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Testimonies and Endorsements

"Many pastors need refreshing and retreat now more than ever. Kim and Kathy Wenzel are creating a safe environment for pastors to learn and grow in community with others who have walked the same path. Smoldering Wick Ministries is an answer to the prayers of pastors everywhere."

"What I know of Smoldering Wick excites me. In the safe environment of grace, burned out leaders can explore the "interior blocks" to freedom and experience release to live the New Way of the Spirit."

"I have been pastoring for over 37 years. Never once did I think that maybe I was doing too much, just one project after another. And then one day I just packed up my office and left, never to return. All looked as if it was lost and over. Kim & Kathy Wenzel and Smoldering Wick Ministries were just what I needed. They ministered to the need in my heart. From the moment I spoke to Kim on the phone, I knew God was going to work this out for me. Having experienced burnout themselves, they understood what I was going through. With understanding hearts and much prayer, counseling, and rest, they were able to help me back on my road to deliverance."

  "Smoldering Wick Ministries is the real thing when it comes to extending a helping hand to a drowning pastor. Kim and Kathy Wenzel rescued me from a life of bitterness and disdain for God's people and His church. The fog of disillusionment was smothering me, but the lifeline they gave, even before I could get to their place of refuge in Oklahoma, brought hope and desire to make it through to the next day. I cannot express enough emphasis on the importance of what they are doing....and the lives they are rescuing."

"For pastors to maintain their effectiveness they must have three things: a safe place, a safe person, and a safe time. They need somewhere to go, someone with whom to talk, and times of renewal. Smoldering Wick Ministries is unique in that it offers all three. Kim and Kathy have the right idea. They know there is no simplistic answer to the problems pastors are facing. They see the whole picture."

"My stay at Smoldering Wick with Kim and Kathy saved my life and changed my ministry radically. The Wenzels and their daughters are now family, not just friends. I look forward to an annual trip to the ranch to be loved and healed in the Tree of Life. If you are worn out and frustrated, you need to spend time with Kim and Kathy and refocus back to Christ."

"I was drawn to Smoldering Wick just because of the name before I knew anything about the ministry. How clearly Scripture teaches that He will not snuff out the smoldering wick. Praise be to His name! I found hearts willing to serve people, minds rooted in Scripture and great flexibility, compassion, hospitality and discernment. It was so wonderful to get back to the basics in Scripture! The teaching and counseling times were informal yet very informative and helpful. Hospitality was evident in the delicious food provided. Love of and for people came from every member of the family each in their own unique and wonderful way! I was encouraged, blessed, refreshed and renewed in my time at Smoldering Wick.."

"You found the right place. In September 2004, my wife and I were directed by God to this web site just like you have been. During that season, I was going through my toughest ministry time ever. "I'm 28 years old, work as a youth pastor in a Hispanic church in Miami, Florida, have been married for 1 year (at that time 6 months) and was facing the hardest news I had ever faced. That news was that the passion that I once had when I started serving at church 10 years earlier had completely faded. Not only that, but now the ministry was coming at the expense of sacrificing my relationship with God. If this was ministry, I wanted it no more. "That's when I found Smoldering Wick Ministries on the internet and after praying about this and other options, and getting my wife's and pastor's support, I came out. "Smoldering Wick was the place. What I found there, I will never fully be able to explain or write about. It was a face to face encounter with a Biblical reality that has been hidden from the church today. It changed my way of looking at life, relating with God, and doing ministry. I strongly recommend Smoldering Wick for whoever is desperate to rekindle that fire for God. "P.S. Kim and his family are great. They are an extension of God's love for His people. "