The Upside to Fear

I still have to pack... Photo Credit: Creative Commons

I am racked with anxiety! 

There are just days before I leave for a missions trip to Guatemala.

I am not prepared.

Forget the packing, the funds, the logistics, this is about my heart.

I feel inadequate to the challenges ahead. Who will I minister to? What do I have to offer? Why would anyone listen to me? I have nothing to give!

Have you ever felt this way?

I remember feeling this way before becoming a mom for the first time. Then again when I was preparing to repeat that feat with the second child.

I remember feeling that way when I sat down to write for this blog the first time and then again before my book was published.

The Upside to Fear

This is not a freeze-in-your-boots-and-let-the-enemy-win kind of fear, but a check in your spirit to remember to be humble. There is a difference. Feeling inadequate to the task can be a good thing. It is our minds and hearts telling us we are not enough on our own.

How do I know? Because even Paul did not think he could handle something, and God said "My grace is sufficient."

"I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But the Lord said, “My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.” So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me. Yes, I am glad to have weaknesses if they are for Christ. I am glad to be insulted and have hard times. I am glad when I am persecuted and have problems, because it is when I am weak that I am really strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 ERV

I am not anyone special. I have my own set of issues: I have a short fuse, I am overweight and I bite my nails too often, just to name a few, but God, who is more than able to answer any need, to mend any hurt, and to free anyone, is bigger than my shortcomings and weaknesses. He is more than enough in every situation.

Job, who's life fell apart bit by bit in a matter of hours, refused to doubt the greatness and goodness of God. If he can have faith in the most dire of circumstances, I can trust God as I travel to a country in my own hemisphere.

I may not know what the future holds, but as the old song says, " I know who holds the future!"

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

So when I go and the task seems to great I will remember the words of Peter: "silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give unto thee"!

Join the Conversation: 

Have you ever felt to little for the task? What was your situation like and did you see God's grace in it after it was all done?

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CAN YOU HELP ME GET WRECKED?

HELP SEND THE GOSPEL AROUND THE WORLD

The Bible is clear: we are supposed to go.

I know I am called to go. To preach the gospel, to love on and minister to the sick, the hurt and the broken.

That is why I am asking for your help.

I have a hard time imagining a world where there is no running water, no doctor, or no school for my child. Maybe you do too. After all, we live pretty blessed lives. But the world is full of places just like that.

The mountains of Guatemala is one of those places. There is a missions trip scheduled in February to go minister to the people there and I would love to go, but I do not have the funds.

This is where you come in.

Matthew 25:34-40 says (ERV) 

“Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made. It is yours because when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you welcomed me into your home. When I was without clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you cared for me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’ Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?  When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’

COUNT THE COST (AND COUNT IT ALL JOY) 

I know that this may not be the best time of year to ask for help. I get it. I also know that people frown on giving money to "preachers", but I am not a preacher. I am just an ordinary woman who is trying to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of other ordinary people: people without food, electricity, health care, or hope.

It will cost almost $900 for the trip but I will have to get from Houston to Miami first, so that will add another $400. This is a lot of money for me.

$1,300.00 to be exact!  (See how much has been given already and how far I have to go!) 

But you could help send me there. To make a donation of $10 or more, click this link:

This will make a secure and fast donation directly through Crowd Funding and will help me minister to the people of Guatemala.

If for some reason this trip does not work out (space is limited and may fill up before I raise the funds, I will use the funds for another trip) I am going to travel with Adventures in Missions, so there is always somewhere to go and something to do. Should every thing fall through, the donations can be refunded. Just remember this: 

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 NLT

So please, if you have just three minutes and at least $10 to spare can you give now? Just click the Crowdfunding link now to make your safe, and secure donation now.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at ayearinthespirituallife@hotmail.com.

*** I am not a Charity and do not function as a 501c3. Therefore, your donation is really a gift and not tax deductible. Thank you for sowing into this ministry. *** 

Ministry Highlight: Builders International with Director Ryan Moore

Ryan and Laci Moore 

As a girl I wanted to be a missionary to Russia. That did not work out, but Russia is just behind the United States as the second largest readership of this blog.

