Middle East Journal

I will not again view the news of the Middle East with the same perspective.  Last week, shortly after our return, we saw a news story that talked about Israel revoking permits for Palestinians who live in the Israeli occupied area of Jerusalem.  They could no longer go home.  Having experienced what we did while in Jerusalem and the West Bank, this story really struck home.  Normally, it would have just been another story in the news, and we wouldn't have given it a second thought.   Now, our ears perk up when we hear a story from this region.  We don't take the news stories we hear as "truth" any more - we filter what we are hearing.

I have completed my journal from our trip.  It will not be posted on the Mission of Mercy web site.  However, you are encouraged to request it and it will be emailed to you in pdf format.  Send an email to blog@missionofmercy.org and we'll send it right out to you.

The work that Mission of Mercy supports in the Middle East is critical component of our ministry.  To sponsor a child from this region, go to www.missionofmercy.org, click on the sponsor link, and sponsor a child from Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt.

I'm sure it will be a long time before we return to the Middle East, but this trip has impacted our lives in unexpected ways.  We will never be the same.

Wrapping up Middle East Trip

The last two weeks has been an amazing experience.  Visiting Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank has given us a brand new perspective.  We'll never watch the news back in the States the same way, and we certainly won't accept those reports as pure fact.

I have kept a journal of our trip and have posted it as the trip progressed.  However, some of the information and photos are sensitive and I don't want to create a difficult situation for anyone here.  Upon my return, I'll write a wrap up and then will make my journal available by email.

This has been a life-changing trip in many ways.  There is much to be done here to help those who are poor ane oppressed.  We had a couple very close calls on the highways.  Dee mentioned yesterday that it must not be our time yet.  We still have much to accomplish.

When my journal is completed, I'll post an email address where you can get a copy.  Thanks for your prayers.

On the Way to the Middle East

We leave for the airport in about an hour. A long flight to Frankfurt, Germany, an eight hour layover, and then the final four hour flight to Amman, Jordan. It will be a long journey. It gives Dee and me plenty of time to talk, think, pray and sleep. This is our first trip to the Middle East, but it is not a Holy Land tour. We will be visiting Mission of Mercy supported projects in Jordan and Lebanon. We'll travel from Amman to Beirut by car, so we'll travel through and spend the night in Damascus, Syria. We will conclude by going into the West Bank of Israel to determine the needs of children there.

We know that this will be a once-in-a-lifetime journey. We will see and experience things well off the beaten path. Our hosts know the culture of the Middle East well. I have a feeling that we will get a very unique perspective and that we will come back changed.

I'll do my best to blog as I have the opportunity. I'll post pictures where possible. Please keep us in prayer. We will be on the go for two weeks. I look forward to learning much more about this historical area of the world.

Field of Dreams

Today was an amazing day. A new facility was dedicated in the Dominican Republic. It consisted of a baseball field, volleyball and basketball court, multipurpose building and classrooms for the 200 children who attend this project. In addition, a total of 15 projects reaching over 2,500 children are within 20 minutes away, so they'll have access to use this wonderful facility.

Today, about 300 children participated in the dedication. Pro baseball players from the US attended, along with a few US players in the Dominican league. Civic officials and a Mission of Mercy project leaders and pastors helped round out a wonderful group. After the dedication, activities were scheduled for the kids including baseball, soccer, basketball, face painting and more. I got a great hit off a major league pitcher.. it was captured on video.. I'll post that later!

This day wasn't about baseball - it was about hope for the children. The community where the field is located is a poor community and this facility has given them great opportunities for their kids. Hundreds of children will benefit. They know that they have value, and you could see the excitement on their faces.

But, for me, one of the greatest blessings came from someone I had never met. A pastor of a local church introduced himself and asked how my family was doing? I told him that my family was doing well. He said that he has been praying for my family every day asking God to protect them and bless them. He has also been praying for me - that God will continue to give me a vision to reach more and more children. As I spent time getting to know him, I felt honored by his commitment to prayer for my family and me - even though he never met us.

There were so many events that occurred today. The medical team checked each of the 200+ children in this project, and met a couple very immediate health needs. It was a great day of fellowship and fun. I look forward to seeing the impact this "Field of Dreams" has on this region. Today was the start of something great!

Pray

It seems hard to find the time to keep this blog updated. I have great intentions, but it seems like too many things get in the way.

However, I just had to write my thoughts about giving and prayer. In the past few weeks, I have been especially touched by the prayer requests coming into Mission of Mercy. Every Tuesday morning, we break into small groups and pray over every single prayer request that comes in - even if it just a note on an enclosure in an envelope.

