Running Into the Darkness

The Lord has been so Faithful.

I see him move daily here. It has been so awesome being in the Holy land where Yeshuah walked, Swimming in the very same water he walked on. The Lord allured me into the desert and spoken tenderly to me. He has slain me with thirst.

I have fallen in love with the people everyday. Especially the Arabs, It has been so provoking being here, Ive already learned so much its hard to express in words, Today I went to the biggest Muslim orphanage--its also a mosque, it was very scary going in--but Heidi Baker once said--"Run into the Darkness!!!" who else will? and I prayed for those children, cheek to cheek. I loved them.

The lord has been Moving and shifting something in the spiritual atmosphere and everyone knows it.

Its not just about what denomination you are--charismatic, baptist, etc...who really cares about raising your hands and dancing in worship anymore?

People MUST wake up! and realize that there is something bigger going on, God has something bigger on his mind than we realize. he loves to move when we reach out of our comfort zone and give to the broken, love the unloved-rejected. Speak to the ones are the outcasts--and love the unsaved who are blinded by their own fear and brokenheartedness. This is how Yeshuah loves to move, when we break down the doors of apathy and fear.

That is Christ in me.

Nikkie Riley

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Nikkie Riley has been a part of our Metro Youth for a long time. She graduated last year from Blue Ridge Christian School and joined us on “Quest High Sierra 2006”. She is currently traveling the Middle East, spending time seeking the Lord and living out of her backpack!

Cote D'Ivoire

Rubbing elbows with some of the earth’s most precious people is always a privilege. And such is the case when I recently visited Abijan, Ivory Coast. Maria Little is one of Metro’s missionaries, a nurse by profession, and has started a medical clinic in Abijan. Through this clinic God has touched the lives of many people through healing with medicine, miracles, and sharing the Gospel. Maria spent 3 months living right in the middle of the slums where the Lord opened many doors for her to share the love of Christ. I met many Pastors and leaders there who though are the poorest of the poor radiate the love of Christ everywhere they go. They are indeed precious and it was indeed my privilege to hang out with and learn from them. Maria will be coming home for a 6 to 12 month stay to raise more support and tend to some personal matters. While she’s here please take time to get to know her.

Blessings – Randy Catlett
See Randy's pictures here.

Walking in the Light in South Africa

Our team met with several different groups within the Walk in the Light Ministry, one of which was a very lively group of ladies who meet once a week to knit. During one of our meetings with the knitting group, a teenage girl named Thandeka pulled me aside. She was very interested in learning more about AIDS because, as she explained to me, she is living with someone who is HIV-positive. I began to give Thandeka advice about how to care for this person, a girl named Mbali, and said that if Mbali was still sexually active, she should cease. At that point, Thandeka interrupted me: "I don't think you understand. Mbali is only 8 years old." Thandeka went on to explain that when Mbali was 4, she was gang raped by a group of men, at least one of whom was HIV-positive. The police have supposedly found the man responsible but have done nothing to bring him to justice.

To make matters worse, Mbali's mother abandoned her at 2 weeks and cannot be found. Because her birth mother is not acting as her guardian, the South African Department of Home Affairs will not issue Mbali's birth certificate. And without a birth certificate, Mbali cannot receive the ARV medication she needs to give her a longer and healthier life. As Thandeka and her aunt wept and begged me to do something to gain access to a birth certificate for Mbali, I realized that I had never felt more helpless in all my life. I was also filled with rage over the incredible injustices done to this innocent little girl.

I have been researching the AIDS pandemic for over a year now. I have friends who are living with AIDS. Even so, I am constantly amazed at how fighting the effects of AIDS in Africa is far from a simple matter. AIDS is deeply enmeshed with issues of culture, government, and family dynamics, among other things. I feel as if I am only beginning to see what a complex issue it truly is. And my prayer is that the two weeks we spent in Pietermaritzburg have somehow served to turn the tide in at least one person's life, if not an entire community. It is reassuring to know that Walk in the Light is committed to continuing this community-changing work every day.

