The last words Jesus uttered before he died was "it is finished." The grip that hell had on this planet was shattered. Every life he intended to touch, was touched. Every person he intended to heal, was healed. Every word that he needed to speak was spoken. Demons were cast out, captives were set free, the blind regained their sight. He risked all and sacrificed all in order that we can live abundantly in harmony with our creator; we have been purchased for a hefty price! Jesus could say "it is finished" before God and man knowing that with regards to the purpose for His life, he spoke the truth. When my time comes, i want to know that i risked it all for Christ; for His people. I want to know that i fulfilled the calling on my life. I want to know that every person God put in my path got a touch from the Christ that is in me. There is too much need for us to take a day off and there is so much of Jesus that we have to offer. When my end comes, will everything i had to give, be gone?
for a life lived fully for the glory of God and to the expanse of His kingdom, there is another inevitable end that we have to come to. it is the end of self. God longs to partner with us not for what we bring to the table, but because of what He can accomplish through us. Jesus himself modeled this for us. Paul told us that Christ "made Himself nothing". He set aside His divine nature in order that God could accomplish for us what we cannot accomplish for ourselves.
In John 15:5, Jesus again reminds us that we can DO NOTHING apart from Him. Our problem lies in the fact that we think we can. I am sure that we have all had moments where we think God can use our advice. In order for us to look at our lives and know that every purpose God has for us is being fulfilled can only come when we get out of the way. We need to set aside our agenda's, our plans, our entitlements, our pride and our rights. Lay these things at the cross and become an empty vessel so that God can come and fill us with His dreams, His passions and His heart for the nations
here are some more stories that are coming in from those in the field in swaziland. i met morgan in february during my time in swaziland and she is an amazing woman with a massive heart for the nations. she leads groups from the united states to swaziland on what i believe to be a fairly regular basis. anyways, this story is so raw and will break your heart and yet is a common occurrence in this suffering country. these people need us. read and be moved to action
I
met Eliza two years ago and instantly fell in love. She was one of the
students whose education we were able to sponsor through contributions
from blog readers. (Photo at the left is with Eliza on this trip -
taken by Paloma.)
The last day I was here in February she arrived at the carepoint with
open sores all over her foot and leg. At nine years old she was
cooking over the fire and was burnt by hot oil.
After I left Swaziland Gift started investigating her injuries and the
World Race team here looked into what was happening to her. It turns
out that there were more then just burns, Eliza had scars and bruising
all over her body. I cried and prayed and felt utterly helpless being
so far away.
All I could think about was her sweetness. Every day I'm at the care
point she runs to greet me and sits with her hand in mine, refusing to
leave my side. She knows her place, her hand belongs in my right hand
when I'm walking and when I sit her head gets nestled right under my
chin.
On Thursday we had a few free moments so, Eliza, Gift, and I sat down to talk out of earshot of the other kids.
She leaned her frail body against me and placed her hands in mine. I
didn't know where to start, what do you ask when you suspect that a
child is being beaten.
"How are things for you at home?" I asked. It took a moment for Eliza
to respond, her small shoulders slumped further forward and she didn't
lift her head while murmuring a quiet answer in SiSwati, which Gift
interpreted.
"Things are bad."
"What is bad?" As I questioned her she begun to nervously run her short finger nails over my long thumbnail.
"The bad men come at night and I'm scared."
Gift explained more to me. "Her father just lost his job. The
economic crisis has affected much more than people in the United
States, her father was one of the ones who lost his job. Now he is
drinking a lot. I think that the men she is talking about are some
type of loan collectors, or some men up to not good things."
My thoughts immediately flashed to Grace and Mswana both beautiful
teenage girls who have contracted H.I.V. through rape. Unfortunately
their stories are brutally common in this place. Eliza doesn't show
signs of having been sexually assaulted, but if she stays in her home
the likelihood of her becoming a statistic and losing her innocence as
well as her life to rape is astronomic.
I tried to keep up the conversation but the words caught in my throat. Gift encouraged me to continue with more questions.
"Does your family have food at home?"
