Rosilind Jukic's Blog, page 86

Kids on a Mission + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #30

I am so excited to share this final story-post in the Answer the Call series with you today! My mom stopped by to share a story about how to raise awareness of missions in our children's lives. I was so inspired while reading this post!!  It may be her first guest post with us - but I promise that it wont be the last!

Missed an article in the Answer the Call series?  Go here to catch up! Missed an article in the Answer the Call series?  Go here to catch up! - See more at: http://www.littlerandr.org/#sthash.Uk...

Energetic children line up at the door to get their pictures taken for their passport. They fill out all the pertinent information in preparation to go on a virtual missions trip. Every year our children’s ministry endeavors to build an awareness of missions in the hearts of our children. They are transported to lands such as India to learn about the work of Amy Carmichael, and a young national who was led to Christ and grew up to continue the work in his native land. We sail to Africa to visit Morocco and learn about the difficulties that Christians suffer there then sail down the coast to Nigeria to visit the land where Mary Slessor introduced the gospel to natives who had never heard of a God who loved them. We fly to China to a land of ancient traditions and intricate secrets.
In a world where our children have everything they need and most of what they want I believe it is important to foster an awareness of other countries and cultures where people live without our freedom and bounty.  
This particular year we were revisiting many of our countries and seeing what they lived like in modern times, especially focusing on the persecuted Christians who live in these lands. We want our children to learn a little about the culture and language as well as the difficulties they face living in a land where Christianity is not the main religion.
In addition to fostering an appreciation of these different cultures, this year we wanted our children to become aware of the missionaries that our church supported. We wanted the children to partner with our mission churches actually helping them in some way share the gospel. Since children are not able to actually go to the foreign mission field we wanted to give them a way in which they could invest in missions in a manner that was meaningful to them. We decided that we would have an offering contest between our children’s classes. The class that would bring in the most offering during the quarter would get a pizza party.  
Our church supports two missions, one in Croatia and one in the Philippines.  
The work in Croatia has numerous children who are the children of first generation Christians. These children represent whole new way family life in Croatia and children’s ministry is a top priority in this church. Finding and affording the materials to accomplish their goals is often challenging. We chose to use half of the offering gathered for Croatia, and contacted the leaders there asking them to create a wish list of supplies they wanted for their ministry. We purchased the items they selected and sent them to the church.
The work in the Philippines is in a small village and one of the things the missionaries do is to travel and share the gospel with other small villages nearby. Upon talking with the missionaries there we selected a chemical kit that would help them share the gospel with the locals in an eye catching, captivating manner.
We all enjoyed the competition of trying to be the class that “won” but more than anything the children were able to have a sense of satisfaction knowing that the money they sacrificed to bring, was used to share the gospel with others less fortunate than they were.
Our children could not go to Croatia or the Philippines to minister themselves but they were able to give these congregations tools that helped them share the gospel message.  

 Wanda Hackett has been leading children's ministries for over 40 years in churches throughout the States and Canada. She has a strong passion to see children experience Jesus Christ on their level - in a very living and relevant way. She has written numerous Children's church curricula, some of which has been translated into Croatian! She has 3 children - who are all in full-time ministry - and 9 grandchildren.






**********
 
 And now for the party!!!!
Here are the "rules"

1. Link up as many posts as you'd like (even giveaways!)
2. Link up old posts you wish would have received more attention!
3. Link back here by posting my button in your post or sidebar - or with a link
4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
So have FUN!

Click here to receive a weekly reminder about this party!







