You can also see some pictures from the Nepal trip here.
9.28.2014
Testimony video about Nepal
Our church put together a testimony video from two different e3 trips this summer. Chris and Tanner share in the first half about their trip to Nepal, and then a dear friend shares about her trip to India.
You can also see some pictures from the Nepal trip here.
You can also see some pictures from the Nepal trip here.
9.07.2014
God's faithfulness despite our inadequacies
A recap of the Nepal trip in the words of Chris:
My son Tanner and I recently went on a mission trip to Nepal, located between North India and China. As we were preparing for the trip, God was already starting to show up and work in Tanner. But there was something different about this trip for me. I had been on several trips before with physical or financial handicaps, but this time it was more of a feeling of a spiritual unreadiness. The closer it got to the time to leave, the more apprehensive I was feeling about going. I didn’t feel connected to God or have a heart yet for the people we were going to minister to. All I was feeling was that I was not ready to go. But God had always met me on prior trips with exactly what I needed, so on we went.
As we start on our journey, we find God using us before we even arrive in Nepal. On our last flight into Kathmandu, I begin talking with a local man from Nepal and find an opportunity to share my testimony. I am quietly and discreetly telling the man what Jesus has done in my life, almost whispering, and then I hear Tanner, who is sitting in the row behind me between a businessman and a young agnostic with body piercings, loudly proclaiming while pointing to his evangecube, “this light represents the One True God!!!”. It leads into great conversations and convicts me to not be ashamed or shy about the Gospel.
It is a long trip but it gives us time to bond with our new team members and we quickly become more like a family. We arrive in the city of Lahan on Saturday morning about an hour before we have to head out and minister at three of the small churches in the area. The people are so gracious and do everything they can to make us Westerners feel comfortable. As we get back to our hotel on Saturday afternoon, I am personally feeling at an all time low as I start to experience symptoms of a stomach ulcer and am only able to eat a few bananas over the next two days. We spend the day on Sunday in training meetings with our translators and local pastors preparing for the village work to begin on Monday. I wake up Monday morning at 2:00 am and begin applying some of the training we have received on healing. While praying, God shows up just as He always has. All of my ulcer symptoms disappear...no nausea, pain or anxiety just the feeling that He is right there with me. It is just what I need!
In the morning, we are heading into the villages and I am ready to go! Our team of 20 North Americans has been split into five teams with each team assigned to a different village for the week. Monday we find out quickly that our village is not as open as some of the others. Some of our team even gets yelled out while walking through the village. One of the first people that I meet is a man named Artun. He is different than most people in the village. He is bigger, smarter, dresses nicer and actually has a satellite tv. He quickly asks why we are here. Our conversation starts off friendly and I eventually see an opportunity to share my testimony. He hears the name Jesus and it changes the conversation. He says he knows why we are here. He has heard many things about western Christians from his satellite tv and none of it is good. We change the subject and I ask if I can visit him the next day. On the surface it seems like it might be a waste to spend more time with him, but God puts him on my heart and I begin praying for him daily. I also notice over the next few days that he meets daily with many of the men in the village and it appears he has some influence with them. The team spends the rest of the day meeting villagers and sharing testimonies. The Gospel is shared a few times but with little positive results.
We return to our hotel that evening and it becomes obvious that our results in the village aren’t as impressive as what the other teams are seeing in their villages. Our trip leaders wonder if our team should be moved to another more open village. Although we did not feel very welcomed today, the team decides that we want to give our village another try.
Tuesday morning starts off by us meeting a young man named Deb who is one of only three Christians in the whole village of about 300 people. He quickly becomes an important part of our team. We then witness our first healing of a little three year old boy. According to his grandmother, he has been in constant pain for days, not eating, crying a lot, a bloated stomach and despondent with no emotion. In fact, the grandmother says he has not smiled for days. We pray over him and the grandmother asks him if he is still in pain and he says “no”. She begins poking around on his stomach as if she doesn’t believe him but he insists there is no pain. We ask if we can come back and check on him later in the afternoon and before we leave he gives us a slight smile. We come back later that afternoon and find him sitting on the porch laughing and stuffing his face with food. The rest of the day is spent continuing to build relationships and entering into the lives of the villagers. We return to our hotel that night a little more encouraged but still not seeing new believers like the other teams are experiencing.
On Wednesday, one of our team members is moved to another larger and more open village. She was bold with the Gospel and we will miss her! We start the day praying over houses and families as we walk through the village. It is around 1:00 and it is time for our remaining team of 3 Americans, 2 translators and 3 local Christians to meet for lunch. We arrive at our designated spot at a tree in the center of the village, but today there are two blankets laid out for us to eat on. Something has changed, and I think we are being accepted. After lunch, people begin asking to hear the story of Jesus. We start to see our first new believers and a discipleship group is started.
