09.25.2014

I hate waiting!

I hate to wait.

Waiting, waiting, waiting…..
Ever since the Lord told us to move to our beloved Cambodia to work restoring children from the evils of sex trafficking, our primary ministry has been waiting.

Did I say, I hate waiting?

Remember when you were a kid and you counted the days until Christmas or until that last agonizing day of school? Or as a teenager you anxiously waited for that driver’s license, your first boyfriend and college freedom? Then as an adult, your first job, then your first child, then your first home and the list goes on and on. As now as we prepare to live overseas and the next grand adventure of our lives, what do we run into? Waiting, waiting, waiting….. Waiting to be accepted for the job, waiting to tell our church, waiting to raise the seemingly impossible funds, waiting to sell our house, and the list continues (big sigh inserted here).

If most of life is an exercise of patience and is strengthened through waiting, why do I still get so anxious, discouraged or frustrated? Maybe I should look at waiting as a GIFT from God.

Huh?

Pastor Charles Stanley says, “ To wait for the Lord means to remain in your present circumstances or environment until He gives further instruction. Far from encouraging passivity, this verse calls for an active choice to be at rest, trusting in God and His timing. It’s not a cessation of daily activities but an internal stillness of spirit that accompanies you throughout the day”.

Oh, so now I get it. Lord, help me to wait patiently for your further instruction and glorify you! I can wait on You.

Bring on the waiting!

09.24.2014

4 Kinds of Poverty

As we prepare for work in the world of child sex-trafficking, as we consider life in another country in very different living conditions, as we mentally try to wrap our thoughts around a community of people where it is culturally acceptable to exploit children; it has become increasingly important to us to learn some perspectives that will assist us in reaching those lost in the idea that human life has no particular inherent value. What is it that would lead a person to think that it is “OK” to entrap, enslave, coerce or by any means force a child to be abused by another person? Something is missing in a person so disposed. What is the missing thing(s)?

We know that man is created in the image of God and thereby each man has intrinsic value as a God created being, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 ESV”. Without this basic concept, there is no reason we can expect someone to view the life of another as something of value. If one man is to see something other than monetary or exploitive value in another man it must come from this basic biblical principle. Man was created to “subdue the earth” and it is an easy leap to include his fellow man as something to be subdued, unless there comes that knowledge that my fellow man has some higher level value. Without the knowledge of God, his creation of all things, his order for all things and his plan for all things, without a correct view of God, man has no particular or unique value.

This is why we, as believers, must share the Gospel. We simply must.

As this journey of preparation continues for us, we are trying to gain perspective and insight. We cannot expect someone to behave as though they understand God and his creative and redemptive plan when they simply don’t know. Gaining some tools to understand the perspective of those we will be seeking to work with seems invaluable. Let me share something that we have come across that has impacted my thinking enormously. A book titled, “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

I am not going to give a book review here but I simply want to point out four kinds of poverty that I see from these authors (I am simplifying for sake of this post – the authors use different terms)

Spiritual Poverty – not knowing the one true God.
Internal Poverty – not knowing that “I” have value just because I am made in the image of God.
Community Poverty – groups of people living as self-serving agents where exploitation is a means of survival and no one is responsible for working for the general good of all.
Material Poverty – lacking the substance of goods necessary to survive.

If real change is to occur, if exploitation of people in slavery, in this case children entrapped in sex-trafficking is to be abolished, it will not be through the law alone. It will not be through hunger elimination alone, it will not be through only changing what we see. It will come from collectively addressing all four kinds of poverty and it will only be sustained by addressing Spiritual Poverty.

The work of AIM (Agape International Missions) as I see us engaging is to Prevent|Rescue|Restore|Reintegrate children from sex-trafficking and while doing this, to bring a sustainable, reproducible change to the culture. That is the work we are called to engage in. That is the work we are committed to seeing happen. That is why we will shortly leave for a two-year assignment in Asia.

We are thankful for your support.

09.11.2014

Our Vision

When I left the business world for a “short-term” assignment in ministry now 15 years ago, my goals became more eternal, less financial and far more personal. The goals became life and death, generation changing, family restoring, God glorifying. Intentionality has always been at the forefront of my motivation but during this now long-term “short-term” assignment ETERNAL things have overtaken all other motivation. My constant quest is to do something with the life time I have been given that changes the eternity of another person(s) for God’s glory and pleasure. I thought I’d found it in ministry in general but I know now that the move to ministry was an entry point not the focal point.

What lies before Debbie and I seems at this point to be the most life-changing, eternity-redirecting, God-glorifying, captive-freeing work we have ever engaged in. Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration of defenseless, hopeless, captive children just seems to us to be the most redemptive work we can find. It is the next step in our quest to do something that changes the life of another person for God’s glory and pleasure.

