Once on ground with Overland Missions in Zambia, we prepped, looked-over and packed up our trucks, and we set off for western Zambia from Livingston.
Our Travel was long, hard, bumpy, mostly slow and just physically tasking, but 'twas the beginning of a GREAT adventure. We got to cross over this shady steel bridge, with mostly just beams for a platform. In my quick "mechanical analysis" based on my vast experience in 3rd world bridge design, it was as good as they come ;) We still however had everyone hop out the trucks...just in case :) Even got to take the trucks across the Zambezi on a ferry. Pretty cool I think!
A good majority of our 2-day hike involved this type terrain. Sandy, dusty, often wet and lots of obstacles(trees and their branches) to clear and provide a clear enough path for the trucks.
Yes, a couple of us guys spent a good portion of the night running in front of the trucks, clearing brusch, chopping down trees and hacking branches to make a drivable path in the middle of NOWHERE...all this happening at about midnight or so. The machete came in real handy.
At one point, still about or past midnight we were lost out in the bush. So we formed 2 search parties armed with walkies and our machete's of course...[for clearing brusch ;)] We hiked in different directions, trying to find a hut, or someone that can help guide us to the village we were heading to, called Luiwemba.
After about a half hour hike in the dark, with only the moonlight and our headlamps for light, we made contact, found some help and traced our steps back to the trucks. We even left marking on bushes to help serve as land marks. It worked pretty well.
Crazy night, but what an adventure. Loved it!!
These are the type adventures that give me a glimpse of what some of the early missionaries and people like David Livingstone had to take on for the Gospel to reach the ends of the earth.
With all the effort to reach the people, It begs the question...
Are THEY worth it??
YES!
What are some hardships we will have to take on in our own lives for the Gospel to reach the ends of our workplace, the ends of our neighborhoods, the ends of our cities...the ends of the earth?
And that's just a portion of the Hardships we would have to go through to reach western Zambia...
We reached Luiwemba a little after 1am, began to setup camp and made dinner. In bed 2-3am. Woke up to a small welcome party of local kids (right side of pic) that heard the trucks driving through the night before. They sat and watched curiously, as we got our act together, made breakfast and worshiped by the fire.
Here, we spent our time fanning out in teams to nearby villages sharing the Gospel, healing and delivering the sick and oppressed. The old lady in middle picture was one of many. Restored sight and hearing and more of an ability to walk without support.
We invite everyone back for our night gatherings where we have lots of fun, dance parties, worship, teach and let God display His power. Michelle in middle excited after God heals a girl she just prayed for.
We are wearing jackets 'cause being winter in Zambia, it gets frigid cold at night. YES it gets cold in Africa too. :)
And sometimes we just sit and fellowship with the kids and villagers by the fire, late into the night.
One of our leaders Miles, is an amazing teacher, and supposedly recognized as one of the best in San Diego. He got to creatively teach the local school some basic science principles through some really neat and fun challenges, like this one... Balance 11 nails on one nail head anchored into a wood platform. *Hint* is the right side pic.
The I-PAD came in quite handy for ministry, we taught games and team building exercises. Played one of the toughest soccer games of my life - playing 90mins on BEACH SAND...on regulation size field. Talk about home court advantage. We put up a real good fight considering, but we lost.
We taught some new friends how to Limbo, we got VERY dirty and even took time to frolic and enjoy the vastness of space that is western Zambia as demonstrated by our 2 youngest members of the team. They did not just survive, they thrived! So proud of them!
After our time in Luiwemba village, we got a chance to take an hr and half ride up the Zambezi river, crossing over to the flood plains to setup camp for a couple nights to reach out to the few villages not yet over-run by the rising water.
The Flood Plains is an interesting place that eats the cake for being remote. No roads, and on occasion, barely marked foot paths with pockets of swamp type bodies of water that supposedly are crocodile and possibly hippo infested, as the water flows in from the Zambezi. And there are Crocs and Hippos in the Zambezi.
Nonetheless, throughout out time there, we would have to walk across several of these swaps, sometimes waist deep. A bit more challenging when you also have luggage and equipment/tools to carry. This was another AMAZING adventure.
I do not have too many pics from our
time here in the flood plains, because...after I took that pic to the
right as we were about to cross that swamp you see there, it was beginning to get dark, and we were advised to use a small
canoe and not by foot for fear of crocodiles. To this end, while trying
to get across in this skinny little unstable canoe, my buddy and I
tipped over...camera, backpack, sleeping bag and everything else in tow.Yes, it was a cold rough night to say the least.
