In Search of Homeless

These past couple of weeks have definitely been something of interest in my life. I've been doing a lot of volunteer work over at my church's, Healing Place Church, inner-city campus/outreach building, Baton Rouge Dream Center. Even though there hasn't been a set standard on a certain type of area I've been serving in, I've found myself really hitting ground with homeless outreach. The passion I've always had towards serving people has found a place to serve a true purpose in people that seem to be hurting so much. I decided 3 weeks back to volunteer my time helping Charity Trahan, the main person that does all homeless outreaches in Baton Rouge.

Because of the holidays, and a limit list of volunteers, Charity was planning on shutting down our homeless hot-line number for the two weeks she was taking off for a WELL DESERVED vacation on her part. I decided to step up and man the hot-line personally, 24/7, and can I say, it's been one blessing after another. I'm not saying it's been facile. Getting a call in the middle of the night from a woman who just got out of the hospital looking for help because she has nothing to feed her 5 children is heartbreaking. Recently, the 'wonderful' Obama campaign has decided to decrease the funding on homeless housing, and I've been hit hard by the reality of Louisiana being the #1 state in the nation for homeless/runaway youth. Oh the pain of getting a call from a mother of 3 saying she just got evicted for not being able to pay the bills because of the economy, and having to tell her all the shelters are brimming...

Since I decided to dive headfirst into the campaign I've seen little light on the horizon for getting these people off the street, a warm meal put in their bellies, and see hope in their disconsolate and fatigued eyes. But under the surface God is definitely working everything out. The past 8 or so months the North Blvd overpass in downtown Baton Rouge has turned into a haven for a measurable amount of homeless people. My church's outreach group, NoPlace Outreach, has been working hard with these people for several years, and about a month ago news hit several other organizations about the living conditions of these beautiful people. Then God sent a man, Donald Mallet, to the overpass to bring the Word and order. Food, winter clothes, blankets, toiletries, mattresses, etc., started coming in bountifully, especially from a Godly woman by the name of Alice Lewis. Then, almost out of nowhere, a man by the name of Kody M. Higginbotham, MBA, with Sacred Hope Foundation, Inc. brought a vision and hope for these people. He opened up a new shelter, Sacred Hope 24/7 Shelter.

During these past 2 weeks since that shelter opened, I've seen people come and people go. There's structure, rules, regulations, and a real Godly foundation there. I've had the distinction of getting calls on the hot-line number, and actually being able to tell the people I know a shelter that's NOT hanging the notorious "No Vacancy" sign. Sunday night I get a call from 2 homeless men looking for a warm place to stay. I was able to tell them I had somewhere for them to lay their head, get a shower, a fresh pair of clothes, and a hot meal. So, I called up Mark McLaughlin, my marvelous roommate, and headed out to College and Corporate to pick up these men. Mark and I brought these guys to the shelter, and in an instant, their eyes lit up. Remember me mentioning Donald Mallet earlier? Well, he's running this shelter! He didn't have any more hot food from dinner, so he asked Mark and me to drive him to another person's house I mentioned earlier, Alice Lewis, on South Washington in downtown Baton Rouge.

She welcomed us into her prepossessing home with a big smile and a warm hug. Instantly I could tell she had the Spirit dwelling within her and her home. She had made a giant pot of chicken and corn stew, and another large pot of hot rice. She walked Mark and me around, sharing her desire to help people, tell us about the 2 books she has written, By Hands of Strangers and Go Ask Alice, and show off the beautiful children she rescued from horrid living conditions. She told us about these 2 sisters she adopted, Alisha & Kiara Lewis. These girls, when they were every young, had to endure things I never thought possible. Their biological mother had left her husband for another woman. This new 'girlfriend' made her tie up her 2 daughters under their trailer with threats of leaving her if she didn't. These 2 girls lived under the trailer for several months, and because there was no human interaction, they didn't learn how to speak, had no teeth, and very little hair. They were finally found by a social worker and put into the system. Ms. Alice heard their story and instantly adopted them. The girls are now ages 14 and 15, absolutely beautiful, and highly intelligent. One attends high school and Baton Rouge Community College, and they other also attends high school and LSU. Ms. Lewis has a total of 9 adopted children, all of which are successful or learning to become successful. We left her house, hot food in our arms, and a peace and hope to bring to the shelter.

