The High Maintenance Missionary and the Forgotten Anniversary

Gaby and Katie Correa mentioned their one-year ministry anniversary recently. We were in MOT (Missionary Orientation Training) together, so I instantly thought that my anniversary was probably coming up, too. When I looked at the calendar, I realized it had come and gone.

August 15, 2016, I walked through the doors of Global Outreach and took my place in the second office on the left. I had expected to be a "digital" missionary and expand my online ministry. At the last minute, I was switched to being a prayer missionary. I didn't have any idea what I was about to do, and no one else did either. 

It didn't take me long to realize that the new prayer missionary was in desperate need of prayer. A few friends at church laughed and called me a "High Maintenance Missionary" because I constantly asked for prayer, but they prayed. The title stuck. 

The Empty Nesters at First Baptist Church in Starkville, Mississippi offered to pray for me every week. I've probably worn them out with prayer requests, but they've prayed and God's answered. Not one single prayer request has been unanswered. 

Jay White's Sunday School class join in the pray effort, and has prayed for me every week, along with Old Bethel Church, the Sisters of Strength, and numerous others. 

This year would've been impossible without their prayer support. 

I like to see a tally of work done, but I don't have time to count, so I'm leaving that to God. Here's a little summary of what He's done this year.

The Untapped Power Grid Project has connected senior adults with missionaries in the field as committed prayer partners and intercessors. We have facilities in three states and wonderful volunteer coordinators who do a marvelous job of keeping the connections fresh.

I've spoken countless times on topics ranging from prayer to outreach in the Middle East to learning to hear God's voice. (The picture above was taken on my second day at Global, when I spoke at Sherman Baptist Church.)

The in-your-place, at-your-pace study of Hosea was the first online Bible study I wrote. It was finished just about the time I joined Global. The community that formed celebrated completion of the study with an in-person evening at my home.

A few months later, the James online study was completed. (I'm currently converting it to a print format.) I don't know how many people did each study, but those online studies have had more than 5000 views. 

I spent three weeks in the Middle East and fell completely in love with the region and the people. God did huge things on that trip, and I'll be going back before long for another three-week stay.

Fellowship of Christian students meets monthly with students at the Fillmore Center during the school term, and I had the great blessing of being a part of the adult team that helped.

Groups came together for a variety of projects at our Home Office, and one of those groups packed more than 500 personal care packs. All of the packs have been delivered to people in need. 

The blog continued the steady growth it had enjoyed since it began in 2013. It has doubled again over the last year and reaches around the world.

All of that sounds like a lot of busyness, and it was. More important, though, is that God was in that work, and He gave an increase. Lives were impacted, hearts were softened and changed. People came to Jesus for the first time, they allowed Him to draw them to a deeper place, and heard his voice for the first time. 

For a while, I kept tally of the people who made commitments, but I soon realized that God wasn't in my accounting. He didn't want my numbers. He wanted my surrender. That's what I tried to give Him. 

When my neighbor, Sam, needed more care than I could give with him in his own little house, it was clear he needed to move to a place of greater care and equally clear that the place was my home. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right one, and God helped me do it. I don't deserve any accolades for this hard work, because I simply obeyed and moved my work to home. 

The amazing thing about taking care of Sam is that ministry has flourished. I've emailed missionaries, prayed for them, encouraged them, and recruited more prayer for them from the start, and that hasn't changed since I've been working from home. If anything, the quality of the interactions has improved. The Caregiver Chronicles, stories from the adventure of taking care of Sam, has been my most-read series, with literally thousands of views.

My life as a missionary looks nothing like I expected, though I'm not sure what would. I certainly didn't expect to end the first year at home, caring for an 87-year old neighbor who could do little for himself. I didn't expect to serve by emptying the bedside commode multiple times a day or lifting Sam by the belt to help him (sometimes very nearly drag him) from chair to bed. I didn't expect to need sitters to leave my house or to carry Sam with me everywhere I went when sitters weren't available. That's not a complaint. It's my reality.

God's done a lot this year. It's all precious, even this season of working from home and taking care of Sam. 

What I treasure the most, though, is what He's done in me. I'm learning the meaning of servanthood in a new and deeper way. It's not a way I would've chosen, but it's the path God's given me. I'm learning how valuable little acts of love are for one who has so little. I'm seeing in real time how important my attitude is as I serve. 

