The power of the love from the Bride of Christ

There is a family from a Muslim background that has recently arrived here in America within the last two months that is the perfect picture of what it looks like when the Bride of Christ represents the Husband in which she is wed to. The amount of baggage that is carried by this family is more than anyone should have to endure. Their story is true representation of that of many of the refugee that live here Clarkston, one of persecution, endurance and a second chance. They moved into our apartment complex and immediately where embraced by the Love of Christ through his Church. After several weeks of watching us love on him in the name of Christ he could not help but question why we were doing this. He had no other answer than that of what was living in side of us! Christ! He told us while his family was over for lunch one day that he had found the straight path and that that path was Jesus. After questioning about his experiences with Christ and visiting a local church for the last couple of Sundays that has an Arabic service he began to explain that he was starting to come very concerned about his family because they had not found this path yet. They were influenced heavily by their family back home in their decisions. At this point I was at peace to say that this guy was in the Kingdom and my new brother because of his genuinely concern about the salvation of his family being in Jesus and only him.

first video blog

Field Trip

I was really blessed to have receive annual passes from one of my family members to the Largest Aquarium in the world(Atlanta Aquarium). It has been so much fun for Jenna, the kids and myself to visit. Then we upgraded a few more tickets that some friends of ours had purchased and then some more of my family also bought another guest pass leaving us with a family pass and 3 guest passes to go to the aquarium when ever we want for the next year. This has made it very very very inexpensive for us to take refugees to. Normally what it would cost us is about 210 dollars every trip now we can make as often as we would like and really be able to bless the refugees that we are working among for about 8 dollars for parking. We have been able to take some Iraqi Children and also Some Iraqi men so far and the results were amazing. Instant relationships were made and they were like little kids running from one place to the next.

I just wanted to say thank you for the people that have purchased these annual passes for us so that we could use them for blessing the refugee community.

In the home of a Muslim

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go with Tim Hayes a friend of mine to meet with a Somalian Muslim that was about to have surgery on a hernia that he has. We were warmly welcomed in to their apartment and within a few minutes, after introduction to his 2 other room mates, were offered some tea(more like coffee). The conversation that followed has forever changed ,my world view on Muslims. After reading the book Muslims, Christians and Jesus by Carl Medearis I really opened my eyes to what Muslims REALLY think and feel about spiritual things.

M.J.(couldn't pronounce his real name), Tajmal and Daud Abdi sat on the couch across from us and told us about what it is to be a real Muslim. What it was to be on a real Jihad( a holy war). The words that I listened to that day were not words of hate, but were words of men that hated what "associations" people thought of when they talked about Muslims. They expressed how Terrorist had taken their scripture, manipulated and twisted it, to fit their own evil agenda. The disgust in the crimes against humanity and in the name of Allah(GOD).

We were able to share a TON of information about Jesus and What it means to be a Follower of Him. I was also able to share my full testimony to them. Being lost in sin with no respect for God, all the way to power of Jesus' Resurrection and how that translates into my walk today. What it meant to be saved by grace and that my works could never pay for the sin that I committed. We were also able to explain the trinity and that we are not polytheistic.

The most interesting thing to me that was ow much stuff we agreed on.

There is only one God
That God is the most beautiful thing we could imagine and that he is so holy that we could never fully understand him.
Jesus Came from God
he had no earthly Father
He was sent by God
He ascended to Heaven
He is returning at the end of this World
Mary was a virgin
God Loved us more than we could comprehend
Asking God for his Help over temptation


Some things I did have a problem with
That works are weighed after we die to decide where we will go
Jesus ascended to heaven and another man that looked like him was crucified in his place.
That man was given his physical features by God
God does not need a soon he is complete in himself( to this we explained that Jesus was not there to complete god but there to complete us. The reason were were able to have that relationship with him)

Most interesting thing that I learned from them was that the "Jihad" was finished when Muhammed Died. Their is no more holy war. The holy war is now a personal holy war were you are striving to do good deeds for other people and overcoming evil desires. They gave us some examples of what that looked like:
The fact that we were taking time out of our day to come visit them.
M.J. let Daud borrow his bus pass.
Praying through out the day.
Helping Daud get the info he needed for his doctors appointments.
Etc...
I have found a new love for Muslims that I am excited to see what God is going to do with!!

a little girl's right

Why is it that when ever you feel like you are making a step ahead you get gut punched and seated on your butt. Today I took some Nepali friends of mine to Sam's club and printed off some pictures that I took of them the last time that we were at there house. It was a lot of fun for them because I brought the van and the their little girl went with us. Sh is absolutely precious. Every time she is around she can not help but to smile and laugh. My favorite thing about her is that when we visit she does not know whether to greet me in english or nepali.

