Cravings... Holy and Otherwise

I am craving rain. While half of the country is literally overflowing with it, south Texas hasn't had a drop. And I am desperate for it.

I love water. I love to drink, shower, bathe, swim, dip my toes, run my hands in it. And I love to watch it rain. In the rain I am renewed.

My parents have been gone for a few days. I'm being lazy. I'm waking up later and spending time in front of the T.V. I'm reading an autobiography and taking long baths. But, something has been strange about all of this... feeling little nervous butterflies in my stomach. And I couldn't put my finger on it. Until this morning. Ahh... My quiet time with the Lord has been postponed with all my leisurely activities. I've been doing it late (yesterday not until 2). It's not a sin issue. It's a "what's best"/"First Love" issue. Those butterflies are a craving for the Word. For Prayer.

Hmmmm...

So, please excuse me. I'm going to be alone now... well, almost.

Welcome Brandi Davis

In April of this year we welcomed another team member, Brandi Davis. She is a graduate of Manhatten Christian College and is from Wichita, Kansas. Along with all of our team members, once she gets to the field, she will be spending the first year learning the language and studying culture. After that, she will be leading in the areas of Music Outreach and Worship Development. She is a great addition to a wonderfully God-formed team and comes highly recommended. Yesterday, Angie and I got to see Brandi and meet her family. We were leaving a camp in Horton, Kansas so we drove through Wichita on the way home. Soon, you will be reading her thoughts alongside the rest of our team here, as she navigates this life of being a missionary.

bon apetite

For those of you who don't know yet, I am the pickiest eater in the entire world. When I say picky, I mean it. I like everything plain and I have alot of trouble trying new food or anything that looks different than what I am used too. I've been like this since I was little. At the age of 10, my mom had to pay me 5 bucks to try a cheeseburger. I didn't even try scrambled eggs until I was 20. For Brandon's birthday a couple years ago, I tried chinese food. Don't even get me started on the Ethiopian Restaurant we went to at Launch. That was a hard one for me.

I am making a serious effort get better about trying things. Since we moved to Indiana, I have tried about 4 new things. This is due mostly to my understanding and patient husband and his mother who is the best cook in the world. They never force me or really make me try anything. They just tell me what's in it and let me make up my mind. This approach tends to work the best. Anyways, This is a really big deal for me. Ussually, I will only try about one new thing every two years.

Why the sudden burst of adventurous eating?

If you would have asked me to consider being a missionary 5 years ago, I would have probably said no and my main reason behind that would have been that I am a picky eater. I couldn't handle the thought of new cuisine and new ingredients. One would think this would be a huge concern for me now as we plan and prepare for Italy. It's not though. Knowing this would be a hard thing for me, I began praying about it as soon as I knew we might go to Italy. I can already see God working in this area of my life. The four new foods I have tried should attest to that. I just know I can't let the fact that it's hard for me to try new food to jeopardize the call God's put on my life.

It may not be eating new food, but we all have something to overcome in order to accomplish the tasks God has set out for us. For missionaries it might be learning the language, adjusting to being away from home or differences in culture. It could also be getting over our pride and asking for God to help us no matter how trivial our issues might seem. Whatever it is we have to overcome, God can help us if we just ask him.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

The summer theme for the youth group at the church we are attending right now is "Old School". The Youth Minister is taking Bible stories that a lot of the kids have heard when they were younger in sunday school, and using them in a new way to speak to where the kids are now in this current stage of life. It' a really fun concept, and the gigantic flanal boards that are used to recreate the story as it is being told is awesome!! Because this is a throw back to younger years, another thing we do is have the actual text of the Bible in each sotry read by Mr. Rogers, who makes his signautre singing entrance each evening that we have youth group. Guess who got drafted to be Mr. Rogers? That's right, me. It's pretty funny I think. I messed up the song the second time because the zipper of my cardigan got caught on my tie as I was singing and changing into my "leisure wear". So I get flustered with my zipper and start singing again a line to late, and I'm a stanza behind for the rest of the song until the music abruptly shuts off while iI'm still asking the audience if they would be my neighbor.