I call this an RCS (Really Cool Story)...I try to collect 'em. Do U have any to share?
My camera was out of commission for a bit and still has a few problems, but it survived. Thank God!
At the end of our short time in the Flood Plains, we got to experience Gods heart and His power in crazy ways, with new disciples to carry on the work that has begun. We baptized new disciples that were willing in water and in the Holy Spirit. With an epic backdrop of clouds above the Zambezi river, with excitement and praise, one of my teammates led the way as 6 new disciples got water baptized in front of their families and village.
600 students hearing and receiving truth as we praise and worship God,
Quite a bit happened in western Zambia, but before we left, we got to spend some time with about 600 students from a boarding school in one of the smaller cities there.
And with one of the many other perks of traveling as a missionary, I got to do some other VERY cool stuff as well.
Like walking ON FOOT with wild Black Rihno's (COOLEST THING EVER) we got within 30ft of these amazing beasts that can run up to 40mph. I don't think we would have had much of a chance if a charge was in play, although security guide had a gun...not sure how much that would have helped, maybe just make it more angry :/
And finally, I got a chance to bungee jump and also swing across the gorge at Victoria falls. EPIC!! The swing was def scarier...Loved every bit of both!
Thank You to all that supported me and help make this trip possible. There are so many more stories of God's power (a BIG theme for our trip - to see more of God's power displayed) and love revealed.
Thank You!
As always, be blessed and remember now is the time to live as a warrior.
Hi guys, sorry its taken me some time to throw up an update since I left. I actually had one written up, but forgot to post it before I left my computer back home.
Anyway, if you haven't heard, my team and I have been in Zambia for the last 2 days. It turned out to be an interesting travel day on our connection from London to South Africa. Getting on this large 747, we all anxiously studiously found our seats, ready for take off as the doors of the airplane shut close. However, in a moment, it is discovered that NONE of the toilets on the plane is responding to their electronic flusher control - basically, the toilet would not flush.
It started with an announcement that we would be delayed just a few minutes to get it working and 3 hours later, we were still waiting on the tarmac for a new part or an engineer to get it fixed. It dawned on me how incredible this whole thing was. A seemingly small part - probably one of a few parts on the plane not actually required for it to physically fly had gone as far as completely grounding this aircraft. A part probably not often thought about or even regarded as important showed its value in a very big way.
There is wisdom here, do you see it? do you believe it for U?
Sometime during the wait, I unfortunately cracked my tooth chewing on a nut and will have to see a local dentist in Zambia - issh!! :( Well after 4hours of being stuck on the plane, sweaty and sticky, a part was stolen stripped from another plane and we were on our way. As a result of the delay, we missed our connection to Zambia, and British Airways was gracious to host us in a 5-star hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa for the night with comped meals :)
Anyway, as I mentioned, I am in Zambia with my team at the base of Overland Missions, high on a cliff overlooking the crazy rapids of the Zambezi River with Zimbabwe on the other side. It truly is an incredible sight, especially with Victoria falls a hop a skip and a mini-drive away.
It is just past mid-night, July 4th (Happy Buffday America) and we will be heading out in 6 hours to the Tonga people in Western Africa. We are heading out a day later than intended cause of the flight delay. However, we spent most of today getting ready and even prepping the trucks (we are riding dirty in 2 trucks) that will take us off the beaten path, on what will be a fun but uncomfortable and dirty adventure. This is almost a playback of riding a flatbed truck for 42hrs from Mozambique to Malawi.
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT :)
Well, most of the truck is packed up, greased up, the oil and fluids checked, no signs of leaks, all traps in place, all tools accounted for and on board, tire pressure? check! Yes, there was a checklist we had to go through to get the truck pepped up. Oh yea, food, machete, tents, Zodiac boats, portable fridge rigged to the truck and more...check, check, check, check!
Oh yea, get my now infected tooth pulled in Zambia and filled...Check!
Its been a busy day for sure. So yea, before we left, wanted to send this out - not sure how much internet we might have in next couple weeks.
Hope you are all doing well, there has been a lot of great advice come in for us with regards where we are going. I have also been pulled aside and been encouraged to bask in prayer as we go there, it seems to be a really evident darkness over that area, with a hunger for a revelation of power. We want to bring Gods power and authority. Please, please keep us in prayer as often as you can.