-Allison Hennessey

Check out the South Africa Scrapbook

The Sacrament of Daily Good

I had breakfast with ministering friend Phil Maslin a few weeks ago. He is an artist and produces beautiful work in several mediums. One is photography and he has turned some of his photos into greeting cards he sells at a few local outlets or gives to friends. While we met, he gave me a set and as I looked at them I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the cards, and equally overwhelmed that he would give away something so beautiful. I was holding a flower of his heart grown through great love, talent, and labor.

Then I thought, rather than hide his flowers because he can't make a lot of money off of them or become famous, he was giving them for whatever blessing they could be to the recipients. I realized: "Wow, this is how much of the good is done in the world-not in some world-changing action that divides history, like Jesus' death and resurrection, but also in the daily, year-after-year, hardly noticed, acts of love people do!" I was overwhelmed thinking of all the good that Phil has accomplished bit-by-bit and piece-by-piece through years of giving beauty to his friends. The cards symbolized many acts of kindness, integrity, service, confessions, and thoughtful conversations with his friends. As we talked, I learned that he was studying a book, Irresistible Influence, to learn how to better love the people he knows.
None of us will change the world by some heroic act or stunning teaching, like Jesus, but-like most of his original followers: farmers, carpenters, barbers, homemakers, bakers, tax collectors, soldiers-we many, we happy many, incrementally change the world of the people around us with good and beauty, and that is a great good.

Her full nature . . . spent itself in channels which had no great name on the earth. . . . the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs. (Dorthea in Middlemarch by George Elliot) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Paul, Galatians 6:10). . . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Jesus, Matthew 5:16).

While praying recently, it struck me that almost all of our friends are doing all the good they know how to do. I was overwhelmed with the beauty and preciousness of that. I would name all your names, all you Georges and Joans and Toms and Marys and Dorises and Ruths and . . . and . . . but I cannot because the list is too long-plus, I would weep.

John Gilman

Freedom, Joy and Hard Work

I knew I was signing up for exhaustion when we paid for a 17 hour bus ride to Phoenix, Louisiana to rebuild "Katrina Houses". Freedom and joy surprised me. Hanging out with fellow bus brethren brought lots of laughter and sharing. Arriving tired and too-close-to midnight, joy hit my heart again when I found our air mattress filled and inside the tent that the Beaver family set up earlier for us.

Eating with the crowd of Christians under the canopy Sunday morning, freedom began to ring as Don Stedman and other leaders explained our job choices. They stressed that relationship building with residents and praying in the tent "tabernacle" were as important as roofing and mucking!

I chose to attend the service in the little Baptist church next to our tent city. The contrast of our work clothes to the Sunday-best of the congregation didn't stop them from grabbing our hands during the circle prayer time. An older gal helped me with my poor rhythm as we all swayed back and forth.

I worried a bit as I walked to the little house on blocks where I would join my husband Neut in sheet-rock work. Could my tendinitis elbows do this? Joy! I discovered a niche for me, mudding and taping that involved no lifting or pulling. When meal times or the snack car came I was weary -yet without a single elbow pain.

The next morning I woke early and promised myself the luxury of using the church's flush toilets if I got up to help with breakfast. (Small joys.) What fun to prepare eggs, bacon, fruit and biscuits with a group of gals (and Devin!) before the sun came up.

Overalls on, I headed back to the small white house to work but I took the freedom to hear more of Joyce's story. (She is the 71 year-old owner.) We sat between her small cave of a Fema trailer and the kitchen steps by her old home. Joyce drawled on, "When I heard dat Katrina was headed for our river, I knew the whole gulf'd be flowing up it: so I started puttin' stuff up high in my house to save it. My suits were already up when I saw da suitcase and I tol my gran' daughter: 'Get those down and put 'em in dis case.' Now, they laughed at me at the shelter 'bout bringin' suits (some never worn!) but after Katrina I axed them: 'Where's yor navy suit?' 'Cause ya see, we all wear navy suits when we usher at church."

Joyce shared many stories with me those three days. Scary ones like her sons surviving on top of the school roof for days. Sad ones like deeply missing her twin sister who died last November -not living to move back into her house where her wheel chair would have room to move. Amazing ones like the tree her grandfather planted surviving the flood. Crazy ones like re-construction people charging exorbitant prices to repair houses and doing a shoddy job. Happy ones about her children and grand children's lives.