Well, I was talking to someone about Mr. Rogers and he was a really amazing guy. He used the medium of television to reach millions of children, and he did this because he knew that for some kids he would be the only one in their life that could treat them lovingly and be a positive influence. Fred Rogers was a shining light for a lot of lonely kids. If that's not missions I don't know what is. Did you know that the whole time Fred Rogers was getting his TV show off the ground he was enrolled in seminary and studying to be a minister as well? I thought that this was just something goofy to get a laugh out of the kids, but once I learned a little more about Mr. Rogers, I realized what an awesome impact he made in this world. I hope that I can be a shining light to the children and youth in Verona and treat them with the love, care , and respect that Fred Rogers did every weekday afternoon on PBS.

Alright I have to go. It's time to feed the fish...

Brandon

Amen!

[Below is a poem I really like by Adrian Plass. Brandi has already heard me read it when Ann and I gave our "trial" presentation at LAUNCH. It kind of reflects what it feels to me to be a missionary at times. Enjoy. -John]

"When I Became a Christian," by Adrian Plass

When I became a Christian I said, "Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin."
He said, "Your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me?" I said, "Amen! – I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds teriffic, Lord, I say Amen – I think.

"But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you," I said,
"I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed."
"Well, yes," he said, "you could put up with sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me?" I said, "Amen! – a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say Amen! – a bit."

Well, I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy.
"Now, Lord," I said, "the Good Book says that Christians live in joy."
"That’s true," he said, "you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you still want to follow me?" I said, "Amen! – tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You said I will need the joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say, Amen – tomorrow."

He said, "Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me,
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit.
Now tell me, will you follow me?" I said, "Amen! – No! I quit.
I’m very sorry, Lord," I said, "I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do."
He said, "Forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.

"Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry,
When the nails break your body – are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me?, I ask you once again."
I said, "Oh Lord, I’m frightened," but I also said, "Amen."
"Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen,"
I said, "Oh Lord, I’m so frightened," but I also said, "Amen."

First Transition of Many

We just recently left our prior employment to start raising funds and preparing for Italy full-time. It's been kind of a weird feeling so far. We are living in Wabash, IN with my parents to lower living expenses as we raise funds. They have been wonderful and it's so nice to have that support as we enter in to this new season of our lives. I thought it would be odd to live with my family again and bring a wife along with me to boot. It actually has been pretty smooth and feels fairly organic and normal, which might make me odd rather than the situation. We were able to get a part-time position at the church we are attending while we are here. We get to clean the church during the week. The hours are really flexible and it is a gift from God to have a way to still have some money for bills coming in as we're doing this.

I think the hardest thing to get used to now is how slow things can move sometimes. When you are working a full-time job and trying to get things accomplished for your preparations and fundraising in your spare-time, you stay super-busy and things feel like a whirlwind. When you have a lot of your time to completely devote to this stage, things seem to move slower. At first that seemed a little backwards to me. However, I guess just because I have a lot more time to devote to this, doesn't mean all the churches and people we're talking to do. They are just as busy as ever with all the other things they have going on. Before, if someone wouldn't call me back for a week I hardly noticed, because my week was busy with other things too. Now, it feels a little different. You just can't really make a person fit into your to-do lists. That's OK though. I think we've struggled a little bit at first trying to figure out a schedule, how to best use our time, and just getting use to this new arrangement. Things are starting to move though and we are so happy that God has given us the resources and opportunities to focus on this mission He's given to the Verona team.

-Brandon

Lord, Make Me Beautiful, A Missionary's Prayer

Lord, give me blisters on my feet from walking with people.
Give me calluses on my fingers because I've cared.
Make my voice horse from singing Your Name.
Let my wallet be empty because I've shared.
Give me wrinkles on my face from all the laughter.
And puffy eyes from the tears I've shed.
May my back hurt because I was unselfish.
May my knees be sore from my prayers.
Break my heart when Yours is sad.
And when I stop to rest, Lord, let me be aware
Of only what YOU are doing.

Italy in Everything

I don't know when it happened. It might have been the first time we found out about the opportunity to go to Italy. It might have been after we talked to Team Expansion or Matt and realized that going to Verona was a real possibility for us. I can't put my finger on it but at some point I began to see Italy in everything around me.

