I am back online after a wonderful trip to the Big C! We saw a lot of awesome things and more importantly met some great people. My team worked at a university doing the ministry of speaking English to Chinese "English Majors" and when we got a chance we got to share our faith. Sharing the gospel by speaking the name of Jesus and loving students as Jesus loves us, but what was amazing to me was how God ministered to me by the innocent childlike love His precious Chinese college students showed me. I mean they treated me with such graciousness and admiration that I truly felt special, kind of like a rock star. Most of those great college students do not know Christ, but He knows them and works through them. Now for the downer, my friends whom I shared the gospel with decided to reject it at this point. Seeds planted...., I hope. Wow, it still hurts as only rejection can. Thank the Lord that He added a few new sisters to the family and my teammates were able to be involved in that! What kills me is that after prayer my spirit had no real feeling that my friends were ready for the gospel, but all physical and mental signs pointed to sharing. Sharing is never wrong and I do not regret sharing with them, and I shared out of love for my friends but even that is not enough. The timing of the Holy Spirit is out of my control which stinks and is awesome at the same time, and bearing fruit takes a willingness to be rejected. The Lord calls, the person gets to respond to that call, and if we who follow the Lord get to be involved in that process what a blessing for us! I should not be afraid of rejection because rejection is part of deal. Christ was rejected by many, but His truth will never change. So, if I can just continue to grow in the Holy Spirit and in faith in the authority He has given me to be His man here in this world I believe I will soon get to see some fruit from the seeds someone else has planted. 2 Corinithians 9:10 speaks about seeds and sowing check it out.
Maybe Africa is where I selfishly will see some fruit! We are at the airport right now trying to get to Kenya and in Kenya my team and the Transformers will be on an island in Lake Victoria working with children, youth, HIV victims, and even farming! Pray for us.
The Philippines was awesome and the Lord moved there. Paths were cemented, children were loved, and people opened up to the Lord, Amen! We are now in Hong Kong working through the past month and moving on the next stop. I am going to be without internet for the whole month, by the way, so sorry I will not be posting any blogs. I want you guys to pray for my team and our next stop. I loved the Philippines and its people. The Lord is alive there and I know our World Race Squad brought some more of HIs Spirit and left it there. I wish I could really describe just what the Lord is doing there, but I can't I guess it is just a "God Thing" or writer's block. Hopefully, the first is correct.
The next stop is big and it is not to be taken lightly, so pray!
A few of us world race men have been hanging out at the Children's Garden Teen Boys Home in Antipolo, Philippines. The 10 month ministry program there is focused on getting boys off the streets, getting boys off drugs, and giving boys some education and life skills. Children's Garden gives them some education and trade skills training like electrical repair and other practical skills. All 17 of the boys (aged 14-18) in the home have a terrible past and some have been abused physically and sexual and almost all of them were addicted to a drug called "Rugby" which is stiffing sandal glue. The drugs help prevent hunger pains. Anyway, the boys are super awesome and very willing to change and learn. They all are lacking in education and are on an elementary level education-wise. So I have helped tutor some of the boys and below I have copied one of the assignments I gave them. The assignment was to write a paragraph in English on why you love your home. Below are the originals before I helped them edit.
H.E. 18 years old
I love this place because they are times that I'm happy. Sometimes many bad problem, but they where good times I'm work here. Because I learn about God's love, and love share with others. Before I go to children's garden, I go to many orphanage, but I not remember how to love god. I've used many drugs, I group to the tribes and specially I've always got in trouble, but I'm here in children's garden my new life goes well with me, and I love God because he guides me anything I want. God has provide me all things I have and God cares always for me. This is why we love my home.
R.U. 16 years old
I am children's Garden because in skills training. I have many friends and have time to bible study and apply to young people. After I finish my study I want to help my family and street kids and share gospel. If I finish my study and skills training I would like to help young people.
These boys are loved by God and they are so receptive to be taught. I mean they really enjoyed being challenged by me in their tutoring. They were happy to correct their papers and asked good questions also. I am learning a lot about faith from the way these "street kids" just seem to trust us. I pray I trust my Heavenly Father as much as the teens trust us.
