Come... like this child

"And (Jesus) said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.'"

~ Matthew 18:3-5, NIV

Christmas - for me - is always a time to stop, think, and reflect on life. It is the season of celebration for the Christ-child. Jesus didn't first appear on earth as a man. He came as a child. And He calls for us to come to Him like children, as well.

Stop. Look around you. And notice the children. Watch them. And learn.

Innocence. Laughter. No pretense. Complete joy. Full of life. Eager to love.

I often realize that I am more comfortable around children than adults. I naturally gravitate toward them... as they often do with me. I can be myself around children. They'll see right through your act anyway. You might as well be real. And they won't hide their feelings from you. You'll know right off exactly how they feel about you - good or bad. ;-) And when they give you their love... it is unconditional and overwhelming. Their smile can brighten your day. And their pain can bring you to tears. When they willingly throw themselves into your arms, you feel like you can conquer the world! I long for those moments of utter joy. And I pray for the day that I can have my own. Children are such a blessing.

And God calls us to come to Him as children. Think about it. What does that mean for you?

Dear child, seek your heavenly Father without delay. Lovingly throw yourself into His waiting arms. And joy and peace will surely be yours.

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to

such as these.'"

~ Matthew 19:14, NIV

A Father's Joy; A Son's Pain

Praise God! Even the angels are rejoicing over our new brother in Christ! A gentleman who has long been around the Word of God has finally seen the light of Christ.

Living in a small village in Moldova, this man chose to make Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior during a small house church gathering about a week ago. Please pray for his new-found relationship with Jesus - that he will be steadfast in his faith. He lives in the midst of false religions and strong opponents to believers in Christ. (People in his culture have often been taught to fear Christians - who, among other things, are believed to be cannibals who poison children with candy and trick people into joining their "cult" through false teachings.) Pray that Satan's hold on this man's village will be released and that the love of Christ will be made known.

Another urgent prayer request if for this man's son - another brother in Christ (shown below).

This young man struggles with various undiagnosed medical conditions, and medicines are not readily available. Please pray for God's healing in his life.

Continue to pray for this family as they rejoice over the father, hurt for the son, and strive to share Christ among their neighbors.

Faithful Answers

Have you ever read Acts 12:1-17?

The persecution of believers in Christ was rampant . . . and the apostle Peter was thrown in prison. But “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (verse 5). The believers gather together in someone’s home, and in the midst of their prayers, an angel of the Lord appears to Peter in the prison, removes his chains, and leads him out of captivity. Then Peter makes his way to the home where the other believers are praying. After being recognized by the servant girl, Peter is kept outside the closed door.

Just imagine that you were Peter . . . You were captured, probably tortured and ridiculed, thrown into prison, and awaiting a public trial that will most likely lead to death. Then an angel of the Lord wakes you up, removes your chains, leads you out of your cell, past two sets of guards, and straight to the city gate. Then the gate miraculously opens by itself, you walk through, and the angel just disappears. So you make your way to your friends’ home to rejoice with them about these amazing events. And after all of this . . . you’re left standing alone outside a closed door AFTER the realization of who you are by a servant girl. And so you just stand outside knocking continuously on the closed door . . . in the hopes that someone will eventually answer and let you in!!! And if that wasn’t enough, the other individuals present – your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ – don’t even believe the servant girl’s claims. Their disbelief is followed by astonishment! Remember . . . they’re praying for Peter’s safe release. And when God answers . . . they are shocked and surprised. Didn’t they believe that God heard their prayers? Didn’t they have faith in God’s abilities? And why didn’t they trust that He would answer them?

Well, before we become too judgmental . . . don’t we do the same thing today? I’d like to share an example from my recent trips to Ukraine and Kazakhstan (in the former Soviet Union). I, along with several other travelers, was covering a story about American missionaries who are enabling and mobilizing Ukrainian believers to go into Kazakhstan as short-term or long-term missionaries. Whew! Understand? Anyway . . . I decided to send prayer requests and praises to folks back home (via cell phone text messages) throughout our trip. I knew that God would hear the prayers of His children. But honestly . . . I didn’t know how many people would actually be praying or whether or not God would answer. I’m not proud of my doubt, but thankfully I’m a fast learner. J Before I explain further . . . let me just let you read my text messages for yourself!

