Robert Schuller once said, “Impossible situations can become possible miracles.” We often pray that God would prevent us from facing difficulties and trials in our lives. How often have we prayed, “God, if you would just get me out of this situation…”, “God, please rescue me from this trial…” or “God, please let this situation go my way…”? We desire that God would spare us from experiencing pain and suffering for which I think is a normal desire. Who wants to go through surgery or suffer from some form of disease? No one wants to go through these kinds of things, but the fact of life is that we do and we don’t like it. So a normal response is to ask the almighty creator of heaven and earth to help us escape from tragedy. But how often do we pray that God would help us THROUGH the tragedies we face in life? If we know that He goes through every situation with us, that means He shares in our suffering and it is through Him that we come out the other side victorious.

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After spending so many months on the road and enduring long hours in the car, we felt our kids deserved a reward and we couldn’t think of a better one than taking them to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We were blessed with the opportunity to take our kids there, where on our own we couldn’t have made it happen. So some wonderful people provided the means for which we cannot thank them enough. While there the kids were able to experience the Magic Kingdom and all of its fun and excitement. Of course we only had one day to experience it in, but we left with the desire to return someday and that is a good thing. We tried to cram as much as we could into that single day, but it was a day I’m sure the kids will not soon forget.

So with the blessing of Disney World under our belt, we found ourselves facing yet another trial. We learned that while we needed to get a document for our dog Dutchess from a veterinarian within 48 hours of our flight to Colombia, we also needed to get another document from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) giving us their endorsement to take Dutchess with us to Colombia. We had planned on heading to Tampa Florida after Orlando where we would try to sell our car and rent one to go to the airport in Miami. That was our plan, but we have had to learn to be flexible with our plans. We had to go to the USDA in Miami, not Tampa. With that information, we made an appointment with a vet in Miami for the next morning. So we packed up the kids at 4:00 am and headed south towards Miami with the memories of Princesses and Mickey Mouse dancing in our minds.

We knew that our schedule prior to flying out was now going to be extremely tight. We were going to have to do a lot of stuff all at the same time. So when we made it to Miami we took Dutchess straight to the vet and while she was getting shots and groomed, we headed for the USDA office to retrieve the required forms (which God worked a miracle in that they pushed up our appointment on the day of our departure from 10:00am to 8:30am so we could make it to the airport on time), ate lunch, found a hotel for the night, returned the U-Haul trailer (which was another miracle of God that we didn’t have to pay any penalty for returning it in Miami rather than Tampa), picked up Dutchess with the required forms filled out, purchased a travel crate for her and returned some items to Costco to finish out the evening with a nice Peruvian dinner and a dip in the hotel pool for the kids.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story…

So here we are at the JAARS’ center in Waxhaw, NC where, as many of you know, we are attending an Intercultural Communications Course (ICC) in preparation for our mission in Colombia, South America. Both Silvia and I had reservations about attending, since we have had years of experience in intercultural living, but we could see that not only did our mission organization (SAM) desire we attend, but so did God.

Jungle Aviation And Radio Service (JAARS)

At every turn, we saw God leading us here and we’re glad He did. In the last two weeks we have been covering a great deal, not only about intercultural team building, living cross-culturally, and issues with being missionaries abroad, but also the importance of living out transparent lives.

You might be asking yourself, much like I did, what does “living out transparent lives” mean? Well let me help you a little… as Christians we know that God is glorified through our weaknesses because it shows the world how Great our God is. It is not through our strengths that we see God’s power, but rather through our weaknesses do we see God’s mercy, strength and love. So as missionaries we are called to live our lives in a way that is transparent for the world to see.

ICC Sharing Life Stories

This means allowing people to see exactly who we are really and that includes being open and honest about our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities. In the last week we have been working through our vulnerabilities and what they mean in terms of our relationship with God, our ministries, our interpersonal relationships and spiritual warfare. To the world, and even with us Christians, we have no desire to reveal to the world our weaknesses in fear that people will exploit them. I have struggled with this in my own life as I am sure others have as well. We like to put on the Christian face, the Christian clothes and the Christian shoes to give the impression of a perfect Christian life lived out in perfect harmony with God. The sad reality is, we are only lying to ourselves and to the world.

In terms of spiritual warfare, I would like to direct you towards Ephesians 3:10-11, “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (NLT) So if we look at the words “unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”, what does that mean? The unseen rulers and authorities are both Angels and Demons… so through us (the Church) God reveals his wisdom (and power) to both Angels and Demons. WOW! God uses us to show them His greatness, but only if we make ourselves available to Him. Now if we look at 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

ICC Jeff Back To Work

When we live out our lives honestly and transparently our weaknesses are revealed for the world to see, but it is through it that we will see God’s mighty wisdom and power. For me, I believe that my low self-esteem, knowing that my best is never good enough and feelings of unworthiness are my greatest weaknesses. In the last 6 months my long term feelings of inadequacy and insufficiency that have made it difficult for me to believe that God would use me for anything, let alone as a missionary to Colombia, have come dramatically to the surface. There are times that it is almost overwhelming for me to believe that God would even want to use me, when I know for a fact that I am broken and imperfect. One of the areas in my life that I have really struggled with is perfectionism and the fact that because I am never perfect, I am completely unworthy of not only being used by God, but also undeserving of His love. It is through the tears and feelings of little worth that I have found God’s mercy and His amazing grace. I have come to realize that it is because I am broken and imperfect that God has found a use for me and I have purpose in this life that He has blessed me with. I am a missionary, whether it is in Oceanside, Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, North Carolina or Santa Marta Colombia and God is using me right now. Despite my screw-ups and shortcomings, God’s perfection and strength is revealed to the Angels and Demons in the heavens through me. We are not deserving or worthy of being placed on any pedestal, but God is and it is through Him that all things are possible. To think that He could use someone like me to reach out to other people who are also hurt, broken and imperfect, it is nothing short of a miracle. I have and am continuing to learn to rejoice in my weaknesses, because I know it is through them that I will find strength in my King.

In conclusion, I know that God has placed us here at such a time as this and we are excited to see how God is going to continue to stretch us. We are scheduled to be here until the first part of September and our field director has already begun working on getting us our visas for Colombia. Please continue to pray for us, our learning experience here at JAARS, that we will receive our visas without issue and that our remaining needed support will come in. We need to be at 100% of our monthly need before we leave. We only need 10 more people at $100 a month, so please prayerfully consider helping us reach our need.

