Finding Freedom in Servitude - Tim Dixon

Hello Hurricane

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"Hello Hurricane
You're not enough
Hello Hurricane
You can't silence my love
I've got doors and windows boarded up
All your dead end fury is not enough

You can't silence my love

Everything I have I count as loss
Everything I have is stripped away
But before It started building
I counted up these costs
Ain't nothing left for you to take away"

I've come to really relate to Switchfoots new song "Hello Hurricane". OK so its not that new, but its new to me. I feel like last week I lived through a hurricane of fear, anxiety, sorrow and disappointment. Now after the winds of change have settled I inspect the damage. When written down the list doesn't seem that impressive, but just because the list isn't long doesn't mean that it isn't costly.

Last Sunday I found myself around a table with a bunch of friends, some I had seen since I had gotten home...some I haven't. We were talking about my trip and then the discussion went to the vision of a house church that God had put on my heart. Then we began talking about what a church would look like that didn't have a building, or religion, or tradition, or the control of man, and so on. And by the end of it people seemed to be excited. So we decided to come together again on Friday to talk more in detail and see what came out of it.

Honestly I said Friday because I knew this was something God had called me to, but I didn't think it would happen so quickly. If I'm going to lead this thing don't I need to go to school, get a part time associate youth/young adults pastor job, and get married? That was my finite human logic, and apparently I was wrong.

I spent the next week in the eye of a hurricane, designed to purify my motives and priorities. It was a sobering week where I was reminded of the cost of leadership. I had to respond and give up some things that were most dear to me. But God had relentlessly been pursuing me since I got home, during a time that I really wasn't pursuing Him. And he had laid out a narrow path for me to walk, that unfortunately wasn't wide enough for all the baggage that I'd picked up since I'd gotten home.

So once Friday night rolled around I was already tired and beaten. But I really didn't need to say much. God had assembled the people with the like-minded hearts. There were no disagreements because we were all there for God and not ourselves.

Now that I stand on the other side of this storm I feel a different weight. Where before I felt the weight of trying to settle and live a comfortable life where I have a steady pay check, finally buy that house, get married and have kids. Now I feel the weight that a loving God has put on me, that loves me too much to let me settle for that. I feel a weight of responsibility for a movement. One that is driven by God, and if I try to grab it or take hold of it I'll only hurt myself because it's barreling along too hard and fast.

This has been a hard reminder that I'll never be happy comfortable. I come alive when I'm on the front lines. When I'm scared and overwhelmed because i know what I've been dropped into can't be done in my power and that means that God has to show up. And I love watching God show up. It doesn't take away from the fact that I still mourn my losses from the hurricane but God is the infinite giver not the taker and He always makes what has cost us much worth all the more.

So I'm writing this blog to not only keep all my readers posted on the events of my life. But to also thank God for the hurricanes in my life. Even though they cause destruction, they also fan the flame in my heart that had gotten pretty lame looking. Thank you God for not giving up on me.

Three Nights of Passion

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When I arrived in Atlanta on January 2nd for Passion 2010 I was a mix of emotion and thought. On one hand the Passion Conference I attended in 2008 was pivotal in influencing me to go on the World Race in the first place. On the other, I just spent the last 11 months worshiping God to acoustic guitars and drums but felt the Holy Spirit more then I ever had in my whole life. And heard teaching out of a tool shed but got revelation after revelation about the nature of God and our faith. So I was a little worried that this superficial American conference/concert would make me gag. But after 4 days and 3 nights of Passion music with Chris Tomlin, Fee, David Crowder, Hillsong United, Matt Redman, and Kristian Stanfill. And speakers such as Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, and John Piper...here's where I am at.

During the first main session on Saturday evening, I began going through my checklist during worship. Big...check, loud...check, flashy...check, fashionable...check, American...check. So far it was what I expected it to be and I was a little disappointed. But then Louie Giglio came up and spoke. And on the opening night of a 4 day conference for 18-25 year old christians, he taught on how a lot of times God allows us to go through trials and suffering so that He can get more glory. I was stunned. On the opening night Louie told a bunch of college students that suffering is necessary in Christianity. How bold...and counter cultural...and counter generational. And it didn't stop there. Beth Moore talked about how God equips us for His purposes but using suffering and hardship. And then of course John Piper but the icing on the cake when He explained how life is about God and our primary purpose is to glorify Him. So then once I got my head out of my bum I began to see the Holy Spirit was there in all aspects.

So whats my verdict on Passion? I think in a world where there's christians on one side and the world on the other, Passion is trying to be cultural and biblical without selling out. And I say kudos to you Passion. Bringing Jesus to the world in a cultural and radical way without selling out is an art that most Christ followers never mastered and never will. When Louie stands up on the stage and says that this movement is all about Jesus and His name lifted up...I believe Him.

The Grass is Always Greener...

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I've officially been home for 2 weeks now, and it is good to be home. I've had lots of time to catch up with family and friends. I've also had plenty of oppurtunity to eat all the foods I've missed, drink lots of sweet tea and drive by myself. Even though I've been home for 2 weeks, the best word I can think of to describe it is still "weird". So much has changed since I left, but there are times where it feels like I was never gone. Then there are times when I'm surrounded by the change that's taken place and I begin to wonder if I am actually home or not.

I may end up eatting these words, but all in all the adjustment hasn't been as hard as I thought it'd be. You hear all these horror stories of people going through major shock when they walk through Target and going through all these weird mixes of random emotions. But when I came home I knew I was home and I knew I was where God wanted me.

Something that's truly dawned on me, especially today, is how much I've really glamorized home. The last 3 months of the race were the hardest for me, each one getting harder as the time for me to go home drew closer. And I realize now that I had made home, this mystical place where life would be better. Home was where everything that God had for me would be waiting for me and that the hardships of the race would be a thing of the past. Yes a necessary thing, but a thing of the past nonetheless.

I realized this today when I realized that I had 24/7 internet access with broadband speed, my wii to play whenever I wanted, my huge man cave all to myself, my good friends to talk to whenever I wanted, etc. But somehow I still manage to dwell on the fact that I'm unemployed, broke, have no cell phone, my friends are all busy while I sit at home, etc. And even though it's great being home, home had disappointed me by not living up to the expectations that I'd set for it. Mostly because I had put such lofty expectations on an event or people in my life that were never meant to bear that kind of responsibility. And thats when the crushing truth hit me...the event of going home, my friends, my girlfriend, my things...they were all idols.

Whenever I had the chance to crack my Bible open or spend some time with Jesus. I preferred to see if watching youtube for 2 hours would fulfill my joy. Or instead maybe facebook stalk for an hour hoping someone would get online to chat with, but still no luck. I've lived for the past 11 months, with minimal distraction from my walk with Christ and it was the most joyful and fulfilling experience of my life. And now that I come home I see all these things as wonderful gifts from God, but none of them come close to giving me what He can, and its unfair for me to expect that of anyone or thing else.

