Submitted by Jason;
It's always interesting to see how the Lord uses events, situations and circumstances to orchestrate his kingdom. Like a chess player, He is strategically positioning his people for advancement and victory all over the world. Here, in Belize, is no different. I 'd like to share some of the events, situations and circumstances that He has recently used to lead us into the next season of ministry here.
As you may or may not know, we've been ministering in Buena Vista, Bz, a small Spanish village, since Oct '13. Recently, with the financial help of some friends from the U.S. and Canada, I was able to take a young needy boy in the village shopping for some school uniforms and supplies.
While shopping, we stopped at a Hindu owned store in San Ignacio. I found some of the items that he needed and proceeded to purchase them. At the check out counter, the store owner began to randomly tell me about this unusual pain that he gets in his head that travels down into his neck and shoulder as he rang up the items. Although I knew that I was supposed to pray for him to be healed, I paid for my stuff and left.
I was convicted for not obeying what the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. When I got home, I was asking the Lord what had happened. What was behind my disobedience? How did I miss such an opportunity for the Lord to show himself strong on my behalf as well as the Hindu man's behalf? The Holy Spirit quickly pointed out that I was walking in the flesh, not in the Spirit.
We, Christians, have all been there, right? We pray for opportunities to minister as we go about our daily business and when they present themselves, sometimes we just fall short of accomplishing the very thing that we know that we are supposed to do. My failure was not walking in the Spirit in that moment. I was with a few friends, enjoying our shopping that day, paying little attention to spiritual matters. The bible says in Romans 8:8, "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.", and Galatians 5:25 says, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.". If I had been walking in the Spirit, I would have been prepared to confront such a spiritual matter when it presented itself, but I was not. I repented to God for my disobedience and vowed to go back and visit the Hindu store owner.
A few days later, a friend of ours stopped by our house and I shared this experience with him. He, Francie and I decided to go to San Ignacio that day to see this man. When we arrived, I greeted the man and asked him how his head and neck condition was. He said that it comes and goes and that he remembered me being in his store. I told him that I came back to pray for him. He pulled out a few chairs and we sat and visited with him for about 15 minutes.
He told us how he grew up in India in a Hindu home, but when he came to Belize someone gave him a picture of Jesus and that every time that he looks at the picture it's as if Jesus is beckoning him. Those were his words. As we shared with him he seemed a bit uncomfortable, but he listened to us and allowed us to pray for him. I believe that, like many Hindus, he honors many gods and Jesus, to him, is just another god on his list. The pictures on the walls and statues in the store of Hindu gods is evidence enough that he has not fully placed his faith in Jesus Christ as the one true God.
Before we left, he introduced us to his employees. We asked one young lady if she had any needs that she'd like for us to pray with her about. She told us that her and her husband are separated and that she wants to be reconciled to him. So we agreed with her in prayer that this would take place in her life.
I shared these encounters with my church in Spanish Lookout and publicly asked the church to notify me of any strong Christian churches in the San Ignacio are that I could refer my new friends to so that they could have a church to attend and connect with. Unfortunately, the reports that I received were not favorable towards the churches there. This was such a surprise to me for a city the size of San Ignacio, which along with it's twin city of Santa Elena has the second highest population in Belize.
About a week later, I was introducing a friend of mine to a man that I met from North Carolina, USA who was in Belize to, ironically enough, look for a building in San Ignacio to start a bible school that he has been led to pioneer. The three of us agreed to take a ride to San Ignacio to see the building that he was in the process of negotiating a deal with the landlord on.
As we drove, we talked about this store owner and I told them that I'd like to pay him a visit to see how he is doing. When we arrived, we visited the man and again he gratefully pulled up some chairs and allowed us to visit with him. I asked him where his employee, that we prayed for, was. He said that after we prayed, she received a phone call from her husband asking her to move to Belize City to be with him again. Together, we rejoiced. He then introduced us to his other employees, one of which shared how the other young lady had told her about how we prayed for her and our prayer was answered. So, we asked her if we could pray for a need of hers as well. She agreed and, before we left, we prayed for alcoholism to be broken in the life of her father. After this, we visited the building which is visible from the Hindu store. We walked through it as our friend shared his vision for how the Lord was leading him to use the building.
In the following days, we spent some more time together sharing our lives and what the Lord has done and is doing. Francie and I were asked to pray about considering getting involved with the new bible school.
As we did, the Lord used the events of my experience with the Hindu store, the situation that has presented itself in the form of an opportunity to serve in what I believe is going to stir the hearts of many and the circumstances of a city in need of a strong ministry that powerfully demonstrates the love of Christ, among other things, to confirm in our hearts that this is, in fact, the direction that we are to go in for this next season of our lives. So, in mid-June, we will assist in the pioneering work of Domata Discipleship School Of Ministry.
We, as in times past, continue to walk in faith for provision. We are currently in need of sound equipment, musical instruments and other supplies. Anyone with a desire to plant a seed into this ministry would be greatly appreciated.
As always, thanks in advance to those who partner with us both financially and in prayer as we continue to give ourselves away for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to God be the glory.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Need For A Base In The Village
Submitted by Jason;
As we continue to work in Buena Vista, Bz and build relationships with the locals, we are becoming more and more aware of the needs of this village. We've known from the beginning that the real need here is for long term discipleship, people that commit to invest in the lives of the children, youth and adults. The affects of "gringos" (Americans) that have come and given financially to the poor in the name of Christ, love or basic good will and then left are evident to us as we visit the village and talk with the people.
The result is a welfare mentality that passes from generation to generation struggling from season to season awaiting for the next hand out. Many able-bodied men do not work. They seem to find a way to survive in poverty and in some cases have mastered the art of appearing hopelessly desperate for help from anyone whose love of Christ or heart to give is greater than their ability to see the reasons behind their poverty. Having said that, the truth of the matter is still that many children suffer as a result of this cycle.
Last Saturday, a 9 yr old boy, who is new to the village, attended our Sat night outreach for the first time. We've been told that he was given over to strangers to look after him by his extended family. We've since heard that this young boy told another girl that his father is in jail for murdering his mother by slitting her throat. He came to the village with the clothes on his back and a few belongings that he carried in a plastic store bag.
