| J A M E S T R U M B O F O R E R U N N E R M I N I S T R I E S | |||||
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| C U R R E N T N E W S |
| The Journey Onward A Personal Review of 2005 by Anne Trumbo |
| This is the hardest thing I have ever written, trying to express the inexpressible journey of this last year. After a 14-month battle with brain cancer, James, forever a forerunner, went on ahead. It was the first day of spring, 2005, just a little over 10 months ago. In the excruciating pain of our loss, I still chuckle when I remember him preaching of Jesus making the BIG aliyah* …and that in a lesser way, each of us is called to do the same. James has in fact, done that very thing! He has gone up to keep his appointment with God. It is more apparent to me now than ever, that God proves His LIFE in us through the trials of human existence. I used to think that a victorious demonstration of God's Spirit always meant miraculous deliverance from terrible thing. In a way, it was a childlike belief in the goodness of God. I still believe in His goodness. Only now I have learned the value of suffering in an extraordinary way. The scriptures tell us that Jesus himself learned obedience through the things that he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8) The LIFE of God in Jesus was tried in the fire and found true. So it was with James. The sickness could not quench what he had received in his new birth. In fact, it was more than refined in his suffering during those 14 months. Facing such a formidable enemy, he kept reaching for the Lord. When I was floundering, he exhorted me, "Get up Anne"…meaning, "Get up a little higher so you can see from eternity's perspective!" Then he would add, "If I die I die. This is about the finished work of Calvary." As his grasp of language diminished, James found creative ways to communicate with us through verses of songs, idioms, and scripture verses. Two days before he went home, he spoke this to me, "Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." (John 12:24) James knew that something would be birthed in his death. For all of you who stood with us praying for James' healing, thank you! Your prayers lifted, steadied, and strengthened us, enabling us to keep our eyes fixed on the prize of God's high calling in Messiah. You did not fail. God heard your prayers and graciously brought us through in faith. James HAS been healed…just not the way we wanted! At the end of the day, our God, "Pappy Daddy" chose to exercise HIS prerogatives. I KNOW where James is. He is not suffering now. I’m certain he has taken his place among that great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 encompassing us as we journey onward toward out finish line. Just as Moses and Elijah, who had gone on before, were there to bolster Jesus during his hour of testing at Gethsemane (Luke 9:30), I believe those who have finished their race in faith, are privileged to enter into the Lord's eternal intercession for those of us who remain. As I have labored over all of this, I keep coming to the conclusion that God, in His purposefulness, goodness, and omniscience, always shoots for the highest where His kids are concerned. He goes for the gold! With that in mind, I have made the very painful decision to get up and go on…even without my darling husband. "What? said the little old Jewish lady…"So I should argue with God?" Every time I try, it seems so foolish. If I live another thirty years, that is only the blink of an eye and I will see James again. Then all musings will be over, and every nagging question answered to the fullest. I think I can wait… *aliyah - A Hebrew reference to the prophesied re-gathering of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. From a root word meaning TO GO UP: A reference to the command TO GO UP to Jerusalem to meet with God in keeping His appointed feasts. |
| Birthing of a Vision |
| For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak and not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it. It will surely come to pass. Habakkuk 2:3 |
| Our lives were in a state of tumult. Eleven days after James, my dad died following his own battle with cancer. It was all we could do to just get through two memorial services, much less determine the future of the ministry. James had been the soul of JTFM. But now he was gone. Within days of his departure, the Lord spoke to Pastor Michael Brodeur to launch the SF prayer center with 10 days of round-the-clock intercession from May 5-15th. Behind the scenes, this had been stirring in the hearts of two young women, Amanda Shepard and Carrie Reiter. Quickly, a small team was assembled to organize the event, called the Upper Room Remix. Pastor Brodeur offered to host it at the new Promised Land Fellowship facility. So just six weeks after James' Home Going, forty different churches and ministries participated in 240 hours of continuous worship and prayer in the heart of San Francisco! It was the birthing of a vision James saw, preached, prophesied, sung over, and prayed into for years. For a full report go to www.sfhouseofprayer.org and click on Upper Room Remix. During James' illness, Debra Jones & Sally Schulz, dear friends and JTFM Board and Team Members moved to Solano from Marin, where they had lived since James pastored there. God was leading them in new directions. Graciously, they agreed to remain on the board until I got my bearings, and we were able to elect new officers in October. It was a teary transition. We had ministered, laughed, prayed, recorded, and traveled as a team since 1998. We all made our first trip to Israel together. Our history is full, with a strong bond of love and mutual respect. In many ways, I didn't want to let them go! James loved them and called them "righteous babes of the highest order!" You can still reach them at skmarin@yahoo.com. The new officers of JTFM are Michael Dowling, Michael Brodeur, and myself. Our first official order of business as the new board, was to bring the San Francisco House Of Prayer For All Nations under the canopy of Forerunner Ministries. Ghirardo CPA, a large Christian accounting firm that oversees JTFM business will handle finances. |
| San Francisco House Of Prayer For All Nations |