All books only $1.49 this whole week!
14 Days of AgapeKindle: http://amzn.to/13nLfcpPDF: https://payhip.com/b/XUrY

Live Worship:
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Missional Women Conference

For quite some time I have been following Missional Women - a blog dedicated to helping women become more intentional about living for Jesus.  This is not a blog only for missionary women serving on the field, but for women who are passionate about being "missional" - taking the gospel to the lost wherever, whenever.About two months ago, I had the amazing privilege to join their team of contributors! And I can say that I am even more impressed with these women who write for Missional Women. These are women who are truly passionate about Jesus!!!This April Missional Women will be hosting a conference!!There are 16 speakers who are experts in their fields, using it to make Jesus known, an inspiring concert, prayer mosaic, life-giving discussion groups and more. Check out these speakers!Shaun Groves
Ann Dunagan from Daring Daughters
Laura Krokos
Leigh Ann Dutton from Christian Mommy Blogger

...and tons of other speakers, including many other contributors from Missonal WomenCheck them out here!The conference is held in Denver, Colorado.Tickets cost $119 - which includes all your meals, sessions, a concert and an all access digital pass! BUUUUUUUT......there are 50 EARLY BIRD tickets that go on sale BLACK FRIDAY at 6am for only $89!!!  I promise, you don't want to miss this! Go here to register!!You'll walk away inspire and equipped to live on mission with How God has uniquely built you.www.MissionalWomenConference.com  




All books only $1.49 this whole week!
14 Days of AgapeKindle: http://amzn.to/13nLfcpPDF: https://payhip.com/b/XUrY

Live Worship:
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3 Unique Ways to Support a Missionary Blogger

Missed an article in the Answer the Call series?  Go here to catch up!
We are bombarded everyday with advertisements and appeals for our money.  Our mailbox is stuffed with junk mail, our inbox is spammed with ads - everywhere we turn we are presented with another opportunity to part with our hard-earned cash.

You only have so much to give and most months you have more days left over than money. There is this constant battle between our desire to give to worthy causes and lack of resources.

I would like to propose 3 unique ways to help support missionary bloggers.

And this is something that sort of surprised me as I was doing my research for Missional Call . I supposed it shouldn't have, it is rather logical that missionaries should have blogs.  I just didn't know there were so many!   I found an entire community of them at A Life Overseas.

Many missionaries, as I have, turn to blogging as a means of supplementing their support through affiliate ads, paid writing, and selling their own products and ebooks.

With this knowledge there are three ways you can help support these missionary bloggers.



1. Purchase products. Okay, this is super obvious. But it may need some explaining after all. Bloggers who have ads on their blogs aren't just showing off their favorite books and products. They are what is called "Affiliates". An affiliate is just a fancy way of saying: if you buy from me it costs you nothing, but I get a commission. The trick is, you have to click on the picture or link they provide, and then purchase the product. When you do, you are actually helping to support them!

As we come up on the Christmas season, consider visiting a missionary's Etsy page or product page.  Purchase their products, or purchase through their affiliate links.

2. Drive them traffic. When a blogger has more traffic, the probability of them making more money is increased. You drive a blogger traffic by talking about them. Like their Facebook posts. If they have a Facebook fan page, this is particularly true.  Just because a person's Facebook fan page has 3,000 likes, doesn't mean that all 3,000 people see their posts. It is likely only not even 50% of those people see their posts on a regular basis since Facebook pages rely on likes, shares and comments to increase the number of people actually viewing their posts.  You can also drive them traffic by pinning their blog posts, tweeting about their blog and telling your friends about them.

In short - word of mouth: which we all know is the best advertising of all!

3. Blog about them. Do an interview with them or ask them to share their story as a guest on your blog.  If there is one thing I have learned from this series Answer the Call, it is that people like stories. They want stories. Real life stories. Not only will people truly enjoy hearing about a missionaries work on the field, it will give both you and them exposure to a whole new audience.

We all know that guest posting is good for all parties.


Consider supporting a missionary blogger this season! Do you have some other unique ideas on supporting missionary bloggers?  Share with us in the discussion below!







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Support for Our Missionaries + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #29

Today I am excited and honored to share my blog with a wonderful friend whom I met through blogging.  It didn't take long for Misty and I to become friends.  Our blog comment "conversations" led to Facebook conversations, which led to regular Skype video chats. I sincerely hope that we will one day see each other in person! 