What the world needs now, is love sweet love! I believe that is a quote from some Bert Bacharach song. I feel the lack of said love rests solely on us males. We are the problem. Notice I said us "males" not us "Men." There is a difference. I have met Men, lots of them in fact, but I have been super blessed. A lot of people don't know many Men, and when we meet one he sticks out in our heads. I have read a lot of good blogs about Men and a book recently called Adam's Return. In Adam's Return the author speaks about the need for initiation to become a Man. He says the five essential messages of initiation are this 1) Life is hard 2) You are not that important 3) Your life is not about you 4) You are not in control 5) You are going to die. All Men seem to get that, but they also know there is a "but" for all five. 1) Life is hard, BUT the pain one brings on oneself by living outside of evident reality is greater and longer lasting 2) You are not that important, BUT if we know our original blessing we can easily handle our original sin 3) Your life is not about you, BUT if you live in radical humility you will never know it 4) You are not in control ,BUT if you cannot control the biggies, like life or death why should you spend so much time trying to control all the lesser outcomes 5) You are going to die, BUT not really. It seems that we are born with a longing, desire, and deep hope that this thing called life could somehow last forever and it does.
The need for Men is so obvious to me as I hang out with the children at the New Faith Family Children's Home. That group of pre-teen boys long for any physical contact they can get from a Man. These kids all have horrible backgrounds of abuse and neglect, but they still long for a father. Rohr, the author of Adam's Return, mentions that with the lack of Men/Fathers the society turns into a sibling society with boys looking to other boys to learn how to be a Man.
My brothers this cannot continue! Let us be Men and not males and learn from the Men who have gone before us! The future depends on it. Lets make all those sitcoms that make fathers look like idiots become idiotic because they are so far from reality. Right now they hit a little too close to home for a lot of people. Also, thank God He is the ultimate FATHER. Here in Manila I recently met a MAN by the name of Jeff Long. He has brought LIFE to Manila. KIDS International is wonderful and he has raised some great kids, and he fathers some big time ministry!
The boys reading to each other.
Weakness
I have a lot to learn about weakness. I just got my first taste of weakness after travelling 14 hours from L.A. to Hong Kong then after a 2 hour lay-over we had another 2.5 hour flight from Hong Kong to Manila. We safely made it to the Philippines at around 11:00 AM, which was a blessing because all 50 of us and our luggage made it across the border with no complications. I was tired but that was to be expected, but later on that day I hit the wall. My feet were swollen because I had not laid down in almost 48 hours, it was stinking hot, I was surprised by the poverty in Manila, and I was surprised that I was surprised at the poverty in Manila. I have seen poverty before in Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica, but this city is huge and reading about it on the internet does not do it justice. So during our worship time all I could think about was a shower and some sleep! I also realized that this is probably our nicest stop for the year, can I handle this? I know the answer is no, but thank God He is strong enough to carry me through.
Mt 26:41
Rom 5:6
2 Cor 12:10
Rom 8:26
2 Cor 12:9
These few verses are about weakness, and they mean something different to everyone. So I challenge you to read them for yourselves!!! Actually stop take the time to read a word from God.
I am excited for my next dose of weakness.
Me: Hi, My name is Jeff. (extending my hand)
John Doe: Hello Jeff I am John, are you from around here? (shaking my hand firmly)
Me: Yes sir, I have been living in Lexington for 9 years or so. How about you?
Doe: I am from Timbuktu.
Me: Awesome.
Doe: So Jeff what do you do?
Jeff: Well, I am a physical therapist at an orthopedic/sport medicine clinic here in town.
Doe: Where at?
Jeff: The Lexington Clinic over off South Broadway. So, John what do you do?
Doe: I own Google...........so anyway my shoulder hurts every time I..............
Introduction conversation as of Sept 28th, 2008
Me: Hi, I'm Jeff
Doe: So, Jeff where do you live?
Me: Well that's hard to answer, you see I move every month.........
How you introduce yourself says a lot about who you are and what you spend your time doing. I am no different than most people in fact that I have wrapped a lot of myself in my job, where I live, and where I go to church. My former introduction really says nothing about me as a person: like what is most important to me, or at my core what is it that I truly believe about the purpose of this life. I realize that is pretty personal stuff and everyone may not want that the first time they meet me, but I have been amazed at the conversations that my newer introduction provides. Several people have asked whether the trip was religious, and I get to say it is focused on and because of Jesus. I realize that all individuals may not agree with us who are going on The World Race but in that brief encounter that person would get to see how serious and in love with Jesus we really are. People seem to pay way more attention to what you have to say when you are living your faith out.