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We’re packing up and loading the trailer this morning in preparation for leaving to North Carolina for our ICC (Intercultural Communications Course) missionary training.

Loading Up

On this night, it is difficult to sleep with so many things stirring in my head while we are at the cusp of yet another huge step of faith. It is with mixed emotions that we press on towards our ultimate goal of missions in Colombia, South America. For the last couple of years we have been working towards this end, but as we draw near to our departure date we are still clinging to God to provide the funds we need. After a lengthy Skype meeting with our SAM Coordinator, we were encouraged to hear that many folks prefer to be the finishers of support. That is, when certain folks hear that we are so close to leaving but are still short in our needed monthly funds, they step forward to fill in the gap. Giving them the great pleasure of knowing that we absolutely couldn’t have done it without their generous partnership. If this is you, may God richly bless you and we pray that you will take this step of faith with us in this last hour.

Through this rollercoaster of partner and support raising, we have learned a valuable lesson that we would never have learned had we not taken that very first step of faith a few short months ago. The lesson; when folks hear our invitation to join us through prayer and monthly financial giving, they are not committing to us but rather committing to God. I have to say that I have struggled at times, because my tendency is to take it personal when folks either won’t commit or say they will but don’t. The problem with this tendency is that it puts me at the center of the equation, instead of God where He so rightfully belongs. That is when discouragement, disappointment and admittedly uncertainty can creep in like a thief to rob us of the richness of God’s blessings. Not uncertainty of our mission or God’s ability to provide for it, but rather uncertainty in my own ability to adequately express or articulate our passion for reaching out to the lost and compelling folks to catch that fire and joining us. Of course we know that Satan fully enjoys all of this, as we put ourselves in the way of fulfilling that which God has placed on our hearts. It is self-defeating at the core and it is a byproduct of my own selfishness and self-dependence. Intellectually I know this, but when I have those moments of being driven by my emotions I fly into it like a moth to a flame. Nonetheless, it is during my quiet time with God that I find solace, comfort and peace in knowing that God is in control. It is through Him that we are able and capable of continuing to move forward.

In a few short hours, I will drive 45 minutes away to pick up our U-Haul trailer and will begin loading up our things. On Sunday we will attend a couple of churches we have had the great pleasure of visiting while here in Ponca City, and on Monday we will pull away and embark on yet another great adventure all the while leaving our providence in the capable hands of God. It is no small contest of faith that we bundle up our family and step out into the unknown, but it is with a strength that can only come from our almighty God and with an insatiable desire to be servants to Him who set us free that we take this on. One of the greatest challenges we face in this life, is to surrender it all to God all the while holding nothing back. I cannot say that we have not had moments where we have felt compelled to turn around and return to our lives in Oceanside, but it is in our obedience to God that we have surrendered that life. Although certainly not easy and not without great trepidation have we taken this enormous step of faith, yet we find ourselves fully dependent on the mercy of God and His provision. Not once has He failed to meet our needs, provide for us in amazing ways or comfort us when we call out to Him. Are we worthy of such devotion, absolutely not but despite our capriciousness, erratic response to our emotions and weakness of faith does God prove faithful. Do we know when or how God is going to provide for us to go to Colombia, unequivocally the answer is no. Do we know all the details of what is going to happen when we complete our training and start the process of finalizing our paperwork, again the answer is no. But do any of us know for certain the events that will unfold in our lives in the days, weeks, months or years ahead? Do any of us know whether we will even see yet another day tomorrow? I have learned that only one thing remains certain in this life and it is our relationship with God. We are no different than anyone else, we just so happen to have been blessed and cursed with a desire to serve God with the very best of our abilities and it has led us to this place at such a time as this. We can only pray that God will see it fit to use us even with all of our faults and weaknesses.

God willing, we will begin our ICC training at JAARS on August 5th, but we will be visiting Little Rock Arkansas on the way. We have been blessed with the support and friendship of some wonderful people there and we are praying that God will put it on the hearts of others to join us. We know that people who follow Jesus worship through their giving and God loves a cheerful giver. He is waiting to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it, but only if we live out our faith by trusting Him with our finances and with our giving. Sometimes, it is a far greater step of faith to give what we think we don’t have than it is to uproot our families and becoming missionaries. Before you decide what you’re going to give today, won’t you please prayerfully consider what God is leading you, what God is calling you, what God is challenging you to GIVE… By taking that step of faith, you are letting us be your hands and feet on the ground in Colombia, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who so desperately need it.

Please check out our latest video Roddys Colombia Bound Missions

If you haven’t heard, Team Roddy is a cross-cultural family. I know it may be a huge shock to some of you, but it is a reality that just cannot be ignored.

Our Cross-Cultural Family

In our 5 years of dating and nearly 11 years of marriage, we still find ourselves learning new cultural lessons. At one point you begin to think that you are an expert in cross-cultural living quite simply because you live in a cross-cultural family, only to be slapped down off of your high horse and put in your place. For us, we have become accustomed to each other and each other’s cultures, but there are situations that can blind-side us when we least expect it. In this blog entry, I am going to share with you some of our own experiences in the areas of cross-cultural living that we had never thought of nor addressed before.

I have heard it said that, “if you really want to offend an American, waste their time!” This never really occurred to me before, but it is true that most Americans place a very high price on their time. This is something you can test, if you dare. When you have an opportunity to talk with someone, take a little extra time and sit down as though you have all day long to chat. You will see just how uncomfortable you and they become. Now, like many cultures throughout the world Latin America has a completely different view of time. It is not uncommon for folks to come late to parties, family gatherings and social events, even if they have committed to being there. To Americans who are task and goal oriented, this can seem rude and disrespectful because we tie our time to our success. We often have the view that “Time is Money” and when people impede on our time, they are robbing us of our chances of success. In contrast, most Latin Americans are extremely relational and have a completely different view of tasks, goals and success. They are willing to forgo the success of their tasks and goals if it will impede on the success of building up a relationship. When they throw a party, it is usually an all day event in which people come and go throughout the day. They will be far more hurt if someone doesn’t show up at all than if someone comes late. They are aware that people have things to do and since they don’t want to negatively impact their relationships with folks they don’t stick to a time schedule for the party. People are free to come and go as they please, without any hurt feelings. This also applies to church believe it or not. Because church is relational, it may go long or short depending on the moving of the spirit. Latin American people don’t come to church as a task to be completed, but a relationship to be experienced and time is not even a consideration. As you can see, this is a cultural issue that can easily cause hurt feelings and conflict not only in a cross-cultural family, but among friends and associates.