I was born an MK, to an MK. Missions is in my blood. My heart had no choice, but to be mission minded, for it is who my family is. My dad is 1 of 10 siblings and 4 of them have or are serving as missionaries. Many of my cousins are serving on the mission field, as 3rd generation missionaries. It is what I always thought I would be, but God had other plans for me.
Over the last year I've found myself wondering how best we can support our missionaries. Rosilind and I have even chatted about this very topic via Skype a couple of times. :) It's amazing what technology allows us to do these days. Yet, I don't think that we are utilizing it to the best of it's ability. While writing this I thought of the book series "Left Behind" and of all the amazing ways that Cameron "Buck" Williams and Chloe used technology during the Tribulation. I realize we aren't there yet, but I have no doubt that there are ways we could be using the internet, Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. that we haven't dreamed up.I am not a traditionalist, just in case the previous paragraph didn't let you know that, so as I'm sharing some ideas for raising support for our missionaries on the field, please keep that in mind. I like to think outside the box. :)
If you were to ask most Christians what they think missionaries are most in NEED of, they would likely answer prayer first, follow by money. Prayer is definitely what our missionaries need most. As for money, while I know and believe that this is very important for their survival, I also know that we serve a big God and He alone is able to provide the monies they will need.
My belief is that they need less money from us, and more support. This can be confusing because often the two words are used to mean the same thing. Yet, they actually don't have the same meaning.Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines "support" as this: "To bear; to sustain; to uphold"So how are we to support our missionaries?

 
Supporting Missionaries Individually First, I believe we as individuals must be faithful prayer partners. We must go before the throne of God, bringing their needs to Him, lifting them and their mission work up to Him in prayer.While we are spending time in prayer with the Lord, we need to be searching our hearts and seeking direction as to how we personally can reach out to our missionaries and touch their lives. 
A few ideas for supporting missionaries individually can include:Corresponding via email, snail mail, Skype, Facebook, etc. with a missionary woman/wifeHosting a weekly/monthly Ladies Mission Prayer Group in your homeCarry prayer cards for your missionaries with you as reminders to pray or share with others you meet throughout your day.Ask your Pastor if your missionary guest can speak at your church.Raising money via baked goods or jewelry sales 
Supporting Missionaries as a Church  
As a church, we need to be actively ministering and serving them from afar. There are many ways churches do this, but I believe we are missing a lot of opportunities to support them more.I love and wholeheartedly support mission conferences, but I've often seen churches that go an entire year between mission conferences without the slightest mention of those away serving throughout the year. A few of the ideas listed below would help encourage church support, as well as individual support throughout the year. 
Some ideas for church family to support missionaries may include:Monthly Missionary Focus Nights (Select one missionary your church supports to spotlight. Read their latest letter, Skype with them, write them letters, have the kids draw them pictures, pray for them, etc.)Teach children in Sunday School about past and existing missionaries. (These stories are so important for kids to hear to be inspired by all God has done and is still able to do through those of a willing heart!)Create a bulletin board with the numbers of unreached countries/people, current language numbers without a Bible translation, etc.Send out mission groups to your missionaries. (There are often projects that either need to be done or could be done for those they're seeking to reach. These projects will take much longer if done on their own. Sending a few able bodied and willing Christians will not only minister to the missionaries and those they are seeking to reach, but will also change the volunteers lives.)Reach out to the missionaries your church supports and ask them what they are in need of. Your church might be able to fulfill a need that you would not otherwise have known about.Host annual Mission Conferences 
I realize that this is not the typical, "Ways to Support a Missionary" post you'll read, but it is my heart. I believe that we can do so much more than just send them money. Money doesn't touch their hearts, it doesn't encourage them to press on toward the mark, it doesn't let them know they are loved, missed and prayed for. Money does provide, and I am not trying to discourage anyone from giving financially. Yet, I believe that at times Christians send money because we feel it is the only way we can support our missionaries and I KNOW we can do so much more!I pray that this post has encouraged you to seek the Lord and His direction for you to personally support those on the mission field. May your heart be open to whatever "out of the box" ideas God gives you! 