We're fickle people who are anxious to look at anything, but the situation that we're in, to find joy and happiness. But I learned that because God brings us the most joy, and He is in all circumstances, that joy and fulfillment can be had anytime, anywhere and in any situation. Typically, I would say I had to learn this lesson the hard way. But it's His kindness that leads us to repentance, and that is most definately the case here. God has blessed me in such abundance with several relationships upon my return and with the likely prospect of getting my old job back that I quit to go on this trip. God's mercy and love for me is unbelievable.

And while my life may look very different now, then it did on the trip. My relationship with God is my constant. I had a lot of repenting to do tonight to God. It's good to be home and I'm happy to be home. But at the end of the day, God didn't change, and neither did my circumstances...just my heart.

On the Horizon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, I owe all of you an apology. I've tried throughout this year to keep all of you informed on what's been going on and celebrating with you all that God is doing. But these past few weeks have been difficult. I've found that as time has gotten closer to go home my motivation to blog has gotten smaller and smaller. It's almost like I only have a certain amount of motivation and instead of using it on blogs I allocated it to staying engaged with my team and ministry. But even that has gotten harder and harder. By now there is no way I'd be able to recap all that God has done recently. But I know that Teri and Sammie have both been on the ball so you can follow the links on the left of my page and read up on their blogs.

Please give me some time to get through Thanksgiving and then I'll plan on writing a much more descriptive blog on the end of the race and how re-entry is going.

A Jesus Too Good to be True

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Varasdin, Croatia is a pretty banging place. Not because there's a lot to do here. Or because some great bloody struggle started or ended here. It's simply because of a couple of hospitable families willing to take some poor missionaries in and a rehab center full of disabled people who need Jesus.

Really, the whole town needs Jesus. The large majority of the population attends Catholic mass. But the Catholic church here freakishly reminds me of the pre-reformation Catholic church that sold Jesus for the price of a few good deeds and a healthy tithe.

We're staying with a family that understands hospitality better then most Christians and has a heart broken for the poverty of others. It's great to be in a home with a family setting.

The rehab center we're working at has a variety of men and women, both young and old with mental and physical disabilities. Sadly a lot of people here would live normal independent lives in the states with proper care, but they've been denied that here. Most of them lack hope, joy and a purpose. Fortunate for them, those are all things that Jesus promises! I intend to give them Jesus. Not the Jesus of the legalistic Catholic church that wants good deeds and pardons from a priest. But a Jesus that simply calls us to follow him and nothing more. I've already been told that it's too good to be true. So I'm pretty excited about how the next two weeks will look like.

Please pray that we can stay focused in our last month and God will get everything accomplished in these remaining weeks. Thanks for all of your support everyone...I'll see you soon!!!

Tim's Adventure's in Ukrainian Court

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So I know many of you had seen my Facebook status, or possibly heard from someone else that I had to appear in court in Kiev, Ukraine. It is true, and a pretty good story. So instead of doing this 20 times I thought I'd post a blog on my education of the Ukrainian judicial system.

So it was the 26^th and our debrief had come to a close. Most of the teams were leaving the same day for their ATL locations, except for Tikvah, the new worship team and us. So we were offered to stay at the apartment in town that BLING and the Gentle Warriors stayed at all month, since it was paid for through the end of the month.

So after lunch that apartment building was rocked by 20 world racers, with their big packs and mouths storming to the 10^th floor trying to get situated into our apartment. Apparently we didn't make any friends. Thank God all but 5 people were gone that evening when the door bell rang. To my surprise, I was met by two police officers who welcomed themselves into the apartment and began demanding "papers" in very broken English. Now it probably was not fair to immediately project this onto these cops, but most cops you meet in these countries are corrupt and creepers...and they seemed to fit the part nicely.

I let them look at my passport and the others brought their passports as well. He started to go off about something with my departure forms but I couldn't tell what because I spoke about as much Russian as he spoke English. Steph happened to be out with a friend of ours (Galina) that was a native speaker but also spoke English very well so I gave her a call to see if she could talk to these guys. I called her and thank God she was only 5 minutes away, so she showed up quickly and began translating.

It turns out, our "crime" was that in the address section of our departure forms we didn't have the apartment we were at. In fact we didn't have any address because we didn't know where we'd be staying when we came into the country. So once we established that, it felt like all hell broke lose. Some of the girls began getting worked up because the charges were bogus and the cops were wanting to take our passports. Galina was trying to talk to the cops but she was already nervous so when the girls got worked up and started shouting things at her to translate she got even more rigid. Not to mention the cops were wanting to take our passports with them and make us pay a ridiculous fine.

I was pretty anxious myself, but I tried to calm down the girls and asked them to make some phone calls about what to do and they also called the others and told them not to come back...which was a great idea! I was also trying to calm down Galina and reassure her that she was doing a beautiful job (and she was). But then try to figure out how to get these cops out of our apartment with our passports and integrity in tact. We were told to tell them to either write us a ticket and we'll pay the fine or take us to the US embassy. And if they're authority was legit they would be OK with one of those option, but of course they weren't. They wanted us to either pay them there or let them take our passports so we could go to court in the morning and pay a fine. But eventually we talked them down to only making one person go. So after I told them I would go only if I could keep my passport they eventually agreed. I had a court date for 8:30 the next morning and a flight to catch at 7:30 that evening!

So I volunteered to be the one to take one for the team (literally). I made sure I had enough money for the fine just in case but I also had a bulletproof case ready to set before the judge. Galina and I showed up at the address the cops had given us, hoping they wouldn't be there...but they were. They were shocked to see us though. They must have thought since we had no reason to show up since it was only our word holding us to it and not our passports. We sat there as they wrote up a full report of what happened and then we went with one of them to the other side of town for him to file the report. Then we went to another part of town to appear before the judge. I had my case ready. But as soon as she heard the case and read the report, she closed the case before I had a chance to say it. This was a huge blessing since Galina had somewhere to be and I had to pack because we were leaving the country in a few hours.

So as much of a hassle as it was, it makes for a pretty cool experience. And also call me crazy but I think I needed that. I've been so tired lately, I think I needed that kick in the pants to shock me back to life and it worked. Looking back that high pressure situation in the apartment made me come to life! Maybe I should look into becoming a hostage negotiator when I get home or something.

But let's give credit where credits due:

1. The police came when 5 people were at the apartment and not 21.

2. Galina and Steph were not planning on coming by but they were on their way to the apartment and were 5 minutes away when I called.

3. Galina had to be at the airport at 1 PM and I had to be at the apartment by 2 PM. If we would have been fined it would have possibly added several more hours to the adventure because we would have had to take the money to the bank and get a receipt for it and take it to a different office for another receipt and take it back to the judge. But the judge dropped the case very quickly.

I hope you're just as convinced as I am that God was all over that situation and answered a bunch of prayers.

