We're back in Idaho at the MAF headquarters. Each visit to this place just strengthens are desire to go serve God overseas and affirms our choice of joining the MAF team!
We arrived here yesterday evening and we already feel right at home. We were immediately greeted by a smiling familiar face...our very own Cornerstone Ohio native, Erica Snyder! It is so great to be able to spend some time with her before she leaves for Mozambique next Saturday.
Catelyn has already made some friends for the week. Two boys about her age. They've been chasing one another around with squirt guns (it's in the 100s here), playing in the sand, and riding bikes. So much fun to be had and it's only been a matter of hours since we've arrived. What's really cute (or concerning for Daddy!) is that one of the boys brought over flowers for Catelyn during lunchtime today - trying to woo our daughter at such a young age...hmmmm...
Well, gotta get back to relaxing and water gun fights before our security training starts on Monday!
Dramatic Change
We spent the last couple months in California. Our goal for the trip was mainly to share with people about our ministry to build our support team as we get ready to serve in Indonesia. In addition we were very eager to re-connect with many old friends and get updated on their lives. In all of this, I realized that our lives have changed dramatically in the last five years.
I'll give a little re-cap:
-August of 2004; Megan and I decided to move to Ohio to help with a Cornerstone Church plant.
-November 2004; Moved to Ohio.
-March 2006; Our oldest daughter Catelyn was born.
-May 2007; We decided after much prayer and consideration to pursue overseas missions.
-August 2007; We moved to Michigan for mission aviation training.
-August 2008; We moved back to Ohio to live with Megan's Mom.
-October 2008; Applied and evaluated with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
-January 2009; Spent the month in Nampa Idaho to learn more about MAF and joined the organization.
-February 2009 (to current); Began to seek Ministry Partners for our service overseas in Indonesia.
-March 2009; Our second daughter Ella was born.
-Current: Thinking through how crazy life has been over the last several months.
Life is definitely different these days. Can't say we're bored can you? We don't have time to be bored. Life is a vapor. It is here and it is gone. As chaotic as our lives have been and will continue to be, it is all for the sake of advancing the Gospel.
God saw man in his desperate state of sin and had compassion on him. Because He is righteous and perfect, He must judge sinners for turning away from Him and turning to their greedy, vain, selfish, prideful, sexually immoral, idolatrous, angry, inconsiderate and irreverent ways. God then sent His son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. All who would put their faith in Him and turn back to God would have the hope of eternal life. I need Jesus and so do you.
When you truly get that, there isn't anything else worth living for. We want people to have the treasure that we have in Christ. To be rescued from their sin and turn to the living God who spoke with incomprehensible power in to existence the universe and all of its contents. "We are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making His appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" 2 Corinthians 5:20.
I'll give a little re-cap:
-August of 2004; Megan and I decided to move to Ohio to help with a Cornerstone Church plant.
-November 2004; Moved to Ohio.
-March 2006; Our oldest daughter Catelyn was born.
-May 2007; We decided after much prayer and consideration to pursue overseas missions.
-August 2007; We moved to Michigan for mission aviation training.
-August 2008; We moved back to Ohio to live with Megan's Mom.
-October 2008; Applied and evaluated with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
-January 2009; Spent the month in Nampa Idaho to learn more about MAF and joined the organization.
-February 2009 (to current); Began to seek Ministry Partners for our service overseas in Indonesia.
-March 2009; Our second daughter Ella was born.
-Current: Thinking through how crazy life has been over the last several months.
Life is definitely different these days. Can't say we're bored can you? We don't have time to be bored. Life is a vapor. It is here and it is gone. As chaotic as our lives have been and will continue to be, it is all for the sake of advancing the Gospel.
God saw man in his desperate state of sin and had compassion on him. Because He is righteous and perfect, He must judge sinners for turning away from Him and turning to their greedy, vain, selfish, prideful, sexually immoral, idolatrous, angry, inconsiderate and irreverent ways. God then sent His son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. All who would put their faith in Him and turn back to God would have the hope of eternal life. I need Jesus and so do you.
When you truly get that, there isn't anything else worth living for. We want people to have the treasure that we have in Christ. To be rescued from their sin and turn to the living God who spoke with incomprehensible power in to existence the universe and all of its contents. "We are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making His appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Blessed to be a blessing
Today Jeff Atherstone preached at church. Jeff is the president of Gaba Bible Institute in Uganda as a missionary, training up future pastors and missionaries to advance the Gospel in the continent of Africa. Hearing him talk today really opened my eyes to a big problem in the church. He shared about how in much of Africa, there are many people sharing the so called "health, wealth and prosperity gospel" which is leading many astray and giving a false hope in a god that is not the God of the Bible but rather a god of lustful desire. In sharing, he mentioned that people are always seeking to be blessed in Uganda. They'll come up to him and ask him "Pastor Jeff, will you please bless me?" He often replies, "you are already blessed."
As he shared this, it made me realize that this thinking has permeated many Christians and not just the ones that are subject this "prosperity gospel." Many people believe that God just blesses us simply because He is just head over heels for us and He cannot restrain Himself. Scripture clearly states that God blesses us for a reason. He saved us for a reason. He died on the cross for us for a reason. The Lord's reason for this is that we (those in Christ) have been redeemed and blessed so that we can be a blessing to the nations. Often times, it goes more like, "God blessed me with $500, so now I can get a new flatscreen" or "God blessed me with $50k so now I can get a new boat." I would like to know how this is so much different than what Jeff is experiencing in Africa. These "pastors" say that God wants you to be rich. Many Christians may say that is not God's desire yet their decisions on how they spend their blessings are very consistant with the "prosperity gospel."
