Prayer IS the Battle

Prayer is not preparation for the battle. Prayer is the battle. -Brother Andrew

The more time I invest in my young refugee friends, the more I learn about their personalities, interests, and potential. But I also become more aware of their individual needs and the issues in their communities. I realize just how powerless I am in myself in the midst of the spiritual war being waged over kids' souls. They are vulnerable to harmful influences all around: unforgettable haunts of the past, possible abuse at home, bullying & peer-pressure at school, less-than-desirable role models, drug deals, human-trafficking, "games" they somehow learn that are nothing short of witchcraft, and the deceptive, ever-present religious organizations (which often put us to shame with their evangelistic efforts), not to mention parents who may question & restrict their interaction with Christians. Honestly, it's easy to let hopelessness creep in.

I'm so thankful for God's constant reminders through His Word and fellow believers this week that it's not up to me to protect, heal, save, or transform their lives. Our God loves each one so much more than I ever could; He knows their past, their problems, their joys, their spiritual journeys, and their futures. God just wants me to faithfully show and tell them about that Love and to pour my fighting energies into praying for them and praying against those schemes of the evil one.

Below I have outlined how you can join me in praying over these children's specific neighborhoods.

Pray for the residents of an apartment complex of mostly Sudanese & Congolese refugees:
-for an end to war in their homelands
-protection of Christians and a testimony of unity & forgiveness to unbelieving neighbors
-God's provision for physical, spiritual, emotional needs
-unbelievers' hearts to be opened to Truth, to desire to seek Jesus, Christians, and the Bible
-children to keep coming to For the Nations Summer Reading Program, to learn & grow in knowledge of Jesus and the gospel
-parents' softened hearts to allow children to attend this summer
-young hearts guarded against lies & deception they hear on a daily basis

I have been especially burdened to pray over a large neighborhood of Afghans, Iraqis, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Congolese, etc.:
-for an end to the violence & killing in their homelands, salvation of terrorists & victims, free/stable governments, protection of relatives still in danger, freedom for Christians & testimony of love & forgiveness
-continued open doors for relationships & ministry, including swimming lessons (many refugee kids drown here each year)
-new believers: physical/spiritual/emotional protection, growth, discipleship, bold & loving testimony among neighbors & family
-unbelievers' hearts to be opened to Truth, to desire to seek Jesus, Christians, and the Bible
-children to keep coming to For the Nations Summer Reading Program, to learn & grow in knowledge of Jesus and the gospel
-parents' softened hearts to allow children to attend this summer
-protection of children from evil influences, abuse, false religion, witchcraft, drugs, gangs, and effects of unhealed trauma

"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel... that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Ephesians 6:18-20

*Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*

Refugees & Reptiles

First week of Summer Reading Program 2017... ✓

Thank you for your prayers; God certainly blessed us with a great church team from Iowa, smooth transportation & logistics, and lots of children. We had over 200 refugee kids each day, and we're expecting a lot more next week when summer school is out. Whoo-hoo!

It's exciting that so many kids are hearing the Good News every day this summer, but there's been plenty of spiritual opposition as well. Please keep the following situations in your prayers:

1) Two of Farida's* daughters came for the first few days of our Reading Program, but their father has withdrawn them and enrolled them in the local mosque's summer program instead.

2) Keep praying that Hassan* and his sister and brother will be allowed to come.


Chaperoning four children who only speak Iraqi Arabic during this week's Friday field trip to the Dallas Zoo was a highlight (and good language practice). It was a fun time for all the kids to experience how God reveals Himself through His amazing creation that we learned about this week. I'll never forget trying to catch up with my littlest charge who was bee-lining for the reptile building while yelling "SNAKE!!!" A child after my own heart :).

Three of the four are siblings from my class of new-to-America children, and it's been a challenging privilege trying to translate into Arabic during the daily Bible lesson. Next week we'll be talking more in-depth about sin and Jesus' sacrifice, so please pray that God will help me be effective in communicating the truth and love of Jesus Christ, and for understanding hearts. He crosses all boundaries!

For lots more photos of FTNRO summer fun, check out the Facebook page :)


*Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*

Summer Is Coming!!!

HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN + VOLUNTEERS + BIBLE STORIES + READING CHALLENGES + GAMES + PRIZES + SONGS + ART PROJECTS + SWIMMING LESSONS + FIELD TRIPS + LOTS MORE FUN = THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM!!!

If you haven't guessed, summer at For the Nations Refugee Outreach is my favorite! Almost every day for 8 weeks, we get to minister to hundreds of K-8th grade refugee kids, helping them advance their English, reading and math skills while introducing them to Jesus Christ. Here's a slide show from last year to give you a taste of the fun:

As you can imagine, a summer like this takes a LOT of prayer, planning, coordination, and hard work! It's a great opportunity for building God's kingdom, and there are lots of ways that YOU can help: 1. Partner financially! I thank God for answered prayer in reaching 35% of my monthly goal. I still have a long way to go in order to serve full-time before summer ministry starts on June 12. Would you consider partnering with me at $50, $100, or some other monthy amount?

Partner Financially

2. Volunteer! We need more volunteers! If you live in the Dallas area, why not spend a week (or whatever works for you) sharing God's love with refugee children?

Volunteer

3. Intern! Do you know a college student/graduate with a heart for cross-cultural ministry? We have extended the deadline for Summer Internship applications.

Internship

4. Pray! You don't have to live in Dallas to mightily impact lives through prayer.

Praises Abigail has recovered from her car-accident injuries! Alya* is staying strong in the Lord; continue to pray for her difficult family situation. Rania,* an Iraqi refugee woman, has agreed to help me improve my Arabic! Prayer Staff to plan God-honoring, educational, enjoyable activities (while finishing up spring classes!) Refugee children & parents to receive the Good News with joy. Interns & volunteers ready to learn and serve the Lord

So blessed to have my dad and the other elders of Rockwall Bible Church pray for me this morning
at my commissioning service! I thank the Lord for my sending church!