Brandon's Birthday Party in Mexico

To give you some examples of this issue of time and timeliness, I will use a situation that we have encountered numerous times, yet were completely blind of the cultural side of it all. We were invited to a previous neighbor’s birthday party for which we were told that they would have a barbeque, a clown and plenty of music. The invitation was of course verbal and they didn’t indicate a specific time that we had to be there. They simply said it was on Saturday afternoon and nothing more. So when we arrived at about 2:00 pm, they had already eaten lunch but they offered to cook some more food. I felt as though we had gotten there too late and felt awkward to take them up on the offer. Of course my awkwardness didn’t faze them a bit as they threw some more meat on the grill and warmed up some more beans. While we were there eating, along came some more folks for which they threw more food on to cook. This went on right up to dinner time, with the kids all playing and running around (they even had a pony for the kids to ride). Finally we felt it was time for us to go and get the kids home to bed, mean while the party continued on long after we had left. As for the hosts of this party, they thanked us profusely for coming and we have been invited repeatedly for other of their family functions, despite showing up late for the food. Their focus was completely on our relationship and they felt connected with us just as we felt connected with them.

Sara Having Some Cake

In contrast, a few years back we were invited to a birthday party for one of the kids at our church. We had received an invitation which gave the location, start time and end time. To Silvia, it seemed so strange that they would put an end time but didn’t give it much thought. On that day, Silvia decided to take the kids to the party and I decided to stay home to work on projects around the house. Anyway, she made it just in time for the cake, but was a little late. When she arrived at the park, there were a few balloons and nothing else. There were a few adults, but mostly all kids that were hyped up on the sugar from all the candy they had received and it was going to be topped off with a little piece of cake. As stated on the card, the party promptly ended at the appointed time. Everyone gave hugs and said their goodbyes and it was done. When she returned home, I asked her how the party was and with a bewildered look on her face she replied, “it was ok.” She later told me that she felt sorry for them and that maybe they didn’t have enough money to have a regular party. She almost felt as though they were saying, “just bring us the gifts and go”. Because the party was set between times, she felt rushed and unable to enjoy the fellowship with the other adults as fully as she would have liked. I think for American’s this is fully acceptable, as the party is intended for the enjoyment of the kids and not really for the adults. At the time we didn’t think much about it, but we now realize that it was a cultural difference. We celebrate birthdays for the individual, where as for Hispanics the party is for the whole family because they all are celebrating the birthday. I should also mention that although we are not sure of it, there could have been hurt feelings because I didn’t attend and Silvia was late getting to the party. The people that hosted the party, are very dear friends and we would never want to do anything to bring conflict or resentment to our relationship with them. With that said, it is easy to see how differences in culture can lead to hurt feelings and animosity.

In conclusion, I have determined that sometimes things may seem so inconsequential or minor to one person and yet the same thing may be monumental or massive to another simply based on their cultural background. One thing is for sure, in general, I don’t believe that people we know (no matter what their cultural background is) are evil willed or wake up in the morning looking for ways to irritate or alienate us. Nor do we wake up thinking of ways to irritate or alienate our friends and family, but knowing that there are differences between our cultures should make us all the more patient and tolerant with folks. We need to be willing to accept people for who they are, made in the image of God, regardless of their ability to meet our cultural expectations.

With all this laid out on the table, as missionaries to Colombia we are so excited to begin building relationships there. Now knowing how tied to relationships they are, to bring the love of Christ to them so that they can have a real relationship with Him, makes it all the more exhilarating. Won’t you join us today by joining our support group? For the cost of a single cup of coffee a day, you could help us share the love of Christ in Colombia.

In the past you might have noticed, if you have read my previous posts, that I tend to write in a chronological order of events. But this time I want to employ some more creative writing techniques. So, without further ado…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness… Oh wait, I think I’ve heard this some place before. Have you? Oh that’s right it’s from the book A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. The story is about the cosmic struggle between truth and lies and ultimately the duality of this life that God has given all of us.

On this trip, thus far we have experienced this duality of life with the best of times and the worst of times. We have had difficulties and triumphs, patience and impatience, shortage and sufficiency, all the while clinging as closely to God as we possibly can. I surely don’t want to give you the impression that we don’t encounter problems, moments of doubt, or are such ‘holy rollers’ that we don’t have our moments of weakness. On this deputation journey as missionaries, we have had to really surrender to God everything including our finances and with that comes real struggles and real victories. We can see how God continues to work in our lives and how He continues to mold us. I once heard it said that family trips that have the greatest number of problems, are the ones that you find will have the greatest bonding and memories.

Lots of Tears - Saying Goodbye

For those of you who have been on missions trips will find this to be true as well, I am sure. At the moment, you may find it difficult to love your brothers or sisters, but as time goes by you remember the time fondly. We pray that our own kids will in time find this to be the case with this trip as well.

We Made it to Arkansas

After leaving Oklahoma, we headed for Little Rock, Arkansas, by way of Fayetteville. We have some good friends in Fayetteville who were so generous to let us stay, for which we are extremely thankful. While there, we visited a couple of churches and enjoyed our time there. At one of the churches we visited, they had an information building in their courtyard that had a carved sign that read, “You have not, because you ask not! – James 4:2″ This scripture seemed so poignant to me and although I had read and heard it before, it caused me to reflect on my own views of raising support and the purpose of our trip. It can get discouraging at times as we travel and this discouragement can take its toll on the whole familyTempers flare, tears roll and we find ourselves in moments of doubt and concern. When those moments hit, we admittedly don’t always feel like sharing with people but would rather just curl up and hide. But then an opportunity arises and we see God’s mighty hand lifting us up. At this church in Fayetteville, we ended up having an opportunity to share with the missions pastor and his assistant. Though they didn’t end up being in a position to partner with us, we ended our meeting in prayer and were blessed with the opportunity that God had opened up. Ultimately, we asked them to support us and they said no. Was it a setback? Absolutely not, because we came away from the experience with a fresh view of what we are doing and we continue asking folks to join us boldly and without reservation.

