God answers Prayers…

Last week, the team members and their prayer groups prayed boldly that God would get the word out about Pure Joy International coming to South Asia (Kathmandu). At the time we had 29 women registered but had not seen any movement for over a week. Our concern was the word wasn’t getting out. So we took to the prayer closets. As I write this blog today, I can tell you that the flood gates opened and we have 50 women registered and 13 on the waiting list. Several of those on the waiting list will be moved up most likely before we leave the country. It is not uncommon for someone to have to drop out due to ministry or an unexpected trip back home. Praise God for His answered prayers!! Please continue to pray that God will have exactly the women at the retreat that He intends to be there.

Now that we have names and faces, we are off and running at warp speed. I know November seems like a long time away for many, but truthfully it is just around the corner for us regarding preparation. Please remember to pray for the women who will be attending and their families, the team members and their families, and all the messages, worship, fellowship, hospitality, friendship and relationships that will be established during our time there. If God is moving on your heart to give, please be obedient to His Spirit in you. We have 17 of the women sponsored as of this writing. Thanking you and Praising Him!!!

I want to encourage you today with this familiar passage out of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 37:1-6 (NKJV)  The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD." ' "

When you consider this is only a pin tip of the bones that Ezekiel observed as he passed by them in the valley it was no small thing when the LORD asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel’s response has always been something that intrigued me from the first time I ever read it 25 years ago…… “O Lord GOD, You know.” Wow! Did you catch that? “O Lord GOD, You know.” He did not say, “Hmmmmm  well,  I don’t know.” He did not say, “Well, I think such and such.” He did not say, “According to reality I would say….” He did not say, “I don’t think you need to waste your time here.” He simply said the most telling thing about his ‘faith’ in God. “O Lord GOD, You know.” Are you in the middle of a life circumstances that seems impossible to the naked eye. Do you feel like you have no life force life in your being because it has been stripped away by daily living? Do you feel like a heap of dry bones? May I encourage you and remind you of the words GOD spoke to Ezekiel following his acknowledgement “You Know”. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”

Whatever it is that has taken you to a valley of dry bones, rest in knowing “He knows” and He will give you the breath needed to breathe again.

Love you all… Have a great week!

His,

Vickie

God answers Prayers...

Last week, the team members and their prayer groups

prayed boldly that God would get the word out

about Pure Joy International coming to South Asia (

Kathmandu). At the time we had 29 women

registered but had not seen any movement for over a

week. Our concern was the word wasn’t getting

out. So we took to the prayer closets. As I write

this blog today, I can tell you that the flood gat

es

opened and we have 50 women registered and 13 on th

e waiting list. Several of those on the waiting

list will be moved up most likely before we leave t

he country. It is not uncommon for someone to have

to drop out due to ministry or an unexpected trip b

ack home. Praise God for His answered prayers!!

Please continue to pray that God will have exactly

the women at the retreat that He intends to be ther

e.

Now that we have names and faces, we are off and ru

nning at warp speed. I know November seems like

a long time away for many, but truthfully it is jus

t around the corner for us regarding preparation.

Please remember to pray for the women who will be a

ttending and their families, the team members

and their families, and all the messages, worship,

fellowship, hospitality, friendship and relationshi

ps

that will be established during our time there. I

f God is moving on your heart to give, please be

obedient to His Spirit in you. We have 17 of the

women sponsored as of this writing. Thanking you a

nd

Praising Him!!!

I want to encourage you today with this familiar pa

ssage out of Ezekiel.

Stung…..

Yesterday, following church we were all at my Aunt Myrna’s house eating Sunday lunch, which is what we all do following our church services each week. It is fun to watch. Picture my Aunt Myrna’s house as the hub and all the planes coming from different places passing through there before taking off for their weekly flights.

Anyway, as we were all sitting out on the back porch eating and catching up on our week, my little 3 year old great nephew was riding his cousin’s little John Deere tractor in the back yard. It wasn’t long before we heard a loud shriek of pain. As I jumped up to look down at him, I saw a large red wasp flying away. He got stung and it was not pretty! My cousin, her boyfriend, and I all headed to the local store for some Benadryl. By the time we got back in the car to head back to the house, my niece and mom passed us with my nephew on their way to the hospital. We pulled in a minute behind them and walked into the emergency room. Our little guy had morphed into a contorted swollen face with a rash solidly covering his upper torso headed to the top of his legs. He could barely see out his little eyes and was itching like crazy. Seriously, it just hurt my heart for him. And there was nothing we could do but make sure he had the medical help he needed. Now that we are aware that he can react to wasp stings this way, we are prepared with our EpiPens and Benadryl. He is much better this morning and we are praising God it wasn’t any worse.

