Prayer Always Changes Things

For those of you following the ministry blog, I apologize for the delay in an update. I will try to be more regular with posts and updates in the days and weeks to come.

Today we experienced the power of prayer in a powerful way. Our day yesterday was tough as the children seemed out of control and not ready to listen. As we shared with the leadership at Jerusalen Church about how the day went we were reminded that we had not gathered to pray before the children joined us. This was a humbling moment for us all! We were so eager to get busy working we had overlooked a basic step of obedience.

As we gathered together today in the sanctuary before any children arrived, prayers were lifted and the Father granted our team focused hearts. All morning the team experienced group after group of children listening and learning. Praying over the children and again praying before the afternoon sessions brought more of the same. The children listened, learned and responded today in an amazing way!

Thank you to our faith family here in Guatemala for helping us refocus and recenter our obedience! We look forward to one more morning tomorrow with children at Jerusalen Church and then on to Lantana to visit and share in homes. We will carry food bags and the Gospel tomorrow as we walk with the young Lantana church into their community. Pray with us as we seek His will for our remaining time here in Guatemala. Pray for open hearts and boldness to come not in the absence of fear rather boldness to come in the presence of obedience!

In His Grip,
JT

Why Should I Take a Short-Term Mission Trip?

Are you spending your money on something worthwhile? Why not spend it on something eternally worthwhile.....like a mission trip?

There are many positive things that can come from taking a short term mission trip....

■You will see and experience a different culture. Even within the United States, there are people that do not live as you do. You will see the way they live, how they look at life, and gain an understanding of different people and their needs.
■You will see that in general all people are alike. We all have the desire to be loved, included and cared for. We all have hopes, desires and feelings. We are all human and created by the Father.
■You will gain compassion and empathy for others. This is a taught behavior; we don't just wake up with it one day. Parents, teach your children in this valuable way. It changes them forever.
■You will be more grateful for what you have or don't have. You will stop feeling sorry for yourself. You will have a more thankful heart and less desire to complain.
■You will not come home the same. You will be less inhibited to share Christ with those around you after serving on the mission field. You will be more comfortable to pray for others and witness to those around you.
■You will be more likely to help with missions in the future. You will see first-hand how missions work and will meet and care for real people who need and depend on your help.
■You will be more likely to commit to God and carry this forward after you return home. You will want to get more and more involved in your church, local community and global community.
■You will be making a difference in the Kingdom of God. Through your work, your prayers, your encouragement and your love, you will be making a difference in winning souls for Christ.
■Large numbers of people taking short-term mission trips can make a huge impact on missionary work being done. When we do building work, construction projects, Vacation Bible School, Crusades, Block Parties, etc. we are working to better that community and they will benefit from it. When we share our voices through song, our talents through instruments, our testimonies of how God has blessed and changed our lives, we are showing them Christ first-hand.
■Finally, many who do short-term mission work feel Christ calling them to long-term missions.

So, what are you waiting on?

"And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me! " (Matthew 25:40)


Contact is at www.1wayministries.org for more information on a short-term trip in your near future.

I Don't Have Time.....

"I don't have time" for Jesus was the woman's reason for not becoming a Christ-follower. I have to help my husband make shoes. I have 2 children. I have to provide for my family. I just don't have time.

The passion inside of me was about to boil over as I listened to this woman, living in a 2 room, delaphidated old house in Lantana, explain her situation in life. I am standing on a dirt floor and can see through the roof. Her two children are seated on the only two seats I can see in the house trying to finish their homework. The local pastor is pleading with the woman to give her life to Christ. I am appalled at her excuse...until..God Himself reminds me that we are rebellious. Our sin is NO different. Our lives are the same...filled with things to do and places to go. Overflowing with excuses for not spending time in His presence. I am humbled...He is using her life to remind me of my sin and the debt I owed.

One of the ladies from the local church, in a very pointed way, shares that we all have time for things that are important (these are the times when having our translator is handy for the simple delay in the relay of information). Then, the pastor asks several of us to share with the woman.

I have NO clue what was even said at that point except that God was glorified. Scripture was read and quoted and relied upon unashamedly. God's Word is POWERFUL, and His Gospel is true. God has spoken through His Word, and it is the best tool to point people to Christ!