Because of the job situation here in Atlanta It looks like her dad, mom, Durga(uncle) and Bhola(uncle) might move 2 hours away where there is a chicken factory that could hire them. This would leave the grand parents behind to take care the Little bundle of smiles. I have began to hate this thought with every thing that is with in me. They have been my favorite people to hang out with in Clarkston and we have really begun an amazing relationship. The last thing I want to see is this family separated due to a job. Have they not been through enough in their life already. I Know that Christ hates to see families separated, I serve a God that is about restoration and redemption not about separation.

Please, Please, Please pray for the Darjee family. That they would find a job to begin there life here in the states. That they would love the fact that they came to America for a step in the right direction not a step backwards that would divide their family. They have been here three months and I know they will do everything in their powere to have a better life...but I know that no little girl should have to grow up 2 hours from her mom and dad!

They need it more than me!

Tonight after coming home from youth group we stopped of at the store to get a gallon of milk. while Jenna went in side to get it, I sat in the car at watched a homeless man with a prosthetic leg beg for change as people scurried by in both directions. Finally I called him over to the car and gave him the few bucks that I had left in my wallet. Without ever looking me in the eye he responded with a kind "thank you". then before making a full turn to limp back to the wall, that he seemed to be the only thing to block the cold wind, he asked if I by chance i had an extra blanket in the car that he could possible have. Knowing that tonight was going to drop into the mid twenties I was now responsible to do something.

There at that moment I had two chooses. The first choose would have been to simply to say no because of the fact that it would take an initiative on my part to go home to get some blankets and then come back. Or I could have taken responsibility for this man that I have never met before that night. We have a no right to look at anyone else and be the judge of that persons worth. We have a responsibility to be there with an out stretched hand for anyone who needs assistance.

After returning home and dropping off the family and picking up a friend that lives in the apartment complex ( just to be safe). We then returned and suggested that hot meal was definitely over due for our new friend. He hesitated and said that he would go but he didn't want to get into the car. He did not do this because of safety reasons but because he did not want to offend us with his smell. He thought that no one helping him out should have to deal with him stinking up their car. We then stressed that it didn't matter and we wanted to give him a ride. So we ventured across the street while exchanging small talk on the way.

After arriving at Wendy's we went back and forth for a minute about not ordering something off the dollar menu and going all out on the baconator value meal, which he was thrilled to get. Then as we waited for the food I watched him empty out all the change from his pocket and dump hand fulls of pennies into a little charity box that was designated to go to children with cancer. We all asked why he was doing that and insisted on him keeping the change. Even the lady behind the counter was in protest. He responded with the profound answer "they need it more than I do". We were all in complete shock. Here a homeless guy standing there in shoes that were completely falling apart and sleeps in a tent behind a grave yard. He stood out in the below freezing night and begged for that change. It was the fruit of his labor. It was an experience that I will never forget.

Over dinner he told us his story about being in the army for ten years then quiting. That was followed up by going to prison because he got involved with the wrong crowd. I watched him choke back alot of pain, hurt, regret and flood of emotions as he wiped his nose and hide his welling eyes. He told us about not knowing his son because of it. Not knowing where he lived or what he was doing now. He has been on the streets for 9 years. Right now he is the prodigal son that feels broken beaten and full of shame. Thinking he can never return to his mom or sister.

We were able to speak alot of truth into his life. We told him about gods love and how much god valued him. A story very similar to the prodigal son returning and family not caring about his shame, but rejoicing over his return. He was a believer and said that Jesus was all that he has. That it is the only thing that he has. He didn't look at his life as having any value. But that night I could see him with Christ's eyes and the value that he sees in him. It was a truly amazing experience to love on someone that is less fortunate. to know that God has blessed us that we can bless someone else.

We took him back to where he was standing and gave him an old sleeping bag, a blanket, a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt for a job interview, and a sack full of breakfast food that Jenna had put together. We prayed for him departed ways probably to never cross paths again. But right before he left he told us out of everything he got tonight there was to things that were the most important. One was the sleeping bag and the other of higher value was the we even spoke to him.