On Monday, June 20th beLOVE Inc. will be holding their inaugural charity golf tournament. This event will be held with the specific purpose of raising $50,000 to take a team to Mozambique later this summer to build an orphanage for more than three dozen African children.
Please click here to register for this event and join us for a great day on the golf course. If you are not a golfer, or are not located in the Washington, DC area, we encourage you to consider either sponsoring this event or donating directly to beLOVE Inc. by sending a check to the following address:
beLOVE Inc. PO Box 1742 Silver Spring, MD 20915
Thank so you so much for your support of the dream that God has placed on our hearts: to love the nations in the name of Jesus Christ.
On December 23, Becky and I will be hosting a live online recap to talk about our 11 month journey to 11 different countries last year. We will never be able to fully express how grateful we are to those of you who supported us last year and those who have taken the time over the past five months since we've been home to sit down and ask us about our trip. We are looking forward to the opportunity to share with you all a few of our experiences from the mission field and how we witnessed first-hand God moving all over the globe.
The online recap will be organized as a webinar, so all you have to do is click below to register and then hop online on Thursday, December 23rd at 4:30pm. We will be sharing a few first-hand stories from the experiences we had in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia. We'll try our best to express the impact that this trip has had on our hearts while witnessing God's work in some unbelievable ways in the following areas:
- The relationships we developed with some incredible kids while living in orphanages in Nicaragua, Swaziland and the Philippines.
- The miracles we witnessed in Mozambique and Malawi.
- Walking step-for-step where Jesus carried the cross almost 2,000 year ago and then baptizing my wife in the same waters that the Holy Spirit was poured out onto Christ in the Jordan River.
- Teaching English for a week in an all-Muslim high school.
- Constructing homes, orphanages and churches alongside some amazing local people.
- Building relationships and helping to encourage women trapped in the ring of prostitution in Thailand.
- The vision that God has planted in our hearts to start a non-profit that will support those who are pursuing their kingdom dreams.
We will be sharing several pictures and videos from our time away last year so if you want to simply log on and watch/listen along we would love to have you join us. We will also be encouraging questions during the recap, so please feel free to ask and/or share your comments.
If you would like to attend online, please sign up by clicking here. If you have any trouble with the registration just send us an email and we will help get you set up.
Before we left for the World Race back in June of 2009, I
had a reoccurring dream/nightmarethat I have
shared with many of you. In those final
few months leading up to the Race, I would find myself waking up in a cold
sweat in the middle of the night. The
ending of that dream would always be the same. I hung hundreds of feet above the stadium in which I watched the younger
version of myself playing on a bright green field. Then, the hand that was dangling me from above
turned me to the left which brought into view "another" stadium which was jam
packed with spectators. And then, I was
let go.
A few months ago I had a vision which I believe is the continuation
and completion of that reoccurring dream from my past. As I sat in silence praying for God's
direction, I felt my body being suspended from above in that awkward and
terrifying position I had visualized so many times before. This time however, as the hand dropped me
and I began to free fall, I was not afraid and started soaring toward the
"other" stadium. As I continued to pick
up speed I found myself flying over top of the spectators and down onto the
field. I squinted as I tried to focus my
eyes on the players that were on this new field.
I was excited to discover what God had in store for me at this
new venue. As I scanned over each of the
players, trying to locate 'myself', my body continued to fly forward. I was now headed off of the field and towards
a man on the sidelines wearing a headset. My thoughts shifted. Maybe God
didn't want me 'on the playing field' anymore. Maybe He had plans for me to become some kind of coach or mentor. As I flew towards the 'coach' I felt a
certain peace come over my body. That
feeling however, quickly faded, as I found myself flying right over top of the
man with the head set and up into the stands.
I was gaining speed now as I skimmed over top of thousands
of cheering fans who packed the stadium. Then I was turned and flown through one of the cement exit gates. My mind was frantically scrambled for
answers. Where was I going? Why wasn't I on the field, or at the very
least able to see it?
As I flew around the corner my body was abruptly stopped in
midair and there I stood. I was on the
other side of the concession stand, face to face with the popcorn making
machine. And that was it. The vision was over.