Her back pressed closer into me as she sucked in a deep breath before
answering. Eliza's words came out, quiet and hesitant. "We go with
out food most nights, all the nights I'm in school." At her answer a
tear slipped from my eye, before I could wipe it away it landed on her
short rough hair. That meant that a majority of days the only meal she
was getting was the bowl of corn meal from the carepoint.
Gift explained to me, "Her father has been here at the carepiont asking
for food for his family, since he lost his job he has not been able to
buy food."
I felt helpless, with only questions and no answers, nothing I could do
to ease her pain. A gentle breeze blew through the tree we sat under,
and the sun provided enough warmth to be comfortable in a tee shirt.
The setting was a stark contrast to our conversation. No child
anywhere should have to go to bed hungry a majority of nights.
"Can you tell me about what else is going on at home?"
Her voice came out scared but she kept talking. "My father beats my
brother and me when he comes home drunk. My mom tries to get in the
way and stop him, but he just beats her as well."
"What does he use to beat you?" Tears start streaming down my cheeks,
I was thankful that she's leaning against me and can't see my
reaction.
"He uses a shoe or a log." The thought of someone touching this
beautiful, sweet spirited, girl in that way, made me shudder. I looked
into her down cast eyes and somehow despite everything they still look
hopeful.
Gift continues talking with her and translating for me. He asked if
she would want to go to school away from home. There are some funds
available to send her to a place for abused children in Swaziland,
unfortunately spots are limited and Eliza's case may not be severe
enough for her to be admitted. The social worker has decided that her
case only counts as negligence not abuse.
The cell phone rang and Gift left to take the call. I wrapped my arms
tighter around Eliza's small frame while praying over her. All I want
to do is shelter and protect her forever.
Eliza had to walk back before dark, and the afternoon shadows were
getting long. Loosening my grip and letting her go home took every
last ounce of my strength. As I watched her slight frame walk away my
head fell into my hands and the tears tumbled down.
here lately, the Lord has put the nation of swaziland on my heart and i have been praying for this nation fervently. if ever a country can break ones heart and spur someone to do mission work, it is this nation. it is a nation that still dreams and hopes for a bright future despite the calamities that have befallen it. HIV/aids has ravaged swaziland but i know that the power of Christ is working there and that He is calling us to partner with HIm be His hands and his feet for His people. below is a video that might be somewhat dated, but nonetheless will give you a good idea of what is going on in swaziland. i also invite you to check out the blog page of our adventures in missions pastor there at http://pastorgift.myadventures.org/ for a great perspective on swaziland as well as our swaziland site at http://swaziland.myadventures.org/
the hope of the nations is the power of Christ that resides in all His followers. Do we have the spirit of Isaiah when in chapter 6 he says "here i am Lord....SEND ME!!!!!" I invite you to read stories of heartbreak and breakthrough and to be obedient to what the Lord is putting on your heart.
i am sitting here with pam, (who is cattle prodding me to blog) awaiting to head to ukraine from bucharest at 5 am. we are facing a 40 hour train ride which normally would spark travel day anxieties because of the typical brutish nature of world race travel days. this time however, i am excited for the travel day as we will be romping across eastern europe in a train. not only will i get to see some great scenery, but the peaceful time will allow me to reflect on the last 9 months on the road and prepare myself mentally and spiritually for the end of this crazy race as next month i will be heading back to the states for the summer. from january until the end of march, i was in africa; this did not allow me a lot of opportunity to blog but nonetheless, i feel it necessary to offer up an apology to my supporters and those back home who pray for me on a constant basis. when i leave in the morning, i will be heading to the last country i will see before i fly back to america. i am unsure what ministry will look like in ukraine, but i do know that our group will be situated outside Lugansk. from within this city, you can actually see into russia. anyways, this area seems to be full of people who lack hope and love and whose lives are marked by endless seasons of drowning away their lives with their constant companions: alcohol. this is what we are up against next month. i know that this description is general, but there will be more details when i have them. i will also spend some time talking about what 3 months of africa was like but to be honest, i am still trying to straighten all of those memories and God given lessons that Africa brought with it.