We all have our stories, I for one was once homeless as well. I know the desolation of not knowing where the next meal was going to come from. I know the eyes of people around me silently judging me. It grieves me to see other people go through it. I'm following my calling to serve the people. If you would like to help Charity Trahan and her outreach, or just want to befriend some beautiful homeless people and visit Sacred Hope Shelter, or Ms. Alice Lewis, please contact me. We always need help, from volunteer work, to food, clothing, and air mattresses for Sacred Hope Shelter. Or if you know ANYONE that's homeless, young or old, PLEASE CONTACT our hot-line number at 225-505-5416...

MyStory Part 3 (Written By Carole Turner)

In 2005 he started drinking heavy. He tried attending church at the invitation of his neighbors but he still felt alone. He went to church service weekly for six months and no one ever talked to him. He felt invisible. So he stopped going and started drinking heavy again.

On his birthday, Christmas Eve 2005, he was drinking and driving and passed out while on the highway. He woke up in a ditch, drunk, hurt and police preparing to take him to jail. While sitting at the police station on Christmas Eve, waiting to be booked and processed, Chris broke down. Why was he always ending up back here? How did things get so messed up again? Why couldn’t he stay away from drugs and alcohol? In his tears and cries for help, he heard God speak to him about his life. God met him there, comforted him and spoke peace, mercy and forgiveness into his heart. Chris spent Christmas and New Years in jail, all together 10 days. After he was released he immediately went into detox and from there moved into Fellowship Ministries Church, in Hammond, Louisiana, which was a home for addicts trying to break free from their addictions. Over the three months he was there, God did a work in his heart. He helped him deal with all his pain, his addictions and showed him his future working with Orphans and reaching the nations. Finally Chris knew he had been delivered and set free from his addictions.

After he left Fellowship Ministries he went back to Baton Rouge but he had no place to live. He went to a Thursday night meeting for college and young professionals, Late Nite, at the church he had attended in Baton Rouge before going to jail, Healing Place Church. At the end of the service, he went to the alter to be prayed for and the man who prayed with him at the alter, Chris McDonald, also helped him find a place to live that night. He soon got a great job, met a beautiful girl and started dating her, made new friends, enrolled in ministry school and really felt like life had taken a strong turn in the right direction. But the relationship ended and it broke Chris’ heart. He again sought to blame someone, this time it was the church and God. But Chris knew that following this train of thought would only lead to more hurt and pain so he sought out a mentor. He started spending time with the McNabb family who helped him through this difficult time. He also started getting professional counseling again and God saw him through this painful break up.

In 2007 he knew it was time to contact his biological mother. He had to tell her that he forgave her. He knew that THIS was part of his healing. When he finally found her he discovered that she was addicted to prescription drugs. The life she had left him for, all the work, had taken its toll on her and now she was seeking comfort in pain killers. Chris told his mother that he forgave her for everything. He even thanked his mother for putting him up for adoption. He told her that if she hadn’t he would not have come to know Christ. Everything from being adopted by Wayne and Sarah, who introduced him to Christ, to being friends with Nathan who showed him there was life in Christ, to being roommates with Paul who helped him grow in Christ. All of it was working together for the good and he wanted her to know that.

From the forgiveness Chris showed his mother came a well of emotions and healing for both mother and son. Chris told his mother how Jesus had changed his life and she saw it by the action of forgiveness and grace that Chris extended to her. One night while Chris and his mother were talking on the phone, Chris led his mother to the Lord and they prayed together. She was the first person he had ever led to Jesus. Now they talk regularly, study the bible together and pray together.

The seeds of love that David and Lisa planted in Chris’ life when he was 12 showed him that family was possible. The friendships of Nathan and Paul gave him a safe place to fall and be himself, and the family and stability given to him by Wayne and Sarah grew into true heart knowledge that God the Father loved him. Chris now knew that no matter how many times he fell, God would be there with grace, mercy and love to pick him up. He saw the miracle of forgiveness and mercy in the relationship with his mother and everyday he was seeing more and more that our wonderful heavenly Father has adopted all of us into his family.