Money. It does take money to do the work we are embarking on. In my business career I raised a lot of money to develop start-up business operations largely owned by others, venture capitalists. I never asked for funds for something I did not believe strongly would be successful, but we were not each time successful. We did however always make notable progress. We always moved closer to our goal.

I find I am again asking for money. This time intentionally focused on the eternity of children and changing the culture. The goals are clear – Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration.

Simply stated, we need financial partners who share the vision of changing lives for the glory and honor of God. We need folks who share the vision to SHARE THE VISION with others. We need an uprising of those who see the eternal significance of rescuing kids from the world of sex-trafficking. We need lots of people telling lots of other people. If you “get it” please share it! It is an eternal investment.

Thank you for your support.

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09.02.2014

Remembering Missing Stuff

I was asked the other day as someone walked out of my house with some tables and other “stuff” if it was hard to see it go. The bag of feelings is not as mixed as I would have expected. No question, there are a lot of memories. No question some of those memories have not been embraced in many many years.

Somebody walked away with my yard tennis game and it made me think of the hours of fun in our home in Edmond, Oklahoma that I had playing with my kids for the “family championship”. The number of last points that turned to best two out of three, the number of times we would be called for dinner and have to play “next point wins”, and the number of times I lost to my incredibly gifted children who were so delighted to beat dad; now those were the days. Interestingly, while the equipment is now gone, I still have the memories. In fact, they are fresher for having pulled the equipment out and looked it over. I even remember the last time it was put away and one of my kids was keeping score on a little yellow sticky that was still in the bag. They were winning by one point and I am sure that is why the little yellow sticky was left behind.

The balls were crusty and cracked, the rackets were still good and the net seemed just fine. I threw in the little hammer that we used to put the stakes in the ground. But, while all the stuff went out the door, the memories lingered freshly new in my mind.

God has given me a good family. Not perfect but then they didn’t get a perfect dad either. But what we had was a chance to grow, learn and develop together. What those years mean to my soul is nothing short of amazing. The memories did not go out the door. I still have them. They are the precious thing.

And now, we are using the resources of sold stuff to go help children who do not have such fond memories. Children who do not know families exist in God’s design for their good. Young girls and boys who long for a chance to experience real love as their hearts cry for something they do not know. We are selling it all to be “Imitators of God (Ephes. 5:1)” who gave all that he held on this earth for the lost ones of his creation – including me.

Missing stuff. Not really, I still have the memories. Come on by and buy some stuff or donate for the cause of going.

In case you don’t know, Debbie and I are entering a new stage of work. We are moving to Cambodia as soon as we can sell our stuff and raise our support so that we can engage in the work of Prevention|Rescue|Restoration|Reintegration of children from the world of sex-trafficking. This is work that may dwarf any other work of our lives. We hope and pray we will be part of a great new movement of our day that sweeps the world. Be a part of this with us.

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08.23.2014

If they were here……

I cannot bring an end to the flow of thoughts that takes me to the young children who this week, instead of heading off to elementary school, were given a very different education experience. No ABCs or 123s. For them the experience was awful torture, abuse and twisted sex. Learning about the God designed differences between men and women and finding that it is not something of beauty but rather something of terror. This has to be one of the greatest atrocities of man’s existence. Kindergarten and elementary kids being used by adults for selfish gratification, now that is just ugly. If it was within my power to eradicate sin from the face of the earth, I believe I would start with this. This is why we are going. It is why we are asking for help to get there.

Debbie and I look forward to looking into the eyes of rescued and recovering children who will look to us as adults who, perhaps for the first time, are people they might just trust. In the New Testament, James tells us that it is “pure and undefiled religion to care for the widows and orphans.” Their defilement becomes our opportunity to practice pure religion. What will it be for these kids to feel the love of God through the hands and arms of people he has called to reach out to them?

I can only imagine what their lives would be if they were here. If they were here……. But they are not, so we must go there and Rescue, Restore, Reintegrate and Prevent.

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08.22.2014

Kids just get it!

Kids just get it, don’t they?

They just cut through all the fluff and tell it like it is. I love to hear my grand-kids pray- they get close to the ears of God.

The same is true of missions. Twice this week God has shown me the power of kids when they get on fire for the cause of kingdom around the world.

Many of you know, we are moving to Cambodia at year end to work with Agape International Missions, a Christian organization rescuing and restoring children ravaged by the evil of sex trafficking. In an age appropriate manner we have shared with young ones around us God’s burden to rescue these children and bring them into the kingdom of God.

We feel so strongly about this cause, we are selling everything and are raising our own support. Thinking we were directing our fund raising efforts to adults, we have almost missed seeing the beauty of kids totally sold out for God.

Our grands have rounded up all they had to offer God (toys) and are offering them for sale so Memaw and Poppy can go to the mission field (sniff, sniff) What a picture of sacrifice to the 3-7 year old mind.

One of my homeschool friends has her children studying Cambodia and praying daily for “those people going to rescue kids from the bad guys.” Wow! Wonder woman and Superman for the cause of Christ. Her little 4 year old son was adamant about writing a letter to God praying for Him to provide for the children. Man, those scribbles are precious to me and to God!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

To my precious grandchildren and all the little ones in my life, keep it up- be missionaries for the kingdom of God. Maybe one of them will be the next Gladys Aylward, Amy Carmichael, or Adoniram Judson! Show us big folks the simplicity of faith and the pure gift of giving out of everything you have.

To donate to support our mission work in Cambodia, Click Donate

08.17.2014

It was the Hindu floating village

It was the Hindu floating village in Thailand that did it.

Many years ago, on our first overseas mission trip to Southeast Asia, we took an afternoon off to get in a Thai flatboat and go visit a floating village. Out in the middle of the Andaman Sea were hundreds of wood fishing shacks on floating platforms lashed together, hundreds of them. There was even a school, post office and Hindu temple.

I’ll be honest, I was creeped out by this place and I begged God on the boat ride to shore to NEVER, NEVER CALL ME TO MINISTER TO THAT PLACE!!

Boy, never say never to God.

In 2004, when the Indian Ocean super tsunami hit the Asian mainland caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, 250,000 were swept away into eternity, most without God.

I was shocked, broken, ashamed and grieved for years over my selfishness and my telling God what he could and could not do with my life. I was brokenhearted for those souls lost in southeast Asia. In repentance, I embraced the fact that my life , “was not my own, I was bought with a price. Therefore, I was to honor God with my body.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20) And so, I laid down my life in submission to WHATEVER God called me to do.

Fast forward, March 2014.

In a hotel room in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the only English speaking tv channel was broadcasting the CNN Freedom Project (http://youtu.be/3oQX1DT71x4) . They related the modern day holocaust of child sex trafficking right there in Cambodia. Scenes of that Hindu floating village and its lost souls came to mind, as Pete and I submitted to a new radical call with Agape International Missions in Svay Pak, Cambodia assisting in the restoration and reintegration of these precious children rescued from the evil of sex trafficking.

God called me with this verse, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners… (Isaiah 61:1)”

Do you bargain with God?

Lord, I can’t stay in this marriage any longer?
Lord, don’t make me go to the jungles of Africa?
Lord, we can’t live on this salary ?
Lord, I can’t parent this rebellious teenager any longer?
Lord, never, never, never give me cancer?

Repent and submit to God’s radical yet often difficult plan for your life. Embrace the cross, He paid the price and gets to call the shots with your life.

“ Roll your works upon the Lord, and He shall make His thoughts become your thoughts, and THEN your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)

We need your help to go. Please support the work. Donate

08.14.2014

Hearts captured – Incurably

As Debbie and I tell the story of our trip to Cambodia last March, the trip that is setting our lives in a wildly new direction, the most frequent words I hear are these “no way, not little kids!”

Sadly, it is true, yes, little kids. That is why we cannot pretend we do not know, we cannot pretend we have something more significant to do, we cannot pretend that because it is over there it is not our job to step in, we cannot pretend that God has not called believers to open their eyes to the lostness of the world and step in. We cannot pretend he has not asked us to obey him and go.

http://youtu.be/3oQX1DT71x4
In March, when we had just returned from a long prayer walk in Phnom Penh, we returned to our hotel and flipped on the TV. It was just a week or so after the Malaysian Air flight had gone down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, we wanted to see if there was news of the search. What we found was this CNN Freedom Project video. It is nearly an hour documentary so find a spot where you can watch at least 10 minutes and determine if you want to see the rest.

This is the scenario that has shaken our lives.

08.11.2014

Prevent|Rescue|Restore|Reintegrate

I am often asked, “at what age does a child understand sin.” Most often, here in this country, folks are wondering when a child understands right and wrong. The age at which they recognize the ability of man to be evil toward his fellow beings.

There is a group of children that learn very very young that evil can be done by one to another. There are places where children learn that adults commit evil acts even on them. There are places in the world where children learn about sex from an adult who enslaves, tortures and rapes them.

These kids understand sin. They learn of it early in life. Way too early. Way before they can protect themselves. And they need to be rescued, restored and reintegrated.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 ESV”

Will you pray about and consider supporting the work to redeem these children?

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08.10.2014

Bella’s Story

This is a story of redemption. A young girl, tragically mistreated by those who should have cared for her. Those whom she should have been able to trust with her life. But, that’s not how it worked out. At least not until Agape International Missions stepped in.

This video is the actual first person story of Bella. The rest you will just have to see and hear.

http://youtu.be/Lc4CbPeg5JM

Join us in this work by supporting our move to Cambodia and work with AIM

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