Life….

Let me start out by saying ‘life’ has been a little overwhelming the past week. Nothing outstanding but just life….

So, I want to share two things with you this week. One, I want to let you know that we are down to only 18 missionary women left to sponsor. And the second thing is this, I have so much on my brain and heart right now that I honestly have not been able to put together any thoughts about what I would want to share this week with you. So, I just decided to look back through some of my folders to see if there was anything that I liked in there that had encouraged me at some point along the way. I found this…Enjoy and remember “HE KNOWS YOUR NEEDS”.

African Doctor…..

A story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa...
  
   One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).
  
   We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.
  
   Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. 

"All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."
  
   The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
  
   During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "Send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."
  
   While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while you are about it, would you please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know you really love her?"
  
   As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so.  But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from my homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.
  
   By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.  

   Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!" 
  
   Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
  
   Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"
  
   That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."
  
   "Before they call, I will answer" (Isaiah 65:24)

His,

Vickie

Correction to website link…

After posting this week’s blog it was brought to our attention that we had an old link to the W3 Chronological Bible Discipleship site. The new link is http://www.chronologicalbibleteaching.com.

We hope you enjoy this resource.

Mary Bowlin

IT Assistant

27 and Counting….

Two more missionary women are sponsored as of today - 23 to go! I am so excited! God just continues to accomplish His good and pleasing will. Keep praying and giving. We fly out in five weeks!

Monday I received an email from our Worship Leader regarding our trip to Italy. She said, and I quote, “Been worshiping this morning. I’m really excited about these music sets and what God is doing in my heart as I prepare to lead!!” Nothing excites me more than to know that the team members are sitting before God getting His leadership and counsel regarding what we are to bring to the table to the missionary women.

Speaking of His leadership…Something that God has shown me and keeps reminding me of is a principle from Genesis 22:1-19. The principle is this….when God calls us out and gives us a directive and we are willing to sacrifice all to be obedient to it, He will provide all that we need to fulfill that which He has called us to do. 

Many of you who follow the blog know I am taking two different groups of women through Iva May’s W3 Chronological Bible Discipleship. Trust me, if you want to encourage and get women in the word of God and you have a heart to disciple and train up disciples, this is a great tool!!! Check it out at http://chronologicalbiblediscipleship.org/.

    

A couple of weeks ago we were in Genesis 22 in our discipleship time. I love a question that Iva asks in the study: “What if Abraham had not gone to the mountain God directed him to?” As we can see the provision was there. Well, I don’t have an answer for that but I have to wonder how many times we miss God’s provision because we aren’t obedient to be where He directed us to be.

I have included Genesis 22:1-19 below for you to read. It’s a powerful chapter on God’s calling us out to obedience, sacrifice, and provision.

Love you all and keep praying for our missionary women and the team who will be attending the retreat in Italy!! 

His,

Vickie

Genesis 22:1-19 (ESV)

¹ After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
³ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” ⁶ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. ⁷ And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. ⁹ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” ¹²  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” ¹³ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
¹⁵  And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven ¹⁶  and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷  I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, ¹⁸ and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” ¹⁹ So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Hello Faithful Ones,

I hope you are as excited about the weekly updates on the sponsorships of the missionary women coming in as I am to share them. We have three more sponsored as of this past week. So we hit the halfway mark, yeah!! Now just 25 more sponsorships to go. Keep praying and giving as the spirit leads!   

Below is just more evidence of why we all partner together to serve Him! Thank you for being a part of the ministry!

Hi, Vickie,

Two years ago when I attended my first PJI in Prague you may remember I was weeks away from recovering from a very difficult car accident. 

God met me there in Prague at that conference and spoke to me through those women who came to serve us. I am forever changed and grateful. Slovakia is changed because of it too. 

One of the messages I came home with was, "tell your story" (for the generations to come). After a long and stubborn calling (because who in their right mind would start a blogging ministry in a country that isn't blogging and in a language she is completely horrid in). 

And that's what happened. I kept hearing God's calling for me to tell my story and to give a platform for other women to tell their stories. At first, I tried to ignore and give excuses but in the end God (as always) was faithful and persistent. 

On September 16, 2013 www.napokonkrasne.sk was launched! the name means, " in the end, beautiful" We are a pre-evangelistic contributor blog (1st of it's kind in Slovakia). Currently we have about 18 women who write for us and tell their stories. Good and bad. Real-life. Our goal is for the unchurched women of Slovakia to see God in our everyday stories. 

