by Robin M Helm
Though it might be difficult to travel if I were pregnant, I know that you would help me. Our own child! She sighed and traced the letters “I LOVE YOU” in the palm of his hand.
Xander looked up at David as he began to speak again.
“This service is twofold: first, we are ordaining Xander Darcy into the gospel ministry, and second, we are commissioning him and the others in SoulFire Ministries as they make final preparations to leave on a world tour two months from now. We are partnering with that team in prayer and support, pledging that we as a church will help them in any way that we can as they fulfill the Great Commission given by our Lord in Matthew 28:19-20, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’
“I believe that God has chosen this team for a special purpose which is only just beginning to be revealed,” David continued, looking first on the four on the front row, and then across the congregation. “I cannot help but think of the words our Lord spoke, just before He ascended into heaven, as recorded in Acts 1:7-8, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’
“I have seen firsthand the powerful way that God works through SoulFire. I have seen different members of this team cast out demons, heal the sick and injured, speak in tongues, and display remarkable discernment. As I watched, I was reminded of the words of Christ spoken in Mark 16:15-18, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’
“I have not yet seen them drink poison, but I have been present when they defeated a serpent and rescued a young man from his grip.”
From the second seat, just behind Xander and Elizabeth, Mark Goodman raised his hand.
David nodded to him and smiled. “If you don’t believe me, just ask Mark to tell you his testimony.”
The congregation, well aware of the young man’s salvation experience because he had shared it with them, laughed.
David, his face assuming a serious expression, said, “A few years ago, I would have said that those gifts belonged to the early church alone, but now I think that God may have gifted this team in a similar way because we are nearing the end of this age. I think He has a divine purpose for them, and I feel privileged to have a small part in His plan. If I am needed during the five months that they are traveling, I hope that you as a church will support Lynne and me as we join them. Wherever they are, whenever they call, we will go to Jonathan, Xander, Elizabeth, and Charlotte as soon as we are able. I don’t know what God is doing, but it is something mighty and wonderful, and if He needs me, I must answer with the prophet Isaiah, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
In response, the people stood to their feet and applauded, giving their pastor their unqualified approval.
The following week, the deacons formed a search committee to seek a qualified young man who would serve as David’s Associate Pastor. In the event that David and Lynne needed to take a leave of absence, the pulpit would be filled and the flock would be shepherded. The church had grown considerably in the past few years, adding a minister of music three years prior, and the people knew that they needed a third minister to work with the youth and the children in any event.
~~oo~~
Xander and Elizabeth completed their Master’s degrees while Charlotte completed her B.S., and the three of them graduated from Converse with highest honors on May 16. The Darcys also finished their graduate degrees at Liberty University, but elected not to march in the commencement ceremonies due to time constraints.
Charlotte had already begun her Master’s work on her theology degree through Liberty’s online program, and she planned to use the long hours in the air to do her class work.
Because the SoulFire global tour would begin in mid-June, Charlotte and Jonathan had elected to marry at the end of May. Tim and Laura Lucas had understood the desire of the young couple to be wed before they left for a five month long series of meetings, and they had agreed, to Jonathan’s profound relief, to help the young couple plan a small wedding for May 23. Jonathan’s elderly parents, located in Columbia, South Carolina, had met Charlotte several times and already loved her, and they were likewise pleased to have the ceremony sooner rather than later. Jonathan, at thirty years old, was their youngest child, born to them in their forties, and they were overjoyed to see him so happily settled with a godly young woman.
Lynne, Elizabeth, and Janna also offered their help to Charlotte and Laura, and the plans were quickly made. Elizabeth was Charlotte’s matron of honor, and Xander was a groomsman, along with Joshua Lucas. Jonathan’s oldest brother, a pastor in Virginia, attended the wedding with his family and served as Jonathan’s best man. David performed the ceremony before a church filled with people who dearly loved Charlotte and her “young preacher,” as well as a full complement of guardians and warriors, including Michael, Gabriel, Lexus, and Edward.
Xander and Elizabeth sang several songs requested by the bride and groom. In addition to those requests, Charlotte had gladly given the responsibility of procuring the musicians to Elizabeth and Xander who had arranged for several of their classmates to play piano and strings for the wedding. Six busy weeks had been sufficient to arrange a beautiful day of celebration for the partners in ministry.
~~oo~~
After a week-long honeymoon in Florida, Rev. and Mrs. Jonathan Edwards, accompanied by Lexus and Edward, returned to the house they had rented in Columbia near his parents. The evening after the couple came home, Dave Branard and his assistant, Amy Michaels, as well as Xander and Elizabeth, met them for dinner at California Dreaming to finalize details for the tour to begin the following week. Michael, Gabriel, and Hector joined Lexus, Edward, and Esmund behind their charges, who were seated at the table. Warriors stood along walls.
