America’s Buried Treasure:

The Martyrs of Matanzas

“And they loved not their lives unto death…” (Rev. 12:11)

The Story of the Attempted Colonization of Florida

By French Huguenots in the 1500’s

By Sara Ballenger and Arthur Burk

SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY:

A colony of  300 French Huguenots established Fort Caroline in northern Florida prior to the founding of Jamestown and Plymouth Plantation. In the religious war that ensued, the Spanish overran the fort and many people there were killed. The soldiers who were away at the time were later captured at Matanzas inlet, south of the newly established St. Augustine. Each French soldier was given the option of renouncing his faith or being killed. To a man, they chose death. The Spanish then named the inlet “Matanzas,”

meaning “slaughters.”

The martyrdom of the French was more than just a footnote in the early colonial history of America. It represents a spiritual deposit that has implications for the nation today. The redemptive gift of Teaching has an anointing for redemptive death: death that results in resurrection and greater life than that which died. This book covers some of the contemporary implications of that early martyrdom.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE 2005 EDITION

“To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose unto heaven.” (Eccl. 3:1)

The time has come to issue another edition of this little volume, America’s Buried Treasure. As we do so, our hearts are filled with joy, knowing that since we first released this book in May, 1999, more and more intercessors across the United States are, indeed, beginning to understand that our nation’s modern history began not with the English, but with the Spanish -- and the French. Certainly, before Matanzas, there were forays into this land by various missionaries, explorers, and conquistadors. But there had been no permanent village established in our land, until September 10, 1565, when a Spanish armada, led by Captain General Pedro Menendez de Aviles, founded St. Augustine -- the oldest European city in America. Within a matter of days, these fearless and fearsome Spanish soldiers found their way to a sandy inlet a few miles south of their new outpost. What happened next IS the story of Matanzas -- the story of “America’s Buried Treasure.” This tale is difficult to recount due to its tragic nature; yet it is one which must be told from a Kingdom perspective, for our Lord had His hand in the lives of His people all along . . .

As you begin reading America’s Buried Treasure, we will “take you by the hand” and share with you the unusual way this story first came to light -- in the halls of the United States Congress in January, 1999. We will share the results of our research with you, as well as a work of corporate intercession that followed a few months later. We then leave this information in your hands, to do with as our Lord would direct. In my own case,

as a descendant of the Ammonets, a Huguenot family, I have been deeply moved to actually stand on the sands of Matanzas inlet, and to imagine what these precious saints must have endured in persecution. In April, 1999, I offered identificational repentance on the land for the first time, and I have returned to Matanzas several times since then. Each time, the weeping in my own spirit is hard to describe, but “joy cometh in the morning.”

In this hour, the persecution against believers in our nation seems to be growing more pronounced by the day. Soon, we too may have to draw directly from the wellspring of our unknown Huguenot pioneers, who faced the sword without fear on behalf of the uncompromised Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the flame of faith that they carried across that vast ocean, and then gave their lives for, 440 years ago this month, be yet rekindled in our day, and may revival fires burn across our land in these tumultuous times!

Sara C. Ballenger                                                                           

Herndon, Virginia                                                                                

October 12, 2005  (440 years since the slaying of the last Huguenot martyr, Jean Ribault)

A Covenant with Zion

When Jean Ribault uttered his last words on the land, as he was being speared through, his words were a prayer from Psalm 132: (Personalized)

Lord, remember Jean Ribault, and all his afflictions:  How he swear unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;  Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.    (Psalm 132:1-5)

Clearly, the heartcry of this Huguenot leader was to devote his life to establishing “an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” As Jean Ribault lay dying in the sands of Matanzas inlet that day, 440 years ago, his sacrifice established our land as a permanent “place for the Lord.” May we never forget this legacy, as we remain in covenant relationship today with Zion – the land of the mighty God of Jacob.

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ORDERING INFORMATION

To order your copy of America’s Buried Treasure . . . The Martyrs of Matanzas,
send a check or money order to:

Ammonet Publishing

P.O. Box 105

Herndon, VA 20172-0105

Make checks payable to: Ammonet Publishing.
Please be sure your check includes your name, address, and telephone number.

Price per copy               $12.00

Shipping & Handling     $3.50

Total Amount Due       $15.50 

Shipping and Handling for Bulk Orders:

2 - 5 books: Add  $5.00

6 - 10 books: Add $7.50

For an order of more than 10 books, please contact our office at:

This material is available on PowerPoint.
To arrange a presentation, including more details of the historical research,
contact Sara Ballenger at:

Thank you!

God Bless You, and America, Bless God!