Tickets to Africa

First Published on March 9, 2017

The last you heard from us in the form of a newsletter, we were headed to Brazil on a survey trip. That was in the spring of 2015.  

You were praying with us about a possible return to southern Brazil, where we have lived and worked and hoped to return. We visited our friends and former mission team members, considering the job of overseeing a developing halfway house ministry. We took Jonah with us, and while it was a good trip for all three of us—and for the other two who got to spend some quality time with family in Colorado—it was clearly not something God was calling us to. We continue to pray for the success of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are currently involved in that particular ministry in Porto Alegre but are confirmed that we are not to be physically present in the work. 

Since that trip, we have been investing our energy and resources into The Gem, the non-profit recreation center we run on behalf of the community in Springtown, Texas. We've been working here for five years and have watched it develop into a vibrant community center, offering safe, family-friendly programming that brings people into community with one another and offers Bible studies to those interested in knowing and understanding God and His purpose for our lives more. We have taken this charge very seriously and have even moved into the facility to keep it open when it wasn’t producing enough revenue to pay the bills. 

Now we find ourselves struggling financially to keep this place up and running but see its potential being realized day by day. For instance, we appreciate the board of directors for their recent decision to step down in a gesture that would allow others with fresh vision and energy to assume the direction of The Gem. We’re asking God to raise up individuals to step into the necessary roles to make that happen, and we continually ask Him to make it clear to us what our particular jobs should be.

That being said, we recently received an invitation to participate in a mission to Africa. This happens to be the same opportunity that was presented to us a couple of years ago when we turned it down to pursue the halfway house ministry in Brazil. Another family who had been praying with us about both opportunities ended up moving to Malawi, Africa to work in a medical clinic. We felt that both invitations had been revoked and we were confirmed that we should simply stay put and work at The Gem.

The new invitation is coming from a family in Malawi who digs wells for villages that have no running water. They have been there for twelve years and are moving back to the States in June. We are intrigued at God’s timing to transfer The Gem into our charge at the same time we are being invited to assume the role of well-digging evangelist in Africa. We hope this means that God wants The Gem to partner with a foreign mission, because we are aware of the great need in the world and would like to think that what our community has created here could contribute.

We have taken the next logical step, and John bought tickets to go see the need and how our ministry here might help to fulfill it. We’ve never felt that God wanted The Gem to be just another church in this city, but we have asked for Him to make it more than just a recreation center. We ask you to join us in praying for the miracle it would take to cause these two ministries to work together, if that is indeed what should happen here. We are completely open to whatever God wills but know we cannot face this challenge alone. What can you do to help? Please pray for certain. Also, we just bought very expensive plane tickets to Africa and will need traveling cash on top of that. Any financial gift you would like to send to our non-profit organization at The Gem will be directed towards the trip.

Tickets to Brazil

First Published on March 31, 2015

Against all odds, we finally bought tickets to Brazil for a survey trip in April. We had tentative plans last year to go, but they never came to fruition. We weren’t sure it was a good idea that we consider moving back to Brazil, so we let the powers of the air dictate our circumstances, and the survey trip never happened. This time around the resistance to our plans was just as strong, but our resolve has also grown to the point that we were willing to push a bit harder, trusting that the hindrances were not from God. 

My mother left us over 90,000 air miles to use for travel. The first day John researched the trip, it took him several hours to find an itinerary that would go through Natal and Porto Alegre (both places we have lived in Brazil, and over 2,500 miles apart). Once he had it together and we agreed on the flight details, he went to book two of the tickets with those air miles, only to discover my brother had tapped into the account and commandeered the miles. I suppose we could contest that, but, as I stated in our last newsletter, we would rather not unnecessarily engage any more with the enemy. So, we lost that itinerary.

The next time around, we realized that we couldn’t afford to take all the kids or to go through Natal, so John booked tickets to Colorado, where we plan to leave Andy and Ben with John’s family, while we take Jonah to Porto Alegre. He went to pay using our check card. It was denied. Apparently our daily spending limit was too low, so he asked for that to be raised. It was a Friday and they said nobody could approve it until Monday. So, we lost that itinerary. 