We only stayed a few days in Fayetteville and then were on our way south to Little Rock. On the way, we encountered a great number of animals on the side of the road.

Armadillo - Road Kill

There were rabbits, dear, skunks, armadillos, dogs, raccoons and some things that were just not recognizable. Somehow, it appeared that I was the only one who was seeing them. Silvia had at one point made the comment that I must be looking hard for road kill. I don’t think I was, but when you are driving you are supposed to be completely aware of your surroundings, right? I had once heard that, “there are no road kill in Arkansas, because that’s just good eatin!!” I know it’s an awful generalization about folks in Arkansas that is completely untrue, but wouldn’t that make a great slogan for Christians? Oh come on now, let me explain! How often do we see people who have been run over, beat up, bruised, kicked around, are hopeless and have been left on the side of the road while the rest of the world passes them by without even noticing them?

A New Family Photo

As Christians we can, should and must serve God by serving the least of these. Our service to God, should be a personal act of worship that is not only pleasing to God but a blessing to the people who need it the most. Whether it be serving at our church, at a soup kitchen, a stranger who needs a comforting word, being a missionary at home or abroad, or supporting a missionary financially. Shouldn’t it all be a personal act of worship? Perhaps a better slogan would be, “there are no road kill around Christians, because that’s good savin’!” Ok, so maybe that isn’t the best slogan but watching all those animals on the side of the road got me thinking and realizing just how easy it is for us to look the other way. I feel very convicted of this myself and wish that I had done more earlier in my life. Perhaps we should be asking God to give us the eyes to see the people of this world as He sees them, even if it is difficult to see past all the tears.

Check Out Our Display

We did finally make it to Little Rock, where we were able to spend an amazing week with some very amazing people. In the first two days, we had two desserts where folks were invited to hear our testimony, vision and mission.

Our Partners Jim & Justin

It was such a huge blessing to meet with new people, and see some friends who came to Colombia when I did last year.

Our Partners Terry and Jim

and have submitted one of their applications for long term support. We are still waiting to hear back from the church, but have been so blessed with new partners and friends there in Little Rock. During this time in Little Rock, we felt so blessed to have had an opportunity to get to know our friends the Favers! We are so thankful that they were willing to contact their friends and church family, to share our hearts for Colombia and champion all the meetings we had while there. Combine all that and still open their home to us to stay and for our meetings… it was a gift from God. They are folks that definitely take their service to God as an act of worship. We pray that God will bless them in all that they do. I know that they would not want us to make a big deal about it, because they know that their treasure truly is in heaven but we felt compelled to share it with you. Please pray for Fellowship Bible Church’s leadership and their willingness to join us in ministry. It could open up many other opportunities for folks to hear God’s call and partner with us.

Are You Ready To Respond?

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN:

We came up with an idea of using technology in a new and exciting way. We recently had a video conference call with our core advisory group that is spread out across America (from California to Virginia) using the free software called Skype (www.skype.com). It was an amazing experience and one that we think we should take advantage of. Since the cost of travel continues to rise, we thought it would be a great use of technology to attend desserts and teas via Skype. Won’t you also consider joining many others in opening up your home and inviting your friends and church family (who have a heart for missions) for a dessert or tea? We need your help to champion the meeting by inviting folks, providing the dessert or tea, and setting up your computer or laptop for the Skype call. If you would like to do this, but are not sure how to set up Skye I would be more than happy to help you with it. When you are ready, please email me so we can do a test run with Skype and to schedule a time.

So as I write this next episode of ‘On the road again”, I am sitting in a Fayetteville, Arkansas restaurant called Slim Chickens (a Chicken Wings Establishment) waiting for the hail and rain to subside. It is interesting here in the mid-west to say the least, as the weather can change on a dime. We decided to get lunch before heading back up to Oklahoma and in the 30 minutes that we took to have lunch, the weather changed from nice and sunny to pummeling us with rain and hail. It is a blessing though, as Silvia took the kids for a walk around the mall, while I sit here and ponder what to write this time. There is so much to share but I think I will pick up where I left off the last time, in Colorado and I will bring you up to date.

After leaving my sister’s home in Bayfield, we made our way towards Denver. We left in the morning and had planned on being in Denver by mid to late afternoon.

On the Road to Denver

Of course, sometimes it is better to just plan on being flexible, that way you can have more fun during your trip. And this one is no exception, we ended up traveling up over the mountains and stopping for the kids to enjoy the snow. Of course Sara, our little princess, was done with the whole snow thing in less than 10 minutes. It seemed like she barely touched the snow and she was ready to get back in the car, but the other two and our dog Dutchess were having a great time. That is until Brandon had gotten his leg stuck in the snow and started screaming for help. Of course I had to go after him and help him up out, but what a scene that was. The snow was all the way up his leg and never really being in snow like that before, he panicked. Don’t worry about him though… he made it through the whole ordeal just fine and before we knew it we were finishing up with some snow angels and were on the road again.

As we passed through Colorado Springs with Denver just over the horizon, I experienced one of the worst things you can see when traveling with a family and pulling a trailer behind you. It flashed before my eyes and I just knew that trouble was going to be all over us like white on rice. What was this ominous event, it was the big ugly red Check Engine light that had kicked on just as we were about to pass the last exit between Colorado Springs and Denver. I shared this troubling information with Silvia right away and we agreed that we needed to pull off of the freeway and fast, before we missed the exit.

Some Crazy Kids

We pulled off into a gas station where we began to pray. It was late, much later than we had planned and we didn’t know the area at all. So, we got prayed up and I hopped out of the car to do my duty as the man of the family. I popped the hood, kicked the tires, checked all the fluids and determined that the car was perfectly fine and fit for travel. Of course, that is what I expressed to the rest of the family, but in my mind I was thinking… “Oh Snap! I have no idea what is wrong with this darn thing and I have a car full of kids and a trailer that is not light.” The things we do to keep the family calm, despite the horror going on in our minds. Anyway, I decided that there really wasn’t much else we could do but press on, resting our faith on God and that He would keep us safe. It is just like life, we go around pretending that we have everything under control while knowing full well we don’t. But as Christians, we know we are just along for the ride and that we can rest easy and trust that God is in control. This time, it was no exception as we pulled out and continued heading to Denver, but it was just one more test of faith. We did in fact make it to Denver, and that check engine light stayed on the entire time we were there. Come to find out, high altitudes can affect the sensors in a car causing the check engine light to appear. The car was in fact fine and we didn’t have any issues with it. All I can say is, “Praise God!” Once more God proved to us that He is in control, not us.