Thursday morning we begin experiencing several physical attacks from the enemy. The first attack happens with my translator who suddenly finds himself unable to understand and translate the English during our morning meeting. He is one of our top translators and the confusion and fear is evident on his face. He goes to our trip leaders to explain what is happening, and after some prayer the confusion leaves and he is able to resume translating. After that, Tanner and I along with our 3rd team member experience stomach pains but we pray and see relief on the way to the village. This tells us that it is going to be a good day in the village! Today ends up being the most fruitful day so far. We see more healings, more new believers and the discipleship group has grown. Some of the new believers have already begun sharing the Gospel with their neighbors. I did not get to visit Artun today, but have had good visits with him over the past three days. But neither of us has mentioned God or Jesus since I first shared my testimony. I pray that I will get one more visit with him before we leave tomorrow.
It’s Friday and if there is one thing about a mission trip that you can always count on, it is that there will be last minute changes! We are leaving on the bus this afternoon and have just found out that heavy rains have washed out a main bridge on the way back to Kathmandu. This means we will need to take a longer route back which is going to cut our final day in the village short by several hours. We are devastated by the news but we know that it is all in God’s hands. Our plan is to have our last training session with the new discipleship group, a children’s program, and a couple appointments with people who want to hear more about Jesus. I don’t know that I will have time to see Artun before I leave. The discipleship group is held out the house of a family of three who are all new believers along with four other new believers from around the village. They have a hard time reading the Bible but already know how to share the Gospel using an evangecard. Many kids and their families show up for the last children’s program and hear the Gospel one more time. As God would have it, I run into Artun one last time as he is on his way into the market. I ask him if he has thought about why God would send us half way around the world to his village when we could have gone anywhere. He says he has thought about that and that he wants to hear more about Jesus. So I share the Gospel with him and he says he wanted to follow Jesus but has concerns about how his wife and parents will respond and how this will affect his status among the men in the village. I tell him this is more about a relationship between him and Jesus and that God will guide him on how to handle his concerns. He has been counting the cost but after our discussion he decides to accept Jesus. We pray right there in the village street.
It is time to leave the village, and people are coming up and wanting to know more about Jesus. We tell them about the discipleship group that has started and it is obvious that there is so much more work to be done in this village. Everyone is loaded up and ready to go, and Tanner turns to me and says that he wishes we could stay longer. I tell him that I understand...I’m not ready to go either.
I started out this trip not feeling ready and not sure that I even wanted to go, and the trip ends with me not wanting to leave. God has worked despite my feelings of inadequacy and this ends up being the most meaningful mission trip that I have ever been on!
My son Tanner and I recently went on a mission trip to Nepal, located between North India and China. As we were preparing for the trip, God was already starting to show up and work in Tanner. But there was something different about this trip for me. I had been on several trips before with physical or financial handicaps, but this time it was more of a feeling of a spiritual unreadiness. The closer it got to the time to leave, the more apprehensive I was feeling about going. I didn’t feel connected to God or have a heart yet for the people we were going to minister to. All I was feeling was that I was not ready to go. But God had always met me on prior trips with exactly what I needed, so on we went.
As we start on our journey, we find God using us before we even arrive in Nepal. On our last flight into Kathmandu, I begin talking with a local man from Nepal and find an opportunity to share my testimony. I am quietly and discreetly telling the man what Jesus has done in my life, almost whispering, and then I hear Tanner, who is sitting in the row behind me between a businessman and a young agnostic with body piercings, loudly proclaiming while pointing to his evangecube, “this light represents the One True God!!!”. It leads into great conversations and convicts me to not be ashamed or shy about the Gospel.
It is a long trip but it gives us time to bond with our new team members and we quickly become more like a family. We arrive in the city of Lahan on Saturday morning about an hour before we have to head out and minister at three of the small churches in the area. The people are so gracious and do everything they can to make us Westerners feel comfortable. As we get back to our hotel on Saturday afternoon, I am personally feeling at an all time low as I start to experience symptoms of a stomach ulcer and am only able to eat a few bananas over the next two days. We spend the day on Sunday in training meetings with our translators and local pastors preparing for the village work to begin on Monday. I wake up Monday morning at 2:00 am and begin applying some of the training we have received on healing. While praying, God shows up just as He always has. All of my ulcer symptoms disappear...no nausea, pain or anxiety just the feeling that He is right there with me. It is just what I need!
In the morning, we are heading into the villages and I am ready to go! Our team of 20 North Americans has been split into five teams with each team assigned to a different village for the week. Monday we find out quickly that our village is not as open as some of the others. Some of our team even gets yelled out while walking through the village. One of the first people that I meet is a man named Artun. He is different than most people in the village. He is bigger, smarter, dresses nicer and actually has a satellite tv. He quickly asks why we are here. Our conversation starts off friendly and I eventually see an opportunity to share my testimony. He hears the name Jesus and it changes the conversation. He says he knows why we are here. He has heard many things about western Christians from his satellite tv and none of it is good. We change the subject and I ask if I can visit him the next day. On the surface it seems like it might be a waste to spend more time with him, but God puts him on my heart and I begin praying for him daily. I also notice over the next few days that he meets daily with many of the men in the village and it appears he has some influence with them. The team spends the rest of the day meeting villagers and sharing testimonies. The Gospel is shared a few times but with little positive results.