Thursday, September 7^th

Hey! Please pray for us to sleep well tonight. We have been traveling nonstop: plane flights, 6-hr drives, etc. Each night has been in a different city: central Ukraine then the southern coast and now out west. We’re all exhausted and are just beginning our travels – with another 6-hr drive tomorrow afternoon. Please pray! Thanks. ~Margie

Friday morning, September 8th

Please pray for no rain in Kiev, Ukraine, for the next few days, because we have mostly outdoor taping to do. Also . . . we’re having difficulty lining up transportation and a translator for next week in Kazakhstan. Thanks for your prayers! ~Margie

Friday evening, September 8th

PRAISE: We have all agreed that last night was the best night of sleep that any of us have had since arriving here. THANK YOU for your prayers! ~Margie

Saturday, September 9th

PRAISE: no rain today! God answered your prayers!!! Thank you! PRAYER REQUEST: We feel like we’re under attack. A crew member’s brother had a heart attack yesterday, our hostess is sick, there are major equipment failures, and everyone is on edge. We all appreciate your prayers! ~Margie

Sunday, September 10th

PRAISE: no rain today, the video guy’s brother is out of the hospital, our hostess is feeling better, and we’ve fixed some of the equipment problems! God is hearing and answering! There is power in your prayers. Thanks!!! PRAYER REQUEST: tomorrow’s taping includes hostess segments, an interview, and ministry at an orphanage. It’s a long day and our last in Kiev – before heading to Kazakhstan. Please pray that all gets accomplished. ~Margie

Tuesday, September 12th

PRAISE: We completed all that was needed in Ukraine. PRAYER: we just landed in Moscow, where we have a layover before flying to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. We will arrive very early tomorrow morning, and then we have a full day of taping before catching an overnight train to our next location. Thanks for praying! ~Margie

Wednesday, September 13th

PRAISE: we got the video we needed today in Karaganda. PRAYER: we’re on the overnight train right now, and we just found out that the only hotel in Pavlodar (Kazakhstan) doesn’t have any available rooms tomorrow night. There is no other place to stay, and we also have a full schedule tomorrow – beginning the moment we arrive. Please pray for God’s provision. ~Margie

Thursday, September 14th

PRAISE: once more God answered your prayers! We now have hotel rooms for tonight, and we got more than we hoped for on video today. PRAYER: we have several interviews tomorrow, and we need to get some more cultural shots before another overnight train ride. Busy, busy, busy! But things are coming together for a story. Praise God! ~Margie

Sunday, September 17th

Hey, everyone! It’s about 4am Sunday morning, and we’re heading to the Karaganda airport. We arrive in Kiev (via Moscow) late tonight. Then we leave for the States early tomorrow (Monday) morning. I’ll arrive in Florida early Tuesday morning. Almost home! J ~Margie

I think back to when I was on this trip overseas. At first I was “astonished” at God’s answering my prayer requests . . . and at the fact that people were actually praying. And then I began to count on it. In fact, other team members began to give me prayer requests to include in my text messages, because we were all trusting that each and every one of them would be answered. And they were! Wow! God is so incredibly amazing!!! (And it shouldn’t surprise a single one of us. Lesson learned.)

For those of you that were faithfully praying. . . THANK YOU!!!

Chain Reaction

A young family of believers in western Ukraine prays for direction. An International Mission Board missionary serving God in Kiev points the way. And people in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan hear the Gospel. Regardless of any obstacles, this Ukrainian family journeys to a foreign land for the purpose of glorifying God and spreading His name among those who have never heard the Good News.

They need our prayers. Please pray . . . now. For wisdom and guidance. For health - especially for their son. For persistant faith. For complete dependence on God. For Jesus Christ to clearly be seen through their lives. It will only take a minute of your time. And it could make an eternal difference in the lives of the people they encounter. Please pray.