Even with that ordeal, we were still able to spend a delightful time with our good friends the Dunns. While there we visited 15 churches and still had a little time to do some site seeing. It was a very busy week, but it was great to connect with our friends and for all our kids to play. I know that I am a little biased towards my kids as any parent would be, but after spending so much time traveling and being confined in our little SUV, our kids have been amazing troopers! Although tempers can flare and arguments are inevitable, they have held it together pretty well. With that said, it was ever so gratifying to see them playing with the Dunn boys. We will never forget how the kids just connected with each other and played like there was no tomorrow. While there in Denver, we were able to take a short trip down to Colorado Springs to share a meal with our new friends the Kopfs from Pikes Peak Christian Church.

Saying Goodbye is Hard

It is so amazing how God works and how He can bring people together who otherwise might not have ever met. The week went by so fast and before we knew it, it was time to go. In thinking back on it, I think the kids might have had almost as much fun as we had and it was difficult for all of us to say goodbye. Next stop… Ponca City, Oklahoma.

So as we left Colorado, we stopped at the border to visit the Kansas Welcome Center. We learned that Dodge City was not that far out of our way, so we decided to make a stop there. Another case, of changing plans on the fly. It turned out that it took much longer to

Welcome to Kansas

get to Dodge than we thought it would, so we didn’t get there until very late. As soon as we got out of the car, we knew that Dorothy (from the Wizard of Oz) never stood a chance. The wind was blowing so hard, that I felt like my face was being etched with a sand blaster. I was afraid that we might lose one of the children to the wind, but thankfully they have heavy bones and were able to hold their footing. We ended up staying the night in a stagecoach hotel, but prayed that we wouldn’t wake up in Oz. Thankfully, we woke up in the same place we fell asleep in, but it was still very windy. I always thought it would be cool to be able to say, “let’s get outta Dodge!” and really mean it. So after we visited one of the local museums, visited Boot Hill, and had an old fashioned bottle of Sarsaparilla, I jumped into the car and exclaimed, “let’s get outta Dodge!” I know… a little juvenile, but what can I say?

For those of you who are NOT familiar with Dodge City and who don’t mind going off on a short tangent.. Dodge City, Kansas, had a bad reputation as a wild and rowdy frontier town until Wyatt Earp rolled in. He became the chief deputy marshal in 1876 where he

Welcome to Dodge City, Kansas

introduced and enforced order in the town. Dodge City can be alluded to as a place characterized by lawless or unregulated conflict, particularly involving lots of gun fights. It was the setting of countless Wild-West movies, books and TV shows, most notably, the CBS-TV series Gunsmoke, which ran from 1955 to 1975. I fondly remember as a kid watching Gunsmoke, as well as many other western movies with my grandparents.

I digress, we got out of Dodge and headed toward Ponca City, Oklahoma where my parents live. We didn’t leave Dodge City, until the afternoon so we didn’t make it to Ponca City until the evening. The kids were ever so excited to see Grandma and Granddad, but were also excited to get out of the car as well. One thing is for sure, it is tough traveling with the whole family but it sure does draw you together. I am certain that all of us are going to remember this journey of ours across the USA for the rest of our lives. One thing is for sure, our commitment to God and to our mission has never been stronger. Although we run into road bumps here and there, we are all the more determined to get to Colombia and getting to work. Another thing we have learned is that support raising, it is a full time job that is tiring at times but is surprisingly very gratifying. It gives us the opportunity to share our faith, our story and our mission with folks and not always to just those who are Christians.

Shortly after arriving in Oklahoma we experienced some real Oklahoma weather. It does seem that we came to the Mid-West in perfect time for… tornado season! One evening while we were taking a break and trying to relax a little after the kids went to sleep, we could see lightning and then heard roaring thunder. The thunder was so loud that it shook the house and set off our car alarm. Shortly afterwards, it was as though the heavens opened up and tons of water poured out over Ponca City. We had heard on the news that there was a tornado warning in Kansas, but that we were far enough south that we would only get heavy rains. So we figured we would be in for quite a storm, but it just seemed to get louder and louder. When we started hearing loud knocks all over the house, Silvia went to the front door to check outside. When she tried to open the door, she could feel the door push open and then pull close. She decided that it wasn’t a very good idea to go out, so we went over to check out the rain from the sliding glass door instead.

Oklahoma Storm Builds

We found the rain had turned into golf ball sized hail and the wind was blowing it in all different directions. The wind was so strong it move the full-size barbeque to the other side of the patio. After a while, the storm seemed to calm so we thought we had seen the worst of it and we were able to check the vehicles for damage. Thankfully, there was no damage so we went on to bed thinking it all had passed. We were planning on leaving for Arkansas the next morning, but were not too sure about the weather. Looking outside the next morning though, the weather looked clear and sun shining. We later found out, and as you will see from the pictures, there was a tornado that touched down but just two blocks away and did cause quite a bit of damage. Praise God, we did not hear of any injuries to folks and we ourselves didn’t suffer any damage. As Silvia later said, “if I had known it was a tornado, I would have freaked out!” At this point, all we can do is thank God and praise Him for sparing us!

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Well, I think this would be a great place to stop. I will finish up the story about Arkansas next time. I will post it in a day or two, while it is still fresh in my mind. Thank you for reading… I hope you have enjoyed reading about our wild adventure. Next up…. Arkansas Road Kill and Little Rock blessings.

As many of you already know, we have been on the road almost a month now and have been through 5 states to date. We started in California and ended up in Oklahoma via Arizona, Colorado and Kansas. It was such a huge struggle to get everything in order just so we could get out of California. Jeff ended up getting a 103° temperature and being sick as a dog the Friday before we were supposed to leave. As soon as he felt better though, we decided that we should leave the next day instead of the first of March like we had planned. It was a delay that was unavoidable, but it was only the beginning of our struggles.

