From December 27th, 2011, to January 5th, 2012, a team of three were on the ground in Congo, visiting a village and its people that Port City has established a relationship with, and building upon the work of previous teams who have provided youth-leadership training in this area. Below, one team member shares his experience:

Congo is very different from America.

People have very little money. There are no traffic lights. They speak Swahili. Mosquitoes carry malaria. Everyone walks. Gasoline is sold in water bottles.  Obesity is abnormal. War, death, and rape are common.

But Congo is very much the same as America.

They have the same needs as we do. When they need food, they go to the market. When they are sick, they go to the pharmacy. To learn, children go to school. To make money, parents work.  On Sundays they go to church and worship the Lord.

I had never been to Africa. I had never even been out of the United States.

I went to Congo knowing very little about their culture and knowing even less of their Swahili language.  As I began my first Congolese worship experience, I did not recognize any Swahili words, but I did recognize one thing: God’s presence.

While in Congo, I was not overwhelmed by the poverty… or the mud… or even the smells. The thing that overwhelmed me was God’s presence in the midst of all those other distractions. Whether it was during worship, or prayer, or playing with little Congolese children, God’s presence was felt, and His voice spoke very loudly.

I realized that a person who has the Lord’s presence and listens to His voice is the richest person in the world. When we went to churches and taught, we were not speaking to poor Congolese people, but rather we were speaking to princes and princesses in the kingdom of God. We cherish the prayers and the blessings that our new family poured out onto us.

On January 2nd, we were supposed to be going to the prison to take them food and clothes. However, on New Year’s Day there was a riot, leaving eight prisoners dead. Instead of going to the prison, we went to a feeding center on the outskirts of the city of Bukavu. We had enjoyed our time teaching in the churches, but for our team, this was our favorite day.

We were finally out amidst the people of Bukavu. As we hiked to the feeding center, children from the neighborhood gathered around the funny looking “mzungus” (white people). When we got to the feeding center, we were able to help construct the new school room and help with the preparation of the food for the children.

For about 30 of the children, this was the only meal that they got for the day. Some of the children were even taking care of their little brother or sister, carrying them around and feeding them. Yet, regardless of these circumstances, these children still carried extreme joy with them. They would play games with us and laugh at our silly attempts to speak Swahili.

Though our team was greatly blessed by the children, we were also blessed to see how the youth leaders of the church were impacted and how they served their city. They spoke to us about how they were impacted by our teachings and the love that we showed to them. We were able to see how the youth leaders worked together to build the classroom at the feeding center. The day before we left, a large group of the youth leaders actually went to the prison!  Even though it had only been two days after the riot and the murders, they went in and served the prisoners with extreme love and courage.

I wish that I had more time in Congo to learn the language, to learn the culture, and to know the people. It was an incredible experience that had me yearning to see more of God’s handiwork throughout the rest of the world. It was worth the time and the money to catch a glimpse of God’s love for the people of Congo.

—Submitted by John Longshore

Currently there are 27 million people trapped in modern-day slavery, more than any other time in history.  Sex trafficking and and bonded labor slavery run rampant around our globe, terrorizing and silencing these victims in its wake.

“We were so encouraged by the students’ generosity and passion to further the kingdom of God by helping to rescue women and children from such a horrific life—one that we can’t even imagine,” Overflow’s Host and Communications Coordinator, Lauren Mendoza, said.

Working through international abolition organization Tiny Hands, Overflow also sold 15 “One Girl” bracelets, a prayer initiative that challenges people to pray for a specific girl who has been rescued and for the continued efforts to rescue more.

“The beautiful and unique thing we loved about Tiny Hands was that they have a passion to rescue these women and children BEFORE they go through all this,” Mendoza observed.

From January 2nd-5th, 2012, Overflow took 93 students to this year’s Passion conference, an annual trip during which this ministry joins 45,000 other students to hear speakers and worship corporately, usually around a cause.  This year a central theme was freedom from slavery, a message that resonated loudly and reaffirmed the importance of the fight in which our Overflow students had just seized the opportunity to play a powerful part.

To learn more about what God is doing through Tiny Hands, click here, and for more information about Overflow, click here.

—Submitted by missions staff

Below, one host family shares a newsletter of thanks they wrote to friends and family following their experience of hosting a child in the summer of 2011.  Continue reading to learn more about hosting a child from their perspective—and visit belarus.portcitychurch.org for more information on how YOU can participate in the summer of 2012 (applications from new host families being accepted through December 1st, 2011!).

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Looking Back

Hi! We wanted to take the time to write everyone who was a part in helping us host Sveta this past summer. It is difficult to begin to express how grateful we are for the many people who gave in many different ways. As we waited in June for her arrival to America, we did not expect how our eyes would be opened to the saying “it takes a whole village to raise a child,” and we are thankful to be a part of that village with you this past summer. Even now, two months after Sveta returned home to Belarus, we look back and continue to see the many ways God worked in and through her life over the six weeks she stayed with our family.

It is a challenge to capture our six-weeks experience with Sveta and put it all in words, but here is our attempt to show some of the highlights of our summer…

Gifts

Day 1:

After 36 hours of traveling and finally arriving at our house, I think Sveta was tired and ready for bed, but first seemed to have a mission in mind herself.  She opened the one piece of luggage that she brought with her, a small black backpack. As she started carefully handing me one gift after another—chocolate, a fancy tablecloth and napkins, a woven box, towels and a beautiful set of stackable dolls—she repeated something in Russian (“This is a gift for you from Belarus” as I later found out from the translator).  Even though I heard it was typical for the children to travel with very little, words cannot explain how humbling it is to have a guest in your house arrive only with the clothes on their back and a backpack of gifts for you.

The Universal Language?

Day Two:

Haley and Sveta were outside on the swings, and they came in and Haley told me that Sveta likes her music and wants to listen to it.  I asked Haley how she knew that, and she said that Sveta has a nice voice and was singing on the swings.  ”Oh, what was she singing?”  I curiously asked, thinking it would be a sweet Russian song.  To which Haley bursted out in singing, “Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh.”  All I could think of was that Justin Bieber has become the universal language in our house!

Day Three:

“She said Haley!”  Haley came running up to me on the third day Sveta was here and was so excited that Sveta called her by name!  Before that her only English words were “thank you” and “hello.”  Yesterday she told us she can also count to 10 and knows all her colors in English.  We communicate with lots of sign language, and so far we seem to be doing well.

Sandcastles, Spectacles and Santa

July 2nd:

It is easy to forget that God knows everything down to the smallest details. One Saturday we were at the beach enjoying a hot morning, the kind that beckons you into the water to cool off. I was baking on the beach when Haley came running over saying Sveta lost her glasses when she jumped face first into a huge wave while she was out deep with Paul. Oh no, was my first thought. After getting Sveta settled in a chair, I started to wonder if we couldn’t find them what I would say if I had to call the eye doctor on 4th of July weekend? Do eye doctors have spare pairs of glasses, or could I get something from CVS that would work until her new ones came in? I then went out in an earnest attempt to dive under the waves with little kiddie goggles to find her glasses. My hope was that the hunter-green croakies would be visible. After realizing I couldn’t see more than 3 inches in front of my face under the foaming water, I gave up. At some point in all of this it did occur to me that God knew exactly where Sveta’s glasses had fallen off, where the waves had tumbled them and if they were deep out at sea or on the sand. I did pray that if we needed to find those glasses that God would lead us to them.