We return to our hotel that evening and it becomes obvious that our results in the village aren’t as impressive as what the other teams are seeing in their villages. Our trip leaders wonder if our team should be moved to another more open village. Although we did not feel very welcomed today, the team decides that we want to give our village another try.
Tuesday morning starts off by us meeting a young man named Deb who is one of only three Christians in the whole village of about 300 people. He quickly becomes an important part of our team. We then witness our first healing of a little three year old boy. According to his grandmother, he has been in constant pain for days, not eating, crying a lot, a bloated stomach and despondent with no emotion. In fact, the grandmother says he has not smiled for days. We pray over him and the grandmother asks him if he is still in pain and he says “no”. She begins poking around on his stomach as if she doesn’t believe him but he insists there is no pain. We ask if we can come back and check on him later in the afternoon and before we leave he gives us a slight smile. We come back later that afternoon and find him sitting on the porch laughing and stuffing his face with food. The rest of the day is spent continuing to build relationships and entering into the lives of the villagers. We return to our hotel that night a little more encouraged but still not seeing new believers like the other teams are experiencing.
On Wednesday, one of our team members is moved to another larger and more open village. She was bold with the Gospel and we will miss her! We start the day praying over houses and families as we walk through the village. It is around 1:00 and it is time for our remaining team of 3 Americans, 2 translators and 3 local Christians to meet for lunch. We arrive at our designated spot at a tree in the center of the village, but today there are two blankets laid out for us to eat on. Something has changed, and I think we are being accepted. After lunch, people begin asking to hear the story of Jesus. We start to see our first new believers and a discipleship group is started.
Thursday morning we begin experiencing several physical attacks from the enemy. The first attack happens with my translator who suddenly finds himself unable to understand and translate the English during our morning meeting. He is one of our top translators and the confusion and fear is evident on his face. He goes to our trip leaders to explain what is happening, and after some prayer the confusion leaves and he is able to resume translating. After that, Tanner and I along with our 3rd team member experience stomach pains but we pray and see relief on the way to the village. This tells us that it is going to be a good day in the village! Today ends up being the most fruitful day so far. We see more healings, more new believers and the discipleship group has grown. Some of the new believers have already begun sharing the Gospel with their neighbors. I did not get to visit Artun today, but have had good visits with him over the past three days. But neither of us has mentioned God or Jesus since I first shared my testimony. I pray that I will get one more visit with him before we leave tomorrow.
It’s Friday and if there is one thing about a mission trip that you can always count on, it is that there will be last minute changes! We are leaving on the bus this afternoon and have just found out that heavy rains have washed out a main bridge on the way back to Kathmandu. This means we will need to take a longer route back which is going to cut our final day in the village short by several hours. We are devastated by the news but we know that it is all in God’s hands. Our plan is to have our last training session with the new discipleship group, a children’s program, and a couple appointments with people who want to hear more about Jesus. I don’t know that I will have time to see Artun before I leave. The discipleship group is held out the house of a family of three who are all new believers along with four other new believers from around the village. They have a hard time reading the Bible but already know how to share the Gospel using an evangecard. Many kids and their families show up for the last children’s program and hear the Gospel one more time. As God would have it, I run into Artun one last time as he is on his way into the market. I ask him if he has thought about why God would send us half way around the world to his village when we could have gone anywhere. He says he has thought about that and that he wants to hear more about Jesus. So I share the Gospel with him and he says he wanted to follow Jesus but has concerns about how his wife and parents will respond and how this will affect his status among the men in the village. I tell him this is more about a relationship between him and Jesus and that God will guide him on how to handle his concerns. He has been counting the cost but after our discussion he decides to accept Jesus. We pray right there in the village street.
It is time to leave the village, and people are coming up and wanting to know more about Jesus. We tell them about the discipleship group that has started and it is obvious that there is so much more work to be done in this village. Everyone is loaded up and ready to go, and Tanner turns to me and says that he wishes we could stay longer. I tell him that I understand...I’m not ready to go either.
I started out this trip not feeling ready and not sure that I even wanted to go, and the trip ends with me not wanting to leave. God has worked despite my feelings of inadequacy and this ends up being the most meaningful mission trip that I have ever been on!
8.04.2014
Facing our Fears
Preparing for this trip has meant a lot of "firsts" for Tanner. And I know there will be many more to come once they arrive in Nepal later this week! It has also required that he face some fears. When we first talked to him about the possibility of going, he didn't hesitate and was excited about the idea. And then he heard about the vaccines he would need and his tune quickly changed! There was a genuine fear about the multiple shots, and we told him that the decision was up to him. We gave him time to think and pray about it and assured him that there would be other opportunities if he didn't feel like going this time. After several weeks, he came to us one morning and told us he wanted to go because he felt God had spoken to his heart. And while the fear was still there, he now had the confidence to face it because he knew God would help him. I recorded this video so he could share in his own words:
He got his last shot last week, and he did great! God truly did show up and Tanner was amazed each time at how "easy" it was!
