Engle at a special round table meeting with only 24 hand-picked leaders. My pastor, Scott Macleod, hosted this meeting at The Foundry building near downtown Nashville. It was a great opportunity to sit with major leaders, some who shepherd thousands. I stand amazed at the opportunities God has allowed me!

We also attended one night of a gathering called Contend, led by our friends David and Audrey Kim. The Contend ministry is a global family of fasting and prayer, contending for revival and missions in our day. It is led by 20-somethings who are doing a great work! As I watched and prayed from the back of the room where they met, I had a new sense of hope rise up in me for this next generation. It was also so encouraging to see answers to my own prayers I’ve prayed for 15 years concerning a great awakening in our youth.

We joined with thousands of believers across the city to pray over every citizen of Nashville for 21 days in a mission called Awaken Nashville. The launch of this event was held at Ryman Auditorium, and we joined a team of intercessors in a special room on the top floor. Our goal was to pray over the entire event, the believers involved, and the leaders. We believe Awaken Nashville marked our city and turned many hearts to Jesus.

I traveled to California the first weekend of March to attend Paul Cain’s memorial service. Paul Cain was in ministry for 70 years! As I landed, I jumped on a prayer call with Intercessors for America. To my surprise they just happened to have a focus of praying for Hollywood and the mountain of media! Talk about timely!

The memorial service was powerful, and the time I spent in the presence of some long-faithful leaders in the prayer and prophetic movement was transformational. I was able to listen and learn from some leaders with so much wisdom and experience.

While in California, I was also able to spend time doing what we love most – praying on site in strategic places. I walked through Hollywood and Santa Monica to pray, as well as outside the LA LGTB Headquarters. We believe prayer changes hearts and shifts the spiritual atmosphere of places. In a time of such division in our nation, it is a privilege to pray for healing and hope in these places.

Recently I was honored to share the message on a Sunday morning at our local church, Harvest Sound, as well as for a group of governmental intercessors at the Alabaster House of Prayer in Manchester. Both were powerful times! It’s a joy to minister to Gods people and those who may not know him yet.

I have also recently come on as Director of Prayer for God Encounters Ministry, headed by James Goll. This position is an opportunity to function in both my passion for prayer and administrative gifting. It’s a great experience that allows me to fulfill one of the goals on our ministry which is to encourage and activate others in the realm of prayer. This position is part time so he doesn’t interfere with other aspects of Fords on a mission.

God has opened up a new door to us as well this year: I have been invited to join two boards of directors for ministries near and dear to us – God Encounters Ministry and Gap House of Prayer. We feel these are a new level of both opportunity and responsibility.

Finally, as winter and the school year have progressed, Amy has been managing the home and the kids’ schooling. We are thankful to be able to homeschool with Judah. Anna’s time in public school has been a blessing for her needs, and we feel that she is now ready to join her brother to homeschool for first grade. Seraphina is learning and growing at a rapid pace as well. Amy has also been writing poetry and essays as led. We would love for you to check out her personal blog!

This summer, we are taking the the road again to pray strategically at every major port in our nation. This venture will involve three trips: east coast, west coast, and gulf. We want to organize prayer times with local ministries and intercessors at each port.

In the fall, the whole family is hopping “the pond” to England and Ireland. We will spend forty days in residence as intercessors, and we hope to have the chance to share at various churches and ministries. Our hearts burn to see the U.K. a truly United Kingdom under the true King!

It takes a lot of time, energy and effort to see what God has called us to do come to pass, but because of our supporters we have the availability to do fulfill our mission.

BIG thanks to each of you who pray for us and financially sow into our God-given calling. It’s because of you that we get to do all we do.

On the Santa Monica Pier, a place we have prayed from many times

From the Paul Cain Memorial

Praying the streets of Hollywood

Praying for our state government at the Capitol

Jason attends MLK celebration with his best buddy, Steve Cargill

Sincerely The Ford Family

2018: A Year of Adventure

This year has been, arguably, the busiest and most fruitful year we have had as a family in ministry. We have spent much of the year on the go – whether cross-country in our trusty minivan or continent-hopping in the air – we have kept ourselves busy going where The Lord has led. In all, we have prayed through 18 states and five countries. We have been able to minister through preaching, teaching, prayer, prophecy, and evangelism. We have literally seen our vision of ministering “from the church seats to the city streets” come to pass this year. With the support of our prayer and financial partners, we have witnessed salvations, healings, and many divine encounters.