| Though James has been gone almost a year, it seems like just a minute really. In the midst of everything the vision God gave us of a 24/7 regional prayer center in San Francisco seems to be roaring down the tracks like a fast moving freight train. It feels as if I am hanging on for dear life…my feet flying straight out behind me! Christian WYSIWYG Filmworks www.wysiwygfilmworks.com has given, free of charge, a wonderful space adjacent to their film studio on the old Treasure Island Naval Air Station midway between SF and Oakland via the Bay Bridge. Heads of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, on whose tribal land the prayer center sits, came at our request to bless the work at its dedication in August, as pastors and leaders joined us from around the bay. I have been named co-director along with Michael Dowling, longtime friend and seasoned prayer captain. Since the launch in May, we have asked for apostolic oversight from key Bay Area leadership including Pastors John Isaacs, Richard Gazowsky, Michael Brodeur, and others. Lou Engle www.thecauseusa.com and his young DC Justice House of prayer team have yoked with us in the work. In October we began a 12-HOUR WATCH of the LORD every Friday night from 6pm until 6am Saturday. It consists of four 3-hour watches. The first is focused on prayers for the harvest, anticipating the 9-midnight watch when the GO-Team led by Adam Hood is sent out to share the Gospel. The Lord has made it clear to us, that our prayer must be accompanied by going. As we've been obedient in this, we have seen some dramatic deliverances. Please pray with us, that these precious uls will be rooted in the love of God to become conduits of blessing for others. We have not just asked God for fruit, but fruit that bears fruit that bears more fruit ad infinitim… |
| The Trumbo Family |
| In June-July we closed up shop on Crocker Ave. It was our family home, ministry offices, recording studio, and gathering place for over 4 years. We are grateful for your financial support during James' illness, when it became impossible to continue in formal ministry. We were sustained month after month. When James was gone, we knew it was time to leave. My newly widowed mom, at 87, did not need to be living alone, so moving in with her was clearly God's choice, especially as she was so willing to make room for both Joseph and me (and my office!) Joseph (20) has matured into a good friend during this last year. He is working in the city, continuing his vocal studies, and singing with the San Francisco Lyric Opera. Since the move to Marin, our eldest, Benjamin and I have been spending a good deal of time together. His work is very nearby, so we stop in to see each other more regularly. I cherish his closeness and affection. Isaac and Becky finally have a place of their own. As newlyweds, they rushed home from living in Paris when James fell ill, moved right in, and shouldered the burdens with us right to the end. They are now living in San Carlos near Isaac's work. Becky continues to model in San Francisco and Los Angeles. |
| ISRAEL |
| The first of November, I finally felt the liberty take an extended Sabbath rest, and Israel was calling! Mike Dowling took full charge so I could leave. It was my first trip there without James and a ministry tour. I rested for a month on Mt Carmel at the Or HaCarmel worship center www.carmel-assembly.org.il of friends David & Karen Davis. Theirs is a congregation of Jews, Arabs and other folks really living and serving together as the "one new man" of Ephesians 2. They do everything in 4 languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and English. During my stay, I loved going at night with the Haifa Team to the beach where prostitutes and "clientele" gather. This team is passionate for the Lord and hurting people, who are drawn to them like moths to the light! I visited my cousins in kibbutz Kfar Blum on the Lebanese border. They came to Palestine from Chicago on the GI Bill after WWII never expecting Israel would be reborn in a day and attacked by all their Arab "neighbors" a day later! But they stayed through 5 wars, shelling from Lebanon, scud missiles from Iraq, and the Intifada, in order to raise their family and secure the Jewish homeland. My final weeks were spent in Jerusalem. I came home refreshed, renewed, and ready to go on. The holidays and our 25th wedding anniversary were very hard. But as I looked around me during one of the recent Friday night prayer watches on Treasure Island, I remembered how often James preached about this incredibly creative expression of messiah ready to be unveiled through God's people. Somehow he always saw this linked with 24/7 worship and intercession. Now we see it unfolding… Finally, I personally treasure every kindness shown us these last two years. Your love, support, encouragement, and burden bearing, expressed so poignantly in so many ways, will remain with us forever. We love you, bless you, and hope to see you soon... Anne |
| "MY GOD, THIS IS WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!" |
| REFLECTIONS ON ONE NIGHT AT THE PRAYER CENTER ON TREASURE ISLAND By Anne Trumbo |
| Here we are as the worst storm of the season cranks up. It is after midnight, and the Go-Team, myself included, has just returned from a very wet time sharing Jesus and praying for folks in the Castro District of San Francisco. We are greeted at the prayer center by a group of 15 or 20 already gathered in prayer for the third watch. Many of them are young, with a smattering of oldies like me. There are quite a few Asian kids…Chinese, Korean, Japanese-Americans. Some are from San Jose. The young girl at the keyboard has just returned from an internship at the Kansas City IHOP. She is leading in song. Her voice is lovely. As I look around, I can see that San Francisco, Santa Clara, Marin, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Alameda Counties are all represented. A Hispanic girl has a word of prophecy, which she shares in a simple non-religious way. A young African-American sings his prayers spontaneously. There is a charged atmosphere of real faith and love…for one another, and those for whom we are praying. The beauty and variety of the worshipers and their styles of worship are quite stunning, as the Word of God is proclaimed again and again. We flow from high praise to quiet adoration as the sprit of intercession begins to descend. Some of the young people begin weeping for friends trapped in a nightmare of hopelessness, drugs, suicide, perversion, and abuse. Conviction for my heartless indifference thickens. A young girl has a vision, which she shares. All of us agree in prayer to see it fulfilled. The Presence of the Lord is almost palpable. All of a sudden I realize, my God, this is what James was talking about! |
| C O N T A C T U S |
| forerunner@jtfm.com 415-606-5354 1661 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103 |