On the Way

I am now in Puerto Rico, enjoying the warm weather after having frozen in Webster at 6 and 7 degrees with wind chills in the negative digits for the past couple of days ... as I sit here, it has started to rain and the beautiful sound will shotly put me to sleep :) ... sorry guys :) 

I am so blessed and excited as the trip has begun.  It is an answer to prayer that I am here with no delays and no loss!!!  The Lord has granted traveling mercies from Rochester to here and tomorrow morning I meet up with Pastor Jason to go over trip details.  I am also thrilled to meet the rest of the team and hear how the Lord has brought us together!  I am so blessed with so many people praying and being part of this mission with me.  Remember ... those that stay back and watch the camp are just as partakers of the blessings as those that go to the battle!  We are all in this together!

I will be meeting the team at the airpor bright and early (5:30am) on Saturday and from there we leave for Haiti.  There are a lot of details I do not know.  Some I will learn tomorrow, many more only as the days go by and it happens.  Flexibility is the name of the game!
Upon arriving at my Grandpa and Mom's house, I met a sweet couple that have been missionaries for many years and their grown children are missionaries.  It is such a blessing to meet others that are invested in the Kingdom!!!

A couple of weeks ago in some prayer time regarding the trip, the Lord gave me Exodus 33, particularly verse 14: And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”.  What an awesome promise!  He is going with me!!!  If He does not, like Moses exclaimed: "don't get us out of here", but with the Lord ... now that is exciting and the ultimate promise! 
 
My remaining Itinerary:

Saturday 2/12 – Haiti via American

1.       Flight 4804 departing SJU at 7:30AM arriving SDQ Santo Domingo at 08:35 AM

2.       Flight 4804 departing SDQ Santo Domingo at 09:10 AM arriving PAP Port Au Prince at 09:08 AM

3.       Travel to Jacmel, Haiti where we will be ministering

Friday 2/18 – Return to PR via American

1.       Flight 4807  departing PAP Port Au Prince at 09:45 AM arriving SDQ Santo Domingo at 11:42 AM

2.       Flight 4807 departing SDQ Santo Domingo at 12:15 PM arriving SJU at 01:27 PM

Tuesday 2/22 – Return to Rochester via US Air

1.       Flight 1033 departing SJU at 3:40 PM arriving CLT at 6:29 PM

2.       Flight 1430 departing CLT at 7:54 PM arriving ROC at 9:38 PM

Prayer requests:

1. I have been somewhat fighting a cold with irritated throat and a bit of congestion.  Please pray that I am healed and have no distractions with this.
2. Pray for wisdom and safety as we travel
3. Pray for the base ministry we are meeting up with. Feel free to check out their web site and Facebook account: http://www.calvarychapelhaitiinitiative.org/ and http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/CalvaryChapelHaitiInitiative They often post on fb pictures and what the visiting team is doing, so you may get updates from what I am doing that way.
4. That the people in Haiti would come to know Jesus
5. The children in Haiti that don’t have parents would be protected and loved by the Lord
6. That the Lord would use me and the entire team and speak to us
7. Help with the language so we can share with people
8. Protection for myself and the team from danger and getting sick
9. Unity between the team and the ministry in Haiti

Once I go to Haiti, I don't think I will be able to post updates, but I will upon my return.  Please keep up the prayers!  I definitely feel them!

I recently heard a phrase by Pastor Chuck that blessed my heart: "We are indestructible if we are in the will of the Lord and He is not done with us."

God bless you and make your days count for the Kingdom!

What did you eat? Are you hungry?

What did you eat April 15, 2005? ... this was a question that Tim raised during a Bible Study on Sunday.  Do you know?  Do you even know what you ate last week?  I don't remember what I ate that day, not even sure about last week ... Why is this important?  Well, the analogy that Tim gave was that although we don't remember what we ate, the likelihood of it all is that we ate and it gave us strength even if we don't remember what it was.  It is so with Spiritual food ... reading our Bible, praying, spending time with Jesus.  There is no condemnation if we don't remember what we read months ago, it did it's job in us by strengthening us and the Lord will remind us again if it is relevant for this moment.

As I thought about this, the analogy has kept growing in my mind.  When I haven't eaten and I need nutrients, I feel some symptoms ... I may feel weak, light-headed, I may get a sugar-low, I may even get grouchy ...
When I don't eat Spiritually, I also have symptoms, except we often don't identify them as "Spiritual Hunger", but rather we embrace them as part of our character, as reality ... I feel fear, doubt, self reliance, "faith-low" ... and yes "grouchy" seems to fit in both categories ... these should be symptoms that trigger in our mind the realization that we are hungry or thirsty ... Spiritually hungry and thirsty for God!!!

If I haven't spent time in the Word and prayer, I start feeling fear with all that is going on, I doubt that I am doing the right thing ... is this crazy or what?  ... but the moment I "eat" and "drink" and that Spiritual food enters my heart, my spirit, the joy inexplicable returns, the peace that passes understanding!  His calling is renewed in my heart and the fear is gone, His love enters in.

As the worship song ... We are Hungry, we are thirsty, for more of You ...