My body may not be in Russia, but I have an impact there. Why? Because this is my mission field.

Missions have always been a part of God's plan for the redemption of man. Jesus told the disciples to Go! Go to all the world. This is the Great commission.

There are men and women all over the world who leave their homes, their loved ones, the comfort of their indoor plumbing and the luxury of a convenient store on every corner to carry out this commission every day.

But missionaries face obstacles. Governments, superstitions, lack of finances and even facilities. This is why I am so excited to introduce to you Builder's International (BI) and Ryan Moore, the director of BI.

I had the privilege of meeting Ryan and his family several months back and I am so glad to share you their heart for missions.

From time to time I highlight a ministry I believe in and Builder's International is just such a ministry. Like me, you may have had a heart for missions when you were younger. Perhaps you feel called to go, but feel like you have nothing to offer.

BI offers non-traditional ways to help serve in the missions field. Keep reading the interview with Ryan below to see how you can become a missionary if you know how to swing a hammer or run a construction crew.

Thanks from the Moore Family from Ryan Moore on Vimeo.

Dayna (D): What is your background in church? In Building?

Ryan (R): I am an Assemblies of God preachers kid. Raised in church my entire life. I have a B.S. in civil engineering from Lamar University, served in the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer Corp for 6 ½ years. Then became a missionary with Assemblies of God to serve with Builders International.

D: When did you feel called to the Missions Field?

R: (My) First inclination was during a missions trip as a kid to Guatemala. Then, 4 years after high school, feeling led into ministry, I registered at SAGU. A couple months before going there, we had a missionary at the church my dad pastored, during lunch after service the missionary shared his experience growing up on the mission field. One of the things he told us about was how challenging construction projects where for his parents. From that conversation, I felt lead into construction missions, dropped my registration at SAGU and applied for the C.E. program at Lamar.

D: What does BI do?

R: Short answer: Plan, promote, and implement construction project for Assemblies of God partner fellowships around the world.

D: Why is church building so important?

R: Think of church in the USA, now pretend that there is a pastor, a congregation, people being saved, and a community in need; but they have nowhere to meet. This is a huge hindrance in the churches ability to minister to the community. A facility is simply a vital tool to help a church fulfill it’s missions to reach it’s community.

We actually focus more on Bible schools, than churches. That is because these facilities are used to train pastors, which have an exponential effect in our efforts to reach the world with the Gospel. Within our fellowship, there is a church planted every 45 minutes, and a minister trained every 50 minutes. That means that we have a shortage of over 1,100 ministers per year to lead the churches and sustain this new growth.

D: What is your favorite thing about BI?

R: The gratification of helping people in need around the world, as well as meeting graduates of some of the schools around the world who are doing amazing work around the world.

D: What kind of results do you see when a new church is built?

R: I think the story of Global School of Theology North West in Rustenburg, South Africa tells the story perfect. What the video at: http://youtu.be/nV72KuvPbFM

When a school is built, it continues to create ministers that reach people in places that we may never go as the American church.

A good example of a church story would be in Haiti. After the earthquake, we helped rebuild a church in the community of Meilleur, Port-au-Prince. Their building was very small before the quake and was destroyed, we built a new 60’x80’ church for them. At the church dedication in February, there were over 500 people from the community there. This new building gave them a new presence in the community increasing their ability to minister.

Here are some pictures (at the very bottom are a couple of pictures of their old facility)

D: Do you have 1 moment that stands out in your mind above all others (that you can share) which tells us about the needs of the people you serve?

R: One (of many that really stand out) is when I visited a temporary earthquake refugee camp in Haiti with a group of pastors from the United States. The majority of the people in the camp were kids, every one of them short on food and water, no public sewer and an awful place for a human to have to exist. As we walked out of the camp (after singing some songs with the kids and passing out candy), a couple of the pastors who had not been in a 3rd world country began to break down and weep. There are still people living there because they cannot afford to leave. Builders International has been in Haiti helping to rebuild grade schools and churches since the 2010 earthquake. Here is a video update on our work there.

