Fair Questions

Someone I dearly love asked me some fair questions today, "How do you know for sure God has called you to Ireland?" and, "Why so you need so much money? Isn't that too much to raise?"

I'll admit that for a second my mind screamed, "Yes! That is too much money- we'll never be able to raise that! Perhaps we are suppose to just stay here..."

But only for a second.

I then explained all the times God has proven to us again and again (because we needed the comforting reminder) that we are to go to Dublin. How for years, He has been grooming us to trust our finances and needs to Him. He has proven over and over that this is His economy, He knows our needs, He is our provider, and we are to follow His leading.

Then I got off the phone and ran straight to my Bible.

I've been reading through John lately, so decided to just pick up where I left off. It was John 6:4-14: The feeding of the 5000. It never ceases to amaze me how God uses His Word to speak to us and how the Spirit highlights so vibrantly our lessons, comfort and confirmation.

"...He asked Philip, 'Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?' He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do." vs. 5b-6

I firmly believe God had this person ask me these difficult questions to remind us we know what we know. God knows what He has called us to do and how He will provide. But He hasn't fully yet. Those disciples had a few loaves and fish, but "what are they for so many?" v. 9. We have 18%, but what is that when you need 100%?

"Then Jesus said, 'Have the people sit down.'"

The stepping out in faith comes in right there - Telling 5000 men, plus women and children, to sit down so they could be fed. With what? They didn't know till they started passing it out.
And they had a lot of leftovers.

I promise we will be faithful to God with our leftovers.

Why is all this so important? Verse 14
"When the people saw the sign He has done, they said, "This really is the Prophet who has come into the world!'"

So we can give all the glory to Him and peoples will recognize He is the One who has come into the world for them!

So go ahead. Ask the hard questions. We will be honored to step out on faith, explain what we can, and show you.

Why is Dublin Strategic?

Timothy Keller makes a fantastic case for the urgency and importance of reaching global cities for Christ.

 Ask us about the amazing diversity, opportunities, and challenges we will have in Dublin!
 


What is God’s Global Urban Mission? from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

GO

Have you ever really thought about what Abram must of felt when he heard the Lord say, "Go"? (Genesis 12:1-3) God promised to take care of him, and listed the blessings he would receive  but never told him how to go. Or where to go. He just said, Go.

That's kind of how we feel right now. We are blessed to know where we are going, but the how seems to be evading us. Even though it becomes difficult to see how God will work all this out, we know He has called people to "send" just as He called us to "go". We're just in the process of finding each other right now. ;-) It's times like these that I cling to and love the worship song, "All I have is Christ".

The last few months have had many ups and downs. Ruel and I have great confidence that God has called us to go, and thus will provide. We also have had many opportunities to share with people and have schedule times in the next few months to meet with potential partners. Please continue to pray for this.

The Irish are ever near and dear to our hearts. We pray for them, read about them, look at pictures, read the Irish Times, and in general, look for all things Irish. Our hearts are moving.
We're just waiting for the rest of us to follow.

Kickstart-ing

Have you ever heard of Kickstarter? It's a brilliant concept that allows people who have creative ideas - games, albums, inventions, projects and such -to let the world know what they are doing and be a part of the upstart.

Say you have a game you think the world would love: Propose the idea on Kickstart. You include all the information people would want in order to fund your idea. Let's say you need $10,000 by December 31st in order to even begin making this game. People are able to pledge whatever amount they want in support of what you are doing. Now most times if you pledge "X" amount, you get a copy of the game, album, or a certificate saying you were a supporter. The brilliance in this is that if the goal is met by your deadline, they are charged the amount pledged. If you don't make the amount needed, you know there is not enough interest, they are not charged, and you don't have to deliver on your idea. It's a safe way of finding out just how popular your idea really is without the up-start investment.

Stay with me now....

