If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that change happens frequently around here. My life is in a perpetual state of changing, but I kind of like it that way. Anyhow, my time at ComLife is quickly coming to a close and it will soon be time to move on to whatever comes next. In that regard, I have several prayer requests.
The first is that I don't know for sure what I will be doing after ComLife. I have several things that I have been considering or pursuing, but no definite plans at this point. So please pray that God will bring clarity to the direction He has for this next season of my life, and that the doors will open for that to happen.
The second is that I will need to move out of the ComLife house by July 31st, so I need a place to live. Pray that God provides a place that is affordable, and roommates if that is His plan.
I am also still in need of support for my trip to Africa in addition to my regular living expenses here. I still need about $2000 for Africa, and I need to increase my monthly support by about $1000/month if I am to continue on staff at AIM.
God has always faithfully provided for me, so I will continue to trust Him even though it seems impossible right now. Please pray that my faith will be increased as I wait upon the Lord and trust in His provision.
I have had the priviledge of leading two of our short term mission projects for the last two weeks. The first was here in Gainesville, and I was a co-leader with Toya McLean and Corey Jacobs. We had a group from a church in Thomasville, Georgia who were absolutely delightful. God really worked in this team by addressing the issues of their hearts. It was wonderful to see them all press in to God in new ways and find a new level of joy and peace in the Lord.
This past week, Toya and I lead a trip together in Atlanta. We had two church groups come together for the week. One was from Illinois, and the other from Virginia. It was interesting to see how different this trip was from the last, but both were amazing. This group really discovered a new depth of brokeness and communion with the Lord. They connected deeply with God's heart and responded to His leading. I loved every minute of it.
Here are the links to the trip reports so that you can read more about them (Gainesville, Atlanta). These last two weeks have taught me a lot about reliance on the Lord and His faithfulness to meet all of our needs. I have grown a lot through this experience, and have come away with a new confidence and also a renewed passion to serve the Lord with my life. I realize that this is what I was made for. I come alive when I am out there connecting with the world, no matter where I am.
I look forward to seeing where God has me next, as there is a lot of change in the air around here. I never really know what tomorrow holds, and though it can be a bit unsettling at times, I really wouldn't have it any other way. I love this amazing life God has given me. It is a never ending adventure.
If you've been following me for a while, you know that Africa captured my heart the first time I set foot on it. Africa is frequently on my mind, and I long to visit the friends that I have made there. I am fascinated with the cultures and would love to experience the different regions of the continent. There's just something about Africa.
In the year and a half since I have been home from the World Race, I have looked for every opportunity imaginable to get back overseas. I love being on the field, and I can't get it out of my mind. But everywhere I have turned, God closed the door in front of me. I've had many opportunities to lead overseas trips for AIM. I've even browed other organization's sites just to see if something stood out to me. But in every one of these situations, I did not have God's peace. I knew that it was my desire and not the Lord's will. So I've waited.
The waiting can feel suffocating at times, but I know that it would be a disaster to go to any of those places in my own will. So I've waited.
A couple of months ago, a friend from Seattle called me up and told me about her plans to travel around Africa for the summer. She talked about the time she will spend in Kenya using her nursing skills along with a Kenyan friend. She talked about meeting her church team in South Africa and leading them into Zimbabwe for a few weeks. Then it got really interesting.
She asked me if I would like to meet her in Johannesburg to spend the last three weeks in South Africa and Swaziland. And the instant she asked the question, I had peace. In my spirit, I heard God say yes. It is time. I believe that God has finally opened a door for me to return to the nations, and even the land that has captured my heart.
A few weeks after I spoke with my friend, I got another interesting phone call; another connection. During my brief stay with my parents after the race, I connected with a guy that had worked with AIM back in the early days. He is now running a recovery program in Pennsylvania near my parents. It turns out that he just returned from a visit to South Africa where felt God was leading him to launch his recovery program there. It was approved. I felt like this was God's confirmation that I was on the right track.
It may seem like a loose connection until you see where God has been leading me. I volunteered with KAIROS prison ministry in Seattle, and loved it. I had a friend in Seattle that invited me to AA meetings, and I loved the community and support that I found there. I've been learning a lot about spiritual recovery and healing through my mentor. I just spent a week in Philly with our ComLife team, where I spent most of my days in conversation with the members of a local AA chapter. Just a couple of weeks ago, I met a new friend in Gainesville who invited me to go along to an AA meeting. I intend to return.
