PRAY MUCH

Just received these two e-mail from HQ. And it seems we need to actively participate with Mission Fast Monday tomorrow (even though it will be Tuesday). Would you join me tomorrow, or another day this week, in concerted, fervent prayer for God's kingdom efforts around the world? Leave a comment if you will fast something for some period of time this week! Thanks!

Prayer team,

Please lift this difficult situation before the throne.

MWV has been excited to come along side the Honduran National church as together we have started MWV in Honduras. Just recently MWV Honduras elected their first MWV national President, Marcos Canales. Unfortunately tragic news has come to MWV. Marcos was coming out from some meetings at his local church in the downtown area. As he and his family were walking toward his car, a passing motorcycle rider shot him and killed him to steal his computer and phone. Please pray for his family. He has two small children ages 6 and 2. Pray also for the church as this is a huge loss for their leadership. Pray for our missionaries as they minister to those impacted by this loss. And pray for peace in Honduras.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."

Todd Eckhardt

World Gospel Mission

Dear WGM family,

As I received word of this senseless killing (letter above), and then the news of a pastor in Bolivia who was hit and killed by a logging truck, my heart ached for the families involved. We lift them up before our loving and faithful God. But in my praying, I sensed that something bigger is going on here. I believe Satan is working hard to discourage God’s people and stop God’s work. We are pressing the enemy with advances into his territory, through the Concert of Prayer, Champion Migration Strategies, Compassionate Ministries, Men With Vision programs, church planting and leadership training, and the enemy is reacting like a roaring lion. Our own country, which has long been the largest missionary sending force in the world, has faced huge economic losses and uncertainty, affecting ministries across the board, including our own organization. A good number of our missionaries are suffering a diminishing financial support. Four of our major fields have faced extreme political turmoil lately, bringing tremendous pressure on the church and missionary morale— Kenya, Uganda, Bolivia and Honduras. As God’s people, we must stand against Satan’s madness with righteous, earnest and effectual prayer. God’s hand is not shortened that He cannot help!

Would you seek out a place this week to pray longer and stronger, as if it depended on you? Would you do that several times throughout the month of October? Perhaps getting up an hour earlier, or going to bed an hour later, or fasting from a meal time, just to pray. What was it Jesus asked Peter, James and John, as they slept through His ordeal? – “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Yes, that was the question. Can we respond to the same question by saying “Yes we can! We can watch with you one hour.”? So help us God!

As you pray, please pray for the WGM Board of Directors as they meet together October 16-17, beginning with various committee meetings on the 15^th. These are some good, godly people who carry a big responsibility, concerning themselves with the issues and challenges that concern WGM. This is an important month for us as we look forward together. I covet your prayers for them and for our Executive team, as we deliberate together on things that matter to all of us.

God bless you one and all.

Hubert

Hubert Harriman

President

World Gospel Mission

Prayer Please :)

We head home this Monday. I don't know how often we will be able to access internet between now and then, so I'm asking for prayers in advance. The boys have been amazing, but the car has indeed lost its novelty. So be praying for our 9 hour drive on Monday. Pray that the boys would be comfortable, and happy- that we would all have patience and grace for one another- that God would guard us from harm and grant us alert eyes and minds- that we would make good time and enjoy each others company before returning to the daily grind. Thanks so lifting us up these past two weeks- your prayers have been evident and I can't wait to tell you all about the neat connections we made, the people we met and the ways God provided! Look for a post later next week! Pray that this would be our view in the backseat :)

Look at the Birds of the Air...

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:25-34

Dear friends- I pray that you are as encouraged by these words as I have been lately. We are currently on the road in Kentucky, and so blogging has gotten a backseat, but I just had to share these words with you. While staying with the Bowmans in Corydon, IN, I witnessed such gracious provision. I got a sneak peak into God's heart as I watched Rhonda care for His winged creatures.

The Bowmans have a lovely home on 5 acres of land out in the country. They have a wide array of bird feeders, a humming bird feeder, and a hanging water dish in their front yard. And I was struck by the verses above. Did you ever stop and think that some birds are fed from nature, and other birds are fed by caring individuals who take the time to fill a bird feeder? And I was blessed to realize that God provides for some of us through the work of our hands, and others by the generosity of caring individuals who include missionaries in their budget. Both people are dependent on God's provision- He just uses differing methods of provision!

And so today, as we pray that He will provide for our physical needs, know that we are praying that He will continue providing for your needs. And perhaps you aren't worried about financial needs, but you have another need, please take to heart: you are of great value to our Father, and He knows your every need and delights in providing for you. Thanks to each of you for your obedience to the calling He has placed on your life! He will give you all you need to obey Him!