On Site with Insight

One of our callings as a family is to pray “on site with insight,” meaning we go to a place which God directs and pray as led by the Holy Spirit. Often, we research historic, geographic, and cultural significance of a place to guide our prayers. We also, of course, rely on Holy Spirit to speak to us as well. This year we covered much ground along the route of a 21-day journey: 6,500 miles through 18 states across the U.S. on Route 66. On this trip, we prayed at points such as Lake Michigan, the Gateway Arch, the Continental Divide, the Grand Canyon, the wagon trails of the West, the Golden Gate Bridge, Black Rock Desert, and Salt Lake City’s Mormon headquarters. We feel this type of intercession is essential to revival in an area. Prayer always precedes Presence!

In addition to our family mission across the nation, we helped helped organize and serve in worship and outreach events. One was a national event called Tent America. The other was a local outreach called LoveReach. Jason was the key point person for both of these events, serving as a COO of sorts. LoveReach is an outreach to the Bonnaroo music festival and includes a 24/7 house of prayer and onsite outreach to festival-goers. Tent America was a four-day nationwide time in which tents were set up in all 50 state capitals and many college campuses for non-stop worship. This event was a follow-up to last year’s Awaken the Dawn. We believe this type of Tabernacle of David worship brings a physical witness and spiritual shift to the area.

Jason also took two internatioal trips this year. First, he spent ten days in London, England to attend a prayer conference and connect with leaders there who have tremendous vision to see revival in the UK. We believe God is calling us to invest time in England and Ireland in the upcoming year, praying and supporting the move of God there.

Secondly, Jason spent three weeks in the Balkan nations of Albania, Macedonia, and Montenegro. He worked with our friend Erik Juengling and regional apostolic leader Pali Katona, speaking, praying, and ministering in these countries. This region has a rich spiritual history, but is in great need of missionaries and ministers to support the faithful leaders like Pali. The harvest is ripe in the Balkans!

Prayer always precedes Presence!

Jason and David Bradshaw speaking before Nashville’s Surrounded gathering

Praying at RooHOP, the Bonnaroo House of Prayer

Jason touring Wembley Stadium in England

2019 and How You Can Help

We are anticipating God’s plans for 2019, believing Him for greater challenges and a greater harvest! Our plans currently include taking our family international for this first time. We feel the Lord is highlighting Europe to us again, perhaps for an extended time to pray into particular regions. Additionally, we feel a stirring to take on another prayer strike to sites around our nation (more details to come). You can also be sure we will be involved in many local projects to continue to invest in the Kingdom in Nashville. But we need you! We need prayer! We need provision from partners who will invest in the work! Would you be a part of our team?

To partner financially:

• Give online at https://actintl.givingfuel.com/fordsonamission

• Give by mail – Make check payable to Fords on a Mission. Send to ACT Intl., P.O. Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649

To join our Prayer Team: E-mail fordsonamission@gmail.com

Prayer and Proclamation Project, Leg One – Route 66

The first leg of our Prayer and Proclamation Project involved traveling from our home in Nashville, Tennessee to Chicago, Illinois, then to Santa Monica, California, making strategic prayer stops along the way.

Every day, we looked for points to stop and pray or drive through and pray. Sometimes they were historic sites, like where President Lincoln gave his house divided speech. Sometimes the were governmental, like capital buildings. Sometimes they were spiritual, like on the Oral Roberts University campus. Through each state we also read through the prophetic words released by Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce in 2003 on their 50 State tour.

Below are some significant stories from our journey:

Our first stop was before we hit 66, in Indianapolis. We went to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to pray on the grounds. There is a possibility that the Speedway will be the site of a large Christian gathering. One of our goals is to pray in advance of events and outreaches. We know that prayer lays a groundwork for a move of God.

Next, we headed to Chicago for the start of the trail, as 66 is often called. God began giving us reminders of His presence immediately. We pulled over our van at the very start of Route 66, right beside the sign, to get our directions together (66 is not contiguous, especially through cities – you have to follow written directions). A young valet came over to ask if we needed help. Jason began to prophesy over him, encouraging him. Right before we left we asked his name. It was Angel, of all things! It was as though God was letting us know He was with us!

At one point, stopped in Joliet, IL. This city was once known as the City of Spires for its beautiful churches, but it has become known now more for its gambling houses. It had been a hard day and the kids were frazzled. A woman approached Jason as he stopped for gas. She was super high, asking for money for gas. Jason offered to pray for her, to which she agreed, but she got antsy and squirmmy as soon as he began. She was clearly affected and quickly left. The demons were nervous! As she drove away, we prayed over her and the spiritual strongholds in that city.

At Steak and Shake in Missouri, we met Sam the GM. We asked about his story. He had to drop out of law school and take care of his sick mother, who later passed away. He had traveled the world, but he was clearly an unbeliever. He would not let us pray for him, but only wished for our family to have a safe trip. We continue to pray for him. Sam reminds us that everyone has a story and wants to be known. God loves these people and wants to meet them in their stories.