Now I've been sharing this vision with several of the people
that we've met from around the world over these past few months. There seems to be one overly resounding
message that has come in response to this startling vision. God is ready to use me for something totally
different than anything I could have ever possibly imagined. I believe that He wants to use me in this
next phase of my life to take a back seat and support those around me. With the journey God has taken me on this
past year in dealing with my selfish issues of pride and moving me toward
humility, I can think of no more appropriate idea than simply "serving
popcorn".
With that said, Becky and I have decided that we will be
starting a non-profit organization when we get home. The mission of this organization will be to
help God's people reach their kingdom dreams to love others and serve the
nations. In the most practical sense, we
are going to help people who have a passionate dream to serve God around the
world. This organization will be focused
on doing the "behind the scenes" work to get a ministry up and running.
We have been blessed with two initial opportunities that God
has called us to help serve. The first
one is in combination with our friend Trish, from New Zealand, and our brother Elijah, from Mozambique. Trish, our teammate
from the World Race, has had a long time calling on her life to run an
orphanage. She is amazing with kids and
everyone who knows her has no doubts that this is her calling.
Elijah, or Elias as the locals know him, was our translator
back in November when we served in Mozambique. Elijah has been dreaming for a few years now of building an orphanage in
his hometown of Beira to house, feed, play with and educate the several dozen
kids that he helps to oversee from his community. Over the second half of this year we are
going to start raising funds to help him buy the land and build this
orphanage. In the early part of 2011 we
will be putting together a small team of people from around the globe to fly to
Mozambique for a 1-2 week mission trip to lay brick upon brick, and bring this
orphanage to life.
Our second opportunity that God has just recently placed in
our paths is to help out a passionate young woman by the name of Jodi. Jodi will be finishing her journey on the World Race at the end of this
month. She and her team had the pleasure
of visiting Malaybalay, Philippines just a month after the people there had
stolen our hearts back in March. While
Jodi was there, she fell in love with a group of teenagers who have found
themselves trapped in the jail system. Jodi's God inspired dream is to set up a juvenile rehabilitation center
which would be the first of its kind in the city of Malaybalay.
At this point, we feel as though we have the general
framework and purpose for this non-profit organization. However, one of the things that we are still
lacking at the moment is a name. If you
could please add this to your prayers and let us know what thoughts you come up
with we would be eternally grateful. We
will keep you informed as things develop and thank you again for all of your
support and love over this past year. God bless.
It's been 13 months of traveling the world and sharing the
love of Jesus Christ that brings us to this moment. This is the long awaited day that we are
finally flying home to the US. I have
never in my life felt this level of homesickness and I simply cannot wait to
see our friends and family whom we have been away from over this past year.
As I packed my bag this morning, for the 13th and
final time, a certain level of sadness came over me. We have met so many amazing people this past
year and I am excited to see how God continues to unite us with those around
the world who are doing His work. With
those newly formed relationship still on my heart I cannot help but think about
those at home in America.
There have been so many incredible changes that have taken place for those we know at home including marriages, births, new jobs and renewed
lives. I find myself inching towards the
edge of my seat in anticipation for the conversations that will be had over the
next few week and months. And even though I am ecstatic
about finally heading home to the States to hear these stories and just spend
time with those who God has placed in our lives, there are also feelings of fear
at what awaits us.
At this point, it is hard to even comprehend that God may have
changed me and Becky during our time out on the mission field. In a lot of ways, it feels like we are the exact
same people who stepped onto a plane back in June of 2009. The one thing that continues to come up time
and time again during my prayers recently is a comment that a guy in Israel
made to me at the end of last year. I can
remember the initial confusion and defensiveness I felt when I heard the
monotone words come out of his mouth, "'ish or 'less" he asked in the midst of one
of our ministry activities. When I
curtly shot back, "what does that mean?" his soft response hit my like a
dagger. "Which 'self' are you?" he
stated.