Watching Tanner wrestle through this very real fear has been such an encouragement to me. And a great reminder that so often when God calls us to do something, there is a fear we have to get past. Those fears can look different for everyone, but they are still very real for each person and it is our choice whether we will let those fears hold us back or whether we will give them to God and allow Him to walk with us THROUGH those fears.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
He got his last shot last week, and he did great! God truly did show up and Tanner was amazed each time at how "easy" it was!
Watching Tanner wrestle through this very real fear has been such an encouragement to me. And a great reminder that so often when God calls us to do something, there is a fear we have to get past. Those fears can look different for everyone, but they are still very real for each person and it is our choice whether we will let those fears hold us back or whether we will give them to God and allow Him to walk with us THROUGH those fears.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
5.16.2014
Trusting beyond the first step
Often we find that all of our attention and focus is on that first step out of the boat. And we forget about the steps that follow. When God asks us to obey, step out of our comfort zone and follow Him, it often requires a new level of trust. And for me, that usually looks like diligent seeking and desperate clinging to Him. However, once I take that first step out of the boat and began taking those faith steps into the unknown...too often that diligent seeking begins to wane and my desperate clinging slowly loosens its grip.
The story of Peter walking on the water has always spoken to me. I want to stand up and cheer for Peter when he takes that first step out of the boat. He knew Jesus and had seen His power, and he trusted that when Jesus said "Come", He would make a way. The story also challenges me with the importance of keeping my focus on Jesus. Because it wasn't until Peter took his eyes off Jesus that he began to sink.
God demonstrated this to me in a powerful way last week. One morning as I was getting everyone ready for their day and sending them out the door, I could feel the Lord nudging me that I needed some time alone with Him. Life was going a million miles an hour and I was running on empty. I could also feel the anxiety beginning to creep in about the funds needed for our Nepal trip. As I sat down for some one-on-one time with God, I found myself in Isaiah 26 and quickly focused in on verses 3 and 4. This is what I read:
The story of Peter walking on the water has always spoken to me. I want to stand up and cheer for Peter when he takes that first step out of the boat. He knew Jesus and had seen His power, and he trusted that when Jesus said "Come", He would make a way. The story also challenges me with the importance of keeping my focus on Jesus. Because it wasn't until Peter took his eyes off Jesus that he began to sink.
God demonstrated this to me in a powerful way last week. One morning as I was getting everyone ready for their day and sending them out the door, I could feel the Lord nudging me that I needed some time alone with Him. Life was going a million miles an hour and I was running on empty. I could also feel the anxiety beginning to creep in about the funds needed for our Nepal trip. As I sat down for some one-on-one time with God, I found myself in Isaiah 26 and quickly focused in on verses 3 and 4. This is what I read:
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and
constant peace whose mind
[both its inclination and its character] is
stayed on You, because he
commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
4 So
trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope
confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock
[the Rock of Ages].
As I read those verses, I could feel the Lord gently challenging me about where my mind was stayed and focused. In verse 4, it says to trust in the Lord forever. This is not a one-time trust when we have to take that first step of faith...but this is a continual, day by day, sometimes minute by minute trust. And this requires keeping our mind stayed on Him...committing ourselves to Him, leaning on Him and hoping confidently in Him. Every step of the way!
When we first felt God calling us to go to Nepal, it was a huge step of faith. To be honest, finances was the biggest step of faith for us (or at least me!). For just one of us to go was a large financial commitment, but for three of us to go...that was going to require a seemingly impossible amount of money. Yet we felt so strongly that He was calling us, and after much prayer and counsel we took that first step. Almost immediately God began providing and confirming our decision, and I honestly just coasted on that for awhile. Provision was coming in and less than two weeks after sending out our first letters, we already had 44% of our total! And without even realizing it, I began loosening my desperate grip on God and slowly falling into my routine of take charge and make it happen. I found myself consumed with trying to brainstorm ways we could raise the remaining funds. And that's when the anxiety began to creep in.
That morning, as I sat there reading Isaiah 26, the Lord lovingly reminded me that I needed to trust Him every step of the way, not just for that first step. That He would provide and that I could hope confidently in Him...because He was trustworthy! The rest of my day was busy, filled with work and meetings and shuttling kids here and there, but the truths that God had spoken to my heart that morning carried me all day. That afternoon, on my way home, I checked our mailbox and spotted one of our "Nepal donation" envelopes mixed in the mail. I opened it to find a large donation that brought us to 85% of our total goal.
That morning, as I sat there reading Isaiah 26, the Lord lovingly reminded me that I needed to trust Him every step of the way, not just for that first step. That He would provide and that I could hope confidently in Him...because He was trustworthy! The rest of my day was busy, filled with work and meetings and shuttling kids here and there, but the truths that God had spoken to my heart that morning carried me all day. That afternoon, on my way home, I checked our mailbox and spotted one of our "Nepal donation" envelopes mixed in the mail. I opened it to find a large donation that brought us to 85% of our total goal.
Overwhelmed. Speechless. Grateful. Wonderstruck.
The emotions were tumbling all over themselves.
The emotions were tumbling all over themselves.