We had decided to rent a U-Haul trailer as we determined that it would be cheaper than trying to ship our stuff. We had a trailer hitch installed and rented the trailer, but about a mile down the road the lights on the trailer and our dash lights went out. Unfortunately we left the U-Haul place after they were already closed so we couldn’t go back that night. Jeff had to go back to U-Haul the next day to have them check it out and it turned out that a fuse had blown. We replaced it, but it continued to blow so Jeff ended up taking it back again and having them check it out. They assured us that it was resolved, but after we got the trailer loaded and were ready to head out, the lights went out again. This time we called the U-Haul (instead of driving up) and they directed us to a U-Haul in El Cajon, CA and recommended that we take it there for them to look at it. We headed that way and made it there just 5 minutes before they closed. They determined that they needed to trade out the trailer with a different one.

Switching Out Trailers

The wiring in the first trailer had a short someplace and was the cause of the problems. We were thankful to God that it didn’t have anything to do with the installation of the hitch or with our car. They hooked us up with a new trailer, but we had to stay after they had already closed to transfer our stuff from the old trailer to the new one. Although we had all this work to do, we were praising God that we were able to make it there before they closed and they were so accommodating even though they were ready to go home.

Visiting Chandler Christian Church

When we look back over our trip, the blessings of God are just countless… the manager at the U-Haul gave us an additional 6 days without charge.. It was such a huge blessing since we were planning on making so many stops between San Diego, California and Ponca City, Oklahoma. When they replaced the trailer because of the problems we were having, they gave us an additional free day. Of course we were already way behind schedule, but so often we make our schedules without leaving room for God to work in them.

Striking A Pose In Chandler, Arizona

There is an old saying that goes something like this, “if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!” In this case I’m sure God was just cracking up, but he blessed us just the same. In Arizona we were able to visit with people at Chandler Christian Church and meet some folks that have been supporting us, but we hadn’t met in person before.

When leaving Arizona, we used Google to map out our route to Bayfield Colorado to find the timing was a little off. We had left Chandler Arizona in the afternoon, but by Midnight we decided that it was getting too late to continue on. The only problem was that we were in the middle of nowhere and we were too far in any direction to make it to a town. We saw signs for the four corners, the only place in the United States where four states ( Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado) come together at one place. It was on our way, but we didn’t think it was going to take us that long to get there. So when we arrived, we were so tired that we decided to pull off the road and take a break. Little did we know that outside of the national park there was absolutely nothing there.

Four Corners Sign

The park had already closed, and we learned that AT&T does not work in that area (just so you know) as I was hoping to let my sister know that we weren’t going to make it to her place as we had planned. So we had no way to contact anyone and there were no restrooms or any light for that matter. So the kids, having to use the restroom, had to ‘get back to nature’ so to speak. Thankfully there was only liquid so there was no harm done to the environment or the delicate ecosystem, with all three going in a different state. Now how many people can say that? Anyway, we all ended up falling asleep in the car, with Megan being the most comfortable in the very back with our dog Dutchess. We hadn’t planned on this stop, but God blessed us with not only good rest but He also kept us safe. It occurred to me that night that there was a time in the not so long ago past that we didn’t have cell phones or PDAs or smart phones and people got along just fine without them. Sometimes we get so dependent on those things that we forget to depend on God. We prayed that night before we rested and God was there with us. What a blessing it was!

Sara Protecting Her Baby From The Cold

From there, we headed north east and stayed with my sister in Bayfield Colorado and had the pleasure of meeting her husband for the first time. It was such a huge blessing to get out of the car and visit with family. I don’t want to down play it at all, but a nice hot shower just topped it all off. (Except for poor Brandon, since he was the last one to take a shower he missed out. But he took it like a trooper and didn’t complain much at all.) It is kind of like a homemade banana split; you add the bananas, the ice cream, whipped cream, a few nuts and to top it all off you add a cherry. After we had spent so much time in the car, we were all going bananas. We got out of the car and it was so cold that we could have used the snow that was outside to make ice cream. The wind was blowing pretty good and could really whip your hair up like you do with whipped cream. We went inside to spend some time with some nuts… (just kidding sister!) and took a really great shower before we went to bed. I suppose Brandon may not completely agree with me, but it is just because he didn’t get the cherry. I can’t even begin to describe just how good it felt to be with family, rest and share a few laughs before we had to get on the road again the next day. It was just another blessing from God.

One Of Many Pit Stops

Throughout this trip, we have learned that kids go potty a lot and frequently. And it always seems to be at the most inopportune times, like just after you stopped to get gas and are getting back on the freeway, when your only 15 minutes away from your next stop or you just past the last exit for twenty miles. We will never forget the sound of our littlest one saying, “I have to go potty mommy!” with that sense of urgency that means I’m on the verge of going right now in my car seat so you had better pull over! We have gotten a pretty good routine now, but ultimately we never know when that next call for a pit stop is going to be. We just have to be flexible and know that we are going to have to make unexpected stops throughout our travels. We praise God for our children and each of their personalities that make us laugh and cry at times. We could never imagine not having them with us on this journey and are amazed that they don’t kill each other each day. God has really blessed us with some wonderful children.

To be continued…

Last August Silvia and I decided to take advantage of an opportunity of moving down to Mexico and serving at the Niño’s de Baja orphanage for 3 to 4 weeks. We were not sure what we were going to do after that month, but were certain that God will lead the way. And boy did He! We ended up staying in Mexico for six amazingly quick months in which we learned so many things.

As many of you know I really enjoy cooking and baking, which is not very common for a husband in Latin America, but of course that doesn’t stop me. When going down to Mexico, I only brought down a few of my spices and cooking tools. I figured that I wouldn’t need all that much stuff but I did bring down a few of the essentials; kosher salt, various peppers, my favorite knife and my Cuisinart hand mixer. Back in the U.S. I became accustomed to having fresh herbs and really enjoy cooking with them. The opportunity arose for me to cook a Turkey (Thanks to the Blankenship Family!) and my recipe calls for Rosemary. Which in the States is very easy to find, but that is not the case in El Porvenir Mexico. I went to every tienda (little store) in town trying to find it without any luck. In Spanish they call it Romero, but after asking for it several times we learned that Romero is not really used for cooking in Mexico.

