Teaching Truth
We began going to Chetumal in June 2022, sharing with pastors and ministry leaders what God’s word says about being and making disciples. It is hard to imagine, but we just completed our fourth and final training with this same group. What an unbelievable time! We have built many relationships over the last two years, sharing amazing meals and times of fellowship. Though the hours are long, we all walk away feeling encouraged to continue the work he has called each of us to do.
These three days of training focused on hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible) and apologetics (how to defend our faith). We wanted these ministry leaders to walk away confident that they can accurately interpret the word of God to faithfully teach it in their homes and churches; as well as feeling equipped to rationally understand the reason for what we believe the Bible says is true. The Bible IS true, and that alone is enough, but we know there are MANY other evidences given that we can look to. Many pastors shared that our discussions gave them greater understanding to know how to both study the word of God and promote biblical truth with gentleness and respect, giving God ALL glory.
Our words would not be enough to describe all that God did. We’ll let a few of the pastors and ministry leaders share the impact these times of training have had on them.
“As we’ve studied the Scripture, there’s many things I realize that I should know but I don’t know because I don’t read the Bible enough. It challenged me and I feel more equipped to be able to study the Scriptures more.”
“We need more teachings like this that are spiritually deep and biblically accurate because, as we’ve studied this, several things that I thought about Scripture, I realized were not actually based on Scripture.”
“This has really encouraged me and helped me to learn some new things that I can teach others.”
“I have grown a lot through these trainings, but I also see how God has grown Para Ministries, and you two (Jesse and Kaila). The work of God is very evident.”
“The teaching on emotionalism was very impactful. It is very popular here to overemphasize emotions and its easy to be influenced by that. Seeing how God has given us our emotions, but those emotions need to be submitted to him, has really impacted how I need to think about things in my church.”
“The training you are doing is incredibly important and so valuable. One, even though you can be surrounded by people, being a pastor can be very lonely. So having discipleship and accountably in our (pastors) lives is vital. Two, its such a temptation to align with prosperity and false gospel teachers because people like that and it gains popularity and crowds. So truly teaching the word of God and how to be a shepherd and teacher, and to have good theology, is exactly what these we need.”
Wow. God continues to amaze us because HE has made all those things possible. HE is the One TRANSFORMING lives. We don’t want to simply bring information. Knowledge is important. But if it ends there, what’s the point? We continually pray that God will show up in mighty ways to transform lives and churches and communities. He is ALWAYS faithful.
…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;
yet do it with gentleness and respect…
1 Peter 3:15
sacrifice
Our time in Mexico flew by (October 5-7), but it was an incredibly rewarding time. There were many moments we could see evidence of God’s hand over the lives of his people. He is so gracious to allow us to know him more deeply and to see him move in his church.
One of the takeaways from this training week for Jesse and I was the sacrifices made for our family to feel welcome. First, a couple (pictured above), Ernesto & Juanita, allowed Pastor Placido to borrow their SUV to pick us up from the airport (an 8 hour round trip!). We had never met them before, but when we were introduced at the church, they expressed the blessing it was for them to sacrifice their vehicle so that we would have a ride. As we prayed with them, the wife was in tears; filled with joy at the fact that God had used her to minister to us.
And then Pastor Placido and Pastora Maria Luisa hosted us in their home. They gave up their room, along with their daughter’s bed, in order for my family to be comfortable. This meant they were sleeping in hammocks. And anyone who has had small kids knows the many other sacrifices they made with us in their home. ;)
And my good friend Wendy’s daughter, Emeli, stayed with us as an extra set of hands for the girls. But she went above and beyond, caring for our girls so well. She sacrificed personal space (especially in the van) and her time and many other things to be a blessing to us.
As Jesse and I were sharing these things with one another about the week, we were reminded that we are ALL called to be the body and take care of one another, putting others needs before our own. Some of these sacrifices may seem small to some of us, but they were incredible blessings to my family. Trips like these take immense planning, with so many details to get right and coordinate with many people. (I’m so proud of Jesse for all he does to make these trips possible.) So when others give freely of what they have to help our family feel welcome and safe, we know it’s a love that can only come from those united in Spirit through Jesus Christ.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us, a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:2
Growing in obedience
A month has flown by since we traveled home from Belize. We are so grateful for our time there. We came home feeling encouraged and ready to get to work on our next trip (after a time of rest, of course). Every trip we have grown more - spiritually, in relationships with others, in trusting God. One of my goals for this last trip was to let go of control (trying to get a certain outcome) and see God at work. I struggle with perfectionism…which can lead me either to inaction or to working so hard to get something to turn out how I think it should be. Neither of those truly serve God or show my trust in him. I wanted to be able to do the challenging things this trip as well as allow his perfect, sovereign plans to unfold however he saw fit. And while I am somewhere on a very long “work in progress” line, I was able to let go and give God permission to be in control. And did everything “feel” like it was perfect or effective or life-changing? For sure not. But in that I realize I must choose to believe he is working all things for good, that he is doing things I cannot see, and he is fully in charge of the results. If I am obedient to what he has asked of me, then he will produce whatever results he wants to. If that isn’t freeing, then I don’t know what is.