i do want to encourage my supporters by letting you what your money has accomplished this year as we you have teamed with God and myself to literally bring his kingdom down from above. we loved the homeless at a garbage dump in guatemala as well as served as the Hands of Jesus in a childrens hospital. we fought against prostitution in vietnam, reached out to those ostracized by HIV, and fed mentally and physically handicapped children and young adults. in myanmar, a small group of us provided much needed food/goods to families in the delta who lives had been ravaged by cyclone nargis. we also ushered orphans into the presence of God through games, skits, bible messages and the love of Christ that flows through us. in London, we reached out to the rapidly growing muslim population and began breaking strongholds that are so prevalent there. in mozambique, we moved an orphanage complex to a place that will give them a great chance to become more modern and catch the attention of the government. in malawi, we planted churches in 3 different villages and got to experience extended community within that culture. i can say that when the body of Christ is unified across boundaries and borders, the world is being changed and Christ is being magnified.
Walking daily how Jesus walked; reaching out to those that society has rejected or loving those who are deemed unlovable, those who are broken and hurting means that you are making the world a better place. The cross and the empty tomb are central to the truth of God, but we cannot miss how Jesus walked out his daily life. for those who have partnered with me this past year, know that God has used you to impact the world for the better
Seventeen
members of our squad spent the month of January in Temane, Mozambique,
partnering with Jesus 4 Africa Ministries, run by Jaco and Maria
Rudolph. Among other ministries, their main focus is the Temane
Orphanage.
Twenty-four
orphans were found in the bush of Mozambique following the devastation
of Cyclone Flavio in 2006 by a man named Eric. He took responsibility
for them. He would now care for them and protect them. However, Eric
did not have the means to provide much else.
Once
Jaco and Maria discovered Eric and these children, they knew God was
calling them to help. With little more than their own personal support,
the Rudolph's set about the task of living out God's call.
Currently
the children sleep in large revival style tents on grass mats with
blankets. At this time, a building is being constructed to offer more
suitable living conditions. In order to prepare the children for this
transition, several of our team mates feel called to return to
Mozambique for the month of March. This preparation will consist of,
among other things, the Raise UP! Project.
Raise UP!
And
your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations
of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
-Isaiah 58:12
Raise UP!
is a respect and incentive program coupled with discipleship. The goal
is to establish routine in order to teach respect for themselves,
others, their belongings, and environment. The goal is that through
these children, we may set the foundations of this generation firmly in
the Lord and His Truth, so that they can raise their children to repair
and restore the breaches of their nation.
The
respect incentive portion of the program will focus on scheduled
rewards for adhering to established guidelines. Each child will be
given a box, which they can personalize. The first week will focus on
each child receiving all the incentive items which include: toothbrush,
soap, washcloth, small toys, etc.
After
the initial one-month course, additional materials will be sent via
e-mail, complete with scheduled rewards to be given by orphanage staff.
Teaching
the children to care for their boxes and contents will help them to
form good habits of taking ownership and responsibility. With guidance,
these habits will overflow into all areas of their lives.
Our
vision is to invest in this generation. We are asking for your help to
Raise UP! a foundation for these children. Below is a list of supplies
and costs needed to obtain them.
Supplies:
Box $10 per child
Incentive Items $20 per child
Teaching Materials $200
Rewards $200
Miscellaneous $100
Total $1,220
Click here to give to this Project. Please
write "World Race Ministry - Mozambique" in the space provided in order
to make sure your gift is designated to this ministry.