At first it started as shows on the travel channel about Venice, Milan, Florence and even Verona itself. Italian cooking shows on the food network, any news that had anything to do with the country and people who've visited there telling me all about their trips. I notice when things are made in Italy in stores or when people have Italian names. The other night I saw Matthew Fox from Lost on a talk show and found out his wife is Italian. How interesting. Then, there's the soccer...don't even get me started on the soccer. We love Soccer and can't wait to live in a country where it's so popular. Everywhere I look, everywhere I go...I notice anything that has to do with Italy.

I've been thinking today how important it is for me to be like that in my walk with God...to see Him in everything around me. Things happen in life that we don't always understand. We hurt, we get angry, we lose, we get dissapointed and end up confused. Yet, if we keep our eyes open and our heads up we can see God in all those situations. We can see how He worked in and through us to strengthen our faith. I also think about the times of love, rejoicing, happiness and peace. I see God working in little areas of my life to bring me laughter when I need it, joy when I choose it instead of a bad attitude and peace even when I don't understand it. I am thankful to have a God that works even in the smallest ways to show He's there and He loves us, that He can take any situation and work it out to make us better. I can't help but to think how in Italy we are all going to have good days and bad days...but in all those days, God will be working to make us stronger and equip us to do the task He's given us.

-Savannah Eaton

Pierre

I just got through reading a wonderful little book by Maurice Sendak entitled, Pierre, a Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue. In it, our title character would say nothing but, "I don't care!" No matter what his mother or father did or said, he would still reply with, "I don't care!"

One night, a hungry and extremely polite lion came to Pierre's home and expressed his desire to eat him. The apathetic boy replied as usual. Several times the lion strove to make sure that Pierre really meant it when he said, "I don't care!" After repeating himself no less than seven times, Pierre was eaten by the lion.

There's more to the story, but you'll have to read it on your own to find out what happens. However, I can tell you the moral of the story: CARE!

Sometimes, in various stages of our lives, we see the apathy in the attitudes of the people around us. Sometimes, we see it in ourselves. Resist! Don't give in! In this world, the lost need us to care. They need us to go. They need us to do whatever we need to do in order to share with them the good news of Jesus! Continue to fight the good fight. Care.

The One Who Provides

I attended a women's retreat last weekend. The speaker shared with us many of the Hebrew names of God and their meanings. Most I had heard before, but hadn't thought of lately. She shared how Hagar had given God a name- El Roi, "the God who sees". Many of the ladies shared some very creative names for who God has been at various times in their lives; "my Demerol" (he takes the edge off!), "my pumice stone" (he wants to work off the calluses of my heart), "my super glue" (he holds me together), and "my lead dog" (from a woman who spent time in Alaska and gave us an appreciation for all that the lead dog of a dog team does) are all examples. The leaders wanted us to take the time to figure out who God was for us at this point in our lives.

I realized that now, as in the vast majority of my life, God is to me El Shaddai, "the one who provides". He has provided everything for me since I was conceived- a Christian family, dear friends (in every place I've been), food, shelter, and many things that I've wanted, but not needed. Most of all, he provided his son to be the sacrifice for my sins and offered me forgiveness and eternal life with him! He gives me many chances to keep trying and to share him with my world. I'm not even beginning to really express how he provides the tiny and the huge things in my life.

So, now, as we are in this time of raising funds so that we can go to Verona and as we are living in the USA where prices far exceed those we knew in China I know things will be just fine. El Shaddai will see that we have what we need. He will provide the right partners at the right time. He will work all this out according to his timing and his plan. He will provide the people we need to share him with and to them he will provide us to share. He will work out every detail. He is El Shaddai, "my provider".

Home Assignment Travels - April '08

Angie and I have been travelling for almost three weeks now. We have about a week and a half left. So far we have spent time in North Carolina with team members, Brandon and Savannah Eaton. Then we made our way north through Virginia and West Virginia to Louisville, Kentucky. In Louisville, we have been spending time with Shively Christian Church, the PACE church for the Italy project. We also our visiting the home office of our organization, Team Expansion. We are also communicating with another area church in the hope that they may become a major partner with Shively Christian Church and the Italy work.