A few people started to look up and down the beach. A friend’s hat floated up 20 minutes after he lost it when he was boogie boarding—maybe Sveta’s glasses would wash up on shore, too? A while later, another friend we were with realized what was going on and mentioned that earlier a guy that looked like Santa Claus with white hair and blue pants came up to him with a pair of glasses with green croakies, and asked if he had lost them. Off Paul went down the beach now in search of Santa. Two lifeguard stands down, there was Santa with Sveta’s glasses in front of his beach chair on the sand. Just when the rest of us had pretty much given up hope, we saw Paul running up the beach with Sveta’s glasses in his hand. “Look Sveta!” I yelled and pointed while cheering, totally forgetting that she couldn’t see at all. As Paul got closer and gave Sveta her glasses, we all sighed a huge relief. Later that night as she was getting ready for bed, Sveta took of her glasses and held them close to her face and started to pet them affectionately and said, “Oh glasses, glasses, ocean, ocean.” I could tell she was so excited to have them back. I told her I prayed God would help us find them, and I only hope she begins to understand that God knows every little detail and can even send Santa to help us out.

Little Sister Love!

At home in Belarus, Sveta lives in a one-bedroom “flat,” which is like an apartment, with her mom who is almost blind and works as a “fitter” (probably factory shift worker) and her 14-year-old sister.  In our home Sveta became the instant big sister to three girls, which I’m sure was a big adjustment for her. Some of my favorite moments were hearing the girls giggle and be silly, and see our girls instantly love having Sveta around as the biggest sister. They were so quick to show her lots of love!

The Gift of Sight

Part of Sveta’s stay in America was for her to receive routine medical care through a pediatrician, dentist, and eye doctor (all who graciously donated their time and expertise). It was through these appointments that we found out through the translator and e-mails back from Sveta’s family that she was diagnosed with Marfan’s Syndrome (a hereditary connective tissue disorder that her father passed away from three years ago). It can affect her heart, but it also caused lens dislocation in both of her eyes. This resulted in surgery in Belarus to remove her lenses last September, and she had two pairs of glasses: one for reading and the other for distance. Whenever the girls colored, read, or I translated something on the computer, Sveta always “disappeared” for a bit and came back with her reading glasses so she could see. Unfortunately her reading glasses broke when she dropped them on our carpet a few days after she was here, but we found that they weren’t even the right prescription anyway.

During her eye exam the doctor was asking her through the translator if she has ever tried bifocals, to which she replied, “They do not exist.” So we tried to re-explain glasses that you use for both near and far, and again she said, “They do not have those.” With a huge smile the doctor replied that those kinds of glasses (bifocals) DO exist, we have them here, and you will get a new pair today. The sweet smile on her face was priceless.

The End…

August 2nd:

We packed up Sveta and said goodbye this morning. I think she was more concerned with being so hot waiting in the parking lot and the long trip ahead of her than being upset. She did say “Goodbye, America” with a sigh of sadness and gave us big hugs, but I can tell she is also excited to see her mom, sister and cat.

I’ve learned so much these past few weeks/months about God’s provision. It started with a car that will fit all of us in, then money for Sveta’s plane ticket and extra to do fun things while she was here, and continued with: Food-meals for our family, bananas at our doorstep, gift cards to Harris Teeter, chicken, lunch at the pool; clothes, both designer clothes for her stay here and a suitcase of winter clothing to take back; medical treatment/prevention, such as a pediatrician, echo at the hospital, eye doctor, brand-new designer bifocals, dental work; and then all the little things like croakies for her glasses, a bed, haircut, babysitters, barbecues, picnics, a fishing trip, Annie, boardwalk/Britts, family pictures, lots and lots and lots of summer fun and swimming.

Even after seeing God provide in so many big and small ways, there are still so many questions going through my head. Will her suitcase make it to Belarus with everything in it? Will her mom like the perfume we sent? What will her sister think of all the clothes we sent her back with? How long will they fit her for? Will it be helpful to her mom that we sent toiletries with her as well? What will it be like for her to sleep on the couch in her flat again? How will she see her life differently after being here? Has she gained any lasting confidence from her adventures in Wilmington? Will she continue to come out of her shy shell the same way we saw her grow as part of our family the past six weeks? Is she going to be hungry, and will there be enough food to fill and nourish her? What will school be like for her this year now that she has glasses that she can see with? How is she going to explain her experiences to her mom and sister? What were the highlights of her time here? What frustrated her, and what does she think about Americans? Does she clearly understand who Jesus is, and was she able to see Christ in and through our lives?

Looking back it is easy to think of all the things we could have or should have done differently and for ways that we could have poured into her more. Two lines from songs we sang in church yesterday keep running through my head: “The riches of Your love will always be ENOUGH” and “Your grace is ENOUGH for me.” I think it is amazing to see and know and trust that Christ is enough, and as I abide in Him, He promises to take care of all the things that I want to control myself, but can’t. I need to take care of my part, which is mostly trusting Him and taking the next step that He leads me to. This past year I saw more of God’s heart for the needy and oppressed when studying Isaiah and felt overwhelmed wondering how I should respond with the same heart for orphans, widows, and those who are weak in the eyes of the world. As Sveta’s story unfolded in our lives, I can’t help but think of the e-mail from one of the leaders in Belarus who wrote about Sveta’s (Svetlana) family: “Life situation of this family is really difficult… see how God bring Svetlana to us and we put her into Wilmington group on regular base. Mama so thankful to Svetlana’s host family, look like Svetlalana become much more open person compare with time when we met her at her flat. Mama told me she prayed about us, who visited her, in Orthodox church every week. On my eyes was tears…” To know that God hears and answers the prayers of a widow in Belarus makes me just stand back in awe and thankfulness that even though His grace and love are always enough, He is able to do such much more! We are just so glad to be able to be a part of it! The story continues…

—Submitted by Megan Klouse

Our team was made up of 15 people from different paths of life, and yet we were a cohesive unit. There was definitely a family feel to our team by the end of the week, and it was great to be a part of. Doing the devotionals together in the morning and the debriefs each night was an emotional and honest time that bound us together by our experiences. I am so thankful to have been able to share the trip with my husband, Heath. It was great while we were there to support one another, but also to come back home and be able to process through it all with him: laughing over moments of silliness or praying for specific children/families we got to meet. It was also a very emotionally bonding time for our marriage as I got to see him acting on his love for Christ and being a man of God outside of his daily comfort zone.

During two of the days on the mission, we met local widows from Chichicastenago and built homes for them and their children to live in. The poverty is shocking and sad, and yet you can see the hope through the smiles of the women and the giggles of the children. They are all so welcoming and thankful. After we built the homes, we had the opportunity to dedicate the home to them and to pray with them. There was never a dry eye in the room. It’s such a powerful moment to know that your hands have had a part in helping and blessing someone in such a tangible way. There was a language barrier, so we were unable to communicate a lot with words; however, giving of our time and smiles was the perfect communication of God’s love.

Here, in my daily life, I know that God is with me. I know that His spirit lives in me and that He is working all around me. But in Guatemala, those truths became very real to me. I felt his presence in a different way than in my cluttered, busy life here. I leaned on Him and spent time with Him with a new dependence that I am so thankful for.

If you are thinking about taking part in a mission to Guatemala, I would advise 100 percent to go for it. Let go of any fears that are holding you back, and go for it! This was my first mission, but it will definitely not be my last. It is not only perspective-changing, it is heart-stretching and overflowing. The natural beauty of the county is breathtaking, the mission work of Pray America is wonderful to be a part of, and the children will dig right down into your heart and settle in for good.

—Submitted by Kendall Newton

I was thinking about our time at Mama Hellen’s a week or so ago, and I had an epiphany of sorts. HEAVEN! That’s what came to my mind. More specifically that our time there was the clearest image I’ve ever experienced of what eternity might look like—not to my eyes, but what it might look like for my heart.

I always heard about the streets of gold and the pearly gates and the angels. I used to like that movie What Dreams May Come, which gave a new perspective of what heaven might look like. As an artist, I especially loved the idea that heaven will be made of paint: beautiful, like the most beautiful painting in all the art galleries in the world.