I posted some information on Facebook to see if any of my friends would be interested in helping this boy with some of his basic needs. Several people have contacted me with a desire to help. At this point it appears that, through these friends, I'll be able to facilitate the purchase of school uniforms, school supplies, socks, underwear, shoes, toiletries, a blanket, a pillow, a few toys and possibly even a bicycle. I'm thankful for the quick response of those committed to help.
At this time, I feel that it's important to inform our family and friends of the predicament that we're facing. While this particular boy's circumstances may be extraordinary in terms of immediate needs, the number of children in the village that we would consider having legitimate needs are overwhelming. Because of this, we're praying about a solution to determining which, and how many, needs we can help meet without enabling the above mentioned welfare mentality.
We've talked briefly with the principal of the school yesterday in an effort to gain insight into this matter. We have committed to meet with her next Tuesday to continue our conversation.
As we currently understand, most children in the village only attend school until the age of 11 or 12. For most, at this time, they're forced to make adult decisions regarding their future based upon whether or not they'll have enough money or sponsors to continue their education or will they need to try to find work? Many of the students fortunate enough to have sponsors are sponsored for one year. This leaves these kids uncertain if they'll attend school the following year or not. The ones that are unable to continue their education wind up wandering the village engaged in drinking, sex and drugs.
So, this is where we come in. We, as in, us and you.
Our desire is to have a permanent structure in Buena Vista from which we could minister to the needs of the community and have a long term discipleship program as well. We're praying that the right property and resources become available for us to continue this work that He's begun in us and in Buena Vista.
So, while we continue to selectively find ways to meet the outstanding individual needs of the village, I'm asking that you please understand that if you have a sincere desire to help these kids, the real long term solution is in supporting the need for a base in the village for us to operate from.
Thanks for taking the time to read this in it's entirety.
Please feel free to contact Francie, or me, with questions, concerns or a desire for more information. I struggled to keep this as brief as possible.
As always, thanks to all of you who support us, both financially and in prayer.
As we continue to work in Buena Vista, Bz and build relationships with the locals, we are becoming more and more aware of the needs of this village. We've known from the beginning that the real need here is for long term discipleship, people that commit to invest in the lives of the children, youth and adults. The affects of "gringos" (Americans) that have come and given financially to the poor in the name of Christ, love or basic good will and then left are evident to us as we visit the village and talk with the people.
The result is a welfare mentality that passes from generation to generation struggling from season to season awaiting for the next hand out. Many able-bodied men do not work. They seem to find a way to survive in poverty and in some cases have mastered the art of appearing hopelessly desperate for help from anyone whose love of Christ or heart to give is greater than their ability to see the reasons behind their poverty. Having said that, the truth of the matter is still that many children suffer as a result of this cycle.
Last Saturday, a 9 yr old boy, who is new to the village, attended our Sat night outreach for the first time. We've been told that he was given over to strangers to look after him by his extended family. We've since heard that this young boy told another girl that his father is in jail for murdering his mother by slitting her throat. He came to the village with the clothes on his back and a few belongings that he carried in a plastic store bag.
I posted some information on Facebook to see if any of my friends would be interested in helping this boy with some of his basic needs. Several people have contacted me with a desire to help. At this point it appears that, through these friends, I'll be able to facilitate the purchase of school uniforms, school supplies, socks, underwear, shoes, toiletries, a blanket, a pillow, a few toys and possibly even a bicycle. I'm thankful for the quick response of those committed to help.
At this time, I feel that it's important to inform our family and friends of the predicament that we're facing. While this particular boy's circumstances may be extraordinary in terms of immediate needs, the number of children in the village that we would consider having legitimate needs are overwhelming. Because of this, we're praying about a solution to determining which, and how many, needs we can help meet without enabling the above mentioned welfare mentality.
We've talked briefly with the principal of the school yesterday in an effort to gain insight into this matter. We have committed to meet with her next Tuesday to continue our conversation.
As we currently understand, most children in the village only attend school until the age of 11 or 12. For most, at this time, they're forced to make adult decisions regarding their future based upon whether or not they'll have enough money or sponsors to continue their education or will they need to try to find work? Many of the students fortunate enough to have sponsors are sponsored for one year. This leaves these kids uncertain if they'll attend school the following year or not. The ones that are unable to continue their education wind up wandering the village engaged in drinking, sex and drugs.
So, this is where we come in. We, as in, us and you.
Our desire is to have a permanent structure in Buena Vista from which we could minister to the needs of the community and have a long term discipleship program as well. We're praying that the right property and resources become available for us to continue this work that He's begun in us and in Buena Vista.
So, while we continue to selectively find ways to meet the outstanding individual needs of the village, I'm asking that you please understand that if you have a sincere desire to help these kids, the real long term solution is in supporting the need for a base in the village for us to operate from.
Thanks for taking the time to read this in it's entirety.
Please feel free to contact Francie, or me, with questions, concerns or a desire for more information. I struggled to keep this as brief as possible.
As always, thanks to all of you who support us, both financially and in prayer.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
No Cost Too Great
Submitted by Jason;
After 16 months of being in Belize, I can honestly say that I feel a strong move of The Spirit gaining momentum. Like any heavy thing, having the laws of physics applied to it, it's been moving and increasing in speed and force. I can feel it in my spirit. I can see it in our church. I can feel it when my wife and I discuss and pray about things pertaining to The Spirit. Without it, we're powerless as we go about the Father's business. Powerless Christianity leaves people wondering if change is really occurring, if healing has actually taken place and if restoration is even possible. However, when a believer, filled with The Holy Spirit, connects with Truth and a body of believers unifies and rallies around Him, there's little doubt left in even the most skeptical of hearts regarding whether true change is in the air.
While much of our existence here, in Belize, is still very much unsettled, we're secure in knowing that the Lord has our lives in His timing. Yes, we, from time to time, allow ourselves to get our eyes off of Him and onto the mountains that are before us, but His promises are unchanging. No matter what we see in the natural, our hope is in Him. He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't miscommunicate with His children. He's not worried and He never gets distracted from what He's doing in our lives. These truths allow me to concentrate more effort towards building momentum for His kingdom.