As I think about yesterday, it reminds me of how life happens sometimes. We are just riding along enjoying the day and out of nowhere we get stung! I’m not talking about the things we see coming as a consequence to something we or someone else has done. I’m talking about the stings that come out of nowhere! The ones we aren’t prepared for such as being laid off, a spouse that walks in and announces they want a divorce, the loss of a family member or friend in an accident, a heart attack, etc. You know the kind of sting that makes your insides shriek with a pain that you feel will never stop, the kind that causes you to cry out to God and wonder why. It’s the kind of pain that there is nothing anyone around you can really do anything about except get you to the spiritual hospital and let God do the healing.

Recently we lost a missionary to the tragedy of a car accident while home on stateside furlough. She and her family served in Rome, Italy, alongside some of you that are reading this blog. It is my deepest prayer that God will be allowed to do the healing that only He can in those left behind in this world whether it be family or friends. As I listen to and read the many things shared about Kyra Karr’s life, it doesn’t take long to see that she lived her life for Christ. What a testimony all the way home. Please remember her husband Reid and the three children (all girls).

Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Love you all…

His,

Vickie

Kathmandu Update and More....

This past week my sister sent me a text and asked if I realized that there had been another level 4 earthquake just outside of Kathmandu, Nepal. I told her “no, I had not” and then took time to locate where it was in the country. The continued earthquakes and tremors in that part of the world are something I am very mindful of, but we as a team are not moved away from our belief that God has called us to minister to our missionary women in that part of the world. I am so thankful for this team of women going because they have sought the LORD and believe with me that we are to be on this trip. I say all of that to ask you to pray for us as often as God brings the team to your mind as we continue our preparations. Also, we have 4 spaces still open for team members. If you sense God tugging at your heart, contact me at vickie@purejoyinternational.org.

We have 34 women registered and 8 and ½ of those women sponsored already as of this blog. Thank you so much that you have begun to give toward the sponsorship of the women. I enjoy sharing with you along the way how the LORD is using you and others to meet the needs of the women coming to this retreat. I also am excited as several of you are already making gifts for the women in Kathmandu.

   

Several of the women coming have already shared a little about how difficult things are there because of the earthquakes. On the other hand, the opportunities to invest in the lives of the people have increased. Pray for them as they leave their touch on the hearts of those they come in contact with.

Today, during our discipleship time we heard the sirens going off. At first we thought it was the ambulance and then possibly a fire truck. As soon as we had settled on thinking it was a fire truck, the siren stopped. This was interesting to us because it sounded like it stopped close to Laura’s house, the place we were meeting. So, Laura checked out the garage door and then the front door and, “lo and behold”, the field across from her house was on fire.  We watched as the fire fighters went into action to put the fire out and all the volunteer fire fighters arrived with another truck. Working together they got the fire under control and put it out. They continued to water the field down for good measure.

Can I ask you something today? Are the sirens going off around you?  Is God trying to warn you about something and you haven’t quite figured out what it is yet?  Have you quit hearing the sirens (warning)? If so, have you checked to see if you are in the path of a fire? Have others come through that have noticed the fire and tried to assist in putting it out before it reached your house (life) and brought destruction?

There is something that keeps us from letting others come alongside us sometimes when the sirens (warnings) from the LORD are going off. It is called “pride”.

Proverbs 11:2 (ESV)

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. 

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 

Proverbs 29:23 (ESV)

One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 

Jeremiah 13:17 (ESV)

But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive. 

The inability to ask for help has cost many a good solid believer to lose their homes, marriage, families, ministries, and testimony to others.  May I encourage us today...when you hear the sirens going off...check for a fire.  It doesn’t matter if you know what started it or not...put the fire out first, then discuss it. (Smile)

Love you all and praying for you as a reader of this blog.

His,

Vickie

Are You Welcoming Sin Into Your Home?

Recently, a dear friend of mine, after weeks of praying about it, made a choice to share some loving words to someone she and her family truly love and care about. What made it hard was this person they care about is a professing Christian. I have asked permission to quote a portion of the letter…

Hey, Honey
I want you to know that you are always welcome in our home. However, just as we would not intentionally welcome any sin into our home, the sin of homosexuality is not welcome. I am heartbroken that you would make a willful choice to live a life of sin---whatever the sin is. When the world says a sin is okay, that does not mean that God says it is okay. No matter what the sin is. What you have chosen isn’t any worse than any other sin. The willful decision to live a life of sin is sin. Just as I have prayed for that you would not (list of things she prayed for this precious one throughout the years) I will pray that God draws you to Himself and that you will repent from the choice you are making and that your testimony of deliverance from the sin of homosexuality will bring glory to God.   