I'm not sure I'm excelling at the job of servanthood, but I am sure of one thing. It's driving me to my knees, and to surrender, in a new and deeper way. 

I'm quicker to ask for prayer for myself, quicker to confess my faults, quicker to admit my inadequacy. I'm less afraid...about what people think about me leaving medicine and doing this, about how my future will unfold, and how I'll make it financially without "doctor money." 

I've been awed by the generosity of the body of Christ and I've seen our partnership in a new way. 

I know, without a doubt, that none of what's been accomplished is about me. We've worked together and God has done it. All the glory, honor, and praise goes to Him. 

Thank you for loving me through this first year, for partnering with me, for praying me through, and for sharing in all the fruit God has given. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease..." John 3:30 

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Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Hurricane Irma: Waiting for Destruction but Praying for Peace 

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If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Working Together To Get the Job Done

Last week, I spoke at a nearby nursing home and invited the residents to participate in praying for missionaries.

Most of the people accepted a missionary card, but one elderly lady was hesitant. "I don't know," she told me.

"What's your hesitation?"

"It's a big job. I can't remember much of anything. I can hardly remember to come to breakfast. What if I forget to pray?"

"You'll have your card, and you won't be the only one praying. I'll be praying, too. I have lots of people who will pray."

"Okay, then. As long as I'm not the only one. That's too big a responsibility for me." 

The lady's words have come back to me over and over again. "It's too big a responsibility for me." She's right. Praying for the work of God through our missionaries is a huge task, but we can work together to get the job done.

An easy way to join in is to take one continent at a time. Go to the Global Outreach website and hover your cursor over "our missionaries", then click on the continent of choice in the drop-down section. Pick an area of the world and pray for those missionaries listed on the web page.

Today's my African day. I'll pull the prayer cards for missionaries in Africa and pray for them by name. Tonight, my supper club will have ground nut stew, a recipe a former missionary to Nigeria gave me. We'll go through my cards and pray for them by name again. 

It's the way I taught my son about missions when he was small. We cooked and ate our way around the world, praying for missionaries as we went. 

You can do it, too. It's a fun way to join in the effort by praying for missionaries and learning a little about their country at the same time.

Intercessory prayer IS a big responsibility, but it's not too big if we work together. How about you? Today, look for an innovative way to join in. We can make a difference, if we will. 

"And He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'" Luke 10:2 esv

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(Missionaries, feel free to share a recipe for your continent's turn.)

If God leads you to help support this ministry outreach, here's the link to give: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: Choosing a Grateful Heart in the Midst of a Grumbling Culture

#missions #prayer #globaloutreach

Heavenly Perfection

I've had heaven on my mind lately, and it's sounding very attractive. One moment of Bible study after another has pointed heavenward. 

This is "Conference Week" around our office. Global Outreach's annual missions conference is this weekend, and missionaries have arrived off and on all week. 

They were faceless names until their arrival, even though I'd heard stories about them from the other Home Office staff. One after another, they've walked in the building and I've recognized them from their picture. They've recognized me from mine. All the weeks of praying for them have suddenly come together when I've seen their beautiful faces.

We've hugged and exclaimed, "I've heard so much about you." and "I love you already." We've sat and chatted about life and ministry, hopes and dreams. Every time, I've thought, "This is what heaven will be like," and I've longed to enter those beautiful gates.

Today, I read a verse I've read many times before, but it took on a new, and heavenly, meaning. 

"Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew    5:48

In the preceding verses, Jesus had told His followers to be more than the Pharisees.  Be intentional about getting rid of your sin. Don't resist the ones who are evil, but turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Give. Love. Even love your enemies. Do what's hard, and do it to honor our Heavenly Father. 

In the process, a wonderful thing will happen. We will become "finished", complete, mature. 

It's the idea behind "finishing school", in which teenaged girls were (traditionally) taught those things that "finish" their training in preparation for taking their place in society. The rough edges are worn off and they learn to be mature, gracious, kind, equipped for adult womanhood.

When we love as God loves, even loving those who are least lovely, we make a start at being "finished", mature, complete. We begin to be a little more like God.

As I read that verse this morning, I realized that heaven is a place where we are "finished". God loves us all, even at our unlovely worst. Like the missionaries who've arrived this week, He "loves us already". Even when we are unlovely. 

Heaven will be filled with that kind of unconditional, agape love. 