  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

The Battle for Attention

We live in a very unique era.

Email, the Internet, Skype, and social media have provided us a way to stay in touch at any moment of the day no matter where we are or what we're doing.

And yet we are a more distant, lonely and less relational generation than ever before.

And all of this technology - wonderful as it is - has caused our society to become so saturated with information that missionaries find it very hard to effectively communicate with family, friends and supporters.

You see, we understand that in order to remain at the forefront of people's minds requires a continual presence - interruption, if you will - into their lives.

It is no longer enough to send monthly updates of our ministry because people quickly lose interest in that which doesn't continually interest them on a regular basis.

A ministry that isn't continually appealing to the attention of their supporter base (and by supporter, I mean those who support prayerfully as well as financially), will soon find that their voice drowned out by the cacophony of the millions of others vying for the attention of the same audience.

And, let's face it, we are continually bombarded at every turn with emails, letters, and appeals for offerings from one ministry or another.

There are a few disadvantages that missionaries face in the area of communication:

1. Technology - many missionaries lack modern technology.  While they may have access to the Internet, often times they have bandwith limitations or the signal is very unreliable.

2. Time - one finds it difficult to balance the demands of ministry and family with the time it takes to maintain adequate contact with their supporter base.

3. Time zones - for many missionaries this is an enormous problem. While they're awake and about their day, their supporter base is asleep in their beds! So, social media is of little value to them as their posts and tweets are often made while everyone is sleeping.


This battle for attention often leaves missionaries feeling forgotten, even abandoned.  While their supporters may not have actually forgotten them, perhaps even pray daily for them, the unanswered prayer-and-share letters or emails grow discouraging. Just a simply answer of "we are praying for you each day" will let them know that they are remembered.

Would you take a moment today to encourage your missionary by sending them a thoughtful email?  Let them know that you value their ministry and that they are in your daily prayers. Let them know that they are not forgotten.

Today I am also writing at Beauty Through Imperfection, sharing about the 12 Days of Christmas - a new family tradition! So pop on over there to see what fun ideas I have planned for us this year!




Don't forget to link up with A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party!

  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


 
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Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

A Secret Announcement!

I've been keeping a secret.

A big, big secret.

And I simply can't hold back any longer!

Nearly 6 months ago I contacted my dear friend Sunu from Clothed in Scarlet about an article she wrote 50+ Authentic Online Business Ideas {That Actually Work}.

It really caught my eye because this was something I had been praying about for quite some time.

But I wanted it to be more than just an online/home business.  I wanted it be a ministry as well.


That conversation led to another....

and then another...

And before I knew it we we were setting a launch date for Missional Call .



What is Missional Call????

Well, I'm so glad you asked!! Mission Call is an outreach to present, future and former/retired missionaries.
It has a 3-fold purpose:

1. To provide present missionaries a community where they can support one another during those first critical years of mission work and integration, fellowship and advise one another
2. To provide future/hopeful missionaries an "one-stop-shop" place where they can find the resources and advice they need to prepare for a mission
3. To provide former and retired missionaries a place where they feel connected to the mission field. This is accomplished through becoming contributors and advisers to Missional Call.

-------->> Missional Call launches on DECEMBER 4, 2013!!!! <<--------

You can start following me here:Facebook
TwitterPinterest

I honestly can't believe that this is happening!!! There is so much more to share. So very, very much more.
But I don't want to ruin the whole surprise! So, I'll just say that you'll want to check back the first week of December because I'll be doing a huge launch party.
During the launch party I'll share more about Missional Call and all of the resources you will find there
And there will be a different giveaway each day.
Some of those giveaways include:

AND MORE...

So be sure to check back for more details about MISSIONAL CALL and the launch week giveaways!