Yet staring at that donation slip, I couldn't help but thank God for the sweet communion we had shared that morning. God knew that donation was already on its way...yet He wanted to speak to my heart, remind me of His truths and refocus my mind before it arrived.
God is trustworthy.
We can hope confidently in Him.
All He asks is that we trust...and not just for that first step, but for every step along the way.
{for more information on our trip, click on the "Nepal" tab at the top of this blog or click here and if you would like to donate to our trip, click the "Donate" tab or click here}
{for more information on our trip, click on the "Nepal" tab at the top of this blog or click here and if you would like to donate to our trip, click the "Donate" tab or click here}
4.29.2014
Taking that first step
God is our provider. We memorize the Bible verses...we sing about it...we declare with confidence that we know He can provide for those around us...we believe it and are quick to remind others when they are in a tight spot.
Then suddenly we find ourselves in a situation where we come face to face with it in our own life. And we have to look deep down in our hearts and discover if we really believe it for ourselves. It is so easy to have faith for others isn't it? But when it comes to our own lives, our own situations, when the rubber meets the road in our own world, this is when the real test comes. Do we believe that God will provide for US? Or are those promises just for others? Those with more faith, more discipline, more favor?
I have found myself face to face with this question many times in my life. And I will admit that I get frustrated when I find myself wrestling with it yet again when I have seen Him provide time after time. He has ALWAYS proven Himself faithful to me. It is not always in my timing (in fact, rarely is it on my schedule!) but He always provides in His time. And of course, His time is always the right time.
It is a faith walk. It is taking what we say we believe about God and putting it into action. Chris and I have been on several mission trips, and the financial side is always a faith walk for us. It comes down to that moment when we must make a decision. Do we really believe that He has called us to GO? And if we really believe that, then do we believe that He will make a way? Because the reality is that we have to take that first step. He calls us and then we must respond. Wouldn't it be great if He called us and then filled us in on all the details before we had to take that first step of obedience? That would be so much easier. Less stressful. Much simpler. But that wouldn't grow our faith. Because there is something that happens when we take that first step of obedience and put some action to our faith. It is in that obedience where we truly experience God. The truths we know in our head about God become something that we actually experience. And those experiences are what truly transform us.
This mission trip has been no different. For three of us to go to Nepal isn't cheap. And I would be lying if I said I haven't wrestled with it...honestly my emotions have swung all over the place. Yet God keeps whispering to me that He simply wants obedience. We are supposed to take one step at a time as He leads and then watch Him work.
We have been taking those steps...and I can testify that He has been working! In fact, He provided miraculously for our trip deposits a few weeks ago. Each trip application requires a $200 deposit so for the three of us that was $600. Now I have always heard the stories about people receiving unexpected checks in the mail right when they needed it, but I have never personally experienced it. And believe me, I have prayed for those mystery checks on numerous occasions in my life! Well, I can say that I have now experienced it! I received an envelope in the mail recently made out to "Brook Raven". I stared at it for a few seconds before I realized it must be for my side business called RavenBrook. And when I say "side" business...I mean really, really, really small side business. This is my creative outlet where I sell the occasional item on Etsy or to friends. I only make a few hundred dollars a year (and that is a good year!)...so it is very.very.small. When I opened the envelope, I found a check in the amount of $640 for a lawsuit settlement that I remembered nothing about. Apparently several years ago I received one of those postcards stating that I was a claimant in said lawsuit and if I signed it I would decline my rights to file my own lawsuit and might receive a portion of any potential claim settlement. Now I don't get those postcards very often, but when I do I always sign them and send them back. And occasionally we will get a check for $8 or $12 or some other insignificant amount as a result. But $640??!!! And for my little tiny side business that doesn't even make that much money in a year? I just had to laugh and felt God remind me His provision doesn't always come in the way we expect! I didn't even have a bank account for Raven Brook, so I found myself going to the courthouse to file a DBA so I could open a bank account and cash the check. After paying the filing fees and sending in our deposits, I have $12 sitting in my new RavenBrook account. And I just have to smile. All the details that had to fall in place for that check to arrive exactly when it did was just the confirmation my heart needed.
God IS our provider. He knows what we need and when we need it. He just asks us to obey and leave the rest to Him.
Then suddenly we find ourselves in a situation where we come face to face with it in our own life. And we have to look deep down in our hearts and discover if we really believe it for ourselves. It is so easy to have faith for others isn't it? But when it comes to our own lives, our own situations, when the rubber meets the road in our own world, this is when the real test comes. Do we believe that God will provide for US? Or are those promises just for others? Those with more faith, more discipline, more favor?
I have found myself face to face with this question many times in my life. And I will admit that I get frustrated when I find myself wrestling with it yet again when I have seen Him provide time after time. He has ALWAYS proven Himself faithful to me. It is not always in my timing (in fact, rarely is it on my schedule!) but He always provides in His time. And of course, His time is always the right time.
