Our Journey Forward...Following God's Call

My House Shall be Called
Since the fall of 1999 we have dedicated ourselves to equipping, encouraging and raising up houses of Prayer that are passionate about crying out before the throne of God day and night.

Back to where it started!
It was August of 1999, when I went out to Cedar Rapids and had an encounter with the Lord that forever altered the course of my life. After having a vision of Prayer Rooms being raised up in the Spirit of the Tabernacle of David I was set on a course to help establish, grow, foster and plant houses of prayer all throughout the mid-west and Florida. Now we’re excited to share how the Lord has taken all of the passions and skills of our family to be planted and utilized in one place. The Midwest Prayer Center in Cedar Rapids, Ia. Back where it all began...

JAWA at Wind and Fire Ministries
In the spring of 2010, the Lord begin speaking to me about gathering together a collective group of artists and musicians to equip and empower them in prophetic arts that release the justice of God's heart upon the Earth. After a deep journey into scripture and prayer the Justice Academy of Worship Arts was birthed. As a true academy, our goal is to train artists and musicians in understanding the power of prayer that is released through the arts and how it can powerfully affect our culture. After years of serving in prayer ministry and helping to fight Human Trafficking here in Florida, the Lord introduced me to Ric Lumbard of Wind and Fire Ministries. Located in Cedar Rapids Iowa, the ministry has a vibrant prayer room that embraces the freedom and creativity of the Holy Spirit and also is a pioneer in rescue and restoration of Human Trafficking victims. With a recording studio and a mature staff of believers trained up in prayer and servant evangelism the Midwest Prayer Center is fully equipped to function as a place of refuge and a mission base that sends people forth throughout the Earth to truly equip and prepare the body of Christ for the Lords return.  In November of last year, the Justice Academy was formally adopted as the primary tool for training, equipping and producing artists able to make a meaningful impact upon the Church and our Earthly Culture. Needless to say, when I was invited to join staff it was clearly a perfect divine fit for both of us. As Director of JAWA, I will be working with young an old alike teaching and training people to use their giftings in prayer and the arts with a focus to see God’s Justice manifest here on Earth.

How You Can Help
Now, more than ever, we are trusting in the Lord for monthly ministry partners willing to labor along side with us as we make the Justice Academy of Worship Arts a reality. In our preparations to relocate our family we are in need of raising $3,000 to cover truck, gas, hotel and utilities. Also, as we birth this vital ministry in the Midwest we are trusting in the Lord for monthly partnership equalling $3500 per month for our family of 9 while developing an economic model for JAWA to continue to grow. As intercessory missionaries, our support is dependent upon partners such as you, churches, and organizations that share the vision we have. Please consider making a one time donation to help cover the costs of our move and become a monthly partner with us with donations $50, $100, $500, or $1,000 or more per month. We also need prayer - intercession for peace in this time of upheaval and for a home to be provided in Iowa, as well as for JAWA to come forth as God has intended.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for ministry or prayer needs. If you would like to donate toward our move online, please do so here on our blog (using Paypal) and you can give monthly by sending to WFM Missions Base P.O.Box 126 Hiawatha, IA 52233 (Nick’s acct. is #4051 to enclose in a note.) We are so grateful to you for your support. Love and Blessings, The Canuso Family

Recap of 2011

What an amazing year it's been for the Canuso family. We've been so busy that it feels as if we haven't accomplished anything, yet as we look back on this year I'm amazed at how much the Lord has done through each of us. After working hard and being used by God over the past 3 years to assist in helping to establish the prayer room at the Orlando House of Prayer, in July God opened the door for us to continue moving forward in the calling He's place on each of us to go forward as Forerunners and help raise up Houses of Prayer all over the Earth. Staying in Orlando our family has been privileged and blessed to be part of Encounter House of Prayer in downtown Orlando. Seeing our whole family actively engaged in ministry and the prayer room has been one of the greatest rewards. Antonio is playing drums in a couple of sets during the week as well as Sunday mornings. Rocky has grown in his violin and has also surprised us in the way he's been getting involved as prayer leader during our "Let's Go Pray" childrens set on Friday Mornings. Cecelia and Keliah love dancing on the dance team as well as doing prophetic singing and prayer leading. Following the lead of their older siblings Carlo, Luca and even Sabina are beginning to learn the piano and love to pray on the microphone as well as dance and explore prophetic artwork.
Dixie continues to homeschool but has also been growing as a vocalist, singing regularly and slowly finding time to get back to her artwork. She's also been very active in helping me out in the several different ministries I've been involved in, from creating amazing brochures and flyers to helping out in putting together curriculum and writing songs along side of me, I have been so blessed to get finally begin doing more ministry along side of my wife.
As Prayer Room Director for EHOP, I get to encourage people to experience the Joy and Intimacy of Encountering Christ through experiential prayer. As the Director and founder of the Justice Academy of Worship Arts I am humbled in getting to teach young and old alike how to creatively express their emotions through prophetic art and worship, showing them how God uses art as a practical tool to release His Justice on the Earth, in and out of the prayer room. As ambassador for Florida Abolitionists I've been able to actually see true Justice take place in the lives of helpless victims who fall prey to Human Trafficking right here in our own back yard. Finally we are putting some finishing touches to our company Myriad Visions, which will be the vehicle and tool to be able to put out original songs, artwork, books and creative/education media that has an emphasis on prayer, Justice and preparing for the Christ's return.
I used to get bogged down with thinking I was taking on too much, wearing several different hats, however over the past six months the Lord has shown me that while it appears I wear many hats, it's all the same calling. As a Husband, Father Musician and Forerunner who operates in the Spirit of the Tabernacle of David I look forward to continuing the work we've begun this past year and seeing how God will grow and multiply it. As always everything we do is dependent upon God's faithful provisions - and this past year, as with every other previous year, we continue to be amazed at how God provides through faithful supporters, friends and family and amazing creative miracles. As we close out 2011 and move into 2012 I hear the words that have enabled me to continue moving forward in faith that proclaim, "Unless the Lord builds the House, those who labor will labor in vain." Happy New Year from the Canuso Family to all of you.