But at Mama Hellen’s, I got a new (and better) image of heaven. Not a visual image, though the center is set on a beautiful little hill in the country with sweeping views of a distant mountain. This new image was of my heavenly family and how each day in heaven might be spent consumed with rejoicing in God.

While we were there, it struck me that all of those children are my brothers and sisters—and not only the children but also my teammates. We were all there at Mama Hellen’s as a family, and as a family we were there with, for, and because of God. Every day we would start by sharing a meal together, then having a devotion and prayer. After our always-exciting van ride to the center, we would begin by worshipping the Lord through singing with the children. Then we would learn about the Bible and God through teaching. Afterward, we would break into small groups where we learned more about each other and God. We would usually spend the afternoons playing, singing, talking, and loving the children. At night we would share another meal and then share our hearts, and spend more time praying. Each day went quite like this. Our time and our hearts were utterly focused on our sweet and amazing Heavenly Father. We were overwhelmed by his presence, and encouraged and amazed as he answered our prayers—ever eager to see what he would teach us.

I invite you to close your eyes and try to picture it: day-to-day life simplified, freely worshipping the Lord, surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ, being open and honest before each other and God. And daily, intentionally, learning more about the God who saved us and loves us and calls us his children (1 John 3:1).

For me, this is how I now imagine heaven. I’m sure the visual beauty will be more than I can ever comprehend, but now I know more clearly how full my heart will be for all of eternity. I always wondered what we do in heaven, and now I have hope that it will be a more perfect picture of what we did each day at Mama Hellen’s: worshipping and knowing God as a family. And not only that, I now know more of my family in Christ, whom I will be surrounded by as I sing praises to Jesus forever! Bwana asifiwe!!

— Submitted by Lise Harrison

Below, Maureen Hill, the founder of the Mentor Program, describes the program’s history, vision and how to get involved…

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The Mentor Program was started four years ago when I was teaching second grade at a local elementary school.  I had only been teaching for two years, so with little experience I felt completely lost and overwhelmed when I saw the true need of many of my students.  Many of them came from single-parent homes, where their moms were doing all they could to just survive by working numerous jobs.  Many of my students lacked the one-on-one attention a 7 year old so greatly desires—especially from a male influence in their lives.

I had two male students in particular who were struggling in my classroom.  They would have frequent outbursts and were disruptive to themselves and classmates.  Both of them came from single-parent homes where they got little attention or care.  It was obvious that this was a main reason for many of their problems.  I tried everything I could think of to help them—but nothing was successful.  So finally one afternoon after school I was sitting with some friends and just asked a guy friend to come eat lunch with them, thinking maybe the one-on-one attention of a positive male role model might be helpful.  So my friend Shane started eating lunch with these boys once a week.  It was very casual and fun—most weeks Shane’s time was spent just playing and listening to these boys talk about video games, cartoons and super heroes.  But as time went on, we saw that these weekly lunches were making a huge impact on these boys.  I saw a difference in their attitudes and behaviors: These boys now had something to look forward to each week, and they couldn’t wait for their time with Shane. It was amazing to see how they changed when they confidently knew that someone cared for them, would spend time with them consistently, and would hold them accountable for their actions.

At the same time I was attending Port City and had just gotten more involved with missions (after having gone to Kenya the summer before), and I saw the huge impact our church could make if just a fraction of the people attending would commit to eating lunch with one of our elementary-school students once a week.  So I began meeting with Christie Coley, director of missions at PC3, and we began planning on how a program like this could work.

The following school year I transferred to another local school, and we piloted the program there with only a few mentors.  Again we saw the positive impact in these students’ lives. The next year we connected with Elizabeth Redenbaugh (a school board member) and Valita Quattlebaum (New Hanover County Schools Public Relations Officer) and had the opportunity to share our vision for the program.  We began working with them to reach more students at other local schools in Wilmington.  We now serve four different schools (Wrightsboro, Snipes Academy, Rachel Freeman School of Engineering, and Sunset Park Elementary School), and this past year we had 41 mentors serving in these schools.  We are also trying to do more to reach and connect with these families by holding an annual celebration, where our students and their families, along with their mentors and their families, are invited to have dinner, attend TILT and spend some time getting to know one another.

The vision of the Port City Mentor Program is to connect local elementary students with a positive, caring and dependable adult who can help encourage them to reach their personal best.  We believe that through our actions and commitment, we will be able to share the love and fullness of Christ with these students. Our vision stems from the parable of the sheep in Matthew 18—the importance of going after the one.

Getting involved is easy!  We are looking for committed men and women who can be free to eat lunch with their student.  Men are always much needed (male students always seem to be referred more frequently).  Just pick up an application in the atrium on Sunday August 28th or September 4th and turn it into the church (at Missions Desk on Sundays or at the front desk during the week) by Sunday, September 11th.  Once we get your application we will contact you to let you know it was received, and then we will see you at one of our training sessions on either Sunday, September 18th, or Sunday, September 25th, at 12:30pm (details will be in your application packet).  After being trained we will match you up with a student, and you can begin your weekly meetings!  We look forward to another great year ahead and the opportunity to connect with many more students and their families!

—Submitted by Maureen Hill

And give people did!

Joining together to combine your resources and leverage your influence, YOU, the body at large, gave of your time, efforts and finances to make a HUGE impact in our community.

Jointly called Caring for Kids, two collections took place for local school and kids in need: Stuff the Bus and Pack the Pantry.  Going off the momentum from a fantastic contribution last year in 2010 (when over $17,000 worth of school supplies was collected), Stuff the Bus hit the ground running as soon as the big white school bus arrived.  The outpouring of your generous donations — from notebooks to crayons to paper to calculators — filled the bus to capacity, and a grand total of close to $26,000 worth of school supplies was raised!  Through local organization Communities in Schools, the items collected from Stuff the Bus will again be distributed to local schools in time for the new school year.

Pack the Pantry also saw huge success.  This first-year collection took place the same day with help from local organization Nourish NC.  Nearly 3,200 cans were raised—which is enough to feed all the kids in all the schools they serve for approximately one month!

THANK YOU to all donors, supporters and volunteers for making this day such a great success and, more importantly, such a great impact in our local community.

—Submitted by PC3 staff

The purpose of our mission was to come alongside the American Indian Christian Mission (AICM) to spend time with and spread Christ’s message to children and youth from the Apache Reservation in Show Low, Arizona.  Each day we went into a different area of the reservation for what was termed “The Bus Ministry.”  The bus (which contained toy chests instead of seats, filled with skates, scooters, balls, art supplies, games and various other toys) drove through the different neighborhoods of the reservation picking up any and all children who were willing to come with us.

We did our best to demonstrate God’s love in the several hours we were given to spend with these special young people.  Our team of eight was perfectly put together.  Actually, maybe I should say team of nine because God showed up everywhere we went!  It was wonderful the way the team worked together and encouraged each other throughout the week.  We spent pretty much every waking hour together, and I never heard anyone complain, not even once.  That is pretty special in itself as our days were long, and we worked hard.

Each day we spent at the American Indian Christian Mission actually felt like two days.  We would wake up early each morning and have group devotions. After group devotions, we would have breakfast and then work on projects around the camp.  Some team members helped clean out the offices and classrooms in preparation for the upcoming start of the school year.  Others went out to the cinder yard, shoveled cinder, and later spread it around like mulch across the camp.  There was something different each day and throughout the week we all cleaned bathrooms, swept floors, swept sidewalks, hauled cinder, scraped paint, painted, pressure-washed, and helped in the kitchen.  One team member, who was mechanically skilled, even repaired the camp’s golf cart!