How will YOU get involved in refugee ministry this summer? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let's see how God will work. To God be the glory!

*Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*

Spiritual Warfare

Dear Prayer Warriors, This past Saturday I was reminded of the serious spiritual warfare that goes on when one prays for, serves, and shares Jesus with Mslm friends. During an apartment-complex outreach event for kids, I chatted with Farida,* whose kids faithfully attend our Kids' Clubs on Wednesdays. She's only 26, but she and her husband are trying hard to provide their seven children with a well-rounded education the best way they know -- by sending them to Quran school from 5-8pm every day. Every day… except Wednesdays when they get to be tutored by "the friendly Christians who help them with homework and teach them religion and morals." Pray that God will open their eyes to see the difference. My heart cries for her children, who understand that Jesus is God and the only answer to our sin-problem, but also live with constant inundation of contradiction. Pray for these sweet children, who love to learn about Jesus but feel they must scratch His name off their crafts before they go home.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:12,18-19)

*Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*

Happy Karen New Year!

Back in January, I had the privilege of celebrating the Karen New Year with other For the Nations staff and our Karen students. It was a great time of learning about the history and culture of the Karen people of Burma. Several community leaders, including officers from the Dallas Police Department and the principal of the local elementary school gave short speeches thanking the Karen refugees for how their presence has enriched the community.

Of course, a cultural event is never complete without lots of traditional music, dances, and food! Groups from all over Texas presented their talented dances, including some girls from on of our Kids' Clubs. My favorite was the bamboo dance, which consisted of multiple dancers stepping in and out of moving bamboo poles. When they introduced their dance, the group said that since they couldn't find large enough bamboo in this country, they would perform with large PVC pipes, the "American bamboo!"

In This Is Love...

"What do you think 'atoning sacrifice' means?" she asked the crowd of 30+ refugee children. I'll never forget my first-ever weekend neighborhood outreach with For the Nations Refugee Outreach. It was just over a week ago, the Saturday before Valentine's Day. As I directed people-traffic and scribbled African and Afghan names on 30 nametags, I wondered about the impending chaos. After all, some of the middle-school-aged boys had a reputation for disruption. Most of these kids come from Mslm families; would they just scoff at the teaching from the Bible? Would they even understand it? But some of the kids proved otherwise. After the Bible lesson, we began memorizing 1 John 4:10 phrase-by-phrase using heart-shaped cards. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." When one lady asked "what do you think 'atoning sacrifice' means?" my eyes immediately turned to Hassan.* Sure enough, his hand shot up. "That's easy. A sacrifice is something that dies in someone's place so they can live. Jesus is the sacrifice who took our sins and died in our place." Boom. If his peers heard nothing else that day, I hope they at least listened to Hassan's words. Hassan is always proud to display his knowledge of soccer, spelling, or spiritual things. I can always count on him to ask (or answer) deep questions about the Bible stories at our weekly homework help. I'm glad he has learned the gospel so clearly through our programs, but I hope he desires to know God personally. Pray that Hassan will believe in his heart that Jesus loves him and came to die as his atoning sacrifice.

More news: My monthly support level is just past 25%! I immersed into Karen culture at the local Karen New Year festival -- a great opportunity to bond with students outside the classroom (photos coming soon). Executive order about refugees: For the Nations has issued this statement and these practical suggestions. We're still committed to share the message of Jesus' love to refugees while we have ample opportunity. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to talk more or hear my perspective. *Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*

A Call to Prayer

The Burma ESL group reading from the gospel of Luke.

But when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Matthew 9:36-38

One thing the Lord has been teaching me through this full-time-support-raising-missions process is the necessity of prayer. It gives me the peace to trust in the One who is Lord of the harvest. As I pray for God to send workers, I can't help but catch His urgent compassion for those who are weary and scattered. The beautiful thing is that to answer our prayer, He often changes us sheep into the laborers He sends out. What a privilege to be called to prayer!

With the start of classes this week after Christmas break and staff training, our ESL classes were full with several new students and eager returners. While it was fun to re-connect with students, several of our key staff and volunteers were absent or sick, so things have been a little hectic. Quite literally, the harvest was plentiful and the laborers were few! But it has been so encouraging to see new "laborers" fill in the gaps, even several from my home church family. You guys know who you are… thank you for volunteering!

Another highlight from the week happened at our Thursday after-school Kids' Club. A young Iraqi girl (whom we thought had stopped coming because of the Gospel emphasis) came to Club and sat in the front during the Bible story. The best part was that she came because she was invited by Mona*(names changed for privacy), a refugee girl from Sudan who is a young believer and was recently baptized. Praise God for raising up Mona to send into His harvest!

• Pray for Mona's continued spiritual growth, and pray that her friend Jewel* will consistently attend Kids' Club this year and want to know Jesus.
• Pray for my ability to balance various roles: I am teaching an adult ESL level 4 class on Wednesdays, TA-ing for a level 2 class, and shadowing the children's director as I look toward eventually taking on more responsibilities with Kids' Clubs & outreaches. I am also still working part-time as my church's secretary and, of course, building connections for support-raising.
• Pray that prayer, not anxiety, will become my default response to everything God brings my way.
• Pray that God will give me wisdom as I raise support, that I will be teachable and trust God for provision, and that He will guide me to the right ministry partnerships in His timing.

*Names changed for privacy reasons. To respect the privacy of individuals mentioned in this post, please do not share this information in a public setting or on social media.*