As we invested in a game recently which Ruel and Elijah can't wait to play (*Merry Christmas* to you, honey!), I began to wish people knew how close what we are doing in moving to Ireland this is. Yes, we are going: This is what God has called us to. However, we can't go until we hit 100% of our funding.

Thankfully, we don't have a set in stone deadline that keeps us from going if we haven't reached our goal by that time. But we do have a date we have to be out of the house we are living in now. Being that we have already sold all our furniture and household items, this makes it a little more "serious" if our support is not reached by then.

No, we won't be sending you a game to play, music to listen to, or other tangible item. What we can give you is the promise that you are investing in the Gospel. I'm not saying that to be overly dramatic  It's the truth. God has called us to minister to those in Ireland: To show them how to have a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the Gospel. And that is what we will be doing in a place that desperately needs it 24:7.

This is how I see it right now. I feel like we are a living, breathing Kickstart project. Our one consolation is that I know because of the promises we have received, we will never see that "Funding Unsuccessful" icon on the corner of our lives page.

But won't it be amazing when we see the bold print: FUNDED!
:-)

The Sower and the Seeds Anew

This morning as I was reading the parable of the sower and the seeds in Mark 4, the Spirit brought a fresh meaning to me. Yes, this is about the sowing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (We know because He explained it!), but a new meaning came to me too: As Ruel and I have been talking and sharing about our family's call to Ireland, I realize we have been sowing seeds. Seeds of ministry, partnership, and passion.

Some of those seeds will fall on hard ground.
Some will fall in shallow soil.
Others will grow up in thorns that will choke them out.
Still, others will produce great crops of differing amounts!

Now, we are not so petty as to say this can only be applied to financial means for us - though I'm afraid sometimes it may seem that way to others. These crops come in the necessary form of money, yes. But also in prayer, fellowship, and spiritual support. Most have no idea the stress involved in following God in this way... We were greatly blessed by a brother in Christ this week, who admitted he can't help monetarily, but ministered to our souls by sympathizing, encouraging, and praying over us. He spent precious time with us.

I love the life of Scripture.
And I long to share that with the Irish.
Seed scattered......

Called

Not everyone is called to drop their lives and move to share the Gospel.
Not everyone is called to partner with us financially so that we can.
Not everyone is called to come on short term mission trips to reach out to Dubliners.
Not everyone is called love the Irish sacrificially.

But, if you're a Christ follower....
You are called to share the Gospel with those around you - where ever you are.
You are called to partner with other believers in advancing God's kingdom. (Your church, ministries, missions, etc...)
You are called to plant seeds wherever you go, even briefly. (We don't take vacations from Christ)
You are called to love others, unconditionally. Especially your brothers and sisters in Christ, so that we will be known as His by the love we have for one another.

Settled. ???

Thank you all for your prayers over the last few months! We've learned so many things about ourselves during the selling of our home & belongings, and while moving twice. But most of all, we learned of God's goodness. We learned first hand that,
Yes, everything really does work out in the end.
No, there was no point in stressing over "that", and
He always comes through at the right time.

It's funny how we all KNOW these lessons, but living them takes you to a whole new level of understanding.

We are so in love with the Irish! It amazes me that day by day our love grows deeper and deeper for a people we've barely met. That can be nothing other than the Spirit working in our hearts. Starting...today!, we are devoting ourselves to finding those people God has called to partner with us through prayer, special gifts, an/or monthly support. We will be calling you. Both to talk and to listen. Are you one of those people? Has the Spirit laid anyone on you're heart that you can connect us with who may? Can we just take a moment to share our passion with you? No pressure. Just love.

Will you pray we reach 50% by Christmas??

This will help in many ways:

• It will put us on track for being at 85% by February so we can go to the training we need. 
• Ruel will be able to quit his 60+ hours a week job and focus on ministry with me full time. (This is sorely needed!)
• We have obligations at the end of this year/first of next that would be helped greatly by Ruel working at home.

Pray.