A big part of what I have viewed as my identity is changing rapidly. My job of 6 years, my city of 9 years, my Church Family of 9 years has just recently changed and it is starting to set in! I am no longer able to say I am a practicing PT. I am no longer living in Lexington, and I will not be going to Southside every Sunday. I am hopefully letting God take more control of Jeff, so that Jeff becomes less and less Jeff and more and more of Jesus. Galatians 2:20 states I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and give himself for me. Paul knows of what he is talking about and I hope to make the specific choice to live that verse everyday! The Oct 2008 World Race Man Covenant has a line in it that reads, "With my identity flowing from intimacy with Christ" I believe that my identity is rooted in Christ. I just pray I show it.
assignment in the Phillippines is working with Kids International
Ministeries (KIM)
Kids International Ministries, or KIM, exists to prepare children to honor God in their everyday lives. Founded in 2006, KIM was created to raise impoverished children in Christian environments across the globe. We desire to raise these children in one of our children's homes or by connecting them to a Christian family for adoption, either in their culture or abroad.
Our first children's home was founded in early 2005 in Manila, Philippines. In a city with tens of thousands of street children, we have taken over 30 children off the streets and into our home. We aim to meet the educational, physical, spiritual, and mental needs of each child. Please take a look through our website to find out more on our children.
Aletheia(ἀëÞèåéá)- Greek word for truth, as in nothing hidden.
Aletheia- Our team name, motto, and goal for this next year of ministry.
Team Aletheia consists of 6 family members: Angi Francesco, Joel Chitwood, Joy Nicol, Melissa Gibson, Vicki Skyvalidas, and myself. We plan on living out our team name with each other as we do life together, and with all the people we are sent to love and minister to across this Earth! I am proud of my teammates and their faiths which inspire me. The Lord is going to use us to do some awesome things to bring Him honor and praise.
"We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.
On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly, we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."
2 Corinthians 4:2
I also am needing serious prayers because I have been asked to lead this team. I am not worthy of this task, but it is mine and I could not ask for a better group of people to serve.
Update
My fund raising status is as such: My account has 11,585.00 dollars in it! Praise God and thank you to my financial support team!
I am blogging from training camp. Our team has been put through ringer spiritually, mentally, and physically. I have discovered how much I love air conditioning and comfort, but I am at peace with the fact that I am a wuss. What I am a little uneasy about is the fact that I have to put myself at the mercy of leadership, and trust that the Holy Spirit is working through them to put my into a family Not just any family but the right family; to live, grow, and do ministry/life with for 11 months!! What a challenge for them, and for me to trust them. For those who are not familiar the World Race, we have a group of about 60 people, split into 2 squads which are divided into teams of 6 people. Those six people are my new immediate family. I just want to follow the Lord leading and be the servant of the team, which is not the reputation I have acquired so far. I need prayers!!
This is just what a independent, successful, "good looking" dude needs dependence, trust, and faith!! The good looking part is debatable, but the needs are not. Psalms 4:5 speaks about offering the right sacrifice, and put your trust in the Lord. So just maybe if I commit myself to sacrifice the trust part will be easy.
I was with a friend in Borders (a
bookstore) the other day and I sat down to read up on Thailand.They apparently have 13 different
smiles, but anyway, back to story.I lost track of time, and notice my friend was nowhere to be found.So I went to find him, and I heard a
rather loud voice coming from the “Christianity” section. A man was talking to my friend about his
distaste (all out hatred) towards organized religion of any kind.He was very opinionated, and I
eavesdropped as they discussed the topic.This man had obviously been burned by “church” and he was lonely, and
frustrated.His home had been
broken into and his Bible had been stolen, hence his visit to Borders.He had good bible knowledge; at least
he was well versed with certain parts. The man had some kind of point to prove so he read James 1:27
which reads; Religion
that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after
orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by
the world.I thought
preach it brother, but something was missing from his theology.Although I love that verse, and the guy
had some good points it was obvious he was community-less, team-less, and not
part of a body.His theology was
missing people(the Church)!
Had he never seen a “Church” who takes care
of orphans and widows? Why is the
Body of Christ not noticeable to a guy who reads his Bible?The Body of Christ works like a team,
and it is up to us to make sure our teams don’t sink!Romans 12:4-21and 1
Corinthians 12:12-27 talks about us as being a team or body.I love those verses also, and I believe
in HIS BODY because Jesus is in control of His Body.Let us be examples of teamwork and community to those who
don’t follow Christ.God believes
so strongly in community that he is one, the trinity is tough to grasp, but
what an example 3 persons being 1!That is tight nit community.We should learn from that and also be tight nit, all good teams are.
.jpg)
.jpg)