But anyway, we've made it to Munich, Germany and are very tired. We'll be resting here for a couple days and will be catching the train to Croatia. Thank you all for your prayers!

A 10 Month Observation

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The book of Habakkuk is small and commonly overlooked, but carries a very timeless and crucial message for us all. Habakkuk was a prophet of Israel during dark times. The nation of Israel had turned from God; they were sacrificing to idols, killing their own children, and committing sexual sin; to list a few. On top of that, the Babylonians (people more evil then the Israelites) were rising to power and were pillaging the people of Israel. They were robbing them, killing them and kidnapping them as slaves. Habakkuk was living during a time of fear, oppression and darkness.

Habakkuk feels alone, his people are evil and God is judging them with people more evil then they are. Habakkuk naturally questions how God can allow this and still be good and holy (Hab 1:12-13). Then God answer's him and defends His own goodness and sovereignty (Hab 2:2-20). During this process, Habakkuk's heart is changed (Hab 3). That must have been nice.

If only we could just read it and have it become true to us in our hearts. But girls get molested by their dads, children are starving, grandmothers get sold for drugs, and husbands beat their wives. By looking at the world you would determine that God is either good but not in control, or in control but not good. But He couldn't possibly be both...but He insists He is (Acts 4:24, Psa 143:10). So I would like to investigate.

Now to understand how God is good and sovereign, let's look and see how He was good and sovereign in the beginning. God made all of creation good, because He is good (1Tim 4:4, Gen 1:1). And He ruled sovereignly over the creation He spoke into existence out of nothing. Then He created man and woman, with free will, and He called them very good (Gen 1:31).

Similar to the belief that God can only be good or in control, is the belief that either God is in control or we have free will. Again, the scripture's teach that the answer is "all of the above" (Jos 24:15, Psa 111:6). I believe that our ability to choose our own moral conduct solidifies God's sovereignty. Because only a God that was totally in control of His creation, could give us free will without fear that we would endanger His will. But if God is in heaven and we are mere puppets, then how can we be judged and held accountable for our actions (1Pet 4:4-5)? God is in control, so we can have free will.

Now, because of our ability to choose, we chose rebellion against God and brought sin into the world. Sin, death, disease, poverty, and the like are in the world because we choose for them to be (Gen 2:17). All of us. All the way down to our first parents, Adam and Eve, but really we're all responsible (Rom 3:23). Because God is good and gave us the ability to choose, and we chose sin, He respects that decision. And as long as we continue to choose sin, God will continue to respect that.

But now that sin is in the world and His creation is no longer good, God must act. He must continue His work in creation by using the sin that's marred it. Only a sovereign God can use sin to fulfill His purposes. God uses sin to prune and refine our character (Rom 5:3-5). He also uses sin to demonstrate His own righteousness and show His glory (Psa 51:4).

The fact that He uses sin to accomplish His will is also a testament to His goodness. Sin is the direct rebellion against God. For God to cleanse all of creation from sin and all those that are sinful, would be completely justified. But God delights in giving us grace (Psa 149:4). His kindness leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4) and His gentleness makes us great (Psa 18:35). Jesus gave us a perfect picture of that and proved it once and for all on the cross.

A good God is in control. It is only with this knowledge, can anyone who has accepted His free gift of salvation say with confidence, "we win". If God is not in complete control and He is slave to the uncertainty of life and sin. Then how can we trust Him and say we win a battle that isn't over yet? But God is good and in control. And one day He'll come and rescue His church and reclaim the world. And all of our work to bring heaven to Earth will be finished. Creation will be good again (Rev 21:3-6).

So in the mean time, when you turn on the news and all you see is evidence of a fallen world. Or when you personally are going through a tragic time in your life, remember the word He gave to Habakkuk. "The righteous will live by His faith." I don't know why it seems that all the unrighteous people are in power and authority. I don't know why some girls are promiscuous for years without consequence but a girl gets raped once and becomes pregnant. I don't know why people smoke their whole lives and live to be 80 but a baby gets a brain tumor at 2. I just don't know. But it's when we're exposed to all of these things that we have to stand firm on our faith that God is good and in control. And when we see these terrible things we have to remember that its not evidence of a fallen God, but evidence of a fallen world.

Extrovert Paradise

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This may be a bold statement, but as of now Ukraine is in the running for one of my favorite months of this trip. Kiev, which is pronounced Keev to the locals, is a beautiful city with a rich history and amazing architecture.

We are working with CCX, which is pronounced S-S-Ha, which is similar to Intervarsity in the US. They primarily minister to university students, in the city of Kiev. It's a very relational ministry where we attend English clubs. There we talk to students and allow them to ask us questions about our trip. Not only does this give the students a chance to practice their conversational English, but it also gives us a chance to share what God has done in our trip and in us. Also a bonus is that they also ask us similar questions that we'll be asked when we get home, so we're practicing for that as well. Also on Friday nights they have a movie night where the English students watch a popular American movie. From the movie they practice vocabulary words and have discussion questions to make sure they understood the movie. It's definitely a ministry that seems like too much fun to be ministry, but it's also a ministry where I wish I wasn't an introvert. I love talking to the students and pouring into them, and I also love this city they just exhaust me.

On the ATL front, it's looking like Team Manna minus one will be going to Croatia to work with physically and mentally challenged men and women. Apparently the center is completely understaffed and there are people there that haven't seen the sun in years. It sounds like an intense ministry, but one that will be good to end our trip on. Also, yes you read correctly. Team Manna will be down a team mate on our last month.

God has been really raising up prophetic worship leaders in our squad this year. So in our last month H-Squad will have a 9^th team that will go to Berlin and work with Burn 24-7. They'll lead prophetic worship for them and for some of their contacts in the area. Steph Pridgen felt God calling her to this ministry. And while she'll be sorely missed, we're all excited at what God is doing.

So as you can tell, this has been a very busy week. After a stressful travel time, to get here and set up housing and ministry here, do our ministry and then work on transportation, housing and ministry for next month as well...I need a day off! Which is what I'm getting today, and it is glorious! Thank you for your continuous prayers and support. Please continue to pray for all of us for this month, next month and as God prepares us to go home.

Kiev Coolness

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well after several days of adventuresome travel, team Manna is finally settled into Kiev. For me personally, this was probably one of the harder travel times for me. One of the biggest reasons was that I was running a low fever almost the whole time and that over the course of 48 hours I got about 3 hours of sleep. But that's travel for you, especially when you're a leader. Probably the highlight of our travel experience was when 26 people tackled the Kiev metro with all of their big packs.

But thank God we're moved into a new home for the next 3 weeks. We were able to rent a room from a guy that runs a ministry in Kiev. It's nicer then most of our homes have been this year. Amenities include carpet, a dinner table, a toilet, hot water shower and a burner to cook on. Maybe this is God's way of easing back into American society!