Love you guys, thanks for your support....For his name-sake.
So in a little less than 2 weeks, I will be heading out again, a bit off the map to a local Tonga tribe in Zambia, Africa. It has been some time coming now with preparation and fund-raising and I'm excited to share that I am down to just a bit over $1200 left to raise to reach my goal of $4000 and be fully funded.
As it was with the World Race, its been hard putting myself out there trying to raise support, basically asking for $$ - money. I'm not sure anyone really likes to do it, but for me, there is definitely an aspect of pride the Lord has systematically been breaking down, to allow me experience new areas of growth and dependence on him.
Its been tough, but good.
Needless to say, so many of you have stepped up and continued to support me, sometimes even out of the very little you have. Honestly that blesses me and breaks my heart (in a good way, if possible) to see those specific acts of sowing and giving out of your lack, where it cost you. I can see the Father looking down, well pleased and proud of you. And me, Honored!
I would note that I feel great and ready to take this trip, ready to be in the middle of no-where in Zambia, but as much as I am physically excited, I'm not sure I'm very spiritually excited - Not sure if that makes much sense at all. But I'd ask that you please keep me in prayer for a renewed excitement in my spirit, with new revelations of Gods specific purpose for the people we will encounter and even my team I will be traveling with. An excitement that spurs on dreams, words of encouragement, specific topics/bible stories, verses to teach on and more.
As always, thanks for the encouragement and support. Any new donations can be made out to me and sent to:
Arthur Peters 2029 Strickland Dr Gainesville, Ga 30501
Or, online on the City Church Site for tax benefits by clicking here. Please make sure to tag it for missions and send me a message with the name used to place the donation and the amount. This allows me to notify the church to place your donation towards my Zambia trip costs.
I was back on the east coast a couple of weeks ago in DC, got to spend some very needed time with my family and some friends. It was chill, fun and just a good time of refreshment. It is always a treat to get to see my little nieces and hope they still remember their ever absent crazy uncle.
Gosh, they grow so fast. as lovable as they are, they have a little bit of spunk and trouble in them, with a crazy need for attention - THEY ALWAYS WANT TO PLAY, BE CARRIED UPSIDE DOWN BEHIND MY BACK, OR CRY - Jeez!! they act like kids. Anyway, its making me re-think my want for a dozen of these munchkins of my own.
Well, I think I can probably still handle a dozen, I figure I can do the playing with and carrying upside down behind back all day - really sacrifice myself there... and their mother can handle the little bit of crying and screaming at the end of the day. Yep, sounds good, problem solved. :)
Anyway, back to my point of this blog, I got to church visit while in DC on Easter, and a guest speaker spoke on a topic that culminated to the encouragement that "Your Future is Bright".
It was an encouraging word and I was reminded and ushered through scripture, where God tells me time and time again how much He loves and desires more for me than I can even imagine to desire for myself.
BECAUSE...
Because I am His. Because I know Him, He has given me us long life. One full of hope and joy and we get to live in the abundance of His love and grace. This speaker encouraged giving with an understanding that you cannot out-give God ...and really, it is one thing to give out of your excess, it is a whole other thing to give out of your LACK isn't it?
You see, when you give in such a way that it makes you think twice...or when you drop bills in the offering bucket, where you feel you could almost just slug the usher in the face and pull your bills out :) ...or when you sacrifice or give something up, where its as though your heart almost drops in your chest...in that moment, I believe it an act of surrender.
In that moment, there is a release and surrender to God, to the one with SCOPE and PERSPECTIVE. You give Him an opportunity to show up in your life, or better yet, you give yourself an opportunity to experience God. And oohhhh! what an experience, and He loves that faith.
You basically proclaim with your action; God I trust You. And YES, God loves that! A thought I read from John Piper a while ago - I might have some of my own words mixed in there, forgive me, but it says...
Trust is the one attitude of the human heart which gives all glory to God(Rom 4:20) for it relies not on itself but wholly on God. Therefore, God whose righteousness consists in always acting for His own name's sake will bless anyone who trusts in Him, since otherwise He would be disregarding His own glory. God cannot be true to His own glory, if He refuses to bless a person whose basic character glorifies God.