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
-Psalm 42:1-2

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
-Psalm 63:1

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
-Rev. 22:17

Practical Instruction ...

About a month ago in my devotions, I was reading 1 Kings 13.  It is the very perplexing passage about the man of God that is sent with a message to the King and is instructed by God in v 9: For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’”

Then later in this passage, he encounters a false prophet that tells him that God told him to invite him in to eat and drink.  His guard is down, he does and … it is his demise.  If you haven't read it ... check it out ...

It is a very hard passage to read and at the time of my devotion, I was debating between pushing hard to go to the February trip or waiting for the April trip as my boss had suggested would be better.  At that time, the Lord used this passage to remind me to only listen to His instruction and to pursue the February trip.

Well, I was just talking with my mom about the trip to Haiti and sharing that I have an appointment next week at passport health to get vaccinations and orientation.  As I talked with her, she mentioned “The greatest risk in Haiti is food and water contamination.” … not anything new to any of us.  To this I replied: “Yes, but the base where we're staying is safe and we are instructed to not drink or eat outside of there.”.  The moment I said that, the Lord reminded me of this passage in 1 Kings 13!  How so very practical and specific!!!!  A warning to not eat or drink on the way for danger of death!!!!  God is so kind and merciful!

I know in times past, when I have purposed in my heart to fast, I have failed and eaten something simply because I have forgotten that I was fasting and ate when food was presented to me at work in a casual way by a friend, not because I was starving and fell prey to temptation.  At that time, the Lord reminded me that I could only fast in His strength.  I believe the Lord re-iterated this to my heart now with this passage to show how I need His strength and the power of the Holy Spirit even for something so simple and practical as only eating and drinking the water that is safe, along with a strong warning of genuine danger if I do not obey.

Lessons Mid-Sickness and Passport Praise Reports

I received my passport!!!  Praise the Lord!  It was actually not quite 2 weeks even though the agency was saying 2-3 weeks!!  As I hear more about the tickets to Haiti and other preparations, I'll post more.

Please keep me in prayer as I recover from this strep throat!  I am on antibiotics and slowly recovering.  Lord willing I will be back to normal on Monday for work.

I am encountering an interesting lesson in works of the flesh vs. the work of the Spirit.  I am reading a book by Tozer called “Living as a Christian” with a sub-title of “Teachings from First Peter”.  It is a huge blessing because as I talked with a friend earlier today, who was exhorting me with 1 Peter 1.  Then I went back to the book and saw the subtitle!!!  It is certainly interesting as I read this:

When the Old Testament priests went into the inner sanctum to offer sacrifices, they did not wear wool clothing, because wool made them perspire.  I imagine God was saying to the Jewish priesthood, “Now, do not mistake perspiration for inspiration. Your human perspiration will not glorify me, therefore, wear linen clothing so that you can keep cool and serve me scripturally and spiritually but calmly and coolly, and don’t imagine that by trying hard you’ll get anywhere.”  There is a lot of paganism in climbing Jacob’s ladder with white knuckles and tired muscles.  The Lord wants to kill all that let the Holy Ghost take over.

It is interesting because I have been thinking a lot of what it would be like to serve in Haiti and I am anticipating a lot of physical work and exhaustion.  Also with this time of being sick, I have been thinking a lot of the illnesses there.  With this passage it is almost like the Lord reminding me that His yoke is easy and His burden light.  That although there will be physical burdens and it will require effort, it must be accomplished in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Haiti, Here I Come!

It is happening!  I am going to Haiti!!  I just got an email confirming that I am officially on the team!

As I pray and wait a lot has required work and ugently moving in getting things done.  The todo list has gotten pretty long, but I am thrilled to see how the Lord has directed every step of the way ... it seems to be happening fast!

1. I have submitted all my application paperwork to go to Haiti with the ministry and sent the payment
2. I have submitted all the forms for renewing my passport - still waiting for the new passport .. please pray that I can get a number ASAP so that we can get my ticket to Haiti
3. I have bought my ticket to PR (as we leave as a team from PR) and the price was $333 (what a Godly number - and yes, great price!!!) 
4. I have registered for the Critical Incident Stress Management course - I will be taking this online during the month of January.

Amazing how everything is happening!  I keep reading about Haiti and hearing about Haiti in anything and everything.  I also just got an email with information on a concert that is informational and fundraiser for a ministry from another local church with an outreach to Haiti!  It is like the Lord is bringing every piece of Haiti info into my path!!

The Lord is so awesome to confirm it every step of the way!

Point of No Return

Over the past several years, the Lord has been drawing me to missions. The nature of the call and the ministry is vague in that I only can see the next step ahead of me.  The Lord is calling me to walk by faith and although the calling has been solidifying for a while now, I wanted to allow some time to go by to have something a bit more concrete to write about to share.  The life that I believe the Lord is calling me to is described in

"as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." - 2 Cor. 6:10 

Over the past year and a half, this calling has intensified through a number of amazing experiences.  In January 2010, as I visited dear friends in Missouri, the Lord spoke to my heart with Esther 2:12 that 2010 would be a year of preparation.  As the year has gone on, it has proven to be so and in multiple ways I have been preparing myself to be able to go when the Lord calls. 