That afternoon freedom gave me permission to break away from my exhausting labor to nap and then spend time in the prayer tabernacle. The leader needed a break so she left me "in charge". A group of children came in to color their prayer and giggle. Olga, a little older, scolded the others. "If Mrs. __ was here she'd shoo us out." I pondered her words and my possible duty to "shoo". The thought of Jesus' words "Let the children come to me..." convinced me to put up with the noise.

Another time that I was in the tabernacle a resident from down the road hobbled in. She made the sign of the cross, listened to the Bible reading and joined her prayer to our spontaneous intercession. As I helper her crippled knees navigate the step to leave, she confided, " I'd heard about this 24/7 prayer tent an' when I was invited to dinner I decided to come in here and see for myself."

One evening during group worship I glanced up at the levy and saw the top of a ship all lit up like Disneyland. As it glided silently by I wondered if that party-boat held the joy that our star-lit community worship had in Jesus.

Too soon the silver bus was pulling up to be loaded. We joined the youth in the final litter patrol. There was Joyce under her "grandfather's tree". Neut and I hurried over to hug her good-bye. She sat there as the big bus began the trip back to our intact, lovely homes.

Sally J. Williamson

Children and the Word

I can remember sitting on my mom’s bed every night for our “quiet time.” It all started when I was 4 years old and my brother’s were just little. I, being the oldest was to set the example in all the years to come of what it looked like to be attentive to Jesus during these times. I would use all sorts of tactics to make sure my mom didn’t know that I was really in to what was happening. There was the “I’m asleep” approach as well as the I’m bored “look”.

My mom kept talking and forging ahead with the nightly example of what it looks like to spend time with Him. We were able to see modeled through her how important it is to know Him and the truth that you can’t know Him without spending time with Him. She was faithful for several years and never wavered based upon our emotions or seeming desire to listen.

As I grew up and started to mature in Him, I would recall these times fondly. What happened in these times with Jesus and my mom were priceless. I heard His voice for the first time. I had a spirit of fear leave. I had the foundation of scripture laid down under me. And most importantly I learned to make and keep my appointments with a God who adores me.

So for all of you parents who feel like your kids are bored or falling asleep during your quiet times, it might very well be code for “keep going”

Jen Parker

Connecting with the Father

On the cabinet that hangs over my desk, I have a bunch of pictures of our missionaries from different parts of the world such as India, Nepal, Thailand, China, Guatemala, Africa and the Middle East. It’s fun to come in early in the morning and greet them and begin to pray for them.

But seeing there pictures every day is also a reminder to me. Every one of them has an intense prayer life, devotional life and a steady diet of reading God’s Word. They really have to rely on God to get them through their day, every day. They live in nations that don’t like Americans especially Christian Americans. Most of them live on a less than adequate income. They live where you can’t drink the water and the electricity is not dependable, where the temperature often climbs to 120 degrees or higher and raw sewage flows down the streets. Some live where car bombs explode with regularity or where religious wars never cease and tension fills the air.

When you live in these different kinds of situations your awareness of God and your dependence on Him becomes very real. But what about us here in Kansas City? Shouldn’t we also have an intense prayer life, devotional life and steady diet of reading God’s Word? Well maybe our need isn’t as great here. We can drink the water right out of the tap or turn the AC on when it gets too warm. We truly are blessed in America. As blessed as we are in this nation, is our need for God any less than our missionaries?

Reading through the Bible in 90 days has been a real ‘eye-opener’ for me. It was so good to read it straight through as a story. I actually read it in 42 days because I just couldn’t put it down. Knowing His story is really important if we’re going to share it with others. It’s also important because it points out how much we need Him in our lives. My day just seems to go so much better when I start it out communicating with my Creator. Whether it’s by praying, doing a devotional, singing songs, reading the Word or all of them combined it just makes my day better.

If you’re not connecting with the Father on a regular basis I want to challenge you to go there. I believe you’ll be glad you did. So let me leave you with these words from Ps.119 verses 9-16.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”

Randy Catlett