I feel like God has been leading me and preparing me for this type of ministry for a while, and I am only now starting to put the pieces together. I've never been an addict of drugs or alcohol, but we all have addictions of some sort. Some of us are addicted to approval, some to control, some to attention, some to drama, some to food, some to entertainment. We all have something that we run to in order to escape out pain. More than that, I am beginning to recognize that the emotional issues we struggle with are the same. We cope with them differently for several reasons, but the issues are the same.
Most addicts struggle with feelings of worthlessness, of shame, of failure. So do I. We have believed that we are not enough, that we don't measure up, that we are incapable of success. We have believed that we are unacceptable, unlovable, and unforgivable. We have believed many things, but ultimately we have believed that we are not who God says that we are. I am in the process of replacing these false identities with the truths of who God made me. I am who He made me, even if I am currently presenting something else. The truth is always the truth whether we believe it or not. So I am learning that I am created in His image, and that I am forgiven, and that I am lovely, and that I am accepted, and that I am beautiful, and capable, and successful, and victorious in Him.
A few weeks ago in my reading, God lead me to Isaiah 58.
Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the heavy burdens,
to let the oppressed to free,
and that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
when you see the naked, that you cover him,
and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
your healing shall spring forth speedily,
and your righteousness shall to before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am."
I believe what God is telling me is that I have a responsibility to share what He is teaching me, and to help set other captives free. And in doing that, my own healing will be made complete.
I don't have any definite plans with the recovery program, but I am staying in touch to see where it leads. There are already two other American families whom I met in South Africa during the World Race that are considering joining his efforts. Perhaps there is a reason why I met them before. I plan to meet up with them again in South Africa to discuss the possibilities. As for now, I don't have a lot of details about what I will be doing in Africa but I know that I am going. We will explore the ministries we know and hopefully find some new ones along the way. I know that God is doing something, so I will follow His lead and see where He takes me.
Please join me in prayer about the details of this trip and also the funding. Because this trip is not organized by AIM, I cannot use money from my support account to pay for it. I will have to raise funds for this trip independently. I am estimating that the trip will cost me about $2000 - $2500. We would like to buy some medical supplies and help where we can. If you have any questions, please call or email me. Thank you for your encouragement along this journey.
If you would like to support me financially, please send me and email and I will give you my address.
If you've been following my blogs this year, you know this Community Life program has had a few bumps along the way. It's been a great year, and we've all learned a lot, but it hasn't always been easy.
We've found ourselves at another cross road, and we're not sure wich way God is leading so we're asking for your help. One of our sisters has been stuggling to get the support she needs to be in this program. She was scheduled to begin this journey in January, but she didn't have the funds to come. We all prayed and really believed that this was where God wanted her to be. We all agreed to take a leap of faith and trust that God would provide, and she moved in the beginning of February. Toya has always been a provider in her family, so it took an enormous ammount of courage and faith for her to make that move, but she is committed to following the Lord wherever He leads her, so she came.
four months later, Toya is still struggling to get the support needed to continue in this program. We're in a tough spot because we all believe that this is where she is supposed to be, but her financial situation seems to contradict that. We all know that God's way is not the world's way, and we want to be faithful to what we believe He is doing. However, we have been forced to make some tough decisions. If Toya does not recieve $3000 by June 1st, she will not be able to continue the program at this time. We are not giving up. We are doing the only thing we know how to do, and that is to ask the Church to join with us in lifting this up to the Lord.
Please pray with us about Toya's finacial situation, and if the Lord is asking you to be the means by which He provides, then you can do that on her web site www.toyamac.myadventures.org by clicking the Donate Here button.
If the Lord has another path for her, then we bless that. Our desire is to be fiathful in what the Lord is doing. Thank you for joining with us in prayer.
A new session of ComLife is just around the corner.
Help us get the word out by passing this information on to all young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 who are seeking to commit their lives to a deeper relationship with God and desire to learn about missions firsthand.
Live together, Learn together, Work together, Grow together
Join a community of like minded people who are choosing to step out of the social norms and into a journey toward the heart of God. As iron sharpens iron, each person becomes a tool that will aid in the spiritual formation of the whole group.
Based on the concept of the Church in Acts, ComLife provides a great opportunity to grow in love toward one another and discover your gifts and calling in the world around you.
