At once they left their nets and followed Him…

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.” ~ Mark 1:16-20 NIV

I’ve been thinking a lot about this particular verse the last several weeks. As I’m getting closer to my date to leave the states (I leave on March 30^th) I find myself consumed with a lot of things that I need to get done before my internship starts. One of the things that I’ve been working on is trying to determine what I will need for my 7 month internship in Haiti. Over the past several years, I have packed for many a short term mission trip, but trying to plan for 7 months had me a little befuddled. Not only the personal items (Clothing, shampoo, etc.), but trying to plan the basic needs for my type of ministry, so that I will be able to hit the ground running in March. It’s all a little overwhelming. On top of that, in order to get anything I need to Haiti, I either have to carry it in when I fly in, or I need to get it up to the warehouse in Zionsville, so it can be loaded onto a container and start making its way to Haiti. I’ve actually already got a couple of boxes of supplies on their way, loaded in a container that left a couple weeks ago. I think that these supplies should get to the NWHCM campus about the same time I do, or a little before.

Anyway, as I’ve been planning and packing, I got to thinking about the great faith of the early disciples, who, when called by Jesus, immediately stopped what they were doing, left everything they had and everyone they knew, and followed Jesus. Can you imagine the tremendous faith that it must have taken to simply stand, leave everything behind and follow. I stand in awe of these simple men who answered His call and set forth to change the World. Even though thy were plagued with doubts and trials throughout their ministry, they still answered when called and they served God with all their lives.

I know God is calling me to serve in Haiti, and I’m very excited to see how God will use me for His glory. I have always wanted to serve, and I look forward to serving the people of Haiti, however He chooses to use me.

I would encourage everyone to put their Faith and Trust in God, to be still and listen for His guidance, and when called, to not question. Just Follow where He leads!

You will be blessed!

Justin

Blessings & Sorrow

Hello everyone, I just wanted to take a few minutes and comment on a couple of events that I experienced this week. First, the blessings:

I was blessed to go to the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission warehouse in Zionsville on Wednesday to help load a couple of containers full of food bound for Haiti. In a little under 6 hours, myself and four other volunteers were able to load 2 shipping containers with enough packaged rice meals[1] to provide meals for over 450,000 people in Haiti! Not only is it wonderful and amazing to see so much food going to people in desperate need, but the fact that all of this food was purchased by donation, packaged with love by people young and old throughout the country, and is going to those who need it most! What a wonderful blessing it was for me to be just a small part of serving so many!

Also this week, I was blessed to help sew diapers for the NWHCM birthing center with a great group of people here at FCC. For over 10 years, a dedicated and ever growing group of volunteers has met several times a year to sew re-useable cloth diapers that we send down for the mission to use, and give out to new mothers at the birthing center. This week, in four days, our group was able to sew 345 diapers, and have a lot in various stages, ready to go for the next sewing event, scheduled for April. Not only do a lot of wonderful people volunteer to sew these diapers, but also it is funded completely through donations, a lot of which they get  through their “Dimes for Diapers” campaign, where people donate their spare change to help provide diapers for children in Haiti. Just another example of small things that we can do every day, seemingly insignificant  things, which can grow to have great results throughout the Kingdom!

Finally, on a sadder note, I learned this week of a friend of mine is struggling with some very serious family issues. While I don’t want to elaborate and get into details, just suffice to say that their family is facing great turmoil, and is desperately in need of prayer. My heart goes out to her and her entire family and I pray that God will grant them strength and peace through these troubling times.

God is everywhere, in all things, at all times. Sometimes His will is easy to see, sometimes it is incredibly difficult ( if not impossible). We just need to be strong and carry on in faith that all things can be and are used by Him for his purpose. It doesn’t make our pain any easier, our grief any less, but it does offer hope for tomorrow.

I would like to ask for prayers for my friend, and I pray that you all will continue to seek ways, big and small, to serve your fellow man and woman, and the Kingdom of God!

God Bless you all!

Justin

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[1] For more information on this type of program, please visit the “Kids Against hunger” website at http://www.kidsagainsthunger.org/ or the “Feed My Starving Children” website at http://www.fmsc.org/.

Sharing my story

Hey all I hope everyone is having a great winter! I wanted to take a couple of minutes just to catch up with all of you. Things have been progressing very well here in my world, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

As a missionary in Haiti, I need to raise financial support in the amount of $1300.⁰⁰ per month in order to serve. This amount will cover all of my expenses in Haiti, the cost of travel to and from, as well as the cost for health / life insurance. Sitting here at this point in my journey, and looking out at the prospect of finding enough people and churches willing to help support me for the foreseeable suture is very daunting. I think one of the hardest things about going onto the field is finding support, especially in the current economy. Not that people don’t realize the need and want to help, its just finding the “extra” money. It’s difficult, but obviously never impossible. God is in control of all things, uses all things to His purpose, and as followers of the King, we are commanded to spread His truth to the four corners of the world.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

All that being said, I know that God is with me and is directing me as I seek to serve in Haiti. Since my first short-term trip in 2008, I have known that I am meant to serve on the mission filed, and my constant prayer since then has been for God to show me where and how He wants to use my life for His glory. I may not know what He has in store for me, or how it will work out, but I know that it will work for His glory if I just put it in His hands, and allow Him to work in my life.

On Saturday January 7^th , the Brazil Times, our local newspaper printed an article that they did about me, and my journey unto the mission field (here is a link to their story: http://www.thebraziltimes.com/story/1802108.html). It is a great story, and I am blessed that they chose to write about me, as it’s just another way to get my story out. My hope is that I will not only garner prayer (and possibly some financial) support, but maybe I will also encourage some other people to step out into the mission field, to serve and feel the same joy that I feel while working for the Lord. I’ve also been interviewed by the Spencer Evening World (my hometown)about doing a story, so I’m looking forward to sharing my journey with some old friends from home.

I have been sending out batches of letters to friends and family asking for their support, and I have also been contacting local churches, hopefully in order to have a chance to present my calling to their congregations. Along with this, I have been blessed to meet with several groups at our church to talk about my service, including several of our adult Bible study classes and small groups. I have to admit that I am really not comfortable speaking in front of groups of people, never have been and never will.  But once I get up and start speaking of my mission I generally calm down and do a decent job of representing myself, without looking like a blithering idiot J

I should be very nervous, worried and scared about all of this. I should be apprehensive about my future and my work in Haiti. I should be, but I’m not. I know God is in control, and I know God will see me through. At the end of the day, all we have is the knowledge of God’s truth and His promise for our lives.

What more do we need?

God Bless you all,

Justin

P.S. ~ On Sunday, February 19^th following services at FCC, we are hosting a “Hearts for Haiti” fundraising dinner. For $5 a person you can have a great dinner (Spaghetti with choice of sauce, salad, bread, dessert and a drink), enjoy some fellowship and learn more about Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, their ministry in Haiti, and my impending service with them. We will also be having some live entertainment and a silent auction, with all of the proceeds going to help support my work in Haiti. I would love to invite anyone in the Brazil area to come out on the 19^th, have some great food and learn ways you can be involved in Haiti!