Building momentum in His kingdom revolves around hearing and doing. It's more about listening for instruction before we step out in any work than it is actually working in the name of just doing work. Doing work that He's not instructed you to take part in will bear fruit for a season, but it's not sustainable. I'm learning in my own personal prayer time to become a better listener to what He's communicating to me. For far too long, I've prayed with much too many words and, in many cases, without even listening for His response to these words. If He doesn't go before me, I don't want to go. I want to be led by Him rather than having Him tag along behind me to remind me when I make a wrong turn.
This is just a little glimpse into where I'm at in my walk with Him. Francie and I are becoming more and more determined to see Him work in our lives with power. People have heard of Him. They've heard of His works and power. We believe that the Holy Spirit was the missing element in the lives of the twelve disciples. Before "the comforter" came, they were powerless, but as soon as Christ went to the Father and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, their lives, as they knew them, were wrecked and they spent the remainder of their days being led by The Spirit as they proclaimed the good news of the gospel from city to city regardless of the cost. They found a place in their lives where there was no cost too great to keep them from obedience.
So can we.
As I mentioned previously, we have been privileged to take part in an outreach in Buena Vista. When we began this outreach in Oct on Saturday nights, we had hoped to reach the teens of the village. Instead, we started drawing kids from the ages of 14 and down. Our Saturday night meetings have peaked around 70 and average somewhere around 50 in an average meeting.
We noticed that there were some teens that were coming out, but were a bit reluctant to join in on the meetings that we've structured to reach the younger kids. So, we started meeting out there on Wednesday nights for those that are 13 and up. We set up a volleyball net as the draw and last Wednesday, on our first teen night, we had over 30 teens come out. We were encouraged by the number of teens drawn out on the first night. We played volleyball for about an hour and then shared a short message with them afterwards as they enjoyed a light snack and refreshments.
Please join us in prayer for these young people. It's our heart to disciple those that are hungry and in need, not just an increase in numbers of kids in attendance. I've yet to have anyone disagree with the fact that Buena Vista is the poorest, most violent, most needy village in our area. These kids are desperate for hope and peace in their lives. We believe that long term discipleship is the only hope for a village like this. So, I ask for you to join us in prayer for the laborers, the direction, the ears to hear what The Spirit is saying and the obedience to walk without fear into the places that Christ says to go.
I'm also working with a ministry to 10-17 year old "men" called Men Of Honor. This is a ministry from Texas that has partnered with Fountain Of Life Church in Spanish Lookout, Belize to transform the lives of the young men in Belize. I have heard a recent statistic that 80% of Belize's population is 25 years of age or younger. There's a real struggle here for young people to find their identity in Christ. Like many youth across the world, they look to the wrong influences for their identity if not discipled. Men Of Honor commits to show young men what it means to be a godly man. This is a pivotal time for this ministry. Your prayers for this ministry would be greatly appreciated as well.
In January, I had the joy of hosting my sister, mother, and father-in-law, who had visited to attend the wedding of my oldest daughter, Kayla. I was able to share with them the magnificence of Belize. We visited the Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech, went horseback riding at Banana Bank, visited the Belize Zoo and spent a few days in the beautiful, coastal Caribbean town of Maya Beach (Placencia) where Kayla's wedding took place on the beach.
Thanks you in advance to all of you who commit to support us in prayer and finances. Thank you to those who encourage us in time of need and a special "thank you" to my mother, Sue for all that you've done for us.
After 16 months of being in Belize, I can honestly say that I feel a strong move of The Spirit gaining momentum. Like any heavy thing, having the laws of physics applied to it, it's been moving and increasing in speed and force. I can feel it in my spirit. I can see it in our church. I can feel it when my wife and I discuss and pray about things pertaining to The Spirit. Without it, we're powerless as we go about the Father's business. Powerless Christianity leaves people wondering if change is really occurring, if healing has actually taken place and if restoration is even possible. However, when a believer, filled with The Holy Spirit, connects with Truth and a body of believers unifies and rallies around Him, there's little doubt left in even the most skeptical of hearts regarding whether true change is in the air.
While much of our existence here, in Belize, is still very much unsettled, we're secure in knowing that the Lord has our lives in His timing. Yes, we, from time to time, allow ourselves to get our eyes off of Him and onto the mountains that are before us, but His promises are unchanging. No matter what we see in the natural, our hope is in Him. He doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't miscommunicate with His children. He's not worried and He never gets distracted from what He's doing in our lives. These truths allow me to concentrate more effort towards building momentum for His kingdom.
Building momentum in His kingdom revolves around hearing and doing. It's more about listening for instruction before we step out in any work than it is actually working in the name of just doing work. Doing work that He's not instructed you to take part in will bear fruit for a season, but it's not sustainable. I'm learning in my own personal prayer time to become a better listener to what He's communicating to me. For far too long, I've prayed with much too many words and, in many cases, without even listening for His response to these words. If He doesn't go before me, I don't want to go. I want to be led by Him rather than having Him tag along behind me to remind me when I make a wrong turn.
This is just a little glimpse into where I'm at in my walk with Him. Francie and I are becoming more and more determined to see Him work in our lives with power. People have heard of Him. They've heard of His works and power. We believe that the Holy Spirit was the missing element in the lives of the twelve disciples. Before "the comforter" came, they were powerless, but as soon as Christ went to the Father and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, their lives, as they knew them, were wrecked and they spent the remainder of their days being led by The Spirit as they proclaimed the good news of the gospel from city to city regardless of the cost. They found a place in their lives where there was no cost too great to keep them from obedience.
So can we.
As I mentioned previously, we have been privileged to take part in an outreach in Buena Vista. When we began this outreach in Oct on Saturday nights, we had hoped to reach the teens of the village. Instead, we started drawing kids from the ages of 14 and down. Our Saturday night meetings have peaked around 70 and average somewhere around 50 in an average meeting.
We noticed that there were some teens that were coming out, but were a bit reluctant to join in on the meetings that we've structured to reach the younger kids. So, we started meeting out there on Wednesday nights for those that are 13 and up. We set up a volleyball net as the draw and last Wednesday, on our first teen night, we had over 30 teens come out. We were encouraged by the number of teens drawn out on the first night. We played volleyball for about an hour and then shared a short message with them afterwards as they enjoyed a light snack and refreshments.