Chris is now 27 years old, and he is still very much a work in progress, like we all are. God has given Chris a wonderful story of victory over adversity, beauty from pain and strength from brokenness. Chris’ story shows the wonderful healing forgiveness and mercy can bring. It also shows how adoption can change a child’s life, no matter what age they are adopted; it is never too late to make a lasting impact on a child.
Chris has been on both short and long term mission trips to The Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India and Japan. He is currently serving at the Baton Rouge Dream Center, which is an inner-city outreach of Healing Place Church. He still has a strong call to the mission field, particularly Asia.

If you would like to support Chris, check out his web site, http://www.chrisnickjoy.com

Carole Turner
http://Thewardrobeandthewhitetree.com
carolesturner@yahoo.com

MyStory Part 2 (Written By Carole Turner)

Wayne and Sarah had never been able to have children. They had a big farm, a great life but longed to have a family. Their faith in God and their belief that God calls Christians to care for Orphans led them to seek a child through the foster care system. That is where they found Chris. They started foster parenting him and before long they officially adopted him.

Before coming to live with Wayne and Sarah, Chris had very little knowledge of the love of God. His biological family had been strict Catholics but there was no relationship with Jesus in the practice of their religion. It was all about rituals, rules and regulations at their church in particular. Now that he was with his new parents, he began to understand what it meant to be loved by his father in Heaven. He started attending the Baptist church with them, where he was told about having a relationship with Jesus. He also met Nathan at church. Nathan was the son of the lead pastor of the Baptist Church on the Indian reservation. Nathan and Chris became fast friends. They did everything together. They both loved to play football, go biking, run, go wakeboarding and camping. Nathan loved God and Chris saw the light of Jesus in him. Nathan was positive peer pressure for Chris and now Chris was happy. He had a great new family and a best friend. Life was good.

But sadly for Chris, Nathan’s father was transferred to another church and Nathan had to move away. Chris was devastated again. He had lost that special friend that didn’t think he was weird, liked all the same things, loved God and completely loved and accepted Chris. With out Nathan by his side at school, Chris felt lost and confused. He wanted another best friend but all he found were the “bad” kids at school. He soon started smoking pot and getting into trouble and life quickly went down hill.

By the time Chris was 18 he had quit high school, moved out of his new parents house and in with his biological cousin. Living with his drug addicted cousin and friends only worsened Chris’s spiral out of control. He started doing heavy drugs, stealing cars and selling them to chop shops, breaking and entering and all kinds of illegal activity. Life was bad and was getting worse, now he also had people wanting to kill him for bad deals he had made.

The car stealing finally caught up with him and he was arrested and spent two months in jail. His aunt bailed him out and he decided he was going to get his life straight. Jail had scared him. His aunt helped him graduate from High School with honors, and enrolled him in Community College and quickly had a 4.0 grade point average. By some miracle of God, his car theft charges were dropped and he was accepted into Old Dominion University. Things were looking up again for Chris. He finished his first year of college with a 3.8 GPA.

But the call of the wild was too strong to resist for long and soon Chris was back smoking pot and hanging out with Surfers who had no interest in school. Chris’s GPA dropped to a 1.2 and he found himself on probation. Then his girlfriend broke up with him for his roommate so now he was without a girlfriend and a roommate. Then he met Paul. Paul was a cool surfer dude. He was also a Jesus follower. He was hyper, outgoing, fun and very involved in the college Christian group, Varsity. And he was now Chris’ roommate. He invited Chris to a Varsity church service and Chris committed his life to God there. He had seen in Paul a real picture of Jesus. Paul didn’t preach at Chris, he befriended Chris. They would talk about Jesus, about their lives and struggles. Over time Chris started to see that he had blamed God for all the bad that had happened to him. He realized he had to completely surrender his live to Jesus and follow Him with his entire heart. In the fall of 2003 this all came to a head one night, Chris broke down and cried out to the lord. He let go of all of it, placed it at the feet of Jesus and before long he felt the call to the mission field on his life and went on a short term mission’s trip to China. Chris felt he had found his calling in life.