It is a faith walk. It is taking what we say we believe about God and putting it into action. Chris and I have been on several mission trips, and the financial side is always a faith walk for us. It comes down to that moment when we must make a decision. Do we really believe that He has called us to GO? And if we really believe that, then do we believe that He will make a way? Because the reality is that we have to take that first step. He calls us and then we must respond. Wouldn't it be great if He called us and then filled us in on all the details before we had to take that first step of obedience? That would be so much easier. Less stressful. Much simpler. But that wouldn't grow our faith. Because there is something that happens when we take that first step of obedience and put some action to our faith. It is in that obedience where we truly experience God. The truths we know in our head about God become something that we actually experience. And those experiences are what truly transform us.
This mission trip has been no different. For three of us to go to Nepal isn't cheap. And I would be lying if I said I haven't wrestled with it...honestly my emotions have swung all over the place. Yet God keeps whispering to me that He simply wants obedience. We are supposed to take one step at a time as He leads and then watch Him work.
We have been taking those steps...and I can testify that He has been working! In fact, He provided miraculously for our trip deposits a few weeks ago. Each trip application requires a $200 deposit so for the three of us that was $600. Now I have always heard the stories about people receiving unexpected checks in the mail right when they needed it, but I have never personally experienced it. And believe me, I have prayed for those mystery checks on numerous occasions in my life! Well, I can say that I have now experienced it! I received an envelope in the mail recently made out to "Brook Raven". I stared at it for a few seconds before I realized it must be for my side business called RavenBrook. And when I say "side" business...I mean really, really, really small side business. This is my creative outlet where I sell the occasional item on Etsy or to friends. I only make a few hundred dollars a year (and that is a good year!)...so it is very.very.small. When I opened the envelope, I found a check in the amount of $640 for a lawsuit settlement that I remembered nothing about. Apparently several years ago I received one of those postcards stating that I was a claimant in said lawsuit and if I signed it I would decline my rights to file my own lawsuit and might receive a portion of any potential claim settlement. Now I don't get those postcards very often, but when I do I always sign them and send them back. And occasionally we will get a check for $8 or $12 or some other insignificant amount as a result. But $640??!!! And for my little tiny side business that doesn't even make that much money in a year? I just had to laugh and felt God remind me His provision doesn't always come in the way we expect! I didn't even have a bank account for Raven Brook, so I found myself going to the courthouse to file a DBA so I could open a bank account and cash the check. After paying the filing fees and sending in our deposits, I have $12 sitting in my new RavenBrook account. And I just have to smile. All the details that had to fall in place for that check to arrive exactly when it did was just the confirmation my heart needed.
God IS our provider. He knows what we need and when we need it. He just asks us to obey and leave the rest to Him.
{for more information on our trip, click on the "Nepal" tab at the top of this blog or click here and if you would like to donate to our trip, click the "Donate" tab or click here}
4.17.2014
The moments that define us
Life-changing moments. We have all experienced them...the day we met that special someone, the birth of a child, standing at a crossroads with two very different paths ahead of us or maybe a tragedy that alters everything. Those moments that define who we are and alter the trajectory of our life. Looking back, I can identify many of those moments in my life. Moments that were God ordained and orchestrated, and have led me to where I am today.
One of those moments occurred last year when Chris and I attended an e3 missions conference in Plano. We had traveled to India the year before with e3 and wanted to learn more about what they were doing around the world. It was at that conference that we heard for the first time about the Legacy initiative by e3. An initiative focused on mission trips specifically designed for families who want to develop a mission mindset in their children. I remember sitting in that meeting and feeling like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. It was all I could do to keep the tears from streaming as I listened to the heart and passion of the leaders. We knew it was a God moment and that He had something more for us. Chris and I have been on two mission trips together, and they have honestly been the highlights of our marriage. Serving together on the mission field has brought us closer to each other, and has stirred up a passion in us to see the lost come to know Jesus. But it has also stirred up a desire to see others experience missions together as a family. That day, sitting in that room, we knew God was doing something. We had already been talking and looking forward to the day when we could take our boys with us, and here was the opportunity to do just that!
Since that time we have been praying and seeking God about the timing, and we feel like the time is NOW! So Chris and I will be taking Tanner with us to Nepal this summer (August 6-17). We are beyond excited and cannot wait for Tanner to experience the heart shift that occurs when you are on the mission field sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard the name of Jesus. It truly is a life-changing experience...for everyone!
We will be updating this blog over the next four months as we prepare for the trip. We have a list of things to start working on (visas, passports, vaccines, etc...) and we have money to raise (honestly, a lot of money!). However, we are confident that God has called us and we know that He will provide everything we need. We have already seen him provide miraculously just in the last few weeks, and we will be sharing that story and many more over the next few months.
If you would like to stay updated on our trip, simply add your email to the right side of this blog so you will be notified every time we add a new post. And if you would like to support us financially, you can do that here. You can read more about the trip by clicking the "Nepal 2014" tab at the top of the page, and you can stay updated on our current prayer needs by clicking the "prayer" tab.
Excited about what God has in store for us and for the people of Nepal!