Of course we'll have arrived in a place where there will be no sin or unloveliness, so, if we want to be "finished" for heaven, we need to get started now. Take a look around. There's plenty of unloveliness into which we can take God's love.

Even though we're not yet perfect, let's act as if we are. Let's love as if we've already arrived at maturity. In the process, we might find that God uses our acts of love to rub off our rough edges and make us more like Him.

Mature. Complete. Perfect. Ready for heaven.
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In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The All Important IF
#mature #Jesus

The Special Forces Warriors

These are just some of the Prayer Warriors at the Bruce Community Living facility. 

Monday, I drove to Bruce to talk with the residents about participating in the Untapped Power Grid project. We discussed the words of our Lord to the apostle Paul, "My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) These precious Prayer Warriors already know the truth of that verse. Although their bodies are weak and many are confined to wheelchairs, God's power is being made perfect in their weakness. 

These brothers and sisters know and understand Scripture in a way most of us have yet to achieve. They've lived through the Great Depression, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, the turbulent 1960's. They've lived through agonizing loss, terrifying sickness, and heartbreaking frailty. They KNOW God is able, because they've seen Him do the impossible, over and over again.

This group had already considered how they wanted to partner with us before I arrived. They wanted to take one missionary family and pray the biggest prayers they could. 

They'd memorized the words of Jesus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." (John 14:12 nasb) 

"If we're going to do the works Jesus did, we need to know what those works were," I said. "What did Jesus do?"

They were quick to reply. Healed the sick. Raised the dead. Gave sight to the blind. Hearing to the deaf. Made the lame walk. They knew what Jesus did, and they had already determined to participate in His mighty work by praying big. 

Those prayer warriors chose a missionary doctor and his family, partly because they wanted to participate in the healing power of our Lord through their prayers. They wanted to write letters to their missionaries to encourage them. Meet them when they come to the States.

One of the ladies in the group is three months away from being 100 years old. She knows how to pray big and she plans to spend her last days, however many she has, doing just that. 

I was in awe of these warriors. They aren't fooling around. This isn't just a substitute for bingo. They're a kind of divine Special Forces unit. This is war, and they intend to wage it. And win.

I hesitated a minute, then gave them my prayer card. "If you're praying big, pray big for me, too." They grinned and nodded. They would.

I gathered my extra prayer cards and prepared to leave. Before I did, I made my way around the room, hugging every one of our warriors. They hugged me back and whispered in my ear, "Thank you." 

It's we who should be thanking them. Some of our warriors have been in the facility for years. They live far from family. Have few visitors. It's the love of God that has sustained them thus far, but I'm praying the body of Christ will choose to sustain them with our love and gratitude, as well, as we go forward together. 

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As a peer-to-peer funded missionary, your support for this prayer ministry (and this blog) is vital in multiple ways, and aids in furthering the Kingdom of God. Please partner with me as God leads through your prayers, your participation as a facilitator, and by giving financially.(I don't get paid a salary or get ministry expenses reimbursed if I don't raise funds.) Thanks for your help!

Here's the link to donate online: Leanna Hollis Account #4841
(You can mail a check to Global Outreach (put account #4841 in the "for" line) to
Global Outreach
P.O. Box 1
Tupelo MS 38802

 #719project  #prayer 

Guest Blogger Ruthie Howard: Beautiful and Broken

My island home is a beautiful place. 


I know my (biased) opinion is shared by others, since visitors also make the same observation.


Imagine a tropical island with diverse trees and flowers, profuse birds and interesting wildlife, puffy clouds liberally painted across an expansive canvas, cooling breezes blown off the vast lake, views of incredibly striking sunrises and sunsets - each one taking your breath away. 

Night skies are studded with precious age-old "gems" - seen more clearly above when away from city lights. 


Lapping on the beaches, the lake water is an ever-present source of one of earth's greatest treasures - life-giving water, which is such a precious resource here. 


There are no cars and motorcycles (except one rarely-seen cycle) and thus no artificial pollution and annoying traffic jams, unless you count the cows, goats, and chickens loitering on the walking paths. 


The island villages seem quaint with their narrow meandering paths, twisting between the crowded grass-thatched mud houses. Bright-eyed children with big smiles play here and there, creatively recycling discarded items for their playthings. 


Many agree the island is a beautiful place. 

But, like the rest of the world, the island is also marred and broken. 