Josh and Caleb feeding the ducks at a local park :)

over-did-it...

I'm all puffed out. I think I over did it last week. Posted Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Which may be why I've been silent this week. Ok, not really, I've just been really busy getting ready for this trip to KY. And having Monday "off" really throws my week. So here we are on this blustery Thursday.

BTW- isn't this pic of Seth fast asleep in his highchair amazing? That photo depicts how I feel these days, asleep at the wheel. I have the best of intentions, the greatest ideas, and I fall asleep when it comes to putting feet to my creativity. Would you pray that I would increase in follow-through? That I would faithfully accomplish all that God lays before me? Thanks for standing in the ever-widening gap for me!

I don't want to miss out on praising the Lord; we have much to be grateful for!

• A couple more churches have invited us to come share God's heart for Uganda.
• Things are falling into place for our KY trip (we leave SATURDAY!)
• The boys are finally well. Seth still coughs some, but we're used to it.
• Josh got a shift change that takes effect when we return from KY. 7-3 or 9-5 on alternating days! Frees up our evenings- so if you want to do dessert or coffee sometime, or prayer meeting or Bible study let us know!!
• Our newsletter is printed. Now to get it in the mail before we leave!!

And we have a couple prayer requests:

• Health, safety and sanity during our trip to KY. We will be on the road all day Saturday (Sept 12) and heading home all day Monday (Sept 28). We will be in Louisville, Lexington, Wilmore, and Ashland during the next two weeks. Want to connect? E-mail us your number and we'll be in touch!
• In addition to those physical details- we really covet your prayers as God raises up men and women to join Him in His work in Uganda. Pray that hearts would be sensitive to His leading. Pray that we would faithfully communicate His vision. Pray that He would continue to provide for all our needs.
• Pray for our boys that this traveling and sharing would only draw them closer to God's heart, and not be stumbling blocks to their faith. And that God would give me great patience and creativity as I entertain and involve them. And for Josh as he does the bulk of the driving, that he would be attentive and alert.
  

Thanks for walking hand in hand with us on this journey! It means so much to us! How are you at work in the world? How can we pray for your mission?

Twitter!

We are finally on twitter, you can stay up to date with current prayer requests of the moment as we continue this year of Homeland Ministry! But we also have twitter linked to our blog so you can just check out the right sidebar down near the bottom for our four most recent tweets!

Follow us @knees4kampala

One Thousand Gifts!

45. Walking hand in hand on the beach with my love

47. Ferris wheel at sunset

53. happy boys rebounding from illness

64. a cozy morning full of sweatpants and snuggles

74. lessons from the Father on trust

80. His sufficiency for this moment received...

81. ...during prayer time with squirmy Seth on my lap-
so that I could close my eyes and not worry about where he was!

Had a break-through... Thoughts on Giving

Have you ever wondered why missionaries can wow you with their vision and passion, and then stumble over themselves when asking for money? Have you struggled to get excited about giving? Or been afraid to give during this economic crisis?? Lately I've been wrestling with this very thing, and God showed up and spoke into my inner debate.

Check it out:

"Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink." And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." So she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die." And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.' " So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, accordind to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah." -I Kings 17:8-16

How humbling and scary for Elijah to ask this poor, starving widow for food. And at times, I confess, I am not eager to ask people to support missions financially. But as I was studying the Word this morning, and seeking God's heart in prayer, He opened to me the upside-down equations of the kingdom! There is nothing logical about asking a widow for material support. But God delights in using the weak things of this world to put the strong to shame. And in an economic crisis it does not make any sense to ask people to give above and beyond their tithe to foreign missions. Except for the fact that God doesn't change- His call to us remains the same- His faithful provision remains the same. And in the upside-down kingdom kind of way, Elijah calls the widow to give him food first, and then survive on the rest. What faith!

And God proved faithful. I am not trying to tell you to give us money so you can get blessed. I am not a tele-evangelist. But the kingdom principle remains: God is blessed by your obedience. And will bless in return. Transformational giving is based on the abundance and trustworthiness of God, not a theology of scarcity. And He does not let radical, costly obedience go unrewarded. I don't know what that will look like in your life. But I do know that He is calling us to go to Uganda, and will provide a way for us to get there. And I know that if He is calling you to give (to us, to your local church, to another ministry), He will provide a way for you to do so.

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the Lord of hosts; and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of hosts." -Malachi 3:10-12

If He is calling you to give- out of abundance or sacrificially- say YES! He will make a way. You will be astonished. And He will get all the glory! Let's stand back and watch His magnificent ways!

These are just my initial thoughts. What are you thinking? I'll post more soon.