This week was the first of our monthly leader connects, the Leader Hub Gathering - virtual times for ministry leaders to join together to build one another up. Our prayer is that as leaders, serving in different countries and cultures and languages, come together for times of encouragement and training, that the body of believers will be edified and equipped for every good work. We are committed to walking alongside these men and women and we believe this resource is one way we can do that in a tangible way throughout the year. Many pastors shared about discouragement they face, and we were able to go to scripture together to seek Truth and “build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We’re so grateful God has given us a platform to be able to celebrate the ways he is moving and speaking to people from all over.
Our oldest daughter, Eden, started preschool this month. It’s such a joy to have watched her grow into the young girl she is - so bright and cheerful, full of life and love. She has been excited to meet new friends (truly, this girl is just like daddy - in many ways - but she has no fear of asking kids to be her friend). I learn a lot from this precious girl and am excited for her new journey. It will give us some one-on-one time with Livi, too…which might make me a little nostalgic of the time I had with Eden. Each season is sweet and I’m thankful God has displayed his goodness and glory in every aspect of them all.
This is the verse I pray over our girls, that they may fully surrender their lives to him - that they may trust him in the midst of all circumstances, even when they don’t see or feel or understand….they will know that God is who he says he is and they can trust him with their lives.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Light in the darkness
A soccer field. A cane field. A small roof on poles. Some lights. Some chairs. And fire. This is what we saw as we drove up on the church we went to Sunday night.
One speaker. One microphone. One keyboard. All there for one reason: One God. One Spirit. One Body.
How simple. Yet powerful! This is the fellowship of believers. This is the church. Not a building. Not a time of day. The people. God’s people. Devoted to one another, devoted to the Word, and devoted to prayer. Devoted to sharing testimony of the Lord’s goodness - praising His name! (One lady stood and told how God had answered their prayers and healed her leg from disease; the Pastor surprised my mom when he asked if she would come up to share her testimony - how often do we stop to recognize what God has done in our lives?)
I am not elevating this church. They aren’t perfect. The Acts church wasn’t perfect. Your church isn’t perfect. My church isn’t perfect. But I think the question I should wrestle with, you should wrestle with, and the question this new church should wrestle with, is this: is my church the church? Yes, we have a building, a pastor, lots of ministries…no. Is it the church? The church Jesus intended. The church that will stop at nothing to care for each others needs, that sacrifices for each other, that is devoted to prayer, that enjoys favor with all people (not because of a watered down Gospel, but because there is truth and love being taught and modeled by disciples of Christ who live out Matthew 5:16 in a world where Truth and love are absent) , that relies on God and God alone to bring the increase, that worship is not just in song but in heart, that handles conflict according to God’s Word, that lives the “one anothers” in a world that “looks out for number one,” that models the beatitudes rather than the “me-attitudes”, that lives in the power, love, and soundness of mind the Holy Spirit gives us.
This church, next to a soccer field, surrounded by sugar cane, with just a few lights hanging from a cord, was literally the only light in the darkness (other than 300 feet away where one end of the cane field was on fire -literally setting the field on fire to burn away chaff and pests is step one in harvesting cane - there’s probably a sermon illustration there). Driving up to this light in the darkness, I felt the Lord lead me to preach on Matthew 5:14-16 and Acts 2:42-27. And I was challenged: how do I daily let my light shine? How does our church let our light shine? Do I live in such a way that people want to know Jesus? Does everything in our church point people to Jesus?