We also met with our ministry contacts today called CCX, which is like a Ukrainian version of Intervarsity. I was pretty pumped after our meeting with them. Of course our ministry is going to center around ministering to college students, but we'll be getting to share our stories with them at English clubs. We'll also have opportunities at bible studies and movie nights. It's going to be a very relational ministry where we'll be making a lot of friends.

I already love this city, and am excited about what God has in store for all of us. Please pray for our time here, but also please begin praying with us about our next month. Our next month is ATL Europe so please pray that God would line up our ministry and location for us! Oh and don't forget...it's Ukraine not "The Ukraine". Ukrainians don't like that too much.

Romania Pictures

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Now that we're out of the black hole that is Africa, internet is much more plentiful. So in record timing, here is the photo album for Romania. You'll see photos from our ministry in Viile Tecii and from the conference in Brasov.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t286/sets/72157622457521514/show/

The Awakening

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well the first annual Awakening conference has come to a close. I know that you must be confused. Because most of you probably didn't even know the Awakening conference was open. Yes the Awakening brought together all 4 current World Race squads that are on the field, up to 50 World Race alumni, all the coaches and most of the staff. We met in Brasov Romania and it came at probably the best time for H squad. I know for myself, I felt like I rolled in here on fumes. After nine months on this thing, I was exhausted.

The Awakening was 4 days long and consisted of morning and evening worship, a morning seminar and a teaching at night. The worship times were amazing. I felt like I experienced the Holy Spirit in a very new and exciting way. I was also really poured into and after being filled up by the Spirit and by my friends, I'm now pumped and ready to finish these last two months strong!

We're still not exactly sure of any details about next month. All that we know is that we think we're going to Ukraine...welcome to the World Race lifestyle. Please continue to pray for me and my team, that we can finish this thing well. Also please pray that now that we're approaching the finish line, that God would begin to give us revelation and clarity on what the next season of our lives looks like.

The Cost of Grace

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Prior to this trip I never put much weight on the importance of confession and repentance. I thought confession and repentance was something you did when you accepted Christ for the first time and after that you were golden. But as I'm writing this blog, I have to confess that my view on the subject was folly.

I would say that my mistake is due in large part to the fact that I didn't really understand what confession and repentance really meant.

Psa 38:18 ESV I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

Psalm 38:18 is a beautiful picture of what confession and repentance really is.

Confession is just what it sounds like. Confessing that we are sinners and that Jesus' blood paid for our sins is the foundation of our salvation. While confessing our sin is required for our salvation, our continual confession of specific sins is of huge importance in our walk with Christ.

Rom 6:22a ESV But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God...

Scripture says that we have been set free from sin. I've learned a lot on this trip. One of those things is that if there is anything in your life that you refuse to bring into the "light"; due to fear or shame. You are a slave to it. The continual confession of our sins to God and others is how we walk in the freedom that Christ offers us.

Due to this, I have been encouraging the team to confess our sins to each other in a group setting. Since beginning this, I have noticed that certain divisions in our team have diminished. I have also noticed that personal relationships within the team have improved. So what's the nutshell? If you want your relationship to go deeper, whether it is with God or others, confess your iniquities to them.

God's grace is the magnificent catalyst that gives confession so much power. But so often, that grace is abused by people who confess their sins...but are unrepentant. Repentance is not the decision to never sin again. As it says in the last half of Psalm 38:18, repentance is the desire to not sin anymore. So many of us continue eagerly in our sin, with no remorse for it. We then think that confessing it to God is our little "get out of jail free" card. If you read the gospels closely, Jesus never says that.

Mat 4:17 ESV From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Jesus was much more concerned with repentance then confession. Is it really that surprising? Jesus was always more concerned with the heart, then with our actions or words. True repentance begins in the heart and can't be faked. True repentance coupled with the acknowledgement of your sins is what saves you.

God loves us so much, that He doesn't think His only son's life is too high of a cost for ours. That is the costly grace that Dietrich Bonheoffer speaks of. The grace of the gospel is a costly grace. If it cost God much, then it should cost us much as well. Costly grace is costly because it must be sought again and again. It is also costly because it costs you your life, but it also gives you the only true life.

So I encourage you all to make confession and repentance a daily habit. Confess your sins to God and to your friends with a repentant heart and by doing so die to yourself. Only then will you be able to walk in the freedom and power that Christ promises us. But never think that one is sufficient without the other. Confession empowers repentance and repentance legitimizes confession.

So if you are lacking the courage or humility to confess then pray for it. If you have a hard unrepentant heart, I pray that God will use my words to break it. Because costly grace is costly because it's worth it.

The World Race Field Guide to Squatty's

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So after spending an extended period of time in Asia and Africa, I would consider myself a connaisseur of squatty potties. So I thought that it might be beneficial to future racers, or anyone who finds themselves in the mountains of Kentucky, if I gave a few pointers on the various methods and positions that can be used when you poop in a hole.

This is a classic "squatty potty". They can range from an outhouse as pictured, to a hole in a field. Either way no matter how you try to dress it up, your still pooping in a hole in the ground.

I call this The Missionary. This is the standard position that anyone would use. It's easy to aim and easy on the knees. Just position your feet correctly...if not aiming could be a problem.

This is The Crab. When diahhrea or constipation leaves your legs sore this can be a good substitute. Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards...

I call this The Wall Prop. Use this when The Crab is necessary but the person before you missed...it happens.

I call this The Confident. When you have a good amount of skill and an even larger ego take this challenge. It's also good for people with weak knees.

This is The Lazy Boy. When you have the skill to do The Confident but lack the drive to stand long enough to get your business done, this is a respectable solution.

Finally, if you're like me and get bored easily and look forward to a good challenge. You can try The Long Drop. Try it at your own risk though, if your aim is off it can get messy.

I hppe this quick guide was hopeful to you. If you have any ideas or pointers that I have not thought of, please share them!

Zambia Photos

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys,

After much anticipation, here is the link to my Zambia photos. Romania photos soon to follow. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t286/sets/72157622337355306/show/

Digging Deep

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, after a well rested and much needed de-brief in South Africa. We all began our intense 20 hour stent of travel from Johannesburg, South Africa to Villa Tecii, Romania. We had a 10 hour plane ride from South Africa to Turkey, after a 2 hour layover we then had an hour and a half flight to Bucharest Romania. After we arrived and exchanged money, bought sim cards and filed 7 lost luggage reports we began our 8 hour bus ride north to Villa Tecii, where we would meet our contact John Fracker.

Ville Tecii is a small gypsy village in the mountains of Northern Romania, near Transylvania. Ville Tecii is everything I wanted out of Eastern Europe. It's very lush and green with mountains, lakes, evergreens and flowery fields. The architecture of the homes and the sound of houses pulled carts down the streets gives you the feel that you've gone back in time. I didn't really know much about gypsy's until recently and the more I learned, the more I realized that they're very similar to the Karen people group that we worked with in Thailand. They are a people without a home country and they are most known for being poor, uneducated, and wanderers. But obviously the group we are working with managed to settle down long enough to form a village. But also like the Karen they face tremendous oppression and hate from others. That's where John Fracker's ministry comes in.