Many of those requests show the heart of compassion that people have for their families. Some say that they are having to financially help their married children, or children writing that they have to help their parents - all because of lost jobs, or serious medical conditions. Many have asked for prayer because they have lost their jobs. A lot of those who write send in their check for the sponsorship of their child, despite their own need. Some need to stop their sponsorship because they just don't have the money to continue.

Even though I am very aware of the needs of the children we serve in developing nations, the US is also a nation in need. Millions have lost their jobs and there are many other circumstances that are occurring that are forcing people into financial desperation. Maybe we could all benefit by praying more. A nation in need becoming a nation of prayer? You know what? If that happened, we'd change the world.

I want to say thank you to all of those who continue to support us in prayer. And those that support the kids despite their own person time of crisis. It is humbling to see that kind of spirit on a daily basis.

Speaking of prayer, if you need someone to stand with you, please let us know. You can email us at prayer@mofm.org. We will stand with you in prayer. The lessons learned from this economic crisis may get us back to the fundamentals of faith and life.

One Child Matters

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since I have written. Time flies, eh? I've been busy with budgeting, office catch up and I spent a week in Orlando at the Assemblies of God General Council saying "hi" to old friends and meeting new ones. Sometimes it is easy to lose perspective in the middle of all the busy-ness. The past few days I've been thinking a lot about the reason that I do what I do. It's because One Child Matters.

If you follow Mission of Mercy, sponsor a child or are involved in some other manner, you are going to be hearing One Child Matters a lot. It is the center-point of what our ministry is all about - children. Here's what our message is:

One:
Whether it's our sponsorship program providing practical help and hope for the future, or making surgery to remove a life-threatening tumor possible, it's about One child. It is also helpful to keep this in perspective. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the need. But, if we can help One child, then we have made a difference!

Child:
This is our passion - children. We provide the opportunity for them to become productive leaders and effect change in their families and communities. To change a culture, we start with one Child.

Matters:
To matter is "to have importance or consequence." Think of how your own child has significance in your life - you would stop at nothing to protect your child from danger or harm. Whether a child attends a school in India or lives in the bush of Africa, that child Matters to us - and we are called to provide them opportunity and hope in Christ.

The thing I love about what is happening inside of Mission of Mercy is a tremendous resurgence of energy and creativity, despite a troubled economy. No expensive outside consulting firms; no high priced designers; just a group of staff members contributing thoughts and ideas. An artist, Aaron Crider, has written an awesome song around this theme; a song that will freely distributed soon. It is all happening “organically.”

Think about how much your own children mean to you. You can offer hope to a child in poverty – and hope to the child’s family and community. To get involved, sponsor a child today at www.onechildmatters.org.

Struggling with Life

The last few weeks have been a very emotionally charged time at our house. Our dear friends, Amy and Bennett, are in the midst of a battle for Amy's life. Amy has a very invasive cancer. She has not reached 50 years of age. She is at MD Anderson hospital in Houston. MD Anderson is one of the leading cancer treatment centers in the country.

At the end of June, Dee and I headed to the Black Hills (SD) to see our children, as well as our granddaughter Montana. Just before the 4th of July I got a call from Bennett. He had thrown his back out, and was unable to drive to the hospital to see Amy. Needless to say, I got the first flight out to Houston to be with them. Over the next four days, I observed one of the greatest struggles - the struggle for life. Amy's condition remains serious, and I know they would appreciate your prayer.

Dee and I have spoken about the blessing of health in our lives - and in the lives of our children. Most of the time I don't even think about it. But when a close friend, even younger than me, goes through such a struggle, I am reminded of that blessing. While I know that Heaven is the ultimate healing, we want Amy to be with us for years to come.

How do you deal with this kind of situation in your life? How do you pray when a friend of family member is near death?

May God grant you simple joys in your life every day. And may you not take those joys for granted.

Kenya comes to the US

Last week, we had the blessing of having two of our Kenya workers in the Mission of Mercy office in Colorado Springs. Hapi Wanje and Nicholas Kimatu work with our projects throughout Kenya. They are deeply committed to seeing that the sponsored children are well taken care of. They have hearts of gold and encouraged all of the people they met while in the country.

Dee and I were able to spend some time with them. We have both been to Kenya, so this was a special reunion time for us. Nicholas got his promised latte, but I'm not sure he is hooked yet!