You see, He almost can't help Himself but bless you, when you TRUST Him.
You see, because you know your future is bright and He is taking you to greater places, you are able to "man-up" and sow kingdom seeds into this world, and into your life, not just out of your extra, but by faith, in obedience, understanding the law of sowing and reaping and above all, His heart.
But a very important part of all this that was not mentioned at the church service is an overall understanding that "YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT" not because you give or because you will get back, or will be rewarded/blessed with money gifts or get to move into a higher calling or situation. Your Future is Bright because of JESUS and the cross, the life saving work that took place when he rose from the grave.
In all my ramble, this is what I would regard as my punch-line, the take home.
It is because of Jesus my future is bright, nothing more. It is not in any expectation of wealth or promotion, advancement or increase as a result of any act of mine. When I give sacrificially in obedience as He has already instructed, I only further align myself with His bright future He has adopted me into.
And so, because I know Him, and He is my Father, MY FUTURE IS BRIGHT. YOURS TOO!
So as you know, in three months, I will be leaving for Zambia, in Africa, serving for a little less than a month out there. I am getting more excited each day, and trying to be diligent about learning more about the country, the culture and the people.
I'm grateful for all you already willing to partner with me, and for others still prayerfully considering being a part of my financial sending and prayer team, thank You. I want to share a short video of the how Overland Missions - the Missions organization we will be working with in Zambia - is reaching the unreached people groups out there and hopefully give you a good idea of the capacity in which my team will be serving. This video shows one of the main ways they are reaching out, through Sector Management.
There is still plenty of opportunity for you to financially partner with me as outlined in my last blog. So I hope you would consider being a part of my sending team. Please see details in my last blog on how to contact and support me.
In my last post, I made note of a missions trip I will be going on. This is it!
While in San Diego, I was planted with The City Church SD and I committed to going to ZAMBIA, Africa with a team they are sending to a remote tribe out there.
The church is teaming up with a missions organization based in Zambia, called Overland Missions. Overland Missions is committed to every tribe, tongue, and nation in the uttermost parts of the earth to bring the Gospel, humanitarian care and economic opportunities, to save and empower lives. They are best known for their big 4x4 trucks, expedition boats and willingness to go...where no man has gone before :) Well something along those lines.
Our team will be in Zambia for the month of July, travelling off-road in trucks, then in canoes down the Zambezi river and then trekking the rest of the way to the villages. We will be camping out there in the bush for most of our time, returning to the base camp at the end of the month. I know, crazy adventurous! :D
Well for this to happen, I will need your financial help and support in prayer to get there. But let me tell you a little about the Tonga Tribe we will visit.
The Tonga Tribe have lived in the Zambezi River valley for many centuries, and there is a fascinating story of how they got to settle there...It involves the tribe not being able to cross the Zambezi river many centuries ago in their effort to migrate south. Can you blame them? Water can be pretty scary.
*A mud home we helped re-build in Mozambique.
For generations the Tonga lifestyle has changed very little! Many mud hut villages remain frozen in time. The tribe lived a very primitive existence, as they were very isolated and cut-off from the rest of the world. It is suggested that for some of the tribes in this region, David Livingstone was the last missionary to deliver the message of the gospel over 100 years ago.
My hope is that in all this, we are intentional about going to every nation and tribe. And not to take away from God's sovereignty to bring people to himself without us, but in light of Rom 10:14-15 "...how can they hear without someone preaching to them" - walking in obedience on invitation from God himself to partake in an inheritance of life that will - amongst others - come from being a part of this trip. All with opportunities to disciple and see established, a sustainable culture where locals are equipped with the resources to further implement kingdom culture through-out their region.
And yes, I would love for you to partner and partake with me. :)
The trip will last about a month, from the 28th of June to the the 30th of July and it will cost an approximate amount of $4000.
A good portion of this cost is as a result of the airfare from California to Zambia. A very long expensive trip. Nonetheless, I am confident that with your support, I can get it all together in the next three (3) months. *Praying for healing & supporting a woman that although doesn't have much, she is sacrificially giving her home and herself to helping orphan children with even less.
If three(3) supporters commit to give a one time$500 donation, and another three (3) supporters commit to $100/mnth for three (3) months - total of $300 each and yet another ten (10) commit to $50/mnth - total of $150 each and yet another six (6) commit to $20/mnth - total of $60 each...I will be just about completely funded, not including any miscellaneous local travel expenses.