A forest of trees has been slowly reduced for more urgent needs like firewood and making charcoal to cook food to fill hungry stomachs. Poor planning means replanting has not taken place. And, without the plentiful trees, less rainfall means the island is drier than it used to be - and gardens, animals, and people suffer. 


Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world and Africa's largest, is far from "fresh" or "clean." Human pollution has contributed to extremely high levels of e coli and other harmful bacteria. Wading and swimming risk exposure to sickness or disease-causing parasitic worms. 

While the removal of the forests made way for more gardens, an on-going struggle exists between the farmers and the apparently richer and more powerful animal owners. Hungry cows and goats can easily decimate an acre of crops, which took a family days and weeks to cultivate. Local leaders' laxity and corruption stifle justice and fairness. 


Health care is limited or non-existent on many of Buvuma's 52 islands. Simple, preventable sicknesses and injuries may go untreated, becoming gravely serious. At times the wide-eyed children display signs of malnutrition and worms, with their unnatural orangish-brown hair and swollen stomachs. 

Adult supervision is limited as siblings only a few years older are left in charge of younger brothers and sisters, ensuring they are fed, taken to school, etc. Consequently, child predators or those seeking sexual satisfaction take advantage of loose moral codes, offering paltry payments in exchange for stealing virginity, introducing life-altering diseases, or causing unwanted pregnancies. Girls and young women are often seen as commodities in the villages. 

As reflective of the greater culture, men dominant in the islands - taking the women they want as "wives," until another catches their eye. Domestic abuse and violence are more common than not. 


Most children grow up in mixed and fractured families, with siblings of different mothers or fathers. Larger families are often parceled out, with kids put in the care of an aunt or grandparent, whoever is deemed more able to feed and care for their basic needs. 


Selfishness, ignorance, poverty, disease, abuse, exploitation, injustice…the wretched effects of sin...these comprise the underlying reality of the islands... 


...of the world... 

...of my heart... 

...apart from the Gospel. 


Every day I desperately need the Gospel of Jesus; to embrace the fact God loved me, though unworthy and deader than dead in my sins, and not seeking Him in my sin-blinding stupor. 


God saw us as beautiful, but very broken. His incredible love took action, sending His precious and holy Son Jesus into such a broken, sin-wracked world to a life of humility and humiliation. God sent Jesus to buy us back - to redeem us from slavery, from darkness, from sin, from death, from separation from our Heavenly Father. 


The powerful, redemptive Gospel of Jesus is for my heart, for your heart, for your neighborhood, for my neighborhood. Yes, the world is very broken, deeply scarred by sin, but it is not beyond God's amazing redemption. 

In the split second after the Fall, God enacted His redemption plan, relentlessly and passionately pursuing His image bearers - for thousands of years, even in this very moment and the next one. He has not given up, nor should we. At times, the situation of the islands (and the world is general) is overwhelming and discouraging, but God asks us to continue living and declaring the Good News, until He says "time's up." 


And, until the time is up, we must embrace the God News, believe it, apply it, share it, declare it, shout it. We must live it and proclaim it every day, to every person, in every possible way. 
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This post was first published in June 2016 at the “Journey of Faith” blog (www.journeyoffaith11.blogpost.com). The author, Ruthie Howard, originally from Northwest Oregon, is working on her 7th year in central Uganda, East Africa, where she lives and works in the Buvuma Islands on Lake Victoria. She is privileged to serve with an amazing ministry family in Shepherd’s Heart International Ministry (SHIM), a project of Global Outreach Uganda. Ruthie’s passions are young people, discipleship, teaching the Word of God, and seeing lives transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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n case you missed the story of Sam's project, here's the link: Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children
If you'd like to give to help buy boots for the barefoot school children of Rwandan, you can go directly to the project page here: Help Sam's Kids. 

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: You Don't Have to Understand to Believe
#Uganda #Jesus #globaloutreach #SHIM

The Untapped Power Grid Project: Reconnecting the Body of Christ

The body of Christ has become disconnected from its most powerful part, and we don't even realize it. Two organizations hope to help open our eyes to our need and reconnect us in creative, innovative ways.

Jeff Flinn has been in pastoral ministry most of  his adult life. He currently serves as Vice President of Life Connections for a group of nursing homes. When residents who are frail of body but sound in mind and spirit enter the nursing home, many of their life connections are disrupted. They leave behind family, friends, occupation, home, and church. It can be a shattering event.