Monday came and we stayed on the phone with the bank for what seemed like an eternity. Then they told us our spending limit had been raised and we could purchase the tickets. We did. A couple of days later we got an email saying the bank ultimately denied the charge and we were not confirmed on that flight after all. They approved the one to Colorado, so we had tickets for our whole family to get to Denver, but no tickets out of Denver to Brazil. It was at that point we realized what we were dealing with. God doesn’t play games like this with his disciples and this was too crazy to be coincidence. So, we pressed on.

Throughout all of this, we have been in touch with our friends and former team mates in Porto Alegre, Kevin and Benay Blume. They’re the ones who planted the seed for our return in the first place. Kevin had the idea to let us line up the itinerary and send him the information necessary to purchase the tickets. We did, and voilà we now have tickets to Brazil! 

So, why Brazil and not Africa for a survey trip? Some of you have been praying with us about those options and know we have been discussing the possibility of both. We feel we owe you an explanation. Here are some key points that helped us make this decision:

• We have been invited into a very specific ministry in Brazil, working on a drug and alcohol rehabilitation farm, teaching and discipling men to integrate back into society. That could develop into any number of things later on, but it is a good entry point.
• The ones inviting us are a couple we worked with in 2002-2005 and feel confident working with again. 
• We have lived in Porto Alegre (Andy was born there), so it would not be like completely starting over.
• We already speak the language and many people have put money into our training for that part of the world.
• A support team is being assembled, including some former team members who plan to stay stateside and work the mission from this end.
• Without our asking, a few individual have already given us money to make this trip and have committed to helping us financially throughout the mission.

Now, all that being said, we understand that our ways are not God’s ways and His understanding is far above ours. If He should choose to let us spend lots of time and money to survey this possible ministry then send us elsewhere, we would gladly go. Please pray for us as we plan this trip—that God’s voice would be heard above all others. 

Our friends sent us this picture, saying the guys at the rehab farm have cleared this site and will soon begin building a house for our family to move into. That’s faith! 

Eternal Inheritance

First Published March 4, 2015

I signed away my inheritance last week. It wasn’t an easy decision and it wasn’t my first choice, but after months of legal tug-of-war, John and I felt it was best. This started when my brother accused us of mismanagement of my mother’s estate and threatened to file a criminal lawsuit, so we hired an attorney to defend ourselves. She professed to be Christian—the daughter of missionaries. We felt like we were in good hands and that with God on our side, a Christian attorney, and the American legal system, we were sure to be exonerated. Many well-meaning friends told me with conviction that nobody can steal an inheritance from the person clearly named in someone’s will—not in Texas anyway. I might have agreed six months ago, but I now stand corrected. 

Because my brother was already quite wealthy, he was able to hire a more expensive attorney who effectively bullied ours with the threat of investigation. I considered allowing them to take us to court, knowing that there was no criminal activity to discover, but our lawyer reminded us that we were out of money and would be representing ourselves. We realized the only reason to go to court would be to prove our innocence and possibly win back my half of the estate. We didn’t feel either was a good enough reason to drag our family through any more unnecessary turmoil. 

Scriptures like I Corinthians 6: 1-8 also helped guide our decision:

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

One day after we resolved to put it behind us, a friend sent the name of a lawyer he had told about our situation, who agreed to take our case pro bono. He has tried cases before the supreme court and is said to be one of the best in the state. I admit it was tempting, but not as tempting as the option to be done with this whole scenario once and for all, so I signed the papers giving my portion of the inheritance to my brother—minus possibly enough to restore our emergency fund.

We are choosing to listen to God’s Word, to suffer wrong and be defrauded, because as disappointing as my brother and the legal system have been to us, I know God will not disappoint. Lamentations 3:58 says, “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.” We realize we don’t need the law on our side as much as we need Jesus.

Thank you for your concern and many prayers throughout this ordeal. Please, don’t feel sorry for us or give in to the temptation to believe God didn’t show up. We were never promised health, wealth, or even happiness in this life. We hope for what is to come and ultimately are thankful to be included in the trials that make us more like our Savior. 