The first thing I found out about John was that he's a good ole boy from Murphy Tennessee, and I've liked him ever since. He came out here and began working with the gypsy's when God called him here about 7 years ago. Shortly after that he fell in love with a local gypsy girl and they got married. With his wife, John preaches the gospel of love and acceptance to these marginalized people.

Recently, Ville Tecii has literally doubled in size with the arrival of H-squad (which is 52 people) and 3 teams from the August squad. Currently all the active World Race squads are ministering in Romania because on September 21^st we'll all be going to the huge World Race conference in Romania for all current World Racers and alumni. It's nice to be working with the whole squad, especially since we have worked alone for the large majority of the trip. But it's also been a huge blessing to interact with the teams from the other squad. In my pride I was thinking it would be a great chance to teach and pour into them, and we have to an extent. But really it's been them that's been pouring in to us. This is only their second month and they have an enthusiasm and passion that we've lost somewhere along the way. That enthusiasm is what we need to finish this race strong.

Our primary ministry this month is pouring into our Christian host family. Sandu (the father) is a pastor of a church in the village. Other then that we will be speaking at church services and doing home visits. We're very excited and feel that God has big plans for this village. Please pray that He'll use us and that in our last leg of this race we'll be able to stay focused and engaged.

Zambia in a Nutshell

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When we arrived in Lusaka from Livingstone, we were greeted by an entourage. Among them were our contacts, Bishop John Mambo and Reverend Michael Siwale. We were taken to Mambo's farm just outside of Lusaka. It was arranged for us to stay at Mambo's farm for a few days before we head to Nyamphande, Mambo's orphanage and community school. The next day we were invited to Mambo's office for a meeting. We were very surprised to find the press there. It was very strange...especially for me. Apparently leadership is held to a much higher esteem in their culture. They would not allow the team to eat if I wasn't there and for a long time Mambo wouldn't talk business with anyone from the team...only me. Anyway, because of this the press would only talk to me and ask me questions. After the newspaper left things got better until the news crew arrived! I never thought the World Race would get me on TV! But anyway I was interviewed on Zambian news for what we were doing here and how we got here.

The next day we all loaded into a truck and began the journey into rural Zambia. We arrived at Nyamphande orphanage and community school about 2 hours later. They allowed us to stay in a new house they built for the teaching staff. They left us there to determine for ourselves what we want to do. The only instructions they gave us was to help the choir prepare a program for a Church of God conference on the 22^nd in Lusaka. We had lots of plans to do bible studies and games with the kids, until we learned that all the kids were leaving on vacation in a few days. As it turns out though, we ended up having enough on our plates between choir practice, evangelism and hospitality ministry.

Since all the kids were gone and we had our own house, we used this as an opportunity to build relationships with some of the teachers and church members. It was great to meet with them and have tea and build friendships with them. Several of us would also go out evangelizing several times a week. We would go to houses of people in nearby villages, and most of them were Christians. I really enjoyed going around to all the homes and talking to people and God really came through to give me a message for everyone we came to. Sometimes it was a message of encouragement. Other times it was a message of rebuke or instruction. Regardless, it was a great opportunity to teach and I love teaching. Choir practice was fun because not only did we teach them a few English songs but they taught us some songs in their language, nyange, and how to dance to them.

The most difficult aspect of this ministry was not anything physical, it was much more spiritual. It began with a lot of us not being able to sleep at night, and others of us began getting sick. Eventually I had a dream one night that I woke up and was surrounded by demons by all sides. The next day we prayed over the house and realized there was a lot there but whatever it was wasn't leaving. The next day I spoke to the head master of the school who is also the pastor of the church. As it turns out witchcraft is very prominent in that area. So as we figured out about voodoo in Haiti...witchcraft is very real. Granted it's all demonic, but real enough. He came down to our house and prayed with us and that helped but it was a constant battle. Undoubtedly there were people we would evangelize to who practices witchcraft and even people in the church and since we're white missionaries, we became prime targets. But God sustained us in amazing ways and answered our prayers. And in the process grew our faith in Him.

So now we are back at Bishop Mambo's farm recovering. After 2 straight months of ministry together with no squad de-brief we are ready to get back to the family. We're flying back to South Africa on Wednesday and starting de-brief on Thursday. Then we fly out to Romania on September 3^rd. So please pray that we would be poured back into. Please pray for rejuvenation and restoration for Team Manna. And also please pray for our ministry next month in Romania. Grace and Peace!

Wisdom from a Fools Perspective

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Starting in June, when I became team leader, I began really studying the book of Proverbs. I figured since I was going to be a leader, I should make the pursuit of wisdom a higher priority in my life. This is what I've found:

I'm a pretty simple guy and so after reading Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, I tried to summarize the foundations of wisdom as simply as I can (for my benefit as well as everyone yours). Most people would define wisdom as "making good use of the knowledge that we have". I don't think so this is wrong, but I believe there is more to it then that. Considering, that I believe that wisdom was with God when He created the universe (Pro. 3:19), and that God is the only wise one (Ecc. 8:17). With that knowledge, I would personally define wisdom as "being able to see the world from God's perspective". So if only God possesses true wisdom, how do sinful creatures like us possess this trait that God invites us to pursue (Pro. 1:20-23)?

Psalm 111:10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The word usage of fear might be confusing to people who know Jesus as their savior and friend. But, for believers, the word fear is used to mean respect and revere. So then, wisdom starts with knowing God and giving Him the respect and reverence He deserves. This is crucial to attaining wisdom according to James 1:5. Because then we must approach the throne of God and ask for it.

As you know God more and your respect for Him grows, the other foundational quality of wisdom becomes evident. True wisdom is humble. As your relationship with Jesus deepens, you'll begin to understand that that He is the only wise one and no matter how much we grow in wisdom we will always be fools in comparison (Pro 3:7, 11:2 and Rom. 11:33). Because of this a wise person's wisdom is marked by how they take correction or advice (Pro. 9:8).

Since true wisdom is marked by humility, you would then come to the conclusion that wisdom is not just a mental understanding. True wisdom is in the heart (Ecc. 10:2). With wisdom residing in the hearts of those who love Him, we are freed from the instability of moodiness and other external factors from affecting the flow of wisdom in our life.

So let me encourage you to take James advice and ask the God of wisdom for it, because He has plenty to spare. But before I close this let me end in two warnings. The first is to avoid the folly of assuming this is all there is to wisdom. All you have to do is read Proverbs to see that wisdom encompasses finances, friendships, careers, parenting, marriage and much more. So I encourage you to seek wisdom in all aspects of your life. Secondly, I beg you to not fall into the folly of pursuing wisdom above the one who gives it. This is a form of idolatry. True wisdom is given, not learned. So pursue God, and you will find wisdom. And with wisdom you'll soon discover that knowing God is the true gift, wisdom is just a perk.