After the morning chores and a nourishing lunch made by the gracious and wonderful staff at the AICM, our team, along with staff members, drove an hour and a half through a splendid backdrop of God’s creation onto the “rez” to start the second part of our day.  The “rez” is what the people in Show Low call the reservation.  Even though I had been forewarned, I was not expecting to see such dire conditions.  The reservation we were on might as well have been a third-world country.  Nothing prepared me for the destitution and oppressive living conditions I saw on the reservation.  Surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in all of creation were some of the most impoverished land in all of America.  Wow.  What could we possibly do to help?

Upon our arrival on the reservation we would blow the air horn on the big white “Bible bus,” as the Native American children called it, and love on some kids for a few hours.  The Native American children made our hearts swell with love and compassion.  To be living in such poverty, they seemed pretty joyful.  Some were more bashful than others, but for the most part the kids were open and accepting of us.  Each day we performed our Joseph and His Brothers skit, sang our song, and recited our Bible verse (Romans 12:12) to onlooking Native Americans, who more than anything wanted to go and put on those roller skates!

After the performance the fun would commence, and joyful chaos would take over.  Some children headed to the back of the bus to work on the bottle-cap necklaces we brought as a craft.  More kids grabbed the roller skates, and one of us to help them skate up and down the street.  Other children wanted to play ball, tag, or jump rope.  Some colored or played games in groups and some just wanted to talk.  We heard funny things, we heard sad things, we heard stories about Jesus and the Bible from the kids, and we even shared some of our own.   This went on for close to three hours each afternoon with a completely fresh batch of young people each day.

The AICM has done a marvelous job of cultivating a trusting relationship with the local tribes.  The staff and its volunteers are really making a difference by being salt and light and sharing the good news to empower the Native American youth living on the Apache and Navajo reservations.  There are many lives being touched by the hard work and dedication of AICM staff, as well as God’s provision.

I went to Arizona hoping to spread joy, but ended up receiving it a thousandfold.  Every moment was spent helping others, praying, worshiping, or talking about the Lord and God’s Word. I wanted to get up early (5am was normal!) to start working, and I went to sleep each night excited to see what the next day would hold. Serving in this way has opened my eyes to so much.  It has helped me to understand the truth that we are made for God, and that means loving and serving each other.  I am eternally grateful for the privilege of playing a part in the extraordinary week we spent in Arizona.

—Submitted by Lori Lockamy

From the start, even with a heart for missions, I was somewhat reluctant to “jump in” this way – was I equipped? Could I physically handle the work? What did a broken sinner like me have to offer? I am so grateful as to how God so sweetly answered all these questions and put any concerns I had to rest by reminding me that He equips, He gives strength to the weary, and that “glass shines brighter when it is broken.”

My first mission to serve with Pray America in Guatemala so far exceeded any expectations I had. The hospitable staff, the warm accommodations, the delicious food and the organized work days were all carefully detailed with the teams in mind. Our team was fun and energetic, with open hearts to bring the love of Jesus to the widows and children of Chichi. But what really won me over was looking into the beautiful brown eyes of a precious child at the feeding center who climbed into my lap for Bible lesson time before dinner. My heart simply melted as I was struck at the awesomeness of our God, who created all peoples around the world – not just those in my world. This omnipotent God who knows every intricate detail of every being! He sent His Son to die, not just for me, but for all, so that we might all know abundant and eternal life. As a Christian, I knew this intellectually, but for the first time God opened my eyes and heart to the realization that the lack of essentials such as shelter, food and clean water can be barriers to the gospel – essentials I take for granted every day.

I returned home – physically – but much of my mind and heart remained on the beautiful hillsides of Guatemala. I was reading through the book Radical by David Platt with some amazing college girls, and at the same time gleaning from PC3’s messages from the series called “God’s,” which focused on positioning ourselves spiritually and financially to be able to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. We were also challenged to assess what “gods” we had created in our own lives. I began to pray and contemplate how to do this in my own life.

The timing of these three experiences brought about tough issues for me to work through: 26,000 children dying every day in the world, more than a billion living in desperate poverty… yet most Americans (me) are in the top 15 percent of the world’s people for wealth. Was I wearing blinders? How was I to reconcile my relationship with Jesus Christ and my material blessings? How could I even begin to think about the Great Commission and the urgent need to share the gospel and meeting spiritual needs of others and yet overlook dire physical needs in the process?

As I said, uncomfortable questions for which I am still seeking to understand my miniscule role. What I have discovered, however, is a new mindset taking over – that is living from the perspective that God has given me excess - not so I could have more, but so I could give more. Radical? Or Biblical? Baby steps have been leading me to a place of trusting God more, while letting go of things I thought I needed to be content. The crazy thing is the excitement and joy I feel in doing this!!

In May, I had the incredible opportunity to return to Chichi – this time I was accompanied by my twin daughters, recent college grads. It was truly a sweet blessing to witness the work of the Lord in this place again, and to see it again, fresh, though the eyes of my girls. As before, we were part of an amazing team, whom we now consider family. As before, we also built four houses; however, this time, we took part in a new initiative for Pray America. Typically, the widows in the area cook and heat with an open fire in their adobe homes – a practice that is hazardous to their health and that of the young children, in addition to the great expense for the wood. A new prototype stove has been designed that is not only safer but burns very little wood. The staff of Pray America hopes to be able to install the stoves in all of the widow houses that have been built. We had the privilege of installing 10 stoves for 10 families.

My most vivid and poignant memory, by far, from both trips came from the first build day in May. My daughters were joyfully dedicating the house to our new friend, a widow named Sebastiana. They explained that God loved her and had sent us to build the house for her and that it was free, a debt never to be repaid. Through the translator, she shared her story of losing her husband, home and dignity after being abused and tossed out by a family member because of her faith in Jesus Christ. As my daughter began to pray over her and the house, pausing for the translation, Sebastiana launched into a flood of emotions, spilling out from the innermost parts of her soul. She prayed and prayed, praised God, and wailed… all in a very strange and foreign Quiché dialect. We understood nothing that she was saying - and yet we knew exactly what she was saying….

“Holy are you God, Holy is your Name
With everything I’ve got, my heart will sing
How I love you!!”

—Submitted by Nancy Forester

When Japan’s most powerful earthquake recorded struck there on March 11, 2011, and the enormous tsunamis pummeled its coastline, and all the subsequent quakes continued on and on, and when finally the impending threat of radiation caused even more people to be displaced from their homes, Port City did what we usually do during a disaster of this proportion. We leveraged the finances God has blessed us with through the tithes and offerings that you have given to provide aid as quickly and effectively as possible. What an incredible blessing to be in a position that we can do this!

In most disaster response situations, we cannot possibly mobilize volunteers in a manner that would be helpful. We’d probably get turned away before arriving anywhere close to those hardest hit. And with limitations in fuel, water, and food, the last thing we’d want to do is take any of that from those in desperate need or those with much greater ability to be strategically beneficial. So, we know our best immediate response is to work through experts.

In most international disasters, World Vision is the first to respond with both resources and personnel on the ground. Their networks of relationships are so vast, and they are so well equipped, there are few who can match their disaster relief response. So, typically in disasters, Port City sends immediate financial support to World Vision — as we have done in Japan. This organization is well-known for caring for the whole person, and in a way that will point them to Christ. One of the really cool things they’ve done both in Haiti and now in Japan is establish child-friendly spaces. These are centers that allow children affected by the disaster to process through their fears and emotions, and get them on the road to recovering. If you’d like a glimpse of how this program is working, check it out in their April 4^th and March 25^th blogs: http://blog.worldvision.org/?s=child-friendly+space&searchsubmit=Search .

Seems World Vision’s enormous capacity to bring aid has been affirmed. Their disaster-response plan for Japan was slated to last 24 months. A recent post on their website says they have raised enough funds to complete all the planned work and they’re asking people not to give any more designated for Japan. Pretty incredible!