To apply, please click here. Once we receive your application, we'll send more details and contact you to discuss the program. If you have questions, please call 1-800-881-2461 ext 214 or contact our Admissions Department.
Have you ever asked yourself the question? You know the one. Would you die for your faith? Is it worth everything to you? If you have never given an answer to that question, it would serve you well to resolve that with God right now.
That question is no doubt on many minds around here right now. Last week, we received the call that everybody dreads and nobody wants to receive. I'll let you read the account posted by AIM's founder, Seth Barnes.
Sarah Buller, an AIM participant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday. And though they're rejoicing in heaven, we're all the poorer for it.
Her passing reminds us that God has called us to a road that is sometimes more than we can bear. Sarah set an example by following God's call in her life and ministering to the poor in South Africa. She loved Jesus and died serving him. We can't help but praise God for her life.
Her last blog entry a few weeks ago gives us a picture into her life: "We work with kids in the townships and I work with babies. Life is good here. some days are more crazy then others!!! My parents just come to see me! And it was GREAT! They got to see the whole team. We went to Swaziland a country with in South Africa. I LOVED IT! My Dad got to see old friends. I'm in love."
"In love" describes Sarah's life well. She was in love with life and with those around her. And they couldn't help feeling it. Recently she got a tattoo on her foot. It said love, and it had a bunch of stars around it. Each star represented one person in her family, one for mom, one for dad, and one for each of her eight siblings (four of whom are adopted). She wanted them to be with her wherever she went!
Teammate Nicole Eckenroth describes Sarah like this:
Sarah was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was accepting of everyone. She loved to have fun, and she had no fear. We jumped off of a bridge together, bungee jumped that is. She is a night owl. She liked to stay up later than most, and sleep in later than most.
Sarah was precious when we were in ministry. We worked together at a children's home, with abandoned and beaten babies and toddlers. She was so good with all the kids. She wanted to be a mother so badly. She could handle toddlers better than most people.
She loved nature, and being outside. She loved the beach... and having ministry right next to the beach. She was blown away by the beauty of creation.
She was artsy... always seemed to have her camera on her... then she would photoshop them.
She loved music. She had a beautiful singing voice.
She loved youth. The youth group we worked with, Firehouse, was blessed by her. She really was able to invest in the girls... to help grow them up in Christ.
Sarah loved to worship God. Her life was worship.
I had fun with her. One night, we didn't want to go to bed, so we sat outside in the yard. We laid in the grass star gazing, while Kevin played guitar. It was a perfect night!
Then another night, we stuck our head out the window while laying on a bed and looked at the stars... or tried to look. the whole time we couldn't stop laughing... we were sooooo giddy!
Sarah just liked to have fun. She brought joy wherever she went. She was never negative. She loved what she was doing. She loved God and loved people.
She was amazing! And it's so hard to think that she is not around anymore, but I know, she is in the Lord's presence. She has no pain. She has complete and perfect joy! She is missed. But I can't wait to see her again!
Teammate Beth Lynch wrote this about Sarah, "I think one of my favorite stories of her was when she and a few other girls drove to a lion park for the day. Sarah went into a cage with a lion cub and he pounced on her. She came back with a torn shirt and minor scrapes on her arm and stomach. She was so excited about it! We all laughed about how when she got home she could say that when she went to Africa, she was attacked by a lion."
"During Thanksgiving break, we went to Cape Town. We spent eight long hours in the car but it was so much fun! We goofed off and sang at the top of our lungs as we drove. That weekend we visited Table Mountain and it was the most gorgeous site any of us had ever seen."
In the days since Sarah Buller's death there has been a tremendous outpouring of love and concern for her family. We know that many of you have been personally touched and would like to do something tangible. In response to that we've created a fund you can donate to. Adventures In Missions will collect monies donated and the Buller family will let us know how they should be used.
2. In the drop down list select "First Year Missions"
3. In the Participant field type in "Sarah Buller Fund"
4. Continue through the process.
To donate with a check:
1. Make checks payable to Adventures In Missions.
2. On the memo line write: "Sarah Buller Fund"
3. Mail checks to: AIM, P.O. Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Please join us in praying for her family, and the team that is still on the field as they grieve this loss. Pray that God will be their comfort and restore peace to their hearts.
Lately, all of us at ComLife have been spending a lot of time discussing how our relationships are going within the program. The realization that we are already half way through the first program has spurred us on to evaluating wether or not we are effectively taking advantage of all that community has to offer.