World Race Bathroom Reader - Africa Edition

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's already time for the World Race Bathroom Reader: African Edition. It feels like the three months of Africa went by twice as fast as the three months of Asia. But there are just as many great stories and memories from the continent of Africa. I great thanks go out to my team who not only helped create these memories, but also helped me remember them! Feel free to ask about any of these.

1. Butter knives are not usually very effective when trying to slit a goat's neck.

2. You know you will get protein for dinner when you are given a live chicken as a blessing.

3. Before using a long drop, you should probably stretch first.

4. While bathing in the river, you should always do a 360 degree scan before undressing in front of local children.

5. It is a good day when the Pastor finds Jesus during the altar call.

6. It is a great day when the whole church found Jesus during the altar call.

7. Africans tell time by the sun, if choir practice is at 2 PM they are not late if the sun is still up.

8. When see a burning cross, it is not right or wrong it is just different.

9. Mosquitoes suck your blood, malaria sucks your life.

10. Clean water in Mozambique mean a mear 3 worms in the drum instead of 10.

11. Rocks are a great security mechanism when you find a random American pooping in your cornfield.

12. The Male Urination Center(MUC) can double as a place for Bucket Shower(BS); sandals recommended.

13. A general rule of thumb, when beating a rabid dog, it's like beating a piata don't stop until you get what you want.

14. When suffering from symptoms of malaria, don't die, go to the clinic.

15. When taking malaria and de-worming meds in Africa, beware that side effects may include but are not limited to anorexia, hepatitis, and in rare cases, death.

16. When you hear a gunshot in the middle of the night, don't be nave in thinking it's not a threat.

17. As a missionary in Africa, you must always be ready to "share what you have prepared" regardless of time, circumstance, or advance notice.

18. A successful day evangelizing is when you come home with guava, ground nuts, and a live chicken.

19. When carrying home a live chicken, always remember: don't provoke the chicken!

20. In Africa, a laundry line can double as a leash for tomorrow nights dinner chicken.

21. Missionary hygiene becomes offensive when you realize you bathe less frequently then the local village orphans.

22. Staying in budget means using garlic as food/seasoning and bug repellant.

23. Zambian villagers measure distance s differently then Americans "a few kilometers" means two hours and two mountains.

24. When toilet facilities are not available, a bush guard may be necessary to make sure you don't get caught with your pants down.

25. There are no prerequisites to joining the Nyamphande Zambian choir. You can attempt to learn to sing in Nyanja, shake your hips in the front of church, and blend in like you're not white.

26. A good layer of dirt works as bug repellant; a weeks worth of dirt helps you to blend in as an indigenous African.

Through the Open Door

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm pretty sore. Don't worry though it's a good sore. Kind of like the sore you have after you ran 8 miles or played hockey for 2 hours and you can't open your hand because your fingers are too swollen.

Yesterday we spent the day at Victoria Falls which, by the way, puts Niagara to shame. Then we came back and I did some work on the rock wall, and probably did a little more then I should since it's been about a year and half since I've climbed, but that explains why I'm "good sore". This has been a great de-brief. As much as we all missed the rest of our squad, it was also nice to have a de-brief with just us. It really allowed us to go deeper then we normally would have, and it was much more relaxing then normal as well. But tomorrow morning we'll be boarding a bus back to Lusaka to meet up with our contact, Bishop John Mambo.

God had clearly told us that He wanted us to go to Zambia, but we had no idea what we were supposed to be doing there. Sammie began coordinating transportation up there but with a week and half left we still had no idea what our ministry was going to look like. She had sent an email to the YWAM in Lusaka and they forwarded it to hundreds of ministries in the country but we hadn't heard anything from most of them and who we had heard from wasn't feasible. Until Bekah, whose dad is a preacher for the Church of God, googled "church of God, Zambia" and found a church of God orphanage in Zambia. We called and 10 minutes later we had a contact. It's amazing how thing's work out when God opens a door for you.

I personally spoke to Brother Mambo 2 days ago and got off the phone more excited to work with him then I was when I called him. As it turns out they are very excited to receive us because we are an answer to their prayers. It was difficult to understand his accent over the phone but it sounded like they were opening an orphanage this month and needed a lot of help. I wish I knew more about what our ministry looked like this month but we'll find out more later. All we know is that he'll be there to pick us up tomorrow afternoon in Lusaka.

I'm not sure what the internet situation will look like this month. Zambia is a poor country with poor internet anyway, so like any other new month we're better off assuming we won't have it. But I'm very excited about what God is going to do this month. It's been very obvious that He was very involved in getting us here and leading us to Brother Mambo. I'm also very excited since Team Manna is the healthiest we've ever been as a team. Many of us now refer to each other as a family, which is a huge jump from Laos! So, as always, thank you for your prayers and support and I'll blog again as soon as I can!

The Battle we Daily Face

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The past couple of months I've really been struggling to put how I've been doing spiritually and emotionally into words. This is my attempt to do that, hopefully God will help me out with this. This past month was an amazing month of blessing for us in our ministry. But personally I was fighting a battle in my head. This was our first month by ourselves, with me as the team leader. It was different because this was the first time we saw how our team dynamics had changed. I was already still learning what it looked like to be the leader of team Manna, but on top of that my head was filled with discouragement everyday. It wasn't discouragement from the team, or even me, but the enemy. Everyday they would fill my head with their voices, "I can't believe you said that!", "You should have known not to do that.", "That one comment you made tore apart all your credibility," "How can the team respect you now?" Everyday was a fight to hold onto the peace that God was with me through this new challenge.

The passage that God kept leading me to was Phillipians 4:4:

Php 4:4 ESV Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

I always looked at this verse as a suggestion. But when I looked at it as a command from God I started to ask how. How can you rejoice in all circumstances? If you look about 5 verses ahead he gives you the answer:

Php 4:8 ESV Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

This also echoes what he says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 when Paul speaks in military terms about taking our every thought captive. We must have the discernment and the fortitude to recognize which thoughts are of God and which are not, and disregard and dismiss the thoughts that are not of God as quickly as they come. Wonder where this is going?

Your mind is a battlefield. I've been told that before and honestly thought it was kind of clich. But it's true. And to walk in joy and peace under any circumstance not only makes our lives better and easier, it also is a blessing to others. The light that God shines into this dark world, through us, is made up of a lot of attributes, but one of the brightest is joy. For us to come into a situation full of despair with joy and hope we are showing the world the strength and stability God's grace gives us. Because when we rest in God's love and salvation there is always something to be thankful for and rejoice over, even if it is simply the grace and salvation that's extended to us everyday. So when I roll over and don't fight for my joy not only am I robbing myself of the joy that God has for me, I'm also not doing my part of casting God's light into this dark world.

