Water, water everywhere… and not a drop to drink!

Recently our area experienced some incredible storms, bringing several inches of rain in a short period of time. The day after, with large puddles of water standing in the yard and driveway, I went to the kitchen sink to fill a glass, and nothing came out of the faucet! After investigating all the other sinks in the house, along with the toilets and bathtubs, I realized that we had a problem. Several calls to the landlord resulted in a visit from a plumber who discovered that our well has dried up! My first thought? “Unbelievable! How is that possible, with so much rain the day before and standing water on the ground outside?” Yet, here we are with a dry well, waiting until next week when a new one can be drilled. (Before you start calling to invite us to come and stay with you while we wait; we have been hooked up temporarily to the neighbors well via a garden hose!)

During the hours that I waited to see how this issue would be resolved, I thought about how this event was just another opportunity for me to develop patience and ingenuity and to practice being thankful in every circumstance. I can certainly see the sanctifying work of God being accomplished in my life – years ago I would not have handled a situation like this too well!

It also got me thinking about the Biblical analogy of Christ as the Living Water. Just as I had all sorts of water all around me but only one that would be suitable to drink, the world has all kinds of gods to offer, but only One who can give life. In today’s cafeteria of religious choice, the prevailing view is that all water is the same and that any belief in any god of any kind is enough to get you to heaven. This politically-correct, socially tolerant, deistic ambivalence is a black hole of spiritual death. I am challenged to stand firmly and publicly on the clear teaching of scripture regarding the One Way, the One Truth and the One Life. I should never consider anyone “reached” unless I know that the one and only Gospel of Christ has been faithfully preached and demonstrated to them. This is a common misconception about the need for evangelical missionaries in Central and South America. Many feel that as a whole, these people are not unreached because of the historical presence of the Catholic Church. But the blending of religions that is pervasive in the Latin American church has reduced its message to no real gospel at all. Any addition, subtraction or deviation from the message of salvation by grace through faith in the righteousness of Christ alone is water that is unfit to drink. There is only One who is able to quench our thirst and give us life.

If our “well” is bubbling over, full of clear, cool water (like our neighbor’s well!) then we are able to share that life-giving liquid with others who are dying of thirst. The world has only dirty, stagnant, surface water that cannot sustain anyone.I pray that you and I will be moved with compassion and share the deep and pure Living Water generously with the world around us!

Sarah

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, your prayers and your financial support! We are repeatedly amazed at how the Lord is providing for His work through you.

If you have verbally committed to supporting us regularly, would you take a moment and fill out a commitment card to send to MTW?  Even if you are not yet ready to begin your financial contributions, you can help us get to the field sooner!  These cards are how MTW evaluates where we are in the process of raising support.  The written pledges allow us to forecast our budget and know how much support we will have each month while on the field.  Please let us know if you need us to send you one!  We thank you for remembering us in your giving to the Lord's work!  Our heart is that He would be glorified in everything that we do!

  Daydreaming

Too often I find myself consumed in every day life. Like most of you, Sarah and I have far too many moving parts on most days, and can rarely just sit and relax. When these precious moments of rest do arise I find my thoughts in the Belizean countryside. I wanted to write this month, and share a little bit about the things happening in this country that my family will soon call home. Most of you would be able to find Belize on the map, and even have some mental picture about what the country looks like. Some of you may even have had the privilege of visiting the islands at some point in your life. Belize boasts the second largest coral reef in the world, and the evening sunset over the bay in Corozal is breathtaking. Tourism makes up the majority of this small country’s economy, and most tourists never see past the tropical islands or the Mayan ruins. The majority of Belize is third-world. Most of the rural agrarian villagers exist on less than three hundred dollars a month. Their homes are sometimes not much larger than the average American’s living room.

Sarah and I are most frequently asked: “Why? Why would you want to leave all that is comfortable and familiar – a good job, extended family, a strong church and dear Christian friends – to go live in a third-world country with no air-conditioning, no hot water, no friends, no strong church…?” There are many reasons I can think of, but the most important answer I can give is that it burns within our hearts to want to be there; and the credit for that goes to God. The second most frequent question is: “What about your stuff?” The answer is that we will sell almost all of it before we leave! We live in a nation that God has blessed with tremendous wealth. However, we as Americans spend most of our days still chasing stuff. Sarah and I have chased it, and at the time we didn’t even know it. The accumulation of things made us numb to our dependence on God. This process of preparing to go to the mission field has brought us back to reality. Back to relying on God to provide all our needs: spiritual, emotional, physical and financial. Perhaps that is why, for the most part, this path feels so lonely. If we had others tangibly holding us up, then we would not know what it is to truly depend on the Lord. Please know that we appreciate all your love, encouragement, support and prayers! We know we are not truly alone – but there is a purpose in our walking this path on our own with Christ.

We want to go and share the gospel with those that have not heard it. We want to serve the people and use the gifts that God has given us to help strengthen and grow the Church. When we finally arrive in Belize, one of the jobs that I will have is teaching at Cornerstone High School. The team has shared with us the tremendous need for the gospel to be continuously proclaimed to the student body. Less than 25% of the students are believers. These students need mentoring and discipleship not only from their teachers at Cornerstone, but also from their village church. As Cornerstone’s first Senior class graduates next month, the sense of urgency is real. No longer will these students be under the daily instruction of Christian teachers. The church must now continue the nurturing and instruction of these young people and their families. A healthy church is essential to the spiritual maturity of the nest generation of Christians in Belize. The handful of small village churches is the beginning of a church-planting movement in Belize. Our involvement with church-planting is coming alongside these young churches and helping them reach out into their own communities with the message of the gospel. We will also serve the family of faith by transparently living out our testimony of the transforming power of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, our lives will demonstrate our daily dependence upon Him and we will publicly proclaim our faith in the righteousness of Christ alone for our salvation. Our prayer is that God will use us in a mighty way to advance the gospel and to bring glory to His name.

Scott

!!!PRAYERS AND PRAISES!!!

• Praise! This month the Lord provided us with a suitable vehicle to take with us to Belize. It was a remarkable find, and most obviously the Lord at work!
• Praise! We have added many new partners to our support team since our last newsletter! God is moving in the hearts of His people, and your generosity towards giving to Him is overwhelming.
• Praise! The Lord continues to work in our hearts, further convicting, refining, and molding us into His own likeness. Although it is painful at times, we would not trade this time for anything!
• Please pray for a buyer for our Ford Excursion - soon?!?
• Please pray for more dedicated time to be able to spend towards ministering to individuals and churches in our support-raising process.
• Please pray for Sarah as she begins leading a new Bible Study for clients at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Pray that the Lord would use her to minister the gospel in a powerful but winsome way to young women in need.
• Please pray for Scott as he is taking on some new responsibilities at work. Pray for an extra measure of wisdom and strength as he is trying to balance the requirements of the job with the need to press forward in raising support.