Comparable to World Vision in its ability to respond is Samaritan’s Purse. We have already sent financial support to Samaritan’s Purse, who is also doing an excellent job caring for the people of Japan, and helping them understand that the love behind the help is God’s love. They are doing all kinds of wonderful, practical things; check them out at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/InVideo/?bclid=831057262001. Be sure to check look at the video labeled ‘tool kits.’ In this video, Nick Ledoux, Samaritan’s Purse Regional Manager for Latin America and Asia — who attended Port City for a brief time while between assignments — is talking about the mud-out kits being used to help restore homes.

We encourage you to give generously to the aid efforts in Japan. Please thoroughly check out the organizations you give to. If you’d like to give to these efforts through Port City, beyond your tithe, all offerings given in April designated to “disaster relief” will go toward helping Japan.

It is very important that we help the Japanese people. We love them and we want to see them restored. Knowing that so few in Japan know Christ, we want to do everything we can to be witnesses of His love, and mercy, and compassion. Please know that just as important as giving and helping are, it is equally as important that we PRAY!!!

So, please continue PRAYING and giving, and know that we will look to find the very best ways that we here at Port City can help the people of Japan — now and in the future.

— Submitted by Christie Coley

It was the sound of ‘Grow Zone Global’! Music from around the world played throughout the halls, and volunteers could be seen dancing their way down to their rooms. Photos of children from different countries lit up the walls with their smiles, while international paraphernalia added to the atmosphere at the welcome booth.

All four Sundays, we celebrated with an emphasis on missions that opened the children’s minds just a little bit wider—around the globe, in fact! The February Bible-story lesson was “Jesus loves the little children,” focusing on Luke 18:16 when Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Teaming up with Missions at PC3, the Grow Zone staff expanded this lesson to become “Jesus loves the little children, all around the world.” Each week, the children learned about a different country: America, Guatemala, China and Kenya. They were able to pray together specifically for the children who live in each of these areas and the needs that many of them have. The children also heard songs from each of these countries during their worship time, and colored pictures of children from these areas for their craft. Each country is a place where Port City has already established relationships.

February lesson’s expanded focus fit nicely after January’s lesson, “God Made Me,” which emphasized the fact that each one of us is unique and special. It also built upon November’s “Coats for Kids” project, during which the children in Grow Zone learned about other kids in Wilmington who may not have coats when it’s cold, and had the opportunity themselves to donate coats to those in need.

February was quite an exciting time in Grow Zone, and all involved were able to see the hope for this month realized: that the children would see just a small glimpse of how God loves all people all over the world.

—Submitted by missions staff

PC3: What work was begun in Congo in May 2010, and how did that lead to the two of you returning in January 2011?

Rachael Parker: In May of 2010, Jessica Mills and myself were on a short0term mission team of nine who went to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to host a leadership conference with 60 of the youth leaders from the church we are partnered with there in Bukavu.  When the team returned, Jessica and I decided to go with a different team to Kenya that December, to host an annual youth conference, and since we were going there, we decided to investigate if we could go back to Bukavu to continue training some of the youth leaders.  It all just kind of panned out for us, and we decided that we’d do both: go to Kenya and then on to Congo.

Jessica Mills: The main idea we wanted to present [back in May] was the idea of small groups getting together to discuss what they were learning from God both inside Sunday church and all throughout the week. Our hopes were that they would be more comfortable coming together in honesty and depending on one another for encouragement. We had such a great connection with and response from the participants that as soon as we got back to the States, our hearts were already stirring on how we could get back and continue to build relationships.

PC3: What was your main focus this time, and how did that differ — or expand on — the work of your team back in May?

JM: Our main focus this time was to build upon the lessons that we had given the time before. The two main differences were that, one, we wanted to meet with a smaller, more intimate group.  We decided to get a list of all the participants from May who truly took the information back to their churches and united with the people to grow. The second main difference is that we this time we decided it would be best to actually get out in the community and serve alongside the participants. We basically put the teachings in action!

RP: We began exploring our teaching options early on and really felt a push to help the youth leaders dig deeper into discipleship.  PC3 had just come off of a series called R.E.A.L, and it was really from that series that we began to draw our teaching topics.  We felt that the church in Bukavu needed to understand how to become fully engaged with the mission of God and His purposes for them in Bukavu, and we wanted them to begin owning the mission of their Church.

PC3: What did you see in the way of progress and implementation among the people in Congo you worked with from that mission to this one?

JM: It was really great to see how small groups had formed in different churches after our last visit. Also, the first time we went it took a little bit of time to get them to really open up and be vocal in small groups. This visit we spent the entire time in a small-group setting, and from the very start they were speaking up and getting involved with the teachings. It was so incredibly encouraging to see how God truly had been at work amongst the people of the church.

RP: We felt it was necessary to capitalize on the forward momentum that had been created from the May team, so we wanted to further engage the people who were already making impact in their churches.

PC3: What surprised you on this mission?

JM: It probably doesn’t sound great to admit this, but if I am being totally honest: God’s ability to use us so perfectly in the way He had planned. On day two of this mission, I literally could feel a point when Rachael and I just completely surrendered it to God. We truly just approached Him saying, “We are all yours. We prepared the best we could, and now we trust you with the rest. Lead us.”  And He really did.  On the last day, they had to give presentations to their pastors about what they learned. As the first person got up and began to tell how she was impacted, I literally had tears in my eyes. I was listening to her speak, but in my heart I knew God was saying, you came by my wishes and you acted by my Spirit, and I have now used you exactly according to my will. When we got on the plane to leave, I honestly could say I left without one regret. It was a peace of His provision that never ceases to surprise me.

RP: The most surprising thing about this mission, to me, was the knowledge we were able to convey to them.

When we first went to Congo in May, we came back with this understanding that for these past four to five years of relative peace the city has seen, there has been an enormous influx of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who have brought with them tons of foreign aid, food, programs, etc.  They dumped millions of dollars worth of relief efforts into this country but really left the people dependent on that aid.  They were feeding the people but not teaching them how to fish, so to speak.

We knew that this phenomenon was really plaguing the people in this city, and we also knew that no amount of money would ever really fix any of their problems.  The real thing that would change their communities, their families and their children’s future was the love of Christ.  That can can seam so trite sometimes, but the reality is that is exactly what they needed.

So when we first charged them with that—serving people and loving people biblically, the way Christ has called us to love people—they were stunned.  They kind of just stared at us blankly.  I remember Fiston, our translator and one of the main youth leaders in the churh, turning to us and saying, “You know these ideas that you are teaching us are so new.”  It stunned me that that idea had never crossed their minds!  I knew it was a possibility, but it almost seamed to be stating the obvious.  We wanted to make sure they understood exactly what we were telling them to do, so that Saturday we spent our day at a local feeding center that is sponsored by the church.  We wanted to show them that through service they would be able to leverage their resources (their time in particular) without using money!  With nothing more than their knowledge of how to cook, how to fetch water, how to play games and sing songs, they would literally begin transforming the youth of their nation.

PC3: What specific moments would you say were the breaking points of this mission, the times when you could “see it all coming together”?

RP: Yeah, that Saturday at the feeding center is really what began to solidify our time there.  When we got back from the feeding center, Jessica and I really felt this wave of peace and joy because while we were there we saw so many of the 15 leaders engage in what we were trying to help them understand.  It really was the grace of God that they were able to take a situation of question and doubt in their minds and say, “OK, we’ll trust you enough to try this.”

JM: The day we went out in the community, we were just able to see them really embrace the idea of serving others simply through time and love. They really engaged with the children at the feeding center. Some were playing with the kids, while others were chopping vegetables, and some were fetching water. It was breathtaking to watch the group come together as one and use their individual gifts to collectively love their community.

PC3: What was particularly hard for you about this mission?