A Call to Prayer

Yes . . . it has been a while since I’ve last posted a blog on here. While it’s true that I’ve actually been home for a few weeks now J . . . my life really hasn’t slowed much. You see, traveling is only one-third of my job. There’s the pre-production and planning process, the traveling and production aspects (videotaping, photographing, etc.), and lastly the post-production (logging, editing, etc.) of the videos and photos.

At the moment, I’m multi-tasking. I’m planning for new trips, videotaping locally for some current projects, logging photos/videotapes from previous trips, and editing a few video features. Basically, that’s pretty typical.

So how can you be praying for me right now? First and foremost . . . for God’s wisdom and direction. Because, you see, I cannot accomplish anything without Him. And for God to gain the glory in all that I do, I must first seek His face. Which leads me to prayer request #2 . . .

Please pray that I will not forsake my time with Christ each day. I desperately need discipline (in many areas of my life), and your prayers can be the gentle “push” behind my back when my stubbornness comes into play. I believe with all my heart that God does answer prayers. So pray with confidence, because you are being heard. And please let me know how I may be praying for you!

May God bless each of you right now as you’re reading these words! My prayers for you are attached to this message. And whether I know you or not . . . you have been prayed for. And the Father knows you intimately. Take care, my friends, and spend a moment in the presence of Christ right now. He’s waiting . . . and listening. J

Above and Beyond

“Have I lost church members? Are they alive? Is my church still standing?”

Pastor Keith Warden didn’t know what to expect after Hurricane Katrina came tearing through Picayune, Mississippi – devastating everything in its path. “And I think that one of the most emotional moments in my life was when I turned onto the boulevard where our church sits, and still seeing it stand there and still seeing that steeple pointing up to the Heavens, and just realizing that we’re still here. And we’re still going to be able to have a place where we worship and we reach this community from.”

Living down here in south Florida, I’ve personally experienced some very minor hurricanes in comparison to Category 5 Katrina. Now I know that this happened last August, and many of you probably don’t want to hear about it again . . . but I can’t help sharing this story. I’ve driven through Mississippi countless numbers of times – not to mention the numerous relatives that I have living throughout the state. Even knowing the extent of the damage, I was still shocked at the complete destruction that still litters the area. It was hard for me to reconcile that the scenes I was viewing this past weekend were the very same ones that I have viewed time and time again since I was a small child.

So why was I traveling in southern Mississippi this past weekend? Once again, I was covering another story about how God is moving in the hearts of believers. The people of First Baptist Church, Picayune have always seemed to be passionate about missions. And in obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) they decided to give a large sum of money to go toward the support of International Mission Board missionaries and their various ministries around the world.

Then Hurricane Katrina ripped through their neighborhoods.

How would this catastrophe impact these Christians’ hearts for missions and their goal for helping share the Gospel around the world? According to Pastor Keith, the response was not, “Well things are too tough. I can’t give.” The response was, “God has been too good. I have to give.” In fact, not only did this church meet their goal, they gave above and beyond their means . . . surpassing all of their expectations. Pastor Keith said that “people would walk up to (him) and give (him) their offering envelopes and make it clear that, ‘I’m still committed and I’m still intending to be faithful to God, regardless of what condition my house is in, or regardless of what condition my car is in. My commitment is to be faithful to God and to His church.’”

Wow! In the midst of their own great loss . . . of friends and relatives, of jobs and income, of homes and finances . . . these children of God still focused on the needs of others.

In Pastor Keith’s words, “I think there’s no greater gift that we can give the Kingdom of God than a willingness to offer up our resources to the Lord and say, ‘Use this for Your glory, and use this to spread Your fame throughout the world.’ And so I know that in my heart, as a pastor, I know that what I believe to be in the heart of our people as a church, we want every missionary, we want every person that God has sent out . . . around the world, to be able to focus on that agenda, focus on that eternal mission, without being concerned about resources, without being concerned about materials and supplies. Time is just so short, and the mission is just so important that if we don’t resource everything we have to achieve the Great Commission, then we have failed our God . . . And so our prayer is that we can continue to be a giving body, a sending body, a going body, so that the world may know that He is King of kings, and He’s Lord of lords.”

What more can I say?
“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” ~ 2 Corinthians 8:2-5 ~

From the mouths of babes...