The woman changed...her countenance immediately brightened...the load was lifted. Her new status was as a Christ-follower. My heart rejoiced. God took that moment in Guatemala to show me how powerful He is and how He draws people to Himself. We have NOTHING to do with salvation...He ALONE does all of the work. We just have to obey what He tells us to do...and He will be glorified.

What do you have time for today?

Holding Down the Fort

Next Monday, January 24th, our entire family will board a plane for Africa. We have no idea when we will return. Our court date is up in the air for the adoption, and there are many hurdles, setbacks and delays in the process. But, we're going. You see, our children, Zeke and Elly, are there, and they are waiting for us.

JT recently wrote the following for an upcoming newsletter that explains our hearts:

"Paul speaks in Romans 8 of our waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons! The journey to our adoptive children has typically been more about our eager wait than theirs. How is that used to show us about our own relationship with Him?
One joy that comes in adoption is the excitement of the first time for so many things. The first grape eaten, the first flight on a plane, the first night in a bed of their own, the first meal where they get full! Yet, when we look into the heart of our heavenly Father, we see that the adopted child eagerly anticipates the adoption. I am not sure how much the children we are bringing home really wanted to be adopted because they did not know it was even an option in their lives until we showed up. I believe this is the concept that I have learned that motivates me the most. I know of the possibility of adoption. Therefore, I know the joy that will come and the anticipation is overwhelming at times.
God has known throughout our entire lives what we would do in response to His offer of adoption. He has orchestrated every detail of our journey to draw us to Himself. Now, I am not sure how I would respond if I were in Zeke and Elly’s shoes right now…but I do know how hard it can be to recognize the times when love does not flow from their mouths for me. I do know the days of concern when the glimpses of the past peel through and they do not wrap their little arms around your neck and squeeze!"

In our absence, we are honored and blessed two have two new semester interns from Samford University working with us. Kelly Zimmerman and Meagan Sloan will be working in the office while we are gone. They will answer emails and try to sort through everything that needs to be done for upcoming trips.

Karen Katchuk, one of my best friends in the whole world, will be helping from Kentucky. She is my "go-to" staff member who can help mission trip participants finish their paperwork, encourage people to go on trips and just be the overall OWM spokeswoman!

Rashel Ross, another great friend, who I had the privilege to serve in a local cancer foundation, is also stepping up. She's helping to write the checks, make the deposits and keep OWM financially afloat while we are gone!

I'm so thankful for each of these ladies and their willingness to pinch hit for us while we are gone. Without them, we would not be able to do what we are doing. Thank you all for your love and support during this time!

Africa's Calling....

Since our first trip to Africa in 2007, it's been on our hearts and minds consistently. On that trip JT had prepared the team for not knowing what we would do, what we would eat or where we would sleep. So, we boarded the plane not knowing much but preparing for God to direct our every move...and we were blessed beyond measure. As with all trips there was little to no access to the outside world via technology, and it was refreshing to see how little we missed it. All of the distractions were gone, and we could totally focus on God's plan for us. What an incredible time of total dependence on the Father, late nights discussing His Word, and amazing hours of prayer! Oh, to be in that place here...I LONG for that. I commit to that.

Again Africa is calling to us, but this time for a different reason. We are boarding a plane on January 17th to head to Uganda. JT has been multiple times, but this will be my first trip (Sheryl). I'm eager to see all of our friends and to soak up the culture again. I LOVE Africa...I've prayed that God would send me there for the rest of my life...I adore the culture, the pace of life, and the people.

But, this time we're going to adopt our two youngest children, Zeke and Elly. They are not biologically related to each other and have never met. They are our children already, and we long for them to be here. We are following God's direction to adopt them. We will be the ones who are blessed. We are humbled and excited and scared and honored....

None of the pictures above are our children, but you won't have to wait long. We covet your prayers and thank all of our OWM team for walking this road with us. We are amazed at God's faithfulness and grace...to Him alone be all the praise!!!

I'd Rather Have Jesus!

The song goes, "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather have Jesus than riches untold, I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land, I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand. Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sins' dread of sway, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can afford today!"