RP: It was, to us, an incredibly long time to be gone, and the days were very long, but the spiritual renewal we both received from being in Kenya and Congo was such a blessing to us.  It’s so hard to feel detached from home when we’re here in our routine, so when you can break away from that normalcy, you really have the opportunity to lean into the Spirit and fully engage Him for life.  Being gone can really offer some extended time of renewing and invigorating that movement of the Holy Spirit in your life that we may not otherwise have here at home.  There has certainly, for me at least, always been a spiritual growth spurt in my walk any time I’ve ever gone on a mission.

JM: It was hard, for me, coming from Kenya where you could communicate with almost anyone without a translator. You just want so badly to go up and start a conversation [with people in Congo] and just love on them. God really stretches me in the situations when I can’t do that. Instead I have to trust Him to love on them through me even when words can’t be spoken and understood freely.

PC3: What is/are the major things you felt God taught you from your time in Congo?

RP: The biggest thing I took away from both my time in Kenya and in Congo was one simple thing: That it’s not about me.  I wanted to feel used and to feel that I was making an impact, but God graciously reminds us that true service, true love, isn’t ever about how we feel.  The feeling is secondary to the response.  We can’t love anyone like Christ loves outside of the Holy Spirit’s out pouring in our lives.  I forget that too often.  I try to love people out of my own understanding of what they need.  I try to do it on my own effort, and that produces a weak love that is easily broken by frustration.  The greatest reminder of my weak love is the presence and moving of the Spirit in my daily life.

JM: One thing I really came to realize is that while there are many differences between our culture and theirs, between our people and theirs, the needs of our hearts are the same. Many of the struggles of identity, value and love are the same, even though on the surface the may not appear so. Everywhere in the world people think money is the solution, but really if this were so, nowhere would have the problems we all face.

PC3: What can be learned from the Congolese? On the other hand, what gaps still need to be filled?

JM: We can learn to smile. When they see you, instantly just a warmth of welcome comes over their faces. Or when you do the smallest act of kindness, gratitude lights up their faces. They really love, and it is written all over their faces.

I think the gap is still just the idea that money is the solution.

PC3: What are some things that people can pray for about Congo and its people?

RP: Pray that they will be in love with Jesus more than anything.  Pray for a continued revolution of the youth in the churches in Bukavu.  Pray that they will continue to serve and love on the people in their communities.

—Submitted by Rachael Parker and Jessica Mills

Taking ‘Perspectives’ was never on my list of things to do. Sure, I knew of the class from seeing it on the announcements on Sundays mornings. I even had friends who had taken it. But I had two reasons for not considering to take it: 1) I heard it was a lot of work, so why should I add something else to my already-busy life, and 2) I thought a class about missions would be really boring; I mean, how much can you say about missions, after all? Well, like many things in life, God had a different plan for my Tuesday evenings in Fall 2010!

My journey to ‘Perspectives’ started in the fall of 2009 when God pushed me to apply for the Africa mission in April 2010. This was way outside of my comfort zone! I was OK with the fact that missionaries existed and really liked listening to their stories when they came to visit on furlough, but I didn’t want anything to do with the going part. Apparently God had a few things for me to learn about missions. I went to Africa in April of 2010 and pretty much had my world flipped upside down, shaken, rearranged, etc. After Africa, I kept wondering how I fit into the mission of missions.  I came back with lots of questions: The big one was should I sell everything I own and go into missions full-time, long-term? My roommate in Africa (and new best friend) told me she was taking ‘Perspectives,’ suggested that it would be easier if we took it together, and said that the class would probably help me figure out (or at least gain more clarity) on how my life fit into God’s big plan. Hmm….possibly gain clarity on my life and take a class with my best friend? I was in!

The ‘Perspectives’ course has two major components: 1) readings during the week and response questions 2) attending two hours of class once a week and listening to a speaker. I’ll admit I very rarely completed the readings! They were a lot of work but worth the time I invested in them. I just tended to run out of investable time! The speakers were wonderful! There were current missionaries, former missionaries and other people who are involved with missions in various ways. The common theme I kept hearing was ‘Go’; in fact, one speaker one night said we should be facing the ends of the Earth and leaning. Wow! What an awesome picture. I felt challenged to figure out what it looked like to ‘go’ in my own life. Is this going somewhere foreign long-term, going to my neighbors, going to another part of the US or being content to encourage others to go? ‘Perspectives’ challenged me to answer this question, and while I do not yet have an answer, I’m chasing it.

I started researching missions agencies and found one that hosts a summer program. They send young adults to the field for three months during the summer to partner with a long-term missionary and participate in their ministry. I decided that participating in this opportunity would help me get a picture of what it would look like to serve in a foreign country long-term. I will be spending my summer of 2011 Indonesia working alongside a career missionary in community development and church planting among an unreached people group.

Another opportunity I got from ‘Perspectives’ was with Wycliffe Bible Translators. We had a speaker one evening from Wycliffe, and after class I was asking him questions about translation. I asked him who translates the Bible into other languages? What background do these people have? He responded that some translators have a background in linguistics, but some of the best translators are engineer types. He asked me what my background was, I said math and physics. He said, “You would probably be a great translator; come to this class,” and he handed me a pamphlet for the Total It Up (Taste of Translation and Linguistics) class. I went to Total it Up (TIU) at Wycliffe USA Headquarters in January 2011 and learned all about the process of translating the Bible for people groups who do not already have access to the Bible in their ‘heart language’ (the language that they think in, dream in and best function in). Wow, what a process! It is very scientific, and I understand why people with backgrounds in math and science are successful with it!

‘Perspectives’ allowed me to learn about many different missions organizations and the current status of the missions movement. I am still searching to find how my life fits into missions, but I now know of places where I can search and explore and discover, and hopefully gain clarity on God’s plan for my life.

Everyone should take ‘Perspectives.’ You will be challenged, your view of God will stretch, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself jumping into a journey that will take you to the ends of the Earth…

—Submitted by Kimberly Embrey

* * *

My One Word for 2010 has been “grace.” Through this ‘Perspectives’ course, I have come to see the grace of God in many new ways. I found that God has given us the grace to co-labor with him as He moves through the world, engaging people in relationship. I saw the grace that we need to employ as we look back on some of the mistakes made in the name of our Lord and Savior, and that people need to give well-intentioned missionaries grace as they enter the unknown in their quest to share the Good News.

From the first week the homework was handed back, I had to give myself grace, as venturing back into academia for the first time in 28 years was a bigger challenge than I expected it to be. I had to be gentle with myself as perfection was not easily obtainable through the grading of our wonderful Mrs. Smith. I learned a lot about my preconceived notions about short-term missions, what a “missiological breakthrough” is, and that there is a study of God’s missionary heart through history.

One of the most profound things I learned was about short-term missions and how they can have a more significant impact than just being a holy tour of a remote location. I think that adjusting my expectations of what I desire to accomplish on missions has been altered, deepened and extended. At the beginning of the course, I desired to “know God better.” I think this goal has been more than accomplished. Doing a mission to Israel in the middle of this course was great; it gave me a deep appreciation for the opportunity God was giving me, to see Him and represent Him in the world. I thank you for the privilege to take this course and look forward to being inspired by teachers in future class years.

—Submitted by Annie Anthony

* * *

‘Perspectives’ was a confirmation that it was the right next step that God wanted me to take.  Through all the incredible speakers, He provided me with insight on the challenges that can be expected as a missionary, and how rewarding those challenges will be once I reach an unreached person and lead them to Christ. I am looking forward and I feel blessed to accept whatever next step God as planned for me.

—Submitted by Rosa Petrucelli

We were able to see firsthand how God is changing lives for those kids in Kenya.  Through the sponsors’ support and Pastor Jackson’s vision, we are making an impact!  They have gone from barely surviving on the streets of Nakuru to living and being cared for at Mama Hellen’s Center, as well as attending boarding schools.  Some of the kids are nationally ranked near the top of their class!