Three years ago, Jeff founded the 719 Project. It's based on Psalm 71:9, in which King David wrote, "Do not cast me away when I am old and do not forsake me when my strength is gone." If King David feared being forsaken in his old age, we may, too. 

The 719 Project vision is to end isolation and loneliness among the elderly and infirmed in our communities. The three pillars of the project are respect, remember, and reconnect. They host Sit With Me Sunday, service projects for youth, and an annual 719 rally that connects people of all ages. 

When the Untapped Power Grid project was birthed, my first thought was of Jeff Flinn and the 719 Project. It's a perfect pairing. 

As a physician, I rounded in numerous nursing facilities to do wound care. Many of those people were weak in body but not in mind. They were lonely and eager to reconnect and give back. I realized that the wisest people in the body of Christ, the most powerful prayer warriors, had become disconnected from the rest of us because of the weakness of their bodies. They were a kind of "untapped power grid" of prayer.

It's clear to me that we desperately need the wisdom and sound judgment of our elders.

UPG (Untapped Power Grid) seeks to reconnect the body of Christ with our elders in a way that allows the elders to give back in substantive and world-changing ways.

I've recruited missionaries and leaders in the body of Christ from a variety of organizations. They've given me a few specific needs for which they've like prayer and agreed to give me an update once a month. UPG pairs those missionaries with elders who are willing to pray big prayers for them once or twice a day. Every day. Without fail.

When UPG and 719 partnered to accomplish an enormous task, a beautiful thing happened. There's no competition for the top position, no "my".

"We", the body of Christ, are working together, and it's a beautiful thing.

The joint project is only a month old, but it's already making a difference. Seniors from Mississippi to Maine have agreed to pray. Missionaries around the world are receiving the benefits of those prayers. God is doing exceeding, abundantly above all that those elders ask for their missionaries.

It's an amazing pairing of two visions that make a lovely whole. 

When Jesus walked this earth, He had one group of followers. One group of disciples. One church. After He returned to heaven, He left behind one Church, the body of Christ. Even though they lived in many places, it is clear from Scripture that they knew they were all part of the same Body of Christ.

It's past time for Christ's followers to reunite in that same way. This beautiful pairing has convinced those of us in 719 Project and the Untapped Power Grid Project that we're stronger together than we are apart. We can make a bigger difference for the Kingdom of God together than we can separately.

We're equal-opportunity servants. Equal opportunity prayer-recruiters. 

If you are (or know) a senior adult who would be willing to pray, we have missionaries who need prayer coverage.

If your church supports missionaries, we'd like to recruit them to let us pray for them. It doesn't matter which man-made organization they're under, as long as they work under the authority and in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There's no fee or cost to join UPG. Missionaries, prayer warriors, and facilitators are all welcome. 

We can't do it alone. We need people who can help connect us with elders and with missionaries. We need facilitators who will be the hands of feet of this project. 

We need YOU.

Want to know more? I can help with that. 

I'm glad to speak to groups of any size about this project. My presentation on praying for your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth might just change your own prayer life. You might help change the world. Message me, email, reply to this post, or call to arrange a time for me to speak.

When the body of Christ functions as Jesus intended, incredible things happen. More than 2000 years ago, a handful of men and women turned the world right-side up by their fervor and their unity. We can do it again. If we will. 

So, body of Christ, let's link hands and help bring the Good News of Jesus to a lost and perishing world.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." Matthew 28:19
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The woman in the picture, above, is my Grandmother. Vera Benson Thaxton. She loved everyone, and she was a missionary from her home. Her prayers, and the money she saved and gave to missions, reached around the world. Without her influence, I wouldn't be a missionary today.

In case you missed the story of Sam's project, here's the link: Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children
If you'd like to give to help buy boots for the barefoot school children of Rwandan, you can go directly to the project page here: Help Sam's Kids
In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Dirty Laundry in the Background
Nothing operates without funding, and the Untapped Power Grid is no exception. You can help support this project financially, as well. Here's the link: Leanna Hollis/Global
#Christian

Sam's Project: Rubber Boots for Barefoot Rwandan Children

Thousands of Rwandan children are walking barefoot through the mud and rain to go to school. Sam Wiley wants to help, and he hopes you will, too.

Here's the story: 

Monique Ladosz was a 61-year old widow when she decided to do something bold and daring. She moved to Rwanda to spend the rest of her life as a missionary.  She's been there, serving God and the precious children of that country, and Uganda, ever since. 