Chris, Jennifer & Tanner Adams
One of those moments occurred last year when Chris and I attended an e3 missions conference in Plano. We had traveled to India the year before with e3 and wanted to learn more about what they were doing around the world. It was at that conference that we heard for the first time about the Legacy initiative by e3. An initiative focused on mission trips specifically designed for families who want to develop a mission mindset in their children. I remember sitting in that meeting and feeling like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. It was all I could do to keep the tears from streaming as I listened to the heart and passion of the leaders. We knew it was a God moment and that He had something more for us. Chris and I have been on two mission trips together, and they have honestly been the highlights of our marriage. Serving together on the mission field has brought us closer to each other, and has stirred up a passion in us to see the lost come to know Jesus. But it has also stirred up a desire to see others experience missions together as a family. That day, sitting in that room, we knew God was doing something. We had already been talking and looking forward to the day when we could take our boys with us, and here was the opportunity to do just that!
Since that time we have been praying and seeking God about the timing, and we feel like the time is NOW! So Chris and I will be taking Tanner with us to Nepal this summer (August 6-17). We are beyond excited and cannot wait for Tanner to experience the heart shift that occurs when you are on the mission field sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard the name of Jesus. It truly is a life-changing experience...for everyone!
We will be updating this blog over the next four months as we prepare for the trip. We have a list of things to start working on (visas, passports, vaccines, etc...) and we have money to raise (honestly, a lot of money!). However, we are confident that God has called us and we know that He will provide everything we need. We have already seen him provide miraculously just in the last few weeks, and we will be sharing that story and many more over the next few months.
If you would like to stay updated on our trip, simply add your email to the right side of this blog so you will be notified every time we add a new post. And if you would like to support us financially, you can do that here. You can read more about the trip by clicking the "Nepal 2014" tab at the top of the page, and you can stay updated on our current prayer needs by clicking the "prayer" tab.
Excited about what God has in store for us and for the people of Nepal!
Chris, Jennifer & Tanner Adams
8.24.2012
My plan versus His plan
Flexibility.
It was a word the Lord put on my heart a few months before we left for India.
I thought I understood it, and I figured it wouldn’t be easy.
But little did I know how hard it would really be…
It was our third day working in the villages.
The first two days had been incredible!
We had seen crowds of 150+ and had shared the gospel with
approximately 400 people in just two short days.
We had been to two different villages and the people had been very open,
wanting to hear more about Jesus.
It was a word the Lord put on my heart a few months before we left for India.
I thought I understood it, and I figured it wouldn’t be easy.
But little did I know how hard it would really be…
It was our third day working in the villages.
The first two days had been incredible!
We had seen crowds of 150+ and had shared the gospel with
approximately 400 people in just two short days.
We had been to two different villages and the people had been very open,
wanting to hear more about Jesus.
 |
| {sharing the Gospel with 150+ people in front of the Hindu temple in the middle of the village} |
 |
| {sharing health education at the first village we visited} |
This trip was a church-planting mission, and that was our goal.
Go to unreached villages that didn’t currently have a church,
find “persons of peace” who were either believers or seekers and
start a sat-sang (or small group) in their home.
The local pastors that we were working with would then
follow up with those small groups after we left,
with the hope that they would become house churches
in the future.
This was our mission.
Our goal.
This is what we had been training and preparing for months to do.
And we were excited and ready to DO IT!!
And I might just add that I am a goal person.
I like checklists.
I like a clear plan of action.
Show me the vision...and I am ready to make it happen!
So after two days of fruitful ministry in two different
unreached villages, we were feeling good.
We were on track.
We had identified “persons of peace” in each village.
Now it was time to go back and gather a group in those homes.
Meet with them and show them how to have their own sat-sang (or truth fellowship).
We had several tools available and we were excited to share
these tools with the people.
Things were going according to plan.
And we were excited about what God was doing!
And then it all came to a screeching halt.
It was the morning of our third day and as we rode in the taxi to the local pastor’s house,
We were on track.
We had identified “persons of peace” in each village.
Now it was time to go back and gather a group in those homes.
Meet with them and show them how to have their own sat-sang (or truth fellowship).
We had several tools available and we were excited to share
these tools with the people.
Things were going according to plan.
And we were excited about what God was doing!
And then it all came to a screeching halt.
It was the morning of our third day and as we rode in the taxi to the local pastor’s house,
we had time to talk with our translators and make a plan of action for the day.
Chris and I had talked the night before, and we were really excited about some
of the connections that had been made the prior two days.
We were ready to do some follow up work!
We only had a total of four days of ministry in the villages,
so we were already half-way through and we were feeling the time crunch.
We felt like our last two days needed to be focused on the connections we had already made if we were going to leave behind small groups with a strong foundation.
As soon as we pulled up to the local pastors house, I immediately knew that something was different. The local pastor was standing out at the street ready to greet us, but he had two men
We were ready to do some follow up work!
We only had a total of four days of ministry in the villages,
so we were already half-way through and we were feeling the time crunch.
We felt like our last two days needed to be focused on the connections we had already made if we were going to leave behind small groups with a strong foundation.
As soon as we pulled up to the local pastors house, I immediately knew that something was different. The local pastor was standing out at the street ready to greet us, but he had two men
with him that we had never seen before.