Outside of Avilla, Missouri we saw several sets of scripture signs on different parts of farmland. Someone is evangelizing the roadways using their farmland.

In New Mexico, we felt led to pray through Albuquerque in particular. On the outskirts, we passed a church that also said “House of Prayer.” We felt compelled to turn around and investigate, so to speak. We met Michael, who was tending to the grounds. He told us about the ministry there, their heart for the city, and an outreach he does with biker clubs. Michael and others belong to a Christian motorcycle club which goes to biker rallies and offers boot shining to the gang members. It’s a modern-day foot washing ministry! We were able to pray with Michael and for his beloved city.

We took a side journey fifty miles north of the route to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. There, we saw some people who had climbed down into a ledge overlooking the canyon. Jason felt led to go down and talk to them. They were a group of New Age seekers looking to tap into some kind of energy since it was the summer solstice. Jason gently engaged them in conversation, led the talk to Jesus, and ended up praying with one woman in particular. She said she was going to look into Christianity and following Jesus.

Also in Arizona, we met Marlene, a Navajo woman who is a born-again Christian. To earn a living, she makes and sells jewelry to tourists. She asked that I would pray for her to get out of debt. She is a reminder to us all of the great debt we owe to the native people of this country, and the respect and honor they deserve.

In California, we have made some connections in the past, so we were happy to make some extra stops to pray and visit with friends in Palm Desert, Pasadena, and Hollywood.

Once we made it to the end of the trail, the end of the Santa Monica pier, a nearby street performer played the Dave Buckley song “Hallelujah.” It was a very appropriate to end our Route 66 leg of our journey. Even more amazing, though, was that as we walked closer to hear the music, we were approached by a mother and daughter who commented on our children. The daughter in particular seemed drawn to us, so we kept the conversation going. Before long, we let her know we were Christian missionaries on a prayer journey. She was excited, and explained her own “spiritual” nature and study of Kabbalah. Jason was able to tell her about how Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, and he encouraged her to seek after Jesus on a personal level. She agreed. She said she could see the love in our family and was drawn to us.

We spent some days in California connecting with friends in ministry and praying in different areas. We will share about those visits and our trip home, which included some interesting and strategic stops along the way, in the next post. I hope you will follow with us!

Below are some pictures. There are more on our Fords on a Mission Facebook page.

The old arch for the Chicago Stock Exchange. We stopped here to pray for Chicago’s financial systems.

An eerily familiar 1940’s era family on Route 66 in a museum.

Scripture graffiti in Kansas

From a distance, Jason praying with a young New-Ager on a ledge in the Grand Canyon

A Summer of Calling

Hey guys!

We want to give a quick update of our summer projects. Our family is so excited about all that God has been leading us to do. This summer, we are really getting to walk out our Mission Statement.

Our family mission:
We are Intercessory missionaries joining presence-based ministry to prayer activation; we are called to release strategic prayer and evangelism from the church seats to the city streets; from Nashville to our nation and to the nations.

This summer is shaping up to be a very exciting one that fits our calling so well! We have five different big projects starting in June. We need your prayers and financial support to walk out these out. Invest in us here

Our outreach to Bonnaroo is june 6-10th

Jesus proclaimed from the high places in CA!

Spontaneous baptisms in Montana

Teaching them early

Back in Tennessee!

Our Anna at the Janis Joplin tree

Our oldest babies praying in silence for unborn babies

Jason and Dylan Tarpley hit the grounds at Bonnaroo

One of the ATD regional tents

Ministering in Montana

Packing, packing, packing

Three week trip in october to the ancient Macedoina

London here I come

A crowd gathering at ATD. This year each state host gathering same time in every state

Here are some of our upcoming projects:

LoveReach
June 6th- June 10th
This an annual outreach to Bonnaroo. I have had the privilege of serving as the director of this outreach this year. We expect hundreds to be touched by the love of God.

Route 66 Prayer and Proclamation Project– June 16-July 6th
We are literally praying across the entire country! This is a three-week family assignment that we believe is an important and timely trip. We will be traveling in our van the entirety of Route 66, America’s Mother Road. Over 5000 miles with three kids! Pray for us!

London Trip
August 8th-17th
I will be joining a strategic prayer gathering in London that will also include the pubic release of a stadium gathering that some leaders in Europe will be having. I was invited to join this important time. I will be interacting with high-level leaders as well as praying throughout the area at strategic places. We believe prayer is the forerunner for what God does in the earth!

Tent America
September 27-29th
We will be serving Tent America as we, along with a team from Tennessee, host 48 hours of worship and prayer in Nashville. This will happen simultaneously in every other state in our nation. Our entire nation will be covered in praise!