How about you? Can you sing this song with the passion of life that has come from the very breath of God in you? As I sat this morning listening to this song over and over again I was reminded of some very important yet simple truths. I have begun to see the world much differently over the past several years in light of these simple, profound truths. Jesus is life. Jesus is provider. Jesus is Redeemer. Jesus is Lord. My thought today is how have these truths about Jesus impacted our view of this world?

In the Experiencing God study by Henry Blackaby we find this great word, "People who struggle to spend time with God don't have a scheduling problem; they have a love problem." It is the love of God that draws us to Himself to develop this love relationship He has begun with us. It is love that compels us to become more crucified than comfortable. It is love that drives us to go into all the world with the Gospel message of hope. It is love that stirs our heart for His Kingdom work.

So in a short word today from my heart, can you this day realistically say you would rather have Jesus than anything this world has to offer? The worries of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth causes the life-breath of every Christ-follower to be strangled out and cut off to hinder the work of the Spirit in each of us. The root of this is not in the influence the world has on us but in the impact we allow Jesus to have on our heart. It is not the focus on the don'ts of this life that bring about a strong faithful journey. Rather it is the intense gaze and grasping for the "do" of this love relationship.

Sing the song whether out loud or quietly in your heart and ask yourself, can I truly say this is true of my life and my heart? Today ask the Spirit of the living God to teach your heart to cry out this day, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can afford today!

In His Grip,
JT

Reflections On My Days...

Today marks my 43rd year alive on the planet. This morning as I have read messages, listened to encouraging words and experienced the love of my family, I have begun that process of reflection and looking forward.

I have reflected today on how the Father has blessed me with some amazing friendships and the most incredible family a man could possibly have. Just yesterday I was reminded by the Lord of His love for me and His overwhelming grace that has been demonstrated to me through friends and fellowship with close relationships that have come because of His love for me. I am a blessed man with many many things in my life to be thankful for every day!

I listened this morning to the lyrics, "this is my story this is my song...praising my Savior all the day long" and I am doing just that today. Yet, I have realized something in the midst of this reflection. In the middle of looking back on the ways the Father has taken care of me and guided me back to Himself time and time again, while looking back at the amazing ways He has blessed me with friends who are the same to me yesterday and today and will be in the days to come, while listening to His voice remind me of the sovereign control and freedom He has granted me in this life...I have an amazing opportunity!

I have an amazing opportunity to look to the future days and see His glory revealed in my journey. So many times we look at life through the lenses that have been clouded and colored by this world's struggles. We see situations and people with a less than perfect clarity because of our own past experiences. We have allowed the enemy to cloud our view and as a result we look at everything from a slightly wrong angle. This awkward angle causes us to respond in a completely different manner to all of life.

Well, today is the day the Lord has made! This is a day to rejoice and be glad in His grace and His mercy and His love. Even though I clearly understand that I bring nothing of value to the table with God in and of myself...In Christ I bring an eternal value that releases His Spirit to teach, guide and bless my life in many ways. The Father has marked my days and my journey. He has a plan to help me grow and become more like His Son everyday. The Lord has ordained the days of my life for His glory and for His purposes. So, what am I waiting for?

What is it that we all are waiting on to experience God in His fullness? Well, I know what I have been waiting on...ME! I have no power over the waves of the ocean. But I do have power over the waves of my emotions. I may not be in control of the clouds and the rain, but I am in control of the position of my life under the clouds of His Spirit as He pours out His Word and His blessing on my life. Today I choose to stand beneath the wings of the King and recognize my place at His table. It is time to start acting like His child and focusing on the future He has provided and stop trying to fix the past. This is my story and this is my song! He has ordained my days. He has mapped out for me a race that will end in victory. I have nothing to fear as a child of the King! It is time to live in the hope of the future and anticipate His glory being revealed in and through my life at every turn in this journey.

Today as you look forward, will you join me in releasing the grip you have on the things of the past. As the line in the Fellowship of the Unashamed states, "My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure." It is time we walk fully in His light as a redeemed child of the King and face the coming days as the greatest days of our lives!

Thank you to all of those people who have been used by the Father to be a blessing to me. I cherish the memories and hope for the future. You have been a willing tool in the hands of the Master to help shape and form the journey He has allowed me to walk. Please know that I am thankful to my God upon every remembrance of you and eagerly await the next time in our journeys that He allows our paths to cross! Blessings to you all as we build His Kingdom together!

In His Grip,
JT