Don't forget to link up with A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party!


  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


 
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Called to the Public Schools - Video Interview

I have been so anxious to share this story with you! We tried 3 different times to record this interview, and we barely made it the third time. Power outages and technology kept messing up the process. But in the end, we overcame every barrier.

I want to introduce this interview by saying this: recently I posted an article about homeschooling that garnered some very interesting discussion about how public schools need to have the light of Jesus Christ. What was shared really began to cause me to view the whole public school vs homeschooling issue differently.  Soon after that discussion, while Skyping with my mom, she said, "Hey, I have a story I think you need to share with your readers."  What she began to reveal to me was revolutionary and exciting! I told her, " You guys need to share this! We need to do an interview!"

I pray that you will be blessed and challenged by what is shared here.

My parents are pastors - but they are also uncommon missionaries taking the gospel to a place that is often the recipient of much criticism, to people who have arguably one of the toughest jobs on the planet. And they are making a huge difference.

Please listen to the end - because an incredible testimony is shared.

So, with no further ado:






Don't forget to link up with A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party!   Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

A Moses to My People + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party

  I am so excited about Zuzanna stopping by to share her story today!  I met Zuzanna in 1999 at Christ For the Nations Institute where we had a Homiletics class together.  We instantly connected and I have never forgotten her. After graduating, we lost touch but imagine my surprise when I discovered that we had a mutual friend in my brother-in-law, who is the pastor of the church I serve here in Zagreb! We reconnected and I can't wait to see her again soon!

  This post contains affiliate links.
As part of the 70s generation, Jerry was like many others who succumbed to the drug culture. He started dealing drugs and sunk deeper into that culture. But God had other plans! Jerry was miraculously saved in prison and his world changed. While reading the book “Tortured for Christ” byRichard Wurmgrand, Jerry became burdened for communist countries. 
 After his release, Jerry attended Christ For The Nations(CFNI) in Dallas, TX where God did tremendous healing and deliverance in his life. In 1985 his local church sent Jerry out to be a missionary in the Balkans and Jerry moved to a country, then called Yugoslavia.

That is when he met me - Zuzanna, a new believer at the time. We were married in 1986 and served the body of Christ throughout Communist Eastern Europe. By 1988 political winds were changing, war was in the air.  We also had a 9 month old son and another one on the way, so at the counsel of our sending church we returned to America, which for me began a season of learning a new culture and raising our young family.This burden to see revival in the Balkans never left Jerry. About 5 years ago, he created a weekly prayer blog Praying for the Balkans and begun consecutively praying for each of the Balkan countries, connecting intercessors and encouraging pastors throughout the region. 
We both had to get jobs in order to take care of our growing family, and I quickly realized that I had a niche for management. Not able to use my degree in Architecture without going back to school, I ended up in retail. It is amazing how God controls even the most seemingly insignificant decisions in our lives. 

By 1995 my career was really taking of, when I had a ‘burning bush’ experience. During an encounter with God, I heard His voice telling me that I would be a Moses to my people and I heard Acts 7:34 “I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set the free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.” While I continued to excel in my career, I knew that this was a time of preparation for me and my destiny became my focus.
In 1999 I also attended CFNI which was a time of spiritual growth and more confirmation of our calling. We participated in several mission trips to different parts of the world, and after one such outreach to Romania in 2012, we were asked by European Initiative (EI), a missions organization out of Berlin to consider joining the organization in setting up their second base, which would specifically focus on the Balkans. It seems, God has prepared us in so many ways for this. Our burden for the Balkans, Jerry’s prayer blog, which has connected us to so many and laid the foundation, and the preparation I received in corporate America.Our two sons, Asa and Gordon are now grown and our daughter Joy just graduated from high school this summer and started collage. With heavy hearts, we leave them behind, but with much excitement and anticipation we move forward and embrace the next season. We are preparing to move to Zagreb, Croatia in order to serve the Balkans
In the Balkans, we will have a heavy emphasis on compassion. Large parts of the region are very poor and in much need of humanitarian aid. This is only compounded by the bitter cold winters. Our heart is to serve in any way that we can. 