our flight leaves london tomorrow at around 2:30 and we will head first to qatar and then to south africa. our squad will be split in half but the full squad will nontheless be in mozambique for about 2 and a half weeks. i believe the crux of our ministry there will be spent working with orphans as well as aiding local pastors. we will be living in the bush as they say and will be camping out. i am personally happy to be out of a big city as we have spent most of the last 4 months in large cities. i have a feeling that this will be a rewarding time for me personally and i look forward to getting my hands dirty and my heart broken. we will be in africa until the end of march and then we will head back to europe for the finale. bringing the hope of Christ to this continent in particular is a great way to kick off 2009 and i know the Lord has great things in store for me and many lessons to offer. anyways, i want to give a huge thank you to all who have supported. you guys have been very faithful in your giving and in your prayers. the truth of Jesus is spreading to the four corners of the globe in part because of your faithfulness. my current supporters have done more than i can ask. but i NEED new supporters. i know that God has always provided for me at every turn of my life and that He will continue to do so. i still have roughly $3000 to raise and i am going to be behind at the next deadline. with so much going on in my day to day life currently, this is not a matter that i need to be focusing on. so please give, your money goes extremely far in the places that we are going to! thank you in advance for your support both financially and in prayer
I love to cook. As much as I enjoy eating, I think that I might actually enjoy cooking more. Sounds weird, I know. Being here in London has afforded me the time and opportunity to use whatever skill I have in the kitchen to benefit my teammates. The base where we have stayed after Christmas has a really sweet kitchen with all kinds of nifty gadgets that I can use. Mix that in with my heart to serve and I have been active in the kitchen lately. I have not really made anything that I would consider gourmet, but I have made a few different soups, pasta alfredo and crepes. When I am cooking for others is when I feel the need to make it excellent. I get enjoyment when I see people come back for 2nd's or 3rd's. I want the meal that I have prepared to be the best meal that you have eaten all day, all week, and maybe even all month! What in the world does this any of this have to do with the world race, or with your faith? Good question, I am glad I asked it. I want Jesus to prepare a meal for me and I know that someday he will. Does anyone think that the creator of chef's can top anything that the best chef in the world can make? In Psalms 23, David declares that "You prepare a table before me....you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." The author of Revelation continues this theme in the 19th chapter when an angel tells him "blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Some day, I will get to feast at the most incredible banquet of all time and according to King David, it is the Lord himself who prepares the feast. What I am trying to get at here is the position that we have in Christ. He has made the ultimate sacrifice, performed the most humble act of all time by becoming who we are so that we get to share in the riches that are His from the beginning. Jesus did all He did so that we get to share in the massive banquet where we receive from Him an oil anointing which declares that we are honored guests at this banquet. That is humbling. That is incredible. I can look at all 30 years of my life and cannot even begin to account for all the bad decisions, bad lifestyle choices and rebellious acts towards Christ and scratch my head as I read those passages. As forrest gump said, "some things just don't make no sense" and from a human perspective they don't. The truth is that Christ has elevated us to an incredibly high position. In Ephesians it says to "live a life worthy of the calling we have received" and as I have been thinking about that here lately, I have come to the conclusion that it not only means to be Jesus with skin, to be set apart from the standards of the world but it also means acknowledging the position we have in Christ. I think that sometimes, perhaps more often than not, we are happy to sit beneath the table catching the crumbs that may fall off the edge of the table. This is not where Christ has positioned us! He has given us a seat at the table of God and has anointed our head with oil. If we continue to live as one who collects crumbs while sitting on the ground then what does that say about our God? God's love for us is made to look less than it is when we are crumb catchers. Get up, acknowledge your position in Christ because it will change how you view Him and change how you represent Him to a world that i can personally attest to as spiritually dying.
Our time here in London is in its final hours. Recently I have been having a hard time finding the words to speak and I think that is due in large part to the fact that I have not wanted to look in the mirror for fear of what reflection I would see. To be honest, this month here in London has probably the most unspiritual stretch I have had during the 6 months on the race. I can think of several excuses for this but they all have to do with my failure to pursue God and what He is doing here in London or in me for that matter. I could say that I was worn out by a busy schedule, yet that did not stop me from watching NFL games at 1am. I can say that we did not have enough personal time, yet that did not stop me from watching mindless youtube clips, movies or playing ping pong. I can say that I was distracted by the big city and the newness that it offered as I went to various museums, malls and historical landmarks. I can say that I was distracted by the season and the fact that I was not around family to celebrate this most special time of the year but the fact is, my Christmas this year was one of