Please prayerfully consider what you can give and how you can be part of my support team. Really any amount you can give, no matter how small, goes a long way to getting me to my goal.
**PLEASE NOTE Since I am going with my local church in San Diego, and not Adventures in Missions, all donations for this trip should be made out to me directly or if you would like to get the tax benefits, can be made out to The City Church SD, memo - Arthur Peters Zambia Trip. Send either format to me at;
Arthur Peters (AJ) 1515A Skelton Rd Gainesville, Ga 30501
Pls email and let me know, so I can expect in mail. *Learning & working the craft of building mud homes.
As always I am very much grateful for your continued support, financially and in prayer. And as much as I need your money $$ :) I do need your continued prayers for direction, trust in Him and empowerment of His Glory upon my life. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
I have often been lovingly called "weird" by friends because of what my
life seems to look like. Sometimes I get... "you are bold", brave, adventurous, crazy, and once or twice, I've been called a "Nomad". Rightfully so I guess. I feel like even before leaving college, I have been in a constant state of transition. Transition that has seen me trek around the world and most of the continental US of A.
I gotta tell you though, as much as I like fresh new experiences, there has been a little more purpose in most of my trekking than just a need to live out new experiences or a complete lack of commitment to old ones - And more so in these last couple of years. Well OK, maybe I might be working through some commitment issues...a tad! :) The Lord has been grooming and leading me in that for sure. Needless to say, there has been PURPOSE.
In these last few years, trekking the world, has been done with intentions to be obedient to what I believe God has called us to. And I can tell you this much, none of those decisions have come easily. No, not at all. It does however seem to get easier every time I make one and take a step further in that direction.
As the years go by, I more frequently crave a constant community environment I can be apart of, and some sense of being settled. I crave a home church that I can fully invest in, and they in me. I crave mentors and leaders that can drive me further into God's purpose for this life I live. And like many of my friends, I look forward to having a family. Yes, a wife and kids...many, many kids (poor woman, better her than me) :p But in all this, I often wonder, as a man, am I going to be able to properly provide for mi familia? What would it look like for me to meet their needs and support ALL.THOSE.KIDS. Eeesh!!
I do hear it is cheaper by the dozen though, soo...
Even right now, thinking through it, my mindset has always been me taking care of my parents RIGHT NOW, where they can bask in the sun and Son and enjoy some of the fruits of their labor and that of their kids...ME!! It hurts more than you know that I can't financially do that right now. It hurts!
All I'm saying is I think about these things, quite a bit. I'm on the verge of turning 29, I had bigger "man-ideas" of where I would be when that happened and most times, I don't necessarily see myself as bold, brave, crazy or even adventurous...well, maybe crazy. I just want to be OBEDIENT. Yea, and that's a task in itself.
I really want my life to count for more than my own(my family, my friends, mine).
I want to be in that place of trust in God, where I am able to live out my purpose and still find that security that we all desire. There is RISK(or is there?) in trusting God, and I just want to be willing to take it. Every time.
K, with all that said, as might be known to most, I recently just completed a move to Gainesville, Ga. I have been in beautiful San Diego, Cali for the past eight months, and its been a great season. I got connected with an amazing church body there, The City Church SD and miss them quite a bit. But yes, I am now in the Atlanta/Gainesville area continuing to pursue a few business ideas I have, the tuk-tuk project (ask me bout it) and a couple others.
While here, I will be working with Kingdom Dreams(KD), a project with vision to see the God given kingdom-focus dreams in people come alive. Apart from me helping to develop the KD vision, the KD team has chosen to come along side me and help develop my ideas and dreams. Providing mentoring and network opportunities, encouragement and a needed support base.
On other fronts, I am also looking for a paid position, as a brotha needs to make some bills($$) to pay for the many bills he's got going on. I'll take those connections if you have 'em :)
All in all, I am keeping real busy, and things are going great. Learning to lean on and be ever more dependent on God. I have some news on a quick, short-term missions trip I have coming up in a few months, I'll share in my next post. I'll need your support, so look for it!! :D
The question of what my story is has recently come up, and its been tasked to me to share some insight on what makes
me...ME
As a child, I grew up in Nigeria, Africa. I grew up a
military brat, with three other siblings and hard working parents. The nature
of their individual careers provided some measure of comfort and influence in
society. Mom, an accountant and successful entrepreneur in the finance industry
and Dad, a Lawyer and high ranking officer in the Nigerian military, with a
very bright career future.
