We can't believe it has already been two months since we were accepted to join Mercy Ships. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of emails and words of encouragement from all of you. We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family! It has been amazing seeing God confirm this decision over and over through books we have read, sermons we have listened to, people we tell our story to, and scripture we have read during our times alone with God. There is an amazing peace knowing you are exactly where God wants you to be at a particular time. Contentment does come through obedience.
For the past few weeks our Pastor (Shawn Lovejoy, Mountain Lake Church, Cumming) has been preaching through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. This scripture truly describes how a follower of Christ is supposed to look, think, live, and treat those around him. Am I "salt" in a world in desperate need of preservation? Am I "light" to a world living in darkness? Am I following the "law" instead of Jesus? Do I "hate" my neighbor? Do I keep my word? Do I give to the poor? Do I do good deeds just to impress my fellow Christians? Do I pray for God's will to be done or mine? Am I accumulating treasures and possessions here on earth, or am I willing to give it all up to dedicate time, efforts, and resources to eternal treasures? Am I so anxious about tomorrow I can't function today? Am I judgmental? Is the "fruit" in my life glorifying to God or embarrassing?
In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, there is a verse that God is unpacking before our very eyes! Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says, "Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." Because of our delay in leaving for Africa, we were faced with four months of unemployment and the prospect of having a baby with no health insurance. The hospital (Northeast Georgia Medical Center) has been outstanding in supporting us in this endeavor, and they have assured us of continued employment and health insurance during our extra four months here. And then, the very next week, we lost our renters in Augusta mid-way through a 2-year lease. Within 3 days we had new renters AND $200 more a month in rent! Why are we so amazed when God is willing and faithful to keep His word?
It really boils down to this - do we believe Jesus is who He says He is, do we believe He can do what He says He can do, and do we believe His scripture when He tells us not to worry about tomorrow? Do we believe it all - really?!? As we get ready to leave for Africa in January it will be so easy to be anxious about taking a new baby to a third world country, or having to raise $100,000, or having to sell or rent our house here in Gainesville. But as Matthew 6:33 promises, if we seek Him FIRST, HE will give us EVERYTHING else we need! Philippians 4:6-7 says this: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." So, why should we worry when we are striving to serve God and follow His plans for our life?
Prayer Requests:
Kevin, Melissa, Will, Emily, and "Baby"
For the past few weeks our Pastor (Shawn Lovejoy, Mountain Lake Church, Cumming) has been preaching through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. This scripture truly describes how a follower of Christ is supposed to look, think, live, and treat those around him. Am I "salt" in a world in desperate need of preservation? Am I "light" to a world living in darkness? Am I following the "law" instead of Jesus? Do I "hate" my neighbor? Do I keep my word? Do I give to the poor? Do I do good deeds just to impress my fellow Christians? Do I pray for God's will to be done or mine? Am I accumulating treasures and possessions here on earth, or am I willing to give it all up to dedicate time, efforts, and resources to eternal treasures? Am I so anxious about tomorrow I can't function today? Am I judgmental? Is the "fruit" in my life glorifying to God or embarrassing?
In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, there is a verse that God is unpacking before our very eyes! Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says, "Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." Because of our delay in leaving for Africa, we were faced with four months of unemployment and the prospect of having a baby with no health insurance. The hospital (Northeast Georgia Medical Center) has been outstanding in supporting us in this endeavor, and they have assured us of continued employment and health insurance during our extra four months here. And then, the very next week, we lost our renters in Augusta mid-way through a 2-year lease. Within 3 days we had new renters AND $200 more a month in rent! Why are we so amazed when God is willing and faithful to keep His word?
It really boils down to this - do we believe Jesus is who He says He is, do we believe He can do what He says He can do, and do we believe His scripture when He tells us not to worry about tomorrow? Do we believe it all - really?!? As we get ready to leave for Africa in January it will be so easy to be anxious about taking a new baby to a third world country, or having to raise $100,000, or having to sell or rent our house here in Gainesville. But as Matthew 6:33 promises, if we seek Him FIRST, HE will give us EVERYTHING else we need! Philippians 4:6-7 says this: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." So, why should we worry when we are striving to serve God and follow His plans for our life?
Prayer Requests:
- Melissa is in her first trimester and is having the typical morning sickness with a lot of fatigue, and she continues to home school Will. Pray for strength and energy for her and for me to be more supportive.
- I (Kevin) will be having my gall bladder out on March 24th. Pray for a quick recovery. I'm a big baby when I get sick.
- Wisdom in selling or renting our house here in Gainesville.
- Wisdom in dealing with all our "stuff" - selling, donating, or storing.
- Raising our financial support. We will be sending out a financial support request letter in the next couple of weeks with more details. We are required to have raised or have pledged 75% of our budget goals. With the help of the Mercy Ships financial department, we have calculated a monthly budget of ~$4500. More on this in the next newsletter.
Kevin, Melissa, Will, Emily, and "Baby"
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