A lot of talking took place between them and our translators and next thing we knew,
A lot of talking took place between them and our translators and next thing we knew,
these two men jumped in our taxi and we took off.
At this point, I could feel the panic setting in.
At this point, I could feel the panic setting in.
I had no idea who these men were...but I had a pretty good idea
that we weren’t heading where we had planned! And I would be lying
if I said I was ok with it. Because I wasn’t!
There was a battle raging inside me. I could feel the anxiety and frustration setting in as I saw our well-intentioned plans going out the window, and I realized we had lost control of the situation. Even as I type this, I realize how selfish it sounds. This trip wasn't about me and my "plans". And I knew that! Yet, my focus on the goal had taken my eyes off God and where He was leading that morning. His heart for the people of India was SO MUCH bigger than any plans we could put together. As I was processing everything and still trying to figure out a way to get us "back on track", Chris gently squeezed my hand and encouraged me to take a deep breath...and after some resistance, I finally let go. Chris reminded me that God had a bigger plan and we had to trust, and of course I then remembered that word. Flexibility. It sounds good and spiritual...until you suddenly have to let go of something that feels so right. A plan that you have worked on, and prayed about, and invested your time and energy into. It becomes part of your identity. This is when the real test comes. If God asks us to let go and move a different direction, can we do it? Will we fight and scream and kick our feet? Or will we recognize that His plan is ultimately the best? Even if we don’t understand it at the time, following Him will ALWAYS bring a much better result
than anything we could ever plan or put together on our own.
So after some internal kicking and screaming, I finally let go and trusted that God was in control and knew what needed to happen. {And I might add that my internal turmoil probably would have been a lot more vocal if I didn't have a language barrier to deal with...looking back I am sure that was part of God's plan!!} As we spoke to the new men, we found out they were part of a group of four pastors that were currently working to reach 32 different villages. They had arranged for us to visit three of the villages, and really needed some encouragement in the work they were doing.
And what a delightful day it turned out to be!
The very first village that we visited was a remote, farming community. The pastors informed us that a group was expecting us and had been waiting for two hours. As we showed up at the house, we saw about 30-40 women gathered in a courtyard.
So after some internal kicking and screaming, I finally let go and trusted that God was in control and knew what needed to happen. {And I might add that my internal turmoil probably would have been a lot more vocal if I didn't have a language barrier to deal with...looking back I am sure that was part of God's plan!!} As we spoke to the new men, we found out they were part of a group of four pastors that were currently working to reach 32 different villages. They had arranged for us to visit three of the villages, and really needed some encouragement in the work they were doing.
And what a delightful day it turned out to be!
The very first village that we visited was a remote, farming community. The pastors informed us that a group was expecting us and had been waiting for two hours. As we showed up at the house, we saw about 30-40 women gathered in a courtyard.
Once Chris saw the group, he handed it over to me and I had one of the most special times of the whole trip. I shared the story of the woman at the well {John 4} and the women were captivated. They hung on every word and later told me they had never heard the story before.
At the end of the story, when I asked if any of them would like to have this living water...all of them raised their hands, with most of them raising both arms in the air. It was an incredible sight! I then went through the Gospel story to make sure they understood what I was asking and when I asked who wanted to ask Jesus into their lives...again every woman raised her hand, with many raising both arms straight up. I can’t even begin to express the special connection I had with that group of women. The Holy Spirit was so tangible, and I was overcome with that feeling of being exactly where God wanted me at that very moment, sharing exactly what He had for those women.
And it makes me shudder to think that I could have missed that moment if I had held on to my “plans” and resisted the direction that God had for us.
Flexibility.
That word came to life for me that day.
I saw what God can do when we serve Him with open hands and a willingness to go
And it makes me shudder to think that I could have missed that moment if I had held on to my “plans” and resisted the direction that God had for us.
Flexibility.
That word came to life for me that day.
I saw what God can do when we serve Him with open hands and a willingness to go
WHEREVER and WHENEVER He leads.
Does this mean that we stop making plans?
No...at least that is not what I took away that day.
It wasn't my plans, but my tight grip on those plans that hindered God.
God gives us gifts and abilities, and I think we should use them to further His kingdom.
However, when God leads in a direction different than what we have planned and organized...will we resist or will we follow? Will we trust that He knows best even if we don't understand it?
I know that I will have a lot more opportunities to practice flexibility.
But I will always remember that beautiful day in a remote village of India.
When I saw God touch a group of women because I was willing to follow Him
Does this mean that we stop making plans?
No...at least that is not what I took away that day.
It wasn't my plans, but my tight grip on those plans that hindered God.
God gives us gifts and abilities, and I think we should use them to further His kingdom.
However, when God leads in a direction different than what we have planned and organized...will we resist or will we follow? Will we trust that He knows best even if we don't understand it?
I know that I will have a lot more opportunities to practice flexibility.
But I will always remember that beautiful day in a remote village of India.
When I saw God touch a group of women because I was willing to follow Him
in a different direction than I had planned.
He delighted me with a special experience that I will never forget!
He delighted me with a special experience that I will never forget!
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