Category: missions

My friends Troy and Tammy, their four daughters, and twin sons moved to Iowa a year and half ago to continue a ministry Troy’s dad Dave began. An avid outdoorsman and hunter, Dave loved to share the Lord with younger men. Using archery and hunting as connections, Dave’s outreach resulted in beautiful fruit.

I stayed pretty close to Troy the months after his dad died suddenly of a brain aneurism on the way home from a cold January morning of hunting with a friend in 2014. Jesus, the Author of faith, hope, and love, has given comfort and direction to Troy and his family through many answered prayers and through countless acts of kindness from the Body of Christ.

The ministry, Heartshot, has two major goals. The first goal is to use archery as a platform to teach God’s principles for living. A heart for God is our aim is the motto. People of all ages come to the range to enjoy a sport and to hear God’s Word explained in practical ways. The second goal is to invite anyone to join Heartshot team as they serve widows in the area.

Of course Troy’s ‘favorite’ is his own mother who he says helps him more than he helps her. Seeing his mom in the distress of loss, Troy understood clearly the reason for God’s instructions to care for widows and to help those in need.

Each member of the Heartshot leadership team is one of the men mentored by Troy’s dad. These are ten rugged guys who put their Christian faith into action by serving others. In times of need, many in their church and many from the community who visit the Heartshot archery range join to serve their community in the Name of Christ.

Eleven-year-old John and I visited Troy and his family this past weekend. Troy’s mom treated us to dinner the evening we arrived and later we got to meet many of the friends who shine the light of Jesus in this part of our country. Of course we also experienced the subzero temperatures of the Midwest. The day we left, it snowed several inches and Heartshot pulled together four teams to shovel the driveways of widows and to help anyone else they saw in need.

I was reminded once again of the beauty of the Body of Christ. When we let Jesus shine in our lives, people who may not even know God at the moment give thanks and glorify our Father in heaven. “You are the light of the world…”

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

“Christ in you – the hope of glory.” This is the mystery Paul revealed in his letter to the Colossians. As Christ lives in you and me, in His Body, the Church, we realize that God intends that His grace flow through people.

Almost twenty years ago, preceding and during the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, our family and church community met many Christians from around the world as Youth With A Mission sent over 3,000 young people and veteran missionaries to serve our city and be a witness for Christ.

Three of these, who still live abroad, are examples of how God’s grace operates through people to greatly influence others. “You must come visit us,” each said as the Olympics wrapped up and they left town. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it,” I answered with a smile. “No, we mean it, we mean it.”

So, over the years, by God’s grace, all or some of our family have visited Harry and Dagmar in Jerusalem four times, John and Suzanne in Namibia seven or eight times, and Anna in Hawaii, Brazil, and Sweden five or six times. In their homes overseas and in our home when they visit, their impact cannot be measured. When I think that Taylor was ten years old, Kinsey was seven, and Karlyn was three in 1996, I realize the power of God’s seed that grows over time.

God works through people… He works through you and me. The examples we set, the words we share, the good we do, and the prayers we pray have an impact. We may not see the result for years or we may not even know the result until heaven, but Jesus makes a difference in this world through His people.

Paul wrote Titus, a younger follower of Christ, to encourage believers on the island of Crete: “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned…” (Titus 2:6-8)

We are the people of God, created in Christ to do good on this earth.

Harry (right)

Anna (middle)

Suzanne and John (front)

“Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses – it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show His incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:4-10

Our 410 Bridge guide in Kenya was a wonderful man named David. David’s home was in the northern part of the country, where he lived with his wife, his twelve-year-old son, and his seven-year-old daughter.

Not only did David get us from place to place and help us communicate where English was not spoken, he exemplified a servant leader. Our high school students loved him and he had a special way of relating to each individual.

David especially reached out to John, our eleven-year-old who was able to go with me on the trip. Maybe it was because he had a son of similar age, but there seemed to be no limit to his patience and love for the youngest member of our mission team.

Somehow the conversation of beautiful women came up in our travels and David explained the culture and practices of his nation. All men have to pay a dowry for their wives. David told us he was still paying to the parents of his lovely wife twelve years after their wedding day.

These are the attributes most cherished in Kenya that lead to a woman being worth a few more cows or goats:

1. a strong, wide woman who can lift heavy things and bear many children
2. a gap between the two front teeth that helps with fire-building
3. a dimple on a cheek, or even better, a dimple on each cheek.

David taught us some of the local language and seemed to enjoy bragging about his country. He had a great sense of humor and was tireless in serving his American visitors. Most of all, David reflected Jesus.

These are the things I saw in our guide that reminded me of Christ:

• humility
• love for children
• putting others’ needs and comforts ahead of his own
• appreciation for the Father’s creation
• willingness to go the ‘second mile’ in serving others

Praise God for his Son and for those who walk in His steps!

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in human appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’” Philippians 2:4-11

We were standing at the gate in Amsterdam’s airport waiting to get on the plane when we saw the report of the terrorist attack that had just struck Garissa University in northeast Kenya. After landing in Nairobi and going through extra vigilant security, we met with our 410 Bridge Kenyan leader and got further updates.

We appreciate all prayers for our trip. God gave us great peace and we knew we were in His hands.

We did enter some of the pain of a nation hit by evil, just as people of other nationalities entered our pain on 9/11/01. President Uhuru Kenyatta declared three days of mourning for all Kenya as the final report revealed 147 dead and 79 people wounded in the Thursday attack by four members of Al-Shabaab.

After spending the night in Nairobi, we drove south and reached our ministry destination just in time to join a Good Friday church service. At the close of worship, our American team was introduced and all were invited to exit the building for a time of fellowship. Little cookies and warm bottled soft drinks were served to all, and we enjoyed meeting many brothers and sisters in Christ.

Eventually, many of us wandered back to the little church building where we heard music and laughter. Upon entering, I smiled to see children, young adults, elderly Kenyans, and a few Americans dancing to the music. One of our ladies asked about the lyrics of a song and was given this translation: “When we praise God and dance, God laughs.”

Early in the thirty-minute drive on the dirt road leaving the village, we gave a ride to three ladies walking back to their home. As they rode with us, one of the ladies burst out singing in English and the other two joined: “We are dancing for the Living God; we are dancing for the Living God; we are dancing for the Living God. Hallelujah, Jesus Christ.”

“Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.” Lamentations 5:15

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” Psalm 30:11

“Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:3-6

I’m headed to Kenya this week so I’ll probably not write next week. I would appreciate your prayers as we take a group of students to work with a school in a village a couple of hours outside Nairobi.

We’re working with a group out of Atlanta called 410 Bridge, which partners with villages in Kenya, Uganda, and Haiti. Their goal is to come alongside, encourage, and learn from those who serve Christ in developing countries. 410 relates to the Scripture (below) that serves as a purpose statement for the ministry.

I pray you have a wonderful Easter as we give thanks for God’s great Gift to the world. He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10