It was Nicholas' first trip to the US. We asked him his thoughts. He talked about how wide our roads are, and how calm people are on the road. To him, we are very uncongested and organized. I think some of our Colorado Springs residents would differ with him. But, I remember the streets of Nairobi. Chaos everwhere. The lines on the roads are merely suggestions. People pack the streets and there is litter everywhere. Most of us have no clue how difficult life can be in Kenya and other countries around the world. Even simple things become major projects and consume hours of time.

As we said goodbye the Nicholas and Hapi, I was very grateful for the opportunity to know them. If you sponsor a child with Mission of Mercy in Kenya, please know the kids are in good hands. They are served by these two men who have an intensity of purpose to improve the lives of the children.

If you don't sponsor a child from Kenya, you can. Go to www.missionofmercy.org and search for a child from Kenya. There's also a Mission of Mercy trip to Kenya planned for this October. Dee will be going along as a team leader. You can find more information about that under the "Get Involved" link on the front page.

I am honored to be a part of a ministry that works with people like Hapi and Nicholas. They know that One Child Matters!

The Pictures Tell the Story!

One of the greatest joys that Dee and I have had with Mission of Mercy is meeting the children we sponsor. We have met all of the six children we currently sponsor, as well as children that we sponsored before. We have met parents, brothers and sisters. It is truly a joy!

Recently, a group put together by radio station KSLT in Rapid City, SD, traveled to the Dominican Republic to work on buildings that will house a project and a sports complex. The project is set to be dedicated in November with pro baseball players in attendance.

I know the highlight of the trip for many of those traveling to the DR was to meet their sponsored children. Here are a couple photos that tell the story of those meetings.

When you have a chance to understand what sponsorship does for these kids, you don't hesitate to jump in.. many sponsor more than one. If you would like to become a sponsor for about $1 a day, go to the Mission of Mercy website at www.missionofmercy.org and find a child that you can help. Remember that One Child Matters!

Don't Answer the Phone!!!

I recently received an email from Jack Eans, who is the VP of International Child Ministry for us at Mission of Mercy. This is a situation that exists in Honduras, but also in a number of other countries in Central and South America. After this email hit our offices, another member of our international staff, Yolie Lalama, also shared specific instances, as well. I hope this message will encourage you to keep these countries in prayer... - Mark...

At times it’s hard for us to imagine the different types of stress and pressure the kids, families, project workers and our own field staff in the various countries are under in their personal daily lives.

The following is just one example from one of our countries that needs our prayers.

Imagine your telephone ringing and like you do any day, you answer it but this time on the other end is a stranger who threatens to kidnap your son or daughter unless you pay them thousands of dollars within 72 hours. You have no idea what to do because you don’t know who called. Somehow they know you. You can’t go to the police because they either don’t care, couldn’t do anything anyway or are involved themselves. You start calling family members asking them to loan you money. Pretty soon every sister, uncle and cousin is aware and trying to pull the money together. Eventually you manage to get the money and you stand by your phone waiting for them to call again to give you further instructions. I know this is true because it just happened to a family member of one of our project workers.

This is the latest way the gangs in Honduras are using to extort money from innocent people. It usually happens in the poorest communities where the gangs run rampant. People are afraid to even answer their phones for fear of it being a call like this. And their fears are well founded because people have indeed been kidnapped and even killed for non-payment. They don’t have time to make a “pay no ransom” policy. They just pay and pray.

In these economic down times where everyone is focused on Wall Street, layoffs, interest rates etc. I always find it interesting and yet heartbreaking how poor people are rarely worried or preoccupied with these issues, rather they inevitably have some issue of fear or survival to deal with. We don’t always understand why they can’t just do what we need them to do quickly and right the first time. That person we’re waiting on may have to take a taxi downtown to an internet café (after it took them a week to get approval to take the cash to pay for both), plus run a dozen other errands for the project, all on their day off from their regular job while at the same time scared to walk down their own street or get home when its dark, and then assuming they are locked safely inside their house – afraid to even answer their own phone.

Please pray for each person somewhere out there working on behalf of the sponsors and children that they will be safe, have their own needs provided for, and feel encouraged that what they are doing for pennies is reaping a major investment in the Kingdom.

Thanks and be blessed!

Jack

It's a Small World

A few days ago I posted a blog after I had connected again with our former sponsor child.  Someone at Mission of Mercy thought it would be nice to talk to her about her experience, so I arranged a time for us to record an interview on Skype.  As Lavinia spoke, I remembered my trip to Romania in 1995.  We visited the Mission of Mercy site, where I saw a computer lab of about 10 to 12 computers.  I remember thinking how great it was that kids were going to have the opportunity to learn on computers.  Very few in Romania had a computer at home, and even back in the States, they were really coming of age.  Well, Lavinia turned out to be one of those that had been tutored in that lab.