On average we have about 4,000 unique visitors to our blog each month! We believe God is doing great things on this platform He has given us. 

I wanted you to know your part in this God thing for Slovakia. Please share my story with your people so they will have one more example of how God uses those who are serving him and how they never know how far their "service" will reach. 

With love,

Kim

Love you all ...

His,

Vickie

Welcome ….

Today I just wanted to welcome all the new people who are connecting to this blog site because you have become aware of us through a team member from your church that is going to Italy to minister in April 2015. Some of you have come on board as prayer warriors and have taken the name and bio of a woman and are praying diligently for her these next 2 months. Some of you are working on favorite bags and praying for the details of what goes in that bag. Others of you are giving to help sponsor the women missionaries to be able to attend free of charge to them for 4 days and 3 night. Others of you are meeting the needs by providing some things we believe God has put on our heart to take. It is an awesome thing to watch how God works on behalf of the 50 missionary women coming and the 15 team members. In fact for the fun of it I decided to figure out how many people are involved in preparations for just one trip. Honestly, this is so awesome to even consider!!! Ready? Over 600 people and that is just what I can account for – there may be more with all the details that take place. It is incredible and sooooooooo God that so many would be involved in loving on and ministering to those 50 missionary women who God has called to this retreat at this time, this season in their lives, this location, this team. So, welcome new individuals on board and thank you to those of you who are on the boat with us 24 -7!! I love you guys!! And thank you for understanding the purpose of this ministry to help keep our missionaries/families on the field of service God has called them to!

For those of you tracking the progress on the Italy retreat, we had 2 more missionaries sponsored this past week. Actually, a little over so …22 and the arms of another are sponsored! Ha,a,ha,ha! 

Hope everyone was able to wade through the final week of the ‘filters’ blogs. To summarize it all…

We need to be God centered so our filters are clean. God centeredness means that when chaos in the form of guilt, shame, fear, anxiety, anger, emotional woundedness, secret sin, unforgiveness, etc., etc. comes into our life we immediately pass it through the colander of His Word and truths. This colander only allows what is true and pure to pass through so we can think more clearly and make godly decisions. One of the biggest culprits to clogging our filters is un-forgiveness of things past, present, and future. Jesus knew that when He demonstrated the importance of forgiveness from the cross. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The word ‘forgive’ used here is what is called a continuous verb meaning the Father forgive them past, present, and future, all the time. Jesus extended a gift to them - and to you and me - that none deserved when He paid it all on the cross. Remember, forgiveness is always a gift. Forgiveness does not mean what happened to you is ok. It doesn’t mean you have to be reconciled to someone you have forgiven. It doesn’t mean there are no consequences for the action. It does, however, mean freedom for you from the offender and the ability to demonstrate grace through forgiveness as it was demonstrated to you and me from the cross. 

Love you all - have a God week!!

His,

Vickie

Thank You ... and Filters Cont'd

Thank you for your patience last week on the blog.  Also, a thank you to Deb, our Public Relations Staff member, for carrying the ball late in the week.  She did give you a good clear picture of where we are for the Italy trip. And I do want you to know we had 1 more missionary sponsored this past week thanks to all of you. So we are up to 20 missionary women sponsored as of today with only 30 more to go.  Keep praying.

Two weeks ago I addressed the issue of ‘Filters’ for the first time.  Today I want to speak to that topic just a little bit more.  Please go back and read the February 3, 2015 blog to make sure you are on the same page with us as we step out today.

On the 3rd I encouraged you in the importance of cleaning your spiritual filter in regard to being available to God and in good service to Him.  This week I want to encourage you in the importance of cleaning your spiritual filter in regard to your spouse, children, family, peers, co-workers, etc.
When our filters are clogged we don’t really see and or hear well.  Information gets distorted and then we act out behaviors based on distorted information.  Last week I gave you three things that can clog our filters:  unconfessed sin, emotional wounds, and unforgiveness.

Let’s take those same three things and see some of the ways they can affect our relationship with others.

* Unconfessed sin……causes us to feel guilt, shame, and fear, which can cause us to hide and or blame others for the struggles in our lives.  Hiding in a relationship can cause us not to allow those we love to get close to us.  It prevents relational intimacy (not meaning the sexual aspect of the relationship) as does blaming others.