What Do the Kids Do?

It's been an amazing adventure having the kids involved in the prayer room. We had a Children's Prayer Watch going for quite a while, and for the past 2 years Nick has been teaching a music class/Harp & Bowl training on Friday mornings for homeschooled kids 9 and up that includes a full intercession prayer watch. Just over the past month, this watch has grown to include younger kids in a cross-breed of the CPW and an intercession watch. The older kids have been patient and gracious, and the younger kids are so excited to be a part of the prayer room! Last week, in an effort to promote the Children's Equipping Center at OHOP, they recorded many of the children involved on Fridays in a short version of what they do. This was produced into a short promo video that I'd like to share with you here. I'm just thrilled that all of our children got to participate and get to serve God in this way. I am also blessed by my husband's heart to raise up this generation of young ones to be forerunners and ministers in the House of Prayer.

24/7 Orlando

Nick's been super busy all week praying, worshiping, helping out at the week-long prayer meeting here in Orlando. Several ministries and churches in the area got together and planned this week of prayer for the city. They've laid down their business-as-usual and come together day and night, pressing in, believing for God to truly take this city as His own. They're also praying for the United States as well as the nations. Special prayers were spoken over Japan. There are songs being sung and words declared through Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW!

This morning, Nick was there from 6am until 1pm. We had a great family lunch and then he had to take a nap. A NAP? Yes.
He's at the night-watch. He went back at 11 this evening and he'll be there till around 7 or 8 in the morning. I've asked him to bring donuts home for the kids. ;)

Then, we're all going in as a family - that's right ALL 9 of us! - from 6pm to midnight. We're bringing blankets for the little ones to crash. I'm so excited that we are able to do this together. Hopefully, I'll have some fun flip-video footage to share!

Missing Dad...

Well, Nick had to fly to Nebraska on Tuesday to be with family following the sudden death of his stepsister, Janice. We have been praying, not only for his safety, but that he would be a blessing to his family during this difficult time and be a minister of the gospel while he's there. It's been a long week, but God has kept us safe and mostly happy. I think the grace has lifted. Good thing he's coming home tomorrow.
The volume level has risen steadily throughout the week and today Sabina was really acting like a pill at church. "I don't wanna be at OHOP! I don't wanna be at OHOP..."  "Well, where do you want to go?"  "At church." "Sweetie, OHOP is church." Then, she had a meltdown as we left. Proceeded by the adventure her 4-yr-old brother Luca decided to try in her room (shared with her sisters) of opening the window and attempting to climb out onto the roof over the garage WITH his little sister. Then, no one wanted to go to sleep tonight.
I think we're at the end of our "no daddy" rope. We miss you, Nick! Fly home on wings of angels!!!
(Y'all pray too, bring him home quickly and safely, Lord!)

Living by Faith

Today, there was a special meeting called at IHOP that we were strongly encouraged to watch on the webstream. John Mulinde, a pastor, evangelist and ministry leader in Uganda (and the world) was there for a short visit, sharing with leadership, and they were compelled to have him speak and release the Word from God he had. He had been called by God to "live by faith." Since we have been trying to do the same thing, I was truly straining to hear him over our general home noisiness. I won't even attempt to share the whole thing, I believe they're going to make it available on the IHOP website soon - it was amazing! I was fully struck by his personal story of walking in signs and wonders but getting many scriptures and words to repent. He had asked forgiveness for his sins, he had been forgiven, but he wasn't changing his WAYS. God wasn't dealing with his heart, but his ways.

God is calling us out of our human ways to walk fully in God's ways. The work done on the cross was fully complete. If we are still dealing with woundedness, bitterness, selfishness, we have not died to ourselves, so we cannot be experiencing holiness. We are being called to deep repentance and total surrender to God.

Romans 2:1-5 says: "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed."

Holiness comes from God.

My heart is stirred to lay down all my worldly ways and fully pick up the mantle God has for me. I will not fear people, I will only fear God. "Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the LORD’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger." Zephaniah 2:1-3

Happy Birthday Antonio!!!

Last Saturday (on Abraham Lincoln's birthday), Antonio - our firstborn - turned 13. Hard to believe, and I'm still a little freaked out about it, but true! We're parents of a teen. Although there are certainly challenges, and surprises... "What? You're taller than me now?"... we're pretty proud of him. Antonio is growing into a man after God's heart. He's kind to his siblings, most of the time, and serves in the prayer room by playing drums. He works hard at home and in his classes. Plus, he's usually game to watch the little ones while Nick and I have a quick coffee date. We're pretty blessed.
Here's a short video of him opening presents: