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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 12/30/2009
I have been thinking about this for a while now, and the only thing that makes sense to me is that there is something "Spiritual" going on in regards to time in the U.S. To put it plainly, I truly believe the devil steals our time here. Nowhere else have I experienced such a loss of time so quickly. I know we in the states are distracted with all kinds of things like the media, work, and even going to church, but I am just amazed at how fast things have moved in the three to four months I have been back. I know I know "You've been back that long?" Yes, yes I have (except for that little European trip and the cruise), but that's not the point. The point is this devil stealing time away thing is for real. I don't know how many people said upon seeing me for the first time in over a year,
"Hey welcome back, how long were you gone for?"
"One year, no way I feel like I just saw you yesterday, crazy."
I have also had multiple conversations that went like this....  "Hey man, when was the last time you saw old so and so?"
My friends' reply "I saw him last week he is doing great, we had lunch together."
My reply... "Really, I heard he moved away 3 months ago?"
Friend's reply, "Yeah right, dang has it been 3 months?"
I am not making this stuff up! It is so evident in our lives. I lived eleven months abroad doing the World Race, and that eleven months was so packed with life and experience that it felt like each month was a year! The time did move but at a manageable pace. Ecclesiastes 3 speaks about time and in verse 11 it says this: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
I need, and you need to come to grips with eternity. God has made us eternal beings and someday time will not be any issue, but that day is not today. While on the World Race we used a lot of words and phrases that I had never really used before like: Speaking life, Pressing in, Feedback, and Debrief. All really fine words/phrases, but the one word that I really like and get excited about is the word "KINGDOM." People have it tattooed on their bodies, people have written countless blogs about it, and it is the one word that actually burns in my heart. "KINGDOM" that's what I want my time to be about! The "KINGDOM" is timeless, and the Devil cannot touch it. When we experience the "KINGDOM" time doesn't fly, it stands still because the "KINGDOM" is beyond the constraints of time and we get to be apart of it if we so choose. I say let's choose to be part of it starting today, and let's make that same choice tomorrow. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 10/9/2009
I am house sitting for my friends Brent and Jill and I just got a little lesson in freedom from Lou their dog. Lou is an active dog and today I have been gone most of the day with a job interview and working a Casting Crowns concert for World Vision. When Lou is by himself he has to stay in a kennel/cage so he doesn't destroy the place. He is a wild man! Since being back I have observed just how much we Americans are really stuck in our own little kennels/cages. Some may call this bondage, but that is not the point. Whether it be a cage of business as usual, getting educated, or just busyness people feel it and mention it a lot. I notice it too, but I still feel pretty free and pray I stay that way. I also notice it watching people worship some people look like they just want to let loose and get crazy, but they don't because of tradition and good manners. Anyway, back to Lou, I get home tonight let him out of the cage. He runs a lap or two around the house. He eats a little and I let him out in the back yard, but that is just not good enough for him so he comes back in and goes straight to hallway and starts barking. I follow him and see he is barking at his leash. He wanted out of the confines of the house and fenced in yard, so I put him on the leash and headed outside. Being outside made him even more excited and energetic. He was just alive! Lou is not a big dog just a little brown beagle, but he was dragging me around. I felt like God was telling me this dog really wants to run, so at 11:15PM right after a light rain we took a run. Actually 3 runs and not jogs, but straight-up racing Brandon Clayton sprints! Sprinting down the sidewalk of this beautiful suburban community I felt alive, and felt hope for freedom for everyone who wants it. I know God wants us all to feel the freedom I was feeling as I ran with Lou. Freedom is here, I pray we all make the decision to take it. Lou sure enjoyed the little he got☺
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 8/8/2009
This is my Life!
I just had another one of those days where God just humbles me and I get to look around and say THIS IS MY LIFE! Life as a missionary is not always easy or exciting. Doing the World Race is not easy, but today I just got to enjoy the fact that God puts us right where He wants us. Before this month I had told my teammates that I wanted to spend my last month at an orphanage, and when I found out that was a potential option I was excited. Then I found out it was on an island in the middle of a huge lake with two volcanoes, which made me more excited. Ometepe Island is beautiful, and CICRIN orphanage is awesome = Jeff wants to go. So I prayed and asked God to send my team there, and I told my team leader Laura to get me a bus ticket to Ometepe Island or a plane ticket home. Praise God, my team got to go where I hoped we would, and she did not have to buy my plane ticket home.
So far I love the kids, love the staff and love the place. Today I sat during the post lunch siesta in the hammock gazebo overlooking the beautiful Lake Nicaragua listening to my Nicaraguan brother play Spanish worship music on his guitar. He sounded good, the breeze was good and the view was good, therefore after a good morning of cement mixing and wall building I was completely content with my life. Then I thought about this being my last month of the World Race and me being back in the U.S.A. next month without a job, without a girl and with a different perspective.
What did I feel next? Fear, doubt, worry, or maybe even some self-pity. No I still felt content because God has US right where HE wants US. That is the TRUTH.
I am so excited about the next step in my walk with Christ. I know that like the World Race life can be hard, but if we follow Jesus no matter the cost we will be right where He wants us.
Juliette and I playing Fiesta-Siesta
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 8/2/2009
After five days of hot, humid, bumpy, a little bit curvy travel, and minor border crossing trouble between Mexico and Guatemala, and even some major border crossing trouble between Honduras and Nicaragua, we have arrived in Managua! Today we head to the ministry site on beautiful Ometepe Island which is on Lake Nicaragua and has two volcanoes - exciting stuff! This final month of the World Race we will be working with an orphanage called CICRIN. So I started the race with orphans and I will end the race with orphans. I also hung out with some widows along the way. This month team Banah (my team) and Clay are together again and we are probably going to do construction and work with the children in the orphanage, which is really similar to my month one in the Philippines. The one thing that is completely different about the ministry to be done here is that I am not who I was in the Philippines. I pray that God floors us and uses us this month in a way that reflects His glory through what He has taught us this year.
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 7/24/2009
I just want to thank all my wonderful supporters and praise God for how easy this fund raising process has been because you fantistic people. I know that my fellow World Racers have not been as blessed in this area. As I am heading down the home stretch I just want to update everyone to my support status.
I could use about 350 more dollars to pay for my health insurance and flights to and from the World Race launch point and drop off point.
I am humbled that my supporters have put so much faith in the Lord and me that I at this point. Thank for all the prayers and money.
YOU PEOPLE ROCK!!
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 7/18/2009
The Lord is at work in Palenque, Mexico! Despite the fact that we arrived with zero ministry contacts, and no one here can speak English. Some people don't even speak Spanish just the local Mayan dialect. Also, I have gotten two strikes trying to make ministry contacts. I thought that it would be great to work with a children's home, but there are none around, strike one. Then I found out there was a school within walking distance, so I thought maybe we could help those students out somehow, or do projects for the school grounds, but the children are out for the summer and they did not need any help, strike two. I thank God he doesn't want his children to ever strike out, see Jer. 29:11. So God connected us with a pastor named Noe and he connected six of us with a village church near Palenque who needed some help and encouragement. So we just spent 3 days and 2 nights hanging out with children and villagers, and doing some door-to-door and church services. It was awesome to communicate the love of Jesus without using a lot of words, and being surrounded by free-range pigs and turkeys was a nice change.
Besides the village ministry we have gotten the visit a men's drug rehab center and a prison. Mark and myself have also been led to volunteer at the local university/community college teaching English. Please pray for seeds to be planted there, and hopefully even some fruit to blossom. Thanks you guys for reading my blogs!
In Him
Jeff
Little girl at the village that was with us the whole time!
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 6/21/2009
This blog was written by Mark Schandel (my teammate) who beat me to the punch with this blog! Praise God for letting us see him work.
When the possibility of ministering to
prostitutes was first mentioned, I wasn't really interested. I told
myself that I had nothing to say and nothing in common with
prostitutes so I couldn't be used by God to minister in this way.
After contemplating my initial thoughts, I realized that they were
lies and that I can tell anyone from
any background that
they are loved and were created by God. Okay, so one
lie rebuked, but I still wasn't thrilled by the idea of prostitute
ministry and didn't really think much about it.
About a week
later, I found out that the upcoming week of ministry would not be to
women, but to gay men. I had the same thought in my head of having
nothing to say and nothing in common with these men. Once again,
another lie that had to be rebuked because I do have something
to say. I have knowledge of a love and a relationship that is so
much bigger and more important than myself.
Thursday evening
as we stepped off the subway, we committed the evening to the Lord.
We had no idea how the evening would look or what to say and how to
say it. We met with our contact and she gave us a brief synopsis
before we bathed ourselves and our location in prayer. "Most of
the men carry knives," she said, "but the Lord always protects
us!"
Our first couple
of encounters with people in the park were short lived as they had no
interest in hearing from us about Jesus. We crossed the street and
approached a group of about eight guys and asked them if we could
share with them. To my surprise, they agreed. I prayed to myself,
"Okay, God. Now is the time. I need a word from you for these
men." My teammate Jeff started speaking and our translator jumped
right in. It was hard to understand what was going on because they
were all talking at the same time and our translator was having a
hard time translating. Eventually, our translator shared with the
men only in Hungarian so I began to pray more earnestly.
Our contacts and
the women from my team came over to pray for the group, but ending up
scaring off all of the guys but one. I initially thought this was
negative, but it was a blessing in disguise because the one guy who was really
interested in what we had to say was no longer being distracted by
the others. He told us, "A couple of days ago my mom told me that
God was going to send someone to tell me about Jesus. She also said,
'I think it's going to be on Thursday.'" I danced a little jig in
my heart and said to myself, "Heck, yea. That's my God and that's
the God we are here to tell you about!" He exchanged contact
information with our translator and is interesting in going to church
and finding out more about Jesus and the relationship that He has to
offer.
I learned a
valuable lesson on a deeper level Thursday night. I have so much
more in common with these men than I ever thought possible. God put
in me the same desire to love and be loved that He put in them. God
loves me no more or no less than He loves them. It was awesome to be
able to share the love of Christ that He so graciously has shown me.
One of the men even said, "You guys are so nice to come up and talk to
us – and you don't even want anything from us."
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 6/16/2009
So my last blog was about how natural my time in Budapest has been. A quick overview of a normal day goes like this: 7:00-8.30 homeless shelter to make some sandwiches, 9:00-11:00 Team Banah time, 2:00 to 6:00 street evangelism, and on Friday nights 6:00-11:00 is the coffee house. I go to Calvary Chapel on Sundays and Wednesdays, and typically take one prayer walk a day.
This month we have increased freedom to do ministry as the Lord calls each team member individually. Typically we have a contact that has certain needs that we as a team fill. Not this month, and that is unnatural for me on the Race. Back in the states that maybe natural, and I hope it is for me when I return. Another unnatural thing this month is going to the grocery and shopping on a two dollar a day budget. That is not so good, but yet it is real life and I have to eat so I roll with the punches and make it work. Good news, I am not starving. Unnatural for us is having a nice apartment in a nice location. That is REAL good!! We got an apartment this month (within budget) in downtown Budapest from Calvary Chapel. What a blessing from the Lord. Also, unnatural is doing team time all in the morning which I have loved. You, maybe thinking what in the world is team time? Most people don't live in teams or even in community, so the concept of being challenged emotionally and Spiritually each day by a small community sounds weird. Well, it is, but it is still awesome and very worthwhile. I suggest you try it. Lastly what is unnatural about this month is just how ideal the situation is for me to have an awesome month. I live in a great location with great transportation, I have great teammates and contacts to work with, I have a gym nearby I can go to, and the Church building is right down stairs. I also do not have a 9-5 job taking 40 hours a week away from the ministry, and to top it off Budapest is an unbelievable city! I pray that as I transition back into life in the states after the World Race that I can find that balance that seemed to have eluded me in the past. Americans, in general, seem to be missing balance, but with the Lord anything is possible.
Sorry that this blog doesn't flow well. Jeff blogging........unnatural☺
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 6/13/2009
I am getting a taste of "natural life" here in Budapest. Well, natural in the sense of doing ministry more naturally. For example, I am more about building relationships and being able to build people up than preaching at a church or youth conference. Don't get me wrong, preaching is super important and it is an honor to deliver a word from the Lord, but I don't think that is my primary calling. I especially enjoy trying to challenge and strengthen younger men in their relationship with the Lord. This month I have the freedom to try and make that happen as much I can in one month. I have been able to meet a few young guys during some our street evangelism outreaches with the YWAMers, and have had some quality conversations about Jesus with them. I have also been able to invite some of these guys to the coffee house ministry we are working with on Friday nights in hopes of cultivating a deeper relationship. That is natural and normal for me, and I love it. I also got to pray for a college guy today who is having a digestive problem. We prayed for healing, and it was natural. Ten months ago that would not have been natural - thank the Lord I have changed a least some! What is also natural for me is being in charge of feeding myself. Oddly, it has been eight months since I was responsible for meals! Everywhere I have been so far on the race our contacts have always cooked for us.
I have also gotten to go to a local congregation called Calvary Chapel, which is a great church. Church attendance....NATURAL.
I am thankful that the Lord has made some of these things natural for me, hopefully bringing the Kingdom of God where ever I go will be just as natural as talking to a friend. I pray for that, and not just for me, but for you too. ;)
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Posted in General Articles by Jeff Mitchell on 5/15/2009
So the scoop on Pavel(read my last blog) is he is apparently cancer free. Praise God for answered prayers and his healing! But let me just walk you through my personal take on the events that led to a Doctor saying Pavel was cancer free. I wrote the last blog on a Thursday and Pavel went to the hospital on Friday morning, but he came back to Casa Shalom on Friday afternoon and I was told he had some tests done and he was to return to the hospital on Sunday night. Friday night and Saturday night we had a nighttime worship session and prayer for Pavel, which was great. Pavel even went to a large local church with us on Sunday morning and the minister and the entire congregation had a prayer time for Pavel, which was powerful. To say the least, this boy was prayed up! Sunday night we dropped Pavel and his mom off at the hospital and said goodbye. No word for a few days about Pavel, followed by some bad news on the following Thursday. Pavel apparently had cancer and the doctor wanted to amputate his leg and start chemotherapy. I was a bit angry at the answer to Pavel's prayers for a few days. Casa Shalom's leader, Becky, was able to schedule Pavel a second opinion because Pavel was refusing the amputation. Pavel came back to Casa Shalom on Friday and spent the weekend here watching movies about life with one leg. Which apparently should have cheered him up. I don't think it did. Then Monday morning Pavel headed back to the hospital for a second opinion and had all the same tests redone. I was not at the hospital when the doctor told Pavel he didn't have cancer, but I can imagine Pavel's frown turning upside down.
Getting the second opinion was a good idea!
Oh, and all the prayer probably helped also:)
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