Please join us in prayer for these young people. It's our heart to disciple those that are hungry and in need, not just an increase in numbers of kids in attendance. I've yet to have anyone disagree with the fact that Buena Vista is the poorest, most violent, most needy village in our area. These kids are desperate for hope and peace in their lives. We believe that long term discipleship is the only hope for a village like this. So, I ask for you to join us in prayer for the laborers, the direction, the ears to hear what The Spirit is saying and the obedience to walk without fear into the places that Christ says to go.
I'm also working with a ministry to 10-17 year old "men" called Men Of Honor. This is a ministry from Texas that has partnered with Fountain Of Life Church in Spanish Lookout, Belize to transform the lives of the young men in Belize. I have heard a recent statistic that 80% of Belize's population is 25 years of age or younger. There's a real struggle here for young people to find their identity in Christ. Like many youth across the world, they look to the wrong influences for their identity if not discipled. Men Of Honor commits to show young men what it means to be a godly man. This is a pivotal time for this ministry. Your prayers for this ministry would be greatly appreciated as well.
In January, I had the joy of hosting my sister, mother, and father-in-law, who had visited to attend the wedding of my oldest daughter, Kayla. I was able to share with them the magnificence of Belize. We visited the Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech, went horseback riding at Banana Bank, visited the Belize Zoo and spent a few days in the beautiful, coastal Caribbean town of Maya Beach (Placencia) where Kayla's wedding took place on the beach.
Thanks you in advance to all of you who commit to support us in prayer and finances. Thank you to those who encourage us in time of need and a special "thank you" to my mother, Sue for all that you've done for us.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Casa De Esperanza
Submitted by Jason:
It's been about 4 weeks since our last post. This period of time has undoubtedly been an interesting stretch of our time here in Belize. On a personal level, we celebrated the one year anniversary of our arrival in Belize, Francie & my 19th wedding anniversary, our son, Joey's 14th birthday, our daughter-in-law, Asia's 22nd birthday, our 16 yr old son, Andrew's completion of an intensive 3 week discipleship course called LCI (Life Change Institute), and our oldest daughter Kayla's wedding engagement. In this time, we were also introduced to the "not so glamorous" side of the mission field with whooping cough, high fevers, staph infection and the departure of our American friends, the Reeds, who after 10 months in Belize, returned to South Carolina to regroup.
While the details of all of these circumstances and events crammed into a 4 week period of time could certainly provide enough material for an entertaining and informative look into our lives here in Belize, I would prefer to focus your attention on the ministerial side of what is developing here.
I've been continuing to lead the Men Of Honor group for our Fountain Of Life Church here in Spanish Lookout in the absence of our pastor, who has been ministering in the states for the last 5 weeks or so. I'm encouraged by the commitment level that I've seen from the "men" that have been attending the meetings to date. I'm thankful to have an opportunity to be a part of what I believe will be a major movement among the young men in Belize, particularly the Cayo district.
There is another ministry work that we've been invited to take part in that has me equally excited. A couple of American friends here, one of which has lived in a small, needy, Spanish village called Buena Vista just on the outskirts of our current hometown of Spanish Lookout, for over 5 years as the hands and feet of Christ to that village, have invited us to join them in a Saturday night outreach to the youth of that village. These men approached us with on open invitation to join them as they prayed and planned the logistics of this ministry.
Our friend who lives in Buena Vista has been purchasing, storing and administering medical supplies to this village for several years now. With many of the villagers living without their own transportation, he often gives them rides to the local hospital at all hours of the day and night, whenever the need arises. He has told me of how he has driven people to the hospital after drunken machete fights and gunfights.
He has currently put several thousands of dollars of his own money to build a modest sized cement block building with a concrete foundation on a small parcel of land, which he recently acquired, adjacent to his property and calls Casa De Esperanza (House Of Hope). His vision for this building has multiple purposes. He would like to use this building as a more sterile, clinical environment from which he could continue to medically minister to the village. He has a passion to see the drug addicts recover and hold regular support meetings here for them. He would also like to use this building as a means to separate the wide age range of youth that have attended the Sat night meetings.
For now, as we await the necessary finances to complete Casa De Esperanza, we have erected a temporary structure consisting of a wooden framed room with a tarped ceiling, screened walls and a shipping container serving as the backdrop of the structure. In our first two meetings, we had over 40 youth in attendance on each night. The space in this temporary structure is already somewhat limited and we've only just begun to evangelize Buena Vista. There has been an older demographic of youth that has been a little reluctant to come in and join us. They stand back in the shadows of the night and watch from a distance just outside of the reach of the light. With more room to minister, we're confident that we could split the meeting into age appropriate groups that would encourage the growth of this work there.
We're working with interpreters as we gain a better understanding of the Spanish language. While English is the official language of Belize, there are many small Spanish villages that comprise of Guatamalans, Hondurans, El Salvadorans, etc. spread throughout Belize. Because of this, we are learning that most of the adults, who have not been through a Belizean school where English is taught, do not have a good understanding of the English language. So, for the most part, only those who have at least been in school for a few years have a fair understanding of English.
It's been a joy thus far as we build relationships with the children, as well as the adults, in this village. The joy on the faces of these people as we minister with the word, activities and snacks speaks volumes to us about the affect that we're already having on the community there. These people are looking for love, hope and joy in a village where these things come less frequently than in most places that I've ever been to.
On one occasion, one of our ministry leaders recounted something that he saw during one of the meetings that changed his perspective on what these people are dealing with in the village. He told our ministry team during a mid-week planning meeting of how he watched a couple of the children consume the wrappers of the candy that was given to them during a snack time. He said that he watched the candy and the wrapper go into their mouths and never come back out. He was personally humbled as this event put his "needs" into perspective.
On a separate evening, one of our leaders had planned an "ice breaker" game in which he blindfolded three kids and had them taste something and afterward predict what they were tasting. He made it a bit interesting by covering the items in Hershey's chocolate syrup. One of the items was a chocolate covered pickle. When it was the boy's turn to tell us what he was eating he said that it was a chile. After the meeting, I was discussing this with another leader and he told me that the kids in this village don't even know what a pickle is. They've never eaten one before. So, the boy guessed the closest thing that he thought resembled what he was chewing.