 “The harvest truly is great but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2
To connect directly with Jerry and Zuzanna Low please email jerry@europeaninitiative.com or Zuzanna@europeaninitiative.com to subscribe to Jerry’s prayer blog Praying for the Balkans  or to connect with European Initiative or learn more about Europe go to www.einews.org



**********
 
 And now for the party!!!!
Here are the "rules"

1. Link up as many posts as you'd like (even giveaways!)
2. Link up old posts you wish would have received more attention!
3. Link back here by posting my button in your post or sidebar - or with a link
4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
So have FUN!

Click here to receive a weekly reminder about this party!






  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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htmltextmobile


Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner, Tell Me a Story W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

From Las Vegas to the Philippines

I am so blessed to be able to share with you this precious sister in Christ.  I have been so blessed getting to know her via Facebook, even though she knows my parents and we have many mutual friends. Perhaps one day we will meet in person, this side of heaven! I have to say that this post was scheduled for this week long before the typhoon hit the Philippines on November 8th. But I think the message here, that God calls and equips those who are willing and ready to be used by God in any capacity is so relevant for today.  May Jim and Barbara's story inspire you to follow wherever God leads!

Hi, my name is Barbara Beasley. I was born in Oregon to wonderful Christian parents. I grew up in church and from an early age I gave my life to the Lord. At a youth camp the Lord called me to the mission field.

We are not part of any organization. My husband Jim went to Catanduanes on a short term mission project with the pastor of the church we were attending at the time and God just changed our hearts. The Philippines were never on our bucket list, we had never planned to visit or anything. God just put a desire in our hearts to go there. We knew it was God.





We were no longer associated with the church that my husband went with originally. The Lord had told us over 2 years earlier to pay off our debt so when He called we would be ready to go. We weren't going to any church at the time and the Lord told me that if we believed we were called to the Philippines maybe we should go to a Filipino church. He had already introduced us to some Filipino's and so we went to Lord of Harvest church in Las Vegas. They just accepted us into their hearts. We hadn't told many people what God had laid on our hearts but when we shared our vision with them they just really affirmed that it was from God.

Jim wanted a clear path laid out and the Lord told him to just take the first step which was to give notice at his job. Then He told us to purchase our ticket.


As we were dismantling our life in Las Vegas, I gave notice at my job. We gave away almost everything we had and went to the Philippines on Jan 20, 2007. There had just been a category 5 typhoon on Catanduanes in Nov. 2006 and we didn't even know if we could arrive on the island. But God challenged us to go by faith. We took Jim's 401k money and left. God had always been so faithful.

When we came to the Philippines we were not pastors. We had worked in many areas in the church and Jim had taken some Bible School courses and had gone to a school of ministry in Toronto, Canada. We had never intended to be pastors. We felt we were called to encourage the pastors here on the island. We actually told them we were not going to start a church. We did so many things that in retrospect were not wise. We relied very much on the few Filipinos we knew and let them tell us for a while what we should be doing.

When we came we looked around for a place to live and just never found one we felt was right for us. A pastor we met was looking around for a place for us and told us he knew a place but it was very far away. He didn’t stop there, he send a tricycle and driver to bring us to see the house. It was so far away, up over a mountain and down to the ocean. When we looked around there was a large building that had been videoke and was a bakery. Plus there was a nice house with 2 American-style bathrooms and even a rice field. We prayed and God affirmed that this was the place for us. But then we had that large building that even had spotlights in the ceiling and knew that we had to start a church.



We started the church on the first Sunday of May 2007. We had a Filipino pastor and his wife helping us. In November of 2009 we were ordained pastors by a church that had started supporting us. When we came back we started taking more control and some things really got out of hand. The end of March 2010 it all came to a head and the Filipino pastor and his family moved out and took every person from Comagaycay with them. They started a church down the street. We knew God had called us and stood firm. God told me that my job was to do what He was telling me to do and His job was to make sure they understood what I was saying.