When Chris returned from China he reconnected with his former step father. Chris decided to move to Baton Rouge Louisiana with his step father so he could help him take care of his mentally impaired younger brother. The baby brother he had loved and lost when he was a small child. But being away from a strong Christian environment caused Chris to once again lose faith.

MyStory Part 1 (Written By Carole Turner)

Chris was only twelve years old when he tried to kill himself by cutting his wrists. Life was just too heavy a load to carry. His single mother worked all the time, she had three jobs. She was never at home, but his older, mentally impaired sister needed to be cared for so that job fell on Chris. There was no father; he had left when Chris was a baby. There had briefly been a violent step father for a couple years when Chris was younger, but one day he abruptly left and took Chris’s baby brother. So now Chris was left to take care of the house and his sister while his mother worked all day and all night. Chris also worked hard making good grades. There was no going outside to play, not in the neighborhood they lived in, and there was only work inside or sitting in front of the TV. When you are a child that has already had a life time of responsibilities and you are neglected by your only parent, it just becomes too much to bare and that is why at age 12, death looked better to Chris then living this life.

After his suicide attempt he was sent to a mental facility and in Chris’s mind, it was actually pretty decent there. Finally he was getting some nice, calm, positive attention, what he had always hungered for at home but never got. While at the mental hospital he started feeling better about living. The medication they gave him helped too.

After Chris came home his mom went to counseling, stayed home more with Chris and his sister and even enrolled Chris in the Big Brother program. But it was all short lived. She quickly went back to working three jobs, the “Big brother” quit and Chris went back to being stuck in side watching TV, cleaning, doing homework and being the care giver to his sister and his mom. In his heart he was bursting with frustration and a need for positive attention. He would settle for any attention and any outlet for his pain. So at thirteen he started doing drugs, drinking and fighting.

An appointment was set for Chris and his mother with a state appointed Social worker. When they arrived at the appointment, Chris sat down in the counselor’s office, his mother said she needed to go to the restroom and would be right back. She walked out of the office and never returned. The counselor eventually called her and she told him she could not parent Chris anymore. She wanted the state to take him. She gave Chris up for adoption that day. He was 13 years old.

Chris immediately went into foster care and was placed in the home of a wonderful couple, David and Lisa. They had no other children and to them, Chris was a dream come true. He was finally getting positive attention. He was receiving regular counseling, His grades were great, He played sports and David was at every practice and game. Chris finally felt like he was in a real family and he was flourishing.

Sadly this dream was not to last. After only 10 months with David and Lisa the state informed them that Chris’s biological father wanted Chris to come live with him so they were sending him to his father in Florida. Chris was devastated. So were David and Lisa. Chris had wanted to stay with David and Lisa forever. He loved them, they loved him but now he was being forced to go live with a father who was a stranger. On arrival in Florida, Chris discovered that his father was an alcoholic. He immediately started running away, stealing, and doing anything he could to get away from this new environment. His father had no idea how to deal with this wild teenage boy of his. He placed Chris in a horrible detention center for juvenile criminals for two weeks but even that didn’t detour his behavior. After only a couple months, his father conceded and sent him back to state care in Virginia.

At this time Chris was 14 years old. He was lost in grief, loneliness, anger, depression and complete despair. But hope was on it’s way...

In The Dominican Republic

So, I arrived in the Dominican Republic yesterday at 5pm. My first reaction, beautiful. Then I looked around and I saw a group of people called Haitians (from Haiti). These people are very dark, basically Negros, and I asked Jessica who they were. She told they are pretty much the kind of Hispanics back in the States. They are treated less than dogs, and do the work nobody else wants to do (construction for 18 hours a day for very little pay). My heart broke. These people are poor, hungry, hurting, neglected, hated, scrutinized, classified as animals, and thirsty for the Spirit (even though they don't appear to be).