When those children went to school during the rainy season, they went barefoot and without protection from the downpour. They literally trudged through the mud and rain to go to school.

For years, Monique enlisted donors to help provide school uniforms, rain ponchos, and rubber boots for the children. We're not talking about a few children. Monique provided for more than 4,000 children, but she didn't just "give" the uniforms and rain gear. She allowed the children to "earn" them by doing chores. Instead of feeling "entitled", these children felt pride in being responsible and earning their way.

On Tuesday, I emailed Monique and told her how much I loved her boot and poncho project. It's a tangible evidence of God's love, and gives her an opportunity to share Christ to thousands of people every year.

She replied back a few hours later.

This year, Monique, now 85 yeas old, has had a shortfall of funds. She had enough donations to provide ponchos and uniforms, but not enough to buy boots. She can't give boots to just a few. If she's giving boots, she has to buy for all the children. 

This year, none of the children will get rain boots. Instead, they'll walk barefoot through the mud.

That news broke my heart. 

Sam Wiley arrived for dinner about that time. If you don't know Sam Wiley yet, he's my 86-year-old neighbor who never finished third grade, but is wise beyond compare. He spent his life as a cowboy and farm hand. Other  than personal and household items, he's never owned anything more expensive than a second-hand car. 

His wife died a year ago. They lost one child to miscarriage and another one to a heart defect. She only lived three months. 

Sam's 6'4" tall and weighs 120 pounds on a good day. His health isn't good and his heart beat is all out of kilter (he has atrial fibrillation) but that old heart is full of love and compassion.

When I told Sam about Monique's children and the lacking boots, it broke his heart, too.

"I ain't never had nothing, but I always had shoes. Except for one time when I squandered my money on foolishness when I was a teenager. I went barefoot for a little while then, but Daddy finally bought me some shoes. I don't like them little African children not having those boots."

"I don't like it either."

Sam took a bite of potatoes and pointed his spoon at me. "How much do them boots cost?"

"Monique said she can get good boots for $12 apiece."

"Lord, have mercy. There ain't no reason those little ones have to be barefoot. We could all get together and get them some shoes. I'll buy two pair."

"I'll buy two pair, too."

"You reckon you could get on that machine of yours and get some people to help us?" Sam doesn't quite understand my computer, but he has an amazing faith in the power of a story and the willingness of people to get involved.

"I can try." 

He chewed a bite of peas and pondered the situation a few minutes. When he looked up, there was an expression on his face I'd never seen before. Grim determination. "Let's do it."

"Let's do what?"

"Let's get all them children some boots."

"Sam, she needs thousands of dollars to buy boots for all those Rwandan children."

"If everyone bought one pair, or maybe two, we could get it done. It don't hurt none to ask. I believe they'll do it." There was hope in his faded blue eyes.

"It's a God-sized task, Sam." 

"Yep. But I believe He's up to it."

"I believe He is, too, Sam."

Our conversation moved on to other topics as we finished our meal. Before he left last night, Sam stopped in the doorway and looked back at me. "I'll give $100 for them babies some boots. I know I've got that much, and I shore ain't gonna take it with me when I die."

He took a step out the door then turned back. "Don't tell people they have to buy $100 worth of boots. They might not be able to do that much and think a little help won't matter. It will. Ask them to buy one pair of boots."

I promised I would. And here I am, asking you to help Sam and Monique buy rubber boots for barefoot Rwandan children. They're $12 a pair. 

It will take thousands of people joining together, because this will cost thousands of dollars, but if everyone gives a little, we can do it. Sam's counting on us to help, and I can't bear to let him, Monique, and the children down. 

Actually, Monique knows we have an idea. She doesn't know we're doing this. It's a surprise!

We've set up a project page so that you can see pictures of Monique and her children, the little barefoot Rwandan feet, and the children getting their boots and ponchos. Have your handkerchief ready! They will touch your heart. You can also donate there.

There's a 100% pass-through on donations, so everything you give will be used to buy boots for children in Rwanda and Uganda. Any extra will go toward next year's boots. None of the money comes to me or to Sam. The account for funds goes straight to Monique Ladosz' boot fund. 

All your donations are tax-deductible.

Here's the link: Help Sam's Kids

You can donate to help Sam's kids (and Monique's) online via bank draft, or credit or debit card. You can also mail a check. Instructions are below.