Sure, I wanted justice regarding this matter, but I do not want justice in God’s court. No, I want grace—lavish and unmerited. And so I make it my goal to listen first and foremost to the counsel I get from the Bible and am willing to be called a criminal in this life and give up my earthly inheritance if it means being judged righteous and receiving an inheritance in the life to come.

This photo of our family with both grandmothers was taken after my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The hope of this heavenly reunion in the presence of Jesus is worth more money than the world can hold.

What Happened to Your Mission Plans

First Published on January 24, 2015

Our friends moved to Malawi, Africa, last year, and most of you know we planned to go with them. We took the idea very seriously and, after much prayer and fasting, made the decision to go. We gave our plans to God and expected that He would bless us with support. When we found ourselves working against the grain in every aspect of preparation, we began to rethink the idea. We were willing to do whatever it would take to answer God’s call, we just weren’t sure He was calling us to that particular mission. Eventually, we were sure He wasn’t—at least not then. But the desire and stirring never left either of us. Then we opened our eyes to another possibility.

Other friends and former mission team members in Porto Alegre, Brazil, had been hinting that we might consider returning to that city. Our team has changed greatly since we left shortly after Andy was born. There are only two families still living there and they are each involved in separate ministries, both dealing with drug and alcohol rehabilitation—very different than the traditional church plant we were a part of in 2002. After more prayer and fasting, we felt sure we needed to consider that work. This time, we even had verbal commitment from a few key individuals at a prospective supporting church. It seemed they would at least send us on a survey trip, so we got our passports renewed and began planning our trip. In the end, that church decided not to begin a new work in a country they didn’t already sponsor, so our survey trip was cancelled. Though it felt like a punch in the gut, we didn’t blame them. We felt that God was once again saying no.

You may call us fickle, but that would imply we keep changing our minds. We don’t. We are absolutely prepared to move our family anywhere God calls us. We were completely committed to join the work overseas, regardless of which part of the world God chose for us. It would take the space of an entire newsletter to explain how the doors were shut on both destinations, but for now, suffice it to say we apparently have more work here in Springtown, Texas, to do. So, it would seem, our mission field is right under our noses. You can see a picture of it and the church that has developed from it on the front page.  

We love these folks and the opportunities The Gem has afforded us: employment, recreation for us and our kids, a homeschool group, and friends that are more like family. And—most importantly—we are blessed to have people around us who are hungry for God’s word. You may remember Dave, who was baptized last summer. Well, his son Luthor has been a part of our studies and decided to get baptized just before the holidays on his thirteenth birthday, reminding us that the local harvest is still full. (That’s Ben studying the event from poolside.)

Here’s Luthor and his younger siblings, with three reasons we’re glad he chose to follow Jesus. (This was taken last 4th of July.)

So, I guess the answer to the question about our plans is that we are learning to live out God’s idea of mission above our own. It may not always be what we had envisioned, but if souls are being saved, we can be sure it’s from Him and right where we need to be.

Eden's Baptism

First Published on November 29, 2014

Recently, John baptized a seven-year-old girl, which was unusual for us, because we usually see adults or older children baptized. Sometimes kids want to do what their parents are doing but, after some discussion, we find out that little ones don’t grasp the meaning of baptism, so we wait. Eventually, the kids grow into an understanding of what their parents have done, and through study with mom and dad, they make that decision on their own. That seems to be the typical rythm of the process, anyway. Last month, however, a little girl named Eden reminded us that there is nothing typical about God’s ways.

Here’s Eden (in the middle), holding her baby brother, with her mom and younger sister: 

Her parents were baptized in September and are the ones allowing us to stay in their travel trailer until we get the legal battle with my brother resolved. Needless to say, you can get pretty close to someone when you share a back yard. That’s why we were so alarmed to hear that Eden was obsessing over disturbing thoughts and images that were robbing her of her innocence. When she shared some of them with me, I immediately thought she must have been exposed to something very inappropriate, but then she told me about a scenario playing over and over in her head, which involved my mother, whom she described to me in detail. (Eden has never met my mother nor seen a picture of her.) Baffled, we prayed with her parents that God would help her. It was greatly affecting their whole family.