D: I recently did a series of blog posts about priorities. How do you balance ministry with family and spouse?

R: This is easier to talk about than to practice, but here are my thoughts. When my mind gets going thinking about work to be done or an unfinished task, I get very wrapped up in it. Loving the work I am a part of at Builders International is a blessing, but I have had to create physical limits on my working to protect my time with my family. I go to every soccer practice and soccer game, leave the office NLT 5:00pm every day, limit annual international travel to 2 months per year and no longer than 2 weeks at a time.

D: If you had to list your top 5 priorities what would that look like? How often do those change?

R: 1. Relationship with God 2. Relationship with Wife 3. Raising Children 4. Church and church family 5. Living a life that builds others up

D: What are your short term (1 year) goals for BI?

R: We have detailed list of goals and targets that I am not sure how to share. I think this will be best….
Our short and long term goals revolve around finding the right staff, funding the work, involving more volunteer construction teams, locating field construction missionaries and finishing more projects that impact lives with the Gospel.

D: How can people help?

R: Giving, going, praying

D: What kinds of roles or jobs does BI need to fill?

R: BI operates on volunteer labor. We have intern positions available as well that include work abroad for engineers, architects, construction science majors as well as marketing/graphic arts. A priority position we are currently looking for is field construction foreman. This is someone who will live for a couple of years in a given location, with experience in construction internationally, to lead the work on site.

D: What skills are you looking for in someone who wants to go into the field to help?

R: A big part of our work is with short term volunteer construction teams. These trips are typically between 1 to 2 weeks. Construction experience and tradesman are a huge help on these teams, however, ANYONE with an able body and willing soul can take the adventure of a lifetime and come help us build.

For more on opportunities and how to get involved, contact Rob Kinney in the teams department at Builders International. rob@buildersintl.org

D: What does a typical commitment to a "job site" look like?

R: No two job sites are the same, we help with everything from simply a site visit/due diligence review to acting like a construction company and handling all of the work. In Haiti, we have construction equipment, a full time construction superintendent, a Haitian crew, and utilize many teams each year from the states to complete the work. In other places, like a project we are helping in Bangladesh where we must keep a lower profile, we help raise funds, apply for grants and promote the project, but do not oversee the actual work.

D: How do you apply to BI?

R: IT starts with a call to BI and then looking over the requirements for missions application at www.wideopenmissions.org

D: Is there a vetting process and if yes, how long does it take? (from application to field how long can an applicant expect to wait?)

R: Yes, the length of time depends on the type of volunteer. A career missions application/itineration cycle takes a good 2 years. However, a MAPS Associate only needs to fill out minimal paper work and can be cleared to work in the field in a matter of a few weeks. There are several other options that fall between these two.

D: If people cannot physically go to another country, are there other ways to help?

R: 1. Participation in “The Foundation” is a great way for those who believe in our work can help make projects happen all over the world. For details go to: http://buildersintl.org/donate/

2. Attending our annual Vision Casting fund raiser, this year in Branson, MO. For information and details to this by invitation event, contact Julie Zietlow,julie@buildersintl.org.

D: How can people donate to BI?

R: Click here for the link to give to BI securely.

D: My blog is about finding your purpose in Christ. What can you share about purpose and the journey to fulfill God's call on our lives?

R: According to Eph 2:10 we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works that He planned in advance for us to. Finding our purpose starts with full submission to God, until that happens, there is only work, eat, sleep, repeat. Once we submit to God and truly seek his will, one step at a time He will reveal it. It takes time. It may mean moving to Africa, it may mean keeping on doing what you are doing, but with purpose. From the time I felt a call to construction missions work till the day I made it to Builders International was over 10 years.

D: Do you have to raise a portion or all of your personal salary through offerings or fundraising?

R: Like all other Assemblies of God missionaries, we have to raise all of our missions budget. This budget covers our salary and all work expenses. This is accomplished by church and personal donors both on a monthly basis and with special offerings. Those interested in partnering with us personally on a monthly basis can do so HERE.


You can follow Ryan on Twitter or FaceBook.

Join the Conversation: Have you ever wanted to go on a missions trip? Leave your comment below!