Ben and I(Chrystal) are passionate lovers of Jesus Christ! We have served the Lord in Africa with Iris ministries, helped start a church plant in New York, built churches in Brazil, and are now hoping to share God's love wherever people will have us. We are back in Rochester, NY enjoying our family, twin boys Noah and Aaron, and hoping to start a lasting ministry, speaking encouragement to the Body of Christ!
Hello! My name is Chrystal and I want to share what God has done in the past 10 years of Ben's and my life. We are so fortunate to be on this wonderful journey with our Lord discovering along the way more about Him and us. Ben and I were touched by the Lord while we were teenagers. God moved profoundly in our little youth group and rocked us to the core. There we fell in love with Him and got to know Him on an intimate level. He loves us and moves in our lives NOW!
Soon after, Ben had the wonderful opportunity to intern with Randy Clark at Global Awakening. Ben worked with him for 3 months. There he learned and saw God move in ways that Jesus life portrayed, healings, prophesies, and Transformation! One person God really stuck out to Ben was the ministry of Heidi Baker. Ben was greatly moved and God transformed him in the process.
Soon after Ben and I were married. We lived in life for two years knowing that God has more for us but not moving in it. Then one night it all changed. I had a dream that i was in a field picking fruit and when I looked around Africans were with me working dispersed throughout the field. Then I was on a low platform, at first off to the side sitting hunched over. I knew I was a part of a ministry but not the leader. Then I stood up and I looked out and there was Africans as far as I could see, hundreds of thousands! All looking at me with these eager eyes! And then God’s love hit me like a spear to my heart going through my body. And I was taken back. And God said to me “They are just waiting, waiting, see how I love them. They are just waiting to hear about me. I love them so much! They are just waiting!”
I woke up almost in tears and it was a holy moment. The Holy Spirit was so thick in the room. I told Ben the dream and we just knew that God was calling us to more. I felt God was also saying that there would be “fruit in Africa”.
That night we got the “Call” and we could not ignore it. From then on our lives have been a wild ride. We enrolled in Vineyard Leadership Institute with our local church and helped our pastor plant a church. After we graduated we enrolled in Holy Given school of missions with iris ministries. www.irismin.org For three months we experienced God even more in a tangible way and saw God move miraculously! We became laid down lovers of Jesus. Then we felt like God called us home and we volunteered for six months with Global Awakening in harrisburg, PA. It is and was so awesome to be part of something that God is moving in.
Unexpectedly we received a dream and emails that led us to six months in Santerem, Brazil with Project Amazon. www.paz.org There we helped build churches, minister to villages, love on children, spread the gospel, and try to learn the language. We hoped to have found a new home, but God gave Ben a dream he was helping Randy Clark. We couldn't ignore it. We were frustrated because we just came from Global but the Lord said to Ben in prayer. “Do you want a long term ministry or a short term ministry?”
We must always trust the Lord!
So we came to PA. We stayed with good friends and it took 6 months before we were hired by Global. Ben was in charge of the buildings maintenance and cleanliness. We were frustrated. Ben said to God. “Lord, you took me out of Brazil so I can be a janitor?” And the Lord said. “It is my provision for you.
Even then when we arrived in PA. It took so long for the job to go through, but everyday we believed God and stood on His promise that he led us here. Then within a span of a couple of months everything changed! His promise certainly went through. Ben and I rented a beautiful house that we could not afford but God blessed us with, we were given a vehicle, Ben got a good job with benefits, and I became pregnant with TWINS!! Our two beautiful sons Noah and Aaron. It certainly was His sweet provision. It was our time to start a family and be part of a wonderful team at Global. After a year Ben was asked to help with Global Awakenings School of Supernatural by teaching half of the prophetic track. He learned and gave so many things. That season of teaching prepared him for what God has for us. We thank you again Global for that opportunity. www.globalawakening.com. We served at Global for three years.
Now we enter the season of life that you find Ben and I. God has moved us back to Rochester, NY to be with our family. We feel that God wants to use us to encourage churches, home groups, and conferences with our experiences, revelations, and gifting. We have also started a business in media where we create promos for ministries, businesses, and families. We have been asked to participate with Jonathan Welton in his upcoming schools, Welton Academy. Please pray for us that God would bring opportunities to share Gods gospel and Love. God is always good and we are so blessed to be His Children!
with love,
Ben and Chrystal Valence