Dave introduced Amy, a travel specialist he and Jonathan had hired several months earlier, and she handed out itineraries to the team and answered questions along with Dave. Xander, Elizabeth, and Charlotte had received many e-mails from Amy as the tour had been planned, but they had not yet met her in person.
“Amy, I’m so glad that we have you to handle all these details,” said Elizabeth, smiling as the young woman took a seat across from her at the table.
Charlotte added, “It will be great to have another woman on the team. I hope that we will all be good friends.”
Amy, a petite brunette of twenty-eight, nodded and smiled. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve enjoyed my work as a travel agent for the past seven years, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to combine my vocation with my faith. I’m really excited about the tour. Details are my specialty. Dave tells me that you and your husband are gifted in languages,” she said to Elizabeth with interest.
“Yes. Xander speaks many languages, and I understand any language that is spoken to me. People understand what I’m saying no matter what language they speak,” Elizabeth replied, a little embarrassed.
“Dave explained the gifts of the different team members to me, Elizabeth. I think it’s wonderful. I may have to call on you or your husband if we have any difficulties. I speak Spanish and French, but in several of the cities, I will probably need help from time to time. I hope you don’t mind,” said Amy.
Elizabeth smiled. “Not at all, Amy. Please ask us any time you need help. Char is our human lie detector. You can always trust her judgment.”
“Charlotte, that’s an extremely useful ability. Please tell me anytime there is something I need to know.”
Xander’s low voice startled the women. “You can depend on that, Amy. Charlotte knows the truth when she hears it, and she does not hesitate to speak it in love.”
Jonathan smiled at his wife as Michael chuckled from behind Xander.
“I hope that’s a good thing, Xander,” said Charlotte.
He smiled crookedly. “I have always thought it was, Charlotte. Do I speak the truth?” he asked, teasing her.
“You always have,” she answered, suddenly serious. “You and Elizabeth are two of the most truthful people whom I have ever known. You both abhor deceit, though you are very good at keeping secrets when you must. Even then, you do not lie.”
~~oo~~
The opening rallies of the tour would take place in Vancouver, and they would travel from there to Mexico City. Also to be included during the months of travel were Kiev, London, Paris, Stockholm, São Paulo, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Kigali City, Soweto, and Kampala. The mechanics of such an undertaking limited their time in each city to four days so that the following three days could be spent traveling to the next location, setting up, and resting. Equipment would be transported to airports by rented trucks, shipped to the next city, and driven by more hired trucks to the city’s arena or largest meeting area.
Whenever possible, Jonathan had included local pastors in the process, arranging to meet them as soon as the team arrived in each city. Ministers had been invited to follow the pattern begun in Atlanta by having daily mission activities arranged and using the nightly meetings as rallies for a spiritual retreat. Every effort had been made to contact spiritual leaders in the host cities and to coordinate efforts between the SoulFire team and the churches. Jonathan had been very successful in forming these partnerships, and the team looked forward to meeting fellow believers who would help them reach the unchurched in their cities.
Mark Goodman, SoulFire’s publicist, had also worked on the tour arrangements with Dave, and they had bought airtime on television and radio stations, using clips from the previous summer and spring to publicize the tour.
Mark’s connections to important people in the cable news industry in the States stood them in good stead. One cable network was so interested in the global tour that they arranged for Mark to make regular reports on their progress via satellite.
~~oo~~
Lucifer, Gregory, and Dirk Horne sat in the living room of Gregory’s home in Boston, celebrating the passage of Gregory’s bill through both Houses of Congress. It had been signed by the President earlier in the week. The full effects of the change in the law would not be felt for four years, after the next election cycle.
The guards stood rigidly behind the chairs of their masters while Aborian, a medium-sized demon of the upper ranks knelt before the three.
Lucifer gazed at the dark one for a moment, and then called his name. “Aborian, what have you to report?”
“All has been done as the Dark Prince requested, my master,” answered Aborian in a gruff voice.
“Lift your head and tell me about it, Aborian,” said Gregory, leaning forward in his chair.
Aborian lifted his head and looked into the glowing amber eyes of the Dark Prince. “We have successfully hacked into the computer used by Amy Michaels. We have all of the travel information for the upcoming SoulFire tour, just as you ordered.” With a grimace serving as the approximation of a smile, Aborian continued, “As an added gift for you, Master, we have cloned her cell phone which has a GPS capability programmed into it. We can monitor all of her conversations and movements. We will know where the team is at all times.”
Gregory laughed, “I just love modern technology. Smart phones! Brilliant. Good work, Aborian. Have you covered your tracks?”
Aborian’s grin was evil. “Of course. She will never know that she is taking us everywhere she goes. We can listen in to every word she says and read each text that she sends or receives. It is child’s play, Master.”
