Sweetly Sad Parting

If you didn’t know, ESL is out for the summer and our director has stepped back to only doing Clothing Bank since she recently began taking care of her aging parents.

Our new ESL Director, Sharalynn, has come up from within and has hit the ground running, seeking English speaking teachers and childcare volunteers to come along side students a few hours, once a week.

Yet her heart is a light in this neighborhood.  Her ministry this summer is to visit each of the students at home and get to know the students’ family dynamics and any obstacles there may be to learning.

As we prayed together, yesterday, she is amazed at all Christ is revealing.  There is a bright and cheery student that has worked hard in her classes with us over the last year.  In her 3 bedroom apartment is her teenage son, her husband’s parents, and his 105 year old grandmother.  The grandmother cannot interact from her hospital bed but swings from quiet groaning to listening stillness.  The teen is laying on the couch with his smart phone, barely up from sleeping in this afternoon.

Our student says they are her 2 babies.

In her culture, when she married, she left behind her family and took on her husband’s to care for and nurture.  She does not know the fate of her own.

Her husband has been in Ohio for awhile, looking for work.  He has recently found something to support them all and will be bringing the family there this summer.

Though we do not share the same culture, language, or faith, we have been able to walk beside this woman and show her Christ’s love.  Do not pity her or weep for her.  She feels her sorrows are not greater than our own.

She chooses to look for the good, spread her smile liberally, seeking to learn the language and customs of the U.S. so that she may take great care of her husband and family.

As I lift Sharalynn and our refugee community up in prayer, and think of how so many have come over the last few years.  I’m not so sure God isn’t willing us to see how much their love and sacrifice for family is something a materialistic society has lost.

Christ, let Your will and love reign as You seek to find all Your lost lambs.

A "Sending" Ministry

You might have heard me say how I love my “sending” church, CCC.  Seems like whenever we meet in small groups, there is at least one of us missionaries in every four attending.  No wonder I feel like they “get me.”  =)

If you don’t know or haven’t guessed, a “sending” ministry, like ROP, is a place where you get taught and equipped in such a way that you are passionate about serving Christ in new ways.; wherever He may lead.

Part of my passion and excitement with ROP and relational ministry, is the family and community that builds in the light of God’s truth.

I spoke about ROP summer interns in my last letter, so let me introduce to our three youth ministry interns.

Alex (left) comes to us from New Life Missions Church.  His youth group came to host a summer VBS group with us.  He kept coming for the following 3 years.  This year he is a college freshman and interning with our youth ministry staff until school starts.

Victor (center) started attending our elementary age youth nights, back when we were still called Prodigal. Victor came to know Christ and deepen his walk at ROP.  Once in Middle School, he began volunteering to help with the younger kids. He is now going into the 10th grade and a steady help to youth ministry kids, volunteers and staff.  This summer he was eager to sign up for a full ROP summer internship.

Pricilla (right) was invited to youth nights 3 years ago by Victor.  She loves the Lord and helping kids.  She didn’t hesitate to sign up, either.  =)

Every year I work with the interns that come through our doors, many of whom still keep in touch.  I love to hear how they have started ministries back at their own colleges or churches.

I love the invitation God gave us to be a part of their new story in Christ!

“Created To Be Hated”

I pulled up behind a black sports car with tinted windows at a stop light only to read this sticker in his back window.

I don’t know why I’m even shocked at a negative bumper sticker, or anything else, for that matter.  So much of our culture defines itself in the negative:  “Hate the haters,” “Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me.”

As Christians surrounded and immersed in this atmosphere, it is difficult not to join in…  share with the world only that which we hate, don’t believe in, or shun.  Forgetting the old song “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love.”

Yet, even if we share ourselves in positive terms, the prejudice and intolerance of the world is not comfortable in the light of God’s love.  Christ warns us, “If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first.” John 15:18.

I don’t believe Christ used a negative statement to create a divide, but to show us love and encourage us to be merciful and gracious with a world of sinners that do not know or understand the unconditional love of Christ.

Not one of us was created to be hated; only once sin entered in did we become hated.  Only in choosing to walk with Christ am I willing to be hated in order that I might learn to love those who hate me.

Passive or Active?

Why is it easier to spend three hours on Facebook then to schedule and enjoy an hour with a friend over coffee or whatever?

My husband likes to say that no one calls him, it’s always him making the call so he gives up. “Dee” says when she wants to go out with a friend, they are always busy.  "Tom" says he gets invited to bars and doesn’t want to hang out at places like that.  I’ve used a few of these, myself, in the old days.

Life is busy, schedules don’t always match and sometimes kids and crisis cause us to fail to reach out for a stretch of time.  There is no sin in these.  Why do you think Facebook took off so well in the first place?

Passive interaction takes a lot less commitment, time and responsibility than an active relationship.  No one sees my dirty kitchen or living room online.

I mean, Jesus never used networking, yet I am learning from His example more every time I read about it.

He sought, even if it meant leaving home, work, even convenience.  He offered, He didn’t beg and if something was drawing the other person away, He let them go.  He made Himself available. In Luke 8:45, Jesus stopped on the way to His planned appointment to address a  divine one.