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

* Emotional wounds…..can hurt our identity. They can cause us to mistrust others, to have a wrong perspective of self, to have a wrong perspective of others, to isolate, to rebel, to attack others, and all of this leads to communication breakdowns with our relationships at home, work, community, etc.

Psalm 147:3 (ESV)   He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

* Unforgiveness....the sin of unforgiveness probably causes more health problems then we would like to acknowledge.  It eventually takes root at the core of our being and poisons us from the inside out causing a root of bitterness to sprout that clogs every pore of our filters.  Therefore, our ability to see and hear clearly when relating to others is impossible.  Everything gets distorted.  Eventually the bitterness begins to affect all your relationships.

Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)   For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

I am not even sure where I got the following information that I have had in my counseling files for some time.  I think it came from a peer counselor many years ago.  But not sure of that either.  What I am sure of is why I kept it - because it is a good look at why people withhold forgiveness.  Hope it helps you.

Reasons Why People Won’t Forgive

1. The hurt was too great.
Forgiveness is always a gift; it is never deserved. Read Matt. 18:23-35
When people are unwilling to forgive, they don’t understand the incredible debt that was owed by them and the costly price that God paid for their sins. Their sins cost Jesus everything.

2. They don’t want to forgive because the person keeps doing it.
I Cor. 13:5. Love (God’s agape) keeps no record of wrong. This love spoken of in I Cor. 13 is God’s love (agape) and is forgiving. No one will ever be perfect, but we strive to be better forgivers.

3. Deep hurt – the memory of it keeps one from forgiving.
God can “remember our sin no more”, but unlike God, people may still remember. When Jesus said to forgive 70 times 7, this was referring to the same hurt. Sometimes things happen that are so terrible, the memory of that incident comes back. When a person remembers something he/she has already forgiven, the person must forgive the offender again. (70 times 7).  Read Matthew 18:21-22
People remain in prison from unforgiveness. Every time the memory comes back, forgive.

4. They want the person “to pay”.
Someone who got hurt and didn't forgive tends to attempt payback. Romans 12:19-21. When a person wants someone to pay, he/she may sulk or give the silent treatment. The person who was hurt may believe that if he/she forgives, the offender is “let off the hook”. This is not true; God is the righteous judge and sees all. He will be the ONE to execute judgment or vengeance. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Reconciliation happens when 1) one takes responsibility for the hurt and 2) the other person forgives. Job 42:7-10. Receive a blessing by praying blessings on those who hurt you.

5. They won’t forgive until the offender says, “I’m sorry”. 
In Luke 23:34,  Jesus offered forgiveness before anyone asked. When people won’t forgive, they drink the poison and get sick. Anger kills love. If a person stays angry, he/she won’t be able to love. In Matthew 18:34, those who refuse to forgive will suffer consequences: they will be turned over to the tormentor (anguish, distress, etc.). Anger avoids love.    Forgiveness avoids anger.

6.  They’re too angry to ever forgive.
Eph. 4:26-32. Don’t go to bed angry, or you’ll give Satan a “toehold” (place of dwelling). Satan is able to put his tent up and his place of influence in your dwelling. 2 Cor. 2:10-11. When a person doesn't forgive, he/she falls into Satan’s trap by taking his bait. Not only does the person who was hurt and unwilling to forgive suffer in his/her heart, but also the person’s family and friends will ultimately suffer and be deviled by a root of bitterness. Heb. 12:15.

                       † Forgiveness is always a gift. Give people a gift they don’t deserve.

Love you all...

His,

Vickie

Touching Base ...

Greetings, everyone! Vickie asked me to fill in for her on the blog this week as she is ill. Please pray for her quick recovery. She will be back with you next week to continue her blog about Filters. 

We are thrilled with what God has done to bring the Italy retreat together. We have 50 missionaries registered and more on a waiting list. We have a team of 15 signed up and they are working on preparations already. Please continue to pray for the missionaries as they begin making plans to be with us in Naples April 22 – 25 and for the team as they are taking care of all that must be done before the retreat.

At the time of this writing, we had 19 missionaries sponsored and we are so thankful. Please pray for the 31 missionaries who need to be sponsored at $600 each…and seek how God would have you to get involved with gifting and giving for this retreat. It’s always exciting to watch how God moves on the hearts of people around the world to financially support the retreats!

In Him,

Deb Potter

Pure Joy International

Staff, Public Relations