Sound hard? Uh yeah. I noticed so many times that I almost would rather sulk in my despair then fight for my joy. But like anything else that God commands of us, it is possible.

So pray that God would show you the big picture. That so many of His commands are not that our lives would be better, but also so that others lives might be impacted as well. Pray that He would give you discernment to tell the difference between His voice and the enemies and would grant you the will power to listen to Him alone. And finally pray for eyes to be opened to everything He's done for you, so that you will always have a reason to thank him and rejoice in Him. And thank God we have grace for all times I fail at doing this!

New Email

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I have a new email address. It's tdixon0486@gmail.com

I still check my old email address, but I'd like to eventually move away from it completely.

South Africa Photo's Uploaded

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Go here for the slideshow:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t286/sets/72157621782192715/show/

Oops, My Bad :(

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, I owe all of you an apology. I haven't done the best job of telling all the cool things that God's been doing with our team on the field. Confused? Well let me explain. We were all sitting around, talking about our times in other countries and I told a cool story from the Dominican that most of the team had forgotten about. After the story they all asked if I'd blogged about it and that made me realize that I hadn't. But lucky for you(and me) Nate is very committed to blogging. So he chronicled the whole story from my brain, in his words. So just copy and paste this link in your browser to go to Nate's blog:

http://natechaplin.theworldrace.org/?filename=moments-of-majesty-part-3-holy-ground

Thanks again Nate, I hope you all enjoy.

South Africa Wrap-up

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, I know some of you all have been a little concerned from last week's blog. Which, looking back, I can see how malaria and a rabid dog attack could be a little nerving for some of you. But let me assure you that this week was much...safer.

This was the final week before the grand opening of Michaels Children's Village. So we were all doing last minute work trying to get the houses perfect so the kids would have awesome homes to come to on Saturday. We all had a pretty large hit of discouragement when Social Services came to do the final checks on all the houses. They said everything looked good and we felt pretty good until they handed Tiesa a 50 page stack of papers to fill out, asking for marketing and business plans. This would without a doubt push things back another month. This was very disappointing for all of us because we were looking forward to enjoying the fruits of our labor by seeing the kids move in and see their joy in seeing their new homes.

But on a positive note, we all took de-worming pills as a preventative measure and all of us but Amanda were worm free.

Probably the highlight of the month was on Sunday when we all celebrated Manna Christmas in July. For more information on that you can see my other blog called "An African Christmas".

On Monday thru Wednesday Sammie stayed at the Betor House to rest and knock the rest of that malaria out of her system. While she was there she took advantage of the free wifi and helped plan our travels to Zambia for next month. To save money we're not having a squad de-brief this month so as a team we're spending a few days at Victoria Falls in Zambia then we're going to a town about 125 km from Lusaka to work with an orphanage of over 400 kids. So on Wednesday we'll be heading to Johannesburg, to fly to Zambia.

So, as another month comes to a close I would have to say this is one of my favorite months. It was nice to be in a house with a kitchen and beds. It was also nice to do physical labor. So as we begin our travels to Zambia and spend a few days of rest at Victoria Falls please keep us in your prayers. Obviously for safety and ease in travel. Also that we would get the rest we need and that God would go ahead of us and prepare our ministry for us and us for our ministry.

An African Christmas

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I woke up the morning of the 26^th with a familiar sense of excitement. I sat up in bed and tore open the curtains. But instead of a white fluffy landscape, I looked through the foggy windows to see the typical frost that lay on the ground...but no snow. For the past 22 years I have asked for and been denied a white Christmas, it seems my first Christmas in Africa will meet the same disappointment.

At the beginning of the month we were all talking about how weird it was that we were so cold in July. Which then lead to a discussion about how said it'll be that we all spent all year together in time to separate in time for the holidays. That's what inspired the idea of having a Manna Christmas in July.

So, shortly after we decided to commit to this we drew names for secret Santa. Then as Christmas approached we began decorating. We made a tree and hung bulbs for it, we then made paper snow flakes and a fire place.

Because we had so little expenses, we had some extra money to buy Christmas dinner. So on Christmas Eve we put the ham in the crock pot. Then on Christmas morning we went to church like good missionaries. When we got back we then preparing the mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cooked carrots, sauted zuchinni and of course gravy. Then for dessert we had a big cookie cake.

Frank and Cindy came over and joined us for dinner and then we began the gift exchange. Frank and Cindy gave us a bag of cookies as a team and as a team we gave them money for a date night. Sammie and I both got each other for secret Santa. I got her a bar of chocolate and made for her a home made devotional book of encouraging passages from the Bible for 31 days. Sammie gave me some chocolate and made me an awesome video from the past 7 months on the race.

Then Amanda did a quick bible study on the geneology of jesus and then we watched Elf. All in all I would say it was an amazing day and one of my favorite memories with my team. I would also say its one of my favorite Christmas'.

Weekly Update

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This has been a pretty exciting week, full of painting, varnishing, moving beds, malaria, waterfalls, and rabid dogs. So why keep you in suspense? Here's the weekly rundown.

I've really been enjoying the work we've been doing here at the village. We've been doing mostly painting, but also varnishing beds and baseboards and moving around and assembling bunk beds. I really enjoy working with my hands and also I've enjoyed working with the project managers, Frank and Jean. Last week we were working with a team of 5 Scots and a team of 3 girls from California. It was a joy having them around, not only because we enjoyed their company, but also because we enjoyed their help! Team Scotland left on Wednesday and Team Cali left on Thursday.

It was pretty weird hearing them talk about all the laundry they'd have to do and all the things they needed to do when they got home. It was really weird for me because not only did it make me miss home, but also it made me realize that I'd forgotten what its like to sleep in my own bed, go to my own church, mow the yard and throw a bowl of Spaghettio's in the microwave. I guess it also put into perspective how long I've been gone and made me realize at the same time that going home is going to be a lot harder then I ever thought. But there's no point in dwelling on four months in the future or else you risk missing the present.

Other then making things a lot quieter in the house, when the other teams left it definitely made the workload go up. So since then we were pushing pretty hard to get things done in time for the grand opening that has been pushed back to the 25^th.

It also hasn't helped that Sammie hasn't been feeling well for a while. Eventually she agreed to go to the clinic only to find out she's been walking around with malaria all this time. So she's been taking it easy and has gotten medication.