Gregory stood, walked to the bar, picked up a glass, and poured another drink. He returned to his seat, handing the drink to an astonished Aborian.
Gregory smiled at him. “Sit with us, Aborian, and we will congratulate you on your good work.”
Lucifer’s head swiveled quickly toward his son, a frown marring his beautiful face.
Aborian’s eyes shifted to Lucifer’s face, and seeing his expression, Aborian stood quickly, threw back the drink, and bowed from the waist to the unholy trinity.
“Thank you for your recognition and your invitation, but I am unworthy to sit in your presence,” said Aborian.
Lucifer spoke in carefully modulated tones. “Your good judgment is noted, Aborian. You may return to your duties.”
Aborian carefully backed from the room, placed the glass on a table, and flew from the house through the ceiling, returning to his rented office space and beloved computers.
Chapter 12
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Xander stood stiffly, resisting the urge to stretch his large frame in the confined space of the Boeing 737. Airplane seats were definitely not designed for comfort, he thought.
His wife still slept, and her lashes made dark crescents on her cheeks. My wife. He sighed in contentment, and then, unable to resist, he sat back down beside her, leaning over to place tiny kisses over her face.
Gabriel looked at the two with amusement.
It is difficult to believe that our brother has adapted to being human with so little trouble, thought Michael.
Elizabeth smiled, and he kissed her double-dimple. “Time to wake up, my love,” he whispered. “We are making our approach to Vancouver and will be landing soon.”
Elizabeth put her arms around his neck, her eyes still closed. “Just a few more minutes,” she said in a sleepy voice.
He chuckled deeply, and his lips vibrated against her cheek.
“That tickles,” said Elizabeth, pulling him even closer. She turned her head and fluttered her lashes against his skin, giving him butterfly kisses on his face.
“Elizabeth, you know that I am ticklish, and I know that you are even more so. Do you want me to embarrass you in front of everyone?” he asked, smiling and reaching for the area under her arms.
“No, no! I’m awake. No need to resort to such drastic measures,” she replied, sitting up and pushing his hands away with a giggle.
It was early morning, and the other passengers began to stir. They had flown through the night, but the dawn was just breaking, and people began to raise their shades to watch the sunrise.
“I must look terrible,” she said, yawning and stretching. She put her hand over her mouth. “Yuck. Morning breath. How can you stand me?”
“Elizabeth, you know that you are always beautiful to me,” he answered.
Lynne had taught him to French braid Elizabeth’s long, thick hair, and it remained in a heavy queue down her back, though a few curls had escaped around her face and at her neck. To him, she was never more lovely than when she first awoke. He always tried to awaken before she did, so that he could see the last few remnants of her dreams and watch her as she came to consciousness.
She reached into the backpack at her feet. “We don’t have time to brush our teeth. Do you want some gum?”
“You have taught me never to refuse anything offered to me for my breath, so, yes,” he said grinning crookedly and reaching out his hand.
Elizabeth popped a piece into her mouth and bypassed his hand, saying, “Open wide.”
Xander obediently opened h
is mouth, but she pulled the gum back, laughing at him. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth, snapping the gum from between her fingers with his teeth.
Newlyweds! sighed Michael, though he smiled.
You mistake the matter, replied Gabriel. Our brother and sister have been married for six months. Those are the newlyweds. He pointed to Charlotte and Jonathan who sat in the seats across the aisle from Xander and Elizabeth.
Charlotte was curled under a blanket with her head in Jonathan’s lap. He stroked her hair as he looked at her, the adoration showing on his face, and then he leaned over to whisper, “Charlotte, the seatbelt light has come on. We’re about to land. Wake up, honey.” She snuggled closer to him, so he gently rubbed her shoulders. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re in Vancouver.”
Lexus towered in the aisle by their seats, and Edward hovered above them.
Dave, Amy, and Mark sat in the seats behind the two couples, their guardians as close to them as they could get.
The flight attendant’s voice came through the speakers, advising everyone to put on their seatbelts and prepare for the landing.
The SoulFire Global Tour 2009 would begin in two days.
~~oo~~
After an hour had passed, with Amy and Dave handling all the details, the SoulFire team had arrived at their hotel in a car rented for the five days they would be in Vancouver. They all agreed to leave their luggage in their rooms and meet in the hotel restaurant for breakfast.
The tech crew had flown in a day earlier, and they were already busily setting up at the arena for the afternoon rehearsals. Thorncrown had also signed on for the tour, and as they were nearby for another engagement, they elected to meet the team at the arena. The meetings would not begin until the following day, but no one wanted to leave anything to chance. They all thought that two rehearsals would be better than one.
Xander and Elizabeth were the first to enter the restaurant, so they went through the breakfast buffet line and secured a table for their party of seven. Michael and Gabriel followed.