During my prayer time last night God spoke to me and told me these are the people He wants me to reach out to. I got a little worried. You see, I don't notice anybody else worried about these people. How am I going to reach people when I can't speak French Creole, or Spanish very well for that matter? Then I looked back to the Apostle Paul, and all the people he reached from all over Europe, Middle East, Africa, etc., and realized he was in the same situation. He reached out to the people nobody else wanted to, and with many barriers. But he didn't let these situations hold him back.

I'm going to try and find an English speaking Haitian (or a Spanish speaking one with the help of Jessica), and just befriend him/her. These people don't have friends, or even people that slightly care for them. I will...It's my purpose in this new chapter as a missionary, and I will tell them about Christ Jesus...I will.....

Talmidim [The Servants]

My prayer/worship (For Today - Talmidim [The Servants])

Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name. Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name. And give us a new name. And call us your people, God. And give us a new name.

Ezekiel 36:26-28 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave to your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God.”

And through all of this, there is nothing, absolutely nothing. No fear, no insecurity, no doubt, no hesitation, that will ever ever stop us, because we are the sons and daughters of the Living God. Because we are the children of the Almighty. Because we are the residents of the Kingdom of Heaven. And we are soldiers, and an army of the Immortal. And when we speak life, life happens. And when we speak healing, healing happens. And when we speak truth, truth happens. And when we go and take what we have found to a dead world, we will see it come to life again. And when we take what we have found to a hopeless world, we will see hope come back. We'll see the heart of our world start beating again, and we'll see the color come back to people's faces. And there's absolutely nothing that can stop us. Mountains will move before us, and oceans will part before us, and the dead will raise before us. And the world will know that our God is the God that heals, and our God is the God that lives, and our God is the God that loves unlike anything anyone has ever felt before. Because we are fearless, because we are His hands, and because we are His feet...Forever and Ever!!

re⋅jec⋅tion [ri-jek-shuhn]

–noun
1. the act or process of rejecting.
2. the state of being rejected.
3. something that is rejected.

Rejection is something we all deal with. From our first boyfriend/girlfriend, to the dog growling at us and not our sister/brother. For me, rejection runs deep. I grew up in a broken home, full of depression. My father left me when I was one year old (because I was a 'mistake' and he wanted nothing to do with me), and my mother had to raise my sister and I alone. I don't want to spend this blog talking about my life story, but I do want people to understand that I have lived rejection. I was rejected first by my father, and then my mother rejected me by giving me up to the Foster Care system when I was 12 years of age.

I forgave my mother (we have an amazing relationship now) fully about four years ago, but the emotion of ejection still runs in the back of my mind. It took me a long time to realize that God is not about rejection. A question I always wondered about is, 'If God is neither male nor female, why does He portray Himself as a father, or a groom?'.

You see, like myself, many people have felt rejection from their father. God portrays Himself as Father because He wants the world to trust Him. He's not like my father, or yours perhaps. Scriptural speaking, God has shown Himself true. Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, 8, and Joshua 1:5 are all amazing examples of the infamous "I will never leave you not forsake you.".

In the end, rejection is a tough cat to part ways with. It's a cancer lurking deep within, but God is greater than that. He will never reject you.

As an independent missionary it's hard to get people to understand my passion to reach the lost. I'm not affiliated with any church group, organization, or other ministry. As a result of this, my supports are limited to people willing to sponsor me without any tax deductions. Currently, I'm working on creating my own nonprofit ministry, known as 'Pray Asia Ministries'. My heart is for Asia, and I long to have the world know about that.

I'm in the process of making my way to the Dominican Republic as a teacher at a private school. I know it isn't Asia, but it's what I feel like God has on my agenda for the current season in my life. It hard, in the sense of Taiwan being on my heart, but I know God's plans are much more amazing than anything i could possible imagine. Pray I continue to seek God, and my passion for Asia doesn't 'go south for the winter'...

If It Wasn't For You (P.O.D.)

I know this is an older song by P.O.D., but it's one of their best.