We're always hearing about how we, as Christians, should be out there telling other people about Christ. Well let me tell you . . . in Gainesville, Florida, there's a 9-year-old girl doing just that!

What an awesome story! Sarah's actively involved in missions and outreach. She recently went with her family on a international church mission trip to Brazil, and every week she goes with her mom to do community outreach in local neighborhoods. Sarah openly shares the Gospel with other children that she encounters, and she often carries an Evangicube to help her illustrate the story of Jesus's love. It's so encouraging to see a child have such a passion about sharing Christ with strangers!

And talk about a challenge . . . are you . . . and am I . . . that passionate about telling others about God? Is there really anything more important than praising God and sharing His love with everyone that we meet? We could learn from someone like Sarah. And I truly believe that God has great things in store for this young child who is already actively – and passionately – serving Him!

"And Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My Name welcomes me.'" – Matthew 18:3-5, NIV

Orchestrated by God

My two main prayer requests were simple . . . that I would gain the images (via photo and video) that would most glorify God, and that I would be guided by His plans instead of my own.

I knew that I would be traveling to Nigeria for the purpose of gaining several different stories (on video) to share with churches back here in the States . . . primarily to gain prayer support for the Christian personnel serving overseas and their ministries among various people groups. But I had made absolutely no progress on one of the stories before I began my travels. My only contacts weren't returning my emails or phone calls, and I was all set to drop that particular video segment. Deciding to wait until I got to the field . . . I put it on the backburner. But the catch was that we desperately wanted to get this footage! You see, our stateside Woman's Missionary Union is having a prayer focus this year specifically on Nigeria. And I have heard such wonderful things about the Nigerian WMU and the many ministries that they're involved in. What an encouragement and a challenge for the women in the States to see what the Nigerian women are accomplishing on a totally different continent! I planned to do anything in my power to get the story. But that was initially my problem. I tried for months to contact the Nigerian WMU. I even emailed and phoned others here in the States and in Nigeria to help me in my quest. Everything failed. Now comes the good part! God was waiting on me to allow Him to work. Yes, He allowed me to be His vessel, but it was by using His power instead of my own.

Let me explain. As I said earlier, I began the trip with no leads. A few days after arriving in Nigeria, I was finally able ~ with the help of some new friends ~ to arrange an interview with the Nigerian WMU President. I (and the group I was with) left the city as scheduled for "the bush." Unfortunately, the WMU president would be arriving in the city the day after we left, but she was willing to meet us in the bush on her way to the city. Whew! Confused yet?
Anyway . . . the appointed time arrived. Minutes passed and then hours. She didn't arrive, and the sun was slowly moving closer to the horizon. Once darkness arrived then all would be lost. There was no electricity, and we were dependent on the sun's light for the images to be clearly seen on video.

As we were waiting, I struck up a conversation with the Nigerian pastor (Joshua) who was assisting us with our various projects while we were traveling through the bush. Because this gentleman was unfamiliar with the reasons for us wanting to cover a story on the Nigerian WMU, I began to explain. Joshua expressed his disappointment with the probability of us losing the interview opportunity. What I said next probably shocked me as much as it did him. Typically (when in the States) I would get totally stressed out and a little upset about things not going according to schedule ~ especially when I was the producer directly responsible for the outcome! Instead I replied with, "You know, I'm not worried at all about her not showing up. I know that people have been praying for me back home, and I just need to trust in God's plans. If she doesn't show up for some reason . . . then that just means that God must have something better in mind. And His purposes are far greater than mine."

Joshua just looked at me (speechless) for a moment, and then he began to tell me how important it was for me to get that particular interview. He proceeded to explain about how much good is accomplished by the Nigerian WMU. In fact, since his father died when he was very young, he and his mother had very little money to spare. When God gave Joshua the desire to become a pastor, he had no way to pay for his seminary education. That's when he encountered the blessings from the WMU. They not only paid for his entire education, but they also provided for his daily transportation. Joshua knows that God is sovereign, and he believes that the WMU was the chosen instrument used to accomplish His purposes. Joshua firmly believes that without the assistance from the Nigerian WMU, he would not be able to serve God in the capacity that he's in today. (And Joshua's doing some incredible work for the Lord all over the country!)