I found out in preparing to post the audio, that here and on Facebook, you can't upload audio, only video.  So this is a very simple video, but the most important part, of course, is the audio.  What would expect would be the focus of someone who spent over 30 years in radio?

I hope you enjoy the interview.  The world gets smaller every day!

Update on our sponsor child

I wrote about this in an earlier blog, but this is an update I sent to the Mission of Mercy/Bethesda staff. This is also for all of you that haven't gone back through the archives!

I just wanted to let you know how encouraged I am by a former sponsored child. Back in 1994 (when I was running Bethesda Christian Broadcasting), I went on my first trip with Mission of Mercy – it was to Romania. That trip impacted my life greatly. When I got back, I told Mission of Mercy to send us a child from Romania. We sponsored Lavinia for 7-8 years, until she graduated from high school (sometime in 2001-02). Her last communication to us, at 16, was that she wanted to be a computer programmer and that she prayed for our family every day!

About a year ago, I returned to Romania for the first time in over 13 years. I happened to ask the director if he knew what happened to our sponsored child. He knew of her and arranged to have her come in to meet me. She was 23 years old, a delightful young lady, that had completed her college education as a computer programmer. She led one of her college instructors to Christ. She is now working for a web consulting firm in Romania. She said she hesitated when she was offered the position because she would be the only Christian in the firm – but then she felt like God said that was exactly why she should take the position. Later, through communication with her firm, the director of the firm volunteered what services they could provide for our web site free of charge. Lavinia remembered that I had three children – two girls and a boy – but couldn’t remember their names. She thanked me for sponsoring her all of those years, and said it really made a difference in her life.

Last week, I got an email update from her. She has survived economic cuts at the firm, and is now the only programmer on staff. She is also nearing completion of her Master’s Degree. She also shared that she is going to a mission’s camp in Kosovo this summer. Her family is doing well in the Lord, even though some of them (she has six siblings) have been laid off.

I was just so encouraged by her email. She is now a friend on Facebook and I have linked my daughters Kate and Emily with her and I'm hoping they can get to know each other. You never know what happens when you sponsor a child, but Lavinia is just one example of how God uses Mission of Mercy in the lives of children. They grow up and have opportunities that they never would have dreamed of otherwise. Whatever your role is in child sponsorship or support of Mission of Mercy, please know that you are making a difference – and you’re changing hearts and lives.

Books (Paper and Electronic!)

I'm a pretty avid reader. For awhile I struggled to read volumes of good Christian books that people recommended or gave to me. A few years back, though, I read the book Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster. This is a great book, and I understand that it has recently been updated, so I'll probably get a recent copy and read it again. One of the questions Foster raised was, "when was the last time you read just for fun?" It really freed me up to get back to the memories of my youth when our family would spend Sunday afternoons at our cabin in Spearfish Canyon, SD. I remember chilly days with the fire blazing and all of the family sprawled out on chairs or couches reading intensely. My parents encouraged us to read. They didn't care what kind of books we read (as long as they were appropriate), and they knew reading encouraged our imagination and helped build our vocabulary. I had a real affinity for science fiction and read just about everything that Heinlein, Asimov and other science fiction writers published. Getting back to reading for fun has really gotten me back into the habit of reading.

One rule I try to follow is to read a book that feeds my soul for every novel I read for fun. Some of my recent "good" reads include books by Ken Blanchard, Richard Swenson, John Maxwell and others. Thanks to the Amazon Kindle, I can keep several books handy for the opportunity for one of those extended reading sessions, regardless of where I am. Right now I have about three or four "fun" books lined up, and the same number of "good" reads ready to go. Last weekend I finished a book by Clive Cussler, The Chase, which was based on historical events (a quick read you might enjoy). Then, I had to decide which of the other part of my book list I was going to tackle.