These are just small examples of the cultural differences that we have from these beautiful people that have come to our attention in our first two meetings. I'm sure that there will be many more that will arise in the upcoming weeks, but one thing remains the same. The same Holy Spirit that moves in and through us across the whole earth has no language barrier. He has no cultural barrier. There is no division among social classes when it comes to Him.
This is why we have given ourselves away. We're called out to abandon everything. The riches of this world have nothing to offer compared to the riches of walking in the purpose for which you've been designed for by your Creator. This is why every man or woman who has ever stepped out into a strange land in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ have sacrificed in different ways. The heart of every missionary is to be about the Father's business. It's in these moments that we are able to look into someone's eyes who is experiencing the freedom that can only come from the price that Christ paid on the cross and feel every bit of our being aligned with His purpose for our existence.
Thank you in advance for prayerfully consider partnering with us and Casa De Esperanza, the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to Buena Vista, Belize. We're looking for prayer partners, financial partners and missions minded laborers to join us for short term missionary trips.
It's been about 4 weeks since our last post. This period of time has undoubtedly been an interesting stretch of our time here in Belize. On a personal level, we celebrated the one year anniversary of our arrival in Belize, Francie & my 19th wedding anniversary, our son, Joey's 14th birthday, our daughter-in-law, Asia's 22nd birthday, our 16 yr old son, Andrew's completion of an intensive 3 week discipleship course called LCI (Life Change Institute), and our oldest daughter Kayla's wedding engagement. In this time, we were also introduced to the "not so glamorous" side of the mission field with whooping cough, high fevers, staph infection and the departure of our American friends, the Reeds, who after 10 months in Belize, returned to South Carolina to regroup.
While the details of all of these circumstances and events crammed into a 4 week period of time could certainly provide enough material for an entertaining and informative look into our lives here in Belize, I would prefer to focus your attention on the ministerial side of what is developing here.
I've been continuing to lead the Men Of Honor group for our Fountain Of Life Church here in Spanish Lookout in the absence of our pastor, who has been ministering in the states for the last 5 weeks or so. I'm encouraged by the commitment level that I've seen from the "men" that have been attending the meetings to date. I'm thankful to have an opportunity to be a part of what I believe will be a major movement among the young men in Belize, particularly the Cayo district.
There is another ministry work that we've been invited to take part in that has me equally excited. A couple of American friends here, one of which has lived in a small, needy, Spanish village called Buena Vista just on the outskirts of our current hometown of Spanish Lookout, for over 5 years as the hands and feet of Christ to that village, have invited us to join them in a Saturday night outreach to the youth of that village. These men approached us with on open invitation to join them as they prayed and planned the logistics of this ministry.
Our friend who lives in Buena Vista has been purchasing, storing and administering medical supplies to this village for several years now. With many of the villagers living without their own transportation, he often gives them rides to the local hospital at all hours of the day and night, whenever the need arises. He has told me of how he has driven people to the hospital after drunken machete fights and gunfights.
He has currently put several thousands of dollars of his own money to build a modest sized cement block building with a concrete foundation on a small parcel of land, which he recently acquired, adjacent to his property and calls Casa De Esperanza (House Of Hope). His vision for this building has multiple purposes. He would like to use this building as a more sterile, clinical environment from which he could continue to medically minister to the village. He has a passion to see the drug addicts recover and hold regular support meetings here for them. He would also like to use this building as a means to separate the wide age range of youth that have attended the Sat night meetings.
For now, as we await the necessary finances to complete Casa De Esperanza, we have erected a temporary structure consisting of a wooden framed room with a tarped ceiling, screened walls and a shipping container serving as the backdrop of the structure. In our first two meetings, we had over 40 youth in attendance on each night. The space in this temporary structure is already somewhat limited and we've only just begun to evangelize Buena Vista. There has been an older demographic of youth that has been a little reluctant to come in and join us. They stand back in the shadows of the night and watch from a distance just outside of the reach of the light. With more room to minister, we're confident that we could split the meeting into age appropriate groups that would encourage the growth of this work there.
We're working with interpreters as we gain a better understanding of the Spanish language. While English is the official language of Belize, there are many small Spanish villages that comprise of Guatamalans, Hondurans, El Salvadorans, etc. spread throughout Belize. Because of this, we are learning that most of the adults, who have not been through a Belizean school where English is taught, do not have a good understanding of the English language. So, for the most part, only those who have at least been in school for a few years have a fair understanding of English.
It's been a joy thus far as we build relationships with the children, as well as the adults, in this village. The joy on the faces of these people as we minister with the word, activities and snacks speaks volumes to us about the affect that we're already having on the community there. These people are looking for love, hope and joy in a village where these things come less frequently than in most places that I've ever been to.
On one occasion, one of our ministry leaders recounted something that he saw during one of the meetings that changed his perspective on what these people are dealing with in the village. He told our ministry team during a mid-week planning meeting of how he watched a couple of the children consume the wrappers of the candy that was given to them during a snack time. He said that he watched the candy and the wrapper go into their mouths and never come back out. He was personally humbled as this event put his "needs" into perspective.
On a separate evening, one of our leaders had planned an "ice breaker" game in which he blindfolded three kids and had them taste something and afterward predict what they were tasting. He made it a bit interesting by covering the items in Hershey's chocolate syrup. One of the items was a chocolate covered pickle. When it was the boy's turn to tell us what he was eating he said that it was a chile. After the meeting, I was discussing this with another leader and he told me that the kids in this village don't even know what a pickle is. They've never eaten one before. So, the boy guessed the closest thing that he thought resembled what he was chewing.
These are just small examples of the cultural differences that we have from these beautiful people that have come to our attention in our first two meetings. I'm sure that there will be many more that will arise in the upcoming weeks, but one thing remains the same. The same Holy Spirit that moves in and through us across the whole earth has no language barrier. He has no cultural barrier. There is no division among social classes when it comes to Him.