Masks

My kids have prom this Saturday night. I think they will have a fun time. Their prom is going to be masquerade style. They will wear the fancy dresses and tuxes, but they will also wear masks. So, Jessica, Luke, and I have been working on making masks for them. They’re turning out pretty good.

Prom. I remember my prom. I wish I didn’t. I cringe when I think about it. Being a somewhat typical teen at the time, I had my share of acne. Not wanting to go to prom like that, I took matters into my own hands…literally. By the time I was done, my blackheads were gone, but my face was all red, swollen, and blotchy. How I wish I had a mask then!

Life is like that sometimes. We are embarrassed or ashamed and we put on a mask. Do people notice? It’s hard to tell, because they wear masks, too. As Christians, we know that we’ve been set free from our shame and from things that we’ve done which would cause us to be embarrassed. So, why do we wear masks? Why do we feel compelled to hide behind this persona of perfection? And why are Christians seemingly the main segment of the population wearing masks?

Yet, in this world where people are crying out to be real and to know others who are real, we aren’t. Do we want to share with people the glorious hope that we have in Christ? We have to take off our masks. Are we ready for that? Are others ready for that? Does it matter?

I’m afraid.

Transition Lists

I love lists. I love introverted self-analysing. Perhaps I even love these things too much. I do think, though, it is important when you are making a transition to do some self evaluating. Here is a list of lists from Gail Blanke that has to do with unfinished business... perfect for when you are finishing a season.

1. Things I want to start but haven't started.
2. Things I want to change but haven't changed.
3. Things I want to stop but haven't stopped.
4. Things I started but haven't finished.
5. Things I want to do but haven't done.
6. Things I want to say but haven't said.
7. Things I want to learn but haven't learned.
8 Feelings I have but haven't expressed.

After you make your lists, evaluate them by asking yourself...
Is it too late to do it now?
How can I implement this in my new season?
Is the Lord holding me back from doing this or am I ignoring the Spirit's prompting?
Is this thing in line with the Lord's will; what is He saying about it?

This might give you a little perspective is where you are... and might help you understand from where the next season is starting. And it might just open some dreams (and even to-do lists) for the next chapter.

Blog By Brandon

Hello!

This is Brandon Eaton. My wife and I are the newbies on Team Verona. I saw Savannah's awesome blog on here and thought I'd better get a move on. I thought first I'd tell you a little bit about my self. I was born on ... OK maybe not that much. I'm a Johnson Bible College Graduate and due to my four years there I not only got a great education but I got a beautiful wife out of the deal. I think that makes the student loans worth it. When Savannah and I left Johnson and plunged into life we weren't exactly sure where we fit or what God had planned for us. We've continuously prayed and sought out His direction. I won't tell you on blog number one every step He took us on to get to where we are now, but lets just say that looking back at our path, He had us walking towards this all along.

I will be working in the area of youth and college age in Verona. I have a passion to work with those age groups specifically and have been in some form or fashion since I left school. Savannah will be working in children's ministry. I know we will work in each other's ministries as well , and I'm pretty sure that's how the whole team is going to function.

We are currently in preparation mode, and have been working towards this goal of getting to Verona. At the end of this month, we will transition out of our current employment and start preparing and fund-raising full-time. We can't wait. My thoughts are consumed with Verona, the Italian people, and everything that God is going to do in this beautiful city. Granted I haven't seen it with my own eyes yet, but I watched a pretty good show about Verona on the Travel Channel! We get to visit next month though, so in blogs to come expect me to be a smidgen more informed.

We are so excited to be a part of the Go Verona family. That family and support just keeps getting bigger when you think about Taking Christ to Italy, Team Expansion, and the hundreds of people that will be supporting us throughout this country. What a privilege to be a part of this.

Savannah Eaton...Reporting For Duty.

Savannah Eaton

For those of you who don't know, I am Savannah Eaton. My husband and I just joined the team recently. We are really excited about it. I'm here to write my first blog. Blog is such a 21st century word. I kept plenty of diaries as a teenager so I should be pretty good at it.