My Nigeria was very different than for some others I expect.
I had experiences of military escorts and motorcades, often-unrestricted access, a
circle of friends with just as much influence, if not more. Driving on public
streets at the age of twelve, not sanctioned by my parents, but what they did
not know did not hurt them...I think. :)
I loved growing up in Nigeria. I love the memories of being able to run around without parent supervision seeking out adventure where I
could find it. Even in my own
twisted way, I would steal money from my parents in small amounts to support
local friends that were poor and would have to hawk goods to provide for their
families. Playing soccer barefooted on my neighborhood streets with the large
number of neighborhood kids was a treat; I grew in my appreciation for
community, the love of competition and a good challenge.
Growing up, I directly experienced aspects of turmoil and
riots against the military government that led to statewide lock-downs and
curfews.Although in a small
measure, I have seen and experienced first hand the hurt, anger and pain
demonstrated in an uprising. This is an experience that has in more ways helped
to define me than I choose to believe.
During my early teen years, my dad, again in the height of
his career was falsely accused of being a part of senior officers that
organized a coup
d'état
against the sitting president of the country; An event
that radically changed the course of my life, as I knew it.
In a split second, I saw my dad go from the top of his game
to almost nothing, stripped of everything, and in that same second, my mother
and I were faced with having to abandon all to begin living the lives of
fugitives. Yep, I was a fugitive, and for all I knew, Tommy Lee Jones was fast on
our heels :p ...It all seems
like a lifetime ago.
For the next few weeks, we lived an incredible story, where
our Christian community took us in and at great risk to themselves, moved us
from home to home over the Holiday period as in the days of the Underground Railroad.
Once across the border with Nigeria behind us, and me pretty sick with Malaria, we
re-connected with my dad in Ghana, taking some time to get me well. We
eventually made our way up to the United States through a series of events God
had already set in place - story for another time - starting life all over
again, with an unreal experience behind, but still with us.
I saw my dad in humility take on night security jobs, a
sight that challenged and rocked me to my core. It had me questioning God's
love, justice and whole character. My parents love Him and serve Him, why this,
why now?
My parents, almost in their fifties, closing in on retirement seemed
to loose EVERYTHING, and I did not get it. My mom lost her finance company, her
life work, and I saw her walk and respond humbly in grace. My dad gave me an
example to mimic on what a man looks like. They are my heroes for many reasons, but really because I am still challenged by their humility and response - even though this
might be the first time they hear about it. Yea, I guess there is still a lot of pride God is working out of me.
I since graduated as a Mechanical Design Engineer and have
been fortunate to serve for a few years as a Project Manager and Mechanical Design Engineer gaining
some real world experience.
In one of my many moments of soul searching and seeking God,
He led me on the World Race, reminding me that he wanted more for and from me, that... even if I never go on another missions trip again, the way I would live
my life moving forward would never be the same again. I left my company and
somewhat gave up my life in obedience to his call. Its been a period of challenges,
perseverance and growth, and would not trade it for all the security and
comfort or even all the tea in China.
All these experiences and more have shaped and help define
my views, perspective and overall approach to life. It's given me a healthy
appreciation for Nigeria, its people and the trials that often plague the
country. I see a little clearer than I ever saw before. I've grown a heart of
compassion that is stirring ideas to impact people in others nations just like
it. Through it all, I have a deep appreciation for where I am and the
opportunities open to me, to do more than I ever could before for Jesus' kingdom.
I am a soldier, and I will influence this world for His
Glory.
Reading through this story where Elijah is sent to go live
in Zarephath for a season. God tells him a widow has been instructed to supply
him with food. -1 kings 17:9
When he gets to town, he sees a widow, calls out to her and
asks for some water…she might as well throw in some food he figures, so he
asks.
Her response is a little interesting to me;
“…I swear by the Lord
your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have
only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom
of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then
my son and I will die.” vs 12
Hmm… I could have sworn God said he instructed/commanded a widow to feed Elijah, if this is that
widow, she does not seem to know it. So what does God mean by he instructed
her?
In light of her grave situation, is there an aspect of preparation that God
had instructed in her spirit, giving her the grace and ability to trust and believe?
I like to think so; it's all I got right now.