So I will simply appeal to you the same way Jeff did to us today. Are you being a blessing to the nations? God has blessed you. You are blessed. How are you fulfilling the purpose that God has for you in being a blessing to the nations?
I have found that much joy comes to those who are fullfilling the very purpose that they have been redeemed and blessed. I encourage you to bless because you are blessed.
As he shared this, it made me realize that this thinking has permeated many Christians and not just the ones that are subject this "prosperity gospel." Many people believe that God just blesses us simply because He is just head over heels for us and He cannot restrain Himself. Scripture clearly states that God blesses us for a reason. He saved us for a reason. He died on the cross for us for a reason. The Lord's reason for this is that we (those in Christ) have been redeemed and blessed so that we can be a blessing to the nations. Often times, it goes more like, "God blessed me with $500, so now I can get a new flatscreen" or "God blessed me with $50k so now I can get a new boat." I would like to know how this is so much different than what Jeff is experiencing in Africa. These "pastors" say that God wants you to be rich. Many Christians may say that is not God's desire yet their decisions on how they spend their blessings are very consistant with the "prosperity gospel."
So I will simply appeal to you the same way Jeff did to us today. Are you being a blessing to the nations? God has blessed you. You are blessed. How are you fulfilling the purpose that God has for you in being a blessing to the nations?
I have found that much joy comes to those who are fullfilling the very purpose that they have been redeemed and blessed. I encourage you to bless because you are blessed.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful 4th of July! We're going to go watch fireworks tonight (or "fireworkers" as Catelyn calls them)!
Our little girl is growing up...
We know we're getting old, but you don't feel it until you see your kids getting older. Last week Catelyn attended her first Vacation Bible School (VBS)! I can't believe our little girl is old enough to go to VBS - so weird. She absolutely LOVED it! She continues to talk about it and sing the songs from her time there! What she walked away learning was, "We can trust God to do what He says He will do!" Amen, Catelyn!
Keeping On
We've been in California now for just under two months. Our support raising has definitely been fruitful here. God continues to show us that He is Lord of all. No matter how many hours we work, whether we rise early or stay up late, He is the one who continues to bring people along side of us. At this moment, we are at 57% of the needed $6,300 per month and 87% of the needed $29,300 for our outgoing expenses. One of our supporting churches has commited to paying the rest of our ougoing expense come July. We are eager to see how the Lord will bring about the other 43% of our need before we head for Indonesia.
Our upcoming schedule is a little crazy for us. We are headed back to Ohio on July 6th. We'll be there until the 27th, then off to Idaho for security training with MAF. This is supposed to be a rather intense time of learning how to deal with government interigation, terrorist abductions along with simple strategies to not bring unneccessary attention to yourself in a foreign land. On the 30th, we're planning on going back to California for the month of August. Not sure what happens after that. We just know that we'll have to be back in Idaho in October for 2 1/2 months of more training. So that puts us back in Ohio in the middle of December. Somewhere along the way, we have to build crates and pack, attend a special turbine engine seminar (another week or so), get all of our visa stuff in order among about three hundred other things. Busy time.
I cannot help but think, what a waste this would all be if the Gospel were not true. For many, this looks absolutely ridiculous. I don't blame them. In most of their minds, this whole "Jesus thing" seems like a joke. How foolish for somebody to uproot their family, drag them all over the country, seeking supporters to share the "love of Jesus" with Muslims in an impoverished country. Yes, if the Gospel weren't true this would be absolutely crazy. These last couple years haven't exactly been easy. It hasn't been horrible but there have been many trials, testing our commitment to moving forward in world missions. God continues to reveal His goodness to us which time and time again proves (along with a million other things) that this Gospel is true. We do this because we love the Gospel. It has radically transformed our lives and we want nothing more than for others to experience this life of abundance. Not abundant cars, houses, toys, gadgets, boats or other material type things. But abundance in joy. There is no greater joy than to live for what you were made for. God re-created us. We are new creations and we are made to worship God and to proclaim His excellencies among all peoples, so that they too may find the greatest treasure that can be found; Christ.
Our upcoming schedule is a little crazy for us. We are headed back to Ohio on July 6th. We'll be there until the 27th, then off to Idaho for security training with MAF. This is supposed to be a rather intense time of learning how to deal with government interigation, terrorist abductions along with simple strategies to not bring unneccessary attention to yourself in a foreign land. On the 30th, we're planning on going back to California for the month of August. Not sure what happens after that. We just know that we'll have to be back in Idaho in October for 2 1/2 months of more training. So that puts us back in Ohio in the middle of December. Somewhere along the way, we have to build crates and pack, attend a special turbine engine seminar (another week or so), get all of our visa stuff in order among about three hundred other things. Busy time.
I cannot help but think, what a waste this would all be if the Gospel were not true. For many, this looks absolutely ridiculous. I don't blame them. In most of their minds, this whole "Jesus thing" seems like a joke. How foolish for somebody to uproot their family, drag them all over the country, seeking supporters to share the "love of Jesus" with Muslims in an impoverished country. Yes, if the Gospel weren't true this would be absolutely crazy. These last couple years haven't exactly been easy. It hasn't been horrible but there have been many trials, testing our commitment to moving forward in world missions. God continues to reveal His goodness to us which time and time again proves (along with a million other things) that this Gospel is true. We do this because we love the Gospel. It has radically transformed our lives and we want nothing more than for others to experience this life of abundance. Not abundant cars, houses, toys, gadgets, boats or other material type things. But abundance in joy. There is no greater joy than to live for what you were made for. God re-created us. We are new creations and we are made to worship God and to proclaim His excellencies among all peoples, so that they too may find the greatest treasure that can be found; Christ.
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