I am often asked "where are you going?" ... my only answer up to this point has been "I don't know".  I have short term vision to visit my friend in Mexico where she is serving the Lord and to visit my best friend and her husband in Bulgaria once they go back ... of course, these in the Lord's timing and certainly neither of them permanent.

Preparing for something that I don't know what it will be is hard, but God is teaching me to walk by faith and go step by step.  The verse in Hebrews 11:8 certainly has taken on a whole new meaning and I can relate to it more than imaginable:

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going."

The faithfulness of the Lord has been such that He has brought me through a number of seemingly disjointed events over the last 18 months that are working together to a common good in His will.  These are almost innumerable and the guidance of God has been continual.  Some of these things are:

1. I went to Bulgaria in 2009, to visit my best friend in the midst of a hard situation that the Lord used in her life for amazing purposes (but that is another story).  There I first truly experienced culture shock in a way that I had not anticipated (particularly as it was my first time in a culture where I couldn’t speak the language), but I was also blessed to see believers used by the Lord.  I was humbled by how much was accomplished with so little.  I also visited some local orphanages and fellowshipped with the leader of an orphanage ministry there.  My heart has been forever transformed!!!
2. Taking the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team crisis management training earlier this year and I will be applying to be certified as a chaplain for critical incidents.  We shall see how the Lord uses this.
3. Paying off my debt (at least the non-mortgage debt).  It started when I sold my hot tub and paid off my car.  Then the Lord has faithfully provided and I have paid all of it off!!!
4. Spending time and fellowshipping with dear friends, brothers and sisters in Christ like-minded, whose heart and experiences are in the mission field either because they have been there, are there or will be returning there.  I can truly say that I have experienced "holy jealousy" in seeing how the Lord is using one of my dear friends and sister and longing that my life be poured out with the same abandon and completely purpose filled ... (Thank you! ... and keep it up!)
5. Toward the second week of November, I have been led of the Lord and I have put my house up for sale.  This move has been a step of faith trusting the Lord for His sovereign hand. If it is His will, He will bring it to pass that I may be free to serve Him as He chooses.  This is one item that has many aspects where each step has been directed by the Lord and has had His fingerprints all over it.  Among the many things where no coincidence could account for the miracles there are: divine appointments to meet and discuss the possible sale with the realtor at a Ladies prayer breakfast, that my dear friend from Missouri was in town the very week and lovingly offered to help with cleaning and staging my house for the sale ... and recruited others! (I couldn't have done it without you!)  God is sooooo good!!
6. This past November and beginning of December, I went to PR to visit family and tour around the Island with family and close friends.  During this trip, I was extremely blessed to fellowship with several brothers and sisters from Calvary Chapel of Puerto Rico and I was extremely blessed to hear testimonies of Pastor Dan having gone to Haiti and minister there.  During this fellowship, I was amazed and blessed to be invited to join the team on a trip to Haiti!!!

The Lord is opening the doors for me to go to Haiti in February 2011 and I am praying about going.  In the meantime, I am taking quite a few steps of preparation and steps in this direction including renewing my passport, submitting all the application paperwork, starting to incur the financial commitment for the trip, medical tests for the application (for vaccinations and blood type) - ironically the only time I recall getting a blood type test was in my high school science class during a lab ... I don't quite want to trust that for the application! :)

For additional information on the ministry, where I'm going and what I will be doing, please see this site:
http://www.calvarychapelhaitiinitiative.org/
Please keep this ministry and my participation in this trip in prayer.  I know it will be hard, but I am so hopeful of what the Lord will do.

I am so excited ... and I am also scared ... but the Lord is faithful.  Not too long ago I heard Pastor Jon Courson teaching and was very impacted by something he said:

Fear is not lack of faith, but a lack of memory … If I fear, I have forgotten what God has done for me and His provision or protection in the past. Faith is not the answer to fear, but rather Love, because Perfect Love casts out fear.  If I remember that God loves me Perfectly, I will not have fear.

As I share about this vision with different people, I have been overwhelmingly blessed receiving so many offers to be hosted and stay in their homes than houses I could ever afford.   I haven't even sold my house yet and I have been reminded of Mark 10:29-30:

So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ³⁰ who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

What will this mean?  Well, it's hard to know and certainly to describe ... I know that my secular job at Xerox is so un-eternal and yields no satisfaction.  I am there now as the Lord has, but I know it is temporary.  Only in doing the will of God will I be satisfied.  I am learning the meaning of Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

During a message, Pastor Ray said: "This endeavor will not succeed without prayer".  It is so true and it has become a phrase that I use as a reminder.  My prayer life has certainly intensified and I could use all your prayers.  Hold on tight as we watch this adventure the Lord is taking me on and seek the Lord for your own adventure!!!  He has amazing things for each one of us!!!  Let's trust Him and abandon ourselves in His capable hands!

I know to some, this may seem crazy ... maybe even a waste ... Just last week I heard something that also gripped my heart:

The missionary has the mind on heaven and on the eternal reward ... where the world says "what a waste", God says "Bullseye!"