Mowing is My Spiritual Gift

It's mowing season and depending on the weather, I mow once a week. You are probably wondering why my husband, Terry, doesn't mow because usually it is a "man-job". The reason is that he has a medical condition that prevents him from being able to it. He has the desire to do it, likes mowing but if he does it causes him more pain. Therefore, I am the official mower in the family. 

Yesterday, God reminded me that mowing is my spiritual gift. Even though it's a "sometimes-not-fun" job. I love to serve and when I see the need, I just jump in with everything I've got. That's why I mow. That's why I serve. It's a way I can serve Terry and my family. It's the way that God wired me. Also, if I don't mow, then our landscape will turn into a jungle of phenomenal proportions. AND another thing that God taught me was that this servant's heart is destined for more than just mowing. Sometimes that is all God requires of me is to be consistent in doing the "sometimes-not-fun" jobs. The point is seeing the need and allowing God to work through you to meet the need, and therefore showing the love of Christ. 

Look around you...where can you serve and meet someone’s need? If God is calling you to serve in a area, I believe He has already equipped you with the gifts needed to carry out the task. What are you waiting for? Mow....like the best of them! With fervor, flair, joy and......sunscreen.

Hit the Streets

Dear God give me tolerance!! I know that traveling to a third world country I will see slices of life as I am not used to. There will be some culture shock. Dear God give me tolerance. Dear God make me an instrument of your grace and love. It will be different than what I am used to. We have been told so, by those who have been there. But the people that we meet will need God's love and will need to hear the gospel message. I guess that is what makes it difficult, at least in my mind, because of our differences, it builds a barrier.Today the song Walls by Manic Drive spoke to me. "Lift your hands, move your feet, get yourself, get yourself ready. Lift your flags, hit the streets, and charge!" I have the desire to "charge" but I not am ready yet. That's what I am praying for. God give me your eyes to see them as you see them. No matter their circumstances, slice of life, their background, culture. Break me out of my comfortable bubble!!

I pray for acceptance of the differences. After all, people need Jesus. They need to be loved, know that Jesus died on the cross for them. You don't have to travel on a mission trip to share the story about how God has worked our life. BTW, Jesus hung out with the undesirables, the sick, the down-trodden. Why? Because he could see their need. Because someone is different, don't let that create a wall or barrier that satan uses to get in the way of the gospel being shared. Hit the streets, and CHARGE!

Serve like Jesus

Janelle Keith here with some initial thoughts about the mission trip to the Dominican Republic. During the mission trip orientation meeting, it was recommended that we start praying about what God will do in the lives of those whom we will meet and in our hearts. I hear this often about people that travel on mission trips are often the ones that are changed instead of those you are serving. I know God is at work with this trip. I have also heard from several others how God is working in their lives too. That's very encouraging to me.

 

This morning as I am reading John 13 about the Passover celebration of Jesus. He is spending some time with his best friends and knows that his time with them is very short. What struck me about this chapter, was he didn't give a long oration of all the things he forgot to say during the previous 3 years of teaching, like one would cram for a test. He was a peace or so it seemed. There were no freak outs knowing that he was going to die in a few short hours. There was no angst as to what was ahead, no jitters or whining. But there was simple servanthood. Jesus knew the plan, He knew that Judas was going to betray him, when and how. v. 3 "Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God." So instead of dismissing himself from the gathering, as one would think to retreat by himself, He does the ultimate. He serves.

He humbles himself. v.4 "So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, v.5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel had around him." Jesus didn't hesitate to serve his friends, even the one who was going to betray and deny him. These friends were going to leave him when he was at his most desperate point in all of his life. Yet he was on his knees, washing their feet. It didn't matter that he was the Savior of the world, miracle worker, great teacher, and healer. He took off his pride and humility and served. He did the lowest job, but he served in love.

This speaks volumes to me. Jesus gives the most perfect example to follow. Let this be a model of servant hood. As Jesus serves so shall we. And as we serve, let love be our guide.

 

Mitch www.bcbradio.org www.missionofmercy.org Please forgive typos. Sent from my mobile.

Entire Kenya team on the ground in wash dc and boarding for paris www.missionkenya2010.Blogspot.com

Mitch-team leader

Final 48 hours..

I am so excited that God has called a group of 40+ individuals from all around the country to come together as one large family to serve our Father in a country where there is a severe shortage of clean water. With a nation of 30 million people and 10 million of those residing in urban centers, water remains a nightmare urbanites have learned to live with. Your social status means little since everyone has to deal with the shortages. The need for clean water is how God called both myself and my husband to this missions trip.  As soon as I learned that on this trip we would be bringing water to several projects in Kenya, it was like God had taken a stick and hit me over the head and said "I want you to go and help my children, now will you go?" 

 

I am normally the type that has to plan everything out, cross the t's and dot the i's. I almost always have a plan and focus that means there is not much room for 'going with the flow'. I have been dealing with several physical challenges the last several years, which I have used as a crutch for not going on prior missions trips, but this time I knew that He would be my protector and through Him all things would be possible.

 

These past few months have been so calming to me. Never before has anything given me such a sense of 'stillness' and completeness. I am not anxious nor nervous. I am at peace. I believe this means that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I pray that God will use me as his hands in the field to reach his children who need clean water. But most importantly though, I trust that the Lord will soften my heart and help me show the love of Christ to those that I come in contact with.

 

I ask that you continue to pray for each of the team members as we do our final planning these next 48 hours. Please pray that we have open hearts to do His will in whatever manner He wants us to.

 

Until the Whole World Hears,

Angie Foster-Hintz

KSLT, KLMP, The Point Office Manager

 

 

Team's final preparations

With an excited and energetic team in their final preparations, we have asked everyone to set aside any/all personal agendas.  God has something special to show this group of Americans as they serve in Nairobi and Malindi Kenya.  Hearts will be broken, but OH what a beautiful “rebuild” He does!  This team makes over 500 people that Charlotte(my wife) and I(mitch) have led overseas.  We are thrilled to be able to watch defining moments in others lives as He touches them, reveals something new to them, and shows them His love.

Scheduled for departure this Saturday-and we ask for your prayers in travel, connections and all that goes with it.  ½ of the team will overnight by bus to Denver to catch their flight-starting off their journey already sleep deprived.

Day 1 will bring a heart wrenching day-filled with joy and hope as we visit New Life Home(they rescue “discarded” babies and find adoptive parents for them).  We will hold, pray with and play with toddlers! 

Day 2 brings a long bus ride across the country to Malindi, a town on the Indian Ocean.  Where we will begin our construction projects and VBS.  At this point-we have the funding for 6 projects to receive water(trenching and piping) as well as roofs, windows and doors on at least 4 of the projects.  A project is where hundreds of children come each day for meals, education, medical aid and most importantly- to SEE and feel the LOVE of Jesus Christ.

I love Africa, and have a feeling this team will too.

We will do our best to call back to the radio studios – KSLT, KLMP, The Point, WPFF and WNLI, as well- update this blog as often as we can!  Please keep the team in your prayers as they prepare to be His hands and feet.

 

Mitch Hildebrant – Team leader