My prayer at this moment is that God will continue to give
me eyes, ears, hands and feet to serve others in the way that Christ came to serve
us. I pray that my attitude and actions
will be focused solely on those around me, and once and for all, will take me
out of the center. I am begging those of
you at home who know me to please help keep me accountable on this seemingly never-ending
challenge and battle.
God bless each one of you who have followed us along on our
journey over this past year. We are so
grateful for your support. Our heart and
prayers go out to you. Can't wait to see
you all soon. We love you.
During our ministry in Pak Chong, Thailand in May, we had the
pleasure of visiting with one of the most inspiring men we met on our entire
trip. Now this gentleman, who goes by
the prophetic name of Sweet, cannot speak normally or walk on his own...not as of yet
anyway. But God has been working in
miraculous ways to heal this incredible man beyond anything anyone could have possibly
imagined.
The story begins as Pastor Steve's wife Andrea was up north,
about 200 km away, visiting one of her church member's grandparents who was
recovering from a sickness in the hospital. As Andrea finished praying she gathered her belongings and exited the
large hospital room which housed several other patients. As she started down the hallway she felt a
hand gently touch her on the shoulder. A
soft voice in Thai desperately pleaded "will you please pray for my
brother?" As Andrea turned around, she
was confronted by a small Thai woman with tear filled eyes.
Andrea walked back into the hospital room and towards the bed
next to the one she had spent the previous hour in front of on her knees. She wasn't provided with very much
information from the woman who had pleaded for her to come back into the room,
but it was clear that the man had been in that bed for quite some time.
Brother Sweet was in his early 40's and had been admitted to
the hospital four months earlier for a seemingly routine case of the flu. Unfortunately, there was nothing routine
about this trip to the hospital as Sweet was accidently given an incorrect
injection which sent his body into convulsions. Sweet spiraled into a coma which left his body motionless and
unresponsive. His muscles had atrophied to
the point that they were no longer recognizable on any of his appendages. Sweet's
arms were curled across his body, resembling a sleeping bat, while his hands
and fingers were contorted into a deformed position underneath his chin. None of the medical staff had taken the time
to roll Sweet's body over or massage his back which resulted in large soars
protruding from his lower shoulder blades all the way down to the back of his
legs.
Andrea began calling out for God to heal this crippled and
lifeless man. Both Sweet and his sister
grew up as Buddhists along with the more than 95% of the nation of
Thailand. Sweet's sister listened in
intently over Andrea's shoulder as she prayed for a miracle in the name of
Jesus. And then it happened.
Sweet's eyes opened.
He had been comatose for more than a third of a year, and
then all of the sudden, by the power, glory and grace of God, he was awake. Sweet was disoriented and confused. His last memory had been from months before
as he walked into the hospital. And now
he was staring at a random white stranger next to his bed. Sweet's sister stepped forward in utter
amazement to embrace her brother. She
explained everything that had occurred. And then she gave her heart to Christ.
Andrea found out a few days later that the doctors had
actually signed Sweet's death certificate earlier that morning, as they had
finally written him off.
It has been a
little less than three months since Sweet awoke from his coma. He has also committed his life to Jesus. That brings the total head count up to two
Christians in their small village.
Sweet is on the verge of being able to walk on his own again and he is also regaining the ability to read, write and talk the way that he used to. It was such an absolute pleasure to walk along beside Sweet while providing only the slightest amount of support as joy and laughter poured out of him. Pastor Steve and Andrea continue to visit Sweet and his sister every other week. They pray for Sweet's complete
healing and for the other members of their village to come to know their Lord
and Savior. I ask that you will join us
in praying for the same. God bless.
The
experiences that we had in Malawi will certainly be remembered as some of the
most powerful displays of God's magnitude and grace. We met so many amazing people in this faith
filled nation. One of those young men
goes by the name Collins and has been blessed with an incredible gift. He has a musical ability that is unlike
anything we have ever witnessed. Collins
has recorded several songs and has already produced his first CD. A few of his songs are frequently played on
the local Lilongwe radio station and are considered by many to be national
favorites. Collins has a strong desire
to share the love of God with those he comes in contact with. His glowing smile and kind heart are
infectious. We are going to miss this
brother in Christ and will continue to hum along in our heads the tunes that he
has shared with the world.