We had the opportunity to worship at another church earlier that day, I preached at another church that afternoon, and we were at this outdoor service in the evening. Three churches that looked very different. They probably look very different from your church. But here’s the point: regardless of what your church looks like, or where it’s located…Jesus tells us it’s HIS church, HIS Body. That HE will build it. That HE will bring the increase and produce the fruit. Israel assumed they were glorifying God in their assemblies and festivals, yet were actually a stench to the Lord (Amos 5:22). Why? They elevated themselves and committed idolatry. Might this happen today, in 2023, all over the world? We elevate ourselves and anything other than what the Lord desires: those with clean hands and a pure heart, fully surrendered and submitted to Him. When we make idols out of ourselves, our gifts, our processes and systems, our preferences… and therefore worship other things than God Almighty. This begins with me. With you. If the church is the fellowship of believers, the Body of Christ, it begins with each member of the Body living as a light, living in surrender, living a life of worship. So that the light burns even brighter as we gather together. So that we shine light into the darkness. That we bring hope into the hopelessness. Love into the hatred. Unity into the division. It starts with me. And you. Being a devoted follower of Jesus, devoted to the Word of God, devoted to prayer, and devoted to one another. This is the Church. This is the Body of Christ.
Unity among believers
It’s amazing how a place can become so familiar that it seems like an extension of home. Friendly, familiar faces that greet us, sights and sounds that welcome us back. I’m grateful our girls will grow up knowing the warm hospitality of Belize.
The girls have met new friends, enjoyed the park, have done endless crafts with Ama, and love doing life with our Para team, Edwin, Pastor Polin, and Pastor Ramon. These girls are such a blessing. These trips will never be “easy,” but the girls are really becoming so flexible. We are praying for the fruit that comes from including them in the work God has called our family to.
Tonight we had our 3rd night of training and we will be finishing up with a long day tomorrow. The group has seemed engaged and one of the youth pastors in attendance said that “this has been incredible; I have heard it explained that being a church leader is like a sponge: it gets dipped in a bucket of water, and then squeezed out. This, for me, has been like getting dipped in the bucket .” It’s been an encouraging time of digging into the Truth of God’s Word. I truly feel like God is giving me more courage because I’m depending on Him. I have asked Him to let me see and love people as He does, to help me be obedient, and then leave the burden of results to Him. How freeing! I will always be a work in progress. But I am oh so grateful for the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit that goes with me.
One thing we always share with the pastors and ministry leaders is that they have MANY people praying for them. It’s such an important message we want them to know. They are not alone. While we are the ones physically here with them, our friends and family back home and around the world are with them in prayer, lifting them up. In those moments, it’s almost as if heavens gates open up and all believers are there together. It’s hard to explain, but we want you to know that the prayer and support you give is real kingdom work, bringing unity among believers. Thank you.
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” Titus 2:1
Impact for generations
Wrapping up our time in Mexico.
WOW! Just WOW! God is at work! “We wish this training was more days.” “This training has allowed me to view myself as God views me.” “We cannot wait to begin to train other leaders in our churches.” “It is clear that you are passionate about correctly teaching God’s Word.” “We have seen through your teachings your love for God, and your love for us. We feel like you are family.” Those are comments from pastors and leaders from the training in José María Morelos, Mexico. THIS is what those of you partner with Para through prayer and finances are sowing into.
A pastor that Justus and I had breakfast with this morning said he is excited about these trainings. He said, “I see that you are teaching pastors to be able to teach the true things of God, and this will have impact for generations to come. You may not even see the true fruit for 5 years. This will impact marriages, families, and churches for a long time.” Amen!
The trip to Morelos was going to be something rare: we had no plans to do any preaching, since we had three 8-hour days of training, and had to leave early Sunday morning to be able to meet with pastors in Chetumal to plan for October, and still have time for one of our interpreters to reach his church back in Belize in time for Sunday evening service. Well, we should have known that would change. Pastor Carlos (one of our interpreters and the pastor hosting this coming week’s training in Orange Walk) preached Friday night at a church service in Morelos. Pastor Justus preached at a church service Saturday in Morelos. We had to be back in Chetumal (2 ½ hours away) by 10:00 for Pastor Carlos to catch the bus back to Belize. So the host/coordinating pastor for trainings in Chetumal said since we would be there, could I preach at his church. So I did! And it is the first time I spoke Spanish to do my introduction! Poco a poco!
In Chetumal, we had lunch with three pastors after service. We shared the vision God has given us for the future, and how we want to go where the Lord will lead. By the end of the meeting, the pastors shared there are 3,000 pastors in 3 different areas of Mexico that would be eager to receive this training. What!? God, what are you doing!? Two of them shared that they already have leaders in their churches that have been in the trainings, meeting weekly with other leaders in their churches to teach them! THAT is our heart: to train leaders that train leaders. To shepherd those that shepherd others.