This is why we have given ourselves away. We're called out to abandon everything. The riches of this world have nothing to offer compared to the riches of walking in the purpose for which you've been designed for by your Creator. This is why every man or woman who has ever stepped out into a strange land in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ have sacrificed in different ways. The heart of every missionary is to be about the Father's business. It's in these moments that we are able to look into someone's eyes who is experiencing the freedom that can only come from the price that Christ paid on the cross and feel every bit of our being aligned with His purpose for our existence.
Thank you in advance for prayerfully consider partnering with us and Casa De Esperanza, the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to Buena Vista, Belize. We're looking for prayer partners, financial partners and missions minded laborers to join us for short term missionary trips.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Men Of Honor
Submitted by Jason:
The pastor of our church here in Spanish Lookout, Fountain Of Life Church, has been connected with several Belizean men with a heart to change the spiritual climate of this country beginning with it's youth. These Belizean men were partnering with a ministry from Texas, Men Of Honor, to reach the "men" of Belize between the ages of 10-17. After much preparation, planning and prayer, this ministry came to Belize last weekend to launch what will be (and I emphasize prophetically, WILL BE) a move of God amongst the young men that provokes a nation to repentance.
I was privileged to be invited as a father and a leader to the three day camp. There were approximately 25 young men that took part in it, not including the other fathers and leaders that participated. The camp focused on the core values that should be the mark of a godly man such as; honesty, integrity, courage, leadership, etc... It was amazing to see how God moved in the lives of these "men" in 3 short days.
On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 8, at the camp's conclusive teaching time, there was a time of prayer in which several of the young men were filled with the Holy Spirit and all were touched by His sweet, powerful presence. The leaders and fathers prayed for each of these young men with the laying on of hands and prophetic affirmation that ended with most of these young men, and several of the adults, including myself, weeping on the concrete floor, either on their hands and knees or laying face down in reverence to God's unique, transforming presence.
The visible difference in these young men on the bus ride home compared to the spiritual climate on the bus ride to camp was priceless. No amount of money could have transformed the hearts of these young men the way that one moment in His glory had. That's the Kingdom. God put his stamp of approval on this weekend by sealing it with a fresh touch from Him that will live forever in the hearts and minds of these young men.
I believe that, with proper discipleship, the ministry of Men Of Honor has everything necessary to successfully restore godliness in manhood to Belize.
In other news, we've begun the process of fulfilling all of the governmental requirements necessary to apply for residency here. Sept 20th marks the one year anniversary of when we arrived in Belize. After this date, we can officially apply.
Please continue to pray for our safety and God's direction in our lives. Our intent is to be about the Father's business. We do not want to be distracted from giving ourselves to His perfect will for us.
As always, thanks to all who continue to stand with us in prayer as well as financially. You're greatly appreciated.
The pastor of our church here in Spanish Lookout, Fountain Of Life Church, has been connected with several Belizean men with a heart to change the spiritual climate of this country beginning with it's youth. These Belizean men were partnering with a ministry from Texas, Men Of Honor, to reach the "men" of Belize between the ages of 10-17. After much preparation, planning and prayer, this ministry came to Belize last weekend to launch what will be (and I emphasize prophetically, WILL BE) a move of God amongst the young men that provokes a nation to repentance.
I was privileged to be invited as a father and a leader to the three day camp. There were approximately 25 young men that took part in it, not including the other fathers and leaders that participated. The camp focused on the core values that should be the mark of a godly man such as; honesty, integrity, courage, leadership, etc... It was amazing to see how God moved in the lives of these "men" in 3 short days.
On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 8, at the camp's conclusive teaching time, there was a time of prayer in which several of the young men were filled with the Holy Spirit and all were touched by His sweet, powerful presence. The leaders and fathers prayed for each of these young men with the laying on of hands and prophetic affirmation that ended with most of these young men, and several of the adults, including myself, weeping on the concrete floor, either on their hands and knees or laying face down in reverence to God's unique, transforming presence.
The visible difference in these young men on the bus ride home compared to the spiritual climate on the bus ride to camp was priceless. No amount of money could have transformed the hearts of these young men the way that one moment in His glory had. That's the Kingdom. God put his stamp of approval on this weekend by sealing it with a fresh touch from Him that will live forever in the hearts and minds of these young men.
I believe that, with proper discipleship, the ministry of Men Of Honor has everything necessary to successfully restore godliness in manhood to Belize.
In other news, we've begun the process of fulfilling all of the governmental requirements necessary to apply for residency here. Sept 20th marks the one year anniversary of when we arrived in Belize. After this date, we can officially apply.
Please continue to pray for our safety and God's direction in our lives. Our intent is to be about the Father's business. We do not want to be distracted from giving ourselves to His perfect will for us.
As always, thanks to all who continue to stand with us in prayer as well as financially. You're greatly appreciated.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Attack To The Head
Submitted by Jason;
This morning at approximately 5 am I was awakened by a pain above my left ear that I initially thought was the sting of a wasp. My sudden movement as a reaction to this had awakened my wife as well. As she shined her bedside flashlight on the side of our bed, that was so quickly vacated by me, she spotted the culprit: a scorpion about 3 inches in length. Somewhat stunned by the incident, but powered by adrenaline, I turned on the light and proceeded to terminate it's mission with one of my shoes. Francie tended to me with some Benedryl and what I believe was Tea Tree Oil and we went back to sleep.
Our morning was like many other Sunday mornings for a family of our size with much scurrying in preparation for church. We attended church and returned home to a very normal post-church service routine of feeding the crew and retreating to our own down time for the following hour or two.
During this time, I was reading some missionary blogs as the reality of what was happening settled in. I began to think about all of the experiences that we've encountered here in Belize, all of the breaking, all of the shifting, all of the spiritual warfare culminating to a sting of the head.
No, I'm not only talking about the scorpion sting on my head, but a sting to the head. Paul spoke to the church of Corinth about the head in 1 Cor 11:3 when he said, "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of every woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.".
Clearly God's plan was for Him to be the head of Christ, Christ to be the head of man and man to be the head of every woman. This plan appears to be very clearly laid out by Paul with, in my opinion, very little room for misinterpretation.
It became clear to me that this wasn't simply a random scorpion sting, but a calculated attack to the head. An attack to the head of a man who is called to be the head of a woman and family that has been called to head a specific ministry to the body of Christ here in Belize.
