Joy Comes in the Morning

On a previously quiet Saturday in June 5 new children suddenly descended upon the Miriam Infant Home. Three of them were siblings, Jonatas (8 years old), Giovana (6) and Sandrinha (4) and they were not there of their own free will! They were brought to the Miriam Home by the juvenile authorities because there was an abusive situation going on in their home. The children arrived scared and sad; they really only wanted one thing - their mom!

The first nights were cried to sleep and more than once their days involved impromptu attempts to go home on their own. There were huge challenges for both the Miriam Home staff and three little ones who really couldn’t understand why they were taken from their family.

It is difficult for children to believe you want to help them when they don’t realize that the treatment they receive at home is not “normal”. It is more difficult to see the children step back into the same family when you’re not sure the situation has changed (the authorities returned Jonatas, Giovana and Sandrinha to their family two weeks later). It would be nearly an impossible job if not for God’s grace! By His grace we know that the power for the children’s healing is His Spirit - Spirit that is not limited by geography, family lines or the power of any earthly authority. By His grace we know that He loves these three children more than any person alive, and He put them in our hands to bless them. By His grace we believe that He will continue the good work that He began in the Miriam Home. By His grace we wait for the next Saturday surprise!

Depu huh?

I love words! Most of you reading this already knew that—I use a lot of them! I love learning where words come from, the stories behind them that give them depth and meaning. Here is an example for you,
I am officially on “Deputation”. Don’t worry, it is not a medication, I’m not sick. Deputation means to stand for or represent someone or an authority; just like a deputy represents the authority of the sheriff. I love that, it puts a whole new spin on the ministry I will be doing for next few months.

A lot of times when a missionary talks about doing deputation our minds translate that to the more familiar “raising support”. That isn’t a bad translation, but when you think of what deputation actually means, it is incomplete. Raising support brings to mind two activities: building a financial support team and a prayer team for our
ministries (both are vital) but there is more. I am not just raising my support team, I am representing, standing for someone and
something bigger than me.

In first (and last) place I stand for Christ, my Lord. I am His
Ambassador. That means, when I am speaking to Brothers and Sisters in Christ I have a responsibility to build up my family in the love of Christ. We are to stir one another one to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24). When I speak to those searching for life I am able to point them to the one true source of hope - the same Living God who cares for the children of Brazil wants to love and care for them..

I also stand for AFLC World Missions. It is slightly intimidating
company. We have Brothers and Sisters Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Young people are being trained in the Word of God, churches are being planted, the needs of the “least of these” are being met and God’s heart is being ministered to. It is important for our congregations to know how the world is being impacted, and I get to be a part of their hearing .

Finally, I stand for the Miriam Infant Home. I get to share with you the faces and the stories of the men and women who bless the little
children every day. I am able to bring young lives before you so that you are able to intercede on their behalf.

The work of deputation is really pretty thrilling when I think about all that it entails. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

The Adventure Begins

And the Adventure Begins...
I have to admit that I am a mystery novel junkie. Not “deep” mysteries, certainly not scary ones; but put me in the corner with Miss Marple, Hercules Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey and I am set for a good afternoon. It is because I am stepping into an adventure that could twist or turn in any direction. Just think how exciting it would be to step into a real adventure of our own better, than any Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers could have written. We can! God has written our adventure, every day of it, before we were born. As we cling to His Word, as we obey His Spirit we enter the adventure He has planned for our lives, with twist and turns and eternal finale beyond our wildest dreams!
In any good story seemingly small details have significance later on; the same is true in our lives. Surprising blessings, painful experiences, pointless losses lay foundations that God builds on to produce gratefulness, patience, mercy and more. For me, God used a family full of love and humor to prepare my heart for the South American culture. He used short term mission opportunities in Mexico, Israel and Puerto Rico to introduce the joy of different ways of doing things. Though I was not raised in the Gospel He brought godly men and women into my life to not just teach me but show me what it means to walk with God. Their prayers, support and encouragement have carried me for many years and they are a source of joy as I step into the next chapter of God’s great adventure in my life. I was recently accepted as an AFLC Missionary and I am hoping to be in Campo Mourao, Brazil by the end of this year. I will be working in the Miriam Infant Home on the campus of the AFLC Bible School.
I had a chance to visit the home about 15 years ago, when I was serving with Youth With A Mission in Belo Horizonte. I went to visit Dave and Sarah Nelson and fell in love with a lovely ministry to children in need. There have been changes over the years; a home that once primarially cared for babies and little ones now receive children of all ages. The house will often receive two or three children from the same family, no matter the age. Right now the Miriam House has 12 residents from infants to 16 years old. The time I spent with YWAM, working with teens, suddenly has a greater relevance to the ministry God is calling me to. Now, could that have been part of God’s story line for me?
It is so exciting to know that there are no surprise for God, no accidents, just His gracious hand leading us in the adventure He has planned for each of us.Where are you in your adventure? If you don’t know it yet God wants you to see the plans He has for you - eternal plans with a great end! Ask Him to show you how he has moved and how He is moving and join in the adventure He has just for you