“Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’ ” 1 Samuel 14:6, New International Version

Qualifications to serve in God’s army? It’s all about heart

 

JoAnn “Missionary” Rochester, Ph.D., is not afraid of the streets of New Iberia.

It may be a different town than where she grew up, Detroit, but she knows life in the ghetto, the ’hood. Rochester’s brother was shot in the head and left for dead. The loss of his life did more than bring sadness, she said, it propelled her onto proclaiming Jesus and to help set the captives free.

Like King David before facing the giant, Rochester faced the “lion and the bear.” Her first missionary assignment was to Ghana in western Africa.

“I was involved with ACTION faith ministry. I saw the city changed by one church with prayer seven days a week, 5 a.m.,” Rochester said. “They had one prayer point, ‘Save our City.’ They weren’t distracted by anything.”

Her second assignment was in Nigeria.

“It was a warring nation. I was a crusade director,” Rochester said. “There were 480-something languages. When I would go to a new place, I had translators. I’d tell them, ‘I’ve come to do a major crusade to claim this place for Jesus.’ Leaders would give all, not hold anything back. They’d say, ‘You came all the way from the United States for us? Go, bring money for the missionary.’ ”

Teche Area Assignment

When Rochester walks the streets of New Iberia, it’s not for casual exercise. She has prepared for the day with hours and days of prayerful preparation.

“We must never allow fear of what we see or hear on the streets to hinder us from doing the work of the Lord,” Rochester said.

Since January, Rochester has directed the citywide district Prayer Walks and Boots on the Ground initiative. The first event for District 1 was threatened by flooding rain but Rochester said, “Don’t cancel. Today we will walk.” After several attempts to get from the house where she was staying to Word of Hope World Outreach Church on Admiral Doyle, she instructed the deputy assigned to accompany them.

“ ‘Go and survey the land. Tell us where the high spots are,’ and they did. Like Joshua and Caleb they surveyed the land. Rather than walking, we drove those streets all over District 1 and prayed,” Rochester said. “And God showed me again — ‘Don’t give up. You will see the glory of God.’

“Starting in District 1 and it has been increasing and increasing. Then we went on to District 2, where most of all the murders have taken place. People had a fear of coming out, but we had a Shofar and we’d prophesy and proclaim what we wanted to be and then we’d blow the Shofar, ‘Whooooah, Whooooah,’ and people would come running out of their houses like something was chasing them.”

Rochester said in Districts 2 and 3 every time they worshipped with music and blew the Shofar, people were eager to hear what they had to say.

“The glory of God is falling, people are running out of their houses, asking questions, giving their lives to the Lord and dancing on the streets,” Rochester said.

One man saw Rochester another day after the walk and he told her since they met he had been “water baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost,” she said.

“They run up to me and say, ‘Momma, I need prayer, too.’ I just wrap them in my arms and lead them to Christ,” Rochester said. “That’s how easy it has been. It will blow your mind. I stand in the middle of this street in the midst of their drugs and alcohol and say, ‘I have a mandate to lead this city to Jesus. Do you want to hear what I have to say?’ They say ‘Yes ma’am,’ and bow their heads and receive Jesus Christ.”

Action Louder Than Words

Boots on the Ground is the strategy God has given Rochester and the army of God arising in New Iberia since last summer when the first training began.

The District prayer agenda includes a Prayer Walk the Second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. All night prayer for the district of the month is the fourth Friday into Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. After a brief rest, the prayer warriors hit the pavement walking house to house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at which time they gather back at the church sponsoring that month’s District and share testimony of what God has done to touch people’s lives.

The next Prayer Walk for District 4 will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday starting at Believer’s Family Worship Center, 1604 E. Admiral Doyle Drive.

“People are ready now. I need (believers) now to come and help,” Rochester said. “These people are saying, ‘We love you and we need you to come back and be with us. We need you.’ You think I can quit now? I can’t. I’ve come for this. They tell us they just need love. We don’t have to beg them. They’re ready for the Word of God. We just need someone to teach them.”

Taking The Next Step

Rochester is asking for 1,000 people to be part of Boots on the Ground.

“We’re able to do it with the power of God. We’ve had over 110 people give their lives to Christ but now we need people to pastor them, Bible studies, but there’s no one to pastor them. I don’t need one person or two from a church. I need the whole church. They’re coming out of the houses so fast. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.”

Rochester said when asked to give their life to the Lord she has not had one person say no. But more community involvement is needed. There is no limit to the possibilities when God’s people join together in unity. Rochester is expecting miracles of healing and deliverance, but she said the faith of believers must join together in unity.

“I’ve seen continuous growth in the walks and the all night prayer,” Rochester said. “We need people who believe New Iberia is at the appointed time for a turn around. They don’t have to have walked before or know what to say, we train them. We put them in teams with materials. They come back with testimonies of what God is doing. God doesn’t want us to have our own territory, he wants us to pastor the city.”