One person in Morelos said: “through studying God’s Word these days, it has made me consider my daily habits. I have seen clearly that I must be spiritually healthy to be able to minister to others. Things that I thought were maybe harmless, I realize can harm me long-term. I must grow to be more like Christ in all aspects of my life.” Jesus gave all of Himself; He expects all of us. To make disciples, I must be a disciple. Of the Way, not the world. Jesus has not called fans, but followers. Jesus IS the Way. Jesus IS the Truth. Jesus IS the Life. What daily habits must I lay down at His feet, to be more like Him? Where does my life more look like the world, rather than the Word? These are questions that we must wrestle with daily as the Holy Spirit sanctifies us to produce Christlikeness in us.
God is at work
God is at work.
Thank you for praying! And thank you for everyone’s concern about business cards. Kaila will be bringing some for us next week (thanks to the encouragement from several of you…and someone offering to pay for them). Since Tuesday we have been able to pray for a pastor we ran into at a restaurant, pray for a pastor in his home, and yesterday completed day 1 of our training with 16 pastors and leaders from 4 different churches! Our model for training is encouraging each pastor to bring 3-5 leaders from their church with them so that they learn together how to be able to go back and train other people in their churches as a team! We have found this creates a greater level of unity, support and encouragement for the pastor to be able to implement the trainings, and empowers the leaders in the church to raise up other leaders. One pastor we talked to said the vision and methodologies Para uses shows “we are not trying to come in and try to change the foundation of churches, but to equip and empower pastors and leaders to be able to fulfill the calling of their church by coming alongside them.” Yes!
The drive Tuesday went super smooth with no issues at the border and no issues with the van! But we learned today, apparently driving the wrong direction down an unmarked one way street draws the attention of local police. God showed us favor, and they had mercy in the poor gringo (and Belizean) missionaries.
We survived the 99 degree day (the next three are 100, 101, and 103) for a remarkable and fruitful day of training, prayer, and pouring into pastors. We ended the night by taking the host pastor and his wife out to dinner for some local tacos and tortas! Hey that would be a great name for a food truck! And one pastor in our group - who will rename nameless, but rhymes with dustus - couldn’t resist an ice cream stop. And then wrapped up with a team meeting and our nightly prayer time.
God is at work. You are here with us because we couldn’t be here without your prayers, support, and encouragement. You are Para. We are Para. Estamos Para.
The journey begins
The journey begins…
Welcome to our blog!! Today is a big day! Not only is it our first blog post, but our first official international trip as Para Ministries! We woke up early this morning and Kaila drove our Pastor, Justus, and me to the airport. We made it safely into Houston, then on to Belize! And the van is working amazingly! Praise God!!!
I am wearing one of our brand new Para Ministries shirts, and wow…it opened great conversations! One guy in Houston came up and asked us what we do and he said he works with a pastor in Kenya who has an orphanage there. He wanted to know more about our ministry and asked if I had a business card. I do not. I didn’t think people still used them. So it was awesome to be able to point him to this website! Then boarding the plane, a lady in front of us asked about it, and said she was heading to Belize on behalf of her church to investigate what ministry opportunities are here in Belize. She wanted to learn more about Para. The lady in front of her heard us mention one of the city names we will be doing a training here in Belize, and said that’s where she was from. I told her she should check out the church that’s hosting the training and mentioned the location and pastor’s name and she said….”I was his teacher!” Both ladies asked if I had a business card. So I had to write it down on a piece of paper to get them the info. Needless to say, I guess people still use business cards and we need to get some!
So who knows what will come from any of those conversations, but it was evident that God has gone before us, that He opens doors, and He is over all things! Perhaps because we have just come out of the Easter season, but it reminded me of Luke 19:31, when Jesus said if anyone asked why they were taking the donkey, tell them the Lord needs it. Jesus prepares all things. He makes the way, always. He is the way maker. It is sometimes tempting to think we have to make things happen. We have to create opportunities. I think the reality is, we have to be faithful. With the small things. The daily things. The things Jesus clearly wants his followers to do. As we do that, we are where he wants us to be, when he wants us to be there, to do what he wants us to do. Whether that’s Belize, Mississippi, Virginia, California…wherever you might be, God has gone before you. Be faithful today. Be faithful in the small things. Maybe don’t “try” so hard. Simply “be still” - some translations say “cease striving” - and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). I share these lessons not as an expert that has fully learned them, but as a student that is continuing to learn these things, relying on the Lord’s grace and strength to produce steadfastness within me.
Tomorrow we pick up Carlos and Polin, before driving 5 hours into Mexico. Please pray for travel safety, favor getting through the border, and no van issues.