Macedonia Trip
October 1st-21st
This is a huge trip back to Europe! I will be going with my missionary friend Erik to join long-time missionary Pal Katona. We land in Albania and travel to Macedonia. I am so excited to see what God has for this trip. Erik has warned me to be ready to preach everyday and that we may be hosting a prayer conference. This is an ancient land with many who don’t know Jesus. I’m believing that the gospel will spread rapidly!

NOTE: All these ventures cost money. Our summer ministry budget is $9,500.

If you would like to sow a special gift into these summer projects, we would really appreciate it. We believe God can provide!

Please click the giving link below to invest in us.

Invest in us here

Spring Forward, Part 2

We have shared the “why” we do what we do, we want to update you on some of the “how.” How do we promote the devotion of believers in the places God leads? How do we testify of the Gospel? How do we live out discipleship?

Through our local church, Harvest Sound, we get the opportunity to be a big brother and sister to some younger friends. Jason has helped lead in small group and recently delivered the Sunday morning message. We love this local body of believers and their vision for creativity and outreach. Their DNA is much like ours. Our mission statement as Fords on A Mission is:

“We are Intercessory missionaries joining presence-based ministry to prayer activation; we are called to release strategic prayer and evangelism from the church seats to the city streets; from Nashville to our nation and to the nations.”

It is a joy serving with a local church community with similar DNA.

Another consistent means of stirring devotion is our participation in city prayer meetings and pray conference calls. There are prayer pockets all across our region. Many of these loyal and sincere believers have been praying for our city many years. We love these groups and their dedication to filling the bowls of prayer.

As a family, we were able to travel to a Southeastern Regional Gathering at Lee University hosted by the Spiritual Air Force Academy, based in Colorado. This gathering at Lee University was the kickoff of their campus tour. We love to gather young people for opportunities like this conference – to see them learn and grow in their faith.

Now, on to what we have in the works for the upcoming spring and summer months.

Jason spoke recently at a house church in Clarksville. This house church has been meeting at least once a week for over 25 years. It is always a pleasure for Jason to speak there.

We are working with a team of friends to launch a Burn 24/7 in Nashville. A “Burn” is an extended time of worship geared at stirring the hearts of believers and shifting the spiritual climate of the region.

We are in full swing planning for our fourth year of outreach at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. LoveReach is the name for the outreach which includes an on-the-grounds tent for worship and creative ministry, a practical helps ministry for festival attendees, and a satellite 24-hour house of prayer (RooHOP) for the duration of the festival. There are so many ways to get involved in LoveReach! Check out LoveReach.net or contact us at fordsonamission@gmail.com if you are interested!

Finally, we are happy to announce our major family mission expedition for the year, which we have named the Route 66 Prayer and Proclamation Project. We are hitting the road – the Mother Road, to be exact – beginning in Chicago and traveling Route 66 to its end in Santa Monica, CA. Route 66 is called “America’s Main Street.” What better place to map, research, pray, and share the gospel?! We have already begun mapping out our stops and looking at history, and we are thrilled about what God is showing us. Be sure to follow our Facebook page for updates as we travel.

The fall is already shaping up to be a busy one with city-wide gatherings and possibly an international trip or two. Please pray with us for direction, finances, and family protection and strength as we chase God.

The only reason we can do these things is because of our partners. You are our constant allies in the battle, and we are eternally grateful to you.

We believe when people gather together in devotion to God, mountains must move!

Won’t you gather with us?

Spring Forward, Part 1

I drove down an old familiar pike, the one I travel every day, which leads northward like a spoke from the hub of downtown Nashville. The whole of my childhood, the better part of this pike was associated with poverty, drugs, and prostitution.

Today, modern townhouses are rising around the run-down buildings and overgrown lots. The juxtaposition of urban decay and modern architecture is indicative of Nashville’s boom-town status.

What happens when a city grows the way Nashville is growing now? The infrastructure must expand to support it. The very bones of the city must expand to meet it.

What about the spiritual climate of a booming city? Such an influx of people and cultures, of pasts and futures – How do we expand the spiritual infrastructure to match?

The building ground for spiritual climate is devotion. Our devotion to God through worship and prayer creates the basis for any move of God in an area. Church growth and discipleship, service to the poor and sharing of the Gospel – all of these are built on the back of devotion.

For this reason we live to stir up the devotion of the believers in our region.

We are taking up the charge to organize, lead, and promote opportunities for encounter with the presence of God. His presence shifts atmospheres and changes the trajectory of communities.

We have seen it. We believe it.

Fords on a Mission is dedicated to the cause of devotion in our region and in the places God calls us. We have much to share about 2018 for Nashville and beyond. In the next blog post, we will detail some of the exciting opportunities we have coming soon to express our devotion and advance the Kingdom. Stay tuned.