the most memorable ones I will ever get to experience. Perhaps I was distracted by the type of ministry here; I can say that it helped aid my lack of connection with God. I can say that it was different from what we have done on the world race thus far or that the biting coldness of the streets separated me from God because of discomfort. Yet I cannot deny that God brought us here for a reason, so that does not work. The one thing I cannot find any excuse for is why I did not seek the Father more. As I started thinking about that, a verse came to me. In Luke 17, Jesus says "the kingdom of God does not come with careful observation, nor will people say, "here it is or there it is" because the kingdom of God is within you." I have been mulling over the words of Andrew Shearman at our 2nd Koh Samet debrief and how all places we step are being reclaimed and added back to His kingdom because as Jesus clearly points out in that Luke passage, the kingdom of God is inside of us. I neglected to acknowledge that this month. I allowed my own selfish desires to drag me here and there and not until the end have I wanted to affirm that atrocity over myself. God really started working me over in church Sunday morning and this blog is the result. Unfortunately, it is not the end of it. God's chastisement of my behavior did not end there. As God started to bring down the hammer on me, I protested. But God, look at what I have done this month!! I went out with a smile on my face every day. I treated my teammates great (I think). I passed out tracks in warm and cordial tones; I used my servant's heart to serve my team in various ways on most days. Unfortunately for me, God was not hearing my half-hearted response. He then proceeded to take me behind the woodshed for another session. The verses He led me to were some of the most painful things I have ever heard Him say to me and to be quite frank, IT SUCKED! Matthew 23 is a scathing passage from Jesus to the Pharisees. This time it also served as a scathing word from Him to me. "Woe to you....you clean the outside of the cup and dish but the inside are full of greed and self-indulgence.....you are like a whitewashed tomb, you look beautiful on the outside but the inside is full of dead men's bones...." Thankfully, He stopped before he called me a snake, part of a brood of vipers! I did not want to admit it initially, but that has been my experience over the last month. I attempted to look like Christ on the outside while ignoring the place that I need to look like Christ the most: on the inside. It is months like this that serve to remind me how far I still have to go. That my faith does not complete itself over a short span but rather over the course of my life is a comforting thought. God always affirms the good in us while He is pointing out areas that need working on. He left me with Proverbs 3:11-12. "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline because the Lord disciplines those He loves."
"Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts..."- Psalm 95: 7-8
i am glad that the onus is not on my shoulders to bring about spiritual awakening to the reality of Christ in any individual. if it was, i would have given up by now. the previous 3 months before we landed in London were spent working in asian buddhist countries where most people assented to a religious ideal without questioning why. in most cases, this simply led to a real lack of application or conviction concerning one's stated religion. it seemed to me that most buddhists inherited their religion from their parents who inherited it from their parents and so forth and so on. it was the status quo of their culture and in their minds, there was no good reason to go against the grain, or no knowledge that they needed to do so. the fact that the buddhists i worked with just accepted religion and did not really embrace it indicated that they were open to the message of Christ. they would listen attentively and objectively. though they seemed far from Christ, i saw hope for those countries. there was a real sensitivity to things that are not of this world. flash forward to london. the thought here is probably the same as it is in the rest of europe:. i dont care about God, i dont care about His Son so dont bother me about it. Faith of many generations ago has been replaced by the faith of logic and reason. in their minds, if they want to see God all they have to do is look in the mirror. given the nature of our ministry here (passing out tracks and general street evangelism) i have had plenty of contact with several Englishmen as well as countless others from many parts of the globe who have migrated here and now call London home. i have come to the conclusion that the condition of the heart in most Londoners is like the winter here: cold and bitter. but where our feet step, we bring hope. We bring the truth and we bring the message that can make the deadest heart come to life. however, i have a feeling that when i leave london, i am not going to feel like i have in other countries where the message of Christ is not deeply rooted. i am going to feel like little changed here. i have no doubt that God brought us here for a reason but at this moment i have little clue as to why. all that being said, my mission is to be obedient to Him who sent me here regardless of whether i know fully what God is doing or have vague notions.
i can say that many here were exposed again to the message of Christ during the time we have been here. but the question goes back to the verse at the top of the page; did they HEAR the voice of God? did they hear God and continue to remain hard hearted as the Jews did following Egyptian oppression? God knows the answer and i trust that He is on the move here but i do find it somewhat ironic that i felt more hope in buddhist countries than a modern western city. please pray for this city!
I
met Eliza two years ago and instantly fell in love. She was one of the
students whose education we were able to sponsor through contributions
from blog readers. (Photo at the left is with Eliza on this trip -
taken by Paloma.)