LYRICS:

Do I believe in the resurrection of CHRIST?
And did HIS death bring forth new life?
And did HE raise up and bring back Lazarus from the grave?
And is there supposed to be a second coming?
Am I wrong because I’m wondering
why the fallen Babylon is up and alive today.
And do I really believe in the mark of the beast?
Cause he's still dwelling up in my streets,
Strapped and ready to fight this war.
And he's got more guns than you and me.
But most people don't wanna believe,
That they still prejudice simply because we poor.
Do I believe that Mother Teresa was a angel on this earth?
And thou shall love thy neighbor even if he acts like you?
Do I believe in Heaven or Hell?
Shoot, hell yeah I do, cause we alive today,
And my crew is living proof.

If It Wasn't For You
None of this would ever mean a thing
If It Wasn't For You
Tell me why else would I believe?
Would I believe?

Do I believe that the rider of the white horse,
Is coming back for the righteous?
And the morning star keeps gettin brighter every day.
Is there such a thing as good and evil?
Still division amongst the people,
And we're not all created equal just because you say.
Do I believe in the trinity, and will I live eternally?
Even though I'm not quite the saint that you claim to be.
Did Dr. Martin Luther have a dream?
Was Haile Selassie I a king?
And is it ok to sometimes feel a little bit confused?
Will armageddon never come?
I'm not perfect, just forgiven.
And I might just push back the next time you shove.
Do I believe in one God, one aim and destiny?
Just don't forget your first love,
That's what my moms use to tell me.

If It Wasn't For You
None of this would ever mean a thing
If It Wasn't For You
Tell me why else would I believe?
Would I believe?

If It Wasn't For You
Then none of this is for nothing
It's all for nothing!

Back in August 2008 I decided to follow the will of God and move to Taiwan for 6 months. In Taiwan God led me to a bible university sort of school through YWAM (Youth With A Mission) called Discipleship Training School (DTS). In this school I not only learned how to be a missionary, but to rely on God with both the small and immense things. In this school I learned about God’s character, His love for us all, and the right way to go about gaining theology.

The first 3 months of this school was called the lecture phase. This phase was 11 weeks longs, where different teachers from all over the world came in and shared on a different topic. We also did outreach at elementary schools, retirement homes, universities, and coffee bar ministry. The topics consisted of, chronological order:

1. Hearing The Voice of God (Don Gillman; Taiwan YWAM Base Director)
2. Evangelism (Brent Wildeson; DTS Leader)
3. The Character of God (April & Michael Stevens; Taiwan SBS Leaders)
4. Spiritual Warfare (Ron & Judy Smith; Montana Base Leaders)
5. Evangelism, Meditation, Prayer, Proverbs On Money, and Sleep (Ron & Judy Smith; Kona, HI Base Leaders)
6. Relationships (Dan & Bee Myers; Taiwan SBS Leaders)
7. Biblical World View (Athena Gee & Michael Brown; Taiwan SBS Leaders)
8. Grace & Holiness (Scott Contival; Taiwan SBS Director)
9. Biblical Overview & The Holy Spirit of God (Athena Gee & Debi Yu; Taiwan SBS Leaders)
10. Mercy Ministries (Cary & Kim Gear; YWAM Leaders)
11. Missions (Garth Gustafson; Battambang, Cambodia Base Director)

The second part of DTS is the outreach phase. This year we went to Maharashtra, India. Unfortunately, at the time it seemed this way, my visa wasn’t in yet, so the rest of the team left, and I stayed in Taiwan. The whole week I was there I tried to figure out why God allowed this. On that Wednesday I sat in on SOFM (School of Frontier Missions) and was able to hear about finances, and how to go about not only gaining financial support as a full-time missionary, but how to develop friendships that will last a lifetime. I liked the speaker so much that I sat in on the class that Thursday AND Friday.

In India we did many things, from challenging house churches to grow spiritually, to helping plant churches and keep them going strong. We encouraged so many people in this country, and it was a blessing to be there, and be able to reach out to such a hurting and lost group of beautiful people.

Now I’m back in the good old USA. When I first arrived two weeks ago, February 16, I felt so lost. God wasn’t speaking, and I had no idea what He wanted me to do until my return to Taiwan as a full-time missionary began. I’m still not sure what He wants me to do, but now I have peace in knowing that I’m here simply because He has a reason.
My plans are to return to Taiwan this summer, study the Chinese language for 2 years full-time, staff DTS for 2 years, and eventually open a new YWAM base in Kenting, Taiwan.