But the true measure of God’s work in their lives is in the joy and love they have in their hearts.  And, fortunately for us, we were the recipients of their overwhelming gratitude—with huge hugs; big smiles; endless playfulness; and warm, loving spirits.

God showed us, through the kids there, how very little one actually needs when you live in the abundance of Christ’s love!  And we thought we were going over there to teach them something—HA!

Thank you all so much for your loving support of our mission.  Your thoughts, prayers and financial donations made it all possible.  And for that we are so grateful.

On the last day at the Center, before we left for the last time, my girls implored that they return next year! The people of Kenya won their hearts for sure.  As for me, I’d go back tomorrow! I got to do what I love—telling Bible stories to kids.  And I got to do it across the globe in AFRICA!  Yes!  Bwana Asifiwe—Praise God!

—Submitted by Brooks Koff

So, you might ask: How is it changing me? Well first off, let me tell you that the name of this course is perfect. “Perspectives” is changing my perspective. It has challenged me to REALLY look at my life and see if I am living like Jesus. What I have come to realize is this: Many of my views don’t line up with the way Jesus called us to live. Let me give you an example:

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Matthew 5:43-44-43 says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Romans 12:20-21 says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[b] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

So, if God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), then who has? I can personally say that I fear certain people, situations, and circumstances. Fear is not from God. If it’s not from God, then it must be from Satan.

One of the most controversial topics in America today involves Muslims. The media bombards us with stories that compel us to hate Muslims. The attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001, instilled a sense of fear in our hearts. If we see a Muslim, we automatically think that they are a terrorist. Some of our “Christian” churches preach hatred towards this group of people.

I can actually say that I was sucked into this way of thinking. I feared Muslims. I had an unhealthy distaste for them (i.e. hatred). If I saw someone with a long beard and a turban, they were a terrorist in my mind. However, I was wrong. Satan had me deceived for a while until God lifted the veil.

You see, Muslims fear Christians just as much as Christians fear Muslims. Muslim Extremists have killed Christians and Christian Extremists have killed Muslims. One is just as much to blame as the other. The vast majority of Muslims are ashamed of the Extremists who kill Christians. They know that it is wrong. Contrary to popular American belief, Muslims are opposed to killing Christians.

How did Jesus open my eyes? He did it through a speaker in “Perspectives.” What I realized is that Jesus loves Muslims. He wants Muslims to come to know the truth: that He is the Son of God who died and was resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins (that we might have eternal life).

Think about it. Jesus only loves people. He doesn’t hate people. Remember, we have been given a spirit of love. Love your neighbour, Love your enemies, Bless them, Do Good to them, Pray for them. God’s way for conquering evil is with love. This is why Jesus came to this earth: LOVE. He is our model. He is our example.

Let me ask you a question. Do you think that most Muslims (in America or worldwide) are seeing “love” from Christians?

If your answer is “no” —which it likely is—then how are they going to experience the Love of Jesus Christ?

You see, Muslims know about Jesus. In fact, Jesus is in the Qur’an. It says that Jesus is the Messiah, 11 times. (Please know that I am not giving any merit to the Qur’an). Look at this passage in the Qur’an:

“Let the People of the Gospel judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.” (Surah 5, Maida, verse 47)”

Here is what this is saying. It is saying that if you know the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you need to live by it. You need to model Jesus and his teachings. However, if you know the Gospels of Jesus Christ and you don’t live by it, you are no better than a rebel (you might as well be rejecting the Gospels).

Muslims know how Jesus lived a life of sacrifice and LOVE. If they don’t see this LOVE in us (as Christians)- then why would they consider the teachings of Jesus as truth?

Jesus was known as “the friend of sinners.” He hung out with tax collectors, adulterers, and liars. Jesus wasn’t sinning by hanging out with sinners. In fact, he was showing them love. This love drew these sinners to Him. Remember, Romans 12:21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. That is what Jesus did. His Goodness (love) overcame evil.”

Let’s look at Paul. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 says, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Is this saying that you should become a Muslim? NO. My opinion of what this means is that we need to be involved in the culture. Not the act of worshipping Allah. We need to seek relationships with Muslims. We need to LOVE them just like Jesus loved US before we knew Him.

The speaker at the “Perspectives” class said that if you will go up to a Muslim and ask, “How can I, as a Christian, be a blessing to you?” - they will be shocked. They are expecting you to curse them- not bless them. They will want to be your friend for life.

So, the challenge is to use this “unveiled” knowledge for God’s Glory (remember: to bring glory to God is the purpose of life). What next? For me, it’s about stepping out in faith. I forsee God placing a Muslim in my path very soon. Will I run away in fear or Will I Love this person like Jesus does? How about you? What will you do?

To wrap this blog entry up, the speaker said that a survey of Muslims who converted to Christianity was taken. The number-one reason that they converted to Christianity was through a relationship with a true Jesus follower. Sounds familiar huh? That’s because this is what Jesus did: he formed relationships with those who were blinded from the Truth.

Please know that these are just my revelations. You may or may not agree. My challenge to you is to investigate the Gospels. See what Jesus did. And model your views and live your life by HIS example.

It will be very interesting to see what God does with this. Just think of how the world could be changed by loving Muslims (and Hindu’s and Buddhist and Atheist). I will report back soon with what God continues to put in my path.

Live like Jesus not like the World!

— Submitted by Corey Riggs

I have just recently returned home from a much-anticipated mission to Guatemala with PC3.  Our team’s previously scheduled mission to Guatemala, back in May, was canceled due to a volcano eruption and tropical storm, which kept us here in Wilmington that week.  As our team was trying to figure out what God had planned for us here, we came across WARM (Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry).  I have heard it described as, “Habitat for Humanity builds from the ground up; WARM starts from the roof and rebuilds down.”  Upon waiting for our rescheduled mission to Guatemala, we jumped in and experienced an awesome opportunity to serve right here in our own community.

Since then, along with others from PC3, I have been involved with three different job sites so far, and each one is so completely different.  WARM has allowed us to get an “inside look” into what lies right here in Wilmington. The teams thus far have done various jobs such as landscaping, putting in storm windows, caulking, and painting the outside of a house.

But this last house we went to was indeed the most intimate.

I say this because, first, like I said, I just got home from Guatemala.  We go through much spiritual preparation before we go on a mission.  We pray for things such as safety, preparing our hearts and the hearts of the people we will be serving, for the Lord to prepare our path and make His way known to us.  About one week before the scheduled WARM day, I felt God really pressing upon me to pray.  Just because we weren’t leaving the country didn’t mean that a local mission deserved less spiritual preparation.  So needless to say, I prayed just as I did for Guatemala.  This is relevant to the story because God showed up in every aspect of preparing the team, the job and the family for that day.

We were asked to get 15-20 people to serve this day.  As of Monday I had about 11-12, Tuesday one of my skilled men (yes, my dad) had to back out, and on Wednesday I found out we didn’t even have a project manager for Saturday and that another girl had gotten sick.  But by Saturday morning, we had 17 volunteers with lunch provided, and one of our skilled team members stepped up to be project manager!  In fact, once we had gotten to the job site, I was thinking we had too many.

We served a lady who lived in a roughly 9,000-square-feet house.  Her disabled sister, a boyfriend and three children lived with her.  She was a self-proclaimed “hoarder.”  Unfortunately, all the clutter was causing asthma in three of the daughters.  However, because of the great team turnout, we were able to do more than what was on our list.  We ripped out carpet, laid tile, painted walls and baseboards, replaced blinds, helped her organize some shelves, and cleaned out the dog kennel (some team members even walked the dog!).  And we also had time to talk with the family.  This was so special.  I had all been smiling at the disabled lady all morning, thinking she couldn’t talk.  There was this moment when she was waving, so I thought Well, lets just sit with her.  She motioned to bring her paper… She could write!  She wrote “Y’all are like family.  So nice.”  I almost lost it right there!  The family was so very appreciative.  The owner of the house at one point said she could see Jesus in each and every one of us.  She also mentioned how she never felt judged because of all her stuff, and she just knew the Lord had sent us to her.