Also the morning she went to the clinic I was walking to the other house to get something and saw this smaller yellow dog fighting with Neko, our new Rottweiler puppy. So I ran over and kicked off the stray and it turned and attacked me. So I kicked it in the teeth and it ran off. I went to herd the dog out of the gate but it snarled at me and attacked me again. After I kicked it in the teeth again it ran off again. By this point I knew there was something wrong with this dog and the gardener agreed and we both knew it was rabid. So we got some big sticks and proceeded to chase it off. Instead it attacked us again and after beating it, chasing it and beating it some more. We left it as a bloody lump on the ground. The gardener carried it off on his stick and I tended to Neko to hear the dog being carried off come to life and run off with the gardener close behind it. The SPCA told us we had to find and kill the dog. So the gardener and I spent over an hour looking for that dog with no luck. According to the gardener he was scared to kill the dog because apparently in Africa killing a dog is bad luck. I then informed the gardener that in America it's actually bad luck to keep rabid dogs alive. Praise God the stray wasn't stupid enough to come back and Neko didn't get scratched or bitten, and that I was wearing my shoes that day and not my flip flops!

Saturday we were able to have a nice day off and go up to this place called Harrie's and have some amazing pancakes that were wrapped in filling. Like I had my pancake wrapped in mince and it was delicious! We then went to Mac Mac Falls. In case you were wondering there are 3 things I could stare at for hour's fire, waterfalls and the stars.

It's looking like God is opening the doors for us to go to Zambia next month. We've got some possible leads for ministry contacts so I'll let you know when I know more. But please keep praying that it's made clear to us where God wants us. Also please pray that the Lord blesses the work of our hands so that we can get everything done in time for the opening.

Ministry Down the Street

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well I know there was some concern that we would be in another Mozambique situation, where I would have to go another month without internet access. Well praise God that is not the case. It feels good to be blogging again. We left for our ministry location Monday morning. It felt pretty awesome to drive 30 minutes and be at our ministry location. We definitely had the best travel day by far. We're staying outside of a town called White River and working with a group from Iris ministries.

We're helping them open a new children's village. The vision of children's villages is fairly new. But what a children's village is, is a community of small homes where a mother and father live with about 5 children to a home. This system is much better then an orphanage because it creates more one on one attention so the kids don't just become a number and the kids have an actual mother and father figure. These kids are orphans and kids who are taken from either abusive or unfit homes. So it's very exciting that we've come in at the crucial stages of this project.

The plan is to start bringing kids in next Friday. So there is a lot of work to be done to the houses, painting, varnishing, de-molding, etc. And then once the new kids arrive, things are not scheduled to calm down. But nonetheless it's still a very exciting vision that God has given these people, and it's a privilege that He's allowed us to share in this.

There are also other opportunities in the community to work as well. There is a feeding program that takes place everyday to feed the kids in the community. There is also a church called Backdoor, that hold youth and revival services weekly. So as much as we're focused on the children's village, we've had lots of opportunities to branch out in other areas.

It's also been a joy to work with our contacts. Also we've been with a small group of girls from California and a group from Scotland. So when you have that kind of diversity in a project you're bound to have fun...and we have. Please be in prayer for all of us this week though. Their goal is to start bringing kids in on Friday. So just pray that God blesses the work of our hands and everything gets done on time and well. Also pray that the selection process would be effective and the kids that need to get in here would.

The Ministry of Pouring In

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Lord gave me a warning before this month of ministry began. It was that He was bringing me into a season of passive faith. Where even though I loved teaching, discipling and what not, I was not supposed to do these things unless He clearly laid it on my heart. He later told me that my ministry this month was my team, that my top priority was to serve, love, encourage and pour into my team.

I wasn't too concerned when only a day went by and I soon discovered that I was becoming very tired and agitated. This went on for a few days before I finally brought it up to the team and even though I still hadn't really sorted through my emotions the word "empty" came out in my explanation. I said that I felt empty. After this my team prayed for me and it was almost unanimous that I needed to go and spend some time alone with God in silence and just listen. So on Thursday that's what I did. I got up ate some breakfast, made a sandwich for lunch and walked into the field with my hammock and bible.

I spent about six and a half hours in the field with God. During that time He spoke to me a lot about myself, but He also spoke to me a lot about the team and why I was feeling empty. He led me to Galatians 6:6:

Gal 6:6 ESV One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.

And Galatians 6:10:

Gal 6:10 ESV So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

As it turns out I had a very arrogant and misconstrued view of what strength is. I thought that I could draw all the strength I needed from God and be that pillar of strength for my team. But that's not what God wants. Can God give you all the strength we need? Yes. Does God want us to look to Him for strength? Yes. Does He want us to go to Him for all of it? No. God created us to live in community and fellowship together. Several times in Paul's letters He tells the believers to exhort, encourage, and love one another.

That's what living in community is. A constant cycle of people loving and encouraging each other, or as I've begun to call it...the ministry of pouring in. Community living can be a beautiful thing if everyone is pouring themselves into each other through service, encouragement, and love. But unfortunately there are cases when people are not pouring out, or they are pouring out but they're neglecting certain people. Then you're left with people who are pouring themselves out and not getting filled back up.

That's why when I returned to my team from my day of solitude I gave them a promise. I promised that I would serve, love and encourage them with everything I had, but it was their responsibility to make sure I never became empty. And I'm pleased to say that, even though it's only been a couple of days, it's been a beautiful to see how we've come together to pour into each other.

It's Been a Long Time

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I feel like it's been so long since I've posted on here for all of you. There's so much to catch you up on from last month and to fill you in on for this month. So I'll try my best to do so as quickly as possible so not to bore you.

This past month we ministered to a young small church in a very remote town in Mozambique called Machanga. We camped in our tents and had no electricity, toilets, or internet (obviously). We worked with the kids at the local school and did some home evangelizing. But our primary ministry was the church itself. The leaders were poorly trained and the congregation worshipped idols. On top of that, there were guests that came one weekend to teach with us at the church. But their teaching was not biblical at all. But after they left we had a few more days to combat their teaching with teachings of our own. And we were able to sit down with the pastors and explain their responsibilities and the weight that comes with that calling. The congregation accepted our teachings well and asked questions and the pastors replied with humility when we came to them about the false teaching. So we were able to leave there knowing that God was planning something for this church. If not He wouldn't have sent us there. It really was a crazy month so if you want to hear the full story shoot me an email and I'll be glad to elaborate for you.

This next month we'll be the team with the best travel day. We're all back at the Betor House in Nelspruite. And our ministry is in South Africa, about 20 minutes away. We won't be getting another stamp in our passports...but I'm ok with that. We'll be working with the same people as Luminous was last month. Which means we'll be working with a church called Backdoor. Working and teaching with them. Working with kids and helping them with a new feeding program. And helping them clean old moldy homes to be turned into an orphanage. Luminous had nothing but good things to say about the ministry and the people, so I'm pretty pumped.

Thank you everyone for your prayers for us and being patient when communication was nonexistent. It looks like we won't have that problem this month so I should be my normal talkative self. So next time you hear from me I should have more concrete details on our ministry this month.

New Pictures from Mozambique!

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone! I know it feels like forever since I posted. I just thought you'd like to know I uploaded my pictures from Mozambique. To check out the slideshow on Flickr go here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/t286/sets/72157620877846273/show/