I know that no matter what God will provide. He’s proven that time and time again in my life. My calling as a missionary is something I know will help expand God’s Kingdom. I long to reach the people of Taiwan, and possible Mainland China one day, but I can’t do it without God. If you feel like God is telling you to help me spiritually then please contact me. If you feel like God is telling you to support me financial then please contact me as well, or go to my website at ChrisNickJoy and go to the Donate page.
I look forward to hearing from everybody that’s interested in both forms of support, and I pray we never lose sight of the great commission set before us all:

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 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 28:16-20 (NIV)

That Time of Waiting On God

The chapter has ended, and the story has come to an end. The beginning of a missionary's life is something of old. I went, started the process, waited on God, and triumphed according to God's will. Now I'm back in my homeland, America. Waiting on God is a hard thing, especially when He isn't talking.

Reentry has been a challenge. Something I never thought would be. Thank God I have a place to reside. My best friend took me in, knowing the burden of reverse culture shock. I'm at a crossroad in my life. Get a job, reach for support to return to the world God has called me to, forfeit it all once again? I don't know...

I went to Winbourne today, trying to get back to my roots. Pastor Rizzo stated that prayer is the key, and I know he's right. My tired body is looking for the key. The key my restless soul knows where to find. God is here, looking right in my eyes. What do I do? A burdened missionary. I need His guidance. I need His strength. Christ Jesus, I wait for your Word. Tell me the direction, and I'm sure to go. As for now, life goes on. I'm hear for a reason, and surely I will find it. Thank you God for DTS, and thank you for opening that door. Continue to show mercy on me, as I walk this path...this path of a poor missionary. I love you God, show me mercy.

Purpose

So, I'm back...in Baton Rouge, and I have NO idea what to do. I have no money, no job, no sense of purpose, and God is being silent. The bad thing about this situation is that back in Taiwan I had a drive. I was surrounded by people with a similar purpose, "To Know God, And Make Him Known". We weren't worried about money, cars, a house (The American Dream). We only cared about telling people about Christ. Now that I'm back in a country that I know I'm not called to be in I feel empty. I feel lost, and unimportant, and COMPLETELY powerless (which is how I'm supposed to feel regardless). I know God has me here for a reason, and I know I'll be back in Taiwan on HIS TIME, but I don't know what to do...period.

Pray God shows me something. The fact that I'm having reverse culture shock and jet-lagging doesn't help either.

The most asked (and biggest) question I've been asked the last couple of weeks is "What's next?". DTS graduation was just 2 days ago, and by the grace of God I'm able to continue my stay here in Taiwan until February 15. Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, and tonight I'm celebrating it the Chinese way with the Huang family, along with Ryan, Kim, Marcus, Isabelle, and Corni. The rest of the time I'm here Corni, Isabelle, Ann, Marcus, Kim, and I are traveling all over Taiwan to visit friends and places.

I have a meeting with my church's, Healing Place Church, missions pastor, Pastor Mark, right after I get back to the States. After that I'm going to rest, and start pursuing full-time support to return to Taiwan, where I'm going to start my language studies, and then staff DTS. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about doing all this in the States, since my car was stolen since I've been here in Taiwan, but I do know I can trust God with everything.

The question "What's next?" is quite simple. Keep pursuing God, keep my head up, keep being teachable, and continue to trust in Him.

Newly Uploaded India Photos

I know it took way too long, but I've FINALLY uploaded some new photos on my Website. So, check out the site, which STILL needs a lot of updating, and let me know what you think. Sorry, about the lack of updating. I just got back from being in India for 2 months, and ministry in that country is draining to the spirit, mind, and body. Blessings from Taiwan!!!

Life Changes

These last 2 months in India have been a major influence on my faith in God. I've been so many people begging to know God, kids memorizing scripture verses in their second language, and adults falling to the ground as the presence of the Spirit of God has come into them. I lived in a country (USA) primarily controlled by secularism. Where even Christians still think logically/scientific about their faith. Personally, I've been challenged by the beautiful people here in India to look past my scientific mindset and just let the Spirit come in with no questions asked.