There has been a general consensus that although we have come a long way, we can still go a lot deeper. Even within the context of a program based on community and living life together, we still manage to guard ourselves to some degree. We still find ways to escape when things get hard. We find ways to avoid going below the surface to what is really going on in our hearts. That takes a lot of risk, knowing that what's in there isn't always pretty, and not knowing how people will respond if they really know you.
I would venture to say that many of us never even confront ourselves on that level, much less eachother.
We've recognized this deficiency in our relationships, and we've talked about it, but moving into action is a much bigger thing. In an attempt to push beyond the comfortable place we have landed, we decided to draw names and write a blog about how we see that person. So here is how I see Teresa Tucker.
Teresa Tucker
The first thing that stands out to me about Teresa is her stunning eyes and strong jawline. That may sound like a strange thing to say, but it gives her this classy, sophisticated presense that exuded confindence and demands respect.
She may laugh when she reads this because I don't think she sees herself that way. In fact, I don't think she realizes at all strong she is and the influence she has. Teresa knows how to get things done, how to take charge and make things happen, but there's not one bit of arrogance in her character.
I have seen Teresa really come into her own identity over the last few months. I have the amazing priveledge of meeting with Teresa one-o-one, and journeying through this experience with her. I've seen her grow from being affraid of the kitchen to cooking amazing Jamaican meals for the whole "family". I've see her go from passive observer to a woman who confidently stands before the group sharing her passion for prayer and inspiring the group to get personal and pray for each other.
I am very grateful for having the opportunity to see Teresa discover her strengths and her calling, and take steps toward growing into them. I feel like I've witnessed her transition into adulthood and independance, and I'm very proud of how she has handled the process. I am very confident in her, and excited to see where she goes from here.
Thanks Teresa for sharing your life with us, and letting us be a part of this journey.
One of the amazing blessings about being on staff here in Georgia is that we have the opportunity to participate in the many training sessions that go one here at the facility. We have many speakers that come who have been proven in their ministries, and we get to sit in on their teachings and absorb much wisdom and knowledge from them. As if that isn't enough, they pray over us and counsel us and lead us as fathers of the faith.
Last year, AIM decided to do a little experiment. Although our focus is mainly on activating and empowering the young adults of this generation through short term missions, we realized that we could offer this same training to the general public. A few staff members began to brainstorm about how we can develope a transformational experience for adults and families who don't neccesarily feel called to go overseas to do mission work.
We have seen many youth come through these camps and have witnessed dramatic transformations over the course of one week. It really is amazing; a miracle really. We created the BreakThru conference as a way to offer that same life changing experience for anybody who feels that desire for a break through in their faith.
The truth is that we all have things that hold us back. We all get stuck. We all get hung up on lies we have believed our whole lives about who we are or who God is. Sometimes we feel stuck but we don't even really know why.
At the BreakThru conference, we learn how to hear God's voice and follow it. We also look at experiences in our lives that may have caused fear, mistrust, unforgiveness or other wounds that can keep us from experiencing God's fullness in our lives. We learn how to grieve those things instead of stuffing them down, so that we can be free to move beyond them.
Have you ever felt like you just can't handle another dissapointment or another hurt? When we learn how to properly grieve the hurts in our lives, we clean the slate and start fresh again instead of piling one hurt on top of another. We can handle an infinite amount of hardship if we learn to let them go as they come. If you've ever felt that weight of sorrow or burden pressing down on your spirit, you may have unresolved hurts that need to be grieved. It's not a difficult process, but it does take faith and humility to let God do the work.
There are many other great teachings that inspire us on our journey of faith and propell us into God's calling for our lives. If you feel like there might be more to life than what you are living, or if you just want to see what else God might have in store for you, maybe it's your time to have a break through.
Sarah Buller, an AIM participant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was killed in an automobile accident on Sunday. And though they're rejoicing in heaven, we're all the poorer for it. 
Teammate Beth Lynch wrote this about Sarah, "I think one of my favorite stories of her was when she and a few other girls drove to a lion park for the day. Sarah went into a cage with a lion cub and he pounced on her. She came back with a torn shirt and minor scrapes on her arm and stomach. She was so excited about it! We all laughed about how when she got home she could say that when she went to Africa, she was attacked by a lion." 
Teresa Tucker