Some of the people that left did come back and new ones have started coming. We have Morning Prayer 7 days a week with up to 9 of us coming to pray. Our average is 5 of us. We have more men coming than ever before. This year we have had about 5 or 6 people accept Jesus for the first time. We don’t have musicians so we use YouTube videos. We have a wonderful worship leader and the Spirit is really moving. It is slow going but He has affirmed that we are doing what He has called us to do.




Jim and Barbara have been pastors of a church in the Philippines for 6 1/2 years. They have 3 sons and 3 grandchildren and 2 Filipino daughters that have lived with them for over 4 1/2 years. They are currently going to college.







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Short-term Mission Teams Are Important + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #27

Image courtesy of  Witthaya Phonsawat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Missionary.

Quite a big word, right? It is for me, at least. I did not feel like a missionary for the first years I was serving God in Amazonas, Venezuela. I came to Puerto the jungle 8 years ago, when I got married (my husband was born and raised here). We are not a part of any missionary organization and don´t have the financial support to be full-time missionaries, so until our ministry started to grow and develop, it was very difficult to “feel” like a missionary. 
But I am. I do missions. We work with tribes. Our ministry is to give tribal leaders the tools they need to grow their churches and reach other Indians with the Gospel. We make several trips to different Indian villages during the year and normally, we have short-term mission teams coming to join us in these trips. They are vital for our ministry, because for every trip, we have to do as much as we can in a short period of time. Let me tell you the benefits I find in having short-term mission teams partnership with us:1. As I said before, for every trip we make to an Indian village, we need to make the biggest impact in a short period of time. Having a group of people going with you enables us to divide the tasks and work with adults, young people, children and Evangelism all at the same time. 
2. It reminds you that you are not working alone. Believe me, one of the worst things a missionary experiences is to have the impression that nobody cares about what you are doing. Having a group of people wanting to help you in ministry makes a huge difference.
3. It allows the missionary to share his ministry in a much more effective way.People can actually see, feel and touch what you are doing, not just read about it in an email or see it in pictures. Many people who have gone to the jungle in one of these trips come back saying things like “I understand now what you were talking about.”
4. It allows me to do my part in the missionary work. I joined my husband in his trips to the villages until I got pregnant with my second baby.  I am the one who takes care of all the details that go in to having these teams stay at our home: cooking, bedding, cleaning and making them feel as comfortable as possible. 
5. It blesses us as a family. Sometimes we have 14-15 people in our tiny home. We have slept on the floor or outside in hammocks, having to share 1 bathroom and eating in rounds. But we are delighted with everybody who enters the door of our home. My children have zillions of aunts, uncles and cousins and they are learning lessons about things like sharing, serving and sacrificing, which will be crucial for their Christian lives. Also meeting new people from different places and backgrounds help them (us!) open their little minds to different situations.
6. It helps us trust God. It has been quite challenging, financially speaking, to host these groups, but God has shown us that when we give sacrificially, He gives back much more than we could ever imagine. It helps us to grow in our faith and dependence of Him.
Are you thinking in joining a short-term mission trip? Oh, please, pray about it and open your heart to live this experience! It is live-changing! Or maybe you are a missionary struggling with the idea of having a team coming to help you. It this is the case, would you please give them a chance? They will be a blessing to your ministry and your family.          Content in His service,          Edurne

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BIO – Edurne Mencía de Nieves is a wife and mom from Spain serving God as a missionary to the Curripaco tribe in the jungle of Venezuela. She met her husband Maracucho at the Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina and they have 3 little children (Yennixon, 6, Nahiara, 4, and Markel, 2). She blogs at El viaje de una mujer and co-leads the Spanish section of Good Morning Girls at BuenDiaChicas.com.  

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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner, Tell Me a Story W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .