I clearly remember the cold Winter night in November of 1993. I was at a Singles get together that my church sponsored fellowshipping and having conversations with other likeminded single people when it was time for the Bible Study. I remember as the Singles pastor discussed on the topic of "What Are We Going To Do Now?" as both a challenge to Spiritual growth and maturity and as a call to take up responsibility for our actions. I remember at that time experiencing a plethora of emotions in my life, from the experience of leaving home for the first time, from the holding back of grief of losing the only Grandfather I have known, from experiencing duress and mental anguish at work from a two-faced boss who thought more about loyalty from his college alumni than loyalty to the company, etc. I sat in that uncomfortable steel chair as I allowed my mind to absorb the words that were being said. As the sermon finished, the first things in my mind was "nice words, but where is the relief from this plethora of emotion I am experiencing?" However, the time came when the Singles were asked to get into groups of two and share my needs to each other and pray for that person.

I proceeded to listen to my friend tell me of her need of wisdom to make an important decision concerning her life. I proceed to pray for her and I had to admit that I did not receive a word from God with a deep celestial voice and an angelic host in the skies above. However, she was crying as she was now assured of her decision (which later on turned to be the right choice). She proceeded to start to pray for me without asking me of my "grab-bag" of needs. As she started to pray, She sensed and whispered in my ear that it was time to let go and release the grief, the mental duress, etc I was holding in. I sat in that uncomfortable chair as she ministered to me and as I began to release the emotions bottled up inside of me. It was hours later, I felt released, free, and filled with the love of God in my life.

I then left the Bible fellowship and got into my car and drove home. I walked into the living room and closed the French doors and laid down prostrate on the red oak floor. I finally was alone, and free. I was able to release the tensions and the past hurts from those who have hurt me. I felt the same presence of the Lord that I had felt hours earlier. This continued every night as I prayed in my bed for the next couple of months.

It was months later at the Vineyard church I attended when the senior pastor (a man I admire to this day) talked about a trip he was going to take to Valipraisio, Indiana on the advice of an influential Vineyard pastor named Happy Lehman. Weeks later, the pastor and some of the leadership went to Indiana to experience this "move of God". When he arrived back in town, he described the healings, signs and wonders that took place and announced to the congregation that the church was going to have "renewal" meetings with a man by the name of Randy Clark within the next couple of weeks that were going to be held on a weekend.

I remember driving my car into the church parking lot and parking the car in the place the parking crew provided for me. I got out of the car with my Bible and proceeded into the sanctuary to the back row like I usually did when I attended. I remember seeing a friend I had not seen in years and she came to sit beside me and we talked until the service began. The service began with worship and the worship team were singing songs I had never heard before. I did not pay it no mind at that time because Vineyard churches are well know for their music and know for singing songs written by their worship leaders. It was at this time of worship when I felt the same presence of God come down upon me like I had experienced at the Bible fellowship and in my house when I prayed at night. In fact, I was so in the presence of God that I had mentally blocked out the fast-paced rhythms and the shouts of praise of the surrounding people and praised God feeling the deepened and heightened intimacy of God in the midst of his presence. I had not worshipped that deep in such a long time because of some of the hurts I experienced in the Praise and Worship realm running sound mixing consoles.

After the praise and worship was over, the senior pastor arrived to the podium. It was at this time where he statd that the worship experience and the presence of the Lord was very similiar to the experiences he witnessed and partaken of in Indiana. It was at this time that he described how this move of God had actually started at a Vineyard fellowship in Toronto near the airport (at that time this church was affiliated with the Vineyard but later left the Vineyard and became Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship over theological differences between John Wimber and the pastor John Arnott over 'animal sounds from God') and had spread to Indiana and to other Vineyard churches throughout America. From there, the words were spoken "Ladies and Gentlemen, Randy Clark".

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