I opened up The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer. I ended up reading the book in two sessions in a 24 hour period. This is not a book written by a Christian promoting missions organizations. In fact, there were a couple organizations that he suggested supporting that I personally take exception to. However, the case he makes for giving to alleviate world poverty is compelling. The statistics he documented should cause concern to everyone. He established the "extreme poverty" level at those surviving on less than $1.25 per day. That accounts for 1.4 billion people - 455 million in India alone - the majority who are women and children. He showed that Americans on the average give 2.2%, of their income, which is almost double the amount of the next largest giving prosperous nation. The largest share of giving goes to religious purposes; churches, synagogues, etc. Most of this is to allow those institutions to fulfill their purpose here in the US. After religious giving, educational institutions and the arts receive a great deal of our charitable giving. According to his research, only .07% of our income goes outside of our borders, and that amount includes international exchange programs and other giving that does not directly aid the poor. That's less than 7 cents of every $100.00 we earn that helps those in extreme poverty. That, to me, is a very sobering fact.

I started reading the book during the evening, and ended up reading it until after midnight (which is very late for me!). Then, I was awake thinking about what I had read for another couple hours. I finished the book the next day. I don't agree with everything in the book, but I was challenged to examine what we do with our money - and why. We've considered ourselves as strong givers - and we focus a lot of that on helping kids in poverty. But, I'll be chewing on this book for quite awhile. My next journey through the book will be to highlight certain areas and passages. Don't be surprised if you hear more about it in a later blog.

In the meantime, I highly recommend the Peter Singer book - and also the Richard Foster book. Seems to me they would be a good pair to read back-to-back. I'm not sure which to recommend as the first to read. Perhaps you can read both, and post a recommendation of the order of the books to read. I'd also welcome any other book recommendations. I'll probably need to stock up soon!

Water - A Basic of Life

Last weekend, Dee and I watched the documentary FLOW, about water issues around the world, including here in the United States. Some of the most sobering scenes, however, were of people in developing nations gathered around filthy rivers and streams... bathing and drinking from water that will definitely have a negative health impact on their lives. We saw first hand how Mission of Mercy is helping children and their families have access to clean water.

In Cambodia, floating communities exist that move from place to place in order to make a living fishing. The water is muddy, but families use the lake for washing, drinking, as well as for toilets. The kids regularly have dysentery and sickness is common. Mission of Mercy provided each family with water purifiers - very basic protection. It has made a tremendous difference in their health, and the families are deeply grateful.

In Kenya, we helped provide clean water for a Masai project after bacteria was found in the water that was being drawn from a local well. Each family is provided with clean drinking water. Again, there's been a tremendous improvement in the health of children. These are small steps, but they make a difference for these families. There is so much more to do. That's why I deeply appreciate the people that support Mission of Mercy. It enables us to provide so many things for our children that they would not have access to otherwise - food, clothing, medical attention, educational opportunity - and hope through Christ.

I wanted to mention one more thing in this note. My youngest daughter, Emily, and her husband, Heath, had the chance to meet their sponsored child when our family went with others on a Mission Trip to Swaziland. She recently opened up a new business and within a couple months sponsored another child through her business. I'm proud of her for taking that step early on in the development of her business. Sponsorship does make a difference, right, Emily?

I also needed to mention this and put Emily's picture on my blog because my granddaughter Montana arrives tonight (with oldest daughter, Kate, of course). Emily knows that my next post will probably include photos of Montana, so she wants equal time! So, here you go Emily!! Thanks for sponsoring another child! And... watch out behind you!!

Serving

I spent the last weekend (Feb 21-22) in Baton Rouge with the wonderful folks at Healing Place Church. Pastor Dino Rizzo will soon be releasing a new book entitled Servolution. It is all about Healing Place Church's journey to serve the people around them and the people around the world.

The week before Easter, HPC is encouraging other churches around the country to join them in serving their community. While I was there the number of churches registered went over the 100 mark. If you would like more information, go to www.servolution.org and see for yourself what is happening.

I had the opportunity to visit and speak in a couple of their satellite churches. I saw the servant heart in reaching out through prayer to so many who had come to church carrying heavy burdens. One body is serving over 30 widows each week; providing them a meal, mowing their lawn or doing whatever it takes. That's truly what the "church" should be about.

Not only is HPC reaching people across their community, state and region - they are making a significant difference in missions around the world. I was blessed to be a part of their service, and deeply appreciated their hospitality - I felt very much at home!

To the people of HPC - God bless you - and thanks for all you do!

25 Years - KSLT Radio

Today would have been my dad's 87th birthday. KTPT Radio - "The Point" is 4 years old today. And KSLT Radio is celebrating 25 years of broadcasting. In honor of that, President Obama is signing the Stimulus bill today - well, that may be a stretch!

But, it is wonderful to see what God has done over the past 25 years, The picture to the right is the Lown House, the historic building where we started broadcasting. There is a legacy of music and ministry that I have been blessed to be part of.