Wow! Talk about a story. I realized right away that as Joshua was talking, I wanted to pull out the camera and capture his passionate words. Hearing women of the WMU state what they do is okay, but hearing a recipient of their ministry efforts tell about how his life was changed is more than I hoped for! (Needless to say, he was willing to tell me everything again on camera, and we were able to tape everything before the sun set! Not to mention that we were also able to get some cover footage over the next several days.) And get this . . . early the next morning as we were preparing to head out to some new villages, the WMU President showed up . . . just as the sun began to rise. She (and her entourage) were traveling the day before and got a flat tire! They had to stop somewhere overnight and then continue their travels the next morning. She didn't expect to actually be able to see us, but she was more than willing to be interviewed anyway.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but our God is sooo awesome!!! If this lady had arrived on time then I never would have heard Joshua's story. I've been reminded that I need to always be flexible and adaptable. My plans cannot always remain firm, and the Lord's plans are always better. And He used YOUR prayers to illustrate this. Only through your willingness to lift my requests up in prayer was I able to wait on God and gain the images that He desired for me to get. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! :-)

The Bush

I know, I know . . . it's been way too long since I've updated y'all on my Nigeria trip. Suffice it to say that I'm back safe and sound, but I've been running around "like a chicken with my head cut off" trying to get everything accomplished now that I'm back in country.

I've had many people lately ask me about "the bush" in Nigeria. What is "the bush?" Well . . . it's exactly what it sounds like:


You know, when I think of Africa . . . I often think of the many wild animals that roam the land. Hmmm . . . maybe other parts of the continent, but definitely not in West Africa. There's very little water, and unfortunately most of the animals have either migrated or been served up for dinner. (We often saw people hunting for rats or other small animals that are still around . . . in the hopes of finding their next meal.)

One thing that definitely still stands out in my mind is the attitudes of the people. In spite of the lack of food and water or the dry, hot, dusty climate . . . they were so happy with their lives and content with their lifestyles. Everyone we encountered greeted us eagerly and with a smile. I've heard so much about the danger and the crime, but God must have really protected us as we traveled, because we really didn't experience that side of Nigeria. Quite the opposite in fact, and I would readily return -- in a heartbeat!

Worshiping Abroad

SUNDAY WORSHIP in Nigeria was a wonderful experience this morning. Hands clapping, people dancing, obvious praise and prayer to the Father . . . It’s just incredible being in a different part of the world and still openly joining with brothers and sisters in Christ as we worship the same God! There are so many people that don’t know the truth – even here – but today was a reminder of God’s hand at work in people’s hearts. It’s truly refreshing to share the joy of the Lord with strangers in another land and culture. <><

I’m just so thankful that we’ve started this trip in giving glory to God! And now the time comes for us to journey deep into the “bush” and to mingle among those that have never heard the gospel. We’re not sure if they’ve ever seen foreigners, and we may not be welcome among their villages. I pray that the chiefs in the various villages will be open to our presence and our words. And we definitely have some adventure heading our direction . . . especially in the ways that we’ll be living, traveling, and eating – (not to mention the lack of bathroom facilities)! :-)

Airplane thoughts

I'm trying something new again -- emailing a blog entry.  Let's see if it works!  :-)   I'm in an airport right now, and here's a short journal entry that I wrote a few hours ago.  I thought that I'd share:

I'm sitting on the airplane waiting to begin this leg of my journey to West Africa.  At least I'm already starting it off right... in utter dependence on God!  That's the only way that I could have made it this far today.

 

Editing videos, replying to emails, no sleep, returning phone calls, mailing packages, paying bills, skipping meals, packing equipment, organizing travel schedules... the list is endless.  And yet that about sums up my last few days.

 

And now, I'm finally airborne.  The journey begins.  Please, God, prepare me for what you have in store.  Please change me, Lord, into who I need to be for the people of Nigeria.  I'm already tired.  Please, Father.  Lift me up and carry me.  Be my rest as I now close my eyes.