Romero (Rosemary)

When we asked one of the cashiers if they knew where to find it, with a funny look on her face she asked what we wanted it for. So we told her that we wanted to cook with it and she looked very surprised. She informed us that in Mexico (and I’m assuming it is the case elsewhere as well) it is used for witchcraft and voodoo. They say that it can be used to make a girl a virgin again… I’m not quite sure how that could be accomplished but I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ask. It was such a huge shock to me that I didn’t quite know what to say. I think it was a shock for them as well because we are known as missionaries there. I could only imagine what was going through this cashiers mind when we were asking for it. She had never heard of it being used as a cooking spice, but we informed her that it really gives meat and poultry a good flavor. I suppose it was an attempt to assure her that we don’t do voodoo and that we are not some foreign witches. In the end, we didn’t find it in any store so I was a little bummed out, but when we were heading to the orphanage we drove past a house that had a huge bush in the front yard. I looked at Silvia and she looked at me and she asked, “do you think that is it?” I told her yep and she jumped out of the car to find it was in fact Romero. So we were able to get some after all, but it was quite an experience in trying to find a simple spice. We can only imagine what it will be like in Colombia to find fresh herbs, but I’m praying I’ll find another jackpot there!

Driving Through A Charco

It was surprisingly difficult to leave Mexico at the end of last month, although we knew the time had come for us to press on. The new directors, Steve and Millie Shold, were on site and were taking charge and the need for us to be there came to a close. We were able to see it so clearly and we knew that we are greatly needed in Colombia so after much prayer we decided to head back east on a deputation road trip to raise the rest of our needed monthly support. It was a bit sad, but it took us more than two days to say goodbye to folks in El Porvenir. Many of them asked if we would come back after we return from Colombia and it was hard to say that we would have to leave it up to God. We built some really strong relationships with the people in Mexico and we will miss them greatly. Here are some photos of our goodbyes…

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I will conclude this post with a quote from John Stott who said, “We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” Keeping this in mind, we press on and move forward toward Colombia praying that God will open the doors for us to go.

The Guadalupe Valley in Baja California, Mexico is well known for growing and harvesting two things; grapes and olives. From the grapes they produce a wide variety of wines and from the olives they produce pickled olives for consumption and olive oil. It just so happens that El Porvenir sits in the center of the Guadalupe Valley and among other things we are surrounded by olive trees and grape vines.

Surrounded by Olive Trees

The climate is very similar to that of Israel and both grapes and olives grow very well here. It has only been in the last few years that wineries have really begun to flourish in this valley. It seems that the same presses that are used for making olive oil, can also be used to produce wine. Who knew?

When coming here we had very little knowledge about the production and processing of olives or wine, but we have begun to learn quite a bit. Not only have we seen olive trees and grapes everywhere in this area, we also have them on the property where we have been living. We have learned that the green olives are used for pickling, while the black ones are used for extracting oil.

Olives Used for Eating

Olives Used for Oil

When the wind blows, which it does a lot here, both the green and black olives are knocked out of the trees. With over a dozen trees, it leaves a huge mess on the property and takes a bit of time and effort to clean up. One of the jobs that we have taken ownership of is the care and cleaning of the property. Our very good friend Tarsi is responsible for the care and maintenance of all the properties here at Niño’s de Baja and he does a wonderful job of keeping everything in order. We thought that we could be a blessing to him by taking a little off of his plate, but after not catching a water pump problem, problems with some landscaping equipment, and a pila (it’s a water reservoir system here in Mexico) overflow, I don’t know that we actually saved him that much work. If you were to ask him though, he would humbly say that we have. But we’re praying in truth that our cleanup efforts have been at least a small blessing to him.

This last week as we were raking up all the fallen olives, we were reminded of why we are here. Please allow me explain; when we looked out over the property from a distance, it didn’t look too bad. We could see a few fallen olives here and there, with a branch or too. Usually every Friday we go out and rake up the mess, but this particular Friday we were trying to decide if it was necessary or if we could leave it for the following week.

Megan Mastering the Rake

In the Christian life, there comes a time when we have to decide whether to step out in faith and share the hope that we have in Christ with the lost and fallen or to put it off until tomorrow or when the time is right. Procrastination is one of the greatest threats to the success of our Christian walk, and we are all faced with it at some point in our daily lives. We have learned that every morning, you must make a conscious decision to share Christ with whomever you’re going to meet that day. If you don’t, you won’t!

So, in this case the dilemma we faced was to rake or not to rake… we chose wisely and began to rake. Just as we have chosen to go into missions, we make ourselves available to be used by God. Praying that He will use us like a rake. Now, I know it sounds corny but stay with me. Going out into the yard and raking up all of the fallen olives may not seem like anything but a chore, but it can be used as an allegory for what we do on the mission field. All of us Christians are missionaries and our mission field can be in our own front yard, El Porvenir, or in Colombia. We just have to decide if we’re going to let God use us or not.

Like I said earlier, we looked at the yard and it didn’t look like it was too bad with a few scattered olives and a branch or two. Sometimes, it’s easier to look at the world as though it is not too bad and that we can serve God later.

Sara Hard at Work

As we began raking up all of the olives, we noticed that there were a lot more olives than we had originally thought there were.

Serving Together as a Family

Silvia started on one side and I on the other, but before too long there were too many olives for the rake to move. We had to break them up into smaller piles and had to get Brandon and Megan’s help. Of course, our little Sara saw us all working and wanted to be a part of it too. Everyone was working toward the same goal of gathering the olives. Every person contributed, no matter their skill level, age, size or strength. In the book of Luke, chapter 10 verse 2, Jesus say’s, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” In the end we were able to gather all the olives into one gigantic pile and we realized that there were a lot more olives than we had initially thought.

One Big Pile of Olives

In thinking of all those olives and having to pick them up and throw them away we were reminded of Matthew 7:18-20, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” In looking at all these olives, we realize what a waste it is to just throw them into the fire. They all could have been useful at one time and saved for a better purpose, but because there aren’t enough people to do the work they are left to be destroyed. Thrown into the fire and forever lost.

Thrown Into the Fire

If we are able to see people the way God sees people, maybe we won’t be so quick to put off sharing our faith with them. When thinking of olives, we don’t get emotional about discarding them, but as missionaries we should get very passionate about the lost. We as Christians and Missionaries should use that passion as a catalyst to propel us into action.