Christ has made me more sensitive.  As a missionary, there’s responsibilities I owe to my supporters, my volunteers, my teams, my boss and those I serve.  Add to that serving my family and my church as part of their prayer team and hosting a small group in my home.

I understand wanting to sit on the couch & veg. I also know the echo of feeling unseen, unknown, or just misunderstood.  The desire for a friend and then the reality of my schedule.

I came up with a name for it: Chaos Management.  I start the day with prayer and a plan.  If I get it even half done, that’s success.  Additionally, if I get none of it done, but fulfilled a divine appointment, that’s success.

Christ has used ministry in my life to teach me the value and worth of living in the moment.  Continual prayer for each next task or person that God brings to me, or to my mind.  Serving Him actively makes me available and interruptible, more by far, than just watching TV.  Even if the moment is still, I want to be  abiding in Him and waiting expectantly.

PR for Christ?

 “You’re Public Relations Director? I thought you said you’re a missionary?”

Everyone has their own image of what PR is and rarely do they think of ministry in conjunction.  It was much easier to raise support as a missionary when my title was Youth Ministry Director. =)

Yet I love the relations part of my title.  I love to create relationships and community by breaking down fears and anger with awareness and collaboration.

Yes, getting the word out about our ministry & what we’re doing by website, newspaper, radio or whatever is part of what I do.  Yet, the real fun is in creating relationships that match God’s model & not the world’s.

Ministering to poverty and the marginalized looks very different in America than any where else in the world.  

The world is about the biggest bang for the buck.  Funding is about numbers and in dealing with this, I’m afraid a lot of churches and organizations are so protective of their “numbers of people served (saved)” that they are fearful or reluctant to partner with other groups or services.

This is very human but not very  biblical.  

The father of lies doesn’t want us to remember the loaves and fish, etc.

I show up at city meetings every month because the city & county programs are desperate to meet faith-based groups.  Now is the time God gave to connect.

I meet with anyone that serves our same community to generate partnerships that reach beyond numbers to real community development through relationships.

I use Twitter to promote other ministries even more than my own, to serve them.

I seek to understand the fears and share biblical solutions.  I teach by being willing to lose numbers, that people may find new life, new churches, new family resources, new avenues to self-sufficiency.

I desire to have a public faith and be relational for Christ. That's PR to me.  =)

It's About Faith in Action

For some reason, this keeps coming up recently, so I thought maybe it’s time to share again…    

I am a missionary that raises support.  I have never made my full support, though I have had fuller years and leaner years.  What does that mean? Is God not for me, am I faking my calling?

No.  I do not serve a God of disparity.  I believe all the money is God’s.  I tithe to support His kingdom.  (Numbers 18:26-29)  What does support look like to me?  More than money, which is a tool that God uses, (but is not confined to using).

The first thing that pops into my head when people ask me how I live on 1/3 of my support?  You, my ministry partners.  And a lot of other everyday Christians just like you.  The body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:25-26)

"Nina" offering haircuts & spending the time in the chair catching up with the ministry, asking what to pray for & making sure I’d be back every two months.  "Caro" hearing that I was taking meetings with the city & offering me suits that didn’t fit after her weight loss.

"D" & "J" who returned for a time to help me make a difference.  Joining with others to give special monetary gifts and those that just faithfully give each month.  I share a special memory and experience with every one of my missionary team.  You are my partners, cheerleaders, and champions.

Every time I give it to God first and faithfully share my needs with you, without   expectation or shame, He is faithful to your prayers, in-kind gifts, donations, and service along side me.  

I have had my times of doubt.  When my focus is on Caesar’s money and not God’s provision.  Knowing I can make more in the corporate world to share with my family, I ask Him to reveal to me where He really wants me.  (Proverbs 30:8-9)  I don’t want to be a missionary because of my passion, but because of His will.

Every time, within a day, hours or even minutes.  A note, card, call, even an unexpected new donor, even multiple ones, flood in to renew His call on my life.  A cloud of witnesses to His truth.

I lead a simple life of faith.  I want to live in my heart the songs, “I Give Myself Away;” along with  “I Surrender All.”

I always want to see support raising as an opportunity to meet people that desire to serve & wish to share in the journey that draws us closer to Christ.

April ~ National Volunteer Month

The cornerstones of my missionary calling are relational ministry and asset based community development (ABCD).  I committed to the belief that community development starts with passionate everyday people.  Where I work we keep our staff numbers small and look to our community of churches and neighbors to come together to find or make solutions that fit our neighborhood.

We can think of nothing so important then that we honor the people who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems.  So, on April 26th, ROP will hold our annual Volunteer Dinner to celebrate and honor those that make our ministry and God’s kingdom alive and growing to meet the needs of so many.

I have been a witness to many of your gifts of few hours, once a week to bless our kids, parents and neighborhood.  These acts all deserve to be applauded, and as a faith based ministry that cannot do its work without them, I say thank you to every one of you who are serving God by giving back to His kingdom and community in your own way. 

So as we celebrate, let's recognize those who give themselves to help others. Let's motivate others to join the effort. And let’s give God all the glory for the great things He has done!  =)