I find it to be no coincidence that this attack came only hours after I posted this to Facebook, "Rev 12:17 (KJV) 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Followers of Christ would be glad to be considered a part of "the remnant" and having "the testimony of Jesus Christ". However, not many are signing up for warring with the dragon and keeping the commandments of God. Make a stand for Christ today and don't turn back."
The devil desires to ruin the plans that the Lord has for us. He comes at us from many angles. This time, a direct attack on the head.
Please pray for our protection and that we don't become distracted from the work for which we've been sent. We're overcoming battles and tearing down strongholds as we gain strength and momentum daily towards recognizing strategies for fulfilling His calling in our lives.
This morning at approximately 5 am I was awakened by a pain above my left ear that I initially thought was the sting of a wasp. My sudden movement as a reaction to this had awakened my wife as well. As she shined her bedside flashlight on the side of our bed, that was so quickly vacated by me, she spotted the culprit: a scorpion about 3 inches in length. Somewhat stunned by the incident, but powered by adrenaline, I turned on the light and proceeded to terminate it's mission with one of my shoes. Francie tended to me with some Benedryl and what I believe was Tea Tree Oil and we went back to sleep.
Our morning was like many other Sunday mornings for a family of our size with much scurrying in preparation for church. We attended church and returned home to a very normal post-church service routine of feeding the crew and retreating to our own down time for the following hour or two.
During this time, I was reading some missionary blogs as the reality of what was happening settled in. I began to think about all of the experiences that we've encountered here in Belize, all of the breaking, all of the shifting, all of the spiritual warfare culminating to a sting of the head.
No, I'm not only talking about the scorpion sting on my head, but a sting to the head. Paul spoke to the church of Corinth about the head in 1 Cor 11:3 when he said, "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of every woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.".
Clearly God's plan was for Him to be the head of Christ, Christ to be the head of man and man to be the head of every woman. This plan appears to be very clearly laid out by Paul with, in my opinion, very little room for misinterpretation.
It became clear to me that this wasn't simply a random scorpion sting, but a calculated attack to the head. An attack to the head of a man who is called to be the head of a woman and family that has been called to head a specific ministry to the body of Christ here in Belize.
I find it to be no coincidence that this attack came only hours after I posted this to Facebook, "Rev 12:17 (KJV) 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Followers of Christ would be glad to be considered a part of "the remnant" and having "the testimony of Jesus Christ". However, not many are signing up for warring with the dragon and keeping the commandments of God. Make a stand for Christ today and don't turn back."
The devil desires to ruin the plans that the Lord has for us. He comes at us from many angles. This time, a direct attack on the head.
Please pray for our protection and that we don't become distracted from the work for which we've been sent. We're overcoming battles and tearing down strongholds as we gain strength and momentum daily towards recognizing strategies for fulfilling His calling in our lives.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
In His Hands
Submitted by Jason
When we started blogging about our journey into the mission field, we had our own set of ideas about what this new season would, or should, look like. Stepping out of our comfortable lives and into an extremely uncertain and unpredictable future required a measure of faith that the Lord had provided us with.
From the beginning of this blog, my intent was to be as transparent as possible in documenting our lives and how we recognize the leading of the Lord and his hand upon our daily lives. However, I've quickly concluded that such transparency in a forum as public as this could be, in some areas, detrimental to the very cause for which we've been sent. I'm simply not at liberty to share all of the things that the Lord is doing in our lives at this time. Just know that there is much more going on in our lives and the lives of those around us than I'm able to share at this time.
In early June, my father-in-law came to visit us here in Belize for a total of 4 weeks. He currently lives in Arizona and, to my knowledge, this has been his first trip out of the US since he spent time in Germany as a member of the US military in the 60's, with the exception of the occasional day trip into Mexico via Nogales, Az.
He flew into Belize City on a full sized jet and connected onto a smaller plane destined for a small airstrip in Placencia, Bz. There, we picked him up and spent one week in the Caribbean coastal town of Placencia at Surfside Escapes. It was our joy to see him enjoying swimming in the Caribbean, sitting on the dock, trying Belizean cuisine and playing with his grandchildren, whom he had feared that he'd never see again when we left the states.
The other 3 weeks that he was visiting with us was spent in our current hometown of Spanish Lookout. Here, he met many of the Mennonite people that have embraced us so dearly. His life was forever changed by the fabric of the people here and the conversations that he was a part of.
With him, we visited the Belize Zoo, the capital city of Belmopan, the Springfield Fruit nursery and the Cayo marketplace, to name a few. He was humbled by the living conditions of some of the local Belizeans. On several occasions, as we were driving through some of the poorer sections of the country, he said that he only wished that he had a video camera to document what he was seeing so that he could take it back to the states with him. He was certain that if he shared such a video with the "poor" back home, that they would really see a new level of poverty that they've never known.
It's been about 4 weeks since he returned to the states. Just yesterday, Francie was skyping with him and he said that he was already saving his money for a return visit.
In late July, my 13 yr old son, Joey's appendix had ruptured and needed emergency surgery to remove it. The procedure was done by, from what we have heard, the best surgeon that Belize has to offer. It was told to us that this doctor had performed a surgery on an assistant to the Prime Minister of Belize. We're grateful that the surgery, which has significantly changed our financial position, was successful and without complications.
Currently, one of our main goals along the way to a sustained presence in Belize is in the Lord's hands. Before the surgery, we were on pace, financially, to apply for and, upon approval, pay the necessary fees to obtain residency here in Sept. which would allow me to seek employment without the need of a, difficult to obtain, temporary work permit.
From the very moment that Joey's condition was diagnosed, I'm sure that Francie and I both knew that such a surgical procedure would jeopardize our ability to accomplish this as planned. However, we never once doubted whether the Lord was able to provide us with the necessary means at the appropriate time.
Honestly, I wrestled with whether to share our financial position with anyone or just quietly trust the Lord for provision. As I sought the Lord regarding this during our 5 day stay in the hospital, I was reading my bible, I came across Paul's letter to the church at Phillipi. Paul found himself in a seemingly similar situation when he wrote this;
"How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know
you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or
little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of
living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I
can to everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. But even so, you
have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were
the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then
traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you
sent me help more than once. I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for
you to receive a well-earned reward because of your kindness."