Name: Whalen
Age: 14
years old
Hometown:
Kuala Lumpur
Of all the
young men that we have met around the world there is no one that reminds me
more of myself (for better or worse;) than this little fellow. Whalen, or David Beckham as he likes to
introduce himself, has an inner confidence that is difficult to overlook. Although he is one of the smallest kids in
his class, his abilities, work ethic and heart make up the difference and then
some. Whalen is incredibly gifted on the
soccer field and the sky is certainly the limit if he continues to put in the
hard work he has displayed so far on his journey. In the classroom, Whalen excels with his
diligent level of study. His kindhearted
nature can also been seen in his voluntary role as a teacher's assistant for
the younger grades. During one of our
final nights at Harvest Centre I had the pleasure of being placed alongside Whalen
in a small prayer group. At that point,
I didn't think it was possible for me to have any more respect for the gifts
that God has blessed Whalen with, but then I heard him pray. This may be his greatest gift of all. My prayer is that Whalen continues to focus
on God's purpose for his life and never settles for anything less.
Name: Ariel
Age: 13
years old
Hometown:
Malaybalay, Philippines
Our favorite
place that we visited this past year, hands down, has been the town of
Malaybalay in the Philippines. As
beautiful as the mountainside scenery is in this small township the the most
amazing thing about this place is the people that live there. Of all the incredible friends that we made
during our short month long stay, there was one boy who epitomized the heart
and soul of this area. Ariel is a
relatively quiet young man who when we first met him, was off by himself,
shooting hoops on a dirt basketball court. During his three years while living at the KIM Kids Home, Ariel has
blossomed into the aspiring older brother that his 25 younger 'siblings' can
look up to. He is always ready and
willing to help take care of the other orphans at the home and does so with a
compassionate heart. He has a fun
loving passion that seems to be a dying trait in so many young kids today. During our final week in Malaybalay we were
able to get Ariel into one of our local basketball games. It was our typical Tuesday game against
Pastor Rhogene's high school boys. Although Ariel was the youngest one on the court by more than three
years his work ethic, hustle and God-given talent shone through. He never hesitated to pull the trigger on an
open jump shot and his confidence and ambition paid off as he hit one of the
final shots of the game. Keep leading
your younger brothers and sisters at KIM by example Ariel. God has blessed you with an awesome gift to
inspire those around you.
Name: Pie
Age: 19
years old
Hometown:
Pak Chong, Thailand
I was
pleasantly surprised to see a young man wearing a rivaling soccer jersey as we
entered the church in Pak Chong during our final month of ministry in
April. Although Pie stayed mostly to
himself for the first few days when we arrived, I had no idea what I was in for
as we began to learn more about this exceptional man of God. Pie has been raised, for the most part, by
Andrea, Pastor Steve's wife, for the past decade. He has a quiet way about him which seems
pretty typical for many of the males here in Thailand. Pie is currently attending university, which
makes him the first in his family to accomplish such a feat. He has spent the better part of the past four
years living on a daily food budget of just under $1 to make reaching this goal
possible. This extreme discipline that
Pie has effectively incorporated into his life has also allowed him to move out
of his family's home and into his own apartment, with one of his best friends,
making this financially possible. This
act of independence and responsibility is virtually unheard of for a young man
Pie's age as the culture in Thailand typically dictates that kids tend to stay
under the family roof until they reach their early 30's. Pie's maturity and leadership makes him a
prime candidate to one day take over for Pastor Steve and fill the local head
of the church role that he and his wife have been searching for since they
arrived almost 18 years ago. God has big
plans for this young man and I am excited to see the kind of impact Pie has on
the city of Pak Chong, the nation of Thailand and the world as a whole.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of SONSHIP.And by him we cry, "Abba,Father." (Romans 8:15)
To my beloved brothers in Christ (Alex, Orlando, Sake, Marius, Mohamed, Thando, Anthony, Collins, Whalen, Ariel and Pie). Know that you are loved by the Father. You are sons of the creator of the universe. And He loves you just the way He made you. God bless.