Winds of Change

“…The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.” Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard— we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts” (see Proverbs 3:5-6). My Utmost for His Highest, June 27th, Oswald Chambers

 It has been a little more than 3 weeks since we received news from our home church that we are being let go as missionaries. We have screamed, we have cried, we have fasted, we have prayed, we have sought counsel and continue to try to make sense of what has happened. We have taken our time to put together email threads that show misunderstandings, and misinformation. All of this as we continue to carry on shepherding the flock the Lord has entrusted to us.

On the morning of 27th Denise was specifically praying that the Lord would make it clear on how HE wanted us to handle all of this…and then we read the Oswald Chambers piece quoted above in our devotions. We realized that this is the answer we have been praying about. So we will not be sending the reply and various attachments that we have been putting together. Rather we want to let you know that we are convinced that the Lord sent us here, and that He directed us in ways we could never have imagined; that He has guided decisions we have made both personally and in the ministry, and that He would have us continue to minister to the almost 60 people He has brought to our congregation and He continues to bless. “Pressing the reset button” as suggested would not be honoring to His plan or purpose as He has revealed it to us, nor loving to the people that God has entrusted to us. We have built many good, strong relationships that need to be taken into account…we love these people and we will serve them; they are brothers and sisters that were discouraged, scattered and lost and God has grant us the blessing of ministering to them in His name, while watching them flourish. We cannot just leave them like sheep without a shepherd.

Some of you know and believe in the work the Lord is doing here. And some of you are witnesses of what God has done. We welcome anyone to come and see…it would be a blessing. We will continue strong, and invite you to do so with us. It is wonderful to be a part of it, and to have you part of it too. As we have said many times, we do not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future and we trust Him completely.

We are grateful to Calvary of Albuquerque, Global Adventures, and our amazing (for lack of a better word) Care Team, and all those who allowed the Lord to lead them in supporting this ministry. If anyone would like to continue to do so please click on the link in the green area to the right to be directed to Shepherd's Staff, or go to 

http://ssmfi.org/Donate.aspx?acct=4207.18&npe=false

If you have any questions or would like to contact us directly please feel free to do so. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our precious Savior.

 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Phil 3:13-14