I am reminded of the Brandon Heath song Give Me Your Eyes  in which the chorus goes something like this;

Give me your eyes for just one second;
Give me your eyes so I can see;
Everything that I keep missing;
Give me your love for humanity;

Give me your arms for the broken hearted;
The ones that are far beyond my reach;
Give me your heart for the one’s forgotten;
Give me your eyes so I can see…

I feel like that should be our constant prayer, to ask God to give us clear vision to see people as He sees them?

After reflecting on all of this and all of the olives were disposed of, I became all the more convicted of my own shortcomings. I felt as though I had fallen far short of having God’s eyes, but I know that He continues to work on our hearts. In our time here in El Porvenir, I’m sure we have touched a few lives but wish we could have done so much more. Perhaps I am my own worst critic, but I still believe that God has used us here and for that we give Him all the glory and praise.

” but the workers are few…”

Every time we have stepped out in faith, God has blessed us abundantly. We believe that He is now telling us to take yet another step of faith. We are now preparing to leave Mexico for a cross country deputation trip to recruit more folks to join us as partners in Colombia. We will be traveling for one month visiting churches, Sunday school classes and home groups between California and South Carolina. We only need 125 more people supporting us at $30 a month to reach our monthly need. Doesn’t it seem reasonable that we could find that many people who have a heart for missions and for the lost? We’re praying that it is and are stepping out in faith once again. Won’t you join us? If you live somewhere between Southern California and South Carolina, won’t you have us come for a visit? If God has put that on your heart, please contact us as soon as possible. We would love to share with you our hearts for missions and for the people of Colombia. If you would like to know more about what we will be doing in Colombia specifically, please feel free to email us at jsroddy@southamericamission.org or better yet have us come for a visit and we’ll tell you all about it.

Well folks, it has been quite some time since my last post and I hope you will forgive me for that. It is amazing how time can just slip by before you know it. I refuse however,  to give up writing here and have made it a top priority once again to make it a regular habit. Of course the proof is in the pudding, and I hope you all will call me on it if you don’t see a post in a couple of weeks.

Things have definitely been a challenge here in Mexico, to say the least. We can definitely see God’s hand molding and shaping us in so many ways. The life here has been a huge change in living standards for us and for our children. Just to give you an example, in the U.S. we had an extra freezer that we always made sure had plenty of food to fill it. In Mexico, we have very little freezer space and we are limited on the variety of food we are able to get. I suppose folks who are well off might be able to afford multiple freezers but most people just don’t have that option nor would they be able to afford to buy that much food to fill them. From time to time we are able to go up to the States and get some of those foods that feel like home, but we know that once we make it to Colombia we will no longer have that option. We have also learned that in Mexico, when the expiration date says February 4th the food will be bad exactly on that date. Unlike the U.S., there really isn’t any grace period that you might still be able to use it. We bought milk here a few times and every time it had already curdled the day before it was due to expire.

We tried both Lala and Jersey Milk with the same result

Since then we buy our milk from the U.S. and freeze it in our limited freezer space. To us, it may seem like a big deal but it is normal for the folks that live around us. Surprisingly, the cost of things in Mexico is not much different than in the U.S. and sometimes it is more expensive. The amazing thing is that people here earn so much less than what people in the U.S. make, yet they still manage to live. That my friends, is a “GOD THING” and it is humbling to know that there was a time in my own life where I thought I wasn’t making enough money. It is all a matter of perspective and our perspectives on things have definitely been changing.

The last time we came up to the States, a border patrol agent asked me what we do for a living and I told him that we are missionaries. He then asked what it was that missionaries do on a day to day basis, which I thought was such a great question. Of course it was a question that could easily lead to sharing the Gospel if answered correctly. I told him that we help meet people’s needs, model the Christian life and share with them the truth of Christ. Regrettably, there wasn’t time to go into a more lengthy conversation with him but perhaps the little seed will grow in his life and he will come to a saving faith in Christ. The experience really made me realize all the more that we need to be ready to give a defense of the faith that we have. It also made me realize that many people don’t really know what it is that missionaries do from day to day. I think it differs from missionary to missionary, depending on their mission, but ultimately it is in fact to live out the Christian life as a model for folks to see while meeting their needs. When they see how you live, they’ll know how much you care and then you will have an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. It’s like the old saying, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!” We serve God by serving others and people can be fooled some of the time, but not all the time. As missionaries, we have a huge responsibility to be real and authentic, because eventually they will know if we truly believe what we say we believe. Here in Mexico, we have definitely learned that people are watching us and how we live. There have been many opportunities for us to fall back into our old natures, with all kinds of issues that have included interpersonal & communication issues to issues with our children in school, but through prayer and God’s grace we have gotten through it. We know we have gotten through it successfully when we had someone tell us that they felt comfortable confiding in us and that they were able to trust us. What a huge compliment, especially when many people in Mexico (and really everywhere) feel like they have to watch their backs and are very guarded. What a great training ground for us as we prepare for Colombia and our future ministry there.

As many of you know, we have raised all of our outgoing support need but we are still lacking our regular monthly support. We are desiring to make a cross country trip in March to visit individuals and churches to raise the remaining support, but we can’t do it without your help. We are asking everyone to please speak with your church’s leadership and ask them if they would be willing to let us come and share our mission with the church. If we are able to raise our remaining support in the next two months, there is a good chance that we could go to Peru prior to heading to Colombia for a missionary conference where missionaries from all over South America will be attending. The conference is in Pulcalpa, where it just so happens Silvia’s brother lives. It would give us an opportunity to be enriched by the conference and our kids could meet family that they have never known. All of this will only happen though, if we’re able to raise the support we need. We are so very thankful for all of you who have already been supporting us and we pray that God will continue to bless you. For those of you who have yet to start, would you prayerfully consider joining us and begin supporting us monthly by sending in a pledge card? We are looking for folks who would be willing to help us share the Gospel of Christ for as little as $1 a day or $30 a month. God has put it on our hearts to look for folks who can give smaller amounts, rather than looking for a few folks to give huge amounts. So will you help us to share our vision and mission with your church family? We know you all have the best of intentions for us, but would you please turn them into action and contact us so we can begin scheduling visits and develop a travel plan?

I suppose it would be appropriate that I end this post with some scripture and so it comes from the book of 2 Corinthians…

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. (2 Corinthians 8:11,12)

Your Co-Laborers in Christ,

Jeff & Silvia