Today as we talked about "old times" on the air, several long time friends stopped by. Many shared testimony of how God used KSLT in their lives. What an encouragement is these difficult times. We heard how Hills Alive, our Christian music festival since 1985, has been impacting people. The little things make a difference, and what sometimes seemed insignificant in our ministry became a turning point in their lives.

It was over 15 years ago that KSLT began working with Mission of Mercy. Now the radio station hosts mission trips and sponsorship events. There are people on the mission field right now as a result of KSLT's involvement in missions.

Over the years, God has used KSLT to touch people in many walks of life, in many areas of the country and around the world. My thanks to all of the staff that have persevered and been dedicated to sharing His Word. And a special thank you to the thousands of people who have made a financial investment in the station over the years. This truly has been a partnership of believers reaching out - believing that we can change the world!

What Lies Ahead?

Just a week ago, like millions of others, I watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Or, rather, tried to watch. We were in the lunch room at Mission of Mercy, attempting to view a web stream of the speech. Obviously, millions of others were trying to do the same. We heard the festivities clearly, but only occasionally got to see some of the video.

Uncertainty in the economy continues, and we're hearing all sorts of opinions on whether a government bailout will have any immediate impact. The debate will continue even after something passes through congress.

Dee and I also heard last week that a dear friend of ours was diagnosed with cancer. Results of her surgery are not optimistic, and we are in prayer daily for this special couple. They are younger than we are, and you never expect to hear news like this. Dee shared a Scripture passage from Psalms with them. Here is Psalm 62:5-8 in The Message:

"God, the one and only—
I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him, so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle: I’m set for life.
My help and glory are in God
—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him.
God is a safe place to be." [1]

We never know what will come our way. Why do some experience difficulties at every turn, while others seem to go through life unscathed? Nothing that we do in life can earn us a "free pass" from trials and struggles. The only thing that we can do is place our trust in something that offers peace and hope in the midst of the fire. We know that we can not place our faith in our government or the institutions built by man. I love the last line above, "God is a safe place to be."

I have no clue how far down, or how far up, the economy will go in 2009. Instead, I'm being reminded daily that I have to keep my faith grounded in the Lord. I hope you can find comfort - and rest - in Him, as well.


[1] Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002

2009 - A Year of Challenge

We are entering a brand new year that has a lot more questions than answers. The economy is in a tailspin, and nobody really knows yet where the bottom is. Jobs are being lost at a record pace. At the same time, we are on the verge of an historic occasion as a new president is inaugurated in two days.

I've had to write my very first "state of the ministry" message to Mission of Mercy supporters. As people in our country have had to contend with one piece of bad news after the other, many businesses and ministries are feeling the economic pinch. We have placed a limit on pay increases, cut travel and expenses, and have done everything that we can to prevent reducing the amount that we are sending to the children around the world. Their needs continue - and we are called to bring hope to children that would otherwise fall through the cracks of the system in their countries.

These have been difficult times - and there have been some sleepless nights as I've tried to "figure things out." In the midst of one of those sleepless nights just before Christmas, I put on my headphones and just hit shuffle on my iPod. The first song that played was December Leaves by Beth Nielsen Chapman. In the song, there's a lyric that says, "How heavy the heart that is empty. How light the heart that's full. Sometimes I have to trust what I can't know." That spoke a lot to me about being glad that I have a faith and a family that will help sustain me regardless of what happens in the future.

The Christmas season was full of wonderful family times. We spent time in South Dakota on Christmas eve at my brother's home with a house full of people. On Christmas day, we stayed with Dee's parents and spent time with her side of the family. A quick drive back to Colorado the day after Christmas to have all of our kids at our house. Our daughter Kate, with husband Aaron and grand daughter Montana, were able to come back from Washington state. Our son Mason joined us from South Dakota, and daughter Emily, with her husband Heath, came in from Wyoming. It was loud and busy - and awesome!

I was speaking to someone a couple days ago that said there may be some very positive side effects of the down economy. There will be far less travel in the year ahead, and people are being forced to consider their priorities. Many will focus on relationships - family, friends and church. This is also a time to make sure that we don't cut back on our benevolence. Families across the street and around the world need our help.

I pray that 2009 will be a year of blessing for you. I pray that you find your peace with God, and that you are strengthened by the relationships around you. I know that it is easier said than done, but, place your trust in the Lord and not in your own wisdom. Let's hope that when we look back at the end of the year that we will see that 2009 was a time of renewal of faith and family!