I have no doubt that God was present at this house.  We are all so grateful that He has made WARM known to us.  As I grow in my walk with the Lord, I am amazed at what He has done without even praying.  However, being intentional about prayer deepens the intimacy with Him and being able to truly see His hands at work.  We are here to serve Him as He serves others.

John 13:14.  “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

In September 2010 I left for Guatemala with a group of individuals from PC3. We were going to build houses for widows and orphans in need. I was not sure what to expect. I didn’t know anything about building houses, but I felt that God wanted me to go on the trip, so I left with an open heart. I decided to journal during my stay in Guatemala to help me remember the experiences, the people and the things that God wanted to show me. As I look back over my notes, I can see that I experienced more sadness, compassion, love and spiritual growth than I had hoped for through the experiences of our Guatemalan adventure. From the dirty barefoot children running through littered streets, to the persistent beggars in the market in Chichi, to the starving dogs living on trash piles, I learned the meaning of real poverty. This is a concept that eludes us, to our good fortune, in America. As a middle-class kid, my idea of poverty has generally been not being able to pay my bills. In Guatemala, it’s literally not having food or a home. It’s a whole different level of survival. But I saw more than poverty; I also saw a great deal of beauty. Guatemala is a beautiful country despite the trash on the streets. It’s beautiful not only geographically but also in spirit. The resilience of the people despite their hardships is simply inspiring. I found that they gave as much to me as I gave to them because I learned so much from them.

During my quiet time on my second day in Guatemala, I opened my Bible to

2 Peter 1:5-7, and my gaze fell on the following verses:

…add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

At that point, I understood at least part of my purpose for being in Guatemala: I was in Guatemala to show kindness and charity to my brothers and sisters, and through these acts of kindness, God was going to alleviate their suffering and build character in me. I was building houses, and God was building character.

Our second day of building houses was particularly profound to me. The widow we were going to assist lived far out into the country. The ride to her land took about 45 minutes. It was bumpy and muddy from recent rains. We all piled into the back of a pick-up truck and rode with our gear to the site, taking in the scenery and culture along the way. Finally, we reached a point where we could drive no longer. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and explained that we would have to get out, pick up our gear and walk down a narrow, muddy path 6 minutes to the plot of land where we were to build her house. Now, I am an avid walker, but walking a muddy path on the side of a mountain carrying construction materials was a little bit intimidating. It wasn’t that far, but I knew that if I slipped and fell down the side of the mountain while carrying tools, it would not be a good scene. We all stood there for a minute assessing the situation. Was there any other way? Who would carry what? Finally, we just picked up the materials and started down the path. It was doable but tedious. We had to watch our steps, but we all made it safely to the widow’s land. Along the way, little faces began to appear off the side of the path. Community children, much more adept at maneuvering through the terrain, had noticed us and began to walk with us. They knew who we were and that among our hammers and drills and nails, there were also suitcases filled with toys, candy, food and shoes.

Once we were at the site, we met the widow and began the task of building a very simple structure that she could use for shelter. We broke into teams and started to build the walls. I teamed up with another woman, Emily, on a wall. Two days prior, our group had gone to a separate site to build our first house. On that first day, we had built walls with three to four people working in a group; but on the second day of building, the numbers did not quite work out the same. Perhaps Emily and I could have just joined another group, but we decided to make a go of building one of the walls by ourselves. It was not fast going. The boards were very heavy and we could only carry two at a time. She carried one end, and I carried the other. Once we got the boards where we wanted them, we had to turn them on their sides, line them up, drill holes and hammer in the nails to build up the wall one board at a time. As we locked in one board, we grabbed another and repeated the steps. We lined up the next board, overlapped it to the previous one, and so forth, until we built up the wall. Several times along the way, the boards got really heavy and slipped from our hands. There was some discussion over when we should ask one of the guys to come over and help us, but we decided to keep on going. As the wall got higher, we again discussed asking someone who was taller to come over and help us hold up the boards; but everyone seemed busy on their own walls, so we decided to get a ladder. Finally, we had a lopsided ladder set up against our wall. We couldn’t get it to stand even on the ground because we were building on an incline. Emily climbed up the ladder while I stayed on the ground and leaned on the ladder with my body to keep it from tipping over. I stretched out my left hand as far as I could to help her hold up one end of the board. She probably used all of her physical strength to maintain her balance on that ladder while she drilled holes and hammered the nails in each end of the last board, but she pulled it off, and we finished our wall!

All of us worked really hard that day and finished the house in just enough time. As the guys were putting on the roof, a heavy rained moved in. We waited for a break in the rain (inside the house, which didn’t leak, thank goodness), then gave the house to the widow who had patiently waited in a shelter close by. We hung a cross in her new house, prayed with her and packed up our gear to return to the truck.

On the way back to town, we were caught in another downpour. I remember being soaked and cold as I pondered the fact that we were riding in the back of a pick-up truck in a torrential rain in mountains so high we were in the clouds. Suddenly, I realized that God was giving me, all of us, a gift. As a kid, I had dreamed of adventure, and here He was giving me my heart’s desire for obeying Him and doing His work. With His help and guidance, we were able to rise to the level of determination we had seen in the Guatemalan people. His hand had steadied us as we carried our gear on the muddy path, and His hands were on our boards as we built our wall. It was awesome.

Following is a portion from my last journal entry during my time in Guatemala:

We’ve seen so much hunger in this country. Hunger for food. Hunger for love. Hunger for hope and purpose. Families are starving, and women can’t feed their children. Dogs walk the streets freely, shadowing people to pick up crumbs. They are skinny and wild, unaccustomed to kindness. So many living creatures are suffering here… and yet there are beautiful things to be seen. Wherever God’s creatures suffer, there is an opportunity to pour out the love of God. And anytime God pours out His love, and we share in His grace, there is beauty.

— Submitted by Wendy Williams

My motivation for first getting involved with Saturday Meals came from my desire to give back to this community and its people. God gives me free, unconditional love, and this is just one small way I can spread His love to others.

What I have discovered over time is that God is blessing me and using me in ways I never imagined. In serving the homeless and hungry in downtown Wilmington, God is teaching me a new level of contentment in life. This by no means is a way of suggesting, “Wow; these folks have nothing, and I’ve got it really good.” In truth, it’s just the opposite.

One of the worst things we can do as humans is compare. When we compare, we set up scales that judge our lives against others: looks, income, possessions, talents, etc. When God created us, He had long planned our purpose in His glory, not according to our own. No one human soul is worse or better than the next, we are ALL unique and serve a purpose in His plan.  We will surely arrive at different circumstances in our worldly lives, some good and some not so great, but God values each and every soul He has created with a very special purpose.

As Christians, we understand the importance of fellowship and community. When you work with a dedicated group of people, you establish relationships. The relationships that are developed through this program, just as any other, start and live in fullness to help each other in supporting and improving the lives of ALL people in Wilmington.  It is a blessing to see the smile on a person you are serving, not necessarily because we come with a hot meal, but simply because we love each other, and are happy to be able to spend more time together.

This program, to me, is not about providing a meal to the less fortunate. That’s what is “seen,” but in truth we are serving God’s people, regardless of color, creed, beliefs or social status. And in this fellowship, the blessings we receive in return are mutual, not based on a meal, but in sharing the truths of our lives and giving all Glory correctly to God.

My hope is that the transformation of God’s love in peoples’ hearts, just as has been done in mine, will branch outside of Wilmington and go out into the world. God is doing just that in me, as I am headed to Kenya in December!

The world has amazing potential when we remember that each, every and any person we encounter, at any moment of any day, just in fact could be Jesus.

—Submitted by Todd Devine