April

2010

faith journey ~ GELATT family

be fruitful and multiply
Spring is in the air. Flowers are in bloom. Tree leaves are popping out. The beginning of fruitfulness for the year! Did you
know that God cares deeply about fruit? He desires fruitfulness naturally and spiritually. One way in which He desires
that we be fruitful naturally is through marriage. Over the last 14 years of our marriage, God has blessed our marriage
“vine” with 4 “fruitful branches”—Josiah, Ethan, Emma, and Abigail. We are happy to announce that God is blessing
our family with yet another “branch” of the Gelatt vine, due in October! Yes, a baby! The rest of our “branches” are
very excited! Just as God desires fruitfulness in the natural, He also desires fruitfulness in our spiritual lives. John 15:16
says, “I have chosen you and ordained you that you should...bring forth fruit.” In the same chapter of John, we see that
God is not satisfied with average fruitfulness. He says He wants us to bring forth “more fruit” in verse 2. Still, that is not
enough, and in verse 8 Christ says,
“Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit….”

That is also the final charge from Christ before He ascended into heaven— “Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” God desires that we all strive to
bring forth spiritual fruit. At FamilyLife, we have been laboring to do just that.
Since the beginning of this year, 26,485 people have attended one of our Weekend
to Remember marriage getaways. 26,485 !!!! FRUIT!! Over 25,000 people
have spent a weekend away from life’s distractions, listening intently to the Biblical
principles of “bearing spiritual fruit” in their lives and marriages. Of that number,
1573 came to know the Lord as Savior!! 1573!!!!
BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY!!! Can you smell the fruit?

One of the couples that I had the joy of speaking with personally had this to share about the “fruit” in their lives:

“My wife and I were separated a year ago, and had divorce papers ready to sign in January of this year. God began
to intervene. I (the husband) was saved in February after a lifetime of running from God, and through miraculous
events, we ended up at a Weekend to Remember. After the weekend, we have learned to make a covenant with
each other and a commitment to have God at the center of our marriage. We desire to raise our kids in a Godly
home, where HE is always first! Thank God!”

Be fruitful and multiply! This is God’s desire for us, naturally and spiritually. The Message Bible translation of John 15:16
says, “You did not choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit
bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, He gives you.”

Johanna and I are asking some big things from God right now, and they all have to do with bringing forth
spiritual fruit...more fruit...and much fruit for Him. Keep us in prayer as the pace of our life, and our minis-
try has picked up considerable speed lately. Pray that we remain focused on our goal—to bear fruit!

our ministry
AT FAMILY LIFE: through the power of the Holy Spirit, to work to make every home a Godly home.
TO YOU: to pray for you regularly, communicate what God is doing in our lives, and tell how He is using us to minister.
 ministry preview
Three times a year we put on an event called
Ministry Preview—a 5 day weekend where couples come to
Little Rock to discern if God is calling them into full-time min-
istry with FamilyLife. Johanna and I are heavily involved in
this 5 day process, so Marilyn came to visit and watch the “always praying joyfully in
kids during Preview. We had a great time with Grandma, yet every one of my prayers for
it is always so hard to see her go. all of you
The ministry was blessed to have 6 couples come visit and 4 because of your partnership
of those have accepted the call into full time ministry with in the gospel from the first
Family Life, and will begin raising their support soon. Praise day until now.”
the Lord for this blessing of more workers for the harvest! Philippians 1:4-5
Pray that they arrive quickly!
prayer items
family scrapbook Johanna 01
A safe and healthy
pregnancy. Pray for God’s
What will you be doing on 10-10-10?
protection for Johanna and
We know what the Gelatt’s are
expecting to do! Yep, Baby #5 is baby.
Ethan turned 5 Micah 02
expected to arrive on that day!
on March 10th.
Praising the Lord for His many
It is so much
Micah is transitioning into
fun being five! a new role at FamilyLife.
Pray for a smooth transi-
tion as Micah will be very
busy in the next few
months.
Our new family member Daisy. Summer 03
She enjoys playing with the That we would have wisdom
kids, and chasing the chickens! in the many decisions facing
us this summer, where to
travel, where to go on sup-
port trips, etc.
School 04
We have around 6 weeks of
We have been remodeling the
school left. Pray we will finish
dining room. Even Emma was strong!
helping with the demolition!
Abigail has taken her first steps,
but she is still our toothless contact us
wonder.

1718 Foxrun Road

Benton, AR 72019

Micah
mgelatt@familylife.com
785.231.9478
Johanna
jrgelatt@gmail.com
Easter was celebrated on Thursday with our own Passover 785.817.3997
Seder meal. On Easter Sunday, we opened our home to 30
guests, and had a blast ministering to each other, and
www.gelattfamily.com
celebrating our Risen King!