I mean Elijah was sure she was the widow, and he did not
hesitate to confront her. He knew she was instructed to feed him, even if she did not know it,
she just had to walk in it. His response is actually kinda funny. He's
like…ok, fine, go and do as you have said, eat and die, just cook me a
meal first…haha! Ok so not quite what he says or even means. vs 13 He gives her hope.
Elijah goes on to display God's provision and power in her
belief and obedience.
So, in light of your circumstances, what aspect of
preparation has God instructed in your spirit?
He has given you grace and the ability
to believe his word and provision. Walk in it, believe and trust him and see
his power revealed in your life.
I tell you, it has not been the easiest thing being re-introduced into society and "normal" life, after time spent around the world with a renewed drive and re-defined sense of purpose.
No it has not been easy, and probably neither for most people that find themselves in similar situation. Even if its just you being awoken from a state of complacency to life and purpose in Christ out of your obedience to his words, even when not a "missionary".
There is almost this new breath within, new excitement and dizzle in your steps, fire in your eyes, but not always with a clear direction it seems...especially being back in the States. And from that comes this missionary type lifestyle that is a tad difficult for me to describe. Not much money or none at all, almost homeless(thank God for family). Maybe eventually a part-time job, with just enough cash to sustain, waiting for that next big God initiative, with probably a concerned family, curiously and hopefully patiently waiting to see whats next.
Has God spoken yet? They wonder.
I dunno, I've just been having these thoughts of what does it look like for me to balance living my life out FULLY for Christ in COMPLETE trust, combined with Godly responsibility and wisdom. And I'm not just seeking out a cliche answer, although true, like...listen for the Holy spirit and be obedient.
The bible often talks about hard work and its proper wages, knowledge that God gives us, and the wisdom to apply it. I for one still have big financial obligations and debt that waited patiently for me to return from my travels, and there is a responsibility associated with that. Nonetheless, still an understanding, like in 1 Cor 3:5-8, God provides me opportunity to do the do, with given talents, skills and grace to see me through.
Ah!! Now I'm just rambling.
With this renewed drive and purpose, what does it look like to run fervently bringing God's kingdom, displaying His glory, while being responsible with knowledge and the skill-set to drive change within my current U.S. environment, whether in corporate America, entrepreneur or as a part-time valet or barista...with that same purpose of mind.
It started with an announcement that we would be delayed just a few minutes to get it working and 3 hours later, we were still waiting on the tarmac for a new part or an engineer to get it fixed. It dawned on me how incredible this whole thing was. A seemingly small part - probably one of a few parts on the plane not actually required for it to physically fly had gone as far as completely grounding this aircraft. A part probably not often thought about or even regarded as important showed its value in a very big way. 
I was back on the east coast a couple of weeks ago in DC, got to spend some very needed time with my family and some friends. It was chill, fun and just a good time of refreshment. It is always a treat to get to see my little nieces and hope they still remember their ever absent crazy uncle. 
In my last post, I made note of a missions trip I will be going on. This is it! 
see established, a sustainable culture where locals are equipped with the resources to further implement kingdom culture through-out their region.
I have often been lovingly called "weird" by friends because of what my
life seems to look like. Sometimes I get... "you are bold", brave, adventurous, crazy, and once or twice, I've been called a "Nomad". Rightfully so I guess. I feel like even before leaving college, I have been in a constant state of transition. Transition that has seen me trek around the world and most of the continental US of A.
As the years go by, I more frequently crave a constant community environment I can be apart of, and some sense of being settled. I crave a home church that I can fully invest in, and they in me. I crave mentors and leaders that can drive me further into God's purpose for this life I live. And like many of my friends, I look forward to having a family. Yes, a wife and kids...many, many kids (poor woman, better her than me) :p But in all this, I often wonder, as a man, am I going to be able to properly provide for mi familia? What would it look like for me to meet their needs and support ALL.THOSE.KIDS. Eeesh!! 
hild, I grew up in Nigeria, Africa. I grew up a
military brat, with three other siblings and hard working parents. The nature
of their individual careers provided some measure of comfort and influence in
society. Mom, an accountant and successful entrepreneur in the finance industry
and Dad, a Lawyer and high ranking officer in the Nigerian military, with a
very bright career future.
I loved growing up in Nigeria. I love the memories of being able to run around without parent supervision seeking out adventure where I
could find it. 