I Love You _________

Wow. There is a real life demonstration of Christian love. She loved that dear young woman enough to speak truth in love over her life. She did not say we never want to see you again; you’re not welcome here. What she said without saying it is, you are always welcome here, however, we will not honor your choice to intentionally sin against God by allowing you to come to our home presenting yourself as a couple.

We happen to be talking about the sin of homosexuality (same sex-attraction) but we could just as well be talking about pornography, living together, sex outside of marriage, adultery, drug and alcohol addiction, greed, un-forgiveness, etc.

I so respect my friends’ desire to protect their home from “intentional” sin. The point here is the word “intentional”. Translated, I know it is wrong but I’m doing it anyway because it meets my needs. Wished I could say I had never intentionally sinned. But if I did that would be an intentional sin because it would be a lie. (smile) Don’t get too spiritual on me too quick, we all sin. I praise God that He died on the cross for all our sins. Thankfully, being a Christian and in God’s Word for 22 years has helped me to grow stronger in my resolve to live my life for Him, through Him and according to His Word. I pray the same for you.

I do, however, close this blog with the following question…… “Are You Welcoming Sin into Your Home?” Are you intentionally sinning against God in your thoughts, behaviors, choices, relationship, finances, etc. If you are, Jesus died on the cross for that! Repent, turn back to God and experience that peace that surpasses all understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Romans 12:2 (ESV) 
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 John 1:9 (ESV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV) 
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

Just a quick note on Kathmandu…..We opened up registration last week and as of this blog writing (Wednesday afternoon, we have 33 women registered.) Now is the time to start giving towards this trip if God so leads you. As of this moment we have none of the women sponsored. I tell you that because I like for you to see the movement of God, as people give towards each trip, so you can experience the journey with us. Our job as a ministry is to KNOW to the best of our human ability He wants us on this trip to our missionary women in that part of world. His part is to provide for that which He has called us to. So, join with us and watch Him work!!!

Love You All,

His,
Vickie

Kathmandu, Nepal on-line registration opened up this week….

Wow! Once we open up on-line registration the reality of the trip hits! The women will begin to sign-up and tell their friends about the opportunity. Please pray with us that the women that need to have this opportunity will hear about the retreat.

If you are a missionary serving in that area of the world please go to our web site at www.purejoyinternational.org to get more information or contact me vickie@purejoyinternational.org 

For those of you that have been a part of our teams by giving, gifting and praying, then please pray about how God would have you be involved in this trip.

For those of you that do not know, here is a little information on Kathmandu, Nepal that Kim (staff member) put together for our team members.

Very Brief History of Kathmandu, Nepal

Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country located in South Asia. With an area of 147,181 square kilometers (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 27 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal is separated from Bangladesh by the narrow Indian Siliguri Corridor and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest metropolis.

The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarm?th? in the Nepali language. More than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level are located in Nepal. The southern Terai region is fertile and humid.

Brief History of Kathmandu Earthquake 

The April, 2015 Kathmandu, Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) happened while Pure Joy was in Italy. The quake killed more than 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. It occurred at 11:56 NST on 25 April, with a magnitude of 7.8 to 8.1. Its epicenter was east of the district of Lamjung. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake.

The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19 making April 25, 2015 the deadliest day on the mountain in history. The earthquake triggered another huge avalanche in the Langtang valley, where 250 people were reported missing. Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened, across many districts of the country. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Squar, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the Changu Narayan Temple and the Swayambhunath Stupa. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, particularly because of its geology, urbanization, and architecture. 

Continued aftershocks occurred throughout Nepal within 15–20 minute intervals, with one shock reaching a magnitude of 6.7 on 26 April at 12:54:08 NST. The country also had a continued risk of landslide. A major aftershock occurred on 12 May 2015 at 12:51 NST with a moment magnitude of 7.3. The epicenter was near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mt. Everest. More than 200 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured by this aftershock.

As you can see the impact of the earthquake and aftershocks have been over whelming to the country of Kathmandu, Nepal. Please pray for us as we began preparations for leaving the country in November.

His,

Vickie