Eden said she was asking God to take away her bad thoughts, but she was sure she needed to be baptized. We weren’t so sure, but after much discussion, she politely insisted that it was necessary. (I must add that Eden is a precocious little girl, who usually knows the answers to the questions asked in Bible class. She’s also memorized large chunks of Scripture and seems to be gifted with spiritual wisdom well beyond her years.) Her parents were impressed by her conviction and asked John to baptize her right away. We used a birthing tub the family has used for the home births of their children. John and I found that ironically appropriate. 

Since her baptism, Eden’s disturbing thoughts have ceased and she has returned to being her normal carefree self—a smart and thoughtful little girl. The immediate change in her demeanor is remarkable, and I have found cause to ask God to give me a deeper understanding of spiritual warfare and the accountability of children to His Word. 

Acts 16:                                                                                              

…32And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

Ben's Teeth

Since moving back to the States, we haven't had medical insurance. Instead, we have one of those Christian bill sharing plans that has an astronomical deductible and is good only to keep us from going bankrupt in the event of a catastrophic illness. After the report we got at the dentist recently, we were faced with the reality of suddenly producing that deductible to save Ben's teeth. 

Here is Ben at his first ever dentist's visit:  

We weren't planning to take our kids to the dentist any time soon; we simply couldn't afford it. Our friend Dee heard that Ben had never been and took it upon herself to get us a complimentary appointment with her cousin, who happens to be a dentist. Jonah and Andy had great reports, but we were shocked to hear that Ben's mouth was full of cavities. We were referred to a pedodontist (a dentist for children) and ended up getting a second then a third opinion because we were facing up to $10,000 in surgery. The consensus was that he needed three pulpotomies (like a root canal for a baby tooth) and three crowns, plus several other smaller fillings. We questioned the necessity of spending so much on teeth that were destined to be replaced in a few years, but were educated on the importance of the space they occupy in allowing the adult teeth to properly align as they come in.

Apparently Ben has suffered from acid reflux that has decayed his teeth as he sleeps. That's why he has been tossing and turning at night and complaining of stomach aches and why the cavities are all in between his teeth where we couldn't see them. (We are treating him for reflux and he seems to be doing better.)

We couldn't afford to have the surgery done here, so we began the process of planning to take him to Brazil where dental care is excellent and much cheaper. Our former mission team members served as liaison to get us an appointment with a pedodontist there. We rushed Ben's passport renewal and prayed for open doors in time to avoid abscess of his already weakened teeth.

In the meantime, an acquaintance told us about a local pedodontist who he called "something of a wizard in these situations". We gave him a try and found him to be the answer to our prayers. He agreed to do the procedure in his office with local anesthesia and scheduled the first visit the very next day on his lunch hour. It took him about thirty minutes to finish up the two worst teeth and he charged us only half price for the procedure, which we had available because of some very generous friends. Now we can wait until after Thanksgiving to finish up with one more crown and some fillings in the smaller cavities. We are so very thankful for God's provision.

Here's Ben with his new silver teeth, which he loves to show off, and the prize he got for being so well behaved during the procedure:

When This is Said and Done

Losing my mother to Alzheimer’s has introduced a new level of challenge to our family. After she passed away this summer, I anticipated a quiet period of reflection and healing for us and our children. It's been emotionally taxing on everyone. Instead, we find ourselves in the middle of an unfortunate legal ping pong match, because my brother believes we have embezzled money from my mother's estate. 

Living in a travel trailer instead of my mother's house is a daily reminder of the accusations against us, and it’s been difficult to pray for my brother as we are told to pray for our enemies. I confess my initial attempts were not kind, but with God’s help, I've been able to sincerely pray for spiritual blessings over him and his family. Despite our petitions, his paranoia continues to grow and we are forced to relive every financial decision we've made over the past few years as we provide records for his attorney to scrutinize. While exoneration would be nice, we are simply praying for a quick resolution.   

We have weighed very heavily Scriptures like these:

I Corinthians 6: 

Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?…

Matthew 5:

Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

We have no plans to pursue what's left of my inheritance through litigation, but we have retained a lawyer to help us get out from under the legal tie that binds us to my mother’s estate. God has blessed us with a mature Christian attorney who claims she can do nothing without the favor of God. Please join us in prayer, as we have our hearts set on returning to the foreign mission field when this is all said and done.