While preparing for my preaching in a few days, and reading my daily bible devotion, I came across Psalm 27. David writes this Psalm to God right after he had an opportunity to kill his enemy, King Saul, in a cave David, and his army of 600 were hiding in. David's men tell him to kill Saul, but David knows God has anointed Saul to be king of Israel, no matter how corrupt and evil he had become. David cuts a piece of Saul's robe in secret, and while Saul and his army are marching away from the cave David emerges and yells out to Saul. David explains that he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he didn't. Saul in return blesses David, and stops pursuing David for a while.

Psalm 27 challenged me, because David is praising God for His protection. 1 Samuel 13:14 states that 'he is a man after God's own heart'. This is not because David is sinless. Actually, David is quite the opposite. David lies, cheats, steals, commits adultery, and even murders to cover up his adultery. David is a called 'a man after God's own heart' because David's number priority is to dwell in the presence of God for all eternity.

My ultimate prayer in life is to get to that point of longing to being with God above all else. God has used my presence in India to challenge me to change my character. I'm not the man I once was. I need God, and I acknowledge this now. My faith is in Him, and I pray that nothing else will matter in my life as long as I'm in His presence.

All Over India

It's been a while since I had internet access, and the time I have is very limited. To cut this as short as possible, I'm only going to talk about the areas we went to, and the basics of what we did.

After our ministry ended in Yavatmal (see previous blog), we heading to Aurangabad from December 15-19. December 15 we went to the Christ Church Girl's Hostile, where there were 111 girls, and one boy. We played with the kids, witnessed, etc. December 16 we took a break and went to the Taj Mahal!!! It's a great place. December 17 we went to CNI church, which is a brand new church. It's located in the Rala village. December 18 we went to the village of Dakephal and spent time with the children. December 19 I had the honor of sharing my testimony and preaching at Amba Morhar village.

After our ministry ended in Aurangabad, we headed back to Pune, our base city here in India from December 20-29. We took rest from December 20-21. December 22-23 we were at an orphanage. I had a great birthday on December 24. December 25 we visited the King of Kings church, and we went back to the orphanage on the 26th. On the 27th we spent the morning at the orphanage again, and then went back to the Kings of Kings church and had fellowship with the youth. December 28-29 was our time of rest.

The last city we just got back from, Navapur, was great. We were there from December 30-January 2, and stayed busy every day (the way it should be). December 30 we went to the Nandavan tribe village, which was the first tribe we visited. The best part was that 100% of the villagers are Christians. Honor and glory to our Father in heaven. We also visited the Mouchi tribe village. All the tribes we visited have traditional mud housing. December 31 we celebrated New Years eve in the Raingal village. Possibly the best New Years party I've ever been to. The people loved our teaching so much that we were told EVERYBODY in the area was talking about us and tell people about Christ Jesus. God is so good!

January 1 we went to the Raingal village church. The whole building cost $200. Makes you wonder why we spend millions of dollars back in the States to build one church. That night we went to the Chivati church, where I did a little preaching. I did an exhortation on Judges 7, challenging the people, both Christians/Nonchristians, if they are part of God's '300' army of fully dedicated believers. I received some positive feedback from the people. When we had prayer at the end, we encountered our first demon influenced man. He was screaming and punching and lashing out. The second we said 'be released in the name of JESUS' he was. The Spirit of God was fully alive there. We were told that the largest crowd to ever come to this church was that night. Praise God.

January 2 we were in the Bhovre area. We visited 3 families in the area and prayed for them. One family just lost a son on December 7 to blood cancer. Jesus brought some major healing to them during prayer. The wife of another family just had a miscarriage and the husband recently lost his job. We were able to do some hiking this day in the area. One of the most beautiful mountain/valley scenes I've been to. Vince, Corni, Isabelle, and me hiked one of the smaller mountain and just absorbed God's beautiful creation.

That's our ministry in a nutshell. Wish i could go into great detail, but I've already overstayed my time in the internet cafe. Blessings from India! To God all the glory and honor!