Phillippians 4:10-17 NLT
I came to this conclusion after reading this and studying the context surrounding these passages in particular;
God knows my heart. He knows that I would have just as obediently refrained from mentioning our needs as I would to share them. If Paul, the author of nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, inspired by the Holy Ghost, unashamedly prefaced his needs by stating his contentment in any and all situations, which is exactly where I find myself, so should I.
Paul obviously learned how to be content in all things. If he "learned" this, then I believe that it would be safe to assume that this "learning" was greatly aided by circumstances and events in his life that took him through seasons of "plenty" as well as seasons of "little". I believe that it would be equally safe to assume that his personal witness of "well-earned reward(s)" in the lives of those who contributed to his needs encouraged his belief that he desired their gifts more for their sakes than for his.
This is the current state that Francie and I find ourselves in. Our trust for provision is, and has been, completely in the Lord. We trust that the Lord will complete His work in us. We've placed our lives completely in His hands for a testimony of His goodness. So, whether He brings us through a season of little as He molds us, or whether He moves on the hearts of many to "receive a well-earned reward" by giving financially into the work for that which we were sent, our devotion and our hope is in Him alone.
For those whose hearts are stirred to give, information on how and where to give can be found on our home page. Thank you in advance and as always, thanks to those who continue to stand with us financially as well as in prayer.
When we started blogging about our journey into the mission field, we had our own set of ideas about what this new season would, or should, look like. Stepping out of our comfortable lives and into an extremely uncertain and unpredictable future required a measure of faith that the Lord had provided us with.
From the beginning of this blog, my intent was to be as transparent as possible in documenting our lives and how we recognize the leading of the Lord and his hand upon our daily lives. However, I've quickly concluded that such transparency in a forum as public as this could be, in some areas, detrimental to the very cause for which we've been sent. I'm simply not at liberty to share all of the things that the Lord is doing in our lives at this time. Just know that there is much more going on in our lives and the lives of those around us than I'm able to share at this time.
In early June, my father-in-law came to visit us here in Belize for a total of 4 weeks. He currently lives in Arizona and, to my knowledge, this has been his first trip out of the US since he spent time in Germany as a member of the US military in the 60's, with the exception of the occasional day trip into Mexico via Nogales, Az.
He flew into Belize City on a full sized jet and connected onto a smaller plane destined for a small airstrip in Placencia, Bz. There, we picked him up and spent one week in the Caribbean coastal town of Placencia at Surfside Escapes. It was our joy to see him enjoying swimming in the Caribbean, sitting on the dock, trying Belizean cuisine and playing with his grandchildren, whom he had feared that he'd never see again when we left the states.
The other 3 weeks that he was visiting with us was spent in our current hometown of Spanish Lookout. Here, he met many of the Mennonite people that have embraced us so dearly. His life was forever changed by the fabric of the people here and the conversations that he was a part of.
With him, we visited the Belize Zoo, the capital city of Belmopan, the Springfield Fruit nursery and the Cayo marketplace, to name a few. He was humbled by the living conditions of some of the local Belizeans. On several occasions, as we were driving through some of the poorer sections of the country, he said that he only wished that he had a video camera to document what he was seeing so that he could take it back to the states with him. He was certain that if he shared such a video with the "poor" back home, that they would really see a new level of poverty that they've never known.
It's been about 4 weeks since he returned to the states. Just yesterday, Francie was skyping with him and he said that he was already saving his money for a return visit.
In late July, my 13 yr old son, Joey's appendix had ruptured and needed emergency surgery to remove it. The procedure was done by, from what we have heard, the best surgeon that Belize has to offer. It was told to us that this doctor had performed a surgery on an assistant to the Prime Minister of Belize. We're grateful that the surgery, which has significantly changed our financial position, was successful and without complications.
Currently, one of our main goals along the way to a sustained presence in Belize is in the Lord's hands. Before the surgery, we were on pace, financially, to apply for and, upon approval, pay the necessary fees to obtain residency here in Sept. which would allow me to seek employment without the need of a, difficult to obtain, temporary work permit.
From the very moment that Joey's condition was diagnosed, I'm sure that Francie and I both knew that such a surgical procedure would jeopardize our ability to accomplish this as planned. However, we never once doubted whether the Lord was able to provide us with the necessary means at the appropriate time.
Honestly, I wrestled with whether to share our financial position with anyone or just quietly trust the Lord for provision. As I sought the Lord regarding this during our 5 day stay in the hospital, I was reading my bible, I came across Paul's letter to the church at Phillipi. Paul found himself in a seemingly similar situation when he wrote this;
"How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know
you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or
little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of
living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I
can to everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. But even so, you
have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were
the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then
traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you
sent me help more than once. I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for
you to receive a well-earned reward because of your kindness."
Phillippians 4:10-17 NLT
I came to this conclusion after reading this and studying the context surrounding these passages in particular;
God knows my heart. He knows that I would have just as obediently refrained from mentioning our needs as I would to share them. If Paul, the author of nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, inspired by the Holy Ghost, unashamedly prefaced his needs by stating his contentment in any and all situations, which is exactly where I find myself, so should I.
Paul obviously learned how to be content in all things. If he "learned" this, then I believe that it would be safe to assume that this "learning" was greatly aided by circumstances and events in his life that took him through seasons of "plenty" as well as seasons of "little". I believe that it would be equally safe to assume that his personal witness of "well-earned reward(s)" in the lives of those who contributed to his needs encouraged his belief that he desired their gifts more for their sakes than for his.
This is the current state that Francie and I find ourselves in. Our trust for provision is, and has been, completely in the Lord. We trust that the Lord will complete His work in us. We've placed our lives completely in His hands for a testimony of His goodness. So, whether He brings us through a season of little as He molds us, or whether He moves on the hearts of many to "receive a well-earned reward" by giving financially into the work for that which we were sent, our devotion and our hope is in Him alone.
For those whose hearts are stirred to give, information on how and where to give can be found on our home page. Thank you in advance and as always, thanks to those who continue to stand with us financially as well as in prayer.
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