You can mail a check to: (Be sure to put Acct # 4852 in the subject line)
Sam's Kids
c/o Global Outreach
P.O. Box 1
Tupelo, MS. 38802

Two octogenarians have a God-sized vision and they're not afraid to pray big. We have an opportunity to make their dreams, and prayers, come true. Thank you for helping Sam, Monique, and 4200 children of Rwanda. 

May you be overtaken by blessings for your generosity. 

"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 NLT
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In case you missed it, here's the link to this morning's blog post: Three Years and 1550 blog posts later...

#makeadifference #samskids #bootsforRwanda #Uganda

What Becoming A Missionary Taught Me About Myself

I've been a missionary for a month now. It's been four weeks of constant learning, but not all the lessons have been quite what I expected. 

For one thing, I've found that becoming a missionary didn't automatically make me a better Christian. I sure wish it had, because I'm not as dedicated a disciple as I thought. I've given up a little bit for the cause of Christ, but the missionaries with whom I've corresponded on a daily basis have given up so much more. 

Their faith and dedication are beautiful to behold.. 

One couple's housing allowance is considerably less than $20 a month. They live in a single rented room in someone's house. Dirt floor. Storage in boxes balanced in the rafters. "Stuff" is not their priority. Neither is comfort. Their priority is sharing Christ with those who are lost without Him.

I can't get their story out of my mind as I drive up my long driveway to the big house. It's fronted by columns and filled with stuff. 

I like stuff. I like comfort. 

I lived in a room with a dirt floor for part of one summer. I got used to the floor. I got used to the outhouse. I even got used to the chickens running in and out. 

I didn't get used to the food.

I had twenty straight meals of beans and rice. It was the best they had to offer me, and I was grateful. Until about meal eighteen, when I suddenly didn't think I could take another bite. After meal twenty, I took to the bed and claimed illness. I went without food until I could swallow more beans and rice rather than offend my hosts. 

I can't get my ridiculous attitude about the food out of my mind as I look in my stocked-to-overflowing refrigerator. 

I like tasty food. Fresh produce. Beautiful meals.

I've listened to stories about missionaries, visited with them, corresponded with them, learned about their lives. They don't have our conveniences. They don't have our health care system, educational system, or governmental system. They don't have our transportation, communication, entertainment, or shopping.

Their lives are hard by American standards, but incredibly rich by heavenly standards. They see God do things we'll never see in this country, and I can't get that fact out of my mind as I go about my very American life.

Every morning, we pray for our missionaries by name. I go back to my office and type out an email to let them know we've prayed. All from the comfort of my air-conditioned office. 

What still astonishes me is that these sweet people take time from lives I wouldn't dare to live to email back and thank me for my prayers, then ask how they can pray for me.

I can't get that out of my mind, either.

At least part of every day, I wish I was there instead of here. 

But I'm not. 

So, for now, I'll continue to pray the biggest prayers I can think of for people I've never met, living in places I've never seen, doing things I can't imagine, and speaking languages I don't understand. I'll do it because they're family, their lives linked to mine by our relationship to Christ.

To my utter amazement, those prayers will make a difference. It won't be because I'm a super-Christian (I'm not) or because I'm a master-prayer warrior (I'm not that, either) but because our Heavenly Father listens to all His children, including the ones, like me, who are unreasonably comfortable.

Today, as we enjoy our gourmet coffee, fancy cosmetics, lovely clothes, well-tuned vehicles, and wonderful air-conditioning, let's remember those who sacrifice all of those luxuries for the cause of Christ, as well as those brothers and sisters around the world who aren't just uncomfortable. They're in constant danger of persecution and death because of their faith. 

Let's pray for God's protection, His provision, His peace for them. Pray for their families and those to whom they minister. Pray for great joy in the midst of an often-treacherous journey of faith.

Let's remember that God has called us to step outside our comfort zone, too. So look for the one who's lonely and be a friend. Look for the one who's broken and find ways to help. Look for the one who needs our Savior and introduce them. 

Give freely. Spend less on ourselves and more on the needs of others. Love with abandon. 

Serve Christ wherever we are.

"You shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8 nasb
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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Happy Anniversary: The Heartbreak of Human Trafficking
If you'd like to learn more about our missionaries, here's the link to our website: Global Outreach International. Click on "Our Missionaries"
(You can find me under "North America")

#mission #Christian