So, this week I've started the initial stages of support raising. I've went through a range of feelings and emotions about the whole thing. What I have felt the most is doubt. I have found myself doubting myself, God's people and even the Almighty himself. During my quiet time, I've been praying and praying for my faith to strengthened and for my doubts to be relinquished.

God provides peace and comfort in the most unexpected ways.

Oddly enough, I've got some amazing encouragement from the book "People Raising" by William P. Dillon. I picked it up thinking it might give me some tips as I am calling people and setting up appointments to meet with missions boards. It gave me alot more than that.

One of the first reasons it gives for why support raising is important is that it stretches your faith. It goes on to give many more reason but this resonated loudly with me. Here I am, already experiencing this...the more I thought about it, I just realized that where my doubts are is the same place where my faith will grow and expand. This process is going to be a challenge, but through it, the doubts I have will turn into a stronger and steadier belief that God will meet my every need.

Through reading the book, I also came to understand that my own negative attitude could be my downfall. I can't look at support raising as this daunting task. I know that I have an amazing opportunity to share with others in the body of Christ this work God has put on our hearts and let them be a part of it. What we're doing is actually pretty exciting.

I can't say I'm feeling absolutley amazing about support raising but I can say I am not dreading it anymore. I'm looking forward to sharing Verona, Italy with everyone and giving others a chance to be a part of it.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"- Matthew 6:33

As the Wheel Turns

So, as we are in the states, one of the objectives was to recruit the team, which really means trusting in God to form the team and listening to the Spirit as we follow Him. We hope to have recruitment finished within the next month. Then we can shift as a team towards "long-distance-bonding". So far, Angie and I are the only ones who have met or spent time with each of our team members in person! I know it has got to be strange for our team, who is just getting to know who they are going to be ministering with!

Our time for being in the states has been extended from the end of June to the end of September. Having that extra time is important for our team to get more of a base in their financial support, as well as giving us a chance to do more VBS programs and camps.

Everything we do in the states impacts our future work in Verona. It is the foundation for what we will build on as a team once we arrive in Verona. May God's will be ours.

Such Amazing Love

I have long been fascinated at the ways that God has placed himself and his message of redemption and reconciliation in the cultures of the world. In China we were often fascinated to learn of stories or traditions that gave an opening for us to share. Even within the Jewish culture, where they had so much from him, he left them messages. Things that say, "Look! Jesus is the Messiah! It could only be him!"

For several years now we as a family have been learning about some of the Jewish holidays. We are slow and bumbling as we celebrate these things, but they have such wonderful pictures and lessons in them. We have been celebrating Passover. Though officially Passover isn't for a bit yet this year, we try to celebrate it in connection with Easter- since that is the way it was for Jesus. This year we "cheated" and participated in a seder presented by Jews for Jesus.

There are so many wonderful, beautiful parts. Bryan loves the search for the affikomen. This is a broken piece of matzah that was taken from the middle of three sections of a special cloth. It is wrapped in linen and hidden away for a time during the meal. Then the children seek it out and are paid a ransom for it. Many Jews aren't even sure why the cloth has three sections....can you see the picture there?

This is the piece of matzah- an unleavened bread made so that it is pierced, has stripes and bruises, and is broken- that Jesus took and gave to his disciples when he set up the Lord's supper.

Out of the four cups of wine that are taken during the meal, it is the cup of redemption that Jesus used for the time we remember as the Lord's supper. The cup of redemption- no coincidence there!

How perfectly wonderful that in a feast celebrated for more than a thousand years before Jesus came there are these messages. I have only shared a couple with you. There are more! What love to take the time to carefully place these clues and reminders everywhere! How carefully planned! How much love and care is that! To set these things up when he set the world in motion!

What has he placed in Italy? What things in their culture will we find that are shouting about him to the dear people he loves there? I can't wait to find out!

The Spirit and the Mind

In Creole, the language spoken in Haiti, your intelligence and and "spirit" are all rolled into one concept. They are the same thing. As a child is gaining a conscience of where things go, how to put things together, the routine of things... as Americans we say, "Oh! She's getting so smart!" Haitians however say, "Oh! She begins to have a spirit!"

Maybe we as Americans need to start thinking more with our spirit and the Spirit within us along with our smarts.